OUR HISTORY

Let's get personal!

Harderwijk, the Netherlands

It was November 1993 when it all started. What we did that winter was connecting ourselves, committing ourselves to each other. We (back then 4 women) knew each other for quite some time, but as modern mothers, wifes, lovers, with our careers, we didn't see each other so often. So we decided to anchor our relationships; at the least we see each other ones a moon.

Meet us...........

Annbroom (under) is one of the four starters; and the two boys are her kids: Yannick and Enoch jr. Annbroom, is the art collector for Tree-Top. Aside from performing this task she is a full-time witch, mother, traveller, etc. But above all she's Annbroom!
She has a husband too: Enoch, who was the technical wizzkid and founder of Tree-Top, the Green Underground music sound on the WWW.



On the right you see Shy S, she is also one of four witches who started the circle. Shy paints fairy-like paintings and also designed a Tree-Top CD-cover. She's a social worker. Here you see her husband HandieMan, also a Tree-Top founder, musician, and her daughter Eva.
This photo (left) is me: Christa with my 2 children; son Gilian and my daughter Monique. She wanted her babypicture on the internet!
This site on our tribe-life together, was my first website to build in 1998, and I still love it! Too bad I do not have the time anymore to write new articles, which I really liked to do! I keep trying though, to make some time to write on the Witches of Herderewich.
Marijke is the fourth witch to begin with.....and her daughter Mira. Marijke is also one of our artists. She's one of the designers of the Tree-Top covers, check them!

What happened

We wanted to grow naturally, and we did. As women we had to learn to trust each other, because society learned us competition: who's the best, who's the least wrinkled, who's the smartest, or who is the most beautyful, who feels the most, or who's the most talented.



At that time we invited Jeanet in the circle; we knew her already for some time, and we felt we could mean something for each other. (Photo on the left)
Jeanette has two sons of 12 and 16, and she makes beautiful poetry.






When the Witches of Herderewich became local news, summer 1996, we draw the attention of another witch, who was new in town. Ingrid called us and she was with us until this summer, 1999. Ingrid studies yoga, and her specialty is yoga for pregnant women.
She moved to another town, with her family. We miss you already, Ingrid!




We had to learn HOW to learn from each other, to make each other stronger, grow into tribal affairs. We think like nature, we can become an ecology. Like an ecology we are connected with each other, if one goes down, we all go down. And like every ecology we work complementary instead of being each others opposites.




On the left meet Katinka: our model for rubber and mother of Joy, she is with us since 1,5 years.

Then an old friend of the tribe, Rob (singer/songwriter) wished to be part of the witches. For more than a year he stepped into the circle and left again.




Then another sister came forward; Krijnie. She is our oldest witch, and the other sister of
Zuss Recycled Rubber Fashion Design
On this picture you see her with her daughter, Corina.

Witchcraft

Our goal was not to become "real" wicca witches. We understood the principles of witchcraft and the history of all the other women through the ages. Anyway, we wanted to make our own rules and break them if we want to,
instead of playing by one truth or vision.
But we take care of each other, both fysically and spiritually. So we use our imagination and our knowledge, in fact combine all our powers and talents to start our paradise right where we live, Harderwijk.
Like Shy, she works as a social worker with Turkish and Maroccan women and girls; Jeanette helps the sick people, Marijke educates art at schools, Krijnie and Christa developed their Zuss Fashion Designs, so we're all being very practical.
Now, we experienced blessing because even our husbands started to work with us together in the Tree-Top project! Talking about witchcraft!