Tag Archives: witchcraft

The Ways of the Witch: Communication with Spirits Part 1

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The way of the Witch, the Shaman, the Worker of the Ancient Ways is the way of Spirit; communication and veneration of the Unseen and Those who dwell within it.  Spirits are the Life Force of the galaxies. The Universe hums and vibrates with Their presence.  They are all around us. They are the voices in our head, the daggers in our hearts and the joys of our lives.  They existed long before man and They will exist long after we are gone.

For people like me, the Spirits and Gods I venerate are what give my life purpose.  I am consumed by Them.  I am hopelessly and eternally lost in love for Them. Because of this devotion, my life is not my own and I am grateful it is not.

As I have grown older, my life’s journey has taken a turn and now, instead of just living for myself, I live and breathe to ensure  They are not forgotten.  There are not many True walkers on the Witching Road.  Many profess to walk, many profit from selling useless trinkets and vague promises, but few actually take the time to travel it; to feel the ruts of those Ancient roads, carved in the Earth by our venerable Ancestors who often gave up their lives for their Gods.

There is much misinformation regarding Spirits. It is no wonder so many of us feel that Spirit communication is difficult or that one must go through a series of complicated initiations and rituals to ensnare the attention and favor of these difficult Beings.  This is the ‘command and compel’ school of thought.  You don’t forge a relationship with the Spirit; you order It to do your bidding.  You protect yourself with sigils, circles, emblems, ceremonial garb and magical tools of all kinds to keep the aggravated Spirit from harming you.  You work in fear, because you know, deep down, one day, your luck will run out.  You will misplace a protective sigil or fail to close the circle entirely, and the very Thing that you have bullied and coerced through discourteous and ungrateful means will finally get you. And They will. And They do.

This practice is an anathema to true Workers who know, that really, Spirits are like humans.  There is nothing complicated here. To get the best out of Them and to get the best out of ourselves while working with Them, we need to forge a relationship.  This takes time.  No ritual, no working, no sigil, no herbal incense or commanding incantation can take the place of spending time with your Spirits and Gods, building that trust, that bond, that communication that only the True Worker knows.

There are kind Spirits and malevolent ones. They are Those who adore us and Those who are not so fond. There are Those who wish to help with very little prompting and then, there are Those who require bribery (grand offerings, sacrifices).  The Spirit mentality is like ours; there is much self-interest. They are grander than we. They are Ancient; Their wisdom timeless and Their vision stretches through the Universe, seeing and taking in all.  Remember your place.  Always treat Them with respect, honour and reverence.  Remember your place. You are mortal; you are requesting Their assistance and aid. Never take Them for granted or treat Them in a callous manner. You will pay for this disrespect.

To me, building a relationship with a Spirit is rather like dating or courting. You meet, you exchange glances, you sense Their interest and They sense yours. You take an interest in what pleases Them, what offends Them, what causes They feel passionate about.  Like us, Spirits have moods, favourite foods, desires, lusts and emotions to express.

Time and attention is what is needed. You need to take the time to get to know the Spirit, because hopefully, your relationship will grow and flourish for years. My Goddesses are my best friends. When I hurt, They are my solace.  When I am frightened, They are my bodyguards. When I am mistreated, They are my avengers.  No human takes the place of the Divine in my life.

Before you decide to embark on the Spirit Road, make sure you’re ready. For once They enter, your life will be forever changed.  Your heart, your perceptions, your priorities, your entire existence will be altered. It is a grand thing. It is the Shaman’s Path that beckons. It is the Way of our Ancestors. It is the Way of the Witch.

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Playing at Paganism – I Want It and I Want It Now

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It would appear, in our western modern age, that Paganism is experiencing a revival. It is now ‘hip’ to be heathen, and many who were once unfamiliar with Pagan teachings are jumping on the bandwagon, to make sure they ride this tide of popularity.

While I am glad of the resurgence of the Old Religion and elated that Paganism and Occult practice in general is becoming more ‘accepted’,  there is another worrying trend that seems to go hand-in-hand with all things that come easy; that characteristic mood of nonchalance; a lackadaisical, careless, laid-back Spirit that feeds apathy, laziness and a sense of entitlement.  It is the “I Want It and I Want It Now” syndrome; playing at Paganism like a game at recess and then crying when we lose.

The Way, costs. It is not meant to be easy, it is not meant to be taken lightly. People in the past have died for this very belief, for the Earth Mother, for the Old Ways, the Old Gods. The Pagan’s Path of the past was a dangerous, sometimes deadly road.  Our Elders paid dearly with their lives and livelihood, and our current level of popularity and acceptance rests on the skeletal foundation of these honoured Dead.

What I was taught as a girl and what I am learning now, costs me.  When I was younger, it cost me peer acceptance, friends and childhood ‘normalcy’.  I wasn’t out with chums going to parties or joy-riding. I was studying plant Spirits and trance techniques.  I was being taught to be silent, to meditate, to be happiest when alone with only the Spirits as confidantes.  I was isolated.  Even now, as an adult, I still spend most of my time alone. Many so called ‘friends’ don’t really understand that trait. I need that solitude to keep learning, to keep growing and to increase in wisdom and knowledge.  The Way still costs me.  It always will.

I have had people ask me to teach them, saying they are eager to learn what Witchcraft and Occultism are about. I have spent much time on these enthusiastic ‘players’, until I realized that they really didn’t have the discipline or heart-felt commitment to actively pursue this type of study. They were of that genre  who think that magic or Spirit communication is something you can pick up in a weekend. These same people never completed one single assignment, yet whined later that their Walk  just seems ‘weak’ or that the Spirits just won’t talk to them.

They pout like rowdy toddlers, upset that their desires have been thwarted. They treated the whole thing as a lark, as a hobby, as something to do between internet posts, text messages and the latest episode of “True Blood”.  Their light-hearted attitude saddens me and eventually, closes off my compassion towards them.

My Walk is my life. I am not a hobbyist. It is my passion. It is my life’s driving force. It is the thorn in my side and the balm to my soul.  I eat It, breathe It, bathe in It and dream It. I consume It and It consumes me.  I was asked recently by a friend how many hours a day I spend on this ‘Spirit’ stuff. I answered, “24″.  There is no ‘on and off’ switch.  For those who are serious, for those whose feet walk the road less travelled, the way is oftentimes challenging, most times lonely and eventually, compulsively obsessive.

I am not saying that Paganism or Occult practice isn’t fun and isn’t something to be enjoyed. In fact, for me, my practice is the one and only constant that brings me true joy. The whole experience isn’t all work. But what I am stating is due to the staggering popularity of this revival, there is an overwhelming lack of discipline, reverence and respect regarding  Witchcraft in particular and Occultism in general.

These are Ancient Powers. These are Celestial, Infernal and Earthly Authorities that surpass our deepest knowledge or awareness.  The way we approach Them must be with the most reverent and grateful of hearts. Anything less shows a lack of maturity on our parts, a childishness that reeks of arrogance and narcissism. Is it any wonder The Great Ones would ignore that?

I have come to believe that really, deep down, there are few called to this life. There are few with the mentality or the courage to offer their lives in exchange for wisdom and self-knowledge.  The self-sacrifice is a prerequisite.  “To whom much is given, much is required”. {1}  Let it be so, and let the players at Paganism become bored and wander off.  There are other games for them, other sparkly toys for their eternally short memory spans.  Let them stay always at play. Let them forever remain spoiled, reticent children. And, let them stay, far, far away from me.

 

References:

{1} Bible: Luke 12.48

“True Blood” – HBO Series produced by Alan Ball

Image: Sheknows.com

 

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Plant Spirit Communication – Foundations of Primitive Witchcraft – Essay 2

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In the darkest recesses of our ancient imagination, where the collective unconscious of ages past rests on our minds like a heavy blanket;  in this deep, dark place, shrouded in mystery, if we allow ourselves , we can become as we once were.

We can regain our lost heritage, history, wisdom and wholeness. When the Earth was young and the Divine Feminine held sway; in this place, the Earth spoke. We were wiser then, and silent, moving in honour and showing reverence.

Here, in our primordial past, the plants would speak to us. We were made whole by their presence and with their medicine, we were healed. They were our green saints; giving audience to our petitions, offering relief, regeneration and direction.

Now, we watch TV. We play video games or spend endless hours on the internet. We rarely even sit outside, or take the time to notice the flora that surrounds us. All more the pity, for it’s in this consecrated place,  outside our front door, that the Spirits of the plants would still speak to us with shadowed, whispered movement and delicate breath. They wait.

This is plant Spirit communication. This is knowledge gained, wisdom shared and the cycle of life continuing, one species bestowing gifts upon another, in an endless parade of sharing, taking, sharing, taking. How glorious it all was and how far we have wandered from this shaman’s Paradise.

It is not too poetic to state that my life has been radically influenced by plants. I have been blessed with a tradition that honours them and was trained from a young age to be respectful of them. How thankful I am for this training, for this appreciation. The greatest gift my dad ever gave me was the gift of Spirit awareness,  listening, ever listening, to the multitude that surround us.

Each plant has a special Spirit within; a personality, a characteristic, a method of co-existing with the world around it. Just like humans, they have their likes and dislikes; their preferences and predilections.  Some love the water, keeping their toes forever in the moist earth and wilting almost instantaneously when that moisture isn’t available. Some crave the heat of the Brother, the hotter and more focused His rays and light, the better. Some are nocturnal, putting out scents and shows for the waxing or waning  Sister and those of us who prefer  the Dark.

Just like our human friends,  plant Spirit communication is built over time, as a relationship. It doesn’t happen overnight. The plants have come to mistrust us and rightfully so. We take and take, greedily breaking the cycle of giving and sharing. We use and take from the Earth Mother without regard. Because of this, the Spirits of all the plants from the grandest trees to the tiniest wildflower are now ill-at-ease and introverted. It will take patience to mend this chasm. It will take dedication and diligence. It will take discipline and a walking away from the things of this modern world to step back into the past.  Are you up for it?

What sets dedicated farmers and gardeners apart from plant shamans, witches and medicine men is that of SPIRIT.  Most people can grow a plant. Most people can harvest a good supply of whatever seed is sown. The Mother is good to us like that. But where we miss the trick and where we lose the thread, is ignoring the Spirit inherent in the plant; that invisible, intangible Force that permeates each growing thing.  To really learn, to really be healed in Spirit and body, one must make contact with this Force. In times past, one learned this from an elder of the tribe or the village wise woman. Now, unfortunately, in most cases, we must educate ourselves.

The easiest way to do this to get acquainted. Just like dating, just like that tender beginning of human relationships, building plant Spirit communication is no different.  Choose one plant that you feel drawn to, either because of scent or appearance; attraction is key.  Start with one. Learn its name. Just like dating, you can’t get to know someone without knowing their name. Learn the common and Latin botanical name.  Learn its habitat (where it lives).  Take time to research what it likes: dampness, dryness, heat, or cool shade. Take time, every day if possible, to touch it, speak to it, sit in silence next to it.  Mentally ‘connect’ with the Life Force of the plant.

Silence is key to all paths of true shamanistic wisdom. Close your mouth and open your heart. Lean into it and listen. Listen. Listen. Calming of your own inner chatter and restless mind is part of the training. All Spirit communication, no matter what form it takes, will always start the same: in silence.

You will find as you practice this, as you start to learn various plants and recognize them by their auras and faces, as you take time to listen, and sit in solitude with them, that just like your human friends, they will start to trust you and open up to you. They will share their lives and their ancient memories with you. You will become initiated into the great brotherhood of plant and root doctors who for eons have healed and been healed and have been transformed.  The primal path can begin anew, with you, today.

Go outside.

 

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What are the Dark Arts?

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The Dark Arts are certainly not for everyone. In fact, most people shy away from the term, preferring to ignore it, in hopes it will go away.  The dark is scary, unknown, and evil, right? No one who is good has any ‘dark’ traits. If you are nice, you are light and good. If you’re bad, you are dark and evil.  I think, however, that if these same people were being truthful, they would have to admit that even they too, have a ‘dark’ side to their cheery, nice personalities; that ‘naughty boy or girl’ who comes out, say, after a few drinks, or if someone cuts them off in traffic or if they’ve been gossiped about at the office.

The idea of mere ‘duality’ existing in the Universe is utter nonsense, fed to us by monotheistic religions who wish to control, dominate, subdue and persuade. There are, in fact, multiple shades of grey; progressing from the most blinding, eye piercing white to the dankest, most hollow, soul-sucking black. Nothing on the Web (in the created Universe), is ALL good or ALL evil. NOTHING. The christian mythos of an ‘all pure and loving god’ versus an ‘all evil and hateful devil’ is deceitful and a distortion of the truth. If it goes against the grain of monotheistic teachings, it is wrong, baneful and beastly, dark, sinful, unholy, unclean, negative and deserving of punishment and retribution.

The simple truth is the Universe just doesn’t work this way. It never has. No such thing as justice, fairness or morality exists in Nature. That is not how the macrocosm works and thusly, that is not how the microcosm works (as above, so below).

The Web is made of Strands (currents) which fluctuate second by second. The Web has no sympathy. It has no feelings of sorrow or pity. It moves by the dictates of the Mother and the Three Sisters of Fate; She who creates the Strand, She who weaves it and ultimately, She who cuts it. They work indiscriminately, without mindfulness of justice, love, peace, or forgiveness. They care not.  So-called ‘negative’ currents such as death, decay and destruction are as necessary to the running of the Cosmos as life, abundance, and construction. Life is cyclical, “What goes around, comes around”. The only constant is change; “This too, shall pass”.

When something bad happens to you, it is not ‘karmic punishment’. It is not a holy god’s retribution on you for being sinful. It is life. LIFE is happening to you. Illness, want, disease, heartbreak, despair, desire and ultimately death, come to us all. Bad things happen to good people, good things happen to bad people. The Universe is not fair, just or kind. That is why, as Pagans, we cannot just embrace ONE side of life; we can’t just take the pleasurable things and never experience or acknowledge the painful. We can’t just take the light and never embrace the dark. That goes against the natural order.

For me, the only true Path can be that of acceptance and acknowledgement of dark and light and the myriad shades in between. The Power is always neutral, non-judgmental, and impartial. The goal then, for any Worker of the Old Ways, is achieving one’s own end; using the neutral Power of the Cosmos to attain personal and public goals and to influence outcomes; the Dark Arts.

Left, right, middle hand path, it doesn’t matter. The Web is being shaken by your motives, your intent, your spells, rituals and incantations. Every word you utter, every thought you think, every desire in your heart are co-creators of life, of destruction, of change. We influence the Web by our mind and our actions, and in return, It influences us.

The cost of accessing and using this Power can be great. Many fall to insanity, to ruin, to degradation of self and others. Every act of crafting, every curse or blessing, every petition, rocks the Cosmic Web. The Strands undulate, blowing with every exhale of the Mother. Each Strand; a soul, a current, a hex or a healing, a friend or a foe.

Be wary then, of asking for too little, of asking for too much, or really, of asking for anything at all. There is always a payment due. What the Gods give with one hand, they take away with another. There is always a reaction, a ripple effect, from the Web. Nothing is free. Even for the Dark Arts, this is true.

Burn

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I fly on the Midnight
With wings of longing
Dodging stars

The Air so cold and thin, It scratches.

I fly to Her
My twilight Mistress
She calls, bellowing sonic booms.

My heart latches

Spring open
My One Love
True End of my Desire

She consumes me
I am Cinder

The flesh crackles
A human Fire.

Panentheism and Animism – Foundations of Primitive Witchcraft Practice- Essay 1

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Panentheism - of Greek origin meaning “All -in-God” is a belief system which posits that the Divine exists (be it a monotheistic god, polytheistic gods, or an eternal cosmic animating force), and interpenetrates every part of nature, timelessly extending beyond it. Panentheism is differentiated from pantheism, which holds that the divine is not a distinct being or beings but is synonymous with the universe.

Simply put, in pantheism, the divine is the whole; however, in panentheism, the whole is in the Divine. [1].

Animism - Latin origin (anima) meaning “soul or life” refers to the belief that non-human entities are spiritual beings, or at least embody some kind of life-principle and awareness.

Animism encompasses the beliefs that there is no separation between the spiritual and physical (or material) world, and Souls or Spirits exist, not only in humans, but also in all other animals, plants, rocks, geographic features such as mountains and rivers, and other entities of the natural environment.[2].

Before I begin, I want to stress to readers that the following essays are MY experience, MY beliefs and the way I was taught.  I know and understand that many other paths and traditions exist and I try to honour those as best I can. I cannot expound on them or offer suggestions. THIS is my way, THIS is my tradition.  Feel free to disagree. I do hope, however, that before you quickly turn aside,  you take a tiny bit of this philosophy with you, to ponder and ruminate, for it is Ancient, one of the oldest philosophies and religious persuasions known to man.  Let us honour it, and be aware of it, before the corroding sands of time and the so-called ‘progression’ of civilization destroys it forever.

As a panentheist and animist, it is my belief the Divine dwells in individual form  throughout all of Creation.  As parts of the Whole, each created being is a Strand, a thread, a cord,  which composes the Universal  or Cosmic Web. My Strand intersects with you, here, on this blog as yours intersects with mine. Animals are Strands, rocks are Strands, plants are Strands. Grass, birds, insects, clouds and stars are Strands. Every day and in millions of ways, Strands connect or disconnect from other Strands.  The Web is Eternal, created and maintained by the Mother. Even the Gods reside on the Web and cannot over rule it. It is the Universe, it is the World, it is the Cosmic Song.

With this worldview, I see  the Universe as holy, sacred and honourable. I venerate Gaia, I pay homage to Creation and Life. I bow in reverence before the sea, before trees, rivers, flowers, stars and standing stones. They are alive. They pulsate with an energy undetectable and unnoticed by most.

This visionary and intuitive understanding of the Cosmos is what sets shamanistic occult paths apart from many others.  This belief system has been held worldwide in many cultures; in the Pre-European Americas, South America, Central America, southeast Asia and Africa. This is the philosophy of Spinoza and Einstein.  We panenthesists are in good company.

I hope in these series of essays to expound on some particulars of panentheism and animism and how to incorporate this wisdom into daily practice. It is my hope to always honour the Old Ways and to try to educate and encourage a deeper understanding of the Web and the Spirits that surround us and share this sphere with us.

I offer my Strand , my life, to She Who Has No Name.  May She abide in my continued adoration.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panentheism

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animism

 

Secrecy and Silence in the Way

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It has always been my opinion that most people talk too much. Yes, they do. Constantly, consistently, and to the self-serving irritation of all the other chatterboxes and babblers around them.

Our society is overwhelmed with words: TV, internet, radio, iPods, iPads, audio books and cell phones with a never-ending stream of music, videos and movies. There is hardly a place on the planet where one can go and be alone, in silence. It’s amazing how many people are afraid of silence. Much is masked behind a façade of words, to the dismay of the Gods and the annoyance of the Spirits. To sit alone, in golden silence and listen to the Voice within, to the Spirits, to Nature, is life’s best experience. I have never learned more, either from myself or from Those greater than I, than in that peaceful silence where no words are necessary and all is revealed.

How much wisdom, lore, myth and power has been lost behind our wall of words? For those of us raised in the Way, the tradition of our mothers and fathers was passed from generation to generation by silent demonstration, carefully guarded instruction and timely discipline. How far we have wandered from that deeply rutted, ancestral road of contemplation and deep thought.

Now, as civilization and technological progress seeks even more ways to control our time and attention, we impetuously skip down superficial highways of celebrity gossip, status updates,stock quotes and second-by-second news tickers. We have lost our map, lost our way and lost our Faith. It is on the quiet back roads and desolate trails which are rarely travelled, where true wisdom lies; this is where we meet our Spirits and connect with the Divine, and where the instruction of our ancestors and the obsession of our souls truly reside.

My family was one of few words. There was little small talk or idle chatter. I was taught the importance of keeping quiet and keeping secrecy in Walking the Way. When doing a Working of any kind, the cryptic veil of silence should be drawn between the Worker and his/her friends and yes, even family.

Deep calls to deep and only the Deep shall respond.

Speaking about a Ritual or a Working and sharing intimate details of the ways and words used is highly disrespectful to the Powers who aid us (Familiars, Deities, Elementals, Ancestors and other Spirits). If you call upon otherworldly Powers to assist you in gaining aptitude and skill in your Art, you risk losing your ability to communicate and invoke/evoke those Powers ever again if you speak of them rashly or in a way that reveals too much.

There is a reason for this secrecy. Power shared is power lost. Those who aid us will be hard pressed to repeat Their help if we continually rend the veil and share Their sincere potency to those around us who are ill-prepared, immature, uninitiated and ungrateful. With discipline, endurance, prayer and seeking comes wisdom. Anyone who isn’t prepared to walk the rugged path, should not be given the Keys to the Kingdom.

If you break the rule of silence, your power in the Way will be weakened, your Sources will become distant and you will find yourself with plenty of time for the idle talk, gossip, and time-wasting chatter in which you so willfully and ignorantly indulged yourself. That is your due reward. Your seeds of distraction and lack of focus have grown into a full-blown power failure and you will not be helped. You will sit in the silent dark eventually, not from your own heart’s longing, but as punishment for your derision and folly. Be forewarned:

That which is taught in the Dark should be kept in the Dark.

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