Witches

Let me tell you a tale.

A tale of the witches five…

There were three females and two males, born in lands far apart. All five were stunningly gorgeous, as though the powers that be had chosen them for that very reason.

Lara was the blue-eyed goddess from the icy lands far north. Her long blonde hair and slender curves spoke of her Viking ancestors. She had power over the Earth and could find anything she sought.

Genevieve of the fiery hair and porcelain skin was as far from her in temperament (and geography) as possible. To her call the flames would come.

Armando was the dark-eyed Italian that every female swooned over. His dark hair and sensual smile had gotten his into more than his fair share of trouble. His was the power over water and he had an uncanny ability to influence moods.

Justin had auburn hair and eyes that seemed amber in the right light. His was the power over air and his temperament could put anyone at ease.

Natalia was destined to be the anchor of the group. She changed hair colour as often as some people changed clothes and her eyes were a light grey.

 The first time they were called to battle was in an age not well remembered.

In this time the old demons roamed free and wreaked havoc on the innocent.

The concept of ‘the witch’ was not yet known. The closest to it would have been the local ‘wise-women’ and ‘wise-men’ – the ones who knew a little herb-lore and a little healing; mixed in with the wisdom earned by age.

The thought that speaking to the spirits of nature and believing that the celestial bodies had ‘power’ was not yet considered to be evil.

It was a time when it was safest to be home before darkness fell. A time when all of creation was respected and the cycles of the seasons were honoured.

There came a time when the true forces of evil, the demons that roamed free, held sway.

The powers that be decided it was time to intervene. Yet they could not do so directly. It was determined that they would choose their champions from among the mortals and delegate the responsibility to them.

After all, the world was the realm of the mortals…

Each of the five was born unaware of their abilities and had to face dangers of their own before they understood their strengths.

In time, they met and formed bonds both of friendship and of power.

None knew of them until the first battle was joined – until the first demon was sent screaming back into the abyss.

The five cast their circles and called on the elements…on powers as old as the Earth itself. They wielded magick to help and to save…adopting the credos now known to all witches.

And it harm none, thy will be done…

Since that time they have reappeared when needed.

Sometimes it is not even known that they are witches or that there are five.

They sometimes enter battle side-by-side but more often than not they have had to fight individual battles of their own. They have walked every land at some time…

 As time has passed, so the legends have changed:

The witch appears as villain more often than not. She is seldom ever beautiful in the tales nowadays (take Shakespeare’s three crones for instance). When she is portrayed as a beauty she is said to use this to seduce the unwary male.

A male witch is a concept unknown – he is now called ‘wizard’ – which is something else entirely.

For those who don’t automatically equate witchcraft with the devil and with evil, there is the strange concept of black and white magick.

Magick is neither good nor evil – but the ‘craft’ of the wise – wielded with intent that is dependent on the user. It is old beyond knowing and should it ever disappear entirely from the world the repercussions would not be pleasant.

My question today is thus, do you believe in this magick? And in the witches who wield it?