The Wicca & Faeri Style of Magic

Style vs. Tradition

In Colette’s own words: “I call the work we do together “a style”, rather than “a tradition”, because it is always changing especially as it seeks to eradicate centering whiteness as the norm.”

Influences

The school practices a basic Wiccan style of magic. It has been influenced by the Reclaiming Collective, and the book The Spiral Dance, by Starhawk, as well as by many other teachers, from the ’80s through current times. My work has also been heavily influenced by my European roots. In addition, I am supported and influenced by my ancestors, my love of the land, the queer mysterious ones, my background as an herbalist and over 30 years of working in small and large groups magically and collectively.

Ecstatic and Gender Fluid

Personally, I carry a lot of Faeri magic, through my genetic background. I like to talk about that, as something that comes with me, rather than specific teachings. Faeri magic is often seen as an ecstatic tradition, as opposed to a fertility tradition or ceremonial traditions. There is an emphasis on feeling our magic, embodied. We do not see gender as binary and believe that each of our abilities to express who we truly are, through our own unique gender embodiment and who we choose to love, also allows us to more easily and freely express the unique magic we carry.

Non-dualistic

We are what’s called a non-dualistic style of magic. That means that witchcraft sees the beauty and power of darkness, the underworld and it’s beings, as well as the power of the over-world, with it’s shining radiance. Some of us may carry more of one, or the other.

Both are powerful and both cradle and support this middle world—the human reality that we live inside. In fact, the idea that the energies of light are superior to the rich fertile dark, is evident in racism, rooted in a long history of domination of women, Indigenous Peoples, and the earth by Western cultures. Our style of magic also believes that our bodies are sacred, the earth is sacred. That this life is as valuable, spiritual and sacred, as any afterlife or other place. It’s not something to be suffered through until we receive a “heavenly reward” at death. The false idea that the earth and our bodies are not sacred has been used to justify classism, racism and misogyny. Ecstatic witchcraft works to support a worldview of connection with each other and interconnection with all the realms.

The modern, mainstream culture has forgotten this vision and in many cases actively undermines it. We come to this work, not from a place of having integrated these values, but rather from a place of reaching towards these beliefs and trying to act from them.

Magic sometimes allows us to remember the vision, so that we can carry that into our actions, communities and structures, knowing that we each carry just one piece of the puzzle, not the whole picture.

Magic as Spiritual Practice

Magical spiritual practices can be found in all parts of the world, embedded in all cultures and all racial lineages. Golden Web students of any background are welcome. Students’ individual ancestors and spirit folx are always welcome, if they wish to come into our circle. Golden Web’s particular style of magic is rooted in European-based magical traditions.

It is our hope that we can offer a template that facilitates deeper connections to students' unique and magical genetic lines.

- Colette Gardiner, Founder and Teacher