It is my nature to want some kinship in my spiritual path. Not like minded copies of my own beliefs. I seek conversations and points of view to ponder on. People to share activities with that are level headed in their thoughts. I am unique , just like everyone else. Unique in looks, personality, history, and demeanor. There is only one me and only one you.
The issue here is that Pagans are so guarded in our private path that we keep people at arms length. So many are in a constant state of 'fight or flight" mentality. Sharing personal paths is an endeavor to walk on eggshells . Any difference of opinions must be internalized so that no slight offense ever occurs.
We value our individuality so much that we are willing to throw friendship away for the smallest digress. We build these small cliques of spiritual friends to maintain a feel of control. making sure that nobody else can enter and shift the focus in anyway. We tend to be solitary practitioners just so that nobody can tell us to do something different. We are so scared of being outed or ridiculed in our hometowns and work, that we could work with a fellow pagan, and never know it. Cities both small and large with unknown pagan populations refusing to reach out for others.
How can we change this? We need to grow levels of acceptance for Pagans internally and externally. Internally is the harder of the two. Because nothing will effect the external until we change what is on the inside of each and every Pagan. So we have to stop being so damn guarded and be able to welcome those that are different spiritually in our lives. It is sad that most pagans are hypocrites in this manner. They can adopt and adapt their beliefs to fit with other Christians in this Christian dominated society. Such as celebrating Halloween instead of Samhain. But these same Pagans won't budge for a fellow Pagan with a different point of view. Most will runaway and hide if a Christian calls them satan worshippers, but they draw a line in the sand if a fellow Pagan offers a conflicting aspect of belief.
Where is the Pagan leadership to help with this change? Nowhere and everywhere, we have Pagans with limited leadership roles for small groups, but lack the ability to close these gaps. SO we need the old Pagan leadership to increase their efforts or get out of the way so that others can try. But I already know the result if anyone would try to unite the various Pagan communities. They will be attacked and insulted for their actions. Because Pagans will not budge for other pagans that don't follow their own beliefs exactly. Pagans are blocking Pagan unity. Let that sink in for a bit.
Why would they do this? Well it is quite simple. There is a rebellion against any dogma and anyone telling them how to be a pagan. If you look at the Wiccan rede, you will see a dividing point in Paganism. Some people say that it is only for the wiccans, then there are wiccans that try to push it on all of Paganism. A challenge is to write a document that can create a bond between pagan groups, something that can unify and be respectful to all Pagan groups.
I have seen Pagans unify under a single banner on short lived occasions. They need a massive push to cause this solidarity. That is the problem as well. I have seen Pagans and Pagan magazines unite when a small group of people tried to rewrite the "13 Principles of Wiccan belief". Pagans worked hand in hand to figure out that what's and whys. But as soon as the threat was gone they disbanded again. The most recent event was the "witches around the world binding Donald Trump" event. Sadly this last event reflects how badly we need to grow closer and of new leadership. Isolated pockets of witches from across the world, mostly in the US, worked out of sync to face a "threat" from Donald Trump. There was infighting in the Pagan communities in the how's and whys people should do it. In the end it was chaos and side A was mad at side B.
We have to look beyond our small groups and covens and build a better Pagan community for the betterment of all pagans. We have divided and conquered ourselves into this position. We must heal our wounds and become stronger. In Christianity they have Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, and so many more denominations. But they can rally together as a Christian community quickly. Something that we can't do. That has to change for our beloved communities to be closer and stronger.
We don't need a church and a hierarchy. Churches are just buildings, any place that we feel secure in would work. We don't want a hierarchy to tell us how to walk our path. We need people to make sure that we can walk our path. We need people that can move beyond the spirituality and religious aspects and look at the community as a whole. Instead of being priests and priestesses, they would be administrators. Knowing that only when the whole Pagan community is healthy that any portion can be health.
So what is missing is the bond between Pagans. A spirituality of kinship and respect. So we have to find all aspects that we share to build a mutual spiritual document. Thus we have to define and set a couple very general limitations on Paganism. Even the 13 principles of belief had very vague limitations. Pagans is Latin for Country Dweller. It is a reference to the people that worked the with the earth and monitored the solar cycles. It was a word to insult the farmers from the city living Christians. I want to throw away the old Christian dictionary definition of Paganism: "Any belief that is not of the Abrahamic beliefs". There are many religions that are stand alone beliefs and should be treated in this manner out of respect. Now I define Paganism as this: " Any earth based belief systems that predate the Abrahamic beliefs and originate in the European and Mediterranean Sea. Thus leaving Hinduism, Buddhism, Native American beliefs and so many as stand alone religions. Again , I do that out of respect to these religions.
Thus Paganism is an Earth/Sun based religious group. We should write a document that reflects these points, and with it create bonds to unite not separate Pagans. Last night I written a brief open ended poem that reflects that goal. Just to give an idea that might work.
Our home is the Earth
it protects and it provides
Full of life and wonders
An Amazing beauty that we can't deny.
In the Sky is the Sun,
The provider of heat and light.
Showing us what beauty we have
All we must do is open our eyes.
As the Earth does its dance
Life on the planet changes
Bound by the cycles of life.
We honor them as they change.
We live with harmony in life
Taking only what we need to live
Showing respect of all life.
We are one with the world.
We go by many names and labels
Each sees the world uniquely inside.
We are Pagans, Heathens, Wiccans, and more
We are many things, but just one people.
The next step is to build that bigger Pagan community that many dream about. But that is only a dream if we can't transcend our differences. So I shall start with myself. I am a solitary Pagan, I know many pagans online but few in close at hand. I shall respect you, your beliefs, and our differences, please do the same for me. I shall not ask you about your beliefs to criticize you. I will ask to learn and understand you better. I may place a label on you, but it isn't to divide us but to understand you as a whole person. Give me a chance to see the world through your eyes.
Our Pagan communities are fractured and fragile. So many people demand 100% loyalty and acceptance. The slightest variant from this absolutism is met with horrific hatred and malice. A question or a different point of view is treated as an attack and being trolled. An honest question by someone being sincere can result in ridicule by many. Pagans seem to distrust or resent the outside world full of views that don't conform to their specific ideals. And this will be hard to fix until we learn to be better people. How Can we be a spiritual group when we are a house divided upon itself. How can we know of our amazing spiritual energy, when we can't open our eyes and hearts to our fellow Pagan.
Please share this blog with others and leave any and all comments below.
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Friday, March 17, 2017
Pagan Spiritual Warfare. Be a Spiritual Warrior.
As I continue my focus on the Pagan community and what I feel is missing. I want to mention Spiritual Warriors, how we have so few and there is no organization. Look at the attempt to bind Donald trump, what resulted was a maelstrom of chaos and bickering. When I see Christians and Muslims call for spiritual warriors they have something to fall back on and thousands are able to rally around a single cause.
Frist off we have to define and know what a spiritual warrior is. And according to Wikipedia the definition is this:The term spiritual warrior is used in Buddhism for one who combats the universal enemy: self-ignorance (avidya), the ultimate source of suffering according to Buddhist philosophy. A heroic being with a brave mind and ethical impulse." SO a Spiritual warrior go around and teaches others about many thing , not just religion. I am rather fond of that concept, and I guess I do spiritual warfare on that level with my blog and videos.
I am now going to refer to Paradigm.com to express some points. In my last blog post I talked about adding a warrior spirit to your path in some aspect. That being able to defend yourself is a part of survival. They had a great statement on the difference of a warrior and a soldier. I am a warrior, not a soldier. http://www.1paradigm.org/spiritualwarrior.html There is a difference between a warrior and a soldier. A soldier is trained to follow orders, to respect authority, and to subjugate their individual thinking process and will to the command hierarchy. A warrior, in contrast, is more autonomous and independent. A warrior engages in battle out of personal choice rather than because of obedience to orders. A warrior is capable of making moral judgments and acting accordingly. A warrior is flexible and adaptable; able to act independently as well as be a team player. A warrior takes responsibility for his or her choices and actions. A warrior is a person of compassion who understands pain and the consequences of action. A warrior understands the horror of war and does not seek it. A warrior understands that glory is only for fools who bask in their own illusions. A warrior, however, when engaged in a righteous cause, fights with such skill, passion, intensity, and brilliance that victory is assured.
I am not wanting an army of soldier, but a group of warriors that know when the proper time to fight is. Those Christian and Muslims are soldiers they follow orders and are told to follow their leaders blindly. Being a "Spiritual warrior" means a life commitment. It means the embrace of discipline, study and long intense training sometimes at the sacrifice of comfort and convenience. Being a Spiritual warrior also means understanding your principles and not compromising them. It is easier said than done.
When more people have learned and devoted to be spiritual warriors, they can stand up and fight when they are needed. Think of the mass binding action against Trump, with more people understanding the battle, disciplined to now how and when to fight, working together not as separate forces.
But the definition talks about educating others, the battle to stop ignorance. These spiritual warriors can also double as teachers and help those learning or having difficulties. This would weed out those that are only going through the motions. With the strength that this would also give the Pagan community, it would help it grow by being able to stand for itself better.
Frist off we have to define and know what a spiritual warrior is. And according to Wikipedia the definition is this:The term spiritual warrior is used in Buddhism for one who combats the universal enemy: self-ignorance (avidya), the ultimate source of suffering according to Buddhist philosophy. A heroic being with a brave mind and ethical impulse." SO a Spiritual warrior go around and teaches others about many thing , not just religion. I am rather fond of that concept, and I guess I do spiritual warfare on that level with my blog and videos.
I am now going to refer to Paradigm.com to express some points. In my last blog post I talked about adding a warrior spirit to your path in some aspect. That being able to defend yourself is a part of survival. They had a great statement on the difference of a warrior and a soldier. I am a warrior, not a soldier. http://www.1paradigm.org/spiritualwarrior.html There is a difference between a warrior and a soldier. A soldier is trained to follow orders, to respect authority, and to subjugate their individual thinking process and will to the command hierarchy. A warrior, in contrast, is more autonomous and independent. A warrior engages in battle out of personal choice rather than because of obedience to orders. A warrior is capable of making moral judgments and acting accordingly. A warrior is flexible and adaptable; able to act independently as well as be a team player. A warrior takes responsibility for his or her choices and actions. A warrior is a person of compassion who understands pain and the consequences of action. A warrior understands the horror of war and does not seek it. A warrior understands that glory is only for fools who bask in their own illusions. A warrior, however, when engaged in a righteous cause, fights with such skill, passion, intensity, and brilliance that victory is assured.
I am not wanting an army of soldier, but a group of warriors that know when the proper time to fight is. Those Christian and Muslims are soldiers they follow orders and are told to follow their leaders blindly. Being a "Spiritual warrior" means a life commitment. It means the embrace of discipline, study and long intense training sometimes at the sacrifice of comfort and convenience. Being a Spiritual warrior also means understanding your principles and not compromising them. It is easier said than done.
When more people have learned and devoted to be spiritual warriors, they can stand up and fight when they are needed. Think of the mass binding action against Trump, with more people understanding the battle, disciplined to now how and when to fight, working together not as separate forces.
But the definition talks about educating others, the battle to stop ignorance. These spiritual warriors can also double as teachers and help those learning or having difficulties. This would weed out those that are only going through the motions. With the strength that this would also give the Pagan community, it would help it grow by being able to stand for itself better.
Monday, March 13, 2017
A Warrior in a Garden...
Merry Meet, the title above is from something my better half said to me. The full quote goes like this. "It is better to be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in a war." I think it is very profound. A warrior can easily adapt to gardening, instead of striking a practice dummy, the warrior learns the ways of plants and life. To be a gardener you have to have patience and tend to the garden as needed, swift action is not needed. They are polar opposites but they can't trade jobs equally.
In paganism, there is such a focus on building tranquility and harvesting a better life. One of the popular descriptions of an individuals spiritual path is "walking the path", another is "tending your garden of spirit". There is such a strong push for pacifism that it is turning unhealthy. Like any diet, you have to balance it out to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Pagans are the gardeners and refuse to accept the warriors virtue. Warriors are given a mantle of aggressive hate. Warriors fight for one thing , survival of the whole. They fight, so the gardener doesn't have to. But I also see two-faced dialog that bothers me greatly. There are so many pagans that demand the "Harm None" notion, but also promote themselves as badass witches. There are pagans that talk about removing negativity and don't welcome warrior types in their social groups. This has to end.
I believe that we must learn to accept the warrior spirit into our practices. As I have stated many times that nature is not as peaceful as many believe. That life continues through the consumption of death on this planet and the universe. So the Warrior spirit is not evil when it is used to protect the innocent. Love and Pearce are the goal, but like freedom, they are not free and have to be earned. The conflicts throughout the history of life on this planet have never stopped. And I am not talking about the wars of mankind, the war of survival between animals and with man have been going on and will continue. But then there are these pagans that insist on being gardeners while wars are fought in different scales around them.
You can't shun these battles, and you can't let life fall apart with you standing on the sidelines. You are a multifaceted creature, you can change and adapt to fit the conditions around you, but many will choose to do nothing. Bringing the warrior aspect into your beliefs will not taint what you believe in. For there to be a shadow, there must be light first. You must have something to compare to measure the purity of anything. SO a light worker can't claim to be of 'light' when they hide in the darkness, so that they are not seen when difficulties arise. A warrior can't be called hateful when he puts himself in front of children, to protect them. You can't call yourself a follower of earth based religions when you stand idle against people throwing litter out the windows and doors.
Christianity claims to be a religion of love and peace, but yet it has aggressive tendencies. I have seen the bible camps were they train children into be "Spiritual Warriors for Jesus". There are organized groups of people across the US that declare themselves as "Spiritual Warriors" in Christianity. This is what we face as pagans. Last month's "Binding Trump Mass spell effort" reflects what we lack in the pagan community. We don't have a warrior spirit or code in paganism, we have this pacifist mentality that keeps us under control. And as long as we accept this mentality of "Harm none" and stay hidden we will never be taken serious and allowed to follow our beliefs openly. We were the rebels in Star Wars facing the organized and trained empire.
Spiritual Warfare is still warfare. And a vast majority of Pagans out there are gardeners in a war. You are told to stay away from dark energies, shun people that don't follow this party line. There are wiccans demanding the wiccan rede be used by all pagans. This is the pacifist mentality that I dislike. We have to learn the ideals of Spiritual warfare. Now I openly endorse the Warrior spirit as part of my beliefs. I can believe that the same person that raises a sword in one hand, should be able to lift a hand to aid a person just as easily. Warriors have a code of ethics. Just like how our spirituality guides us in life, we can have a spiritual code in how and when we fight. I want to share with you two pieces of wisdom that I use in my warrior code.
In paganism, there is such a focus on building tranquility and harvesting a better life. One of the popular descriptions of an individuals spiritual path is "walking the path", another is "tending your garden of spirit". There is such a strong push for pacifism that it is turning unhealthy. Like any diet, you have to balance it out to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Pagans are the gardeners and refuse to accept the warriors virtue. Warriors are given a mantle of aggressive hate. Warriors fight for one thing , survival of the whole. They fight, so the gardener doesn't have to. But I also see two-faced dialog that bothers me greatly. There are so many pagans that demand the "Harm None" notion, but also promote themselves as badass witches. There are pagans that talk about removing negativity and don't welcome warrior types in their social groups. This has to end.
I believe that we must learn to accept the warrior spirit into our practices. As I have stated many times that nature is not as peaceful as many believe. That life continues through the consumption of death on this planet and the universe. So the Warrior spirit is not evil when it is used to protect the innocent. Love and Pearce are the goal, but like freedom, they are not free and have to be earned. The conflicts throughout the history of life on this planet have never stopped. And I am not talking about the wars of mankind, the war of survival between animals and with man have been going on and will continue. But then there are these pagans that insist on being gardeners while wars are fought in different scales around them.
You can't shun these battles, and you can't let life fall apart with you standing on the sidelines. You are a multifaceted creature, you can change and adapt to fit the conditions around you, but many will choose to do nothing. Bringing the warrior aspect into your beliefs will not taint what you believe in. For there to be a shadow, there must be light first. You must have something to compare to measure the purity of anything. SO a light worker can't claim to be of 'light' when they hide in the darkness, so that they are not seen when difficulties arise. A warrior can't be called hateful when he puts himself in front of children, to protect them. You can't call yourself a follower of earth based religions when you stand idle against people throwing litter out the windows and doors.
Christianity claims to be a religion of love and peace, but yet it has aggressive tendencies. I have seen the bible camps were they train children into be "Spiritual Warriors for Jesus". There are organized groups of people across the US that declare themselves as "Spiritual Warriors" in Christianity. This is what we face as pagans. Last month's "Binding Trump Mass spell effort" reflects what we lack in the pagan community. We don't have a warrior spirit or code in paganism, we have this pacifist mentality that keeps us under control. And as long as we accept this mentality of "Harm none" and stay hidden we will never be taken serious and allowed to follow our beliefs openly. We were the rebels in Star Wars facing the organized and trained empire.
Spiritual Warfare is still warfare. And a vast majority of Pagans out there are gardeners in a war. You are told to stay away from dark energies, shun people that don't follow this party line. There are wiccans demanding the wiccan rede be used by all pagans. This is the pacifist mentality that I dislike. We have to learn the ideals of Spiritual warfare. Now I openly endorse the Warrior spirit as part of my beliefs. I can believe that the same person that raises a sword in one hand, should be able to lift a hand to aid a person just as easily. Warriors have a code of ethics. Just like how our spirituality guides us in life, we can have a spiritual code in how and when we fight. I want to share with you two pieces of wisdom that I use in my warrior code.
To be a Great warrior one must learn three things:
1. Learn to rebuild the buildings lost from war
2. Learn to heal those that were injured from war.
3. Learn to kill
Learning to kill is the last thing you need to learn,
after learning the first two, hopefully you don't want to kill
There are many things worth fighting for.
There are things in life worth killing for
There are fewer things worth dying for.
But there are only a few things in life worth living for.
It has to be taught not to rush into battle and spill blood that doesn't need to be spilled. A warrior is a defender of his people and his ideals. I see Pagans get mad and spouting off whenever some other pagans makes claims about paganism that don't exactly agree with their own beliefs. We are willing to block, unfriend, belittle, shun, and more anyone that claims a different view on Paganism. But we refuse to stand together and defend people that agree with us on different aspects. There is this foolish mentality of demanding people to agree with you and never posting a different opinion. We are divided amongst ourselves, we are weak because of this.
Bringing in a warrior aspect to your beliefs will help bring an end to this destructive behavior. The code of the warrior will make us understand tolerance and look for other avenues to handle a situation. Because Warriors must depend on strategy, they will look beyond the small battle in front of them, and see the larger battle that needs to be fought. The petty squabbles will end and more unity and peace will grow.
This Spiritual warrior concept is needed because of the embarrassing actions with the "Trump Binding effort". SO many pagans don't know how to fight a spiritual war because they are not trained. There is no unity and too much dislike placed on anyone that decides to fight for what they believe in. I looked at this event as packs of hamsters attacking Rottweilers. Maybe some of those bites would hurt. but the rotweillers can easily take out many of these hamsters with one swipe of their paws. Christian and Pagan Spiritual warriors defended trump. While these pagans acting against Trump was a noble act of fighting for what you believe in. They lacked a warrior spirit in many cases and organization. These were the gardeners that grabbed pitchforks to fight mechanized forces.
There are many ways to bring in the warrior spirit into your practice. Study and meditate on why warriors in the past did what they did. Find a picture or two of warriors that represent your culture or spiritual grounds. As for my love of Celts I have a picture of the Statue of Vrercingitox, the Gaulic Celtic Warrior that stood against Rome. Learn why they fought the battles and wars. Try to see their point of view. and see if those ideals can be put into play in your spirituality and life. Buy an archaic weapon and add it to your practice. I have a sword and staff in my practice. When the weather allows I go outside and practice various forms with them. I also have a homemade shield. It acts as a spiritual and mundane shield in my practice.
I am very happy that you have read this far. If you are a pacifist and still disagreeing with what I have to say, I want to tell you about one more person. There were Pacifists in the US Army. During World War 1, there was a pacifist in the deadly trench fighting. One day there was a brutal battle where many American men were getting killed. In this unit was a pacifist, that didn't want to kill anyone. But after seeing so many men die he grabbed a weapon and attacked the Germans single handedly. After the battle he was asked if this went against his pacifist ways. And his answer was no. In his kind he saved more lives by going after the germans, than if he would of sat and did nothing. Look up Sgt York in World War 1. You can still love peace and be a warrior at the same time.
Saturday, March 11, 2017
What is Paganism? Take away the magic.
There are so many people these days declaring that they are Pagans, Wiccans, and Witches. And with this declaration, I feel that the blurred lines are growing and causing people to not see the truth of Paganism. Now Paganism is the collection of pre-Christian earth based religions found in the European and the Mediterranean areas. So we are talking about a large area full of differences and similarities in cultures and beliefs. Paganism is a belief system of a majority of these pre-Christian beliefs. We modern era followers are neo-pagans, because we try to follow the old ways with modern views and concepts.
Witchcraft is also an umbrella term , but for people that use a set grouping of skills. These skills involve the understanding of the spirits in nature. One such name used in this umbrella is "shaman". The Dictionary defines shaman as:A member of certain traditional societies, especially of northern Asia and of North and South America, who acts as a medium between the visible world and an invisible spirit world and who practices magic or sorcery for purposes of healing, divination, and control over natural events. In villages there were people calling "Cunning folk", which is defined as: Folk healers, in England also known as cunning folk or (more rarely) as white witches are practitioners of folk medicine, folk magic, and divination within the context of the various traditions of folklore in Christian Europe
I love the 13 principles because they talk about ethics, philosophy, responsibility, and harmony. It didn't mention about casting a circle on every full moon. It talks about other realms, but not how to visit these realms. Paganism is the belief system in understanding the world and universe around us in many different perspectives. But #8 is important because it state, calling yourself a witch doesn't make you a witch. Time, commitment, practicing, and learning are the 4 pillars in making a person a witch.
SO I have to ask you this important question. What is the definition of witch and pagan that you are using? Are you a witch because you declared it after reading a book by Silver Ravenwolf? Paganism goes beyond magick, it gives you a picture of the world and the ways we should interact with it. Paganism should give you inspiration to live your life better , and not just for yourself, but the world around you.
Paganism should help you learn how to live every day of the year. Not the focus on the 8 days of the sabbats. Paganism is not the focus of divination with Tarot decks. Divination is a skill and used to see a possibility in the future. Thus divination can be a part of you, but it is not a core part of paganism because Christians can use a tarot deck. And also a simple fact that they were adapted playing cards from years gone by.
So for me, Paganism is a belief system that shows me how to find my place in the world and fit in to do the best that I can do. I want to make the world a better place for me and those around me. I learned to work with others with similar goals to achieve even better things. Through the history and thus a part of Paganism, I understand that it can be hostile and thus I sometimes have to fight and do what is needed to protect what is worth protecting. Harmony doesn't mean at peace. Harmony is working with all the waves in life to create a productive future. Think about Beethoven's Famous 5th symphony ... "Dunt Dunt Dunt Daaaaa" Well that is a harmony. sharp , strong, and loud, but still a harmony that builds a beautiful piece of music. I am a small cog in a larger machine called life, when I am in the right spot, I make everything run smoother and better.
So do you classify witchcraft with being a Pagan? Is it because you can't be a Christian and cast a circle? Prayer is a form of magic. When you prey , you are collecting , focusing and shaping energy, which is what witchcraft is. Those rosary beads are magical tools. Communion is a ritual performed for spiritual growth, just like casting a circle. DO you ever notice that only older men are called 'brothers', and that there are church elders. Well that is just like the magical covens ranks systems.
Wicca might mean witch in old English, we no longer speak olde English on daily conversations. The Brits might call a Flashlight, a torch, but we understand the differences in the words meaning due to distance. Why can't others look past the old English version and remember that speak modern English. Words lose and change means over time and distance. So an American "flashlight" doesn't change its composition because one group calls it a 'torch'.
Witchcraft is also an umbrella term , but for people that use a set grouping of skills. These skills involve the understanding of the spirits in nature. One such name used in this umbrella is "shaman". The Dictionary defines shaman as:A member of certain traditional societies, especially of northern Asia and of North and South America, who acts as a medium between the visible world and an invisible spirit world and who practices magic or sorcery for purposes of healing, divination, and control over natural events. In villages there were people calling "Cunning folk", which is defined as: Folk healers, in England also known as cunning folk or (more rarely) as white witches are practitioners of folk medicine, folk magic, and divination within the context of the various traditions of folklore in Christian Europe
Under these definitions , witchcraft is a skill or profession. A person can be of any belief system and be a person that performs some of the various forms of witchcraft. Tis should be a very simple concept to understand, but alas it is not. Under the pagan umbrella of belief systems is 'wicca', a very modern form of Paganism with a high focus on witchcraft. "Wicca" literally does mean witch. So there are large volumes of people that classify themselves as "witches" because of wicca, but have a rather limited view of witchcraft due to their limited views created with Wicca. Thus there is this massive grey area created between belief system Wicca (witch) and the Skill/profession witch. Magick is using energy to cause subtle change, there are rules to this magick just like every other skill we have. How it is done varies based on the individuals desires and ethics.
The difference has to be established early and with some vigor. Take away magic and what do you have left in your beliefs? If you remove the concepts and rules of magick and you have nothing left, you are a witch of skill with undefined beliefs. But if you remove witchcraft and you have a practice of earth worship and honoring life, then you are a pagan and a witch. If you call yourself a Wiccan , but by removing the use of magick from it, you have nothing left, you are a witch of skill and not a pagan of belief. honestly Witchcraft is not limited to pagans, you can be any religion and be a witch. Thus just because you cast a circle, doesn't mean you are a pagan.
So what are the principles of belief. Back in 1974 , a group of pagans got together and worked out a rough list of principles of wiccan/pagan beliefs. Here are those 13 principles....
1. We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters.
2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility towards our environment. We seek to live in harmony with Nature, in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.
3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that is apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called "supernatural", but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.
4. We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity-as masculine and feminine-and that this same Creative Power lies in all people, and functions through the interaction of the masculine and feminine. We value neither above the other, knowing each to be supportive of the other. We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magical practice and religious worship. 2
5. We recognize both outer and inner, or psychological, worlds -- sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconscious, Inner Planes, etc. -- and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magical exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.
6. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.
7. We see religion, magick and wisdom-in-living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it -- a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft, the Wiccan Way.
8. Calling oneself "Witch" does not make a Witch -- but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A Witch seeks to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well without harm to others and in harmony with Nature. 3
9. We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness, that gives meaning to the Universe we know, and our personal role within it.
10. Our only animosity towards Christianity, or toward any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be "the only way," and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.
11. As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the Craft, the origins of various terms, the origins of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.
12. We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as "Satan" or "the Devil", as defined by Christian tradition. 4 We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor do we accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.
13. We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.
2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility towards our environment. We seek to live in harmony with Nature, in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.
3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that is apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called "supernatural", but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.
4. We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity-as masculine and feminine-and that this same Creative Power lies in all people, and functions through the interaction of the masculine and feminine. We value neither above the other, knowing each to be supportive of the other. We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magical practice and religious worship. 2
5. We recognize both outer and inner, or psychological, worlds -- sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconscious, Inner Planes, etc. -- and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magical exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.
6. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.
7. We see religion, magick and wisdom-in-living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it -- a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft, the Wiccan Way.
8. Calling oneself "Witch" does not make a Witch -- but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A Witch seeks to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well without harm to others and in harmony with Nature. 3
9. We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness, that gives meaning to the Universe we know, and our personal role within it.
10. Our only animosity towards Christianity, or toward any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be "the only way," and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.
11. As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the Craft, the origins of various terms, the origins of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.
12. We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as "Satan" or "the Devil", as defined by Christian tradition. 4 We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor do we accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.
13. We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.
I love the 13 principles because they talk about ethics, philosophy, responsibility, and harmony. It didn't mention about casting a circle on every full moon. It talks about other realms, but not how to visit these realms. Paganism is the belief system in understanding the world and universe around us in many different perspectives. But #8 is important because it state, calling yourself a witch doesn't make you a witch. Time, commitment, practicing, and learning are the 4 pillars in making a person a witch.
SO I have to ask you this important question. What is the definition of witch and pagan that you are using? Are you a witch because you declared it after reading a book by Silver Ravenwolf? Paganism goes beyond magick, it gives you a picture of the world and the ways we should interact with it. Paganism should give you inspiration to live your life better , and not just for yourself, but the world around you.
Paganism should help you learn how to live every day of the year. Not the focus on the 8 days of the sabbats. Paganism is not the focus of divination with Tarot decks. Divination is a skill and used to see a possibility in the future. Thus divination can be a part of you, but it is not a core part of paganism because Christians can use a tarot deck. And also a simple fact that they were adapted playing cards from years gone by.
So for me, Paganism is a belief system that shows me how to find my place in the world and fit in to do the best that I can do. I want to make the world a better place for me and those around me. I learned to work with others with similar goals to achieve even better things. Through the history and thus a part of Paganism, I understand that it can be hostile and thus I sometimes have to fight and do what is needed to protect what is worth protecting. Harmony doesn't mean at peace. Harmony is working with all the waves in life to create a productive future. Think about Beethoven's Famous 5th symphony ... "Dunt Dunt Dunt Daaaaa" Well that is a harmony. sharp , strong, and loud, but still a harmony that builds a beautiful piece of music. I am a small cog in a larger machine called life, when I am in the right spot, I make everything run smoother and better.
So do you classify witchcraft with being a Pagan? Is it because you can't be a Christian and cast a circle? Prayer is a form of magic. When you prey , you are collecting , focusing and shaping energy, which is what witchcraft is. Those rosary beads are magical tools. Communion is a ritual performed for spiritual growth, just like casting a circle. DO you ever notice that only older men are called 'brothers', and that there are church elders. Well that is just like the magical covens ranks systems.
Wicca might mean witch in old English, we no longer speak olde English on daily conversations. The Brits might call a Flashlight, a torch, but we understand the differences in the words meaning due to distance. Why can't others look past the old English version and remember that speak modern English. Words lose and change means over time and distance. So an American "flashlight" doesn't change its composition because one group calls it a 'torch'.
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Limits on Magick
We live in a world that is bound be rules and laws. This time I am not talking about the laws of a government, the universe is bound by the laws of physics. Such as gravity, resistance, and energy. These laws effect us daily in how we use technology and stay alive. But I see so many people forget about these laws when it comes to magic. Magick is a paranormal effect, which means that it is currently beyond science. We can't measure and reproduce the effects of magic repeatedly to prove it exists scientifically.
So I took one of those IQ tests a while back and it told me that I am a Spatial Mathematician. I am apply to conceive volumes and distances in my mind better than most people. I Also used to play the Rolemaster Roleplaying game a lot when I was younger. Old school roleplaying requires the use of a lot of numbers and paper. But what does this have to do with magick? Absolutely everything, because it is in polar opposition to the current magick view point. Today people view magick as a can do anything and without limitations.
1. Energy levels, To cast a spell we need to summon , pool and focus energy. But there is a limit to the amount of energy that we can muster at one time. A person is a battery of energy, well when you are just starting out you are a "AAA" battery. Learning proper form and exercising energy pooling will increase the amount your body can hold and focus. Most people can't just meditate for 2 hours to gain extra energy. The mind will lose focus at some point and the energy level will max out. In the RPG that I played they assigned a character power points per level based on the PC's stats Self Discipline, Reasoning, Presence, Intuition, and Empathy. These power points equaled one unit of power to cast a spell. So the more pore points you had the better. Then for every level you went up, you number of power points went up as well. So if a level 1 monk leveled up, her would go from 6 power points to 12 power points.
2. Range of spells. How far can we cast spells is something that is sorely not discussed. we have no scientific proof of a limit of range on spells, but surely we can't think that spells are without range limits. Magick is energy and while energy can't be destroyed it can be worn away and absorbed by other forces. Lets look at the power of the Sun. The earth is the perfect distance from the sun to maintain life. If the Earth was as close to the sun as Venus we would die due to excessive heat. But if we were on mars, we would freeze to death because it is a -85 degrees. The sun's massive energy fades as the light spreads apart and away from the sun. Even lasers have range limits. the standard laser pointers that you can buy only have a range of average 100 yards.
But spells are energy, so they are bound by some laws of physics as well. SO this range can affect the focus of the energy that we cast out. Just like the flash light, it is a small beam of light up-close, but you triple the distance and it is much larger and not as bright.
3. Area of effect. almost as bad as the range of spells, people have this concept that the spells can cover large vast areas. Sure if you have the experience and knowledge , yes your spellwork could effect a large area. But if you are just starting out, you shouldn't expect a spell to change the weather on a grand scheme. It takes more energy to effect a larger area. That is like assuming that a 20 watt bulb can equally light up a small room as it would light up a football field. It takes more energy to produce the more light required to light up the football field. SO we can't expect the neophyte witch to produce and focus enough energy to bring in a thunderstorm, they might only be able to channel enough energy to bring in a few clouds.
4. Multiple targets, With the attempt to bind President Trump, I saw another limitation. The writer of this spell was talking about effecting all the people that abet to trump as well. that would require the energy that you send out to be divided many times. With the energy reduced because you are wanting to effect 10 different people, that would mean that Trump's binding spell against him was less powerful. So you tried to bind him with a rope to prevent him from doing more harm. Because you weakened your spell, you are now using a shoestring. Now if you can clearly picture the targets you want then you can retain more focus , but something so open to interpretation, the focus is lost.
5. Timing of Spell work and range. The error with the Trump binding spell was that it was so poorly timed. There was no one unified time to cast this binding spell. Midnight on the East cost is 11:00 PM central time. So from the US mainland alone Trump received 4 weaker spell waves instead of one united spell wave.
So I took one of those IQ tests a while back and it told me that I am a Spatial Mathematician. I am apply to conceive volumes and distances in my mind better than most people. I Also used to play the Rolemaster Roleplaying game a lot when I was younger. Old school roleplaying requires the use of a lot of numbers and paper. But what does this have to do with magick? Absolutely everything, because it is in polar opposition to the current magick view point. Today people view magick as a can do anything and without limitations.
1. Energy levels, To cast a spell we need to summon , pool and focus energy. But there is a limit to the amount of energy that we can muster at one time. A person is a battery of energy, well when you are just starting out you are a "AAA" battery. Learning proper form and exercising energy pooling will increase the amount your body can hold and focus. Most people can't just meditate for 2 hours to gain extra energy. The mind will lose focus at some point and the energy level will max out. In the RPG that I played they assigned a character power points per level based on the PC's stats Self Discipline, Reasoning, Presence, Intuition, and Empathy. These power points equaled one unit of power to cast a spell. So the more pore points you had the better. Then for every level you went up, you number of power points went up as well. So if a level 1 monk leveled up, her would go from 6 power points to 12 power points.
2. Range of spells. How far can we cast spells is something that is sorely not discussed. we have no scientific proof of a limit of range on spells, but surely we can't think that spells are without range limits. Magick is energy and while energy can't be destroyed it can be worn away and absorbed by other forces. Lets look at the power of the Sun. The earth is the perfect distance from the sun to maintain life. If the Earth was as close to the sun as Venus we would die due to excessive heat. But if we were on mars, we would freeze to death because it is a -85 degrees. The sun's massive energy fades as the light spreads apart and away from the sun. Even lasers have range limits. the standard laser pointers that you can buy only have a range of average 100 yards.
But spells are energy, so they are bound by some laws of physics as well. SO this range can affect the focus of the energy that we cast out. Just like the flash light, it is a small beam of light up-close, but you triple the distance and it is much larger and not as bright.
3. Area of effect. almost as bad as the range of spells, people have this concept that the spells can cover large vast areas. Sure if you have the experience and knowledge , yes your spellwork could effect a large area. But if you are just starting out, you shouldn't expect a spell to change the weather on a grand scheme. It takes more energy to effect a larger area. That is like assuming that a 20 watt bulb can equally light up a small room as it would light up a football field. It takes more energy to produce the more light required to light up the football field. SO we can't expect the neophyte witch to produce and focus enough energy to bring in a thunderstorm, they might only be able to channel enough energy to bring in a few clouds.
4. Multiple targets, With the attempt to bind President Trump, I saw another limitation. The writer of this spell was talking about effecting all the people that abet to trump as well. that would require the energy that you send out to be divided many times. With the energy reduced because you are wanting to effect 10 different people, that would mean that Trump's binding spell against him was less powerful. So you tried to bind him with a rope to prevent him from doing more harm. Because you weakened your spell, you are now using a shoestring. Now if you can clearly picture the targets you want then you can retain more focus , but something so open to interpretation, the focus is lost.
5. Timing of Spell work and range. The error with the Trump binding spell was that it was so poorly timed. There was no one unified time to cast this binding spell. Midnight on the East cost is 11:00 PM central time. So from the US mainland alone Trump received 4 weaker spell waves instead of one united spell wave.
Time zone map of the US.
So how do we get more power from the small batteries to power the large devices? We add multiple batteries and form a circuit for more power output. So if the event was done at the same time and compensated for the time zones. The power from 9:00 west coast would join 10:00 mountain time zone, move with the Central time zone at 11:00, and unite at the target at 12:00 Eastern Time Zone. While the West coast energy would be weaker, because it is assisted with the Mountain time zone, it keeps more of its energy.
6. Duration. Spells are energy and energy loses potency as it progresses. Unless it can get a power boost, the energy behind the spell will disappear and slowly things will return to they way they were before the spell was cast unless your spell was fast acting and there is no way to return to normal.
I know this sounds like a buzz kill on magick, but it is meant to be the opposite. By trying to understand the principle and figuring out some form of limitations, the neophyte student won't be disappointed by the results of his/her actions. Someone could be very gifted in magick, but trying something to grand to expect obvious results so quickly. Having a student learning that they must start small and learn to build-up their abilities will strengthen them and improve the focus of their work.
Could I cast a binding spell on Trump, yes I could. I have the experience to summon, focus, and channel the energy at my target. I have practiced for a long time on how to use my hands and shape the energy. But I see that something more positive would be better than a binding spell.
We don't know many things about spiritual energy. How much can the average witch summon? What type of range does spiritual energy have? What forces effect it? How much energy is required to stop a set amount of spell energy to block a spell?
When you think about the paranormal investigations, there are many reports of batteries going dead, drain of their energy by spirits, so there is some similarity between electrical energy and spiritual energy. Our thoughts can be measured on medical equipment, and it is our thoughts and emotions that are channeled into spells. We are learning so much every day , who knows what tomorrow will hold. I just believe that a mathematical approach to magic might shed some light on the abilities that witches have in the world.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)