Something to go with yr morning coffee – an excerpt from Jason Miller’s Magic Monday Newsletter:
“Witches and Magicians are starting to love the Saints more and more. I have talked to a bunch of people who love working with Saints even though they abhor anything else Christian. This is a sentiment that I don’t share but completely understand. The Saints however still seem to hold an attraction, but why? Why not just rely upon the Gods and Angels and Demons and Nature Spirits and other beings of power?
“Speaking of power there is rarely anything that speaks to POWER in the iconography of the Saints. Whereas Gods hold weapons and lightning, Saints are more often shown suffering or dying. Whereas Tantric Yidams and Demons are all Flame, Fury, and Ferocity the Saints are often gentle, or just plain ordinary. Though it might be counter-intuitive, this is precisely where I think attraction lies.
“The saints appear as people, you can relate to them easily. More than that though, the Saints have suffered, and there is every chance in the world that the reason you are turning to a saint is because you too are suffering. The suffering they endured in life is often what they excel at interceding in in death. Whether they solved their dilemma or were killed by it almost doesn’t matter. They are willing and able to intercede and influence the human condition because they know the worst of it so well.
“Though the saints do have their own power to act, what they do mostly is intercede with other powers. Ever notice that prayers to the human Saints often end with “Pray for Us” whereas prayers to the Angels end by asking them to do things. This is why the combination of Saints and powerful spirits can be so powerful. Its like a loop – the Saint greases the wheels for you and puts you in touch with the right powers, those powers than carry out your Sorcery.
“If you don’t like working with the Christian tradition, look for those saints anyway. Whether they actually lived or not is nearly beside the point, since many of the very effective Saints clearly did not. If you work with Hekate for instance Medea knows not only how to instruct you in Pharmakopia, but has also suffered greatly from the application of her magic. Rabelais knows the cost of rebelling against world proclaiming his Will and perhaps can aid in the same.
“I love St Cyprian because he excels at this interceding with the powers of magic itself. He can be approached from the Christian angle, the Diabolist angle, and the Pagan angle. More than that he has lived and suffered and understands the life of a Sorcerer. If the only figures you work with in your practice are defined by how powerful they are, perhaps you need to think about who your Saints can be as well.”
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