Witchcraft?

Twenty-seven year old “Witch” Austin Shippey has been making a splash in the strange world of the occult, building an online esoteric Holy Book for a public audience to follow along with as his life unfolds. At the center of his work sits something close to his soul: the forbidden arts called in the western world ‘witchcraft,’ which he is recognized globally as a priest of, and a progressive innovator for his unique ‘Matrian Witchcraft tradition,” wherein he “aims to unite past and future religions to establish the true Church of the Heart” wherein he believes himself to be fulfilling prophecy, “boldly, yes, on a Biblical level.” He has travelled the country speaking on esoteric topics, spiritual healing, and the forgotten beliefs of our distant ancestors. I had the privilege of speaking with Austin on a crisp, picturesque, eerily nostalgic October night at Austin’s home, a historic building itself, which “the witches call the covenstead,” the house wherein “the meetings and rituals are performed by the congregation.” I had received the address only hours before and was instructed to come alone, bringing only my camera and a tape recorder. I was to arrive at 9:00, and if I was going to be late, not to arrive at all, for at a chosen time a ‘ritual’ was going to take place. Little did I know that this wouldn’t be the only time I spoke with him and his fellow witches in depth, nor did I realize that this meeting would spark a spiritual fascination that could only be quenched by learning the secrets for myself…

I arrived at the quaint yellow house, and had no idea what to expect, especially these days. Was I about to encounter a pack of kooks, a manipulative cult, a group of high-functioning Satanists à la 'Rosemary's Baby,' or an “old fashioned coven of witches” as I had been casually told? I had no idea what to believe, but I pursued this story with an open mind; perhaps this openness left me vulnerable to falling under the influence of “spells;” I’ve read of hypnotism and manipulation within cults; either way, my curiosity was greeted with topics so rich in historical wisdom that I quickly realized I was dealing with an authentic and compassionate group of philosophical people, and I easily began to trust them.

The door promptly swung open and I was greeted with a gentle smile by a beautiful young female witch, a “matron” of the coven, who declined to be named for this interview. She wore a silky, light-green evening gown and strange magical jewelry in glistening silver. "Hello, you can wait in here. There's tea if you'd like." The mysterious woman disappeared into the back of the house. I looked around the room and noticed tattered old journals and books covered every shelf bearing titles such as “Thee Psychick Bible,” “What Witches Do,” “The Witch Cult in Western Europe,” “Occult America,” and “Witchcraft Today.” The charming decor of the house had a tinge of that hippie style so in with the youth right now. 

I stare at the tea in front of me, untrusting, yet thirsty. I reluctantly take a sip... 'Nothing's in it, it's just plain ordinary Lipton's tea.' I thought. 

Finally, the man I have been waiting to speak with enters the room, dressed in an eye-catching bright-red paisley button-down and a pair of dark jeans. Around his neck is a shimmering chain, from which dangles a silver encircled pentagram called a pentacle, and is a sign to fellow magicians of involvement in the mysteries of witchcraft. 

We exchange pleasantries, and I begin to interview one of the most unplaceable figures I've come to interview. For in his apparent openess and honesty, he seems to conceal an abundance of secrets.

“What do you think makes witchcraft so popular in our current times? Is this a good thing?”

Austin Shippey: Witchcraft is spreading across the world in interest and fascination, from people who purchase a book written by an experienced practitioner and begin casting their first spells, to those who choose to get initiated into a coven and learn the sacred methods of the cult which can be passed down ritually and symbolically, but never written. I think in our unsure times, people realize that taking charge of life mustn’t only happen on the earthly plane, but also on the spiritual, and this leads to experimentation with the ancient magical sciences. This is the beginning of an awakening in consciousness the likes of which the world hasn’t seen since Atlantis. The signs are everywhere that we are living in the Age of Aquarius. The deities that the witches call upon have always been, since ancient times, the teachers of technology and philosophy. Technology and philosophy are both forms of magic brought into physical manifestation through the power of free will, under direction of the Gods. People are often drawn to the cult of the moon because of an inner longing for the divine feminine; the Goddess of mysticism is a cosmic force, calling the people forth to learn how to be fully free, alive, and rejoicing in that fact, and trusting in our own intuitive power; in short, we are all learning how to continually walk with God. That is a message that sounds loud and clear right now to a world that has been devastated by the imbalance and unfairness of patriarchy and capitalist exploitation. A world wherein distrust, humiliation, and competition abounds. There have always been people who are instinctually drawn to the empathic, natural light of witchcraft, and when they are drawn so strongly, they eventually dedicate themselves to being a Witch in spirit, flesh, and blood. Many witches you can meet are natural and intuitive in their practices, pulling wisdom from the world around us which was created for us by the Gods. When the moon rises, I drift comfortably to the other worlds knowing that Witchcraft is a force for good on this Earth, a planet predominantly full of people too afraid and intolerant to face the transcendent truths contained in the shadows.

“What valuable information might Witches have access to?”

Austin Shippey: Witches have been by called many names, “the Wicca” being one of them, meaning “The Wise People,” and this definition comes to us from Medieval Britain, when the Anglo-Saxons were beginning to shift the old Celtic language of the land to Old English. To the Celts, “wicca,” pronounced “witch-uh” meant someone who carried magical knowledge or the ability to bend and shape the world to their will. Witches have always been those born into a society with the gifts characteristic of a shaman; an understanding of natural energies and spirits, a psychic connection to the ancestors and the Earth, and the desire to teach and save souls. A student witch must begin their training in the arts of witchcraft so that these ancient skills can be further developed all the while giving them language to speak about such things. Every true Witch is a student of the world’s philosophical and religious wisdom. Witches must become adept at entering various altered states of consciousness; the powers which are unlocked through these mystical techniques are only now beginning to be studied in psychology. Study in magic continues for life, and every true Witch is a perpetual student. At the end of the day, each of us lives up to the title of priest or priestess wherever we travel. We are students and devotees of the GOD/DESS that man has known by many names throughout time. We keep Their wisdom living.

“How and why did you decide to become a witch?”

Austin Shippey: I've always been aware of the spirit world, and I felt this undeniably as a child. I was always fascinated with religion and the different ideas of God and spirits, and paired up with that, terrified of demons and the Devil, and afraid of stepping away from Christian ideas, for fear of eternal punishment. As a child, there was no time where I didn't feel the Great Spirit constantly inspiring more utopian possibilities of the world, never a time when I didn’t see angels flitting about like orbs when I gazed at the clouds. When I began to mature, I decided to open my mind and explore world religious wisdom. I figured it was the best way to ensure that my life had a chance of turning into something miraculous, rather than the tragedy that has haunted too many in our history. After a period of exploring and reading all that I could get my hands on, and attending spiritual and pagan meetings, I decided I wasn't going to become a Druid, meditate while sitting still like a Buddhist, travel to India (too expensive), or sing Hare Krishna in the streets. I also wasn’t going to concern my mind with the flawed rationale of the Christian clergy. In all of these paths, I sensed the light of God, but something was missing, something that called to my soul like a whisper in the dark.

I then discovered witchcraft and occultism. I was struck by photographs of mysterious people bathed in moonlight, dancing a dance handed down from before the Crusades and witch hunts. I read of ancient Gods and secret methods of magic taught only to initiates, mouth to ear. I learned that the witches have a Book of Shadows, an archaic and piecemeal tome which is copied word-for-word from the teacher witch’s book--that contains the coven’s most sacred rituals and spells. Most importantly, I felt a very unique power surrounding the witches, an energy that pulsed with wisdom, vibrancy, and a quiet understanding of the laws of nature encompassing us. I knew that this was right for me; I felt in my bones that I was meant to live my life as a witch. I needn't seek any longer, because Witchcraft was alive and breathing. The Witch Cult still exists! It was then that I decided to take the necessary oaths and be initiated into the Magic Circle of the witches. That is how I became a witch.

“What happened when you became a witch? Were you bestowed with any powers or abilities?” 

Austin Shippey: [chuckling] To the fullest extent of the idea, yes, my magical journey has awakened many strange, but meaningful abilities. When a student witch is ready to step into their full power after having developed a strong magical backbone, the teacher will bestow the power of life onto the spirit of the initiate. From this step forward, as is the same spiritual elevation spoken of in Freemasonry, the pupil has been elevated into the state of a devoted witch, and this power is one of the most sacred possessions of a witch; think of power as ability and the conviction and wisdom to prove it. At the sabbath, the voices of the spirits and deities can speak directly through us, and they can even be made to manifest in visible form, and the wisdom and power bestowed by these spirits through communication is a wellspring of magical knowledge. We learn to travel to and receive knowledge from the other planes of being in spirit form, called astral projection. However, the Arts of Witchcraft always prove that the greatest strength is to be found within ourselves and then summoned outwards, and that there is no part of us that is not formed in the image of GOD/DESS. 

I have developed the ability to heal the spirit, mind, and body through the laying on of hands, to open doors where they before none had existed, to know a person’s past without any prior knowledge, to converse with spirits both human and inhuman, and to accomplish many other miraculous things. My specialty is in astral projection and the control and exorcism of harmful spirits; I have had these two abilities for as long as I can remember. The occult rituals I utilize have remained relatively unchanged since pre-history and our first explorations of divinity. This is why I lovingly and knowingly call my practices “The Old Religion.”

“What happens when one is initiated into a coven?”

Austin Shippey: The initiate is blindfolded, representing a past blindness to the spiritual wisdom contained within the mysteries. They are challenged and questioned in order that they may demonstrate aptitude for the great path placed before them. The process of initiation also inevitably kickstarts their psychic abilities into activity. The challenges and tests being borne, the postulant is consecrated as a witch, and from there on the only ones who can remove that title are the Mighty Gods themselves. Their blindfold is removed, and they are properly introduced to the coven. The further details I am forbidden to say. A new initiate will generally begin study by copying their teacher’s Book of Shadows into their own Book for reference during their training; this is like the Witch’s own Holy Bible; a place to retreat to in times of need, a spiritual formulary reference.

“Why are witches always portrayed as partaking in nudism and debauchery?”

Austin Shippey: Because we do! [laughing] Good witches are not about practicing evil at any point in life; the things that we do during our spells are primordial ways of getting God’s attention, while simultaneously shifting focus on the spirit world. We use ritual nudity to enter into a pure and vulnerable state where every member of the coven can be their true self, free from pressure from anyone but the Gods. When people see witches cackling the night away, spilling wine, or dancing and hollering naked and joyous, they are seeing the Earth rejoice in its own magic; not debauchery. When we strip off our clothes we are rejoicing in the divine beauty of the natural forms of the earth; the animals, crops, perfumes, oils, incenses, jewels, and the most precious spiritual garment of our own skin. Witches do not ride to the sabbath to act in any sort of depraved way, in fact, it’s quite the opposite. Clean skin and a wide smile are our Sunday best. When any magician enters a ritual space, they are not entering with their everyday mentality. Every item we wear into the circle is symbolic, and infused with energy, whether it be a simple robe (which we do wear according to preference) or a blessed piece of jewelry. We are all born naked, to us it is natural, holy, and free. Our bodies are our closest temples. Under the night stars, we are all free as simple creatures of the Earth. Clothes, to the symbolic mind, represent enclosement from others and the safety of the false ego, whereas nudity represents openness to the natural elements and the bravery which comes through the relinquishing of the false ego. Witch powers have been called by many names in many lands, but what we know is that they can cause miraculous things to happen, and when persecuted, can cause devastation of innocent life; indeed, man fears power so. Magic is also sacred power, which is why it is always used for the greatest benefit of all; for no true magician would blight his own crops. A witch who uses their power to harm others is at risk of losing all, including their very life—it is unwise to use such a holy gift for evil, because magic multiplies and spreads outwards, like ripples, like mice, and can very easily destroy a practitoner’s life if used wrecklessly. Look around at the animals in nature. Look at how free we used to be as children, running around naked in the grass. Mother Nature teaches us to be free from slavery. There is nothing more free than being at peace with yourself and the body you have been given. This is a holy state of being and no witch dare disrespect, debauch, or debase it. In fact, Witchcraft uplifts practitioners and brings them into a reverential state of mind, a grateful state of mind, a natural understandings of how the universe ticks. The atmosphere of a witches sabbath is not evil or chaotic, it feels like the dance of the cosmos. It is holy, and witches are strong, sovereign Deities in their own right.

“What do you hope to accomplish being public? Obviously, many people out there believe you to be evil, or simply delusional.”

Austin Shippey: I want to be a tiny candle in a world where the awareness of the supernatural is so shamelessly kept in darkness. Where the path to salvation is marked only by the light of the majority’s approved deity. The Universe is vast, and the many ways that mankind connects with the Divine Source of Life are all beautiful when being used for the ultimate good which is their true utility. As for the people who think I'm delusional, I think everyone is a bit delusional—but I have personally seen magic work. I see it manifest greater and greater results as every day passes by, and I feel my own power grow increasingly stronger. When you experience miracles so frequently, it becomes harder not to believe. Most opponents are just haters, which is a sad thing to be, because they’re practically always people who are just too scared to do anything much at all.”

•

We are reminded, via a matter-of-fact interruption by a witch-priest I have yet to meet, wearing a spotless white robe, that it is time for the ritual to begin. As I am led to the front door I can smell a faint whiff of incense drifting through the house. Little did I know that this would be the first of many visits to this strange little time-traveling house tucked away in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon.

(Continued on page 13 . . . . . )