When Witches Fear Witchcraft…

Here’s an excerpt from Jason Miller’s latest Magick Monday Newsletter – that he posted after working hours, ergo…

Witches afraid of Witchcraft.

Magicians afraid of Magic.

Sorcerer’s afraid of Sorcery.

It seems kind of crazy when you say it like that, but I see it all the time. I see it increasing rather than decreasing, but I am not sure why. I can tell you though that I regularly interact with people who self-identify as Witches, Magicians, and Sorcerer’s yet seem more afraid of spells, spirits, and superstitions than a 17th century goodwife.

FEAR OF THE DARK

I am not a “dark magician” and generally avoid any kind of occultism that needs to be prefixed with “Dark” or “Nightside”. I am not a light working rainbow warrior either. I just take in reality as it is, day and night, heaven and hell. In my Hekate course we recognize the Empusae and Mormo and other monstrous beings as being part of her retinue. In the Cyprianic work I teach, we traffic with Lucifer as much as Christ, and much of the material focuses on demons. Every cycle folks express fear at working with these “dark forces”.

Part of this is societal norms creeping up. The world says the Devil is evil and the Greeks said the Empusae was evil, so why are we calling upon them? Isn’t it dangerous? Aren’t we asking for trouble?

I get that, but society says Witchcraft is evil too. I mean, why bother with any of it? If we can get past the idea that Witchcraft is not inherently evil, then maybe just maybe, some of these powers that have been vilified aren’t evil either. Read the story of Medusa. A woman who was turned into a hideous monster for having an affair with Poseidon, then spent the rest of her life secluded from humanity, until finally Perseus goes and cuts her head off. But she is the bad-guy here?

Witches, Magicians, and Sorcerer’s should be able to see that not everything that the world has declared abhorrent and evil actually is, because we ARE one of those things.

That’s not to say everything has your best interest at heart either. Predators are gonna prey, and fierce beings may require a bit of ferociousness before they respect you. Folks that treat the dark like its some Gothic Candyland full of lovable monsters might just get eaten in those Lollipop Woods. But honestly, better that than fearing to step one foot into the Witches domain.

FEAR OF MAGIC ACTUALLY WORKING

Victor Anderson once said that “White Magic is poetry, black magic is anything that actually works”. It sure seems that way for some folks. The whole idea of magic is that it makes something happen. The whole idea of spirit contact is that its a two-way communication, not just a silent imaginary friend for you to share your problems with. Yet, people come seeking to hear the spirits and communicate with the unseen world. The first moment that a spirit picks up the call and says “Yes?…” That person comes running back asking for banishing rituals to nuke that shit from space!

I mean, I think protection is a good thing. I wrote my first book on it. The Sorcerix needs that extra protection like a stock car driver needs a helmet and a roll cage – it is assumed they are doing some cool-ass extreme stuff. Yet, time after time, I see people terrified of the results that they asked for and then worked for. No danger or bad signes. Just something spoke back or what you asked for happened.

I am not alone apparently. One reviewer of Devin Hunters “The Witches Book of Spirits” states: “Very informative but I won’t be using the visualizations(or rather the guided astral projection scripts) they are potent. I flit over them and begin seeing the landscape. He offers instruction to astral project to and interact with a demon In the unhallowed plane among other places. I didn’t feel good about that. I wouldn’t suggest use of this and if you choose to, do so with great caution. This is real and he has gone to places and built connection with invasive entities (Demons) and Angels.”

Don’t do magic if you are going to panic the moment something magical happens.

FEAR OF ILL OMENS

You did a spell and the candle wax looks kind of like a bat? OMG!!!! Better go consult three readers who will confirm that you are cursed and start doing a nine day purification bath. Hurry up!

Did the candles blow out before they burned all the way down? YOU’RE FUCKED. I hope you have your affairs in order.

Or… maybe the wax just melted the way it melts and you should close your damn window. Maybe don’t leave the candles burning unattended either – because if your house burns down, the spirit you prayed to doesn’t want to be blamed for your cheap-ass class candle exploding.

Did you fall ill after starting that course, book, or ritual? Must be the fault of the book, course, or ritual. Never-mind that you are always starting some kind of new book, course, or ritual and that if you get sick it will almost certainly coincide with something magical. Same thing with losing ones job or any other unfortunate, and usually completely expected, malady.

I mean seriously. if magicians would put as much effort into actually changing their circumstances with magic as they do on blaming magic for utterly normal nonsense, the world would be so much better off!

FEAR OF THE GODS

I would have thought “God Fearing” would be at the top of the list of shit to give up when you leave mainstream Christianity behind, but WOW some of you are deeply scared of offending the Gods. Living in fear of the beings you worship is old school for sure, but is that what you really want? I regularly get asked how to “fix” a situation where someones alleged patron is mad at them for some perceived slight. I have two answers to this:

First, have a little humility. The cosmic and divine force of vastness that is worthy of the title Deity is not getting their knickers twisted because you forgot to say your mantra or lay out a cup of Mad Dog 20/20 as an offering. Stuff like this effects your practice for sure, but when it does its like the breaking of a thread that needs to be repaired, not a God personally coming after you like Regina from Mean Girls.

Second, you probably don’t put up with thin-skinned, easily offended, petulant and abuse people in your life. Why would you put up with spirits or gods that act that way? If they aren’t that way, stop acting like they might me. If they are they way, find a new god. Take it from my buddy Marcus “Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them.”

FEAR OF RESPONSIBILITY

This is probably the worst of the bunch. Witches, Sorcerers, and Magicians regularly express to me an almost paralyzing fear of being responsible for their own actions. What if they do magic and someone gets unintentionally hurt? What if they do magic and they get what they want in a way they don’t want it? What if they get what they want, but that causes new problems? And the big one…. What is they do magic and get something they aren’t SUPPOSED to have.

But people are so afraid of unintended consequences that they are afraid to do even the slightest bit of magic, lest they be held responsible for the impact it causes. Of course we try different methods to get around this.

Divination: “Dear cards: Will this spell negatively impact anyone? If so, I won’t do it”. Yes, in fact it will. You getting that Directors position negatively impacts everyone else that wants it. Your business succeeding might negatively impact your competitor. You winning the heart of Dudly Do-Right will most assuredly negatively impact Nell*. The existence of fallout is not reason not to do something. It’s a hard edged, unfair world. Every action, magical or otherwise, has uninted consequenes.

Modifiers: “So long as no one is harmed by this spell, let me be picked for director.” First, who are you asking to make sure no one is hurt by your actions? Second, if they are, you are basically sabotaging yourself because there are always unintended consequences to everything. I applaud being concerned with morality and compassion but you cannot paralize yourself with “what if’s” either. Every time you leave the house there is a possibility of something happening and it effecting others, yet when it comes to magic we feel we need some kind of modifier to prevent that.

The Gods: “I bring it before the Gods, and if He/Her/They deem it’s ok, then its out of my hands… “. This often gets brought up when people want to do curse work, or influence work, but want to be Karmically, Morally, and Responsibility free. With respect to your individual beliefs – it is not out of your hands. If I go to “Johnny Sausage” Barbato (or diety of choice), and pass him a bag of money (or offering of choice), and tell him about a guy that somebody really ought to whack, but then leave and say “but, hey, just because I want something to happen to this guy, doesn’t mean anything. I’m just sayin…. Whatever happens is up to you…” Will that defense hold up when I am changed with hiring a hit man? Nope. You knew what you wanted when you did the spell, or made the ask.

As for what you are supposed to have. If you believe in a world where people only get what they are supposed to have, why are you dicking around with magic anyway?

Don’t shift blame. take responsibility. Magic should be empowering you to handle MORE responsibility, not giving you a new way to pass the buck.

BOTTOM LINE

Magic is real, and like every other real thing there are dangers, unintended consequences, and bad actors. There are also blessings, spectacular successes, and beings both material and incorporeal that you will be glad that you risked knowing.

Be careful. Be reasonable. Be compassionate. Be responsible.

Do Not Be Afraid.