This page is all about how I view the world of Magick and
Paganism. To get to any particular section of this page, just click the
phrases below that interest you:
Paganism
Pagan Gods/Deities
Pentacles/Pentagrams
Witches
Warlocks
Witchcraft
Magick
Hoodoo
Spells/Rituals
Witchcraft and Ethics
Psychic Abilities
Covens
The Afterlife
Halloween
Proselytizing/"Witnessing"
Hell
Philosophical Satanism
Paganism means different things to different
people. To me personally, it doesn't only indicate a religion outside of the
"top 3" (Christianity, Judaism and Islam), it's also more recently
classified as an umbrella-term used to describe all earth-based
spiritualities. "Pagan"
comes from the Latin word "paganus" which meant "country
dweller." The term was coined ages ago by early Christians, to describe
the people living on the outskirts of the cities who weren't converted to
Christianity and kept to themselves. Many of the modern Pagan faiths
of today are based on some of the concepts, deities, symbols and seasonal
days of celebration (modernly known as Sabbats, such as Yule, Ostara,
Samhain, etc) of ancient and modern races, from Celtic to African to Native
American. Paganism in
general, from my viewpoint, is a natural religion, grounded in the earth—in
some Pagan paths, all living things (including stars, planets, humans,
animals, plants, rocks) are regarded as having spirit, so therefore, many
Pagans give much reverence for the Earth as a living thing.
As a Pagan, I believe that a creative force exists in the universe,
and I acknowledge many different Gods and Goddesses as being literally
individual parts of that one existing creative force—each deity has Their own
personality and intellect, but are still unified as the one whole
consciousness at the same time. To sum it up, it’s monotheism and polytheism
at the same time. This concept was part of the belief system of Kemeticism in ancient Egyptian times, centering
on the various Neteru (all the different deities) and the Neter (the one
creator). At the risk of coming across as trifling, I personally think of it
as one pie that’s cut up into many different pieces. Each piece is individual
in its own right, separate from the rest, but still part of the one whole
pie. I simply don’t believe in the usual adage that many Pagans follow, which
states “All Gods are the one God”—to me, each deity is separate and distinct,
yet still part of the one whole; they’re certainly not all the same deity.
I believe what I have affectionately termed “evolutionary
creationism”, which basically means that while I feel there’s a creative
force in the universe, I still believe in the theory of evolution, and that
all evolution was/is divinely and intelligently designed and guided by that
creative force, including the evolution of the human species.
The eclectic Paganism that I practice is not about worship of
Deities, it's about respect. When people hear the word 'worship', they see
someone going down on their knees with head and eyes lowered, in a position
of, if nothing else, some kind of supplication and minor spiritual
inferiority. Our human journey is about keeping our back straight and eyes
open, and giving respect where respect is due. Paganism is not a belief
system of supplication; I do not grovel before God forms. That doesn’t mean
the Creator, or any goddesses or gods, cannot be honoured or thanked, or that
They cannot be called upon when one is in a bind—but the common act of
sniveling at Their feet is unacceptable. The Deities of the Paganism I
practice are not interested in the sacrifice of one’s dignity. Their function
is for the celebration of life and all the fun and enjoyment that goes with
it. My personal brand of Paganism, as with any other individual's religion,
is interaction with the Divine, raising one’s personal vibrational sequence,
in both ritual and everyday life, to accept and enjoy this union. The point
is, there really is no parent-God in charge, in my opinion. The
Universe(s)—by which I mean all beings and all matter—has its own internal
consciousness and direction. There's no one "up there" to tell us
what to do or punish us if we do something wrong.
On a personal note, the goddess I feel closest to is Isis, from
Egyptian mythology—She is the epitome of what I call the "Great
Mother". I give Her much reverence and respect in general, but I do it
as a mature, adult daughter to her loving mother, not as a servant or
inferior being. I don't really do any rituals of "worship" or
what-have-you, my relationship with Isis is very friendly and casual—I just
go along my merry way, day by day, and talk to Her once in a while, (much
like a child calling up his/her mother just to say hi); I will occasionally
ask for help or protection when it's desperately needed, and I, of course,
give Her thanks when She helps me out. Other than that, it's a pretty laid-back
relationship, not very formal at all.
I’ve recently been entertaining the idea of where the different gods
& goddesses originally came from. What I mean is that long before science
and religion existed, when things like weather patterns and forces of nature
were feared and revered by the people of those times, the people thought that
great beings presided over each act of nature. These great beings needed to
be placated so the people would not be destroyed or killed, or so their crops
would grow, etc, so they gave these god-forms names, and worshiped them and
sacrificed to them, and in essence, made the thought-forms real, being born
from and part of the original creative-force in the universe. But like I
said, it’s just an idea that I’m mulling over, while I try to find my
rightful place in the universe.
A lot of Witches and Pagans in general have adopted the upright
pentacle or pentagram as their main symbol of choice. They might interpret it
as a spiritual symbol representing life and eternity. Or it might help the
individual identify with their spiritual ancestors. Or, like I believe, it is
used to correspond with the four elements/directions (which vary from
tradition to tradition—mine are West/Earth, South/Fire, East/Water,
North/Air) with the topmost point being for Spirit or Deity as overseeing all
that is of the earth—the five factors needed to sustain life—representing the
importance of spiritual enlightenment over material gain or earthly matters.
The circle of the pentacle represents the protective circle of the Universe
around us. (Those who practice left hand paths, i.e. Satanism, often use the
inverted pentagram to represent material gain over spiritual matters. I've
been known to wear an inverted pentagram/pentacle on occasion, when I'm
feeling particularly selfish and materialistic, hehe.)
The use of the pentagram/pentacle has been said to predate
Christianity by thousands of years (although this has been debated back and
forth for ages), but the Christian faith at times has also used the upright
pentagram itself for varying reasons, so it is not solely a Pagan symbol.
Many Witches and Pagans wear the pentagram or pentacle as jewelry and use it
on their altars, as I do. The symbol is frequently traced in the air by hand
or with incense, or by using an athame (a ritual knife). I do this quite
often by hand, on my body as opposed to outward in the air, as a way to bless
myself or to protect myself against negativity. The hand passes from the
forehead to one hip, up to the opposite shoulder, across to the other
shoulder, down to the opposite hip and back to the forehead. I find it works
in difficult situations, it makes me feel better, very similar to how a
Catholic would bless themselves with the sign of the cross.
This article was found on a site called The Mystica, although I don’t know who wrote it.
It’s a great article and I really do agree with it, so I thought I’d include
it here; it is as follows:
“The Pythagorean mystics worshipped the
pentacle or pentagram, a pentacle which is written or drawn, because it was
based on the symbol of the Goddess Kore, frequently thought represented by
the apple core. The mystics called this symbol Pentalpha, the birth-letter interlaced five times. The symbol
meant "life" or "health." The five-point star has also
been known as the star of Isis, or of Isis' underground twin Nephthys. To the
Egyptians the star represented the underground womb.
The pentacle was a common amulet of
protection and healing in Babylon, where is was inscribed on pots to keep
safe their contents. The first amulet assuming holy signs was known as The
seven Seals. In the Judeo-Christian tradition the Seals signified the secret
names of God. The pentacle, chief among them, was inscribed on King Solomon's
magic ring. Some think this is why
the pentacle has been mistakenly called
Solomon's Seal.
More closely, however, the pentacle has
been associated with pagan deities than Hebrew ones. The downward point has
represented the Horned God who was named
Pentamorph, "He of Five Shapes," by Neoplatonic
philosophers. This god appeared in human form as well as four horned animal
shapes: bull, ram, goat, and stag.
The pagan Celts like the Egyptians felt
the pentacle represented the underground Goddess and revered it as such. This
goddess they called Morgan. To honor her, the solar hero Gawain carried a
pentacle upon his crimson breast shield.
The symbol of Man the Microcosm of the
Hermetic magicians was based on the pentacle. The pentacle represents the
macrocosm with the male figure representing the cosmos within it. His feet,
hands and head touch each of the points with his genitals located exactly in
the center. "This image is related to Fimicus Maternus's remark that man
is a microcosm ruled by `the five stars.'"
The pentacle when in an ascendant
position signifies God, but when placed in a descendant position represents
the devil. In the 19th century Elphias Levi erroneously inverted the pentacle
inscribing within it the head of the goat with horns. He described it as the
goat of lust battering the Heavens with its horns. He also indicated in his
Secret of the Mysteries that the inverted pentacle signified initiates of
superior ranks at Sabbats.
Presently the pentacle can represent
both God and man. The five points represent the following: God or man and the
four elements of nature; the five senses of man, the five wounds that Christ
suffered on the cross; and the five points of man in an outstretched
position; head, arms, and legs.
In witchcraft it is very important and
revered. The single point is upward to represent the deity of the Triple
Goddess. As a religious symbol, the pentacle is equally revered as the cross
is in Christianity and the six-pointed star, the Star of David, is in
Judaism.
There are other pentacles too which may
be plates of metal, or inscribings on parchment or paper. These are
medallions as opposed to five-pointed stars. They are used in Wiccan
initiation rituals of witches. Usually the inverted pentacle, single point
downward, denotes the first degree initiate, although this use of the
inverted pentacle is not to be confused with black magic ceremonies. It
refers to the spheres of Netzach, Hod and Malkuth only. Yesod is the central
point. In the ritual a silver pentacle is used. The initiate is instructed in
the invoking of the appropriates spirits, these being the God and Goddess.
This pentacle possesses symbols which express the importance of the God and
Goddess. Particularly, it relates to the Earth, the beginning and symbolizing
of the ankh ring on Earth, of the cosmic forces for the training of the new
initiate.
Other designs besides the five-pointed
star shape the pentacle. These include: semicircles, or demons, or the
magical names of God. Occultists and magicians use them use them in magical
work as talismans to obtain possessions and to conjure helpful spirits. As
amulets pentacles are for protection from unwanted and evil demons or
spirits, therefore, magicians may embroider pentacles on their costumes.
Most pentacles used in modern
witchcraft and magic are made of silver, the metal of the moon and psychic
powers. Some, however, are made of gold, the metal of power and energy.
Pentacles are use to consecrate the magic circle, to ground energy and serve
food; pentacles used for this latter function are usually round disks made of
clay or wax.
The Church of Satan founded in America
in 1966, adopted the Baphomet as its symbol. It is inscribed in an inverted
pentacle with the goat's head and symbols of the Kabbalah spelling
"Leviathan" meaning "an infernal serpent associated with the
devil."
Mike Nichols wrote a really good article about the meaning of the
pentagram, which I feel states my own feelings fairly accurately; it is as
follows:
“The pentagram, or five-pointed
star, may be the most misunderstood religious symbol around these days. Being
the most common symbol of Neo-Pagan Witchcraft, it has nevertheless been
denigrated by movie and publishing industries which seem 'hell-bent' on
connecting it with Satanism and other malevolent practices. However, like the
Roman Cross or Crucifix, it is only when the symbol is INVERTED that it
alludes to negativity. And even then, there are exceptions, as we shall see.
In its usual upright position
(one point uppermost), the pentagram is an ancient symbol of protection from
evil. Also called 'the endless knot' (in its interlaced form), the pentagram
was often displayed on doors, windows, and hearths of houses throughout pre-Christian
Europe. It can be traced back to Egyptian and Sumerian cultures, and has even
been found on Native American medicine tools. Sometimes mistakenly confused
with the Star of David, or hexagram (a six-pointed star emblematic of
Judaism), the pentagram is sometimes called the Star of Solomon, especially
by ceremonial magicians.
To many, the lower four points
represent the classical elements of earth, air, fire, and water, while the
fifth point, surmounting the others, represents spirit, the fifth element or
quintessence. Thus, the pentagram symbolizes the four elements of the
material world connected with, but ruled by, the spirit. When the pentagram
is placed within a circle (symbol of unity and wholeness), it stresses our
connection with the universe as a whole.
Another interpretation is that
there is not one point upward -- but three! In numerology, three is the
number of harmony, best expressed in the classical formula: thesis,
antithesis, and synthesis. In other words, it is the middle point that harmonizes
the opposing outer points. The Celtic love of triads (the most common form of
their 'wisdom literature') has its roots in this model. The upper three
points are thus placed above the lower two points, which represents dualistic
opposites that cannot be integrated or harmonized (seeing everything in black
and white).
Yet another interpretation of
the upright pentagram is that it symbolizes the most common view of deity in
Witchcraft. The upper three points represent the Goddess in her threefold aspect
of Maiden, Mother, and Crone. The lower two points represent her consort God,
in his twin aspects of God of Light and God of Darkness. However, in all
these interpretations, it is important to remember that all the points are
connected -- each an aspect of the other, all part of the same whole.
But when the pentagram is
inverted, so is its meaning. Thus, an inverted pentagram may represent the
physical world (four material elements) in domination of the world of spirit
(the fifth element). (This may be why Satanists and other 'demonistic' groups
use this symbol.) With two points uppermost, it may also express a
Neo-Platonic dualism (the old 'war in heaven', good vs. evil theme) -- as
opposed to the Pagan monistic view of reality ('the Force') seen in the
single point upward. The most common exception to this rule is that some
traditions of Witchcraft (chiefly British) employ the inverted pentagram as a
POSITIVE symbol of advanced degree. In this case, the two points uppermost
represent the horns of light, symbol of 'the Horned God', consort to the
Great Goddess (like the Greek god Pan).
The word 'pentacle', sometimes
mistakenly substituted for pentagram, really refers to a shallow dish
(usually inscribed with a pentagram) and used as an altar tool by modern
Witches, serving a purpose similar to the 'patten' at a Roman Catholic Mass.
Common variations of this tool include a dish of earth, a disk of copper, a
dish of silver, or a disk of wax.
The suit of pentacles (or
'coins') in the Tarot deck, the Stone of Fal (coronation stone of kings) in
ancient Ireland, the sangreal of the Holy Grail processions, and the
'Universal Man' of Leonardo da Vinci, are all related to the pentagram,
stressing its ties to the earth and nature, making it a symbol par excellence
of an earth or nature religion. The five points also represent the five
physical senses and allude to approaching the spiritual realm THROUGH the
sensual -- in fact, the meaning of the Ace of Pentacles in Tarot. In
numerology, 5 is the number of sexuality, combining the feminine 2 with the
masculine 3. Thus, the pentagram also represents the opposite of asceticism.
But wherever the pentagram is
displayed, one message is clear: evil has no power there.”
The actual definition and origin of the word ‘Witch’ is difficult to
ascertain, depending on your own point of view, upbringing, culture and
community, but many claim that it means ‘Wise One’, while some other others
claim it means “to cast a spell”. These days, a Witch is regarded as someone
who uses spells, conjurations and other occult/magickal methods to raise and
direct energy—someone who practices Witchcraft. This is also my definition of
myself. Some people claim that in ancient times, a Witch was a practitioner
of the remnants of pre-Christian folk magick, particularly that kind relating
to herbs, wells, rivers and stones, and that later, the meaning of the term
‘Witch’ was deliberately altered to denote a demented, dangerous,
supernatural being who practiced destructive magick—a threat to Christianity.
This change in meaning was said to be a political, monetary, and sexist move
on the part of organized religion—not a change in the practices of Witches.
This later, erroneous meaning of the term is still accepted by many
non-Witches.
A good generalization of the term 'witch' is taken from Reginald
Scot's 'The Discoverie of Witchcraft' (originally published in 1584, p. 5):
"Yet we read in malleo maleficarum, of three sorts of witches; and the
same is affirmed by all the writers heereupon, new and old. One sort (they
say) can hurt and not helpe, the second can helpe and not hurt, the third can
both helpe and hurt." In this instance, I would be classified as the
"third" type of witch, as I can and will do both.
Throughout the centuries, many activities have been erroneously
attributed to Witches and Pagans, from the laying of curses to conducting
love spells. Not to say that it doesn’t happen, but more often than not, it’s
the “victim’s” own wild imagination and willingness to place blame on others for
their problems, or the “victim” truly deserved it. I am completely unrelated
to the "Witches" (aka poisoners) in the Bible—as a Witch of
reality, I am in fact, totally opposite in belief and practice. I have
nothing to do with either the Witches or Wiccans you see on television or in
the movies, or the imaginary Witchcraft of children's literature; as a Witch,
I very definitely live in the real world, not an alternate universe. As a
Witch, I usually don’t bother anybody and mind my own business unless someone
attracts my attention in one form or another.
There are some people who say that it takes a Witch to make a Witch,
that if you haven’t been “initiated”, then you’re not a full-fledged Witch.
Bullshit. An initiation is just a rite of passage recognized by a certain
tradition or group—it is definitely not a necessity. It doesn't make one
"more of a Witch", anymore than a Baptism makes one more of a
Christian, or a Bar or Bat Mitzvah makes one more of a Jew. It is all ritual,
marking and celebrating an event of study and dedication of one's
spirituality within a tradition.
If someone is naturally attuned to the energies around them, has an
unusual affinity with nature, can make things happen by sheer will, has
strong psychic abilities without even really trying, practices Witchcraft and
Magick and lives the spirituality every day—well folks, that’s a Witch. It’s
just a natural “spark”, or “power”, that some people are irrefutably born
with, and no human individual or group on this earth has the authority to
tell anyone otherwise, regardless of how many titles they possess or how many
letters come after their name.
In some cases, this power runs in families—not by tradition, but by
blood. My two sisters and myself are the perfect example of this. In other cases,
there will be an individual in one entire family line who has always stood
out from the rest. Many of my friends are the individual type, the first in
their family, but most certainly not the last. No one type of Witch is any
better than the other, though—we all follow our calling at some point or
another in our lives, and we are all special in our own right.
Doreen Valiente wrote a wonderful article called “The Derivation of
the Word Witch”; it is as follows:
“Strangely enough, the derivation of the word witch is a
subject on which scarcely any two authorities can be found to agree. The most
frequent explanation is that it is akin to the word wise, and that witchcraft
therefore means The Craft of the Wise.
It is
widely believed that Gerald Gardner originated this derivation. However, this
is incorrect, as it appears in Hugh Ross Williamson's book, The Arrow and the
Sword, first published in 1947, before any of Gerald Gardner's books on
witchcraft. But is this the right derivation?
Not
according to Professor Jeffrey Russell, who gives an appendix on this subject
in his book A History of Witchcraft (Thames & Hudson, London, 1980).
Professor Russell rejects any connection with the Old English word witan,
meaning to know, as he also does with the Old English wican, to bend. In his
opinion, the real origin comes from the Indo-European word weik, which has a
general connection with religion and magic. From this very ancient root-word
came in turn, among other things, a word wikk, meaning magic and sorcery, and
this eventually produced the Old English wicca, a male witch, wicce, a female
witch, and the verb wiccian, to bewitch or work witchcraft.
It
will be seen from the above that "Wicca" does not mean
"witchcraft" and never did, in spite of its widespread modern use.
So how did this usage originate? In his biography, Gerald Gardner: Witch, it
describes his initiation in "Old Dorothy's" house, and says, 'It
was half way through when the word Wica was first mentioned: "and I then
knew that that which I had thought burnt out hundreds of years ago still
survived."' It will be seen that at this time Gerald didn't even know
how to spell the word. Its correct spelling is as above. Nor, unfortunately,
does this account state in what context the word was used. It might have been
that Old Dorothy's coven was simply proclaiming Gerald a male witch, in which
case this would have been an accurate use of the word.
So
where did Gerald get the idea that "Wicca" meant witchcraft? I would
like to advance a theory of my own. I must emphasise that this is just a
theory, and I may be wrong. But I believe that this idea originated from his
reading of a book which I know that he possessed, namely An Encyclopaedia of
Occultism by Lewis Spence. This very valuable work of reference first
appeared in 1920, according to the mention of it in the bibliography at the
end of Gerald's book, Witchcraft Today. It has recently been re-issued by
Bracken Books under the title of The Encyclopaedia of the Occult. The entry
referring to witchcraft begins: "Witchcraft: (from Saxon Wicca, a
contraction of witega, a prophet or sorcerer)." This could have been
read and misunderstood to mean that "Wicca" meant witchcraft, and
this misconception has been carried on through the ranks of modern witches
ever since.
It
has to be said, of course, that the word Wicca has its uses to define the
present-day revival, especially in the USA, where a number of associations
using this word have gained legal recognition as religious bodies.
Personally, however, I prefer the term The Old Religion, which is the English
equivalent of the Italian term used by the followers of Aradia, namely La
Vecchia Religione. (See Charles Godfrey Leland's book, Aradia: or the Gospel
of the Witches, first published in 1899.)
(Incidentally,
there is a legend in witchcraft circles to the effect that the reason why the
original edition of this book is so rare is that old Gerald bought up all the
copies he could find and destroyed them. Whether there is any truth in this
or not, I cannot say.)
In
spite of Professor Russell's opinion, as quoted above, there is an older
derivation of the word witch that may perhaps be worthy of consideration.
This may be found in A Concise Etymological Dictionary of the English
Language by the Rev. Walter W Skeat (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1901). This
book discusses the above-mentioned derivations
from
wicca, wicce, etc., and then in turn connects these old words with the
Norwegian vikja, which means firstly 'to turn aside' and secondly 'to conjure
away'. Thus, speculates the Rev. Skeat, the word witch possibly meant
'averter'. He also mentions that the Anglo-Saxon word witega, a prophet or
seer, comes from the Anglo-Saxon witan, to observe, which he says is 'cognate
with witan, to know.'. We have seen that Lewis Spence regarded witega as the
origin of wicca. So who is right? In spite of all claims, it seems to me that
it remains a matter of opinion. One thing we do know is that the word came to
Britain with the Saxons, who at the time of their arrival on these shores
were pagans. I believe that to them, the word witch (or whichever of its
forerunners they used), did not necessarily have any derogatory meaning. A
witch was a seer, a knower, an averter of evil. The word only took on a negative meaning with the coming of
Christianity, which taught that all the gods of the heathen were devils. So
anyone who clung to the old ways and the Old Religion was a devil
worshipper. And annually, around
Halloween, we still see the same old charges being made in the same old
spirit of bigotry. Isn't it sad that these good folk haven't learnt anything
since the Dark Ages?”
Sometimes men seeking a path in Witchcraft will ask me if male
witches are called warlocks. My answer is usually, “Well, yes and no.” A lot
of people think that the word “warlock” means “oathbreaker” or “traitor”—I
disagree. A man by the name of Niklas, aka Lil Bow Wow, wrote an informative
article about the true derivation of the word “warlock” that I completely
agree with; it is as follows:
First
of note is that the Modern English definition of the term has nothing to do
with traitors or such, and at least according to the Webster's Ninth New
Collegiate Dictionary is defined:
1 : a
man practicing the black arts: sorcerer;
2 :
conjurer
Whatever
its hypothetical etymology, it is nowadays *not* used to indicate a traitor.
And any who choose to self-identify as a warlock are saying nothing at all
about their ability to keep oath. Also, it has long irked me that compilers
of Modern English dictionaries seem so very ignorant of the role the
Scandinavian languages played in the development of English in England and
Scotland. Allow me to illustrate with the word warlock.
If,
as is posited in many Modern English dictionaries, the word
"warlock" comes from a ME "warloghe" from OE
"wærloga", then the Modern form we should expect to see would be
something like warlow, or werlow, since the tendency to move from 'gh' to 'w'
is strong in English, and from 'gh' to 'ck' unknown. This is a trait it
shares with Danish, and to provide an example, the Old Swedish
"lagh" (meaning "law") is spelled in Modern Danish
"lag" but pronounced "law" and in English, orthography
and pronunciation are again in sync, with the form "law."
That
"gh" in the Middle English form "warloghe" indicates a
uvular fricative, that is a g that is pronounced as if one were gargling (as
in Dutch "gulder"). That aspirated "g" is what, in
English, is usually exchanged for a "w". Other examples in
English: "through", "drought", etc. When one also
considers the semantic shift, i.e., from "traitor,
oathbreaker" to "sorcerer, conjurer", this all begins to
introduce an element of doubt as to the actual etymology. Now, when I find
corroberation for this hypothesis in dictionaries of Old Norse (Cleasby,
Vigfusson and Craigie), I must, as a trained linguist, seek another more
satisfying etymology. Here, then, is an alternative etymology for
"warlock", one which I find both satisfying as a linguist and as a
magic user.
In
the Old Norse tale, Eiriks saga Rauða (The Saga of Eirik the Red, mid 14th
century), the term "varðlokkur" appears in the context of a
prophecy-session at a farm in Greenland. It is used to mean a song of
conjuring. When the two constituent terms are split, we see "varð"
which had by that time the sense of a spirit, and "lokkur" or
a song of luring or attracting. In Modern Swedish, the term "lock"
is used for the pastoral songs that are sung to call the cows home from
the meadow -- "kolock". In just this same way, the song to attract
or call the "varð" or spirit, was the "varðlokkur".
Gradually, with time, the term for the song and for the singer became
interchangable, i.e., the same term was used for both. Semantically, we can
interpret the term as "enchanter, conjurer."
Now,
is all of this linguistically feasible? Yes, and here's why: The term
varðlokkur is a compound noun. The consonantal combination "rðl"
could never occur otherwise. As it is, this consonantal cluster is very
difficult, even in Norse, so the tendency is to simplify. Since in Old
Norse, the rolled "r" followed by the liquid "l" would
have organically produced the medial "ð", this consonant is
the most likely candidate for deletion. Also, word initial "v" was
commonly anglicized into word initial "w" in English. Examples:
vård = ward, vurm = worm, vatten = water, ved = wood, etc. And finally (and
in my mind, most convincingly) the geminate "k" at the end of
the Norse is reflected in the "ck" of the English. Orthographic
tendencies in English tend to reflect "kk" as "ck".
Lastly,
the nominative "ur" ending in Old Norse is superfluous in English,
as we had abandoned case endings long before. And the fact that the Scottish
and East Anglian coasts had been battered by Scandinavian raiders for quite
some time prior to the word's first attestation in *English* adds historical
probability to linguistic possibility. Now, even if my etymology back to the
Scandinavian form for enchanter is unconvincing to you, at least remember
that the Modern English term has nothing to do with traitors. If some of us
choose to reclaim the term warlock for our magical identity, it does not
indicate that we are in any way magical poseurs.”
Witchcraft is just that—the Craft of the Witch; conjuring and
sorcery, using magick and spells, and the energies within stones, herbs,
colours or other natural objects to bring about needed change or a desired
goal. Witchcraft is also known as "the Craft".
Magick is the art and science of focusing your will and emotions to
effect change both in the world around you and the world within you. Magick
is neither good nor evil, neither positive nor negative. It is the use of the
power that determines the path it will take. Magick with a ‘k’ is different
from magic with a ‘c’. Both words come from the same root, meaning “to be
able, to have power”, but magic is what an entertainer does on stage—card
tricks, making quarters disappear, sawing a hapless volunteer in half,
whereas Magick is the realm of Witches that may include spells, healing, the
harnessing of psychic forces, and even divination. Many years ago, a
ceremonial magician named Aleister Crowley added the “k” to the word to, 1)
denote the difference between the two, and 2) to make it “fit” into something
he was doing with a form of numerology called Gematria. What he was trying to
do with it, I have no idea, I'm currently researching that. But the fact is,
his new word caught on like wildfire, and I personally like it.
As I said before, I call myself a Shadow Witch. From my own personal
ethical standpoint, Magick is neither "light” nor “dark” or
"black" or "white", it falls somewhere inbetween, that's
what "shadow" means to me—it indicates that I follow neither a
right nor a left hand path of Magick and Witchcraft completely, as I
magickally deal with each individual situation on a case-by-case basis, doing
whatever is necessary at any given time. Metaphorically speaking, I’m walking
along the center line in the middle of the road, one foot in front of the
other, arms out for balance, until something or someone comes along to throw
me off balance and push me to one side or the other. Then I push right back,
to put my life and myself back in balance. I handle the situation
accordingly, with whatever form of Magick I see fit. Simple as that. In my
opinion, Magick it is a tool and a practice, it is an art and a craft, it is
something to be studied, pursued, honoured, and respected, and it’s there to
be used for however the practitioner wishes as long as they are experienced
and knowledgeable enough to handle it and the pure raw power of it. Magick,
and Witchcraft, is not fun and games, it’s very real and very powerful. It’s
well known that one shouldn’t handle a complex piece of machinery, or drive a
car, or use a weapon without first studying and really learning how, and that
is because without knowledge those things can be extremely dangerous in the
hands of someone who hasn’t had any instruction. Well, the same goes for
Magick and Witchcraft. It’s a lot like any martial art, it takes much
discipline and years of training. Just as a 3rd-degree black belt
won’t go around picking fights with people simply because he knows he can
win, a practitioner of the Craft won’t go throwing Magick around for the
wrong reasons or on a whim just because they have the knowledge to do so.
Knowledge is power, and the level of discipline achieved during training
keeps the practitioner from making mistakes that an untrained person, aka
“newbie”, would.
Hoodoo is a term generally used to describe African-American folk
magic, though what would be called Hoodoo has been practiced by both blacks
and whites in America. The word 'hoodoo' originated in 19th century America.
Other terms for hoodoo are conjuration, witchcraft, and rootwork. 'Rootwork'
is used because of the prominent role of the dried roots of plants in charms
and spells. Hoodoo is a mixture of African folk magic brought to America via
slave traditions, some Native American herbalism, and European folklore and
folk magic. It should be emphasized that, like Witchcraft, Hoodoo is not a
religion and should not be confused with Voodoo (which is a religion), even
though some erroneously use the words interchangeably. That hoodoo is folk
magic can be seen clearly by its other names.
Spells are not about turning people into frogs or granting wishes
like a genie. A spell is a set of actions and chants that you do and say in order
to achieve your goals, or to assist, in one way or another, with some
particular aspect of your, or someone else’s, life. The spell is a series of
physical, mental and magickal actions designed to rouse, program, release and
direct magickal energy for a specific purpose. It can be as simple as saying
a few words over a simmering pot for health and prosperity, instilling energy
into it for the person who will be consuming the contents, or it could be
something highly ceremonial, ritualistic and complex, taking several hours
and much energy. It’s all according to the needs and desires of the caster as
to what form of Magick they prefer.
I don’t go for the ceremonial stuff. My personal style is to either
do purely mental magick with visualization, focus and chants, or to use
herbs, candles of corresponding colours, and incantations and chants. This
can take 5 minutes or 5 hours—again, it depends on the circumstances. Every
Witch is different in his/her style of Magick.
Many people ask me if spells are the same thing as prayers. This is
not the case. A prayer is basically asking a deity or god to intervene on
your behalf to help you achieve your goals, whereas spells are using your own
power to achieve your goals.
I am one who believes that Wicca and Witch/Witchcraft are definitely not
the same thing, which is why I do not call myself Wiccan. Wicca is a
religion, one of many aspects of Paganism, that incorporates Witchcraft into
its practices—but it’s a form of Paganism that I do not follow as far as my
spirituality goes. Witchcraft itself is not a religion, in my opinion.
Religion is the spiritual, philosophical journey and perception of the world
and how an individual relates to the Divine/deities, while Witchcraft is
pragmatic and includes the use of psychology, herbalism, psychic energies,
healing, spellwork, etc. One can be a Witch and practice Witchcraft and
still follow any religion they choose in which to relate to Deity. As a Witch
I practice Witchcraft, but it is entirely separate from my Pagan
spirituality, although the two can meet in some circumstances, i.e. spellwork
and ritual. It irritates me to no end when people use the two words, Wicca
and Witch(craft), interchangeably, simply because not all Witches are
Wiccans, and not all Wiccans are Witches.
Ethically speaking, I believe in not harming anyone for the most
part, as in, I am nice to those who are nice to me, and I’m respectful of all
forms of life—but I have absolutely NO qualms about throwing magick at a
person in whatever form I choose if they deliberately do me wrong or are just
being a general pain in my ass or are just extremely rude for no reason.
Sometimes I do take, and have taken, it to a higher level when in a certain
emotional/mental state, and I'll throw out some major “instant Karma”—I send
them right to the cornfield**, so to speak, and magickally spank
them for being nasty little twits, and they get whatever it is that the
Universe sees that they deserve.
I believe the popular Wiccan “harm none” rule is generally a good
idea for people, it’s a nice guideline to live by like the “Golden Rule” (do
unto others, etc). It’s basically suggesting that people try to be kind to
their fellow humans and respect life, etc etc. It’s standard decency. But for
Goddess’ sake, don’t be a fricking doormat—go after what you want and desire
in life, and if someone gets in your way, crush them like a bug. It’s all in
the intent and ethics of the
individual Witch.
For instance, I love animals. I would sooner harm myself in a car
crash than hit an animal with my car. I let spiders roam around my home, and
sometimes relocate them outside to safety. I drove my car into a ditch when
trying to avoid hitting a possum in the road. I drove to the grocery store
once and realized I had a frog on my car from my yard at home, so I put him
in a box and brought him all the way back home so he could be back with his
froggy family. I'm a kind person and generous to a fault and would give you
the shirt off my back. But I eat meat. Lots of it, including wild game. I
have two leather jackets and two pairs of suede boots. I kill weeds and
ants/bugs in my yard. I've sent several people to the cornfield and given
them what they deserve and then some, and gotten justice where it was due.
Not revenge. JUSTICE. There's a big difference, although revenge does have
its necessity occasionally, and it doesn’t bother me one bit to go that
route. Now granted, I have seen the not-so-nice effects of Newton’s
Law of cause and effect, or “what goes around comes around”, firsthand,
brought onto people who truly deserve it, in the form of their own negativity
and dysfunctional nature coming right back at them and making their lives
fall apart—it is very real, and quite amazing to watch when it’s happening
right before your eyes. However, as for the “threefold law” and other such
nonsense, nothing like this was even heard of before the mid-1900s, so I
certainly don’t believe in anything like that. Besides, energy cannot and
does not increase at such an exact multiple. I myself have no fear of
negative effects of any Magick I do, simply because I don't go out of my way
to harm anyone unless they try to harm me first, or unless they piss me off
by being just plain stupid and deserving everything they get. But either way,
I definitely believe what goes around comes around, it’s a universal truth
and a law of physics, whether anyone else believes it or not. It’s the simple
concept of cause and effect. Everyone’s actions, on any level and no matter
how minute, have an effect of one sort or another, in the sense that a pebble
dropped into a still pond will create ripples, which theoretically can go all
the way across the pond and make a boat rock on the other side, etc. My point
is that I feel that each individual needs to take responsibility for their
own actions, one way or another, and should deal with the consequences
thereof—and if I’m the one who happens to be the one to dole out those
consequences, then so be it.
**Cornfield: Reference from a classic story called
“It’s A Good Life” by Jerome Bixby. It’s one of the best
stories ever written, and one of my all-time favourites. Rod Serling used the
story for an episode of “The Twilight Zone”, which I was really impressed
with, and then Stephen Spielberg used the concept of the story, although
almost none of the original content, for a segment for his “The Twilight
Zone” movie, which I wasn’t really thrilled with. The story itself is so
wonderfully done, I honour both it and the author by placing the story on my
site.
The relation between the story and my path is
simply that if someone wrongs you, you literally bring justice upon them with
your own focused thoughts, with either a perfectly random result or a perfectly
specific result of your choosing.
Psychic abilities
are very real. Everyone is inherently born with psychic abilities, which is a
fact that should not be ignored nor explained away. It’s not a “supernatural”
thing. It’s in fact, just the opposite, psychic abilities are extremely
natural, and part of each and every human. These abilities can vary from
person to person, in much the same way that each individual’s genetic makeup
differs from other individuals. For instance, some people can see auras, some
are clairvoyant or clairaudient, some have psychokinetic abilities, some are
telepathic or empathic, some have precognitive visions, etc. But everyone has
varying kinds of these abilities, they just have to learn to use them and develop
them into SKILLS. It’s just like learning how to do anything, it takes work
and practice. The thing about psychic abilities is that, if children are
taught at a very young age to start developing them and using them, their
skills will get stronger and stronger the more they are used, just like
verbal or physical skills do. Some people grow up never using or attempting
to develop their abilities, so like a muscle in the body, the ability
atrophies and becomes very weak and dormant. For instance, if one doesn’t
walk or talk for many years, they may have to relearn how to do it. And if
they dedicate themselves to working, using and developing their abilities,
psychic or otherwise, when they are older, they will be just as strong and
skilled down the road as a person who has studied and practiced and developed
the abilities from birth.
Having psychic
skills is extremely helpful in the use of Magick, for obvious reasons. The
stronger you are psychically, the better your Magick will work. But being
psychically skilled in itself in many different ways is also very fulfilling
to me. It gives me a sense of control over my environment and my own destiny.
A coven is a group of thirteen or fewer Witches, usually initiatory and
centering around one or two leaders, that gather and work together in an
organized fashion for magickal endeavors, or to perform religious ceremonies
and to practice their religion together. Many Witches are solitary
practitioners; they perform their rites alone. Others form or enter covens.
There is usually no hierarchy beyond the coven; no state, provincial or
national organization. Those covens which have a High Priestess and/or Priest
democratically elect one of the group to that office. The word “coven”
probably comes from the Middle English word “covent”, which means a
gathering. The English word “convent” and “convene” come from the same root.
I used to belong to a coven, myself, but I began to feel that I was more
suited for solitary work, so I left the coven and probably won't ever join
another one. It was enjoyable while it lasted, but as my magick and I changed
and grew, I felt it was time to move on.
While a lot of Pagans do believe in reincarnation, life is to be
lived for what it is in the present so that we may learn from this lifetime
on Earth. As spiritual beings, we do not deny ourselves pleasure or put up
with unnecessary pain. We are not waiting for some reward that we will get
only after we are dead. We enjoy life’s pleasures so that we can learn what
it means to be on this Earth and to be a part of life on Earth. As a Witch
and a Pagan, I believe that we all have a job to do, or a lesson to learn, or
maybe a debt to pay from the last lifetime. Once we have succeeded in our
mission, we must move on to the hereafter, where we can reflect and choose
our mission in the next life. The afterlife (also referred to as The
Summerland in the religion of Wicca) is not heaven and it is not hell. Pagans
believe the afterlife to be a place of reflection for the spirit. After death
spirits rest, in the company and energy of the Creator, and reflect on the
lives they have just lived and decide how they are going to reincarnate and
what lessons they must learn in the next lifetime. Ultimately each spirit,
after it has learned all it needs to learn and taught what it needs to teach,
is reunited with the Creator. In each lifetime, the spirit advances toward
this ultimate goal.
Upon entering the afterlife, some souls sleep and reflect for a long
time to recover from difficult life experiences. Other souls don’t spend much
time resting, because they are anxious to get back to Earth and continue
their journey—I’m included in the latter category, as most of my incarnations
take place almost immediately after the previous one. My two most recent
incarnations, before this current lifetime, that I know of were in the
mid-1800s, and then again around WWII. And here I am again, born only a few
years after I previously died. However, time is different in the afterlife
than it is here on the physical plane. An entire lifetime here could be a
mere two seconds of time there.
The situation for suicides is a bit different. Their spirits have
been cut off, by their own hand, from the lessons they were meant to learn in
that incarnation, and they cannot reincarnate until they have completed the
journey and learned the lessons they were supposed to. To do this, they
sometimes become spirit guides for others on this plane, helping people learn
the lessons they need to learn, and, in turn, helping themselves in the
process.
A lot of people, especially some of the Christian faith, believe
erroneously that Halloween is an "evil" holiday, so they refuse to
even so much as acknowledge it—which just goes to show you what
misinformation and narrow-mindedness can do. In fact, it’s a very sacred,
special day for remembering and honouring the memories of loved ones who have
passed, and is probably the greatest holiday for some Pagans and/or Witches.
This holiday has a rather different tone than it does for the population at
large—rather than being a festival of sugar overconsumption (although that
can definitely be fun too, hehe), it is a profound and spiritually moving
event—it also marks the beginning of a new seasonal year.
On Samhain (pronounced SOW-wen or Sah-VEEN or Som-HAIN), many Witches
and/or Pagans hold celebrations to honour the dead. Some people eat a meal
specifically to give honour to the life of a friend or loved one who has
passed on during the year. Usually we (speaking in general terms) would
reflect on the life of the deceased, including a pet or animal, who has gone
within the year, and as we eat, with each bite we take, we would reflect upon
each precious moment we spent with that loved one. Some Witches and/or Pagans
eat a regular meal on Samhain, but set a place and leave food out for loved
ones who have died. My own personal way to honour the dead is to celebrate
life, to eat, drink and be merry, and to say a very special toast to the loved
one who has passed on, and leave a drink (usually wine) for them. Honouring
the dead on this particular "holiday" really needn't be solemn, it
should just be sincere and come from the heart.
On October 31, the veil between the living and the dead is said to be
at its thinnest. This makes it a great night for communicating with the dead
and the best night of the year for divination and scrying. This holiday is
usually celebrated at night, as it just seems fitting to commemorate a
holiday about the dead when it is dark. Although the Witches’ New Year is a
sedate holiday, some people who celebrate it also attend Halloween parties,
but usually not on the night of October 31, as that night is usually
reserved, by some individuals, for more solemn pursuits. To me personally, it
could go either way, depending on how the year went for me and my loved ones.
I've been known to sit at home and do some serious spellwork, or even have a
few drinks in honour of a loved one who has passed on, but I've also been
known to go to some wild parties on that night as well. It's really all up to
the individual.
I don’t proselytize my religion or spiritual path. When someone asks
me about it, I usually just quote a terrific article written by Scott
Cunningham concerning paganism and the reason why we don’t proselytize to
others; it is as follows (with minor editing):
A
major difference between Witchcraft and/or Paganism and most other religions
is that they are nonproselytizing. No person is ever pressured into
becoming a Witch or a Pagan. There are no threats of eternal hellfire and
damnation, no retribution for not practicing Witchcraft or Paganism. All of
the deities of Paganism aren't jealous (comparatively speaking), and Pagans
and Witches aren’t frightened or subdued by them. Paganism and Witchcraft are
not brain-washing, human-controlling cults masquerading as a religion.
Witches
and Pagans don’t recruit new members, there are no Pagan or Witch missionaries,
and no “witnesses”. Witches and Pagans don’t solicit because, unlike most
Western religions, they don’t claim their ways to be the one true way to
Deity. This may seem surprising to those raised in orthodox religious
frameworks, but it is based on a sound, true concept with is the antithesis
of most other religions’ teachings: No One Religion Is Right For Everyone.
Perhaps
it’s not too strong to say that the highest form of human vanity is to assume
that your religion is the only way to Deity—that everyone will find it as
fulfilling as you do, and that those with different beliefs are deluded,
misled or ignorant.
It’s
understandable why most religions and their followers feel this way, and why
they participate in converting the masses. Watching others change to their
faith reestablishes that faith’s genuineness in the mind of the converter.
Some members of orthodox religions are truly concerned for the souls of
nonbelievers, but this is based on their religion’s narrow-minded teachings.
All
of the lies one may hear about Witches trying to coerce others into joining
their religion are false. They simply aren’t that insecure. They’re content
to practice their religion in their own way—either alone or with a few
others. They are aware of the differences between their ways and other
practices, lifestyles, or religions, as well as of the ultimate goal of all:
UNION WITH DEITY.
As a Witch and a Pagan, I do not believe in the existence of the
Christian “Hell”, as either a tangible place (one of fire and brimstone, of
eternal torture and torment) or as a spiritual plane (out of “God’s sight”
and being forsaken by and separated from God), where the damned or evil
languish and suffer. I can’t even comprehend such a terrible idea of this
sort, let alone imagine that a creative force that is supposed to be
all-knowing, all-seeing, all-forgiving and all-loving could separate Itself
from, and turn Its back on, Its creations. Essentially, many Pagans assert
that the existence of Hell is completely incompatible with their concept of a
loving and forgiving Deity.
While we’re on the subject of the loving Deity and the nonexistence
of Hell, I must state for those who might think otherwise that I certainly do
not believe in the existence of the Christian-concept of an all-evil entity
that they call the devil. My pantheon(s) of deities does not include an
all-evil supernatural being. I do not believe that negativity or evil is a
literally organized force, although it is certainly around as forms of
energy, in this plane of existence or any other, or in people. The idea that
Witches like myself worship the devil is one of the most common
misconceptions about us. This erroneous idea probably developed many hundreds
of years ago because some Christian leaders encouraged their followers to
view non-Christians as anti-Christian—if you weren’t a believer in Christ,
the embodiment of the good, you MUST be a believer in his evil opposite,
known as Satan or the Devil. And these early Christians, in turn, insisted
that the gods that were being worshiped by the native peoples of many lands,
such as Set, Lucifer, etc, were all Satan/the Devil himself. While the
Christian concept of an all-evil entity plays no part in my spirituality, I
do think that philosophical Satanism has some interesting ideas and teachings
(see below), and I feel comfortable calling myself a philosophical Satanist.
As an individual, I believe in the morals that are common to most
faiths (don’t kill other people, don’t steal from others, don’t cheat on your
spouse, etc)—but I don’t believe in the idea of “original sin”. I don’t
believe we are “born sinners”, and no one can prove to me otherwise. I don’t
need a “saviour”, I don’t have anything to be “saved” from to begin with.
Personally, as an intelligent, sentient being, I find the ideas of original
sin, being born a sinner and having to be “saved” not only completely
ridiculous, but downright insulting.
So there.
I’ve always been a witch; throughout my life starting in my pre-teen
years, I’ve studied a lot, developed my psychic abilities, and learned about
palmistry and auras and magick and astrology, and got what I wanted using
purely mental magick with visualization, focus, and chants. I was raised in
the Christian faith, but I was lucky to have a very open-minded, yet devoutly
Christian, mother who allowed me to explore the occult as I wished. In my
pre-teens, it became evident that I was always a witch—that was just a
stepping stone toward Paganism. After much soul-searching and studying and
research, I came to the conclusion that the Christian religion as a whole was
not for me—yes, it’s a wonderful, fulfilling faith for those who follow it,
but it’s certainly not for everybody, no one thing is. I’m not
anti-Christian—I know several, TRUE followers of Christ who are very
wonderful, loving people. What I AM against is the idea that one religion is
right for everyone, and the people who try to enforce this concept—I simply
don’t believe in proselytizing one’s religion, although I have no problem
with discussing theology and mythology with people from other faiths.
I’ve been studying philosophical
Satanism recently. The ideals of it meshes really well into my own ideas
and feelings for my own spiritual path, as do some of the basic teachings and
beliefs. It’s fairly hedonistic in nature, and revolves around experiencing
life to the fullest while one is alive. In philosophical Satanism, the
emphasis is on individuation, personal growth and human potential, and Satan
is not believed to actually exist, but is seen as a sort of mascot for
personal liberty.
The code of conduct of
philosophical Satanism:
1. Do not give opinions or advice unless you are asked.
2. Do not tell your troubles to others unless you are sure
that they want to hear them.
3. When in another's lair, show him respect or else do not
go there.
4. If a guest in your lair annoys you, treat him cruelly
and without mercy.
5. Do not make sexual advances unless you are given the
mating signal.
6. Do not take that which does not belong to you unless it
is a burden to the person and he cries out to be relieved.
7. Acknowledge the power of magic if you have used it
successfully to obtain your desires. If you deny the power of magic after
having called upon it with success, you will lose all you have obtained.
8. Do not complain about anything to which you need not
subject yourself.
9. Do not harm little children.
10. Do not kill non-human animals unless attacked or for
your food.
11. When walking in open territory, bother no one. If
someone bothers you, ask him to stop. If he does not stop, destroy him.
The basic
teachings and beliefs of philosophical Satanism, known as the Nine Satanic
Statements:
1. Satan represents indulgence, instead of abstinence!
2. Satan represents vital existence, instead of spiritual
pipe dreams!
3. Satan represents undefiled wisdom, instead of
hypocritical self-deceit!
4. Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it,
instead of love wasted on ingrates!
5. Satan represents vengeance, instead of turning the
other cheek!
6. Satan represents responsibility to the responsible,
instead of concern for psychic vampires!
7. Satan represents man as just another animal, sometimes
better, more often worse than those that walk on all fours, who, because of
his "divine spiritual and intellectual development, has become the most
vicious animal of all!
8. Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all
lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification.
9. Satan is the best friend the church has ever had, as he
has kept it in business all these years!
Granted, I think Anton LaVey, the creator and founder of the Church
of Satan, was, with all due respect, a bit of a nutter and a huge showman
(neither of which, in all honesty, is a bad thing), but the man was very
well-educated, and definitely had some good points and some good ideas.
So
that’s about it for now, on this subject. As I said before, this page will
change occasionally, so stop by once in a while and check it out. :)
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