6 Qualities of a Witch

There have been many articles and blogs over the years that give their ideas of what makes a good Witch, many of them offer practical and great advice. This is a topic that I have thought about often and would like to share my thoughts on qualities that I think a Witch should adhere to in order to be an effective Witch.  However, you will notice that most of these are not specifically magick related but more having to do with our day to day activities within a coven, with others within the Craft and just all people on a day to day basis.

1. Keep Your Word - This may seem like a mundane obvious statement but it really does apply to the Witch.  As Witches we understand that our Word is extremely important.  The spoken word is in and of itself an act of magick.  What we say can repel or attract people and situations to us, it can build a friendship or destroy one.  It can determine whether or not you are to be trusted.  Maybe this isn't an issue to some people on a day to day basis but it will matter when working with the spirits. Within ROOW we know the importance of establishing a strong relationship with the spirits who assist us in our ritual and magickal workings.  If a Witch can't keep her word when she says she will do something then just like with people the spirits will in turn begin to distrust us and will be unlikely to aid with our workings.  If you say you are going to do it then make sure you follow through.  If you aren't sure then say so.  Honesty is always important.

2.Always Seek to Know More -

As many seasoned Witches will tell you one never stops learning.  Know one, no matter how many years they have behind them, knows all things.  Know one is a master of all things.  There will be areas where we excel and areas where we won't be as good.  This is true of everyone.  We must always seek to learn more and be open minded to new ideas of expansion. One of the best things I was taught by my teacher Katina Smith is that even after one is initiated as a Witch and a Priestess when we gain new students they will be teaching us just as much as we are teaching them. Katina and I had our moments of debate while I was learning and we both learned much in the process.  Having students helps to remind us of not only what we do know but of what areas we may need to look into to learn something new.

3. Check You Ego at the Door - This is a big one. People of all walks of society fall prey to it and the world of magick and the occult is no exception.  It is actually common and expected that at some point in time the Witch will face his/her ego.  Some ego is healthy and normal but if left unchecked it can cause one's sense of self become inflated and a guru mentality can occur.  Obviously, witchcraft is not a religion of gurus.  We always look to uplift each other if and when possible. If you notice your sense of power and self becoming a bit more than normal just take a second to remember that you are a Witch not a God and remember that ultimately we serve the Spirit. Which brings me to number 4.

4. Serve the Spirit First - For some of you, depending on your tradition, this may mean your particular God or Gods. Within ROOW we refer to the One Eternal Spirit and in this regard one should always remember that their first task is to ALWAYS serve the Spirit.  Everything else is secondary.  Remembering this will actually help you in all of the above instances as well.

5. Remember the Importance of Study and Research - This topic is one that can go many ways.  I understand that Witchcraft is in many ways a practice that relies on intuition and practical experience.  These elements are very important and can be lacking in todays world.  However, don't forget the importance of research and study. It may not matter to you how the ancients viewed Hekate back in the day but understanding her origins and how she was viewed and worshiped will deepen your work with her. You may not personally be a fan of the old grimoires but without them we would never have evolved to what the occult and witchcraft is today.  The old ceremonial magick influenced today's Wicca and the New Age movement in many ways. There work may seem obscure but if you study them and look beneath the surface you may find that they still offer a lot to the seeker and practitioner today.

6. Maintain Humility - This may be one that surprises people the most.  I was taught to always remember that a Witch should maintain humility.  Again, this is somewhat mirrored the above statements but feel it needs it's own section because I feel it is the most important and most often lacking in the community.  No matter our titles or ranks within our own traditions at the end of the day we are all doing our best to serve the Spirit in our own ways. Some of us have more experience, some of us may be more well known in the community.  Some of us have small covens and some of us have large covens while others serve as solitaries in their own way.  At the end of the day we are all learning and growing.  Even the biggest grand pooba is human, has problems and areas of their lives that are not perfect and where they need to grow. Always remember that you too were once a new Witch and be kind to others of the Craft.

One an end note I would like to add something here.  This applies more to those who teach the Craft but I feel needs being said.  We as teachers, Witches and clergy must always strive to teach our students as well as or better than we were taught. A good teacher always wants their students to excel and to exceed them in the Craft.  We don't see our students as competition or always try to one up them so we can feel superior or better. This serves no one and definitely does little to serve the Spirit.
I hope these views have given you food for thought. Blessed Be!

Magick High and Low

Magick High and Low was the first and only book written by Mary Oneida Toups.  It was published in 1975 by a small local publisher in New Orleans, LA.  The book was only sold by her store and while it was available to the general customer, it was mainly used as a source for the students of her Order. This small book provides some insight into how Oneida views magick as well as ritual.  It provided a small window into what was also taught within the Order.  Since Oneida's passing The Religious Order of Witchcraft has grown, been passed on to new students and has since come full circle.  Every priest/priestess brings their own element to the work but the foundations and it's teachings remain the same.

ROOW is a unique Witchcraft tradition.  It is heavily influenced by Ceremonial magick (in some ways may resemble a magickal order) and yet is balanced with the workings of folk magick (hense the name of the book).  She was greatly inspired by and influenced by people such as Israel Regardie, Aleister Crowly, E. A. Budge etc..however, living in New Orleans brought it's own magickal feel with its influence of the religion of Voodoo and magical practice of Hoodoo. Please keep in mind that while our tradition was influenced by Voodoo and Hoodoo ( in terms of working with the spirits and folk magick) we do not now, nor have we ever taught either of these practices.  Voodoo is a beautiful religion in it's own right that has it's own methods of teaching and practice that is unique and different from that Witchcraft.  One could certainly combine Hoodoo magick with Witchcraft but would require special training by a Hoodoo Practitioner. Hoodoo has it's own style of working that requires one and one training with a practitioner to master. So while it is compatible with our work we do not teach it as part of our Witchcraft Order.  As for low magick Oneida's favorite and most used kind of magick was candle magick.  She used it for a few good reasons.  It is easy to do, fairly inexpensive requiring little in the way of fancy tools and it is effective!


Ceremonial Magick seems to be the area that can throw off potential students of ROOW. Our rituals and training are very structured and demand a lot our of our members.  The Ceremonial aspect of the Order connects us to the Eternal Spirit and helps us, over time, to begin the inner workings of transmutation that are necessary to achieve a state of magickal and spiritual competency.  Folk magick gives us a myriad set of tools needed to be an effective witch.  Working with the spirits, angels, intelligences etc provides a working relationship on a daily basis to meet all of our spiritual and magickal needs. In essence our Order is best described as Hermetic, Esoteric and Gnostic in it's approach. It was very common practice for Oneida to use her Bible for magickal workings and we still to this day require our students to have a copy of the Bible. Teachings also include work with the Qabalah as well.

So we are different from many of the Witchcraft groups out there but we do provide a solid approach to magick and ritual for the student who shares an interest in not only low magick but of high magick as well. To Oneida there was no distinction in the type of magick used.  In her book on page. 39 she, herself, defines the word Witch as "female magician of power and skill"!  We gain that power and skill through research, study, practice and a lot of hard work.  The seeker will always be looking to push themselves to the next level in all areas of magick and spiritual practice.  The witch is always learning and growing and never stops.  Anyone who tells you they know everything knows nothing and those who carry multiple titles usually are, as the saying goes, "a jack of all trades and a master of none."  No matter what path you take stick with it and learn as much as you can and become a master at it. The Religious Order of Witchcraft's system will not be for everyone but we will continue to teach and be here for those who feel called to serve the Spirit and we will continue to do so as Oneida Toups envisioned it!

This is my first blog in a while to get my writing creativity going.  I will be working on more blogs that center around types of magick in the future!