Let’s talk about energy healing and energy manipulation from a slightly different vantage point. If you’ve listened to my podcast or read my blog posts before, you know that I love talking about energy and healing. But I also love talking about the science behind it.
When people hear the word magic, it usually involves one of two images or feelings. The first is a magician where it is all make-believe and sleight of hand. And the other is simply an unexplainable act that you don’t put much attention to because the thought of real magic scares you.
There are others, but those are the two most common that I have found.
I will be the first to admit that the word magic, for me, often translated to black magic. And the term black magic was something dark and bad in which case magic was bad. I have no idea where this thought or feeling came from but that is what I grew up with.
I think most of you know my history, but I’ll give a brief recap for those that don’t. I grew up in a religious household and spent most of my childhood always feeling Catholic guilt and that I was going to go to hell for everything. Which is interesting because I didn’t grow up Catholic. My mom did and I feel like it was passed down via cell memory from her. Don’t worry, mom, I don’t blame you.
I spent most of my adulthood in a very non magical life. Worked as an Engineer, got married, had 3 kiddos, got divorced, met my current and amazing hubs, got married, had another beautiful kiddo, and then my life started to change. I quit my job, went back to school and got my Master’s degree in Complementary and Alternative medicine, became a Reiki Master and Crystal practitioner and ultimately an energy healer.
It was an uphill battle, let me tell you. The religious ancestral binds are strong in my lineage. STRONG.
Now, being able to work with energy and manipulate energy is something I do daily. I never looked at it as anything magical. I mean, I can explain it through quantum physics after all. It is just science. Go back and listen to episode 7 on Reiki and the Quantum field if you haven’t already. It will be a good intro to the Quantum Field, Energy and how it all works.
Another word I’ve had an aversion to is Witch. Probably due to the religious family issues but also due to society. I actually looked witch up in the dictionary and the definition was something like “Someone who practices magic, specifically black magic”. I mean, seriously? “Specifically black magic”? But that is what we are taught. Think back and remember the 10s of thousands of women killed simply because they were powerful and misunderstood. She’s a witch! Kill her!
Alright, so what does this all have to do with each other? Well, I’ve always felt I have this witchy side. And I can’t really explain it. I remember my husband saying to me one time “Why don’t you just embrace your witch side?” and I about lost it on him. Ok, I DID lose it on him. He meant nothing but love by it. His view of witches were powerful, strong, healer women. My view was what I allowed society to dictate for me.
I was reading a book about witches and witchcraft the other day and their definition of a witch was “Someone who manipulates energy”. And went on to further say that, in the context of Wicca, a witch can do no harm to others or interfere with anyone’s free will.
Their definition of magic was simply “the manipulation of energy”. Hmmmm…….
Let’s unpack that for a bit.
I’m a reiki healer.
I’m a crystal healer.
I never do reiki or energy manipulation for the harm of others.
I never interfere with free will.
I never send reiki energy or healing unless it is asked for.
And lastly….
I manipulate energy.
It literally hit me like a ton of bricks when my brain put this all together. What is the difference between an energy healer manipulating energy for a specific outcome and a witch practicing what one might call white magic? Meaning for the good of all.
Not a whole lot.
So am I an energy healer? I sure am. Am I a witch that practices magic? I am intrigued by the idea. What’s funny is that I want to say, yes I am a witch. But my gut wants me to quickly follow it up with “but I don’t practice magic because I don’t do spells” and all that. But I still manipulate and sense energy. Why should it make a difference if it is via spells or not? It is this weird stigma thing I think.
Anyone can explore and experience magic. Transformation and transmutation of energy. That is all it is. So I think it is time to really dive deep into why we are so scared of the words magic and (gasp) witch.
Shall we get into some history here?
History of Witches
Early witches were thought to be people (mainly women) who were “wise women” and healers. How they did what they did was simply misunderstood. Others were thought to do “devil’s work” as pagans. [1]. The bible even references witches somewhere in the 700-900 B.C. range.
Back in the 1400s in Europe is really when the witch hunts ramped up. So-called witches often confessed to being a witch (aka doing evil acts as they equated the word to) during gruesome torture. These women were then killed by hanging or being burned at the stake. In Europe, it is estimated that 80,000 women were killed because they were “in cahoots with the Devil and filled with lust” [1]. Let that sink in for a moment.
Now let’s move to the witch trials in the U.S. that took place in Salem and colonies nearby. Less than a hundred people were executed and most of the accused were women. Much different than in Europe, but still horrific.
Today, Wicca is practiced by many modern witches, that is explicit in doing no harm. There are also many witches who are not associated with any religion or groups. But witches still have to overcome the stigma from years ago. Even I am as well. I think I’ve only said I’m a witch twice and that was once to my husband and once to my sister-in-law.
So why do I identify with the witch energy when the history is so dark and terrible. I think perhaps it is because I believe many of these women were (and are) gifted in the art of intuition, energy healing, being in tune with nature and mother Earth, and being able to sense and manipulate energy.
Folks, manipulating energy is something we can all do. Do you want to try it and I will show you how easy it is?
Energy Exercise
Before doing this exercise, please use common sense and don’t do it while driving or operating heavy machinery since I’m asking you to close your eyes!
Close your eyes and just breathe deeply a few times. Put the palms of your hands together and start vigorously rubbing them together for about 30 seconds. Now pull your hands apart by about an inch and just put your awareness into the palms of your hands.
What do you feel?
Can you feel the energy between the palms of your hands?
Does it feel warm or tingly?
Now I want you to pull your hands apart slowly to about 6 inches apart. Imagine you are holding an energy bubble between your hands. Slowly bring your palms back to an inch apart, pull them back out and repeat a few times.
What do you feel?
Does it feel like you are pulling something apart when you bring your hands further apart?
Do you feel resistance, almost like you are pushing against something when you bring them closer?
Whatever you feel, THIS is energy.
Super simple, right? That is just the beginning of being able to bring your awareness to energy and begin to sense it around you.
Guess what? You just manipulated energy. You are now a witch! See how easy that was? How benign that word should be?
Now, there are witches that practice spells and are a part of the Wiccan religion and they participate in witchcraft in a much more deep and sacred manner. And remember, Wicca’s main point is to do no harm. So witchcraft is not this dark, evil thing. I mean, it can be. Anybody can be dark or evil. But not your average, everyday 21st century suburban witch.
If you enjoyed this article about magic and witches, I’d love to write more about it! And dive into the types of witches and even talk about the specific witch energies that I identify with and that you might even identify with.
Lastly, just remember, witches were often healers. Energy healers. And just because we have a more politically correct name for them (or us) in the current time (i.e. energy healers), doesn’t make it any different.
References
[1] https://www.history.com/topics/folklore/history-of-witches
