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By Julie Grenness

When I was young, my sisters and I loved viewing the TV sitcom, “Bewitched.” It was fascinating and funny, a tale of the witch Endora’s daughter, also a witch. My sorority and I grew up dreaming of ourselves as Endora’s daughters, the old mother/daughter thing. Would have made housework and cooking a lot faster!

Many men think of their women as witches, who only arise in the morning to match their shoes to their brooms, the female dress code. Quite right. But then, the leading male in “Bewitched” seemed to spend his life making his witchy woman feel the need to apologize for her talents. I thought that was wrong, a stereotype. Women are Endora’s daughters, and should never feel the need to apologise for being women. We just do, okay?

Endora’s daughters around the globe today are humans, too. We have emotions, like love and envy, and tend to ruminate. Lots of Endora’s daughters can waste thoughts on selfish people who do not really care anyway. I can still think of good, witty repartee for conversations that took place years ago. So, our witchy brains can indulge in stinking thinking.

Stinking thinking stinks, that is advice from this senior witch. Endora’s daughters cannot help competing with other witches, comparing themselves to, criticizing other witches, or slut-shaming other women. But we just do, okay? The sorority should rule here and support each other. Endora’s daughters need to work on these aspects of our sisterhood.

So now it is October, the month of Halloween for all witches. Today I hopped in my wheels (my other car is a broom). I made my purchases in a shop for witches who belong to Yarn Anonymous, a coven. Once home, I sat at my task, with a spell book of patterns. I had a witch’s stick, my crochet hook. I was weaving wool while muttering curses, wondering if this heap of threads would end up as a UFO — unfinished craft object, to be hurled to the back of the craft stash.

All the while I was boiling broth in a large cauldron on the stove, a coven of one. But lo, this Endora’s daughter produced a blanket. Magic! The true magic of a witch’s chick power!

Barring unforeseen incidents, consider for Halloween the great chick power of a witch. Women can birth and raise babies, cook, clean, garden, craft, work at any job, play sports or music, possess other talents, and manage.

Yes, sage advice from an old Endora’s daughter. We have got this, sister witches. Whatever happens, we shall manage. Endora’s daughters have chick power!

— Julie Grenness

Julie Grenness is a poet and writer in Australia. She’s a former teacher who now tutors and mentors young people.