Two women kneel at the bank of the River of Living Water. One is skyclad with a heavy pentacle hanging on a leather thong between her breasts, holding a silver chalice set with moonstones. The other wears a plain long dress and head covering and her chalice is unadorned, handcarved apple wood. Both dip their cups into the Water and take a long draught, sighing with delight and smiling at each other in their joy. As they look along the riverbank, there is another woman in a nun's habit and wimple with a chalice of Byzantine stained glass. There is a man in a turban whose golden cup is bears a crescent moon and star. Yet another man's vessel is made of plain stone with OM carved in continuous cursive around the rim.

The Hindi have a parable about an elephant and the blind men. Three blind men are taken to "see" an elephant. One man, placed at the rear, touches the beast's tail and declares, "The elephant is like a rope." The second, running his hands along the creature's gigantic leg says, "No, no. The elephant is like a tree." The third man grasps the trunk in his hands and says, "You are both wrong. The elephant is like a snake."

This parable is the story of humanity and the Divine. Each of us can only see and feel a tiny portion of the Divine and each piece is a little different. All religions are attempts to describe God while reaching towards her to touch what few parts we can. What is really striking about this parable is that the blind men never felt the hard tusks, the great, flapping ears or the tiny eyes. None of them ever touched the gigantic body or the strange, soft feet. The greater portion of the elephant remained unexplored and the whole of the elephant unimaginable. So it is with the Divine.

So what does it mean to be a Witch and not to be Wiccan or Pagan? Wicca and the Pagan religions celebrate Witchcraft. Even though there are many Wiccans and Pagans who are not Witches, most study the Craft as an enhancement of their faith. For a number of Witches, Wicca or one of the Pagan religions is a welcome place in which to be who and what they are, bringing them closer to the earth and its rhythms as well as their own deeper histories. This is no more true for all Witches, however, than it is for all people. There are a number of Witches for whom Wicca and Paganism are a poor fit. These folks find their own histories and rhythms within other faiths including Christianity. By no means are all Witches comfortable within Paganism or Wicca.

But isn't this really a case of fear? Aren't these people afraid that if they don't obey God they will go to Hell, even though Wiccans and Pagans don't believe in Hell? Are they just unable to let go of these belief structures? Isn't Paganism or Wicca the superior belief structure for all Witches?

Religion should never be a question of running from but running toward, not a letting go but an embracing. For many, especially for many Witches, Wicca and Paganism are very easy to embrace, providing an overwhelming feeling of being Home. Others don't agree, not because they are afraid but because they need to be somewhere else. In the case of a Christian Witch the church is their Home. While some leave Christianity behind to embrace Wicca or Paganism, others go in the opposite direction, taking their Craft with them. Others never leave their church and develop their Craft within its sphere. This is not always easy to do but it is far from impossible. Christianity, like Paganism and Wicca, is not a monolith but an organism that is constantly changing and growing. Some more conservative Christian denominations would make life next to impossible for a Witch and some Circles are made up entirely of Witches. A poll of Christian Witches might find a disproportionate number in a few particular denominations while some Circles may have only one Witch among the worshippers. In either case, everyone belongs exactly where they are. No one should be forced to be Wiccan or Pagan on the grounds that they are a Witch any more than anyone should be forced to be Christian on the grounds that they are not.

When embracing Paganism or Wicca, a Witch enters a place where his Craft is celebrated. As a Christian, a Witch must deal with a religion that has a far more problematic relationship to the Craft. Each Witch will face different challenges. Wicca and the Pagan religions are struggling now to start over after a very long period of lying dormant, working for acceptance within a culture that has been heavily influenced by the Witch hunts. While they will find tremendous resources and support for their Craft within their religion, these Witches will face societal discrimination. Christian Witches have to work hard for acceptance within their own religion, challenging assumptions that have been in place since the Inquisition, the same assumptions that make it hard for Pagans and Wiccans to be accepted by society. Their Christianity places them more within the mainstream but their Witchcraft will place them on the periphery of their faith. Both groups of Witches are fighting the same battle on different grounds. There is nothing cowardly or spiritually lazy about a Witch who chooses to embrace Christianity. They are simply Christian and Witch and will have to address the issues raised by this reality.

The question of what religion a Witch should be can never be decided by the religion but by the Witch. For some, that silver and moonstone chalice fits very well in their hands. Others want the worn wood or the square edges of the stained glass. Some Witches love the breaking of bread that follows a Circle, enjoying the bounty of the Goddess. Others take Communion, sharing in the generosity of God as she gives of himself. Some Witches will remember their dead in Circle at Samhain. Others will place a photo at the altar on All Saints Day or call out a loved one's name during a memorial service. No one, Witch or not, should ever be forced to worship in a way that is uncomfortable or frightening. The glory of the Divine is in love and the River of Living Water flows for all.

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