Llewellyn Journal - The Natural Witch and Intuition

In my new book, Natural Witchery: Intuitive, Personal & Practical Magick, I define a “Natural Witch” as a practitioner who intuitively senses the magick and the spirit inherent in all things. Natural Witches are practical, down-to-earth, and keep their magick personal by adding a little something extra to the spellwork. What’s the little something extra? It’s intuition. It’s the spark of their own personalities, and a celebration of individuality.

Magick is not only the act of working in harmony with the four elements and the natural world; it also involves listening to your intuition. Intuition does not arrive with a swirl of pixie dust and an enchanting chime of harp strings. No, it’s much more basic than that. Intuition is simply always there. Intuition is sometimes referred to as the sixth sense. It is also defined as a quick and ready insight and immediate apprehension or cognition. It’s that old “gut hunch” feeling. Or when you “just know”. This impulse comes from the primitive part of our brains, the survival instinct. This force communicates vital information from a different level of consciousness, sometimes in dramatic ways and at times in mundane ones.

We all have experienced intuition in our lives at one time or another. For example: another driver on the highway makes you nervous, so you back off and give them plenty of room. You then watch in amazement as they cut off another driver, and realize with a start that you could have been in an accident if you hadn’t noticed them and acted defensively. That’s your intuition. Also, let’s not forget the “I just knew something was wrong.” feeling. Or the classic, “I need to go check on the kids.” And when you follow that inner push or compulsion, you discover that something was indeed wrong or that you arrived just in the nick of time to keep one of the kids out of danger. That classic sort of everyday scenario is your intuition.

Were there any physical reasons for those reactions in those specific situations? No. They were purely instinctive and visceral. And they are powerful. When this experience forces you to act for no other apparent reason than your own inner knowledge, you are being moved by your instincts. And when your gut hunch turns out to be correct . . . that’s the power of intuition. So imagine what could happen if you tapped into this natural power that you already posses, and then added it to your magick.

When you acknowledge, validate, and work with intuition in your magick, it will add a whole new level to the Witchcraft that you practice. It makes your Craft deeper, more personal and also spiritual. As I wrote in my new book Natural Witchery, this happens because magickal experiences are actually intuitive experiences felt at the spiritual level. And who doesn’t want to bump up the spirituality and the depth of their Craft?

In fact, intuition is associated with the three main levels of awareness. This natural intuitive ability does correspond with the magickal trinity of earth, sea and sky. First, there is the physical level and your bodily sensations:this ties to the earth. Second, there is the relation to your emotional level, your feelings,which corresponds to the element of water and the sea. Lastly, on a third level, intuition is connected with the mental level, images and ideas,which links in the element of air and the sky.

Discovering your psychic abilities and working with your intuition is simpler than you think. It’s easier to trust your instincts when you feel a Witch’s connection to the natural world and the divine. A straightforward explanation of magick is to see magick as the ability to communicate intuitively with the inner spiritual powers in nature, ourselves and other human beings. This means that this psychic ability, is part of your genetic make-up and it is both a tool and an ally. Once you learn how to honor and tap into your intuition, your magick and your life will definitely improve for the better.

You can begin to warm up these psychic muscles by working the simple exercises found in Natural Witchery. There is a quiz for you to take that will help you to pinpoint where your own psychic talents lie. Armed with this information, you can then apply this to your magick and turn up the volume on your Craft. There is also an entire chapter devoted to the psychic energies of the various moon phases, with psychic spells and charms to coordinate with each lunar phase.

The book also discusses how to use your intuition to do successful group work. It addresses the different intuitive personalities of a group, and what their strengths are. This understanding can strengthen any Coven or Circle. On the other hand, it will also give you some pointers on how to successfully build a Circle, or magickal group of your very own.

With this intuitive information you can also create harmony and balance in the workplace and in your home. There are chapters devoted to your job, your family, and your living environment. All of this practical magick information will come in very handy for you as you explore the practices of the Natural Witch.

As magickal practitioners, it is well worth our time to explore our psychic abilities. Acquiring an understanding of what our own unique gifts are, and how they work, will enable us to connect with the wisdom deep within our own souls. Truth be told, the more you develop your own intuitive and psychic abilities the clearer your own magickal path can become.

Discovering the path of the Natural Witch can open up worlds to any magickal practitioner. While this path may not be flashy, there is a quiet sense of rightness here and a belief and strength of self that is beautifully strong, intensely personal, and undeniably powerful.

So take a moment and clear your mind. Center yourself, and let’s begin to move down this quiet and naturally magickal path together. Reach out with your senses, discover your intuition, and learn the power and beauty of this most natural of witcheries.

Ellen Dugan, the "Garden Witch", is a psychic-clairvoyant and a practicing Witch for over twenty four years. She is also a Master Gardener and teaches classes on magick and the Craft locally as well as flower folklore and gardening at a community college. Ellen is the author of the Llewellyn books:

Garden Witchery: Magick from the Ground Up,
Elements of Witchcraft; Natural Magick for Teens,
7 Days of Magic: Spells, Charms & Correspondences for the Bewitching Week,
Cottage Witchery: Natural Magick for Hearth and Home,
Autumn Equinox: The Enchantment of Mabon,
The Enchanted Cat: Feline Fascinations, Spells & Magick,
Herb Magic for Beginners: Down-to-earth Enchantments

Natural Witchery: Intuitive, Persoanl & Practical Magick

How to Enchant a Man: Spells to Bewitch, Bedazzle & Beguile is coming in January of 2008!

When she's not keeping up with her family (two of the kids are in college now and the oldest is out on his own), Ellen likes to unwind by working in her perennial gardens at home with her husband. She wholeheartedly encourages folks to personalize their Spellcraft. To go outside and connect with the spiritual side of nature. To get their hands dirty and discover the wonder and magick of natural world that surrounds them.

Visit her website at www.geocities.com/edugan_gardenwitch