It’s the season of the witch

Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman play witch sisters in Practical Magic. Pic/Instagram; (right) Witchy women know their power and they exercise it every day — they speak things into existence, and they know their worth. Pic/iStock

What prompts a woman to become a witch? It could be heartbreak, it could be as a hobby, and it could be like me, just to tap into something bigger than us. I have always been a woo- woo kind of person. I was the one who was talking about manifestation for the last 12-15 years, even before it became a buzz word. I have started reading tarot. And, yes, I have felt my own powers become bigger ever since I started knowing, and believing, that I am a witch.

Maybe, it all started in the 1990s and 2000s, when we watched movies like Practical Magic (1998), The Craft (1996), or the show Charmed (1998). In Practical Magic, the Owens sisters, played by Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock, manifest a perfect man, as they also get rid of a really horrible one, all thanks to magic. In The Craft, four school girls have their wildest dreams come true, when they discover their abilities. In Charmed, a trio of sisters inherits the craft, and start helping people with their unique powers.

It could be the reason that this year, when I decided to break a few patterns, and enter an era of change, I decided to take my witch practice a bit seriously. It was more about calling my energy back from all the places I had left it, and harnessing it to make all my dreams come true.

I started where all good witches start - by buying books. Warden Book House in Mumbai will help you out. I also started asking Tarot to give me daily insight - it doesn't tell you the future, it helps you reflect and look inside. I made an alter - it has all my books, a few crystals, and candles.

Also, I have been practicing spells, but don't worry; I don't have a voodoo doll yet. It's more about setting intentions, and that's the one thing I have realised about witchcraft - it's a lot about manifesting whatever you want - good or bad. We have also entered the season of the witch, which is autumn.

Halloween will be around soon, and this year, I am going to celebrate. But here's where I tell you why I became a witch. It's because why so many women do - to find spiritual empowerment, to connect to the divine inside, and to find autonomy. Witchy women know their power and they exercise it every day - they speak things into existence. Witchcraft also helps you connect with your intuition - a tool many women ignore.

As I go, I leave you with two spells. One to manifest your desires: Write what you want on a bay leaf, and burn it, and then blow the ashes through the window.

The other is to make someone reflect on how they treated you. Write their name on a piece of paper, and place it inside a compact mirror. It will force them to reflect on their actions. Juicy, right? Now, go, be free, be wild, be a witch. It's so worth it.