Welcome back to our next edition of this series. A few months back, after publishing our first 4 interviews, an outpouring of interest came in from women in this community who wanted to contribute by sharing their words, experience and perspective. Holding a space for these women to tell their stories felt like a real honor to me.
I am continuing to publish the words of some of my favorite Witches that I have personally reached out to, as well as readers of HTHG that I have not yet personally met, because it feels IMPORTANT and I will keep doing it until it leads to something else.
HTHG started out about simply DIY HAIR and has taken us down a portal deeper into identity and empowerment. The question of what it means to be a WITCH is simply a facet and a stop along the journey, a moment to dive into a subject that obviously touches many of us.
The process of producing content that is authentic and meaningful has been very much like following a single firefly deep into a big dark cave. Occasionally, the firefly enters a small chamber, and illuminates every aspect of its surroundings. There, we stop to look around.
Please enjoy this interview with Angela Sumner on the topic of what it means to be a witch.
What does the term Witch mean to you?
WOM(B)AN. She is any human being who identifies as a womb-carrying woman, for in her womb lies the entirety of her magick – accessible to her throughout the month cyclicly depending on her needs. She is centuries in the knowing of her ways even if she is only know waking up to them in this life.
How would one know that one was a witch? 🙂
Tingles. Chill bumps. Deja vu. Synchronicity. That feeling of knowing. Intuition. Dreams. The connection to plant allies and animal totems. The easy way of being in sync with the earth and the stars. The day visions and the night exploring. She sees it when she looks at her lover, herself in the mirror. She sees it when she brushes her hair or plucks a blade of grass or holds a goblet of sparkling grape juice. She feels it in the wind, in her bones, in her existence.
Talk about intention and manifestation…..How do they work together, Can you recall the first time you experienced their power in action?
In speaking of intention and manifestation, it has been clear to me that these things are vastly different than what is actually relevant. What is relevant is CREATION. We are constantly creating – second by second – with our thoughts. The intention behind the word is the fuel of creation, the manifestation is the physical seeing of what we’ve created —> The totality is harnessing our power as Creatresses.
I have been a Creatress since before I was born. I remember being in the womb. I remember the feeling of deciding when it was time to be born. My mother corroborates this truth by saying that one day I simply kicked and that was that. I was earthside. A witch once again being earthbound for the experience of it’s magnificence.
How do you think that a collection of witches is magnified in power to an individual witch?
A circle of women is the single greatest power known to humanity. The reason witches have been feared is not because of a single witch working alone… it is when she has gathered with her sisters which creates a stir that is instantly recognizable. This is the reason women have been glorified and vilified – the sheer magnitude of Creation possible when women unite. I recently experienced this in my online women’s gathering The Phoenix Experience. Within days women were having such occurrences as receiving checks for $1000 in the mail and harnessing their previously extinct sex drive seemingly overnight. The raw power was something I knew was possible but hadn’t witnessed in lifetimes.
Where would you direct a woman who is interested in exploring her inner witch for the first time? (books? Plants? etc)
Ah! So many places depending on the woman. Some women need the gentle medicine of flower essences, some the sharp slap in the face of deep ceremony right off the bat. This is why it is so important to look to others for guidance… NOT because there are any secrets which some hold and others do not but because oftentimes we need help remembering. And when we ask for help, it appears instantly.
How do the facets of our souls (shadow side, sun-lit side, good, evil) effect the process of owning our power?
I do not believe in shadow work or dark work. As a death doula, I have experienced first hand that death is no different than life. The yin and the yang are at once whole and complementary to one another. This is the dual nature of the human experience. HOWEVER, as a witch, when we work with the alchemy of ascending, we are able to transcend this shadow work. So many women get stuck in the darkness versus the light until they realize they are the same thing. Your shadow is your light – she only needs some coaxing and some softening in order to fully embrace her sorcery.
Why do you think it is so hard for some of us to own our power, speak to the woman who knows she has it but is afraid to use it.
You are not afraid to own your power. You are afraid of what THEY will think when you own your power. Let’s get clear here so that we can start the work. When you allow your powerful self to fully embody the Divine Being you are, there is nothing to shy away from. In fact, when we are fully allowing our whole selves to work effortlessly in guiding our lives, all except love instantly falls away. You don’t have to worry about a job you hate or having no money because when you walk with the knowing that you Create your life, you are the ultimate Witch, you can harness all the Magic, NOTHING is off limits, there is only one truth : YOU. All is simple when you are fully living in the integrity that you came to live. The Path is clear. The Path is easy. Get on it. ALL becomes part of the journey.
Tell us a little bit about your personal witch journey.
Growing up in the deep south in the first town slaves were brought to America, I experienced the fullness of my embodiment early on. VERY early on. The soil on which I was raised had been blessed and cursed for centuries… and my roots went even deeper than that. The church was scared of my fierce beauty and truths. I had regular migraines and hallucinations which took me out of my body and into the other realms. I saw dead people. I spoke to the non-human entities. The spirit realm were my cohorts. I didn’t understand the human limitations. It wasn’t until I rejected my human self (little s) and decided to step into my Sacred Self that I discovered how easy it was AND FUN to live this human life. I now channel and work in many realms while fully enjoying this Angela body. Being a witch is my favorite way to live. Being woman is the greatest gift I ever gave myself.
