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by Summer Woodsong
I. Early Magick
One tradition holds that Witchcraft began more
than 35 thousand years ago, when the last great sheets ice began
their journey across Europe. Legend holds that small groups of
hunters followed the free-running game and bison across the
tundra. Armed only with the most simple weapons, these tribes
depended on the extraordinary gifts of their shamans. These
shamans could attune themselves to the herds, the animal mind,
the spirit of the herd. As they became an integral and
interactive part of the energy all life forms share, they were
able to call those of these herds who were willing, to pits,
cliffs or traps that allowed the clans or tribes to be fed. This
was an ongoing cycle of life, in which both the herd animals and
the humans understood and regarded as a sacred gift the life of
the food animals.
Other traditions hold that “25 thousand
years ago in Paleolithic Wo/Man depended upon hunting to survive.
Only by success in the hunt could there be food to eat, skins for
warmth and shelter, bones to fashion into tools and
weapons…. Nature was overwhelming. Out of awe and respect
for the gusting wind, the violent lightning, the rushing stream,
Wo/Man ascribed to each a spirit; made each a deity … a God.
It was at this time that magick became mixed in with these first
faltering steps of religion.” (Buckland's Complete Book of
Witchcraft, Raymond Buckland, p 2-3)
“Male shamans dressed in skins and horns
in identification with the God and the herd; but female
priestesses presided naked, embodying the fertility of the
Goddess. Life and death were a continuous stream; the dead were
buried as if sleeping in a womb, surrounded by their tools and
ornaments, so that they might awaken to a new life.” (Spiral
Dance, Starhawk p3). The power of Woman to bring forth life was
one of the greatest mysteries, and women were revered. Through
new life, came the survival of the clans, and provision for
children and the elderly. When these were provided for, there was
new strength and the wisdom of the elders which allowed all to
thrive.
The first true example of what we consider
sympathetic magick took place, when those early people put on the
antlers and robe of their prey, invoked the power to draw that
animal into the dance of life and death, and played out the hunt
they sought to occur in future days. “The Penobscot Indians,
for example, less than a hundred years ago, wore deer masks and
horns when performing rituals for the same purpose.” .”
(Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft, Raymond Buckland, p 2-3)
The rituals and processes we use for magick today appear to be
similar or the same as those used by our ancestors. Models found
of life-size prey were found, complete with spear marks in the
clay.
Human psychology is blessed with the gift of
imagination, of visualization. And there is little practical
difference between creative visualization and spellwork. The same
steps, procedures, preparations, focus and energy are present in
both. Only the name and the respect given the process differs.
The primary difference between these early
magickal practices and later, more formal, religious practices
has to do with who performs the acts related to the desired
outcome. In the tribal system, the entire clan performed the
dances, the sacred plays of the hunt. Sometimes there was a
leader considered a specialist, a shaman. Many times, the entire
group was part of the process.
II. Difference between Religion and Magick
The differentiating factor between religion and
magick seems to be whether or not there was a specialist assigned
the role as intercessor to the Gods or Elemental Energies. This
is also one of the key issues in present day WitchCraft - whether
or not each person is a direct link to the energy and can meet
their needs without assistance, or if we need those persons who
have the time, talents, interest, etc. in being a full-time
conduit between these energies and those who consider themselves
as Pagans, Witches, Wiccans, etc.
While the jury is still out, the majority of
Witches think it would be a travesty if we allowed any third
party interpretation or mandatory access to that natural energy
we are all heir to as humans and part of the interactive Sacred
Play that is Gaia, our world and our spiritual world. Many early
religions that began as a one-on-one link with the divine later
came to a formal, procedurally bound, mockery of our Divine
nature. The power in Paganism is that we claim our power by
right, and will never give or dilute it by channeling it through
others. We are as much a mirror of the Gods, as they are a
reflection of us.
The nature of deity is that we have created a
personalized representation of those forces which are
awe-inspiring and important to us, and given them characteristics
and names so that we may refer to them amongst ourselves handily.
Those outside this rich interactive style came to believe that
these forces were indeed outside of us, and labeled them as
transcendent, or other. As Luke was taught by Obi Wan and Yoda,
there is a life-force which all beings naturally have. We are
part of it, have need of it, and can learn to listen and use it.
Only recently did we forget as a race, that it is our birthright
and the nature of our being. Life, death, rebirth, creation,
beauty - these are all a natural use of the energy so readily
available.
- Religion and Magick
There is a wonderful book called When Santa
was a Shaman (1995 Llewellyn Publications) Tony van
Renterghem makes a basic and fascinating distinction between
types of religions. He breaks down the major religions into
either supplication or celebration. The rituals and ceremonies
associated with these religions, also divides up into those
categories.
If one is a member of a religion that is
supplicatory, you would appeal to this God for assistance, you
would bargain with them - perhaps appropriate behavior for
benediction of some sort. However, the overall character of the
relationship is that this God, good or bad, is completely in
charge of the relationship and must be deferred to and placated
in order to achieve happiness and success - perhaps even ongoing
life. This is not an equitable relationship, the God is totally
in charge. Typically, they are not bound by any rules of
behavior, either. So, it is a somewhat perilous relationship.
Magick to appease the gods is not uncommon.
Folks try to figure out what precisely it is they have to do in
order to avoid a bad storm, too much rain, too little rain, etc.,
etc. The one thing we don't seem to have a good handle on is that
we are a part of Nature, and that the ultimate confluence of
many, many events bring into concert those components which make
it rain. There is much evidence which shows that we can influence
and encourage these situations, but in general, we are part of
the entire system and cannot create nor beg for Nature to turn on
Her head for our benefit. Always keep in mind that when one
intervenes for somebody, then there are other places which may
now be lacking in those things you have called to you. Be certain
to do all workings for the good of all - otherwise you may find
you have created strife and hardship for others to satisfy a
minor whim. Besides, appeasing and placating gods is a loosing
battle for control over one's life. Because we cannot see the
larger whole, and there is no way to grasp all the intricacies
and complexities of a situation, we cannot foresee all the detail
that would allow us to forecast success in providing whatever
ritual, ceremony, sacrifice, or other action that would make a
God/dess smile on us, and bring good fortune. To be honest, one
would have to be incredibly confident, or deluded, to ever be
comfortable in a religion that required you to constantly attempt
to reading the changing will of the deity.
In the instance of placating the Gods, it is in
our interest to invest our energy only in those areas we wish to
encourage development in, rather than to spend a lot of energy
trying to avoid the ill effects from a trickster God/dess or a
God/dess of destruction. Do not devote a lot of time to a
God/dess of chaos, or other poor behaviors. You would concentrate
instead on the God/dess you prefer prevail. Lots of energy to
justice, to success, etc. Just be very careful what you ask for.
As far as praying or performing magick to a God/dess for
prosperity, we do far better to bend our will and make as many of
the arrangements as we can through our own efforts.
Magick for luck and good fortune is always
considered fair, if you back it up by contributing as much of
your daily efforts as possible to your goals. If you want a good
job, you must read the papers, respond to inquiries, be prepared
to interview, go to work on time each day, etc. All the spells in
the world will not work, if your personal actions work in
opposition, i.e. you do a love spell, but you never bathe, or go
out to places where you might meet someone, or, you do a spell
for success, but all you ever do is whine and make excuses,
rather than put effort into attaining the type of lifestyle you
say you desire. If you actions and stated desires are not in
concert, then your internal focus and will are not working on
your goals, and the magick or energy working is too diffuse to
have any effect. Magick is not simple, not easy, not a panacea
for the lazy person.
III. Separation of Magick from Religion
- Prayer is Energy work. Modern day clergy
of many religions provide their flock, parishioners,
congregation, whatever it is called, with access to
divinity. Although each person is admonished to lead a
“Godly” life, the primary focus of worship
tends to be through large group ceremonies where a
leader, priest, channels the prayers and energy of that
congregation through themselves and off to whatever the
focus of the prayer was. I personally feel that this
channeling through a third party, as a required step and
mindset, dilutes the efficacy of that energy somewhat.
However, it does not differ substantially from the Wiccan
coven practice of channeling or focusing energy through a
high priest/ess. And even though many are not aware of
it, there is strong, statistical, scientific proof that
prayer is incredibly effective when used for healing the
ill. This study simply looked at the survival rate, and
healing speed among people who had been prayed for, all
other factors being the same, and those who had not been
prayed for. The energy is the same in prayer, or healing
spells, which is a strong indicator that Wiccan magick
provides the same power - a power that is effective and
measurable by contemporary science.
- Spells are Energy Work. Such energy was
always amongst us. It is only in the last few hundred
years that we have had the technology to document and
examine these energies and their effects. In the past
there tended to be an individual who was more gifted than
others in interpreting and understanding such things.
These folks probably devoted time to things such as
herbal remedies, and as their healing skills improved,
they were able to devote more time and thought to it.
People were willing to trade these healers, treatment for
food, and over time these people became specialists in
their discipline - whatever that entailed. Perhaps
reading omens, herbal preventatives, cures, etc. And
these folks also had the knack of knowing what would
happen. Whether it was early psychology or a good guess,
their reputation made them into the Village Wise Woman -
the Country Sage. Sometimes these folks skills combined
with an inheritance of knowledge from their ancestors,
provided them with a powerful knowledge of people,
healing, and energy use. These were truly the witches of
renown. Powerful people, but without today's
communication ability, their influence tended to stay
local, only effecting their village or county. Their
skills also included various forms of divination, but not
usually religion as such. That was left to the Church
which was a powerful and distant force. And religion was
best left to the priests and ministers of that church,
since it was punishable by death for commoners to have
read the bible.
- Even the Christian church, which
condemned magic as a devilish art, was also
filled with magical beliefs and practices. Magic
was legal in Roman times, and this tolerance
continued on for many centuries. Sir Walter
Raleigh praised said magic, “bringeth to
light the inmost virtues, and draweth them out of
Nature's hidden bosom to human use.”. The
nobility - including princes of the church -
supported court magicians, astrologers, and
diviners who helped them conduct their affairs.
Scholars carefully classified different types of
magicians, as if to distinguish the heretical
from the acceptable. (The Woman's Encyclopedia of
Myths and Secrets, p 566) Although the Christians
had the most documentation, almost all cultures
had their version of magician or magic workers.
- Shaman/ka - Other cultures less effected
by the power of the formal Church included the
interpretation of the god's will among their skills.
These indigenous cultures labeled their healing and
magick specialists Shaman or Shamanka. In tribal cultures
almost everyone had a specialty that made up their part
of the entire survival of the tribe. It tended to be
those persons who were marked special who became the
voice of the Gods for the tribe. Again, these persons had
the time to learn, or just think a lot about, the nature
of reality, illness and the Gods. In shamanic experience,
when one is in non-ordinary reality things will seem
quite as material as they are here. ….. All the
phenomena that just as real as they do here if it is an
extremely clear shamanic journey. But the shaman does not
view these non-ordinary phenomena as mental in the sense
that they are regarded as a projections of one's own
mind. Rather, the mind is being used in order to gain
access, to pass through a door into another reality which
exists independently of that mind. Usually, the shaman
views the universe itself of the ultimate reality. In
many shamanic cultures there is preoccupation with the
idea that there is some spiritual being who is either in
charge of the whole show, or who once was but is now
permanent vacation. Most shamans seem to believe that
this universe is “just the way things are.” We
are given the fact that there is a universe where
everything is alive, that there is an interconnectedness
of all things, and that there are hidden purposes which
we can attempt to investigate to some extent through
shamanic methods. So, as one gets involved in shamanism
and thus keeps seeing, interacting, and talking with
spirits, one quite naturally tends to believe in their
existence. And those who continue doing shamanism will
most likely also start to believe in the existence of
spirits. Of course, more supposedly
“sophisticated”: religions may then be built
upon that base. I think it is noteworthy that modern
physics seem to have elements of animism. Some physicists
today are like animists in that they believe everything
which exists is alive. It is the sense of our unity with
a living universe, the feeling that we are all just parts
of that greater life, which is basic to animism.”
(Shamanism, compiled by Shirley Nicholson, pp4-5). In
some cultures being crippled, having seizures, having
mental problems, etc. marked one as being closer to the
gods or perhaps having been called by the spirits, and
thus a good candidate for the shamanic path. These people
freely mixed together the concepts of both the Gods and
magick. Their mythology made their gods a part of their
everyday world, and allowed for a rich mix of customs,
responsive to the tribe's situation and needs. The
shamanic tradition focuses of the strengths and aspects
of various natural forces within our world, and uses
inner journeys of the shaman to bring those truths for
use by the shaman's social group.
- Ceremonial Magick is an area of study that
demands much discipline of its adherents. We tend to
differentiate its practice from that of the religious
magicks that Witches, Pagans and Druids accomplish,
primarily because of the Pagan emphasis of calling energy
through the gods and the planet. Ceremonial magic has its
own pantheons, and although my understanding is minimal,
there is much knowledge that must be acquired, memorized,
understood and properly applied. Golden Dawn is one of
the best known organizations dealing with ceremonial
magick.
“…Ceremonial Magic…is probably
best described as a process of enlightenment and illumination of
the Universe by stimulating the intuition, imagination, and
"psychic faculties" through the use of rituals and
ceremonies. A "magic ceremony" is not necessarily
"Ceremonial Magic." Richard Cavendish, in his book The
Black Arts (1967), writes: "Many magical ceremonies are
deliberately designed to summon up and unleash the animal driving
forces from the deeps of the human nature" (p. 11), the
purpose of this magic being "hunger for power" with an
"ambition to wield supreme power over the entire universe,
to make himself a god" (p. 1). This description neatly fits
into what Waite would probably describe as Ceremonial Magic,
although this magic is, as the subtitle of his book, The Book of
Ceremonial Magic, states "The Secret Tradition in Goetia
[witchcraft], including rite and mysteries of Goetic theurgy,
sorcery, and infernal necromancy."
"Ceremonial Magic; by the study of which,
a man...may become a recipient of Divine Light and
knowledge" (p. xvi, xvii). According to Barret, the Kabbalah
is the "secret mysteries" of Ceremonial Magic. Eighty
year later, the ceremonies and doctrine of the Golden Dawn would
heavily rely on what its members called "Kabbalah."
An examination of the Knowledge Lectures of the
Golden Dawn reveals a great deal of use of Kabbalistic terms and
ideas. However, what is Kabbalah to these magicians? Regardie
(1970) recognizes the traditional meaning of the term: "the
Qabalah is the Jewish mystical teaching concerning
the...interpretation of the Hebrew scriptures" (p. 17).
However, he continues to say that the Kabbalah
"contains as its ground plan... that geometrical arrangement
of Names, Numbers, Symbols, and Ideas called 'The Tree of
Life'" (p.18). Regardie, and the magicians before him,
regard Kabbalah as "a guide, leading to comprehension both
of the Universe and one own's self" (p. I) by providing
"a set of symbols... necessary when undertaking a study of
the Universe" (p. iii). Ultimately, it is used as a
framework to categorize all phenomena and relationships in the
Universe.
By interpreting the Torah, or discovering its
hidden, true, meaning, the Kabbalist hoped to acquire
"immediate personal contact with the Divine"
Ceremonial Magic, being mostly a blend of
Christian and Jewish religious thought, this existence or being
is typically called "God," although other terms, such
as "Bornless One," "Higher Genius," and
"Ain Sof," are occasionally used. The highest goal of
the Ceremonial Magician is "to purify and exalt my Spiritual
Nature so that with the Divine Aid I may at length attain to be
more than human, and thus gradually raise and unite myself to my
higher and Divine Genius" (Regardie, 1986; p. 230)…
Therefore, it is reasonable to label Ceremonial Magic as a type
of mysticism ("Christocentric", I would suggest)
especially influenced by the Jewish mystical traditions of
Kabbalah. Several aspects of Kabbalah in Ceremonial Magic will be
examined in Part II, and the origin of the idea or practice
traced to at least one early Kabbalistic source.
It is accepted magical doctrine that to know
the name of a certain power, be it an angel, spirit (typically
evil), or intelligence (typically good), is to control that
power: "the 'real' name of a god or an idea contains the
essence of the god or the idea, and therefore enshrines its
power. Using the name turns this power on automatically, the same
way that pressing the light switch turns on the light"
(Cavendish, 1967; p. 123). In a similar fashion, Crowley (1976)
remarks that the names of God are really names for the forces of
nature, which can then be used. (Aspects of Kabbalah in
Ceremonial Magic
(http://rana.usc.edu:8376/~gellerma/kab.html, David M. Gellerman,
1989)
At another website, I found a similar, if more
concise, definition:
“CEREMONIAL magic is the ancient art of
invoking and controlling spirits by a scientific application of
certain formulae. A magician, enveloped in sanctified vestments
and carrying a wand inscribed with hieroglyphic figures could, by
the power vested in certain words and symbols, control the
invisible inhabitants of the elements and of the astral world.
While the elaborate ceremonial magic of antiquity was not
necessarily evil, there arose from its perversion several false
schools of sorcery, or black magic. (
http://www.brotherblue.org/libers/manly.htm, Brother Manly P.
Hall, 33¡ , Ceremonial Magick and Sorcery, An Holy Excerpt
from his Greate Alchymeckal Worke of 1928: The Secret Teachings
of All Ages: An Encyclopaedic Outline of
Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic and Rosicrucian
Symbolical Philosophy)
- Contemporary Magick
- Magick today is a far cry from
that of times past - although it may be that its
most crucial element - belief - is still the crux
of any working. However, the magick which we
discuss as part of the Wiccan, Pagan training is
believed to be a natural part of almost anyone's
abilities. With training and some sensitivity to
the feel of the energies, almost anyone can work
and use magick in their ritual, ceremonial, and
daily life. In addition, we understand so much
more about our lives and environment than those
early witches did. It is particularly powerful to
weave your magical and religious symbols into
your professional and personal environment. Thus,
you are always aware of your goals and values as
you go about your daily endeavors.
- In a last note, I will discuss the
word Witch. Today we use this to indicate anyone
who uses such power within a context of
responsibility to their community and the world
as a whole. I have defined the role of a Witch
as, “One who knowledgeably takes on the
obligation to further harmony and growth for our
world, our selves and our community.” I
believe this obligation will be fulfilled by all
power at that Witch's command, including personal
talents, skills, strength and psychic power. It
is important that all these personal endeavors be
in concert, so as to maximize the effect of the
working. In the past definitions for the word
Witch were much less complimentary. Any
rudimentary research into Witchcraft from
conventional publications will quickly discover
that even in the 1970s and 80s, a witch was
always considered an evil-doer. Even books which
seem unbiased, include these biases - as well as
a bias against women. Anyone who worked energy
for evil was considered a witch, and was
obviously a female. Anyone who worked energy for
good or personal reasons was considered a
sorcerer and in almost all the books I read, a
male. The exception was healers - who could be
male or female, but were classified as white
witches.
Witches do not come in colors - racial or
philosophical. Although we assign various meanings to colors and
use those in our spells, Witches are people. Some of them are
less gifted in various types of magick or divination, and some of
them may slip and do magick without considering all the
implications of that which they ask for. Love spells in
particular are always treacherous for the newcomer. If Terry is
convinced that Pat is the only lover that will do, then any
magickal working will focus on that pair as a couple, not allow
for better matches, and compromise Pat's free will - which will
backlash on Terry in time.
Many of us become so focused on a particular
goal, we miss out on all the other options. If so-and-so wants so
much to go to a particular college, and puts together a success
spell aimed only at State U., then other options such as private
schools, scholarships, etc. may go unnoticed.
It is rare that people actually do old-style
magick to get even with another, or to do harm. People don't poke
pins into dolls, and modern Witches were raised on TV, they would
not be impressed with elementary strategies. Real witches focus
on what they want to accomplish, not on deterring others from
their paths. Each path a person follows is unique, and specific
to them. And in keeping with the basic principles we are as much
a reflection of the gods, as they are a mirror of us. We are part
and parcel of the whole interactive system we live in. If all
people are considered a reflection of the gods, then we are
honor-bound to assume that they are following their own paths for
their purposes, and it would be inappropriate and rude to
interfere with their choices. And none should ever interfere with
our paths and goals, unless there is serious cause.
- Definition of Magick
- a. My definition, Magick is the use of focused
will and energy to bring about or influence a specific outcome,
event, or situation.
As you can see this includes all the types of
efforts you would include toward accomplishment of a specific
goal. Let's say you do a spell for a new lover. You would put all
your best effort into the spell itself, and then follow-up.
Follow-up might include lighting a candle every night and
focusing on calling your perfect love. It also would have to
include going places where you would be likely to encounter your
perfect love. You would need to dress and act in the way you
believe your perfect love would find attractive. Remember, these
spells bring about the right circumstances, but especially when
doing magick that involves others, with their will, talents and
skills, you have to become that which you would expect them to be
attracted to - or all bets are off.
Like success or job spells. After you do the
working, if you don't get up and go to interviews, then there is
very little chance of getting that perfect job. The
follow-through was inconsistent with the spells energy, and that
will dilute the power of your spell. You also have a good idea of
what people you want to work for would expect our of a new
employee. If you don't put that together consistently, then the
magick is diluted, and ineffective.
Do you want a better world? Great!! Do the
energy working, spell or ritual. Then, do something! What are you
willing to contribute? If you do not personally put your energy
into it, then you must have expected to motivate others in some
way. If you are not part of that process, then you are just being
hopeful that your spell will motivate others to do better, to
contribute more, etc. And that is a violation of their choices
and pathwork. You didn't ask if that was OK with them, you have
tried to impose your will on another. Under the Threefold Law,
you will incur that type of energy on yourself. Your life will
become more and more run over by the will of others. Be very
careful, your actions and magick must be clean, or there will be
debts incurred.
- Three definitions
Starhawk says, “Any viable religion
developing today will inevitably be concerned with some form of
magic, defined as “the art of changing consciousness at
will.” Magick has always been an element of WitchCraft, but
in the Craft its techniques were practiced with a context of
community and connection. They were means of ecstatic union with
the Goddess Self - not ends in themselves. Fascination with the
psychic - or the psychological - can be a dangerous sidetrack on
any spiritual path. When inner visions become a way of escaping
contact with others, we are better off simply watching
television. When “expanded consciousness” does not
deepen our bonds with people and with life, it is worse than
useless: It is spiritual self-destruction.
If Goddess religion is not to become mindless
idiocy, we must win clear of the tendency of magic to become
superstition. Magic - and among its branches I include psychology
as it purports to describe and change consciousness - is an art.
Like other arts, its efficacy depends far more on who is
practicing it than on what theory they base their practice.
Egyptian tomb painting is organized on quite different structural
principles that twentieth-century Surrealism - yet both schools
produced powerful paintings. Balinese music has a different scale
and rhythmic structure from Western music, but it is no less
beautiful. The concepts of Freud, Jung, Melanie Klein, and
Siberian shamanism cal all aid healing or perpetuate sickness,
depending on how they are applied.
Magickal systems are highly elaborate
metaphors, not truths. When we say “There are twelve signs
in the Zodiac,” what we really mean is “we will view
the infinite variety of human characteristics through this mental
screen, because with it we can gain insights”; just as when
we say” there are eight notes in the musical scale,” we
mean that out of all the possible range and variations of sounds,
we will focus on those that fall into these particular
relationship, because by doing so we can make music. But when we
forget that the signs are arbitrary groupings of stars, and start
believing that there are large lions, scorpions, and crabs up in
the sky, we are in trouble. The value of magic metaphors is that
through them we identify ourselves and connect with larger
forces; we partake of the elements, the cosmic process, the
movements of the stars. But if we use them for glib explanations
and cheap categorizations, they narrow the mind instead of
expanding it and reduce experience to a set of formulas that
separate us from each other and our own power. “ ( The
Spiral Dance, Starhawk, p 192,, Harper & Row: New York, NY,
1979)
Amber K uses the words of many to define the
subject. “Stewart Farrar puts it this way: “The
stage-by-stage development of the entire human being is the whole
aim of magic.” According to Weinstein, magick can help
“get your entire life in harmony - mentally, emotionally,
physically, spiritually and psychically…. And what is the
ultimate purpose of the work? To fulfill the self on an even
higher level. To transform, uplift, and so fully develop the self
that the whole Universe may benefit thereby.”
William G. Gray, another will-known occultist,
says: “Magic is for growing up as Children of the Light.
Sane, sound, healthy, and happy souls, living naturally and
normally on levels of inner Life where we can be REAL people as
contrasted with the poor shadow-selves we project at one another
on Earth.”
Thus magick exists to expedite, guide and
enhance change. Wiccans might say it is the work of the God
within: “Everything She touches, changes…””
In her book True Magick, Amber addresses the subject from a
unique perspective. She sees all life and our endeavors as
related to reclaiming a consciousness of our greater selves - the
all-connected life form which we comprise as a whole. Only humans
can make this journey. Perhaps because other life forms so
effortlessly inhabit the whole without confusion, or perhaps
because we, of all the creatures on Earth, have the capacity to
analyze our selves. We have the capacity to change our thought
processes, our behaviors and to make permanent change within and
without our selves.
“We are part of All That Is. With magick
we can experience existence from the perspective of the other
parts, and know that we are One…Such a quest requires us to
change, and magick is an effective tool for defining new goals
and reaching for unknown limits and bring ourselves into new
territory.
“Magick requires daring. It brings the
“little death” [giving up oneself] which is part of
rebirth. Not to change is to stagnate and die; but to willingly
offer up the life we know, is to find a greater Life. To the
conscious mind unaware of the immortal Spirit within, this kind
of sacrifice, the loss of the isolated, little person-self. Seems
terrifying indeed. Yet through it one regains the lost wholeness
of the Greater Self, which is all of us, which is The
God/dess.” (True Magick, Amber K, Llewellyn Publications,
St. Paul, MN 1990.)
Raymond Buckland is emphatic that magick in the
Wiccan religion is secondary to the practice of Wicca as a
religion. However, magick is a large part of the religion and the
practice of WitchCraft. “In itself, magick is a practice. If
all you want to do is work magick, then you don't need to become
a Witch to do it. Anyone can do magick, or, at least can attempt
to do it. such a person is a magician. ….. But what exactly,
is “Magick”?… Aleister Crowley defined magick as
“the art or science of causing change to occur in conformity
with will”. In other words, making something happen that you
want to happen. How do we make these things happen? By using the
“power” (for want of a better word) that each of us has
within. Sometimes we must supplement that power by calling on the
gods, but for most things we can produce all that we need
ourselves.” (Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft, Raymond
Buckland, Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, MN 1989)
What is the Nature of the Gods?
- What are the Gods? Throughout the years I
have asked many figures, including Isaac Bonewits and
Amber K how they defined the gods. I asked if these were
figures outside ourselves, or aspects of our inner power,
I asked if they were repositories of energy that we could
draw on, or if they were actually metaphors through which
we accessed channeled energy that was stored, are they
archetypes, or transcendent? Most people say, “Yes.
All of the above, none of the above.”
Our Gods are a combination of all that we need
from them. In the Jungian philosophy, Karl Jung talks of the
Collective Unconscious - this amounts to a racial mind which
holds all the information, energy and patterns we use to view our
world, and create social communities. This has many implications
- and although not an accurate picture perhaps of what is
happening, it is a solid start.
Imagine many centuries ago, it is a quiet
calm day. You were out walking. it was early afternoon, the sun
became obscured by clouds rolling in. You were on the side of a
mountain in the early foothills. Suddenly, there was a great,
loud, CRACK of thunder. It was so near, so powerful, that you
almost weren't frightened so much as in complete awe. So you went
home, and you spoke to your friend and told him about the
experience. He says, “Yeah! I know what you mean, that
happened to me once. It's incredible!” And together you find
a reference in common to explain the awe and wonder that the
experience held for you - Thor - God of Thunder. And Thor
contains within its definition all the meaning that the
experience held: Power, Male, Overwhelming, Strength, all the
hidden and apparent meaning that went with the experience. Now
every time you mention Thor, you are calling on that common
definition and all its ramifications, to convey your meaning to
another. It has become a shorthand for those values and emotions.
It does not mean that there is a broad shouldered male standing
up in the clouds somewhere, it is a way to call upon that
experience to convey the experience verbally. Now, that does not
mean that Thor does not exist, either. Based on the common
experience, the acceptance of Thor as a God and a force within
our lives, and the power we grant and call on through His name,
Thor becomes a repository and a source for energy working within
our lives. Through our use of this reference to Thor, we have
created an archetype, a symbol for this power, and that symbol is
now part of the Collective Unconscious and all the race can
access it as a common referent point for their needs. Their name
for it may differ, but there is no doubt that even among far
distributed cultures, there are very similar gods, religious
beliefs, and mythology.
Religion and Worship. “Almost from their
beginnings, magic and religion have been intermingled. ”
(Believing in Magic The Psychology of Superstition, Stuart A.
Vyse, Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford, 1997) The root
of the word religion means relinking. And as the Pagan religions
are the only religions that I know of that insist that the
interaction of the worshipper with their deity be direct and
personal, and that the rhythms of our world are the signals and
timing for most interaction, we may well be the only religion
that has a primary accomplishment of relinking our people with
our selves, our Gods, our world, and Nature Herself. Most of the
standard definitions for religion specifically refer to the
Christian God, or another monotheist deity. Our dictionaries and
encyclopedias are so inherently Christian it is difficult to find
a non-Christian definition of religion or worship. Raymond
Buckland insists that the first call of a Witch is the worship of
the Gods. But there is little definition of that process of
worship that is not also the process of ritual magick - it is
hard to discern wherein the difference lies. I have read through
many of these books looking for a concise answer. That answer
seems to lie in the interactive responsibility of the Witch to
focus their awareness and responsibility for the consequences of
their magick on the entire system which is comprised of the Gods,
Our world, our community and all the other Children of the Gods.
This comprehension of their role within the entire scheme is in
line with my definition of a Witch, “One who knowledgeably
undertakes through their vows to their Gods the obligation to
further growth and harmony.” What that definition also
implies, yet does not outright state, is that that obligation
also includes personal growth and development. The Witch never
promotes growth and success in the system without offering
themselves the same opportunities. There may be rare
circumstances where a Witch will spend so much of their energy
for a particular outcome, that they compromise their own success
and health - but offhand, I cannot imagine what would demand such
a sacred gift - sacrifice. It is not healthy or reasonable to
demand things of any teacher, healer, priest/ess which lessen
that person's own path and powers. We are not victims or martyrs
because we have decided to enrich our entire community, we are
simply responsible members of our community. And much like the
goose that laid the golden egg, if you overtax those who have the
gift, you will loose all that it offers. You must always
prioritize your health and well-being, for if you are lost or in
failing health, then what do you have left to offer.
This is also a religion, that by its very
nature, would never demand you harm another. That is not the
point. “I am the Mother of all things, and My loved is
poured out upon the world.” And She who is the mother of all
things, never demands that you harm any of her Children. (Charge
of the Goddess)
Is this a Goddess religion? Do we have male
Gods? Yes. I think the primary reason that we are considered a
Goddess religion, is that all other religions have male gods.
Thus, in explaining our differences, people take the prominent
diverse feature, the female divinity, and focus on it when
explaining our beliefs. But the male aspect of our world is a
partner and consort of the Goddess. Without the God, we would not
have the balance and creative interaction that allows for the
Wheel of Life. Do we value men in this religion? Absolutely. We
could not be who we are without male and female aspects to
balance and provide all the parts to our Sacred World. Why is
there any question about the importance of the God? “The
image of the Horned God in WitchCraft is radically different from
any other image of masculinity in our culture. He is difficult to
understand, because He does not fit into any of the expected
stereotypes, neither those of the “macho” male nor the
reverse-images of those who deliberately seek effeminacy. He is
gentle, tender, and comforting, but He is also the Hunter. He is
the Dying god - but his death is always in the service of the
life force. He is untamed sexuality - but sexuality as a deep,
holy, connecting power. He is the power of feeling, and the image
of what men could be if they were liberated from the constraints
of patriarchal culture.” (The Spiral Dance A Rebirth of the
Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess, Starhawk, Harper &
Row, San Francisco, CA, 1979.
“The primary figure for “That-Which
Cannot-Be Told” is the Goddess. The Goddess has infinite
aspects and thousands of names - she is the reality behind many
metaphors. She is reality, the manifest deity, omnipresent in all
of life, in each of us. The Goddess is not separate from the
world - she is the world, and all things in it: moon, sun, earth,
star, stone, seed, flowing river, wind, wave, leaf and branch,
bud and blossom, fang and claw, woman and man. In Witchcraft,
flesh and spirit are one.” “The image of the Goddess
inspires women to see ourselves as divine, our bodies as sacred,
the changing phases of our lives as holy, our aggression as
healthy, our anger as purifying, and our power to nurture and
create, but also to limit and destroy when necessary, as the very
force that sustains all life. Through the Goddess, we can
discover our strength, enlighten our minds, own our bodies, and
celebrate our emotions. We can move beyond narrow, constricting
roles and become whole.
The Goddess is also important for men. The
oppression of men in Father God-ruled patriarchy is perhaps less
obvious but no less tragic than that of women. Men were
encouraged to identify with a model no human being can
successfully emulate: to be minirulers of narrow universes. They
are internally split, into a “spiritual” self that is
supposed to conquer their baser animal and emotional natures.
They are at war with themselves: in the West, to
“conquer” sin; in the East to “conquer”
desire or ego. Few escape from these wars undamaged. Men lose
touch with their feelings and their bodies, becoming the
“successful male zombies” described by Herb Goldberg in
The Hazards of Being Male: “Oppressed by the cultural
pressures that have denied him his feelings, by the mythology of
the woman, and the distorted and self-destructive way he sees and
relates to her, by the urgency for him to “act like a
man,” which blocks his ability to respond to his inner
promptings both emotionally and physiologically, and by a
generalized self-hate that causes him to feel comfortable only
when he is function well in harness, not when he lives for joy
and personal growth.” (The Spiral Dance, Starhawk, pp 8-10).
It has been said that a religious view that
focuses on the male is exclusive, while a religious view that is
matrifocal tends to be inclusive since it includes not only
women, but their most magickal talent - production of life, of
children - male and female. These basic shifts in viewpoint bring
a very different set of rules for social interaction. If we focus
on the ability to create as the most powerful image in a
religion, then we drop the terrible emphasis on destruction,
strength, terrifying and intimidation as admirable. Destruction
is simple, anyone can easily destroy what it has taken others
hours, days, years to create. That act of creation, of building,
of bringing into reality the dreams and plans of a mind, a
community - Now, that is impressive. Cowards destroy. Men
and Women of power and character create, bring thoughts to
reality. What a gift that is!
And the view of the world from the Goddess'
eyes is one of depth and breadth. Men are not restricted to any
one skill, talent or role - nor are women. Both can be leaders,
teachers, craftsmen, ditch diggers, carpenters, healers, leaders.
There are no absolutes to deny anyone the path they choose. Each
to her own time, talents, skills, and preferences.
And do we worship these Gods? Male and Female? Webster's
New Collegiate Dictionary says that worship is the
“reverence offered a divine being or supernatural power:
also: an act of expressing such reverence 3 : a form of religious
practice with its creed and ritual. 4: extravagant respect or
admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem.” By this
definition, we worship the Goddess and God every time we
acknowledge their presence in our lives, every holiday we
observe, every full moon, every quarter day and cross quarter day
which marks the turn of the season, is an acknowledgment of the
importance of the Gods in our lives. Each time we speak of our
values, we are acknowledging those values through our Gods. Every
reverence we offer our Gods simply echoes the depth of our
devotion to those ethics and morals our culture is made of.
So, did we invent the Gods? Yes. Or have they
always been there? Yes. Are they reflections of us, or are we a
mirror of them? Yes. Are our Gods external to us, or an internal
representation of our own essence. Yes. Do we worship the Gods,
or recognize that they are but a complex anthropomorphization we
use to give meaning to our lives? Yes. All of the above. Every
race of humankind views God/dess in their own image; racial
features, social behaviors, etc.. And each race chooses how they
will view the Gods. Those who must analyze their world into
component parts will find more technical answers. Those who are
content to enjoy the mysteries in our lives, simply use the
magick inherent in the belief system. There is no conflict in
saying that we worship the Gods, even though we are also
scientifically based in our world. A rational individual can
choose what they intend to do, even if that chosen behavior is
irrational. So long as you know it, you acknowledge it and you
accept the consequences, there is no conflict. The ability to
explore your world rationally, only provides greater meaning to
the method you implement in its exploration. There is always a
structure, a paradigm through which we make decisions. And the
Pagan paradigm, which honors each individual as their own best
authority, brings honor to all of us, and provides a base culture
which works by recognizing everything and everyone's potential:
everything and everyone's right to their own path and decisions.
d. Physiological changes based on magick use.
Use of magick has other effects besides those not tangible or
measurable by the average person. Training in magick has high
demands on our mental and intellectual capacities. Earlier I
mentioned that magick is weak unless your goal, ritual, and
behavior all reinforce each other. That internal consistency is
the product of a mind that has learned to examine itself and make
rational, reasoned decisions on what its thoughts and behaviors
will be. Recent scientific studies have shown that not only is
this considered a plus for your in your social interactions, but
it also has a physical effect on how your physical mind works.
They did studies of individuals involved in Rational Emotive
Therapy - a branch of psychology which teaches this internal
decision making and consistency - and discovered that with time
(three months, I think) the chemical makeup of the brain changed.
There was more efficiency and different brain functions were
enhance in information takeup. So magick is not only a great way
to express your interaction with the divine, but it will
literally change you.
e. Psychological changes based on magick use.
The way you choose to view your world also has monumental effects
on how successful and happy you will be within it. I worked for a
very nice lady, named Rose. She had an odd tendency to go from an
isolated negative incident to an assumption that everything was
bad. If one person was five minutes late to work, she would dress
us all down at staff meetings, cautioning everyone to be on time.
Any isolated misbehavior became the model and assumption for
future speeches. I tried to talk to her about it a couple time,
but she just did not seem to understand, that it was only one
person, one time. To her each incident was everyone, all the
time. She - as I later discovered - was Catholic. The Catholic
belief system is based on the idea that we are all horrible
sinners, and without direct and frequent intervention and
supervision, we would all tumble down that long hill to indulge
in the very worst of our natures. With those beliefs as a
starting place, it was a normal progression to believe that
someone else was just about to demonstrate even worse behavior
unless she was responsible enough to intercede now.
My view was very different. With a belief that
each of us is a mirror of the Gods and much as they are a
reflections of us, I believed the best of each person, unless it
became necessary and obvious that their behavior was going to
effect others. So, I might mention to the single offending
individual that their behavior was not acceptable in this
environment, but it would never occur to me to offend everyone
else by assuming their behavior would also be negative.
How does this effect our daily lives? I like to
illustrate it this way: if you were expecting your significant
other to show up, and they not only don't show, but they don't
call - ALL NIGHT! - you would very likely go past unhappy,
concerned and worried, and proceed over to becoming really angry!
If your view of the world is that we are all just bad behaviors
waiting to get loose on the world, then it is not hard to see how
you would easily assume that your significant other was rude,
thoughtless and probably not worth your time.
Now, what if the next morning, you discovered
that your SO's mother had a heart attack, your SO had to go to
the hospital with her, and was the only family member available
to give blood - since Mom had a rare blood type - so your SO had
to stay overnight, and was tanked out on drugs to increase blood
production and not coherent.
Now, what would your assumption be? Most of us
would understand under those circumstances. Now let's look at the
Pagan paradigm and review this incident. Same instigating
factors, of course. No SO, no call. Now you are worried and
concerned. But since you know that your SO is a responsible
person, who would not deliberately inflict harm, and who values
you as a person innately divine, there has to be something else
going on. See, with an assumption that this person is innately
divine and a reflection of the Gods, it takes more for you to
assume that they are rude and scummy people. It would take actual
proof.
So, from the Wiccan paradigm, you are more
likely to treat others, their decisions, and behaviors with
respect. And you will incur that level of respect in their
reactions to you. A definite Win-Win situation.
- Ethics - necessary or no cookie.
So, what does it take to pull this off? It takes a couple
things. One, is a clear understanding of your power and
strengths. You must be consistent in your intent and
behavior - or else it is a clear message to the Gods and
your inner power that you are not serious about your
goals. Two, you must have a way to really look at what it
is you are doing, and how to make clear and consistent
decisions about it.
First off, I will talk about what Pagans
believe and are - and are not.
Marble Street Agreement
Pagans:
1. Do not have any requirement for use of Drugs
and Alcohol.
2. Do not have any requirements concerning sex,
or sexual activities.
3. Value and honor life, thus we do not believe
in the practice of necromancy.
4. Respect and honor the earth.
5. Respect and honor other's rights to make
decisions concerning their personal, private and sexual
preferences.
6. Respect each individual's rights to
religious preference.
7. Do not condone/promote proselytizing.
8. Value free will and independent thought.
9. Respect and honor people at all ages of
life.
10. Encourage personal power, not power over.
Self-integrity, self-responsibility and
responsibility for consequences of action are all aspects of the
path we provide for spiritual exploration.
While this list addresses very specific items,
it reflects the values, the ethics of the Pagan culture. If these
don't fit in with your self-image or goals - this may not be the
right path for you. WitchCraft is not for the lightweight, not
for those who are unwilling to put effort into their magick and
religion. If these things make sense, then you will probably fit
right in. There are many folks, even those who are not Pagan,
Wiccan or Witches, who readily understand and agree to these
ideals.
There are so many ways that our world imposes
its views and preferences on us, we developed a set way of
reasoning through questionable situations - it is just called a
decision making tool. It is not something that you must do, or
adhere to, it is simply a tool to use if you find yourself in
uncertain waters and need a format to assist you in reaching your
decision. Let's look at some of the areas that might make you
uncomfortable or be confusing. One of our new students is very
intrigued with a man at work, and wants to know how to perform a
love spell. A covenmate knows a friend who is sick, and wants the
group to put together an energy ritual for healing. A friend
wants to borrow $5.00. You decide you want a new job, and there's
one open at work that looks good. The couple next door fight all
the time. I really want the weather to be clear for our next
outdoor ritual and decide to look at weather magick as an option
to standard wait and hope. These are all very common events. Is
it OK do just go ahead and do magick for these people? At some
point and under some circumstances we limit the magick we will
perform. How do we do that honestly, and in such a way that we
are certain that our decision was valid? How do we set limits in
such a way we are not unnecessarily harsh? These are fellow
adults, whom we consider inherently divine. It is within our
values never to impose restrictions unless brought to it through
necessity.
In the magickal community we have been very
careful for years to caution each other not to limit or bring
about unwanted actions. "That could never happen, don't say
that - don't even think it", "I take it out of the
law", "be careful what you wish for", etc. On an
instinctive level, we know what we think and say has power. So we
caution ourselves, but worry about others. There are cultural
prohibitions against speaking outside of our own areas and
groups.
Cultural limits are powerful things. When I
went to marry, my friends did not warn me that they knew it was a
bad idea; they hinted, and then were quiet. When my friend became
interested in a woman, I did not caution him that she had been
unstable in other relationships. I hoped for the best. We have a
cultural prohibition against saying anything bad, even if
experience is a strong indicator against allowing the situation
to continue. We have to be able to establish a cultural format
that allows us to provide information, or at least options, to
that which we consider questionable, unfortunate, unlikely to
work, or dangerous.
When is it allowable, even honorable, to say
no, to refuse to be involved, or to speak the truth even if it is
unpleasant? The following guidelines are working rules.
We as honorable individuals can set limits on
our endorsement or involvement when the following values may be
compromised or involved:
1. When safety issues dictate.
2. When health issues dictate.
3. When public laws would be violated.
4. When it effects a person's community
participation negatively.
5. When it interferes with another's
preferences or rights.
6. When it does not maximize a person's
independence.
7. When it contributes to dependent behavior.
So, let's look at the situations we laid out
before: If my friend wants to borrow $5.00 to go out to lunch, no
problem. If instead he wants to buy cigarettes, no. I will not
lend the money. Why? Health issues, smoking interferes with
other's rights and preferences, there might be some safety issues
– fires in the forest, that kind of thing. What if he wants
the money for drugs? Whoa!!! Right out. Now we can add safety
issues, public laws, and community participation; perhaps the
drug use would lead to dependent behavior and not maximize
independence.
The couple next door – any magick I can do
would interfere with their rights and preferences unless they
asked for counseling or energy work. The person who is ill –
is it OK to do a spell for them? Maybe, maybe not. Does that
person want to heal? Did they ask for help? Or are they learning
a life lesson of some sort I do not comprehend? Am I interfering
with another's preferences if I perform an unsolicited spell,
love or otherwise? Yes, absolutely!
These are not the best examples. Only examples
that actually apply to your life really make sense. But they give
a clue as to how we use the tool. I could offer to listen to my
neighbors' problems, give feedback, stand as a friend, but cannot
ethically do unsolicited magickal working. If they were to ask,
that would be different. OK, let's say we have a teacher who does
not want their students to talk to any other covens. Is this ok?
No. Not by these standards. It does not maximize a person's
independence, it contributes to dependent behavior, community
participation is negatively impacted and it interferes with
another's rights and preferences. It does not lead to informed
choices. And it would violate our standards of valuing free will
and independent thought.
Next? You have to wear a tie to work. Yes or
No? Yes, this interferes with your rights or preferences, but
it's up to you how badly you want to work here. That sounds
flippant, but I know several people over the years who refused to
take a management job that would have required them to wear a
tie, on the grounds that they would not be themselves if they
wore a tie. Personally, decorative strips of cloth at the neck
might be worth a few more thousand a year. But different things
bother people differently.
As with all tools, this is only a tool and can,
like a good blade, be used to create or destroy. It is proposed
only as a tool to assist our community in making consistent
decisions regarding certain preferences, practices or behaviors
that concern members of that community. Inherent in our
consideration of the rights and obligations of teachers, students
and members of the Pagan community is an assumption that those
members also are earnest in their responsibilities. These
responsibilities include, but are not limited to: offering
preferences, maximizing independence, making informed choices,
becoming informed, choosing to do for themselves, fulfilling
daily responsibilities of living.
- Types of Magick - OK, so now we have made
decisions on how to choose what magick to perform, how to
determine if it is ethical, and when to say no. What's
next?
- Timing - When do you perform magick or
ritual? Whenever you need it. If you are drawn to the
circle, it feels like it is a good idea, you have an urge
to indulge in ritual for the Gods, do so. If you need to
work on a success spell, if you need to work on general
improvement, go ahead. The time to do ritual, is when you
need it. There are holidays, some you will observe, some
you won't. One year Samhain ritual doesn't appeal, then
next year it does. Listen to your inner self, learn to
trust it. You are your best resource. In the Holiday
area, we discuss the standard Holy Days, and their
background. We will also discuss components of such
rituals in that section. But for now, we have decided we
want to hold a Circle, do Ritual and perform a Spell.
- Here we will discuss types of magick
people use for common purposes. I will not go into
details concerning cursing, as that is a negative magick,
and not considered generally useful. The only time to use
such a thing would be to curse a murderer, rapist, or
other criminal, and then, a la Z. Budapest's model (The
Grandmother of Time), you curse him by his own will,
his own error, his own evil. That may not sound harsh
enough for such a criminal, but with a belief system that
assumes all are divine, then there must be some
overwhelming reasons for negative behavior that we do not
understand. There is an underlying belief that this
person's inner self, inner-soul wants to get caught, pay
for their crimes and be prevented from continuing. Again,
that positive paradigm shows through. Curses are not ever
a good place to begin. If you are working with someone
who wants to start off with negative magick, run, don't
walk, as far as you can get. That person is not likely to
provide a supportive learning environment if they include
such workings in their basic level instruction.
- So what kind of magick do Witches do? Many
kinds. They are sort of quantifiable and I have a list:
Sympathetic, associative, creative visualization, and
shamanic. Most workings can be tied into more than one
category, and frequently more than one type of working is
included in a single spell. It is important to remember
than within your mind is a symbolic mind, that mind which
was there prior to any learning your parents gave you. It
is a very instinctive mind, and always looks to the
basics: food, pleasure, survival. This mind is not a
verbal mind, and we reach it largely through sensory cues
such as color, sound, sight and smell. Thus each ritual
tends to be performed in a darkened, quiet, area, lit by
candles, surrounded by beautiful things, while clothed in
unique garb and burning incense. This provides both
pleasurable sensory input, and focus on the work at hand.
Going through motions includes the physical self, and
speaking the spell out loud involved both the right and
left brain in the process. The more of your total self
you involve in these activities, the better your magick
will work.
- First and foremost, you must decide what
it is you want to accomplish, what should happen as a
result of your spell. Design your working so that it
optimizes meeting your needs without compromising anyone
else's path or preferences. Know now how you will carry
the energy through following the circle. Know what
energies or gods you will call on to assist or donate
energy, and decide exactly how you will set up the ritual
steps to most vividly illustrate your needs and the
consequent results.
- A spell is a symbolic act done in an
altered state of consciousness, in order to cause a
desired change. To perform a spell is to use your will,
your energy and focus it on the particular outcome or
event your wish to bring about. Any or all objects which
we use in our ritual spell working is simply an assist to
help focus on our goal. These objects should be symbols
of great meaning, and speak to our inner mind, the
symbolic mind which uses no words.
- One of the greatest dangers of using many
beautiful items, candles, jewelry, athames, wands, etc.
is that we tend to forget that these are only to assist
and begin to invest importance in the items themselves.
That is not the case. The only energy source is you. The
items have no more or less power than you grant them.
They are not necessary unless you declare it to be so. Do
not become so addicted to your ritual items that the
absence of any one of them would lessen your focus, your
capacity to obtain your goal.
In order to bring about a goal, you might user
sympathetic magick. This is the process where similar things have
similar effects: like attracts like. This is one of the oldest
popular magicks. Cave men threw on a skin and antlered mask and
called the energy of the hunter and the hunted into a sacred play
to improve the success of their hunt. Development of the Goddess
figures was similar in nature. The Goddess figures were of clay,
and had exaggerated features of the female sex, large breasts,
hips and pronounced vulva. It is believed that these figures were
present during a ritual, and members of the social group would
copulate. In a culture where birth was such a mystery, and new
members could spell continued survival for the group, sex was the
ultimate mystery. The tribe would benefit through the fertility
and sexual features of the Goddess figure. Working with candles
is probably the most common form of sympathetic magick in use
today. You might burn a golden candle to encourage success in
tomorrow's job interview. You might burn a deep red candle to
encourage sexual passion between you and your lover. Perhaps you
are concerned about your health - then a green candle would do
the trick. The main focus would be to prepare the candle, with an
appropriate goal. You might dress it with oil, or more simply,
just see yourself as being a success, being intimate with your
partner, or being happy and healthy. As you burn the candle, you
release that energy into being. You see it as manifesting.
Obviously, this is the short and simple version of such a spell,
but you can probably get the idea.
Associative magick is very similar to the
sympathetic magick. Poppets for success and health are one of the
most common forms of associative magick. What happens to this,
will happen to that. So, I create a poppet by sewing together two
parts of a simple doll-like figure (looks a lot like a ginger
bread man). I make the poppet of green for healing, I sew up the
edges visualizing each stitch as cementing the spell's success
and holding in all the energy we have for our friend in this doll
for that person's healing. Then, I stuff it full of herbs that
should help with the healing. Sometimes, we write on the doll all
that we hope will come to pass - sports, freedom from pain,
whatever seems appropriate. If it is more than one person, then
the entire group can then charge the doll by focusing their
energies into the poppet. After that, the poppet can be given to
the person it was intended to assist. As you can see there are
many forms of magic involved in even the simplest working. Other
forms of association, I keep coins or cash on my altar, to
encourage its development. One might put something spelled and
gold in a new wallet to encourage wealth. You might put a picture
of the house you have always wanted in a box with other items
that represent success, to encourage success in that endeavor.
Creative Visualization - most spells are a
complex form of creative visualization. This process works not
only for those who are involved in the magickal world, but is a
profound force in the day-to-day world of many within our
culture. The trick here is to bring into focus not just that you
want this to happen, but that is has happened and all is now
accomplished. Again and again the human psychology has shown that
we work best when we can visualize the process and the outcome.
Our minds tend to fill in the blanks of what needs to be done
when we have established a definite goal and outcome.
Shamanic - entering that other world, that
space and bringing back knowledge of personal interaction and
sharing it with social group. Shamanic magick is not typically
performed by individuals new to the practice. Some magick
associated with Shamanic practices, such as performing meditation
or vision quest for totem or spirit guides, is common. Within the
shamanic belief system, they focus on the attributes and lessons
that each animal has to teach. Looking for a focus animal can
show what studies or personal development would be appropriate
with a spiritual path.
Elemental - calling on the basic powers
associated with the elements and blending their gifts in with
your needs to provide a solution. This magick can work in more
than one way. You can simply work a meditation on the element
itself, Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit and explore the depths
of what the meditation brings. Or, you can use an element as a
focus through which you examine a particular situation in order
to provide insight. Thus, you might look at your life through
Earth, and examine it for evidence of grounding, sensual aspects,
success and growth. If you looked at it through the lens of
Water, you might examine your emotions, your development,
transitions and transformative experiences. Etc. You may simply
want to weave one or more of these elements into another spell or
working. If you are working on a spell for a new job, then the
Earth for abundance, the Fire for success, etc.
Colors - actually a form of elemental magick.
This one is also woven tightly with the Creative Visualization
within the process of acting in accordance with your stated
goals. Again, using colors within your rituals and spells will
assist in showing that inner symbolic mind consistent and
meaningful messages related to your goal.
Divination is a mixed sort of magick. There are
so many methods of divination, that I cannot address them here.
Some of the most commonly used methods are: Tarot cards, Rune
stones, Astrology, Numerology, Scrying, Palm Reading and even Tea
Leaf reading. As you begin in any of these arts, you will go
through many stages before you reach any true level of
competence. Divination works even though you are not any good at
it, by providing you with information that allows you to figure
out what you really think. Let's say you are working with Tarot
cards (pronounced tuh row or tear oh - the last `t' is silent)
and you have asked it if you will find a new lover soon. And the
cards come back all focused on travel or some dark haired woman,
when your new lover should be a man. Even this seeming unrelated
response has the potential to bring insights to your life. What
are your instincts concerning this information? Do you know the
cards are wrong? Listen to your intuition. Don't get too caught
up in wishful thinking. However, if the reading looked unrelated,
but later things seem to be heading in that direction, even
though you never would have believed it, keep an open mind.
Thus, divination can provide insights even if
the person doing the reading is completely cack-handed at it.
Over time see if you have any consistent skills
with a particular type of divination tool. I have always been a
fan of making my own Rune Stones. I felt that made them more
effective as a tool for me. I also have taken the time to sleep
with my crystal ball to allow it to become attuned to my power,
my energy. I have carried new decks of tarot cards with me for
weeks, and properly consecrated them by ritual before use.
However, I am very lax in other areas. It does not bother me if
others (most of the time) touch my tarot deck. I have had the
deck for years, it knows who I am. I will also allow others to
handle many of my ritual items. There are some I will not share,
however, and I don't know why I feel that way. I just do. So I am
polite, but firm on those issues. And if is always polite to
check with others prior to handling their tools.
Magick is a both a process and an expression of
our religion and personal power. It is to help, not make
miserable. Magick with others can greatly magnify the effects of
the combined energy, yet some of the most powerful rituals I have
ever had were solitary. This subject is so vast, that although
this article is long and only glosses over much of the subject,
it is the bare beginnings of study on the subject. But, that is
what a Wicca 101 is, a taster, a place of beginning. From this
you will decide where you want your exploration to go.
Article by Summer Woodsong
SWoodsong@aol.com
Connections Journal
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