Post by STORMDANCER on Jul 20, 2011 19:53:32 GMT
Why do we need protection magick? Many magickal rituals, first and foremost the Witch's Circle, have strong elements of protection in their wording, even if the spell is for love, money, or healing. (remember money spells can only be done for other people if they are in need never yourself!) So invariably someone asks, 'Why do we need protection? What's out there to get us? is this magick dangerous?' Unfortunately, there are no easy answers to these questions.
Thoughts turn to the hollywood horror films of demons,devils, and evil spirits. Such propaganda and stereotypes, which were perpetuated during the dark and middle ages by the dominant religion and then brought to life through movie special effects, poison the magick heart. They prevent us from feeling the magickal rhythms of life.
By our very nature, as embodiments of the divine, we seek a magickal life, but few of us ever find it or believe it is really possible, because of the exaggerated horrors perprtuated over the last two thousand years by religion and science and also the media. This disconnection from the magick of life is one of the great problems facing the world today. Regardless of their personal spiritual path, most people don't feel connected to the patterns and cycles of life, and therefore, can ignore the destruction we face as a species. Without magickal life, as portrayed in the highest arts of Witchcraft and paganism, humanity does not assume the role of caretaker, guardian, and partner with nature. Lack of this crucial identity has lead to the current spiritual crisis, and at the heart of this problem is our fear of the magickal.
We , as a society, call the magickal world the Occult. The word occult has garnered sinister implications: 'Be aware if your kids are involved in the occult. They turn to evil forces!' I remember when i was a young teenager my mum was told by a 'Good, Godfearing woman' that my interest in science fiction, fantasy, and roleplaying games some alike to dungeons and dragons would turn me to the Devil because they were part of the occult. But these outlets were the only things that fed my magickal soul. Even though they are fiction and not true magick, such books, art, and music can sustain people who are seeking a magickal life, even if they don't know precisely what they are seeking. New age books and stores were not readily available when i was young. I was brain washed by society to believe that at best, such things are only fantasy and folklore that have no basis in real experiences, or at worst, that these games and books are tools of the devil.
Witches and pagans believe that the Devil is a construct of the church, gathered from many different mythologies and given a medieval spin-doctor treatment to use fear to force conversion and give the institution of the church a scapegoat when things did not go according to plan. The pagans were bullied into accepting other religions because they were told that their gods were evil spirits, and, in particular, that the horned Gods of the land and animals were devils. The concept of ultimate good and ultimate Evil has no place in paganism, as it has no place in nature. Life is too complex for such judgmental polarities. As a Witch, I learned that one does not fear the Gods and Goddess, but loves and respects them, building a personal relationship with them through meditation, nature, and magick. We could never use the excuse that the Devil tempted us, since regardless of our motivations, we are wholly responsible for our actions and their consequences. We don't believe in a Devil who tempts us.
The word occult is not synonymous with the word evil; it means 'hidden' or 'obscured from view' and refers to information that is not generally known, found, or easy to understand. All the mystical arts are traditionally the province of those few who are interested in them. *Most people are more worried about day-to-day survival and fullfillment, and have less interest in intensive introspection, meditation, and spirituality, which are the key to a rewarding mystical practice in any tradition. The occult is the mystery of life that must be brought into view to be understood.
We call magick, psychic abilities, divination, and spirit work supernatural, but what does that mean? Supernatural is the natural world in its more heightened, magickal state. The word supernatural connotes something out of this world and unnatural. It is anything but. When one taps into the supernatural, one is tapping into the primal nature that runs through everything and everyone. That is divinity in action. There is nothing more natural than magick, for it is our human partnership with the natural forces. The root word of WITCH is usually translated as 'to bend or shape', which refers to the gentle bending, shaping, and partnering wit the tides of life.
Fear of magick is really the fear of our own personal power and responsibility. It is usually easier to give such things away, to an institution, religion, or society, but such lack of awareness leads to an imbalance. We have covered this imbalance with our many images of the bogyman, the mysterious evil force, the Devil, or archetypal big bad wolf knocking at our door, threatening our lives. Even our fear-based images are ripe with our disconnection from the truth. Darkness is the symbol of life, the womb of the Goddess. The horned pagan Gods are often protectors and fathers. The Wolf ia a powerful totem animal of protection. If we knew these magickal realities, our fears would disolve away.
The truth of the matter is that magick, ritual, and spell work is no more dangerous than walking across the street. If you live in a busy town, that could be fairly dangerous, yet you still do it. *The key is safety. All things in life carry some inherent risk. If anyone tells you otherwise, they are lying. You never know for certain where danger can come from, but you don't let that fear prevent you from living your life. When you cross the street, you look both ways. You watch the lights and stay alert. If you do this , then you most likely will have a safe experience crossing the street. If you don't, then you might have an accident.
Magick is the same way. The majority of the time, all is safe. If you are educated and careful, you will be fine. Protection and psychic defense are like having the tools you need in case things don't go according to your plan. Ideally, you will never need them, but like a good boy scout or girl guide, you are prepared. They are skills you will learn, posses , and grow with, and soon they will become second nature to your magickal way of life. You will live a protected magickal life always, wherever you go.
The horror stories I hear at times are from people with no education in magick who attempt complex spells they read about somewhere by jumping to the back of a book, rather than doing all the preliminary work to prepare for it. If they perform one spell that works well, they feel thay are 'advanced' or 'gifted' and don't need to do any preliminary work. They may be gifted, but thats no way to learn an art, science, and spiritual path. You have to have all three aspects in balance along with any talent you have. It's like saying you successfully walked blindfolded across a busy street once, so you automatically assume that since you were safe that one time, you will always be safe. That's just asking for trouble.
Storm xxxx
