Saturday, November 4, 2017

Know Thyself

Being the weekend of the full moon, and the final one of the Witch's Year (the sun goes 15 degrees Scorpio Nov. 6, marking Samhain) I thought it would be a good time to do a bit of reflection and musing on what it means to be Witch.

I have recently ventured into the world of Facebook groups for pagans. It has been both enlightening and terrifying. Most people post asking for spells, mostly money and luck and, occasionally, love. Others post asking for help of some kind or asking for (some demanding) free tarot readings.  Still, others post stating they have done some spell or another and why didn't it work and can someone help them.

To the last one, they get all of these responses of 'you can't doubt yourself' and 'it won't work if you doubt your magic'. Both good points, but neither addressing more than one potential cause of the spell actually not working. Realistically, there is an infinite number of points in the timeline where the magic could have been scattered, absorbed, or otherwise used up to make the magic not work.

First, the practitioner may need to change their perception of the world. In this world of 'spells are like prayers on steroids' people honestly believe that they can simply speak their desires into existence. Except, most people can't due to lack of discipline, faith, or understanding. To put it simply, it was doomed before it was begun to do subconscious concepts that the practitioner may or may not even realize they have.

Second, the structure of the spell could have been faulty. Spell and ritual creation are like baking. You have ingredients that must be added at the right time and in the right proportion with the right amount of catalyst to create the change. If any of those things are off, the spell won't work. What do I mean? Well, too much flour and your cake is dry and crumbly. Too much liquid and it is sticky and not quite done in the center but almost burnt around the edges. Too much heat, your cake burns. Too little and it doesn't cook.

Third, and this may be the most important one, if you want to learn these things, no one can do it for you. The manufacture of coincidence isn't a practice that one sits down and simply does from the beginning, just as one does not simply bake a cake at 5 years old.  While, yes, talent helps, discipline and practice hone the talent and sharpens it like the edge of a razor.

In a world of instant gratification and 'The Secret' type of thinking. No one wants to believe that discipline and practice are what it takes to become a magician. They believe that they can read a book on the basics and cast a spell to be a millionaire or to make someone love them. If that were the case, a witch would win the lotto every week.

The magical axiom, Know Thyself, takes on a new meaning once you turn inward and stop blaming all of the outside sources for your spells not working. Do you fear failure? Maybe success? Do you fear being found out? Who are You? What makes You tick? Once you figure out your fears, you can get on with becoming an adept magician.

Brightest Blessings, All!!
River

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