The Wrong Question Many Answers or why we are witches, not Wiccans. Come along for a trip down several practitioners witch-jectory of origin stories. Get to know some members of the guild, sources of our inspiration, and places that make Portland special to us.  Guild members in order of witch-jectory stories: -Emrys is a glitch witch, book hoarder, and herbalist. They tend to wear bright colored lipstick. blue-index.tumblr.com -Alex in an agnostic secular witch, friend of crows, shrine building enthusiast and puts witchy stuff on the internet at upthewitchypunx.tumblr.com (Gemini Sun, Leo Moon, Sagittarius rising) - Mary is a secular cottage witch who also loves to read, be silly, and make art. She blogs about witchcraft, among other things, at lemonbalmgirl.tumblr.com -Esme is a fictional character from the Discworld books, but also our resident witchbrarian and definitely not and orangatang. -Bea is currently out of the country on a secret mission and we think she is pretty neat. Find us on tumblr at pdxwitchguild.tumblr.com artwork by Steve Larder Music by Ian B and Tuxedocat   - Traditional Witchcraft (trad craft) - Enter Three Witches by Kate Gilmore - Eclectic witchcraft: a personal practice that is formed by incorporating beliefs and practices from different traditions all into one. - Hedge witch: a witch who “crosses the hedge” and and engages in a form of astral projection; not at all related to green or plant witchcraft. - Discworld Witch books https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witches_(Discworld) - Secular Witchcraft is witchcraft practiced without religion. This does not mean atheist or agnostic in the same way that religious schools vs, secular schools does not mean the secular school are athiest. - animism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animism - changeling https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changeling - numinosity - hypnogogia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnagogia - Hildegard von Bingen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hildegard_of_Bingen - godphone: the concept of being able to communicate directly with deity, of being able to receive complete messages - mother 3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_3 - magic machine - sigil history https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigil_(magic) - spoonie witch/spoon theory: the spoon theory is a metaphor for explaining the amount of energy a person with chronic illness or disability has for doing daily activities. More info here. Therefore, a spoonie witch is a witch with limited energy for performing witchcraft and may employ methods of spellcraft specifically meant to maximize available energy, make future spells easier, etc. - Headology is “a sort of folk-psychology which can be summed up as "if people think you're a witch, you might as well be one". For instance, Granny Weatherwax could, if she wished, curse people. However it is simpler for her to say she has cursed them, and let them assume that she is responsible for the next bit of bad luck that happens to befall them” - Wikipedia - Boudicea https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boudica - unschooling https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unschooling - Book curses seem to stem especially from medieval times when a book was a very expensive and valuable object. Many book curses exist, but this one is especially fun: “For him that stealeth, or borroweth and returneth not, a book from its owner, let it change into a serpent in his hand & rend him. Let him be struck with palsy, & all his members blasted. Let him languish in pain crying aloud for mercy, & let there be no surcease to his agony till he sing in dissolution. Let bookworms gnaw his entrails in token of the Worm that dieth not, & when at last he goeth to his final punishment, let the flames of Hell consume him for ever & ever.” - from the Monastery of San Pedro, in Barcelona   DIY Magic: A Strange and Whimsical Guide to Creativity - Anthony Alvarado https://www.amazon.com/DIY.../dp/0399171797/ref=sr_1_1...   Bucky's Big Blue Book aka Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft - Raymon