Lisa Miranda.
Merry meet!
I’m Lisa Miranda, the Wine Country Witch.
This is the place to learn about magic and how it can improve your life. It’s also where you can discover the secrets and the beauty of Wicca, the fastest-growing non-Judeo-Christian, non-Islamic religion in America.
I am Wiccan, and I use that term along with witch, spellcaster, spellcrafter, crafter, and sorceress to describe who I am and what I do.
I’ve been studying witchcraft, casting spells, compiling and interpreting astrological charts, reading palms and tarot cards, and working with crystals ever since I was a child. However, I didn’t start calling myself a practicing witch until 2005, when I discovered Wicca. It came along in answer to my prayer: “Please let me find a religion where women and men are acknowledged as equals.”
I began following this path of nature- based spirituality privately, reluctant to expose myself to the ridicule of others by sharing what I was. That passed, and I came out of the broom closet.
Immediately, I was asked, “What is a witch?” I still hear that question often.
I like to respond with a definition from my favorite book about Wicca, The Goodly Spellbook, by Dixie Deerman and Steve Rasmussen: “Witch is a term for magical folk.”
Then, some want to know, what is magic?
Again, quoting my favorite Wicca book: “Magic is the bridge which connects the realm of spirit with the realm of matter.”
The main way we Wiccans do this—connect the spiritual with the physical—is by casting spells.
What is a spell?
The word comes from the old Anglo-Saxon word meaning “play”. Casting a spell is like a kind of theatre where the intentions of the caster are focused on bringing about a result. (Astrology By Hand, Robert Hand).Anytime you perform actions that symbolically express your intent but have no direct physical connection between the action and the result, you are casting a spell.
Anything you do with magical intention is a spell.
If you’ve ever made a wish on a falling star, white horse, while tossing a coin in a fountain, or just before blowing out birthday candles-you’ve cast a spell. If you’ve knocked on wood three times to avert bad luck, hung a horseshoe or carried a four-leaf clover for good—you’ve cast a spell.
Learning all of this was very enlightening for me. My life began to improve in small, subtle ways, gradually getting better as I honed my witchy skills. I used these skills to help my loved ones as well as myself, slowly branching out to include friends and acquaintances, my community, and the rest of the planet.
On a few occasions I joined a nearby coven and participated in their rituals. Now, I do this rarely, for I find more satisfaction as a solitary practitioner.
Deciding to fulfill my childhood dream of becoming an author, I wrote and published my first book, a fictional tale based on genuine magical practices, in 2012. Witch Cop was followed by two sequels and a spin-off trilogy for young adults, the Witch Dancer series. Everything I do is part of my desire to share the power and beauty of magic with the world.
Blessed be.
