To be a Slavic witch, one possess the ability to astral travel and fall easily in and out of trance states. Furthermore, Slavic witches observe three major taboos during ritual; nudity, silence, and not looking back after the working’s conclusion. These correspond to the three Slavic principles (Prav, Jav and Nav) and the three forces (Um, Život and Rod). First the witch must approach her/his gods and helping spirits in truth (Prav). Therefore (s)he sheds all her clothing exposing all that (s)he is, with only her Um, or soul to guide her. The second taboo, silence, is observed because the witch must quiet the noise of Jav in order to “push” her Život, or astral body, into the otherworld. Finally, the witch worked her magic by altering or shifting the threads of fate, and since most of her helping spirits lived in the underworld of Nav, her journeys there were not without inherent dangers. A ritual, if performed poorly, could cross or unweave the witch’s Rod, or ancestral karma, putting her life or livelihood in danger. So (s)he takes precautions and never looks back following ritual so as to clearly sever the line of communication between the worlds.
