Tag: Satan

The Dark Night of the Soul

The Dark Night of the Soul

Fra.: Apfelmann

“The Dark Night of the Soul” is the name given to that experience of spiritual desolation that all students of the Occult pass through at one time or another. It is sometimes characterized by feelings that your occult studies or practices are not taken you anywhere, that the initial success that one is sometimes granted after a few months of occult working, has suddenly dried up. There comes a desire to give up on everything, to abandon exercises and meditation, as nothing seems to be working. St.John of the Cross. a christian mystic, said of this experience, that it; “…puts the sensory spiritual appetites to sleep, deadens them, and deprives them of the ability to find pleasure in anything. It binds the imagination, and impedes it from doing any good discursive work. It makes the memory cease, the intellect become dark and unable to understand anything, and hence it causes the will to become arid and constrained, and all the faculties empty and useless. And over this hangs a dense and burdensome cloud, which afflicts the soul, and keeps it withdrawn from the good.”

Though the beginner may view the onset of such an experience with alarm (I know I did), the “Dark Night” is not something bad or destructive. In one sense it may be seen as a trial, a test by which the Gods examine our resolve to continue with occult work, and if you are not completely whole-hearted about your magical studies, it is during this period (at its beginning) that you will give up. The Dark Night of the Soul should be welcomed, once recognized for what it is (I have always received an innate “warning” just before the onset of such a period), as a person might welcome an operation that will secure health and well-being. St.John of the Cross embraced the soul`s Dark Night as a Divine Appointment, calling it a period of “sheer grace” and adding;

“O guiding Night,

O Night more lovely than Dawn,

O Night that has united the lover with his beloved

Transforming the Lover in her Beloved.”

When entering the Dark Night one is overcome by a sense of spiritual dryness and depression. The notion, in some quarters, that all such experiences should be avoided, for a peaceful existence, shows up the superficiality of so much of contemporary living. The Dark Night is a way of bringing the Soul to stillness, so that deep psychic transformation may take place. All distractions must be set aside, and it is no good attempting to fight or channel the bursts of raw energy that from time to time may course through your being. This inner compulsion to set everything aside results in the outer depression, when nothing seems to excite. The only thing to do is obey your inner voice and become still, waiting for the inner transformation, (which the “Dark Night” heralds), to take place. You may not be aware for a very long time of the results of that inner change, but when the desire to work comes again and the depression lifts, the Dark Night has (for a moment) passed. No one can help during this time, and in many cases there is hardly anyone to turn for advice. One must disregard the well-meaning advice of family and friends to “snap out of it” this is no ordinary depression, but a deep spiritual experience which only those who have passed through themselves (in other words to a magical retreat) but for many, as the routines of everyday life prohibits this, all you can do is cultivate an inner solitude, a stillness and silence of heart, and wait, (like a chrysalis waits for the inner changes that will result in a butterfly) for the Transformation to work itself out. There are many such “Dark Nights” that the occult seeker must pass through during the mysterious process of mitigation. They are all trials but experience teaches one to cope more efficiently. With fractalic greetings and laughter * Fra.: Apfelmann *

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A Synopsis of Evil

A Synopsis of Evil

Author:   Bryce 

Within the Pagan community, we tend to avoid discussing the topic of evil. While many of us accept the idea of at least some form of karma or retribution, we do not generally dwell in depth on it. Indeed many of us were raised within the “mainstream” religions that focused all too much on the topics of sin and Satan. Thus we try to stray from these concepts and instead focus on the “brighter” side of things.

Yet as human beings, we cannot deny that there is a certain level of evil and negativity in our world. We also cannot reject the simple truth that we ourselves often take part in such acts. So how do we, as Pagans, react to this concept? How can we come to understand it and combat it?

Now I cannot and would never tell you what to believe. Spirituality is a journey, and we must come to accept it and understand it on our own terms. Thus what I have provided here is my understanding of evil. If you agree with it, that is wonderful. If you cannot quite accept it, that is just as well. Either way it is my intention that this perspective will give you new-found strength in dealing with and understanding evil in your own life.

What Is Evil?

Over the millennia, evil as accrued many different titles, the most popular of which among the Western World is sin. However no matter by which name you call evil, its nature is the same. Evil is the conscious choice to turn ourselves away from the Divine. We hear this a lot in Christianity under the summary that “sin separates us from God.” While this is true, for Pagans it is not quite the whole of it.

Many Pagans view the Divine as being within Creation. Thus the Creator and its Creation are one. In this light, then, the meaning of evil begins to take on a new identity for Pagans. While evil separates us from the Divine, it moreover separates us from our Divine-selves. This self is the Divine spark that lies within us and connects us to the great All. Thus in choosing to commit evil, to act so that we go against this notion of solidarity, we cut ourselves off from the Divinity within us.

In accordance with this, we now have a Pagan understanding of evil: a choice that fails to recognize our Oneness and thus separates us from our Divine-selves.

How Does Evil Exist?

If we can accept that the Creator is within its Creation, therefore making it one, we encounter another puzzling question: If the Divine is perfection and the perfection is here, how can evil exist within it? In truth, the answer to this question is the same as what prompted it.

The Divine is within everything, including us. As such, the Divine seeks to work through us that we and others may come to experience it. Thus we, and all other life, are co-creators of our own reality. However we are different from other life on this planet in that we are reasoning beings; as humans we have the ability to decipher what is right and wrong.

This gives us options: we can choose to work for the betterment of Creation, or we can choose to work only for ourselves. It is when we choose the latter that we allow evil into our lives, for no longer are we working for the Whole but only the singular.

What Prompts Evil?

Only we can ultimately decide to allow evil into our lives and our world. Yet we know that there is a certain prompting, a certain push toward evil that is often involved in our choices. Like evil, this too has been known by many titles, such as Satan and demons. However I would like to present a revised understanding of this concept, one that does not view it as a being but rather as a natural human condition.

In the natural world, both energy and matter flow through the path of least resistance. The human psyche seeks to do the same. It wishes to follow by the easiest path in order to get what it desires. However this route is not always the best, and we may end up harming others. Therefore, while we are provoked to do what is most convenient, we must remember that we are reasoning beings. We must do what is right rather than what is easy. If we fail in this, then we allow evil to enter our lives.

For example, while it may be easier to steal the apple rather than paying for it, we must use our reasoning abilities to discern what the just path is.

How Is Evil Combated?

This is a question that has been tried and tested over many thousands of years. From confessing your sins to a priest to allowing an aesthetic Yogi to pay for your wrongs, religions the world over have found their own ways to eradicate their practitioners’ evil. Yet what about in Paganism? What do we have that allows us to move beyond this state and back into alignment with our Divine-selves?

Most of us would say that we have some understanding of karma and that we will pay for our evil acts. However, while this may help us recognize them, it does not necessarily get us to move beyond these actions. To do that, I believe that we must look again at a reoccurring theme in this essay: Oneness.

If we accept that the Divine is within Creation, we must accept that it is also within evil. To absolve evil from us and from our world, then, we must seek the Divine within it. If we allow ourselves to revisit our acts and instances of wrongdoing, we can invite the Divine into these experiences and look for its messages and teachings.

There is something to be learned in everything, even the most heinous of crimes. If we open ourselves up to these Divine lessons, we can pass them on not only to ourselves but to others as well; thus we can help prevent the same evil from being reintroduced into our world. And it is in this act that we leave behind our evil, our sin – for we have turned it from selfish evil to love that will benefit the Whole.

The Great Irony

There is a great irony in all of this, of course. While evil may be done, it can never prevail. Energy spent on evil is useless, for it ultimately benefits no one. As we can tell from the natural world, Creation abhors anything useless and therefore makes it useful, whether it is through the decaying of dead organisms or the evolution of a species. Thus it is with evil. It is useless, but the Divine may make it useful in the form of lessons and teachings. Therefore the only way that evil can ever win is if we, the reasoning co-creators of our reality, let it.

My Advice

What I have presented here is a summary of my thoughts on and reasoning behind the concept of evil. Whether you accept all or any of it is up to you. However, this is my hope for you: take your negatives and create them into positives. Live life not by what you have done but rather by what you have learned. Above all remember that in the Divine—no matter how you perceive it—all things are possible.

Slán leat

WITCHCRAFT

 WITCHCRAFT

In the modern world witchcraft is a form of nature religion that emphasizes
the healing arts. The term is also applied to various kinds of MAGIC practiced
in Asian, African, and Latin American communities. Little is known about the
history of witchcraft in Europe, and what is known comes from hostile sources. In traditional European society witchcraft was believed to be a kind of harmful sorcery associated with the worship of SATAN, or the devil (a spirit hostile to God). The European doctrine of witchcraft was formulated in the late Middle Ages. Just how many of the beliefs about witches were based on reality and how many on delusion will never be known. The punishment of supposed witches by the death penalty did not become common until the 15th century. The first major witch-hunt occurred in Switzerland in 1427, and the first important book on the subject, the Malleus maleficarum (Hammer of Sorceresses), appeared in Germany in 1486. The persecution of witches reached its height between 1580 and 1660, when witch trials became almost universal throughout western Europe.

Geographically, the center of witch-burning lay in Germany, Austria, and
Switzerland, but few areas were left untouched by it. No one knows the total
number of victims. In southwestern Germany alone, however, more than 3,000 witches were executed between 1560 and 1680. Not all witch trials ended in deaths. In England, where torture was prohibited, only about 20 percent of accused witches were executed (by hanging); in Scotland, where torture was used, nearly half of all those put on trial were burned at the stake, and almost three times as many witches (1,350) were killed as in England. Some places had fewer trials than others. In the Dutch republic, no witches were executed after 1600, and none were tried after 1610. In Spain and Italy accusations of witchcraft were handled by the INQUISITION, and although torture was legal, only a dozen witches were burned out of 5,000 put on trial. Ireland apparently escaped witch trials altogether. Many witch trials were provoked, not by hysterical authorities or fanatical clergy, but by village quarrels among neighbors. About 80% of all accused witches were women. Traditional theology assumed that womenwere weaker than men and more likely to succumb to the devil. It may in fact be true that, having few legal rights, they were more inclined to settle quarrels by resorting to magic rather than law. All these aspects of witchcraft crossed over to the Americas with European colonists. In the Spanish and French territories cases of witchcraft were under the jurisdiction of church courts, and no one suffered death on this charge. In the English colonies about 40 people were executed for witchcraft between 1650 and 1710, half of them in the famous SALEM WITCH TRIALS of 1692. Witch trials declined in most parts of Europe after 1680; in England the death penalty for witchcraft was abolished in 1736. In the late 17th and 18th centuries one last wave of witch persecution afflicted Poland and other areas of eastern Europe, but that ended by about 1740. The last legal execution of a witch occurred in Switzerland in 1782.

Beginning in the 1920s, witchcraft was revived in Europe and America by groups that considered it a survival of pre-Christian religious practices. This
phenomenon was partly inspired by such books as Margaret Murray’s The Witch Cult in Western Europe (1921). Some forms of modern witchcraft follow the traditions of medieval herbalists and lay healers. The term witch-hunt is used today to describe a drive to punish political criminals or dissidents without regard for the normal legal rules. E. William Monter

Bibliography: Baroja, Julio C., The World of Witches (1964); Guiley, Rosemary,The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft (1990); Levack, Brian, The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe (1987); Luhrmann, T.M., Persuasions of the Witch’s Craft (1989); Monter, E. W., ed., European Witchcraft (1969).

Our Morals

Our Morals

Witchcraft is often understood to be evil, demoralizing, and immoral because it goes against the beliefs of the catholic church. This is due mostly to a misunderstanding of the modern use of the term “witch.” In earlier times, witchcraft was essentially the term used for “devil worship.” Witches of old were said to be in league with the devil. They hurt people, traveled to gatherings where they engaged in evil spell-casting, demoralizing acts, and Satan worship. At the same time, there were wisepeople in villages. These people were the healers, the midwives, and the elders who knew things which might be considered witchery today. These people were not, at the time, considered or even called witches. Today, for some reason, these people have chosen to take on the name of witchcraft. Even in medieval times, people engaged in witchery. These things included charms to predict love or the weather, good luck charms, and psychic sight (gifts of the angels). For example, people knew charms that were used in prediction such as limericks and poems. These went something like: “cat’s paw upon the water, first sigh of storm-king’s daughter.” This limerick means that if you see a cat place its paw in water, then there will be a storm. These are sometimes called “old wives’ tales.” Other superstitions are: walking under a ladder is bad luck and smashing a mirror is 7 years bad luck. Magical charms were and are also used: four-leaf clovers, found pennies, locks of hair, horseshoes when turned upside down, and lucky and unlucky numbers. These things were never considered witchcraft the way we use it in witchcraft today.

Many Christians are beginning to understand the differences between what is now called witchcraft and the old word witchcraft which was used for “devil worship.” No one is really sure why the healers of today have chosen this once derogatory term to describe themselves. Likely, it has stemmed from small groups of adolescents forming “covens.” Early Wiccans were not called witches.

Today, witches are known for their good deeds. Witches believe in eternal learning. Witches believe in truth and truth telling. We are always trying to help those around us and find ways to better ourselves. We believe in harming no living being. We believe in fidelity (loyalty), we love our families and raise our children to have good moral standards. We do not believe in forming cults or any other harmful or mind-controlling groups. We stand against killing and oppression of all kinds. We believe in the freedom to love who we choose to love. We believe in self-sacrifice for the good of others. We believe in charity

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – October 25

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – October 25

“We create that bad among ourselves. We create it; then we try to call it devil, Satan, or evil. But man creates it. There is no devil. Man creates the devil.”

–Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA

Inside every human being are the laws and codes by which we should live. These laws and codes are communicated to us through a little voice. When we are still, this voice guides us. If we choose to live out of harmony, our lives become filled with anger, hate, selfishness, dishonesty, etc. When these things appear in our lives, we give up accountability and blame it on something or someone else. If we want to live in harmony, we need to pray our way back to living the principles the Creator gave us.

Grandfather, today let me walk with the principles.

Laugh-A-Day for 10/25: How Not To Get Invited Back To A Circle

How Not To Get Invited Back To A Circle

  1. Take the ritual sword from the altar and make sounds like Darth Vader — “Luke, I am your father!” — and start making light saber noises.
  2. Start skat-singing when chanting.
  3. Take the ritual athame from the altar and start cleaning your nails with it.
  4. When taking a sip of the ritual wine, act like a wine snob and comment on it.
  5. When doing the spiral dance, make it a Conga line.
  6. Call down the Goddess with “Get your ass down here, Big Momma!”
  7. Call down the God with “Our father, who art in heaven …”
  8. When chanting the names of the Goddess, randomly include Pokemon names.
  9. When being smudged, complain vehemently about second-hand smoke.
  10. In a drumming circle, laugh insanely and start drumming the beat to Wipe Out!
  11. Ask the people in the circle “When are we all gonna git nekked?”
  12. When in a skyclad circle, randomly point and laugh.
  13. When the ritual wine goblet is passed to you, chug it and ask for more.
  14. Invoke Satan.
  15. Take out a Bible and start evangelizing.
  16. Light-up a cigar.
  17. Bring a cute furry creature and offer it as a blood sacrifice.
  18. Talk a lot about casting spells for revenge against people who have offended you.
  19. At a handfasting say “Thank God! Maybe now i’ll get some grandchildren!”
  20. When in circle, answer your cell phone.
  21. Respond to “So Mote it Be!” with “Amen!”
  22. Invite people to “Come to the dark side.”
  23. Bring you kids and ask the group to invoke the baby sitting Goddess.

     

— concept by Azriel LittleHawk, with edits and ammendments by Turok and contributors

 

Turok Cabana

Ah, Blessed Be, It is Finally Wednesday!

Friendship Pictures, Images, Comments, Graphics

I AM A WITCH

　

I am many things,

I am a Daughter, a Lover, and a Friend.

I am a Teacher, a Student, and a Woman.

I am many things,

Wear many costumes,

And act in many ways.

Yet beneath each mask I wear,

I am a Witch.

I am a Priestess,

I follow the Path,

I follow the Old Tradition,

I follow the Ways of the Wise Ones.

I seek to know the God,

I seek to know the Goddess,

I seek to know myself.

I am a Witch.

Though I may only dress up,

For eight sabbats a year,

And thirteen esbats in turn,

I am always a Witch.

Though I may not always dress in black,

Or leave my hair wild and free,

I am still a Witch.

I do not worship Satan,

I’ve never even met him,

Yet many see me as evil,

And magick as a sin.

I do what comes natural,

What the Gods have taught me,

And although it does not conform,

I am still a Witch.

The Goddess shows me beauty,

The God has shown me life,

And Earth, and Air,

And Fire, and Water,

Teach me what is right.

And Spirit in its mystic ways,

Teaches me about myself.

That I am a Witch.

By: Lady Amhranai

As always I say it loud and I say it proud, “I AM A WITCH!”

I was born a Hereditary Witch. You ask me, “if I know what I am dabbling with?” My answer to you is, “Yes, I am not dabbling, I am practicing my Religion, openly and freely!” A Religion that is older than time itself. A Religion that is beautiful and pure like the first white snow of Winter. You tell me my soul is going to Hell. I think not for there is no Hell in my Religion. You want to save me.  Save me from what? I am not the one that is in need of saving for I have found my true Path. Perhaps you are the jealous one. Jealous because I have found Peace, Beauty and Love in my Goddess. My Religion has always been a threat to others. Why? We are not devil-worshippers or baby killers. We are children of the most Divine Being in the Universe. We are Children of the Goddess. We understand what our Ancestors did for us that we may have our Religion. Our Religion has survived through the centuries. It has been put to the test more than once and through it all, it has stood the test of time. If our Religion is so wrong, then why are we still here?

I don’t push my Religion on anyone. I want the same right as anyone else to practice my Religion the way I see fit. I respect all Religions and in turn expect the same courtesy. Instead of taking time writing comments about my Pagan friends and I going to Hell. Take a moment to educate yourself and read the blog to find out what we are truly about. Or are you scared of the truth?

*In case you are wondering, I had a comment in the back that pissed me off!*

Satan: Not My God

Satan: Not My God

Author: Lady Abigail

“So, you‘re a Witch. Do you worship Satan?”

I cannot tell you how many times I have been asked that question. It does not seem to matter what tradition you may happen to work with; Eclectic, Druid, Celtic, Wiccan, and so forth, you have most likely been asked this question yourself. Somehow, if you do not believe in the Christian male god of everything, you must believe in and therefore worship Satan.

Occasionally, the name may be different, according to whom they see as this entity of evil. (Devil, Satan, Beelzebub and Lucifer being only a few on a long list of names.) Yet, the question is continuously asked.

Most of us have tried to respectfully explain to people that we don’t believe in a devil or a hell. This often gets a few strange looks, or a question of what we do believe in.

I believe that some of the people who ask this question, “Do you worship Satan?” don’t really care what the answer is. They are those people who believe they already have all the answers and most of them what to tell me what that answer is.

So I have decided that rather than try to explain to them that my beliefs do not consider Satan as valid, I simply say, “No, I don’t worship any of the Christian/Judaeo Gods, good or evil.” That always brings an immediate response. “What do you mean, Christian/Judaeo Gods?”

I reply that Satan, by whatever name he may be called, is the their God of Evil, not mine. I have to say, I have received more than a few puzzled looks, not to mention, shock, frustration, and some extremely nasty words.

The idea that Satan is their god of evil enrages many within the some of the mainstream faiths.
But, the truth is, Satan is considered by many as evil personified. He is the enemy of their heavenly God. There are a few additional faiths that believe in a concept of an evil godlike being, although it has been my experience, that none of those give him such absolute power and reverence as those of the mainstream religions.

Numerous followers of the Bible consider Satan to be not only real, but also created by God to be ruler of Hell. Satan, the God of Hell, was put in this position of authority over all the horrors that occur in human life, via the God of Heaven. Satan is distinguished in this arrangement as the God of Evil. He is seen as a very real and valid part of these mainstream religions.

A few years ago, there was a mini series called, “Revelations.” Actor Bill Pullman plays the part of Dr. Massy, a noted expert on Satanism, who had his daughter (who was to be a virgin sacrifice) killed by the followers of Satan. Natascha McFlhone plays the part of Sister Jo, a nun who goes out to prove, or disprove, miracles concerning the coming of Christ and the Anti-Christ. Together they travel the world battling evil and a demented Satanist, played by Michael Massee.

The reason I reference this program is because, no matter how enlightened we think we are as a society, this is how many see Satan. Their concept of the Devil, in a very physical form, is of a being looking to put an end to all that is good in the world. In this series, we see evil lurking around every corner, children being stolen, and the possible destruction of the world.

Disappointingly, some of the scenes show people chanting, likened to Witches, along with the working of magick and rituals for some diabolical propose. Pentagrams are displayed as the sign of the Devil; just another one of a thousand times the symbolism of Witches, something we are proud of, is used and intermingled with those of a Devil to whom we do not give credence. Nonetheless, it is assumed by numerous people watching, that those chanting persons working evil rituals and magick are also Witches.

It seems impossible to find any recorded history or sacred text, religious or otherwise, that gives reference to a Devil, Satan, Demon, or Lucifer, before or outside these mainstream religions.

For thousands of years, the ancient knowledge was verbally passed from generation to generation. Yet, many of the stories, folklore, and teachings of the Gods and Goddesses are the same throughout history, with only cultural differences represented. This includes the majority of stories found in the Bible. Surprising, many (if not all) of the Bible stories we know today are found in ancient writings of numerous societies that pre-date the biblical writings by centuries. Yet, none of these speak of a Devil, not having the requirement of a God of Evil who could be blamed for the debauchery in the world.

Subsequently, where did Satan, this demonic Devil, come from? The only writings I can find on Satan, or the description of Satan, come from the Bible. Satan is mentioned first in the book of Job. While still living happily in heaven, he appears with the “sons” of God. He is full of himself and wants to show off by testing God’s servant, Job. Satan is allowed by God to do ruthless and horrendous things to Job; God wanting to prove that Job would stay strong no matter what evil Satan executed upon him.

Later, in Isaiah, we are told how the Devil is sent to Hell. The Devil, Lucifer, is seen as an angel, being prideful and wanting to be like God. So, he is punished and kicked out of heaven and falls to hell. In this, there appears to be a splitting of God.

Now we have two: one good, loving, and benevolent God who lives in heaven, and one evil, malicious, God who lives in Hell. No real physical description of Satan is ever given in the Bible. He is spoken of as evil, the father of lies, disobedience, and bringing all that is wicked. Perhaps this is why it can be said that the Devil has the power to take on many forms.

Unfortunately, one of the ways the church attempted to turn Pagans away from their own beliefs was by deceitfully altering the accepted wisdom of the Old Ways. Disguising the truth to fit within their own needs served to convert, or destroy, those of conflicting faith. The Pagan Gods were transformed, with the Greek God, Pan, who is recognized as horned, hoofed, goat-like, and holding a long, three-pronged fork, or spear, called a Trident, becoming an early version of the Devil.

The Great Horned God recognized as a human male form with antlers, holding snakes, surrounded by creatures of earth, became a more human personification, sometimes with red flesh, a goatee, carrying a pitchfork. These Pagan Gods lent form to a previously un-solidified god of evil, Satan, the most vile, despised God of sin and death.

How bizarre that Satan began his extremely malevolent deeds at the same time the church came into its greatest power on earth, sometime during the thirteenth century. (It should be noted that some believe the source of all-evil is most beautiful. Using a pleasing form, he, or she, can lure innocent souls away into hell.)

Satan is believed to perform dark and evil magick, understanding that this also mean that these mainstream religions are based on magick, with water being turned to wine, foretelling the future, miracles of healing, the dead walking, talking with spirits, and the promise of life everlasting. How strange. If it is done in one religion, it is miraculous. Yet, when these same works of wonder are performed in any other religion, they are viewed as works of some devil. Perhaps it is the fear that others would see, and understand, that power and magick are within us all. This being too much to fear for those who wanted to control a populous.

Interestingly, in examination by religious and nonreligious scholars, it is believed that the entire concept of a Devil, or Satan, is due to an error in the translation of two words, “diabolos” and “daimonion.” In the original Greek and Hebrew, the word diabolos simply meant opponent or adversary, as in an enemy, rival, or foe. Daimonion was one of supreme authority or complete and absolute ownership. Could this be where the idea of a supreme power of evil found its birth? I have to believe that is from where the popular image of Satan came.

It is amazing that, individuals not wishing to take responsibility for their actions often resort to, “the Devil made me do it.” But in those words are frightening reminders of the history of the burning times. It is always easier to blame someone else, another power, or those that are different from you in some way.

Once the pointing starts, the true evil begins to grow. The blaming of others emerges like a forest fire and that fire is hard to put out. At one time, Witches were honored and respected for the knowledge we held in healing and magick. However, we are now still working to reclaim our reputations and show we are not evil.

So, let us repeat again. Witches do not desire, nor have any need, to worship Satan. Witches live right and do what is right because it is right, not out of fear that some big, nasty, red dude with a pitchfork is going to come and get us in the end. Witches are not Satanist. The Devil is not part of our religion, faith, or lives.

We don‘t want him; you can keep him.

Earth Witch Lore – Crossroads

Earth Witch Lore – Crossroads

 

Crossroads are considered sacred in almost all magical traditions. A crossroads is a universally accepted place to hold rituals, leave offerings, or dispose of items you wish to be rid of. While this is not a natural creation but one that is homemade, it still falls in the realm of earth.

 

It is believed tat Hecate rules over the three-way crossroads. She can see the past, present and future, It is said that if you should approach a three-way crossroads at night, you would hear her black dogs howling. Her altars have been erected at such places for centuries.

 

The four-way crossroad are considered to be powerful because all four directions meet at one point. Dirt, rocks and sticks gathered from such a crossroads are said to have powerful spiritual connections, albeit tricky ones to master. In Greek myths, Oedipus met his fate at the crossroads. From the Yoruban people we have Legha (a god known for his clever tricks) ruling the crossroads.

 

Ancient people were afraid of what it meant when one direction met another direction. All manner of folklore is available concerning the crossroads. Fairies are said to hand about there, along with ghouls and goblins. Even the Christian Satan is said to roam the crossroads.

Earth Witches know that a crossroad is actually a place of sacred transformations, manmade or not. Frequently they see them as a metaphor for transformational points in our lives. In such a capacity the crossroads relate to time.

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.