Witchcraft was a haven then, a place for me to retreat from the dizzying demands of my day-to-day. I would light my candles, check in with my deities, mark lunar and solar occasions in quiet, private ways. I’d buy bouquets of flowers to decorate my cubicle on the Pagan holy days, and save up more elaborate ritual sessions for nights and weekends when I had the energy or the need. All of this sustained me through family hardships and health woes and the stress and strain of city living.
