As Witches, many of us were taught not to use our own breath to extinguish a flame. That somehow, the act of exhalation is unclean. That our breath is not sacred enough to touch our Work.
In doing so, we are reinforcing the false belief that we are inherently flawed and not worthy of the tools we have chosen to use to empower ourselves. This false belief will work against us in our quest for Sovereignty. Unless we embrace every inch of ourselves - the physical, emotional, intellectual, artistic, sexual, spiritual, and so on - we cannot hope to integrate all that we have learned and move on. Part of us will remain stuck.
I can’t help but wonder if this is a purposeful act, put in place by those who are deeply afraid of anyone who seeks to empower themselves. Upon reflection, I have noticed a great many “Thou shall not’s” present in neo-Pagan literature. This isn’t to say that there aren’t things you need to be mindful of for your own safety. But using one’s own breath to extinguish a candle is not one of them.
So go ahead. Blow out your damn candle!
