Empowerment

Recently I had to think about the word 'empowerment' and what it means to me...

The dictionary meaning of empowerment is – empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social, or economic strength of individuals and communities. It often involves the empowered developing confidence in their own capacities.

To me empowerment means strengthening my own being.

To empower can also encompass learning skills, adding to your own knowledge and abilities.

I don’t believe empowerment is something that is given, I believe it is something that you, yourself have to work towards. It takes time, commitment and effort. I believe it is also a ongoing process involving conscious steps to gain that empowerment, to express yourself, to defend yourself, to have greater awareness and control of your own self.

I also believe part of empowerment is about taking responsibility for your own words and your own actions. Taking responsibility opens you up to better communication and a clearer flow of information. It also leads to a feeling of ownership, of your own self, your own actions and words. It is about being in control and creating your own balance.

Empowerment allows you to be more proactive, to contribute to a group or society, to bring solutions to your own issues, to assist you in making decisions.

To empower you need to develop creativity, creativity that is probably already there, you just need to know how to release it and use it wisely.

Empowerment also covers involvement, accountability, encouragement, setting boundaries for yourself and others and also listening to other people and your own inner intuition, and then acknowledging that advice and knowing how to put it into practice.

Personal empowerment is about knowing and recognising your own abilities and doing something with them, taking control of your own life or a part of your life and making it happen. I also see it as encompassing personal growth, taking spirituality and working with it.
It is knowing who you are, what you are and being the person that you truly want to be.

Recognising and working on personal empowerment is a transition, it takes you to the place you want to be and helps you become the person that you want to be.

Tansy
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When do we become...?

The question was raised recently, of when does that point come when we are entitled to call ourselves witch, or druid, or whatever word we feel best describes our path.

For myself, it was simple, that happened as soon as I'd picked up my first book on witchcraft and put the name to the very familiar path I was already walking. It was an enlightement, it explained everything, I was a Witch!

A witch is something I am, rather than something I choose to be. It is one of the definitive categorisations (is that a word?) of the person I am. I am British. I am female. I am caucasian. I am a witch.

On the other hand, with a viewpoint that I can completely understand, some people prefer to earn the title of witch. They cannot arbitrarily nominate themselves with witch-hood, as it requires knowledge and experience, something that the novice obviously does not have.

There is also the opinion that to pick up a book and declare oneself Witch is an insult to those genuine witches of times past, the ones that put in the time and dedication, the ones that perhaps risked their lives if not just their livelihoods.

Do I feel that I am insulting my ancestors? Actually, no I don't. Times change, political and technological times change. The reason that our craft has survived the millenia is because it has adapted to the times it has lived through. Irrespective of whether there is a physical "official" link to the past, I feel as if I have taken up the beacon of the craft, passed on through the ages and to shine on each and every new incarnation. We take from the past, apply it to the now, and give to the future.

However, it is a valid question that every witch/druid/whatever should ask themselves at some point. When can I call myself ... ?

It can be that initial lightbulb moment if you experience one, it can be after a course of tuition, it can be after an initiation into a group, it can be different times for different people - and it should be that time when you KNOW you are a witch. There's only one person in the whole world who will know when - and that's YOU.

Love and hugs

Blaidd