Member of the Esotericism Banner Exchange
'You Should Not Play with Magic You Don't Understand'...from "The Indian in the Cupboard" It's a good rule of thumb.
'Everything works by magick; science represents a small domain of magick where coincidences have a realitively high probability of occurence'...Peter J. Carroll-Psyber Magick
From the beginning stages of civilization to the grandest empires and beyond, man
has been obsessed with controlling his environment. Through the occult humans
have tried to make themselves god-like by using witchcraft to manipulate the world
around them. Yet, ultimately, when something goes wrong man is slapped in the
face that his perspective is limited, and that it is impossible to have absolute power.
As soon as man started to cultivate the land, he has cultivated his spirituality. Man
began to worship the gods of the sun and heavenly bodies. There is a god for
every situation; their are those who represent the good things like love and
celebration and the less popular things like war and death and gods for everything
in between. All of them have special prayers and rituals, some involving sacrifice.
Even modern religion is filled with remnants of old witchcraft. So what is it really
about? Well, the answer can be most simply answered by a favorite prayer by
alcoholics who go to A.A.: Lord, grant me the strength to change the things I can,
and the strength to accept the things I can not. Man knows that he can only control the world around
him that he is allowed to control, Higher power(S) control the rest. Unfortunately
not all men realize this and for many of them witchcraft has been a tool for their
ego and pride, the two most dangerous things men posses (and eventually leads to thier destruction).
Like everything else witchcraft has it's good side and it's bad side. (Is there anything in this world that doesn’t?) Many people, in their pursuit of this higher knowledge, have fallen of
the path between the fire and the water. Losing your way, usually takes you into the fire, so it is important to remember a few things to keep you on a safe path. The two most important things, in my own personal experiences, are 1) Never do anything to take away a persons freewill and 2) always remember the 3 fold law (all spells, et., will come back to you 3 fold (the lil’ fuck you clause in the contract of man )). Like all other tools, witchcraft can be used responsibly or irresponsibly, it’s up to you to make that choice.
There are a great number who use the art to help maintain a balance between man, earth, and god/dess. I believe this is what every witch
should aspire to. Witchcraft should not be a means by which one gains power or the things he/she desires, employing ritual to get it.
Paganism is a day to day way of life. It is the connection between man and his enviroment. A thought process that evokes balance. Anything less defeats
the purpose of witchcraft and of the person who misusses it.
Resources on this site
A List of Pagan Holidays
A Magickal Vocabulary
An Intro to Pecti-Wita
Links for More Information on Witchcraft and the Like
