Witchy Woman - by Mike the Brave.
What it's like living with a Witch!

Moot people laugh when I tell then that I live with a witch. They think I'm being funny and putting down the person I live with. Their faces tend to drop a little when I tell them that she really is a witch. I can just see their minds conjuring up images of pointy hats, warty noses, broomsticks and black cats. Well, we do have a black cat and a broomstick (although it must be faulty as I still have to drive everywhere), but the warty nose is a definite no and the pointy hat only appears for the Halloween party. The ones who have seen "The Wicker Man" and are obviously experts, seem to be a little concerned that I may come a cropper, me being a Catholic. But as I'm not quite as innocent as the Edward Woodward character, I think I may be alright. Although, thinking about it, there was an episode a last years' Broomstick Rally where some fire came flying in my direction, but that was just an accident. At least that's what they said. (Incidentally, my illusions of that film have been shattered recently when someone told me that Brit Ekland's bottom was a stunt bottom!)

I started moving in Sussex pagan circles (pun intended) a little over two years ago and in that time I have made many friends. Everyone was very friendly and although I was an outsider, so to speak, I was accepted whole-heartedly by all.

I'll never forget the first open ritual I attended. I was dragged along by my other half because of the fact that I owned a car, although I have to admit that I was more than a little curious about what went on (the fact that these things tended to end up in a pub somewhere was purely a side issue). It was up on the downs at Lancing ring on a chill winter's afternoon, come kids had damaged a number of trees and a group of pagans (witches, druids, et al.) gathered to heal them. When I heard what the aim of the ritual was, I must admit that I started to worry about the sanity of the people gathered around the site, but these were ordinary people from all walks of life. School teachers and engineers, company directors and housewives, office workers and plumbers. I politely refused an offer to join the group as the ritual began, and stood watching as the quarters were called (stop me if I'm getting too technical for you). The words were said with great care and solemnity and I began to see how much these people cared about the job they were doing. These were people took their beliefs seriously and with ouch conviction that you couldn't help but be impressed.

Over the last two yeare I have been to many open rituals, and have joined in most of them. But that is only one part, albeit an impor-tant part, of the pagan calendar. There are Moots every month at a local pub, where the theme changes each time. It could be a based around a discussion of a particular topic, a talk by a member of the group or a guest speaker, a quiz night or my own personal favourite an Eisteddfod. I'm sure most of you already know, but an Eist-eddfod is a gathering where people get together and sit in a circle and a candle or some such gets passed around. The person holding the candle can sing a song, tell a story, recite some poetry, show your bum (optional) or just pass the candle onto the next person and sit and listen to all the sickeningly talented people gath-ered there.

The first time I went to one I just sat and took it all in, revelling in the delights of the range of talent on show. Since then, every one I've been to I've subjected the audience to some of my own poetry (I don't apologise and you can't stop me now, I've got the bug!). Being based in the upstairs room of a pub the beer tends to flow quite freely at these gatherings.

There are eight main pagan festivals in the year (Imbolc, 0stara, Beltane, Midsummer, Lammas, Mabon, Samhain and Yule) a personal favourite of mine would have to be Beltane (no, not for the reasons you’re thinking of!). We usually go to the Jack-in-the-Green festival in Hastings,

a terribly stressful day of sitting in the early summer sun, drinking beer (you may have noticed a recurring theme here!) and generally having a good time. Although having said that Yule is pretty good too.

But there is one event that I look forward to in the local pagan calendar that you won't find anywhere else in the country. The Broomstick Rally. The annual gathering in a field by a pub in the countryside near Lewes is one of the highlights of the year for me. Pagans gather from all over the country to camp for a weekend where the organisers, Rob and Fran, lay on food at very reasonable prices, the breakfast alone is worth every penny. They also set up workshops on a variety of subjects and some very interesting games to while away the lazy afternoons. A blazing fire is kept going for the whole weekend with an Eisteddfod on one of the evenings, and nor-mally a band on the other. Need-less to say, the beer (surprise, surprise) is free flowing, although not free, unfortunately. So, what is it like living with a witch when I'm not one? I really think that the moot important thing is to have a good strong and honest relationship, but that goes for just about anyone in any walk of life. Some people can't believe that I don't have a problem with the fact that my girlfriend occa-sionally spends her evenings naked (or skyclad) with a group of other people. The thing is I know these people. I trust them. she's quite happy to sit around in her birthday suit and discuss religious topics but she's paranoid about showing here bum in the local Gym changing rooms!

When she goes out to do her witchy thing, I get to spend an evening with the cats and maybe a pint or two. She comes in at some ungodly hour freezing cold and smelling strongly of bonfires, but that'a something you get used to. And then there are the times when they all get together to discuss some specific points or other; when it’s at our flat I can greet our friends at the door and I'm then banished from my own front room whilst they talk. Or the drawer in the front room that is the repository for all things pagan and a no go area for Mike. Some people would find that difficult, but I'm fully aware of the secrecy involved in her chosen path and that's all I need to know.

I'm a great believer in the fact that everyone must find their own religion, their own path through life, and the people I watched that day on the downs had obviously found the right path for them. I must say I felt quiet jealous. Although I was brought up as a catholic, my faith in the church of Rome faltered many years ago and then, as now, I find myself in a kind of spaghetti junction of religions, not knowing which way to go, or whether to go any way at all. In all the time I have spent in the pagan community no one has tried to change me, no one has tried to influence me in any way (unless you count being nice), and I'd like to thank then for that. Nothing puts me off more then people telling me what I should or shouldn't do. I will come to my own decision, in my own time. Right now I am happy with my life the way it is. I don't feel the need for anything else in my life but there may come a time when I need that certain some-thing, and maybe paganism in one of it's many forms can offer that to me. Until then I'll continue to go the open rituals, the moots and the Eisteddfods. I’ll continue to drink beer and read out my poems and I'll continue to live with my very own witch.

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