The shortest month of the year means we get back to questions faster.
Hey, everyone! Seems the February Sickness has come for many of us. I know it came for me, and it knocked me flat for a solid week, if not a little more. Seems like just yesterday I was writing last month's post, and now here we are again with another one thanks to all that time just lost. But hey—getting more questions answered is always a good thing, right?
Remember: if you have any questions, all you have to do is check out this Google Form right here and fill it out with your question!
Now for all this good conversation!
How Do You Use the Book of Common Prayer in Spellwork?
Hello! In one of your posts, I spotted a BCP of the Episcopal Church. I’ve long been interested in a more mystical/folk based Christian faith but just been intimidated to start. You mentioned in your comments you think it’s a spell book. I wanted to ask how specifically you employ it in your work. What liturgies do you draw from? What collects are your favorite? And so on. I was also wondering if you could touch on your Episcopal background and your witchy background, and how they intersect. Thank you so much. —Brendan
Hey, Brendan!
So, when I do my spellwork, I like to do a combination of prayers from books like the BCP and relevant bits of scripture. While I've used the BCP collects for creating my 2025 Christian Witch Tarot Journal, I don't tend to use those so much as spells. What I prefer are the prayers for special occasions towards the back, like the prayers for oppressed people, or whichever ones match the intention of my spellwork; I also use them to follow traditions like the Advent candles or Lent or transmuting the Eucharist or anything else like that. It makes a fantastic supplement/bookend for the scripture in ritual!
As for where it intersects with my witchiness: honestly, I've been really impressed with how open my local episcopal church is about mysticism. My priest routinely digs up new books for me to read on the topic, and it seems like TEC has a big history of mystics and other powerful figures that think outside the box when it comes to how to engage with faith. Their values align a lot with mine, and the liturgical style is, itself, still very witchy with all the ritual and candles and prayers and incense. It feels completely natural to go to this church and go through the motions because they're still treated with the reverence ritual deserves, so it's a pretty seamless match for my witchy side, given my witchy side is also all about that.
How to Draw the Line with Other Gods?
Hi, Sara. I'm a Christian witch who sometimes works with other deities, and lately I've been getting a strong impression that the Anglo-Saxon god Woden (Norse Odin) is trying to get my attention. I'm British with Anglo-Saxon ancestry and would like to explore this, but because Woden is such a high and powerful god who commands devotion, I'm not sure how to go about working with him respectfully without crossing the line into worship, which as a Christian I am not comfortable with. Do you have experience like this? I hope my question makes sense. —Anonymous
Hey, there!
If I can be real with you, this isn't the kind of question to be asking me, because I've never had to deal with this kind of situation; no entity I've spoken to has demanded equal or more reverence to God. Maybe this is because I don't worship any of the pagan entities I call in, but no one has asked that of me.
What I will say, though, is that this sounds like a conversation you need to have with Godd to see what He's okay with and how much He'll allow you to give to Woden, and then go see what Woden wants from you. Even if Woden is the biggest deity in his pantheon, he may recognize that you're generally with a different God and won't be able to honor him in the way he may be looking for. It'd be like having a meeting with God, Woden, and yourself, but it'd help you set those clear boundaries and see what Woden wants without over-committing or disrespecting God.
How to Heal Self Esteem, Beauty, & Sexuality with Christian Divine Feminine?
With all of these female figures [in Christianity], I would not know how to work with them on sexual related topics, beauty and self esteem topics (of course there’s religious trauma but none of them seem close to this topics as other deities would be, say Aphrodite, Lilith…) I just want to find this connection in my faith. Could you share your thoughts in this please? Thanks in advance. —Stephanie
Hey, Stephanie!
Ooh, this is a tough one. Truthfully, while you mentioned in the rest of your submission that working with Asherah would feel like worshipping another god besides God, the truth is that Asherah is the figure that would best be able to manage topics of sexuality, fertility, etc. However, asking Asherah for help doesn't necessarily mean you have to worship her, so that's important to keep in mind.
Another road you could take is the road of remembering that God doesn't technically have any gender. Yes, some languages like Spanish have the Holy Spirit described as masculine, but in Hebrew and Greek, it's the opposite; Wisdom is feminine, and the Holy Spirit is a feminine force, too. In truth, God overall is neither male nor female, but all things, and you can choose to see God as not a Him, but a Her, if you want. There has always been a feminine component to God because we are all, regardless of gender, made in God's image. (For an even wilder ride, though... check out how medieval art represents Jesus's stab wound. That is unmistakable, and intentional. Lol.)
As for healing wounds surrounding beauty, sexuality, etc., I feel like the root of these things that need healing is worth and autonomy and confidence rather than those things themselves. You could work on physical beauty with makeup and skincare and all that... or you could work on radical confidence and acceptance, which can be found in the story of Mary Magdalene. You could try to do magic to boost your self esteem... or you could call upon the energy of leaders like Junia, Phoebe, Thecla, etc. who appear in the New Testament leading the way of the early church in a world that insisted women should be silent and shoved inside. You could work on sexuality in relation to your partners... or you could simply recognize the glory God made your body with and the miraculous things it can do, such as be strong and a fortress (which we see i Mother Mary, as she's the one that accepts the craziest situation of all and holds the keys to her own body to the point that even God waits for her to accept that situation before going through with it). And if you really wanted to explore sexuality in general, there's always the Song of Solomon in the Bible to see how sexuality has some place in the language of God.
I hope this helps!
How Do I Know God Approves of My Path?
How do I know if God disapproves of my path? We don’t talk, I hardly know Him, I just know that in terms of all the powers, He is the highest and I will use His name and regard him as Highest. Does that mean exploring other entities or using symbols or words or names not connected to him is wrong? I can’t ask him, I don’t know how. —River
Hi, River!
Honestly, I'm a little confused by this question. It doesn't seem like you really want anything to do with God, and yet you're still concerned with what He thinks of your path. Back in the day (like, Exodus lol) there was a rule that anyone in the lands God gave the Israelites, foreigner or Israelite, had to observe the laws He put there and recognize Him as supreme—but outside those lands, and even just plain Gentiles, were never expected to wholly abandon their own gods. If you don't actually worship God, then just recognizing Him as supreme is one thing, but... why are you tying yourself down to the opinions of a God you don't actually want to commit to? This seems counter intuitive.
Either commit to God, get to know Him, and build that relationship with Him, or don't bother with wondering what He thinks.
How Do I Tell the Difference Between the Evangelical Egregore and God?
How do you protect yourself, and discern the difference between God and the evangelical egregore? —Jeanne
Hey, Jeanne!
The only way to equip yourself against an egregore of any deity is to actually study and know that deity through their stories, laws, etc. For example, a great way to know you're dealing with the real Persephone is if she is actively missing her mother; fake Persephone based on modern interpretations of Demeter as a helicopter parent will not. Likewise, with the Evangelical Egregore vs. Jesus, the proof is in each of their energies; you can find the real energy of Christ in His Gospel and in that commandment of unconditional, sacrificial love. The Evangelical Egregore sees love as a means of control and as a transaction; it's entirely different.
Likewise, the only way to protect yourself is to stay vigilant and invoke the true God. The Egregore won't be where the true God is, and if you notice yourself falling into patterns of fear, shame, or following tons of rigid rules to avoid nasty consequences, you may be under the influence of the Egregore as it tries to make you dependent on it. Stand firm in the proper commandments of the true Christ and there will be no issue.
Should We Celebrate Our Enemies' Downfall?
Hi Sara, Happy New Year! A fascist, racist, war criminal and torturer politician died yesterday in France. Some people use a verse in the Bible from Proverbs to say that "we shouldn't jubilate upon our enemies' fall". Yet, for someone who lived such a hateful, damaging long life, many of us chose to celebrate in relief and joy instead of mourn literally anything about him. Is that somehow unchristian? —Anonymous
Hi, there!
So, as I read the whole Proverbs 24 that this is from, its key theme is not being jealous of evil people. This sounds less like "don't be happy an evil man is gone" and more "don't be jealous of evil men and therefore happy when they suffer." The very end of this Proverb even tells about how God will destroy people who refuse to obey Him and the king (as these proverbs were written in the time of Solomon, I'm pretty sure), so folks who are the type of fascist disaster you describe seem to have been destroyed, alright. Moreover, check out Proverbs 11:10:
When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices;
when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.
Now, I read this little thinkpiece on the issue, and I think there's a lot worth commending in this. First is the idea that Proverbs is about wisdom, not necessarily God's law. That's a fascinating take, but it's still actively talking about the character of God, so it still tells us a bit about what God's inclined to do about these situations. It also points out that God is not really happy when wicked people die and that He prefers repentance (and therefore why should we rejoice?) and that's an interesting idea, too, that I think is a little more useful. It calls to an idea that there should be some mourning for people who died in a state of such evil, because they're going to get a serious deep cleaning for the soul that's going to hurt (and they never made amends for the evil they've done). It also calls to our attention the many spots in the Bible that tell us to love our neighbor and our enemy, and that moments of, say, waving Goliath's head around on a spike weren't for the sake of being callous, but sending a clear message that God was active on the scene.
Fair!
I do think there's a bit of ego that needs to be checked when we see people actively happy and triumphant and celebratory over even the most evil people's death. It's easy to dehumanize people who do terrible things and act terrible, but that divorces us more from our own humanity than anything else; it puts us at risk of becoming cruel and callous and easily delighted over the destruction of other people, which isn't good for our spiritual, mental, or emotional health.
However, I'd argue it's still perfectly valid to rejoice that an evil person can no longer commit evil anymore. The removal of evil from the world is still something to be happy about, though we need to remember that being happy over the destruction of human beings is where a line can be drawn so we don't become comfortable with dehumanizing others and celebrating death. Death itself is nothing to love or call on people.
Can Christian Witches Cast Spells on Other People?
Can Christian witches engage in spells that involve other people, e.g. wanting to strengthen a friendship/bond between you and someone you feel connected to? —Anonymous
Hey!
Yeah, you can. Technically, you can do anything you want. However, what you really need to do is ask God if these spells are an appropriate use of your time and attention, and also to make sure that you're not doing these kinds of spells in a sneaky or selfish way. If you want to strengthen a friendship, that sounds like a great thing to do with the person you want to bond with, not behind their back. And if you want to do something like binding or banishing a person, it better have a good reason behind it and be cleared with God first if you want to get the results you're looking for.
How Do You Combine Witchcraft with Attending Church?
I also attend an episcopal church! I’m still new to it but I was wondering does your priest know about your witchy side? If so how did they react/ how did you tell them? I live in a more conservative town in Louisiana so I’ve been considering just hiding it to avoid conflict since some Episcopalian Priests aren’t chill with it. How did you go about combining attending church and your witchy side?—Anonymous
Hi!
Honestly, the first thing I did when I joined my church was make an appointment to talk to my priest, show him my book, and tell him about what I do. When the priest at my church left and we got a new head priest, I did the same exact thing, and that's the priest that's been giving me all kinds of books on mysticism and says he thinks tarot is pretty cool lol. But I made my ways very upfront and asked if they thought I should share with the rest of the church, and they said that was up to me. They also understood exactly what it was that I do as soon as I started explaining it because both priests were very well versed in mysticism and could recognize the heart of this modern title of Christian Witch.
As for combining church and witchiness, as I said previously, they fit together so naturally for me because in this denomination, the liturgy and ritual is still there! It just feels like a more formal extension of what I do at home, which makes it so much easier to merge together. Like, I dunno, the Eucharist is a power-up for me, y'know? I guess I just never saw these things as separate to begin with, so it's always been easy to stitch together as a result.
How Can You Practice Magic Subtly in an Anti-Magic Household?
I have felt a strong call to start practicing and I'm working on my craft, but unfortunately I'm in a household that is very against things like this? Is there a way I can practice subtly? Also, thank you so much for the info you provide, I appreciate it so much🖤—Anonymous
Hey, there!
Oh, of course! There are so many ways to practice magic in secret. I have a YouTube video on specifically green magic one can do incognito, as well as a video on incognito tools for the Christian Witch. However, when it comes to getting away with doing magic in plain sight, there are two things that are particularly helpful:
Kitchen witchcraft
Cantrips
Kitchen witchcraft is a great way to get started into magic, especially on the sly, because everyone has to eat, and so no one's going to look at you funny if you make yourself food with some extra herbs or spices sprinkled on there. You can also use things like tea blends and flavored coffee, or even the beauty products you use for your skincare routine, to invoke more magic into your daily life. (For example: the facial toner I use has damask roses in it, which is perfect for love and beauty glamors without doing an entire high profile love spell.) Because the herbs and spices in your pantry, tea blends, etc. are still just as magical as anything you'd get in a witchy shop, you can do a ton of stuff in secret, and in fact right in front of people, without them ever knowing.
Cantrips are great because they're spoken spells that require nothing else but the words to activate. That means if you live in an especially Christian household, then not only will your family not be suspicious, but they may even be happy to hear you do things like reciting Psalms and Proverbs (which are, in fact, fantastic cantrip material since they cover so many topics). Memorizing key lines to whip out whenever you need some magic in your life is a fantastic way to do magic even when you have absolutely no tools on hand.
These two things together can help you get a lot done, even in plain sight!
Do You Have/Are You Considering Substack?
Would you consider posting witchy content on substack? —Anonymous
Hello!
Honestly, since I already have so many social media channels and this blog, I don't really see the need for a substack! Everything I have to say happens here, on my Patreon, or on my other socials like TikTok and YouTube.
Why is my Experience of God Different than Yours?
Sorry if this is a silly question, but is it possible for how I interpret/feel God's presence and influence in my practice to be different from someone else's? I appreciate reading about and learning from how He appears to you, but sometimes it feels like it's different from my experiences. —Anonymous
Hi there!
It's not a silly question at all! I think one thing people take for granted is that God is infinite. As a result, He has multitudes to Him that we'll never fully understand or even perceive. So long as you grasp the core of God—that Being that demands we love one another and pursue justice, righteousness, and goodness within ourselves and our communities—then how He decides to appear and interact with each individual is actually tailored to them, so that we can all experience God in the ways that draw us closest to Him.
Some choose to see God as feminine. Some choose to see God as pure love and light. I love the rough and brutish edges of God, the sass and snap and thunder of Him, and so that's what He shows me—or maybe that's what I seek from Him. Either way, I'm aware that those aspects of Him I more closely align with aren't all that there is to Him, and that He's as much the love and light and gentleness others experience, too. It's all God at the end of the day.
Ask Your Questions!
Remember, all your questions can go to this Google form, so don't hesitate to reach out! I'm looking forward to seeing what questions people have in the future, and I hope this has been a helpful read! Thank you everyone who participated!
—Sara
Sara Raztresen is a Slovene-American writer, screenwriter, and Christian witch. Her fantasy works draw heavily on the wisdom she gathers from her own personal and spiritual experience, and her spiritual practice borrows much of the whimsy and wonder that modern society has relegated to fairy-and-folktale. Her goal is to help people regain their spiritual footing and discover God through a new (yet old) lens of mysticism.
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