Tag: Magic

In Defense of the Practice of Magic

In Defense of the Practice of Magic

Author: Lupa

You don’t have to practice magic to be a good pagan. In fact, you can theoretically go your entire life without casting a spell or performing a magical rite.

However, over the years I’ve seen a recurrence in the idea that not practicing magic is the superior decision. The general attitude seems to be somewhere along the lines of “I don’t practice magic—I just use mundane solutions instead of wasting my time!” A variation on this is “You’re not supposed to work magic for mundane and/or selfish purposes”. And there’s even “Don’t work magic when you don’t need to—you don’t want to overburden the gods!” I’ve also heard the sentiment that “Magic is a crutch, and if you think you need it then you’re too dependent on it”.

I would imagine that the roots of these attitudes are embedded in the fact that when some newbies to paganism are first getting started, they’re totally enamored of the idea of casting spells and whatnot. They get the idea that magic can solve all of their problems, and so dive right in. For them, religion is something they learn about later, only after the shiny newness of “I’m a witch!” wears off, and they get a little better idea of what paganism is about besides magic.

Since this is so common among newcomers, I would guess that at least some people who exhibit anti-magic attitudes are doing so in order to seem more experienced and mature. It resembles, in my mind, the child who puts his/her toys aside in an attempt to seem more grown-up.

This isn’t to say that everyone who doesn’t practice magic is just posturing. However, I’d like to address the attitudes that I’ve mentioned.

–I don’t practice magic—I just use mundane solutions instead of wasting my time

Okay, admittedly you don’t want to only use magic to get something done in this world. The clichéd example is the job seeker who casts a spell but then doesn’t go out and job hunt, instead waiting for work to miraculously fall into his/her lap. However, magic is a tool that can be used to augment mundane actions.

A well-executed ritual can increase the probability of success in mundane affairs. Don’t view the magic as something separate from your “real world” efforts; rather, see them all as complementary to each other.

Magic isn’t some detached, spooky force with no bearing on physical reality. Rather, it’s a practice that involves seemingly casual events joined together to create change. Whether you see this as manipulating invisible energies, asking for help from the Divine, or simply changing your psychological outlook on a particular issue, it has just as much relevance to everyday life as any mundane activities.

The methods and mechanics of magic may not be as obvious or as widely accepted, but I don’t see them as being superior or inferior to mundane actions.

— You’re not supposed to work magic for mundane and/or selfish purposes

I’m not sure where this one came from. If you look at magic throughout history, it has primarily been used for everyday issues affecting the individual. Whether that individual worked the magic him/herself or asked someone else to do so, practical magic for common problems has been prevalent for quite some time.

A study of folklore, witchcraft and related topics throughout history shows an abundance of spells and charms for love, money, health and other such concerns. While there’s also been plenty of magic designed to help the individual ascend to higher planes of reality, there’s no denying the strong interest in cultures around the world in using magic to make this reality better to live in.

And that includes “selfish” magic.

If you have a headache, you take a painkiller of some sort. If you need money, you find a better job or take out a loan. If you’re lonely, you find people to hang out with. What’s wrong with using magic to augment these things? The “no selfish magic” idea strikes me as rather Puritanical, not to mention incredibly impractical.

I’m assuming that if you’re not supposed to do magic for yourself, you instead work it for others. How are you supposed to help other people if your life is a mess? Would you get financial advice from a broker who was declaring bankruptcy? How about relationship advice from someone who’s been through eight divorces in ten years?

No one has ever been able to give me a solid reason why it’s such a bad thing to work magic on my own behalf; people who are going to be selfish to the point of harming others are going to be that way regardless of whether they have access to magic or not.

I also don’t fool myself into thinking that denying myself automatically makes me a more virtuous person. Personally, if I’m going to make the conscious effort to improve my life, I’m going to use every tool at my disposal, which includes magic. Which brings me to the final point I’d like to address…

— Don’t work magic when you don’t need to—you don’t want to overburden the gods

For some people, magic is inextricably bound to spirituality. When they cast a spell or otherwise work magic, they expect that some deity or spirit is going to make the magic work for them. With such a belief, I can see why they might want to avoid asking too much of the entities they work with. Granted, it’s quite possible for someone of a dependent nature to get to the point where s/he feels that s/he can’t do anything without divine intervention, but this is an extreme case.

Magic doesn’t have to involve deities and spirits if you don’t want it to. We’re quite capable of working magic by our own wills. If you’re that concerned that you’re asking too much of your deities, then just do the work yourself.

I’ve found, from my own experience, that the spirits I work with the most (totem animals in particular) actually appreciate it when I put forth the effort myself to the best of my ability. They know that if I do call on them for help, it’s because I really need it. “The Gods help those who help themselves”.

— Magic is a crutch, and if you think you need it then you’re too dependent on it

Anything can be a crutch if you allow it to be. Yes, there are the people who think that magic alone will solve any problems they have (even though they continue to have those same problems). However, this shouldn’t be taken as proof that magic itself is more likely to become a crutch than, say, religious fundamentalism.

I’ve known pagans who allowed their spiritual beliefs to completely take over their lives (without the practice of magic, mind you). People can get obsessed about literally anything; it doesn’t necessarily mean that what they’re obsessed over is what’s at fault.

Those of who practice magic on a regular basis aren’t necessarily obsessed. I practice magic because it’s beneficial, and because I really enjoy the experience. I can act quite well without it; I don’t cast a spell for every single thing in my day. But it’s an effective method of furthering my actions, and I use it when I think it’s warranted. If I find that it’s warranted on a regular basis, that doesn’t make me obsessed. It just makes me a magician.

In the end, it’s a personal choice. If you don’t want to work magic, that’s fine. Nobody’s forcing you. And for some people, it’s just not a necessary part of their lives. However, I really recommend against looking down on those of us who do work magic on a regular basis.

I’ve been able to use it to improve my life (along with mundane actions) in numerous ways, and intend to continue to do so. I believe that there’s absolutely no reason I shouldn’t be allowed to be happy, and I certainly don’t think it’s selfish to want that.

Goddess of the Day for April 14th is Hecate

Goddess of the Day

Hecate (Greek)

Moon Goddess as in Crone or Dark Mother, Keeper of Mysteries. Moon Goddess in her Dark form. She is the Queen of death and rules the magical powers of regeneration. Often pictured as having the head of a dog, horse or boar. Plant associations are Yew, Mandrake, Oak, Mint, Cypress, Sesame, Dandelion, Garlic and Willow.

Stop The Abuse! Spirits Have Feelings.

Stop The Abuse! Spirits Have Feelings.

Author: Zanaffar

The title of the article is pretty strange at first sight, but it will become clear as you advance in the contents. As you already guessed, we will be talking about spirits, entities, and “magical beings”.

Many magic users, “spell casters” so to speak, learn or are taught from the beginning how to attract the aid of spirits when they perform a magical working. Asking the spirit world for help is not an unusual thing; even the followers of major religions include angels, saints, etc in their prayers. From the most ancient of times, the rites of great civilizations (Egyptians, Sumerians, Aztec etc.) included some forms of seeking aid from spirits and other worldly beings. So we can clearly see where the practice originates.

Sadly nowadays many people who work with magic, regardless of their spiritual ideologies, use this practice very incorrectly, be they Wiccans, eclectics, ritualistic Magicians, traditional witches, etc. Some of we magic users draw a faulty conclusion, which leads to further misconception, when we interpret different magical texts, grimoires and conclude that spirits often have the role to serve us. So in our rituals we include spirits to go and carry out our will, to do certain “jobs” for us, and/or to bring results to our workings.

Many people don’t really understand what they are truly doing and what they are dealing with.

First of all, we must know that no matter what type of spirit we are working with… that spirit is “alive” (in a philosophical way, of course) ; it is an intelligent entity, which is self-conscious. Even the most primitive, lesser spirits have some form of consciousness, so you are not dealing with a robot that knows only to follow your command. So what does this involve? This involves a measure of respect: as you would respect every living being, so you should respect every ethereal “living” being.

Every spirit has its own purpose and role in the world, and yes, it has its specific job, what it was created for or what it chose to do. So it has much better things to do than to carry out blindly someone’s will. If you ask it for help with kindness and respect, that is a totally different approach. You give it a choice; you appeal to an Universal law of reciprocal help, and in this way the spirit may choose to help you or ignore you. In all cases, simply asking for help is not offensive to anyone.

The problem is that many people don’t like to be ignored, so they force their wills on the spirit by various magical and psychic techniques, which is immoral and totally wrong. How would you feel if another person did that to you? How did the slaves feel in humanity’s troubled history? You wouldn’t even do that to your cat or dog… so why would you treat a spirit differently?

It doesn’t matter if it’s just a simple elemental spirit, or a very advanced entity of some sphere…as long as it is in existence, it’s totally wrong to force it to do something. And yes, just as the title says, some may have feelings similar to ours. You must realize that every self-conscious being in existence has some form, some level of emotion or instinct or feeling.

Sadly in the ranks of magicians there is a certain practice that is very widespread. Some use certain Solomonic evocation techniques to summon spirits (mostly angelic, demonic, planetary, Olympic) and force information or an action out of them. What they do is they appeal to the representation of the source of all powers and by charging themselves with its power, and of course “highlighting” the superiority of their divine essence, they force spirits to obey them. It’s true that in most cases they only force demons or demonic spirits… but in my opinion, their practices demonstrate a very low moral standard. They consider themselves directly connected to the Supreme God, source of all powers and to angels who represent an aspect of this Omnipotent source.

What I don’t understand is how could angelic beings, and the Lord of Mercy agree to this barbaric practice? These magicians don’t consider their actions as an abuse; they think it is perfectly justified and righteous. I see it as ignorance and arrogance.

Anyway, I am not telling you that it is bad to ask spirits for help. I would never do that because they are part of the magical practice itself. Many magic users are constantly taught, inspired and helped by the representative of the spheres close to them (Gods, Goddesses, lords, ladies etc) . But abusing their help, forcing them to do something, is just as bad as slavery in our modern society.

When you work with a spirit, no matter what kind it is, always treat it with respect. As you would with any other intelligent being, never force a spirit or entity to do something. In the worst case, compromise or negotiate. Remember that respect only draws respect and good will, may that be human, or other in nature.

To finish the article, let me tell you a personal experience. Once I was in an urgent need of money… and I mean real urgent. So I thought to myself, let’s use the quickest method to try and help the situation. I looked up a spirit in a grimoire. I kind of annoyed it with the request to help me solve my situation fast; refusal was not an answer I would take. The next day, I got a call from my ex-employer asking me to stop by because they forgot to give me a part of my salary for the last month when I still worked there. I was really happy that the solution came so fast and I rushed there.

I got all the money in change.

So basically I had LOTS of money, a sac of coins, but the real monetary value was actually rather small. I learned a good lesson that day… the spirit played this joke on me and really humiliated me for my thoughtless action… and you know what? I really deserved it.

Lady Abyss’ Spell Of The Day: Scrying Spell to See The Future

Scrying Spell to See the Future

It may take some practice to learn to relax and allow visions to come to you. Trust your intuition and pay attention to what you feel as well as what you see.

Best time to perform this spell:

*   During the new moon

*   When the sun or moon is in cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces

*   On Mondays

Ingredients or equipment needed:

*   A cauldron or large dark bowl filled with water

*   A broom straw

*   2 cloves, crushed

*   A rose thorn or common pin

*   Rubbing Alcohol

The Spell:

  1. Fill the cauldron or bowl with water and sprinkle the crushed cloves in it.
  2. Sterilize the thorn or pin and your finger with rubbing alcohol, then prick your finger and squeeze a drop of blood into the water.
  3. Make three, slow, gentle clockwise circles in the water with the broom straw. Gaze into the water without skepticism or preconceptions. Allow impressions about your future to arise into your awareness–don’t censor or analyze, just keep an open mind and an open heart. Gaze as long as you like.
  4. When you’re finished, empty the water, and write down what you experienced.

Your Charm for April 9th

 

Your Charm for Today
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The Cross
 
Today’s Meaning:
This is probably the most popular of charms. You will be protected in this aspect. No one will be able to harm you or your state of being.General Description:
The Cross has always been a favourite device. It was used by the sun-worhippers as a symbol of the sun, and their warriors carried the Cross upon their shields. In olden days kings and nobles, when they could not write, used the sign of the Cross. That sign was used in breaking spells and for protection from evil spirits. In the East the Cross hbas been used as a talisman from time immemortal. The Eastern Cross as illustrated was worn as a charm against stickness, accidents and witchcraft, also to attract good fortune. Sentences from the Koran were often inscribed upon the small pendents to make the chamr still more potent.

Altar Setup

Altar Setup

I’m a big supporter of Keep It Simple. Altar setups that are overflowing with magical goodies seem to collect a ton of dust, and dust is a magnet for negativity. If you’re a busy person , with friends staying over, siblings or children running through your room, and the cat jumping on and off your altar surface at will, collecting a bunch of stuff to set on your altar may not be such a good idea. If you are in college, especially in a dorm room, there’s no telling what might happen to your magical items. We tend to form an attachment to our magical tools, and a missing wand or cauldron can send anyone into a tizzy. If a magical tool of yours could decide to “walk off,” don’t despair. If it’s gone, it’s suppose to be gone. Sometimes magical things leave us for a good reason. Perhaps something better is coming your way.

In the last few years, the idea of having a personal altar has gained popularity outside of the Craft environment. However, often what people are calling “altars” are actually shrines dedicated to a deity or a particular energy the person would like to bring into the home. The altar, for a Crafter, is a working magical surface, where a shrine is more of representation of your spirituality and a place for daily, weekly or monthly offerings. In some Craft traditions the shrine is called the high altar, and the separate, working surface is called the low altar. Where prayers and petitions are given at the high altar, the messy work (such as grinding herbs, working with wax or spell work that required you to make and then put together a particular object) is done on the low altar.

A basic altar setup requires only the four elements. The beginning Craft altar adds a statue of deity; two illuminator candles (one for the God and one for the Goddess); a flat centerpiece for focus (usually a geometric symbol: pentacle, hexagram, lunar crescent, the zodiac ring, and so on); the wand; and if your family environment supports it, the athame.

If you have more space and plenty of privacy, you may wish to use the traditional altar setup use by most Wiccan practitioners when they first learn about the tools of the Craft of the Wise.

Altar Blessing and Empowerment

Altar Blessing and Empowerment

Supplies: Scented oils or perfumes (ingredients you hold sacred to yourself).

Instructions: Pass the four elements (red candle, incense, salt and water) over the altar three times in a clockwise direction. Imagine that you are sitting positive energies into action. Once this is done, place the incense in the east, the fire in the south, the water in the west, and the salt in the north. Dab the scented oil on each corner of the altar, and then in the middle, saying.

I bless and consecrate these, O sacred altar, in the name of Spirit. May you repel negative energy and collect positive energy from this day forward until the end of time. So mote it be.

Draw an equal-armed cross in the air over the altar surface to seal the positive energies to the stone/wood. Tip the edge of the altar four times, once for each direction. Then say:

As above, so below. This altar is sealed. So mote it be.
You are now ready to work any kind of magic.

Your Charm for Today
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Your Charm for Today

Abracadabra
 
Today’s Meaning:
The most powerful of all talisman indicating you or someone close to you will recover from an infection.General Description:
One of the most famous of all talismans, and used as a magical formula by the Gnostics in Rome for invoking the aid of beneficient spirits against disease, misfortune and death. Sammonieus, the celebrated Gnostic physician; instructed that the letters of this magical triangle which he used for curing agues and fevers, were to be written on paper, folded into the shape of a cross, worn for nine days suspended from the neck, and, before sunrise, cast behind the patient into a stream running eastward. It was also a most popular charm in the middle ages. During the Great Plague, 1665, great numbers of these amulets were worn as supposed safeguards against infection.

Can a Christian Practice Magick?

Can a Christian Practice Magick?

Author: Belenus

 For many years, I struggled with a personal conflict. You see, my Christian upbringing didn’t seem to fit in with what I call my “mystic callings, ” that is, my other path of mystery and magick. I kept my magikal pursuits separate from my religious activities. I began my magickal journey more than twenty years ago by studying astrology, because the notion of predicting the future and getting a better handle on my own personality and relationships with others appealed to me. I must admit that my romantic urges were a major driving force in all this investigation and revelation, as were my materialistic ambitions.

So, although I didn’t keep my Astrological studies from my close friends and family, I didn’t advertise it to those in my religious community. When I did divulge to a very select few, it was with a real sense of insecurity and fear that I was being negatively judged. When my Mystic interests branched out into the areas of Magick and Paganism, I did indeed keep it almost exclusively to myself, as I felt that this was even more off the beaten path and frowned upon by society in general and particularly so by my Christian family and community.

Now I am both a mage and a Christian, and I do not feel particularly conflicted about it. Just a fleeting guilt feeling now and again, usually brought about by some external reminder that there are Christians who do indeed condemn such activities. That even sounds funny in the same sentence, you know, Christian and condemning? And although I don’t go shouting my Magickal activities off roof tops, I am comfortable within myself that I am on the right path for me, and have integrated Magick into the other areas of my life, including my religion. I feel actually compelled to follow this duel path and even though I see some inconsistencies, I am confident that this is my calling for now.

I go to Catholic Mass and see many of its rituals and methods to be similar to Magickal rituals and methods. For example, the burning of incense in the Mass parallels Magickal rituals that use incense as a way to carry intentions to higher forces, be they Gods or Goddesses or what ever. The Catholic Mass is full of symbolism and what some would call Magic. Symbols are also a large component in Wicca, Paganism and are used in working Magick. Chanting and singing are other examples of techniques used in both Christian and Pagan rituals and rites.

One major difference I see between Christian prayers and working Magick is that with prayer, a person asks for something and then passively waits and hopes that it is answered in a way that satisfies a need. This is quite different from the Magician who inserts her or his own power and will into the work. Rather than hoping for something to change, the Magician “wills” the change to come about.

I feel that as a Christian Mystic, I have an advantage in many ways. I get to combine both prayer and magick in my rituals. Intuition dictates that with this combination, I should have even better results. I am not too concerned with this for now though. I am just answering the two callings I have in a way that helps me thrive spiritually. I use rituals that incorporate both some standard Wiccan magickal tools, such as a wand and an athame, but also include prayer and a chalice filled with blessed, Holy water from my local parish.

I like to think that I am the kind of person who accepts people from all walks of life and faith, or even no faith. This is not always easy in a world that has people of different faiths and paths, drawing lines and grabbing at power and control, but I think I do it as well as just about anybody. The key has been to nurture an open mind and often examine myself and my motives. Over time, this has lead to a level of self-awareness that allows me to be true to self, and at the same time, let others be as they are.

I remember a small event that took place several years ago, which let me know I was making progress. I realized as I watched a political debate on the television that I wasn’t getting angry with the commentator who was espousing what I felt was the wrong side of the argument. I told my wife that in the past, I would have turned off the T.V. in anger and disgust, unable to handle emotionally my own internal conflict that watching the show produced.

Don’t get me wrong; it wasn’t too long ago that the very sight of a Pentagram made me cringe. In case you don’t know, the sight of a Pentagram can send shivers down the spine of many Christians who don’t know better; that it is not a symbol of evil, but of things that are life affirming and good. I look back on this now, and chuckle at my own built in sense of prejudice, especially now, knowing that much of what the Christians practice, borrow from Pagan traditions.

I personally believe that most religions have it wrong in the sense that they tend to foster a kind of ‘us and them’ attitude among their members. I believe, as did Gandhi and many others, that the idea of being separate from each other and even with the natural world is an illusion. We are all one and need to start acting that way. I look at it such that each being is like an individual cell that is part of a greater living being, and when one of us is deprived, sick or in trouble, we are all effected.

The Catholic Church systematically adopted many of the old ways and gave them a new twist, in order to bring more souls into the Christian fold. I think that after some analysis, one will find more similarities between Paganism and Christianity than differences.

I’ve recently begun investigating Hoodoo traditions and have learned how they are interrelated with the Catholic Church. I am excited to follow that path farther to see where it takes me. It is interesting to me that each Catholic Saint is attributed with special powers to help those who petition them with prayer requests. How is this different from one Wiccan praying to Odin and another praying to Diana?

I subscribe to the tenet that all Gods are one God, and that Love is the highest law. But, while I am here on this good earth, I expect that struggle and conflict, whether from external sources, or from internal issues, will always be a part of life for me, just less so as the years go by.

Your Charm for 4/1

Your Charm for Today
 
 

The Axe Head
 
Today’s Meaning:
As an axe comes to a complete stop when it hits the tree so you have grown motionless. You now must draw back, step away from this quadrant of your life and begin again. Set a new path into motion.General Description:
This Chinese incised jade Axe head was suspended round the neck, and worn as an amulet to protect the wearer from illness, accidents, and injuries, also as a charm against witchcraft. The Chinese had great faith in the supposed medicinal powers of jade, which was recommended and prescribed by their physicians. The Axe head was always considered to be an emblem of strength and pwer among primitive races; even today small axe heads are still regarded as effective talismans against disease in many countries, and great faith is placed in their supposed supernatural powers of healing.