An urban witch is often far more imaginative than their rural cousin for the simple reason that there are far more negative energies waiting in the wings to cause havoc and misery in day-to-day living. Other people’s negative energies can (unintentionally) infringe on our own personal space and even invade our home if the protections aren’t up to scratch. An urban environment that confines large numbers of people within a small area is a breeding ground for an untold number of psychic manifestations.
As the new towns and cities rapidly developed during the Industrial Revolution the need for cheap housing increased. In the rush to build houses, many were constructed too quickly in terraced rows. Some of these houses had just a small yard at the rear where an outside toilet was placed, with most of the poorest people occupying overcrowded and inadequate housing, and some even living in cellars. Though great progress was made in industry and technology, living and working conditions remained poor and were a major cause of illness and disease.
Today, many of those terraces have been gentrified and turned into comfortable homes but in the inner cities it is impossible to escape from the multitude of psychic energies that are created and maintained by the seething mass of humanity that rubs shoulders with each other on a daily basis. Those infectious diseases may have been eradicated but the psionics generating a variety of paranormal phenomena can be said to have taken their place to cause stress, depression, anxiety, tiredness and irritability because of difficulties at work, or too much social pressure. Also there are higher levels of physical or especially psychological stress when we feel like we can’t cope with life and have more adrenaline , cortisol and caffeine running through our veins than blood!
Wherever we live in the world, stress and tiredness aside, the urban witch has a much greater problem to dealt with: the blanket malaise that often smothers many of our urban environments, which can be best likened to a good, old-fashioned smog that used to permeate everything in the inner cities. The pollution might be gone but there is a different kind of social ‘smog’ invading our personal space that can have a debilitating effect on a witch’s life.
Even if our own particular ‘patch’ is peaceful enough, each time we go shopping or travel to work, the evidence of mindless vandalism and barely suppressed aggression confronts us on all sides. Broken bottles and discarded beer cans litter the streets; the remains of a previous night’s take-away deposited by the bus stop. Chewing gum, vomit and spittle make walking a hazard. Plants ripped from the municipal beds, hurled about in a frenzied nocturnal flower battle and trampled under foot. In parks and gardens there are swaths of daffodils beheaded, or stolen by someone looking for a cheap bouquet. The constant noise of bawling children accompanied by yelling disgruntled mothers. The 24-7 smell of fast food, and the intrusive sound of passing car stereos, played at full blast …
In other words, we need to empower ourselves psychically to withstand the outside pressures that threaten our inner calm. As I’ve said before, I’ve had countless conversations with pagans who believe themselves to be the victim of a psychic attack because they feel prey to a permanent mental, physical and emotional drain. In a way they are correct, but the ‘attack’ is the result of magical arrogance or ignorance, rather than anything directed at them from some known or unknown enemy. Without delving into the dominion of ritual magic, there are numerous parasitic entities that inhabit the inner and outer astral realms, which feed off the negative impulses generated by thousands of people confined within a less than perfect environment. They have been described as strange, parasitic creatures, needing to feed off a healthy host than an enfeebled one, and the unwary witchlet who has insufficient magical protection will attract such entities like a beacon, and to withstand this unwanted psychic barrage, the urban witch needs to be protected at all times, and not just when working in Circle ….
Traditional Witchcraft for Urban Living by Melusine Draco is published by Moon Books in paperback and e-book format. ISBN 978 1 84694 978 4 : UK9.99/US$16.95. www.moon-books.net
Melusine Draco 
Crikey, could I relate! I moved (totally unprepared) from a rural place where I grew up, to a city environment, and it was like having my nervous system and general wellbeing ground down to the point where I was walking into shops and hearing a mass of voices at once, like drowning in icky emotions and impressions, or the floor felt as though it was moving or that fluorescent lighting was melting my brain. In the city centre, it was like the evil eye was everywhere, waiting for an opportunity, such as accidently bumping into someone. I feel as though I grew a tougher psychic pair as a result (through necessity/adaption!), but this book would have been a godsend at the time! Mathew B
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