The night started like any other night but what was about to happen was not like any thing else I have ever experienced. There was a sharp tang in the air, something that whispered excitement and change. It was Halloween and I was ready to fly.

This night would be my first sabot ritual working, a witchcraft ceremony where the participants worked with magic. Halloween is one of the major, if not the major event of the year for working magic. All my life I had felt this, all my life I had known that October 31st held power.

I had prepared myself hours earlier by taking a saltwater bath, in which to cleanse away the troubles and worries of the day. Salt is one of the many minerals that witches use to purify, to draw out negative energy. I may not have participated in a sabot ritual before but I knew that this was a serious situation. I had learned about what to expect at this ritual. Rituals are usually about raising a cone of power, working magic to direct it towards some goal. Since Halloween is a holiday about death, letting go of the past or what has gone before, the goal would be about having ourselves be reborn- to transform ourselves into a new person, one that hopefully doesn’t have the bad habits or problems of the old person.

When I arrived at the park where we were going to hold the ceremony I was wearing my black velvet dress; feeling totally underdressed among friends I had acquired as I became involved with the wiccan community. They wore long capes, handmade dresses, ornate jewelry, and special temporary tattoos. All of their objects were embued with a power I could feel. While I did feel underdressed, I did feel accepted. I could have shown up naked (and in some cases that's preferable, so as to get closer to nature) and I would still be among friends who not only accepted who I was but were so much like me that sometimes it ended up in "No way, me too" discussions. These were people who *knew* me. They were capable of understanding events in my life, events that could be categorized as miraculous, or magical.

We began the journey, this night of magical working by holding hands as we gathered in a large circle. I could feel the night and the approaching magic. The darkness was ever present, wrapping me up like one of my mother's quilts on a snowy day. Instead of feeling apart from the world, I felt a part of the world, as if I was finally welcome in this life, as if I finally found a place to belong.

I smiled at my new friends and let the incantations roll off my tongue. The chants we used were simple, easily said by old and young. In fact there were a few teens in the circle prepared to work magic alongside us. A large dog wandered around in the circle, as if he was following some strange sent we humans could not detect. It’s owner made a joke that the dog was following the magic. I believed him, magic is a natural part life, something that connects us all. Magic comes naturally to children, why not a dog. Both of them haven’t been tainted with disbelief, with unnatural questions depressed adults ask.

Of the magic in the circle I could quickly feel that particular strum of power. It was as if someone had plucked a bass guitar string, the sound of it resonating throughout the circle. I could feel the wave of magic move through me onto the next person, growing in strength. It coursed around our circle as we asked the gods and goddesses to help us leave the past behind so that each of us could be born anew.

When I closed my eyes I could almost see a bluish mist surrounding us, something that shimmered and grew longer and stronger the more we chanted. I was not afraid. For some time I had been able to see the magic. This second sight is part of what lead me to this new path. A path that was teaching me to respect that power and how to control it rather then letting it control me.

Though out the night we chanted, sang, and listened to the lessons of life that Selene Rati, the priestess of the night, imparted to us. I stood there dumbly, nodding my head saying "How true, how very true." By the time the cone of power was raised, ready to be sent off I was light headed. And after releasing the magic I could feel a calm overtake me. I knew what we had done that night was special and that magic would be working underfoot to make my life better.

I have had other nights like that, where everything seemed to come together with such *rightness* that I can honestly say that this is a part of me. I can remember little incantations, superstitions really that I played as a child. "Find a penny, pick it up, and all the day, you'll have good luck," was one of the earliest spells I ever learned. I learned other little saying; other little practices over the years that instinctively I knew were important. I'd throw salt over my shoulder, I would drink peppermint and sage tea when sick, I would also concentrate and wish for a card when playing poker with my brothers and then pick up the exact card I wanted. Magic was a basic part of my childhood but instead of leaving it behind I found a whole new realm of magic.

Being a witch, a practitioner of magic, is a very big deal. With claiming the word witch, I am taking on a responsibility not only to myself but also to my world. "An ye harm none, do what ye wilt." Every where a witch initiate turns she will find that phrase. The words means that you, as a witch and as a person, have power and tells you to use it cautiously. This reed is not only a rule, it is a responsibility. To be a witch is to understand that our actions and inaction’s have consequences.

I took on the responsibility several years ago. I claimed the word witch as my own and my life has changed. I now have responsibilities that I did not have before but I also have gained knowledge to help me. By studying witchcraft, I have learned information that was once buried. I know truths about our world that people may never have thought of; such as why is Halloween as it is. I now have an answer I did not previously have.

One such answer I have found is about Halloween. Almost every religion, culture, and country on this planet has a Halloween like celebration. Why is that? Because it is scientific in nature. Halloween occurs half way between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice; both of these are natural holidays. These are natural occurrences that signal change in the environment around us. Knowing when these events occur was important, even life threatening. Crops that had to feed our ancestors would be gathered up beginning at the Autumnal Equinox and would finish at Halloween time (give or take a few days). If the crops were not in by Halloween it was likely that you would loose those few plants left. Halloween is about death, but an important factor of death is rebirth. Without death, birth cannot happen. An end always leads to a new beginning.

The circle of life and the web of life, are images that I find apparent in my life today. I have learned that all my actions have consequences and have learned how to control them. Being a witch has given me power and knowledge. Being a witch, for me, is about wisdom. By claiming to be a witch I am claiming wisdom. Being a witch is a charge; it is not something to be taken lightly or to be used foolishly. A witch is someone important and I am proud to claim that title.