As a Witch, I have heard many disparaging comments about City Witches not being as powerful because they don’t have Nature to draw from. We often hear references to the city being the “Concrete Jungle”. It is true that many Witches are attracted to the lush greenness of plants, grass, and of course the beautiful diversity of delicate flowers. Many Witches only know how to connect with plants and animals and other absolute signs of life.

But what if you don’t have a huge source of obvious living things such as plants and animals?

Does being a “country dweller” make a Witch more connected or powerful? In my Humble Opinion, the answer is NO. For me, I connect to the life force of all living things and other Elements in nature. However, I personally connect deeply with Plants which makes Herbalism an attractive concept to me. That is not the case for all witches.

Plants, animals, minerals, candles, and incense are not all there is to the connection of the source in  Witchcraft. There is the connection of the Elements that are present in all things that come from the mother earth. There are many things “Natural” which are present in the Concrete and Steel that surrounds a City Witch.

I have generally lived in places where I was surrounded by living plants. I grew up with animals. When I was a toddler, my family actually lived on a working farm with lots of plants and animals. I have often lived in places that were crowded with shrubs and trees. Even the “Down Town” Cities of these places were beautified by plants. That was a source that was familiar to me.

When I moved to New York City, I was horrified and miserable. It was ugly, smelly, dirty, crowded, and every block in every borough looked the same as the next to me. I couldn’t pick out any “landmarks” to identify where I was or if I was even going in the right direction.

I felt out of place and disconnected from my source of power in all that Concrete and Steel of the Big City. Hmm, it is amazing that they call it the “Big Apple”.

I knew I had to acclimate to the “Big City”. It took me two years to finally adapt to that environment. I not only had to learn how to get around using public transportation, but I had to learn how to meet my basic needs such as ordering pizza, shopping for all my basic needs such as food and clothing, look for work and survive in a freezing climate without dying from hypothermia while I wait for the bus.

I also had to learn how to meet my spiritual needs in such an uninviting environment. Here is what I learned.

No matter where you are on this planet, no matter how “out of your comfort zone” you may be at that moment, there is Always a way to connect with your source. In Wicca, there are five elements; Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit. In other traditions, we also see other elements such as Wood and Metal.

I lived in The Bronx when I first arrived in NYC. As soon as I got settled in, I began to search for shops where I could purchase supplies and other Witchy needs. Everywhere else I had been, I knew how to gather the supplies I needed directly from nature. I really didn’t need to shop for sticks and stones at a store in other places. Unfortunately, there is still such a great fear among the general population about Magick and the different paths of Witchcraft.  I was actually told, Oh, don’t buy anything from that Santeria Botanica. (The little shop that was all so conveniently located just two doors down from my apartment).

I didn’t know why my friend was against going in the little shop, but I avoided the shop anyway at first. Then, one day, I was desperate to find a supply item I needed.  I realized, this little shop may be the best and most convenient place to get what I need. So, I took a chance to step out of my comfort zone and I stepped inside that little shop.

I stood near the doorway and looked around.

Yes, the supplies were limited because it was a small shop. Of course, the Botanica didn’t have the usual stuff like besoms, cauldrons, wands, or any type of Athame. They had simple stuff like candles, herbs, incense and other basic supplies. Kind of like the difference between a department store and a hardware store. This shop was more like the hardware store where you get what you need to make your own. 

I eventually learned to acclimate to the fast paced life in NYC. My experience in that giant City transformed who I was. It helped me grow not only as a Witch but as a human being. It is my conclusion that a City Witch is just as powerfully connected to their source as a country Witch, Only in a different way.

What Source is available to connect with in a Giant City? All the elements are still present, they only look different. Guess what the Natural properties are in that Concrete Jungle.

I Challenge you today, to search for the elements in Concrete and Steel and then consider all of the elements that a Witch can find surrounding them in the Big Apple. It would be interesting to hear some different perspectives on city life and witchcraft. I’d really enjoy hearing from both Our City Witches and Our Country Witches.

May you walk on the guided path that was meant for you.

In Love and Light.

Summer Song