Witches: Keepers of the Deceased

Last updated on: December 7, 2016 at 9:01 am by Coby Michael Ward

Witches: Keepers of the Deceased 2016-12-07T09:01:37-04:00 Coby Michael Ward

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As witches and magical practitioners who traffic with the Unseen one of the purposes that we serve is as a living conduit between this world and the world of spirit.

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We are consciously and unconsciously drawn to the occult, that which is hidden and secret. We ourselves are powerful beings of spirit of an eternal nature, only manifesting in a physical body for a brief fraction of our existence. As witches, we understand that the dead do not leave, they are all around us. They live on within us and within the earth, just behind and beneath human perception. This is where the Otherworld exists. It is not a place that can be found in the physical sense. It exists within and around us, independent of our knowledge of its presence. We spend much of our time in various states of consciousness with one foot always in their world. As witches we understand that death is part of a cycle. It is simply a transformation from one state of energy to another. We have no Hell to fear and no Judgement awaiting us, and a life lived without fear of eternal damnation leaves little to regret.

Encountering Death Differently

When witches encounter death we encounter it differently than the average person. Of course we are still human and go through natural states of grief like anyone else, however there is a more subtle aspect to our interaction with the event of death. We perceive death differently, and its energy interacts with us differently. When we spend so much time peering into the other side; it doesn’t seem so far away. We know when the veil becomes thin and contact is made easiest. We know where to look for windows, and how to open doors for our guests to come through. The dead aren’t lost to us, as they seem to be for some. Death wants to be a celebration or culmination of a full life. It is easier to celebrate one’s life when it has been long and happy. When a life is cut short too soon, with too many years left, there is a sense of profound loss-of injustice, and want for what could have or should have been.

As witches, we understand that we live and die on our own terms, whether consciously or as part of our greater plan for our soul’s growth. Those who have seemingly left too soon have had to, often unknowingly, live and entire lifetime within a few short years. Some of the oldest and strongest souls set out on this path together to learn some of the most powerful lessons of love and loss. It is those who are left behind that must go on with something forever missing from their lives. They go on with the knowledge that they survived.

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I recently attended a “Celebration of Life” for a cousin who passed on shortly after her eighteenth birthday. She had been battling cancer for two years, briefly going into remission before it quickly returned. The band that was supposed to play at her Great Gatsby themed birthday celebration ended up playing at her funeral service instead. The strength that this young woman displayed while fighting this disease was no doubt helped by the spirituality that she shared with her mother, an empath and healer herself. They no doubt shared many beautiful conversations about life after death and the eternal nature of the soul. I cannot begin to imagine what it would be like to have these conversations with one’s dying child, the strength and fortitude is astounding.

Nothing can prepare a person for the loss of their child. I don’t pretend to come close to comprehending such a loss. The woman that stood there that day at the Celebration of Life, showed strength in her vulnerability. Her loss was palpable, as if she had physically become smaller. Naturally she had lost a lot of weight, but it was more than that. Nevertheless, she stood and graciously received condolences with her husband and children. When I embraced this frail feeling mother with the strength of a pride of lions; I could feel the emptiness that had formed within her. I could feel my very heart open and pour in all of the love it had to try and fill that emptiness through our embrace. There were no words. There are no words. But we looked into each other’s eyes and we understood. Her silent understanding brought comfort to me and my lack of words.

A mother never stops being a mother.

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As witches, we magical practitioners occupy a special place in the world. We are tied to the earth, made from the very soil, yet we are beings of eternal spirit. We shape the very world around us and with this comes great responsibility. We are the keepers of the world of spirit here on Earth. Humans have an active role to play in the happenings of the Otherworld, whether we realize it or not. We as witches have realized that role. We make offerings to the spirits of the land, we keep the doors to the spirit world open, we keep the memory of our ancestors alive and turn the wheel of the year. It is by our altars that the spirits of the deceased are not only remembered, but reunited with the living. We set lights for spirits known and unknown to feed them with their warmth. We are the keepers of the forgotten dead, the Mighty Dead, the wise ancestors of our nameless Arte. Through our magic we can heal the living and enliven the dead, helping both sides through the process of transition. I feel a great responsibility to reach out to those who have lost loved ones, whether in word or in thought, and help them in some way. I often feel called to do or say certain things that I feel are being acted out through me by those loved ones who have passed on. These are individuals I may have never met in life who I feel will reach out in spirit when we are in close proximity to those left behind. I feel like this is part of my responsibility as a spiritual practitioner to heed these subtle impulses, and explore them with an open mind.

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