The Witching Hour

According to ancient lore (and the more recent Wikipedia) The Witching Hour is supposedly when witches come out to do their magic or their mischief-- usually after midnight. When I was a kid, however, my mother used to say The Witching Hour was the hour before dinner when hungry children became rather naughty, or possibly between 8 pm and 9 pm when tired children needed but didn’t want to go to bed. Another word my mother used to employ when I was misbehaving was “witchy,” (as in “She’s acting rather witchy today!”)  so I grew up with the most likely false impression that witches were somewhat undesirable.

            I have found that there are other periods during the day and night that might be called The Witching Hour (excuse me witches, for now that I’ve grown up, I happen to like you all, and perhaps I’m even one of you myself), but there are times when a certain “witchiness” seems to permeate the air—and not in a good way. Sometimes I feel witchy when I’m in a sarcastic or nasty mood. On these occasions, words seem to spew from my mouth that I can’t believe I’m even saying…sort of like frogs! Most of the time, I have only nice things to say about others, but once in a while…well, the witchiness just sets in and I can’t help myself.

            This witchiness can also be inwardly directed. I might be walking down the street on a lovely afternoon, when suddenly I realize I’m thinking evil thoughts about yours truly. I have to shoo such thoughts out of my head with my broomstick (you know the type—“you’re fat, stupid, ugly, incompetent….” you get my drift). Sometimes these thoughts just bubble up for no good reason.

            On the other hand, witchiness can be a positive quality. Quite often, I can predict when the phone is going to ring or what a person is going to say. I also have a knack for manifesting parking spots and Lebanese food. Call it what you want, but one might just as easily call it witchcraft as anything else.

            With Halloween just around the corner, I’d like to give all witches (good and not-so-good) a nod, with apologies for any negative thoughts I may have had about them in the past that were handed down to me by mother, who never had a bad word to say about anyone—except, perhaps--witches.