Lifting the hex on Wicca: Seeing beyond spells & broomsticks

In a predominantly Christian country like the Philippines,
Wicca still thrives through solitary practitioners and covens nationwide.
What is this religion truly about?

BY ACOR ARCEO

QUEZON CITY, Philippines—Worshipper of Satan. Lover of black. Butchers children for rituals. Murmurs strange incantations and spells. Keeps cauldrons, potions, and a broomstick to fly. Doesn’t look you in the eye—and when she does, run for your life.

All these form the image of the stereotypical witch—a product of word-of-mouth tales and mass media portrayals. But just how true is this image of a witch?

Wicca—yes, a religion

Witches actually have a religion—Wicca. Imported from Europe, it has since been Philippinized, from the names of the rituals and celebrations to the forms of healing, spells cast and herbs used.

Wiccans either practice alone as a “solitary,” or in covens, which are usually personal groups. Among the more formal, organized groups include the Philippine Wiccan Society (PWS) and Arcanum, an umbrella organization for Wiccans, healers, and other magick practitioners.

“[For] celebrations, we usually get together,” says Lady Dana, the very first Wiccan high priestess in the Philippines who came out in the open. “I get together with my coven-mates, we try to keep the bond.”

Wiccans also have craft names, which they get either through meditation or by forming names through numbers and symbols.

Becoming a Wiccan

Wicca is either inherited or acquired. In Lady Dana’s case, she inherited the craft from both sides of her family. Her mother’s side practices good magick, her father’s side dark.

Lady Dana, who says she is a balanced fusion of the two types of magick, reveals that she was even sent to Romania to take formal witchcraft classes when she was 21 years old. She studied at a secret school whose name she refuses to disclose, but jokingly likens to Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series.

In the case of those who acquire Wicca or want to get into it, Lady Dana says that they must reflect carefully.

“It’s not a game. It’s a serious thing,” she says. “Unless you have the guts for it, don’t meddle with it. Some people say na, ‘Curious lang ako…’ Utang na loob, are you trying to kill yourself?’”

Alon de los Reyes incorporates Catholic and Wiccan beliefs.

Most who acquire Wicca also retain elements of their original beliefs. For instance, Alon de los Reyes, an MA Anthropology student at the Ateneo de Manila University who started Wicca in college, calls herself a Catholic-Wiccan.

“I did not let go of being a Catholic because I found very essential similarities,” she says. “May integration naman kasi eh, ‘di sila nagkakalayo. [Like the] principle of reciprocity—what you send out comes back to you. Pwedeng i-compare ‘yun sa Catholic faith natin.”

De los Reyes, also the treasurer of the Philippine Association for the Sociology of Religion (PASR), adds that this principle of reciprocity is in the Wiccan Rede, which says that whatever you do comes back to you three-fold.

39-year-old Lilian Velasco or Shamit, a full-time healer, also practices Catholicism. “We hear Mass every Sunday. Wala naman nagsabi sa’yo na, ‘You’re a Wiccan, you can’t go to Church.’”

She adds that her kids, ages 17 and 13, also practice Wicca, and going to Church adds normalcy to their otherwise “different” lives.

Much more than spells

High priestess Lady Dana regularly appears on local talk shows to educate people on Wicca. Here she is at Jojo A. All the Way.

Stereotypes of Wiccans range from the outrageous to those which bear some semblance of truth.

“Ang pinaka-nakakapikon na tanong is, ‘Do you worship the devil?’” says Lady Dana, who regularly appears on local television shows to talk about Wicca and owns the occult shop La Luna Isis. “We don’t even believe in the devil!”

It doesn’t help that there are people who give Wiccans a false name, such as those who are in it solely for the fashion.

“I cannot name this person. She dresses up in goth and scares the living shit out of people,” says Lady Dana. “’Satanista! Adik ka ba?’”

Velasco adds that people are surprised when they see her. “I will be invited to do rituals. Ang ine-expect nila, matanda. They don’t expect na younger, they don’t expect na casual lang yung damit,” she says.

Melina, a 22-year-old graduate student and customer service professional, says some treat them as if they are freaks. She recounts that in her freshman year of college, a class discussion about Harry Potter turned into half the class commenting on how witchcraft shouldn’t be tolerated.

“I wasn’t attacked per se, but it was common knowledge that I was Wiccan,” she said. “I had to leave the room. I was upset at the attack. I felt judged.”

Lady Dana refutes the impression that Wiccans are dark and scary.

“Most Wiccans are very perky and happy,” she says. “They’re actually very peace-loving people—ayaw ng giyera, ayaw ng gulo. Gusto nila tahimik ang mundo.”

Due to society’s tendency to react negatively, Wiccans prefer not to reveal their religion right away.

"It’s not something I blurt out. On a normal day, you don’t blurt out your religion. But if they ask me, I say it," says lawyer Pixie Serrano, co-founder of PWS.

Staying realistic

However, Manuel Victor Sapitula, a Sociology professor at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, cautions against emphasizing only one aspect of Wicca.

“Ordinary human practices are always double-edged. When you emphasize one aspect of practice over the other, hindi na integral. It’s a counterstereotype—you only emphasize the exact opposite,” he says. “It’s not a complete picture. It’s a caricature. We form caricatures when we stereotype others, when we stereotype ourselves.”

Dark magick, for instance, is an ever-present power that Wiccans can use if they wish.

“As long as you hurt someone, it’s dark [magick],” says Lady Dana. “You have to be aware of the consequences.”

She says that she doesn’t use dark magick unless it’s to retaliate against someone who has harmed her. “You touch me, to hell with you. Hindi kasi pupuwede na ‘di ka mag-retaliate, mag-mu-mukha kang tanga. When I’m provoked, I do something. Matakot ka kapag nag-wrath ako, kasi mas matindi ‘yung balik sa’yo.”

On the other hand, Rolando Comon Jr. or Aghamang Bughaw, founder of the group Luntiang Aghama and spa treatment developer and therapist at Fitness First, prefers not to retaliate.

“Kung gagawa ka ng mabuti, mabuti. Kung gagawa ka ng masama, ‘di nalang kita papansinin,” he says.

Serrano emphasizes that Wiccans have to use their power responsibly.

"A lot of people are drawn into it because it’s power, because it will give you power. With great power comes great responsibility. Kaya nga it takes a lot of discipline and humility. You always have to do good," she says.

She also adds that Wiccans should not enter higher forms of magick unless they are already skilled.

"Those are serious matters and higher forms of magick, they suppose you know basic magick. Pano kung balikan ka? Hindi ka marunong mag-banish, sayo pumunta. Delikado."

Ishilta and his friends in the PWS do the Mabon ritual. At the center is an example of a Wiccan altar.

For love & money

Wiccans who were interviewed agreed that the most common spells people ask for are to get love and money. Some, however, ask for revenge.

“Pinaka-ayoko sa lahat, yung sasabihin mo sakin na i-ganti [kita] sa ganito. Kasi kapag, let’s say, ‘Sinaktan ako ng boyfriend ko. Turuan mo siya ng magandang leksiyon.’ Question is, iiwan ka ba ng boyfriend mo kung wala kang ginagawa? That mean’s there’s something,” Lady Dana says.

Lady Dana sells a variety of Wiccan tools and potions at her shop La Luna Isis, including these bottles of aura protection spray.

They also discern whether they should do a spell for a person or not, as they view each spell as having important consequences.

“I try to look at all the angles first. Kung di ko makita kung bakit dapat ko gawin ‘to, [I don’t do it]. ‘Pag nakita ko yung angle na siya yung mali, siya pa yung matapang, yari siya sa akin,” says Lady Dana. “I’m not the type na ‘Ito yung pera, trabahuhin mo ‘to…’ Ano ‘ko, hired assassin? Take your money back.”

A PWS member does a tarot card reading at the Fully Booked Wiccan Fair.

Asked why Filipinos constantly go to Wiccans or other magickal healers despite their Christian upbringing, Sapitula says, “[There are] human concerns—healing, guidance. People need that and when they can’t find it in their conventional religions, they will look elsewhere.”

“[They say], ‘Wala namang mawawala kung gawin natin ‘to. Kung ‘di naman totoo, it wouldn’t harm. Kung totoo, maganda kasi protektado tayo,’” he adds.

Wiccans say the spells they usually do for loved ones involve healing or safety. De los Reyes, for instance, recommends praying before leaving the house and infusing altar images with light.

“Imagine you have a loved one who’s traveling and he’s glowing with light and he’s at peace, and he will reach his destination safely,” she says.

Serrano, on the other hand, uses practical spells such as a spell for getting a cab, which she personally made up. "That’s the most common spell I’ve ever did."

Ishilta is a Buddhist-Wiccan healer and editor in chief of the online newsletter Manggagaway.

Comon and Ishilta, a 22-year-old Buddhist-Wiccan, BS Geography senior at UP, and PWS moderator, specialize in holistic healing.

“Illness comes in many ways—lack of money, emotionally… We help people recover from illness,” Comon says.

Despite this healing aspect of Wicca, however, most still view it as a dark religion.

Ingrained in history

Sapitula says that historical factors are crucial in analyzing Filipino Catholics’ mindsets on non-Christians today.

“Nagkaron ng religious purification sa Spain. There was a time when Spain was predominantly Muslim. They wanted to restore Catholicism, and when they came here they had that frame [of mind],” he explains. “Very strong ‘yung tendency to convert. ‘Yun ‘yung Katolisismong namana natin.”

De los Reyes agrees. “Filipinos are generally accepting of anything, pero hindi pagdating sa faith kasi andun pa rin ‘yung idea ng God na katatakutan. The element of fear.”

Sapitula, also the secretary of the Philippine Association for the Sociology of Religion (PASR), adds that earlier pagan believers have been branded deviant since time immemorial.

“’Yung salitang ‘bruja,’ ‘yun ‘yung ginawa nilang term for the Babaylan [and] Catalonan ancient priestesses,” he says. “So kaya ‘yung stereotype na witches are agents of the devil, they offer human babies… may historical basis.”

Sapitula also points to stereotyping as the process of “othering.” He explains that Christians, being dominant in Philippine society, may treat non-Christians as “others.”

Moving into acceptance

Wiccans interviewed, however, say that the trend in Wicca awareness is gradually improving. Sapitula affirms this.

“We’re a society in transition. May mga conflicted forces that are at work, pero Filipinos generally, meron na silang certain level of openness sa mga ganito," he says. "They know na may mga ganyan. May space for believing in those types of realities.”

Lady Dana clarifies, however, that there are still religious fanatics who try to convert Wiccans.

“Stop converting me!” she says. “I have found my god and my goddess and I know that you have found yours. I’m happy with them and very peaceful with them, so why can’t you be with yours? Ganun lang ka-simple.”

Melina agrees. “Personally, I don’t think that they have a right to decide if we need saving. Most of the practitioners I’ve had the pleasure of meeting are really level-headed individuals who are wonderful to be with. They’re intelligent, know their own minds, and make sound decisions.”

“Hangga’t sobrang tindi ng hawak ng Catholic faith dito, mahirap,” de los Reyes adds. “The root [of] misconception is ignorance. Alamin niyo naman muna bago kayo magsalita.”

Lady Dana also emphasizes that for people to start accepting Wiccans, Wiccans themselves should also be able to defend their religion well.

“If you don’t know your religion, you’re not supposed to be called a Wiccan. You don’t know your belief enough,” she says.

The media should also realistically portray witches, according to Velasco.

“Pag Wiccan, about potion, about kulam. Paano mapapabalik ang pag-ibig. Hindi yun eh. Meron pang isang side of being Wiccan na celebration of life,” she says. "Kailangan mag-focus sila sa pagiging tao ng Wiccans, how one is Wiccan in everyday life.”

“It’ll take courage, I think for people to literally go out and put it out there. I don’t think the society is ready to take us for what we are,” Melina adds. “On my part, I don’t see a need to push too much. Tolerance has to come on a person-to-person basis. Others must learn to be kind before practitioners can confidently step out.”

Wicca: Not for everyone

Lawyer Pixie Serrano, one of the co-founders of the Philippine Wiccan Society, emphasizes that Wicca may not be for everyone.

"Becoming a Wiccan is a choice. It’s a commitment. Have faith. Listen to your inner voice. Maybe Wicca might not be for you, but it can help you decide where to go," Serrano says.

This is so in the case of Karl*, an 18-year-old Ateneo freshman. During Karl’s rebellious, early adolescent years, he started practicing Wicca. Only his sister and some friends knew about it. A few years later, however, he decided to stop.

“Kasi creepy,” he shares. “There’s just something creepy about getting things you want that way.”

Karl says among the common spells he used to cast were spells to find things he had lost. He would find these objects, and that eventually creeped him out.

He doesn’t, however, pass judgment on those who continue on the Wiccan path.

“Nasa kanila ‘yun. Kasi ako, I chose to leave because na-realize ko, that’s not me. It’s something I don’t want,” he says. “It’s always the choice of the person. Choice nila maniwala sa ganito, so let them be.”

Asked what benefits he got from his Wicca experience, Karl said it gave him empowerment and made him more open-minded.

“At that time, I became less timid. Compared to after that, bumalik ako sa shy nature ko,” he says. “I [also] became more liberal about thoughts [on] religion, so up to now I’m a liberal Catholic."

*Name has been changed to protect the individual.

Wicca: An official religion?

With the current state of Wicca as unofficially recognized and its practitioners branded as deviants by society, some have asked: Why not make it an official religion?

Ishilta, a Buddhist-Wiccan and 22-year-old BS Geography senior at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, says that initially, he wanted to push for the legalization of Wicca.

"Sa States kasi, it’s a religion. Organized na sila. Dito kasi part of the informal sector. The informal sector—it doesn’t get counted. Kahit marami, significant number, hindi siya ika-count," Ishilta says.

He adds that their initial perspective was that legalization would save them the trouble of hiding from their families and concealing their rituals and celebrations.

However, Ishilta now offers a different view. He explains that the legalization of Wicca could bring commercialization and the loss of creative freedom for Wiccans.

"I don’t want to make it an organized religion, kasi [our being unorganized] sets us apart from mainstream religion. Once you legalize it, may conformity na. Eh ang Wicca, walang conformity. Na-e-express mo ‘yung individuality mo," Ishilta says.

Manuel Victor Sapitula, a Sociology professor at UP, affirms Ishilta’s view. “Pag na-institutionalize siya, it’ll be limiting,” he says. “Institutions are boundary-maintaining realities. They define turfs. ‘Yung sense of adaptation, mawawala.”

He adds that it is up to Wiccans what religious group they would want to be.

“Would they want to remain a loose confederation of covens, or would they establish a Wiccan church, a Wiccan denomination?” Sapitula says. “They have to grapple with that. They have to know the consequences of that.”

What Rolando Comon Jr., founder of the Wiccan group Luntiang Aghama, suggests is regulation of Wiccan practices. He thinks that regulation is needed to curb Wicca malpractice and guide newbies.

Comon's group, which has nearly a thousand members, is advocating for formal training for Wiccans.

“Dumarami ang sumusunod sa yapak. Sa dami, kailangan ng regulation,” Comon says. “Our salvation is being free. But sa sobrang freedom na pinanghahawakan, you can do anything. Freedom without responsibility is chaos.”

Wiccans: Improvising in urban Manila

Since urban space is limiting, Wiccans have to improvise in their practice of the craft.

“I’ve had to improvise a lot. I live in the city and I don’t have that much space, but I do note the solar and lunar cycles, and I celebrate the solstices in my own way,” Melina, a 22-year-old Wiccan, says.

Ishilta, a Buddhist-Wiccan and 22-year-old BS Geography senior at the University of the Philippines, also does the same.

"Halimbawa, you’re a busy person. You don’t have the luxury to travel, to go outside the city. Kailangan ma-kontento ka sa available space sa mga condo units. Fifth floor, 39th floor… you have to adapt. Hindi na siya ‘yung natural scenery," he says.

Ishilta points out that one cannot also do rituals outdoors, since people would inevitably look at them and label them weird.

"You simply can’t practice it outdoors kasi the environment will not allow you. We tried it in UP, pero sa UP naman talaga wala namang pakialamanan yung mga tao ‘dun. Public in every sense of the word lahat ng acts dun, kahit private siya [dapat] ginagawa out in the open," he says.

An example of a Wiccan altar with tools.

Funding for supplies and the supplies themselves are also not easy to get in Manila.

“Wala kaming kinikita. This is just some form of help, and it’s a last resort,” Lady Dana, high priestess and occult shop owner, says.

She explains that there are rare ingredients such as scorpion bones and dead tarantulas that she has to source abroad, and these are usually expensive.

Ishilta adds that Wiccans have to buy plenty of tools and supplies.

“Maluho siya. This is the path or practice not supported by most parents. Kapag teenager, you can get money pa for gimmicks. Dito ‘di ka bibigyan. Ewan ko lang kung may ganon pero sakin it’s not the case,” he says.

He says that Quiapo can be a good source for supplies, although one must be discerning.

“Sa Quiapo marami, pero ‘di lahat totoo. You don’t rely on ‘yung mga sasabihin ng tindera, kasi ise-sales talk ka lang talaga. Dapat equipped [ka] with knowledge."

Wiccans can also check out malls and groceries for crystals and herbs.

Ishilta, however, advises Wiccans to be resourceful. He says they can plant their own herbs or craft their own tools. "Nasa paligid mo lang talaga ‘yan.”

Entering Wicca

Wiccans enter the craft in various ways. Here are stories of Wiccans—their journey into the craft and how their families and friends took it.

Melina
Melina, a 22-year-old graduate student and customer service professional, was raised as a Roman Catholic. She started practicing Wicca when she was nine, although she didn’t know then what it was called.

“I guess you could say that the process of coming into it was more instinctive than anything else,” she said. “I did little rituals on certain days of the year, called the corners in my own way, familiarized myself with the importance of the elements. Eventually, I managed to acquire more information … and then later I started collecting books.”

She then started to integrate elements of various spiritualities. “I take from what I read. I let things happen as they are, habits to form as they wish.”

Melina’s parents and friends know about her Wiccan practices. But while her mom is accepting, her dad tends to judge harshly.

“Not all will be ready to receive it with an open heart and mind,” Melina says.

Alon de los Reyes

Alon de los Reyes, treasurer of the Philippine Association for the Sociology of Religion (PASR) and an MA Anthropology student at the Ateneo de Manila University, entered Wicca in college.

“I was looking for some kind of liberating path,” she says. “I found it in Wicca, I found it in the craft.”

She singles out the empowering character of Wiccans for females. “Ang structure ng [Catholic] Church natin dominantly male. Pano ‘yung mga babae? Sa Wicca may ma-gli-glimpse ka na power ng female, so nakaka-empower.”

De los Reyes’ family was a big factor in her spiritual life.

“My mother calls herself a Catholic, but her ways are pagan. Father ko naman, ex-seminarian, sobrang religious … [but] he’s very open to Eastern traditions—from new age to psychoanalysis to depth psychology to witchcraft. I had good models.”

Ishilta

22-year-old Ishilta, a BS Geography senior at UP Diliman, started learning about Wicca when he was 10-15 years old.

Modern witchcraft was new to the Philippines then. In high school, Ishilta and his friends started reading the script of “The Craft,” the popular movie which featured witches.

“Kami kasi active ‘yung imagination. ‘Sige, gayahin natin,’” Ishilta says. “May binili kami na starters book. And the weird thing is, anecdotal yung book. Pinagtiyagaan namin, nag-dabble dabble kami. Ako naramdaman ko na na it’s the real thing, it’s really my path. For them, it’s an adventure, ‘let’s venture into it, cool ‘yun.'"

Like in Melina’s case, Ishilta’s mom was open, but his dad was not.

“’Yung mom ko nung times na ‘yun she doesn’t disallow me from practicing, but sometimes she worries at the back of her head,” Ishilta says. “Sa dad ko may time na una may resentment, ‘pag may ipapakita akong mga gamit… May time na may tolerance, although alam ko ‘di siya open. Silence na lang.”

At present, Ishilta is a healer who incorporates Tibetan Buddhism and Wicca.

Wiccans Speak

Lady Dana, on her message to Christians who insist on converting her by encouraging her to find God in the Bible:

“You can tell me that you can find God in the Bible. Well, I find God everywhere. Mas malaki ang paniniwala ko sa’yo. Hindi kami ang pagano, kayo. If you can’t defend your religion, you don’t have the right to have a religion. If you limit your God in one book you will never find reality. May kulang ang Bibliya at hanapin niyo ‘yun. ‘Di pwedeng ‘yun lang ‘yun.”

Alon de los Reyes, on common questions that curious people ask her:
“’Eh di kaya mo gumawa ng gayuma? Siguro bawal ka galitin kasi may magagawa kang masama. Siguro may mga dolls ka. Kapag full moon nag-ri-ritual…’”

Melina, on people who judge Wiccans unfairly:
“It's the negative reactions that get to you really. People who judge you based on what you believe have a horrible, horrible way of making you feel less like a person. I'm not saying they all do, but those who I have had the misfortune of encountering come off as bigots. They don't consider your feelings or your reasons for being who you are—in their eyes, you're wrong and they're right and that gives them the right to lay down the law on you; excluding you from important things. They make it seem as though you will go to their hell.”

Lilian Velasco, on what Wicca has given her:
“You have the peace of mind. Prosperity is around you. Everything comes easily, everything falls into place. Kung may hardship ka ‘man, you easily get over it. You don’t have fear.”

View from a non-Wiccan:

Manuel Victor Sapitula, sociologist, on the acceptance or rejection of Wicca:
“We should not think of society as one big monolith—na people think the same way, people act the same way, people have the same beliefs. Within a particular society, may nag-e-emerge na ganitong phenomenon. Hindi mo naman pwedeng sabihin na lahat pwedeng tanggapin sila, o lahat pwede silang i-reject. Very fluid talaga siya. That’s the character of human life.”

About the Writer

Acor Arceo is a senior Communication major at the Ateneo de Manila University. She is also the Editor in Chief of The GUIDON, Ateneo's official student newspaper.

WiccaToday is her special report for her Online Journalism class at the Department of Communication.