Witch at Work

9:16 AM

Good Morning,
I thought it would be an interesting first blog of the year to talk about how Witches are often perceived by the general public. I am re-experiencing this first hand as last fall, I went back to work as a floral designer.


I made damn sure my prospective employer knew about my beliefs because lets face it... I am not exactly a low profile Witch.
That, and I wanted to be sure they would work around my fall book tour schedule last October, so the witchy cards were on the table during the interview.

Other than a couple of silly comments about hoping I would hex someone for the new boss. (I immediately informed her that it did not work that way.) It's been pretty mellow.

I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing at one co-worker who announced that she went to the book store to see if I truly was an author, and I was informed in a shocked tone complete with very wide eyes, "Oh-my-god, you have really written like a dozen books!" 
Did she think I made that up? Sheesh.

Oh sure, occasionally I get a nervous squeak or two out of various folks (especially around Halloween) but, as I am pretty normal individual, and just go about my business it helps to keep the anxiety down.
So I have some thoughts for best results on this Witch at Work, scenario.
1.) Be polite
2.) Be yourself
3.) Work to get along with other employees
4.) Having a sense of humor is wonderful- However, do NOT crack jokes about cursing and hexing- it freaks folks out and no matter how funny you think your comment was. 
5.) Ask off for full moons or sabbats well in advance.
6.) You may certainly use magick to smooth your way at work, but tossing a lot of magick around- that may affect a large group of employees- tends to boomerang in unexpected ways.
7.) Expect there to be questions about your beliefs. Keep your answers brief, short and to the point.
8.) Report any and all harassment to the management or the HR department. All employers have the anti-discrimination laws posted. If they don't, ask them to post them.
9.) Don't be surprised when other Witches come out of the broom closet. It has happened every place I have ever worked. 
10.) Resist the urge to do magick for your friends at work. Do not fall for the Darrin Stevens Syndrome. I did a blog on that topic last year. You are not a magickal drive-thru. If someone wants magick to fix their problems- encourage them to do the work themselves.

Okay, deep thoughts for the day are finished. Now I need to go make my lunch and get ready for work. Have lots of Valentines, and spring arrangements to make today. It is so weird to work a season ahead, but at least the flowers are cheerful and bright and they have no glitter!

Blessed be, Ellen  



You Might Also Like

8 comments

  1. It is so great to hear you can work, being open about being a witch, without problems. That is wonderful !!
    Good luck with the Valentine's arrangements, it sounds lovely !!
    Happy New Year to you. Have a great one.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think it's awesome you were up front about your beliefs and it was totally accepted. I work in a small office, and I too am open about my beliefs... and accepted. We are very blessed :)

    Floral arranging sounds like a fun job... and it sounds perfect for you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I live in the bible belt and years ago I met my first out of the closet witch and she was the kind that gives others a bad name. Congrats to you for telling your workers. Now they will know that real witches are just normal people like anyone else.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm so glad no one can recognize me so clearly. And why when I am published I will not be doing it under my given name. I like my privacy too much. And I've found that its just best to keep religion and career separate.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Good advice, but I am dealing with the management violating my 1st Amendment rights right now.

    ReplyDelete
  6. All the points you make are correct. I workin in school system as a bus driver at present. And I have been asked about my belief. my supervisor last year actually asked me out right was i wiccan. i was truthful and polite. Come to find out she has many friends that are wiccan. This year i was harrassed because of being wiccan.( they want to convert me to be a jehovah witness, they were even spreading nasty rumors. I told HR. They were dealt with at once. So you article is really on point.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for the wonderful post! I've been a broom-closet witch at work for quite some time, but a few people are beginning to catch on. Luckily, they have some background in comparative religion & are very respectful.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your post was right on target! You can be 'out of the broom closet' with no need to shout it from the roof tops. I am a witch-and an interfaith minister in a congregation that is truly a mixed bag of religions. Everyone in my congregation knows my choice of faith tradition and most accept it.There are questions from the curious, which I quietly answer. It is not a big deal. I'm a member of a clergy coalition in the Bible Belt, and have run into very little opposition or harassment because of the way I present myself and my faith.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Popular Posts