Witchy woman

Amy Tomaszewski of DeKalb is a witch. She doesn’t have a black cat or flying broomstick, but her favorite holiday is Halloween.

She also celebrates Samhain, a Celtic festival celebrating the midpoint between autumn and winter.

As a witch, Tomaszewski is a pagan and believes in honoring multiple gods and goddesses, caring for all animals and the earth and making the world a better place for future generations.

Tomaszewski offers spiritual services professionally, including house cleansing, manifestation consultations and tea leaf and Lenormand card readings.

MidWeek reporter Katrina Milton spoke to Tomaszewski about witchcraft, spirituality and common misconceptions about witches.

Milton: What is tea leaf reading?

Tomaszewski: Tea leaf reading is a type of divination. Other types of divination include Tarot cards or crystal balls. Some people even divine using clouds. I use tea leaves and Lenormand cards. I use the cards in conjunction, pulling cards to get clarity. Reading tea leaves has a rich history and has been done around the world, including China and Scotland. Some people read coffee grounds, the sediment in wine, tea leaves or bones.

Milton: How do you read the tea leaves?

Tomaszewski: It’s all about symbolic knowledge, what those symbols mean and tapping into that clarity. Tea leaves are just leaves, it’s all about their interpretation, reading what you see first and then what you feel. When reading the tea leaves, I use round bottom cups. The leaves like to clump in course edge cups. I usually use green tea, either gun powder green tea or sleeping dragon green tea, that I purchase from a tea shop. I use symbols in the tea leaves to create a story to provide a message or answer about whatever a person is asking for. The top three topics people ask about are health, love life and money. Certain symbols together mean certain things: dots and fish mean financial windfall and that you will come into money. Lines mean structure, a strong foundation for success.

Milton: What does it mean to be a witch and do divination?

Tomaszewski: Divination doesn’t necessarily have to be spiritual, but I am a pagan. I believe in multiple gods, mostly goddesses. Every part of my life is spiritual. I do receive intuition from deities and spiritual guides. I believe in the supernatural and the paranormal and believe that our ancestors are here and willing to speak to us if we listen.

Milton: What do you believe as a witch?

Tomaszewski: Modern culture often perpetuates the idea that witches are inherently evil, which is not true. I love animals and all creatures. I am not a Satanist. I do not believe in Lucifer or Satan or the Christian pantheon. I respect it, as I respect all other religions. I celebrate nature and the earth, the harvest, solstices and full moons. I believe snow and rain is sacred and that the earth is my temple. Some people go to church, I go into the woods. I believe in entities and spirits, and I definitely see male and female aspects in the energies. I try not to think of them as particular gods and goddesses because that can be more of a man-made idea that is an anthropomorphized understanding of different types of spiritual energy. Instead, I think of them different phases of energy: elder, middle age and new energy, like the Triple Goddess of maiden, mother and crone.

Milton: Do you celebrate Halloween?

Tomaszewski: Halloween is my favorite day of the year. I love dressing up, decorating around the house and handing out candy to trick-or-treaters. As a witch, I celebrate Samhain. Samhain is the midpoint between autumn and winter. It’s where the veil is thin, and we celebrate the last of the light seasons: spring, summer and fall, and connect with ancestral spirits. We use bonfires to celebrate the last vestiges of summer and tell stories about our ancestors around it. We call their spirits into the gathering. We have tables set up of their favorite foods. It’s a way to honor their spirits reverently and to make contact.

Milton: How is real witchcraft different from pop culture?

Tomaszewski: I grew up watching shows on TV about witches like “Charmed” and “Buffy.” But being a witch isn’t about levitating objects or Harry Potter. There are many different types of witches and pagans with a lot of different views. I think pop culture is a wonderful thing, and I enjoy a good fantasy movie, but sometimes pop culture can be extremely offensive. It depicts witches as evil, ugly and green with warts. The community of witches are some of the kindest and sweetest people you’ll ever meet.

Milton: What reaction do you get when people discover you are a witch?

Tomaszewski: I think people are curious about it and want to ask me questions. I think that there has been an occult revolution in the last 10 years or so. This current revolution mirrors one that was started in the late 1950s. People are becoming more interested and accepting of witchcraft. I can wear a pentagram to the grocery store and not be burned at the stake because those who have come before have covered a lot of ground and sacrificed to dispell stereotypes. I’m so proud to be a witch. I think that a lot of people don’t know a real witch. I hope they continue to be accepting and allow us to have a place, because witches are wonderful, wise and healing.

For more information about Amy Tomaszewski, witchcraft or to schedule a tea leaf reading, visit 1WitchesWays on Facebook. Tomaszewski performs tea leaf readings virtually via Facebook Messenger and Google Hangouts and in person the second Saturday of every month at The Gypsy Haven, 43 W. River Road in Elgin.