She travels on a flurry of snowflakes with the north wind that takes her where she wants. Winter Witch has a cold heart, never letting in kindness, love or generosity. She is mean to the bone, her desire is to take life from any unfortunate left in her grasp. The small bunny or fawn will quickly die should she come upon them lost in the forest. So too will children who wander away from home on a cold winter night.
The only thing that stands in her way of making the world cold and dark is Spring Witch that follows her and finds lost children and stray animals that need the breath of life. It has always infuriated the winter witch and her animosity toward the witch of spring grew and grew.
One day Winter Witch came across Autumn Witch as the year's end neared. She told her of what the witch of spring did to her, how she saved some victims of hers from death and how terrible of Spring Witch to take away her schadenfreude.
Autumn Witch was sad to hear this for she cooled and readied life for change after Summer Witch made things grow their tallest and best in the long days of her season. The witch of fall knew things must stay balanced. The witch of spring, because of her heart to make all things well and new, overstepped her place in the seasons.
"Let Spring Witch be for now," said Autumn Witch. "She is always young and impetuous. Let her learn from what will follow if she continues this way." The witch of fall was the wisest of all four, for she knew what the seasons brought.
"Very well," said Winter Witch. Still, it bothered her for she so enjoyed taking life in her silent coldness, watching the warmth leave the victim until it is as cold as she. "I'll bide my time, until then," she said to herself as she flew off into a storm.
Spring Witch came earlier each winter until spring grew longer. She found more animals to rescue until the grass could no longer grow fast enough to feed everyone and streams trickled out water from all the life now so abundant on the earth.
Summer Witch felt beleaguered by the abundance of life searching for food and shelter, as fast as summer's witch could provide, life on earth devoured it. When Autumn Witch came, there was scant to do for most of the foliage was destroyed, depriving her of painting hillsides and skies with brilliant hues. The witch of fall sought out Winter Witch and found her in an early snow storm.
"Spring Witch as caused an imbalance in nature I'm afraid," she said to Winter Witch as she caused a swirl of snow to cover a bare holly in front of them.
"I will temper her spirit. So that she knows not to over extend her season." Winter Witch then flew off in a flurry of dark thunderous clouds.
As the days grew shorter and the nights longer, Winter Witch flew over the land creating mounds of snow that turned to ice. The storms surged and grew stronger each day. The ice grew and grew into hills and then mountains of hard, cold snow. When Spring Witch arrived, the ice was so thick she couldn't penetrate it to save a soul.
The ice became glaciers that stood through spring's warmth, summer's heat and autumn's wind. When the following winter came more ice and snow fell until the land was unrecognizable, the animals changed, and mankind only survived in caves, if they could find one.
Winter Witch was thrilled. She now had all the seasons to herself, but then realized, she was as impertinent as Spring Witch. She too had caused an unbalance of nature. She then tempered her wrath and sulked back to the northern land to sleep and allow nature to once again right itself.
As time passed, the witches of the seasons knew each as important in their own right to keep nature in harmony. Life prospered and the land grew abundant until one day when mankind filled his heart with greed.
Humans wanted more and more for themselves. And not to thrive but to dominant and hoard risking all other life in their greed for more and more. Winter Witch saw this and talked among the others, concerned if mankind was allowed to continue, what would happen to Mother Earth?
And because of man's greed for Mother Earth's wealth, a warming occurred from the factories and machines that created unlimited consumption for mankind. The toxic gasses heated the air and created great storms that brought floods and drought, but still mankind wanted more and more for themselves. The warming of Mother Earth concerned the seasons witches.
Winter Witch tried to cover the land in cold to cool the earth but had to leave when the Spring Witch came to renew and heal as much as she could. But the damage of men continued until Summer Witch came with heat that dried and caked the hard soil to try and prevent men from contaminating it further. It did no good and the Autumn Witch, the wisest of all the witches, grew worried. Would mankind kill all life in their quest for more and more? They might! Thought Autumn Witch.
Autumn Witch went to the king of the fairies asking what could be done? This could not go on to the peril of Mother Earth. The fairy king called a council to decide the best course of action. When they returned with a remedy, it was not good."We who know the Craft will survive, it is up to mankind to do good by Mother Earth or perish." The king of all fairies told Autumn Witch.
So the witch came back and told the others. Now, the witches of the seasons do what they can to keep nature in balance to this day. They have seen the seasons come and go long before humankind arrived and will continue should mankind fail to see their error. They have left it to us to come to our senses and find balance with our Mother Earth.
But will we?
