The witches of Waipuk... Well, CHB actually!

simon.pearse@chbmail.co.nz
It was with a great deal of trepidation that I set out on Sunday afternoon to meet three witches from the local coven.
Earlier that week, when I set up the interview, it had seemed like such a great idea, but I'd had the willies put up me by my so called colleagues at work, suggesting that I should take all sorts of amulets along to protect me from spells and witchcraft.
So, armed only with a rabbits foot and an 'all seeing eye'... and some garlic, angelica root, a horseshoe key ring, some silver coins, devil's shoestring roots, a wig to stop any of my hair falling out and, of course, a Thai penis amulet, I set off to a secret location to meet high priestess Boadicca, second high priestess Rhiannon, and summoner Nemain-Morrigan.
My first surprise was that they were not all dressed in black, in fact Boadicca was in a gorgeous bright orange and purple cloak with gold braiding, and there wasn't a hooked nose or wart in sight!
Rhiannon, who describes herself as a 'kitchen witch' who learnt her craft at the knee of her mother and her grandmother, said, "What you see on the telly is rubbish. You can't wriggle your nose and make things happen!
"There are no black or white witches either. There is black and white in everybody and it is up to the individual witch to take responsibility for their actions, so if you do something wrong you must do something to correct it," she said.
So, if they don't wriggle their noses to make something happen, what do they do?
"We perform rituals to welcome in a new season, or to protect us on a journey, for example," Boadicca said.
Rhiannon performs various forms of divination, including fortune telling using Tarot cards.
"Tarot cards are nothing more than a prop; an excuse for you to listen to me," she said.
"Having your cards read is more like therapy; a kind of counselling and healing session."
So, how does this image of witches being evil and worshipping the devil fit into their every day lives?
"We are pagans, meaning 'country dweller'," Boadicca said.
"All witches are pagans but not every pagan is a witch, and paganism predates most religions," she added.
Rhiannon went on to clarify; "There are gods and goddesses in everything, from people, plants, animals, stones and so on."
Witches believe theirs is not the only valid spiritual path and people should be free to choose the religion best suiting their needs. They are all inclusive so anyone, regardless of race or ethnic heritage, gender or sexual orientation, physical handicap or age, who feels drawn to this old religion, can become a witch. And they believe everyone and everything should be treated with reverence and respect.
Boadicca gave an example, "To cut a branch from a tree to make a wand I would first ask the tree for permission and leave an offering."
We're not talking offerings like 'eye of newt and toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog' here, but something that will be good for the tree; a little blood and bone perhaps.
Another myth revolves around spell casting, and again Rhiannon set me straight on the subject, "We don't do spells for people, but we will teach people to perform spells.
"Healing spells must be asked for by the person who is ill, and we won't perform love spells as this is about forcing someone's will," she said.
The basic witches oath is 'harm ye none', and they do not need to perform acts of revenge because they believe karma will restore the balance and justice will be done.
"Our spells can involve burning incense and candles, using crystals and feathers, and chanting and dancing," Rhiannon said.
"Some rituals have a clear formula to go by, and we also write our own rituals, putting our energy into them and making them quite theatrical."
All this sounds strangely familiar, similar to Catholic rituals involving wafting of burning incense by priests dressed in colourful garb, for example.
"Christians have 'the bread and the wine' and we have cakes and ale," Boadicca said.
And talking of ale, it seems even the local grog shop has stocked up on 'mead' to cater for this new growth market.
So, far from being a scary bunch of crones, theirs is a gentle and respectful form of religion, one based on ancient forms of paganism that believe in an inner life force in everything. It is a religion whose roots have been perverted by religious zealots of the past and the moviemakers of today, but one that still believes in the good in everyone.
For people interested in finding out more about the CHB witches they can email them at eastwitch@inhb.co.nz or attend the open meeting at the Flying Pig in Waipawa at 3pm on July 26.
Oh yes, and one more myth I managed to clear up during my visit; Broomsticks are for sweeping away negative energy, not for flying on! Shame on you Harry Potter.