Ancestors have stepped forward in a big way. So this morning when I cozied down in front of my altar to listen, it was no surprise that it was Sarilda that showed up.

Out of all my Blood Ancestors, Sarilda has always been the most involved, especially in magical and ritual work. She is also my wild card - fearless, strong willed, and very independent. As I have been working on some different ritual magic in Crane tradition I expected that was why it was her. Yet she took this in a whole other direction.

First she gave a warning that darkness was coming. The darkness she speaks of though has to do with the subjugation of women. Once again our society stands at the edge of a cliff. Once again it is the women who are at the forefront. Once again we are faced with a battle we did not choose but have to fight.

Her exact words that started the conversation were, "The world is changing and the persecution has begun again. It is manifesting in the world. Be the hunter instead of the hunted - and do it with Wisdom." She was specifically talking about women - but it also has a deeper connotation to it.

Here I feel we need to make some distinctions for the sake of clarity. It is not women against men. When we say the word Patriarchy, people automatically make the division between the sexes, but that is not what the Patriarchy is, it is the conditioned response to hearing the word. It is not men as a species, it is a social / government system of social structures and practices in which men dominate, oppress and exploit women. This social system is designed and controlled by a small group of men with power and the ability to make laws - it is NOT all men - it is a corrupt system.

As humans in general, and women in particular, we need to make this distinction very clear. This Patriarchal system not only damages and threatens women, but it also does the same to men in a different way. It conditions them into believing and behaving in certain ways in order to push that corrupt system forward. Instead of partnership - they are fed a competition mindset. They are taught that soft feelings like love and compassion are weakness and push the aggression, dominance model of movement. Their conditioning is drilled into them starting as children, just like women's is drilled into them.

In the same motion, this corrupt system is sowing the seeds of division between the sexes, framing the battle as women vs men, so we all stay broken and not pointing to the real problem - the system itself. By having us see it as a gender war, it puts both sides in a defensive posture, so even if one side wants to help the other, they are met with walls.

Both sides need allies in the other. Women need male allies to fight in their own spaces, just as men need women allies fighting for them. It is only in aligned partnership that real and complete change can be had. It is only both sides working together that we can tear down and eliminate this corrupt system - because it is damaging both sides.

In our current world, this corrupt Patriarchal system stems from abrahamic/ christian ruler-ship - those in the hierarchy and that have taken firm positions of power in our ruling class (government / power positions) and push their agenda through laws and controls of the people. Again, we are not talking about the common people, but a system and ruling class of people. Yes, some of the ordinary people follow along, but it is not all. There are men in those spaces as well that do not see or follow that kind of thinking or approach. At the same time, there are women in those spaces trying to convince other women to submit to it. This isn't about gender, and not confined to just those religions - it is about a ruling class trying to stay as a ruling class using a corrupt system and conditioning people to fit within it.

We are at the brink of war but not the kind we imagine. This war isn't about territory or resources - it is about us, our humanity, our soul. It is about breaking down all the divisions and coming together in partnership to break all these corrupt systems that have created all these false wars between us - Or submitting and giving over to those systems and descending deeper into division and slavery to it.

There are many corrupt and broke systems, not just the Patriarchal one, but the patriarchal one is the one Sarilda is focused on. I see the various reasons why. I see the conditioning that has arisen from that which allows and grows many of the others. Is it the core one? If it is broken, will that open the door to change everything else, like dominoes falling? I can't say, but perhaps it is. Especially based on how my Guides have shown the partnership aspects and how it work when it comes to the masculine and feminine together.

What I do know is it will take both sides working together. Allies on both sides, and fighting together against the corruption of a system not individual people. The realization that the individual people we are running into, that are heavily for/ invested in this system ,have been conditioned this way. They have been damaged and broken by it, even if they do not realize or acknowledge it.

This is not where I thought we were going. It is not the work I was planning or the conversation I expected. Yet, that generally seems to be the case with my Guides - They have their own plans and see a bigger picture than I do. I have to keep my faith and trust in them, because it has never failed me.

Awhile back I dropped the label "witch" and only really used the label Crane Practitioner for several different reasons, but the main one was that it was originally a label created by christian hierarchy to persecute women (primarily). I didn't see the point in using their word. This has changed. If we are going to battle, and their corrupt system is at the center, then the title Witch I will own and wear proudly.

Let the word Witch be our anthem, our defiance, our strength, and the banner all of us can come under. The place where masculine and feminine stand together in a collaborative alliance for all of us.

Walk the Witches Road to discover your own power, build your own foundations, and bring forth your magic. It is a road of self discovery, healing, and raising your own power.

Move in the Witch's Way. Connect and collaborate with the energies around you, shifting and weaving them to deconstruct or to create. Magic is tool, but it is also a weapon in times of need.

We are a blending of many traditions and beliefs. Each using our own connections, our own ways of working magic, our own faces of divine, our own spirit families - but aligning ourselves behind one intention. We know, as witches, we do not have to be the same, work the same, believe the same in order to work together for the same goal. Let's use that rich diversity to enhance and bring more energy into the work - to work from different angles.

Gather your Witches, build your covens, connect to each other, share with each other, and work together. It has been proven that collective energy work/ magical work/ ritual can and does produce tangible changes on a large scale. Use that knowledge wisely. Stop just going after the people - direct your work at the corrupt system. Cut down one person and another will just take their place - Break the system and there is no where to rise to.