[1]TRENTON ONT. (02/01/11)-Dominique Preston holds up a book with a drawn picture of a fairy and a photo of herself as a child. Both the pictures show what seem to be very similar faces. As a practicing witch Preston believes that she is part of the fairy clan. Photo by Thomas Lee.
By Thomas Lee
When you first step into the Trenton home of Dominique Preston, it looks like a standard home. But upon closer inspection, you see a cabinet, and in that cabinet there sits crystals, candles and a small statute of a man and woman kissing. Across the room, there is a small broom with a sign that reads “Broom rides 5 cents.”
This is the home of a witch.
Preston moved to Trenton from Texas over 10 years ago to meet her current husband, Edward, whom she met over the Internet.
As a child, Preston was in and out of a lot of different churches, studying a lot of different religions.
“One week we would be Christian, the next we would be Catholic and the next something else,” said Preston.
Eventually Preston got tired of the ways some of the churches viewed women.
“I found that as a young girl, when men talked about God that men were created in his image and that women were just useless slaves and that we had no place in the world,” said Preston.
Preston never dealt with the other churches well. She would ask questions about certain things. She would ask them about where the donations from the donation plate would go. And ask why God needs money.
“I was labeled the trouble-maker in young adult Bible school,” she said
During high school, Preston met a young woman named of Kathy. It was during that friendship that Preston was introduced to and started her life as a witch.
“I knew I was different and she helped me discover that difference. She was the one that introduced me to the path I now follow,” she said
However, being a witch does not come easy. Over the years, Preston has endured a lot of hate and ignorance for her beliefs. Both friends and family have cut off relationships to both she and her husband over the past years.
“Later on down the road, a lot of Edward’s close family cut ties with him because they were all Catholic and had found out my faith. They tried to bring me back over to God but I did not need saving and some to this day, think I brainwashed him in to marriage,” Preston said.
“It makes me sad on holidays because they condemned us,” she said
The family has also cut off a lot of ties to Preston’s father in-law who supports them and their choices but is also looked after by Preston full-time in their home.
“His dad supports our choices and us and for that he is punished with no holiday cards or visits from family.”
When Preston works with people by giving them tarot card readings, and other services, she does not exactly charge them. Instead she only asks for a donation.
“There can be made massive amounts of cash doing what I do. Sure, I could charge $25.95 to make healing salt bath mix with candles and a love spell to make someone fall in love against their will but that is wrong,” said Preston.
“I get so much more back from what I do than just taking in money,”
Preston also teaches witchcraft to people if they decide to learn it.
“I am currently teaching a lady here in Trenton about the craft. She’s decided to take me on as a teacher,” Preston said.
She also teaches a woman living in Alaska over video call on the Internet.
“This is what I do, I am a spiritual person trying to help others find out who they are and where they fit in.”