Simply stated, I am a Witch, but what does it mean to me that I call myself by such a name? What discoveries have I made, and feelings inside me have I uncovered that I would openly and willingly call myself by a name that to some people bring forth images of evil, debauchery, or wanton behavior? I have learned through self-exploration, innate feelings, watching and experiencing Nature, along with the turn of the year, and through much reading, that the calling inside me bears me to make the declaration: I am an Eclectic Witch with strong Celtic influences.

This discovery about myself was like many have experienced. Often times someone new to the Craft will say, "I've had these feelings all my life, now I have a name for them!" My introduction came with this revelation also. Once I learned of the beliefs and principles associated with Witchcraft I felt I had reached a destination. I soon learned that this destination was but a starting point with many wonderful journeys still to come.

I came to know that Witchcraft was more than what I'd seen or come across in movies or television by a simple method, I read a book. However, the book that led to my discoveries was not one of the many "Witchcraft/Wicca 101" books available. It was The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. This book led me on a journey; a journey that led to many interesting and unexpected revelations. I had read the book for what was probably the 10th time, and since I now had the availability of the internet, I became interested in looking up Runes. At the time I was simply interested in learning more about the system of writing mentioned within the story. One of the sites about Runes I encountered had a link to The Witches Voice website. I had no idea what a Witch was, but something about the word itself intrigued me. At the time I was probably thinking "witches, that seems interesting," so I clicked the link and began my discoveries. I read through the "Witchvox FAQ" and the other Craft Basics sections. I became more and more interested in the various paths and traditions of Witchcraft. It made sense to me. I looked for more sites with information about Witchcraft. I came to know what Witchcraft meant and along with some recommended beginners books. I read, I learned, and discovered. Throughout my reading, everything I read continued to feel right to me.

My discoveries and learning continued for about a year and a half before I dedicated myself to my Path. During the time of my discoveries, a trend of “Witchy” movies was released. I didn't begin or continue my path because of this trend of movies; I began my Path before movies such as "The Craft" and "Practical Magic" were released. If anything such movies drove me to discover the true meanings of what Pagan and Witch meant. I dedicated myself when felt I had learned enough to be sure I was following the Path I felt completely in tune with.

So what are those feelings about Witchcraft that cause me to believe I have begun upon a way I feel is right for me? Some of it is a dissatisfaction with the way Christians seem to handle things associated with how they view God. I was not brought up in a very religious family. We went to church a few times a year at most. The times I did go to church I never liked how things were "force fed" to the congregation. Although I was aware of Christian beliefs, something about how they were presented struck a wrong chord in me.

One thing that bothered me was the contradiction of a "Loving God," and "The Fear of God." Why should we fear someone who loves us? It made no sense to me. Another thing was the concept of the Original Sin. Why would all of humanity be held responsible for the actions of someone eons ago, so that we needed to be "saved" because we are all born sinners?

Along with the Christian concept of that Original Sin, was the problem I had with an "All powerful, all knowing God" not knowing that such an event would occur. These are only some of the basic disagreements I had with Christianity; admittedly coming from someone who didn't know everything about Christianity. These questions did cause a rift in me. I knew from early on I wasn't Christian, but I didn't know of another belief system. The Christian philosophy of "One True God," and "our way is the only way," never felt right to me. I have always felt myself to be a spiritual person, but not in the traditional sense of the word. I did not feel that the traditional Christian doctrine echoed my feelings toward spirituality. The Christian policy of, “this is how God is, this is how to worship… or else!” did not allow me to adequately express my spiritual feelings.

My concepts of Deity never conformed to a traditional Christian philosophy. I do have a concept of Deity, but I think of it as Spirit. What the Spirit is to me is everything: the Earth, the Sun, the Moon, the planets, the galaxy, and the Universe. To me Spirit is not some God on his throne passing judgment upon humanity. Spirit encompasses everything in existence. Spirit is within us, as well as all around us. It's the life force of existence. In many ways Spirit is not definable, it simply is.

This Spirit, while I don't believe in a sentient entity, does affect us in profound ways. It’s energy is our energy and vice versa. This energy can be influenced or disturbed by our actions. It can affect our lives in many ways. How we chose to relate to Spirit or Deity is how our religion is expressed.

The human need to classify and personify is a basis for religious belief. We cannot accept an energy; we need to give it a name or names. Early Man, not necessarily pre-history, used a pantheon of Gods and Goddesses to relate to Deity. Different Gods and Goddesses were responsible for different aspects or areas of influence. By giving each individual God and Goddess an influence or role, we learn how to direct our thoughts and feelings towards the greater Spirit. Witches and Wiccans of the world use different cultural pantheons in their individual traditions. Some may be Celtic, while others Egyptian, or Nordic. But with whatever pantheon chosen, it's their particular, and individual, method of connecting with Deity.

These many Gods and Goddesses are the female and male roles found throughout Nature. This is how I relate to Deity; a female and male representation of Spirit that together form the whole. The Spirit itself is sexless, but Spirit manifests itself in the sex gender roles that are present in Nature. I see some things in Nature, along with the obvious plants and animals, as having female qualities and some having male. The Natural world as a whole makes up Spirit. I see the cycle of the Moon as being female; the waxing and waning cycles of the Moon relating to the cycles of a woman's body. I also see the Earth as female, Mother Earth, for She is where life grows and comes to fruition. The Sun as the male in respect that when in combination with the seeds sown on the Earth, it's the spark that enables those seeds to grow. This is the basis of all life. Female/Seed/Egg and Male/Light/Sperm, in combination make up our living world.

This belief system is one thing that has drawn me to Witchcraft. As a Witch I recognize and respect this relation of Spirit, Goddess, and God. Nature in all its manifestations is sacred to me. I celebrate the changing of the Seasons as a way of understanding the cycle of life. Goddess and God are a presence in my life, as well as Spirit. I celebrate their influence with the Sabbats, and Esbats. They personify my concept of Deity. Witchcraft is my religion and my way of life. Being a Witch is an ever-learning process. I believe I am on the right Path for me, and I call myself a Witch without any misgivings or doubts in my mind.