The Modern Guide to Witchcraft (5 page)

Despite centuries of persecution, witchcraft never died. It just went underground. Witches continued to hand down teachings from mother to daughter, father to son, in secret. Through oral tradition, rituals, codes, and symbols, magickal information passed from generation to generation, at every level of society.

Some parts of the world, of course, never experienced the witch hysteria that infested Europe and Salem, Massachusetts. But even in those places where persecution once raged, witchcraft and magick reawakened during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Interest in magick, mysticism, spiritualism, and the occult in general blossomed toward the end of the nineteenth century, perhaps as a reaction to the Age of Reason’s emphasis on logic and science. The magicians of this era had a strong impact on the evolution of contemporary witchcraft and magick.

One noted figure of the time was Charles Godfrey Leland, a Pennsylvania scholar and writer who traveled widely studying the folklore of numerous cultures. His most famous book,
Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches
became an important text that influenced the development of Neopaganism and modern-day witchcraft. Another was Madame Helena Blavatsky, a Russian-born medium and occultist who moved to New York and founded the Theosophical Society with Henry Steel Olcott. Theosophy, which means “divine wisdom,” combines ideas from the Greek mystery schools, the Gnostics, Hindus, and others.

The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, begun by Englishmen William Westcott, S.L. MacGregor Mathers, and William Woodman, was the most important magickal order to arise in the West during the Victorian period. All three men were Freemasons and members of the Rosicrucian Society, which influenced their beliefs and practices. The order’s complex teachings drew upon the ideas and traditions of numerous ancient cultures and melded them into an intricate system of ceremonial magick (more about this in
Chapter 7
).

The most notorious member of the Golden Dawn was Aleister Crowley, a controversial and charismatic figure who many say was the greatest magician of the twentieth century. After breaking with the Golden Dawn, he formed his own secret society, called Argenteum Astrum, or Silver Star, and later became the head of the Ordo Templi Orientis (Order of the Templars of the Orient or OTO). Much of his magick centered upon the use of sexual energy, which outraged the stuffy, uptight Victorians. The author of numerous books on magick and the occult, Crowley also created one of the most popular tarot decks with Lady Frieda Harris, known as the Thoth Deck.

Pagan
was originally a derogatory term used by the Church to refer to people, often rural folk, who had not converted to Christianity. Generally speaking, today’s Neopagans can be described as individuals who uphold an earth-honoring philosophy and attempt to live in harmony with all life on the planet as well as with the cosmos. Pagans tend to be polytheistic, meaning they acknowledge many deities rather than a single god or goddess, although some Pagans may not honor any particular higher being.

The Pagan and Wiccan communities overlap a great deal and share many beliefs, interests, and practices. Not all Pagans are witches or Wiccans, although Wiccans and witches are usually considered Pagans. Because of the similarities between them, they often combine their resources for political, humanitarian, environmental, and educational objectives.

In the past few decades, the ranks of witches have swelled rapidly. Although it’s impossible to accurately determine how many people practice witchcraft, a study done in 2001 by City University of New York found 134,000 self-described Wiccans in the United States. Certainly, that number has increased since then.

The American Academy of Religions now includes panels on Wicca and witchcraft. The U.S. Defense Department recognizes Wicca as an official religion and allows Wiccan soldiers to state their belief on their dog tags. As of 2006, an estimated 1,800 Wiccans were serving in the U.S. military.

Undoubtedly, the Internet has helped to spread information about the Craft. By enabling witches around the world to connect with one another in a safe and anonymous manner, the Internet has extended witchcraft’s influence to all corners of the globe. Today you’ll find thousands of websites and blog sites devoted to the subjects of Paganism, Wicca, witchcraft, and magick, along with lots of intelligent, thought-provoking ideas and scholarship.

Witchcraft isn’t a static belief system or rigid body of rules and rituals; it’s a living entity that’s continually evolving and expanding. As education dissolves fear and misconceptions, magickal thinking and practices will gain greater acceptance among the general populace and influence the spiritual growth of all people, regardless of their specific faiths.

We live in a magickal universe. Children often understand this quite clearly, even if adults don’t. To a child, the world is alive with possibilities. Most people miss this wondrous fact because they’ve been trained to look only at the physical world and to focus on the mundane aspects of daily life. Magick, however, teaches that the world most of us see is only the tip of the iceberg. As you develop your magickal abilities, you’ll rediscover the awesome power that abides in the universe—and in you.

Maybe, in the deepest recesses of your mind, you have shadowy memories of an ancient time when you lived in constant contact with the earth, the cosmos, and your own instinctual nature. As you strengthen your relationship with nature and the universe, you may reawaken these memories. Perhaps you’ll realize that you’re a witch in your heart of hearts—and always have been.

There are many ways to tap your magickal power and many ways to harness the creative energy of the universe. This book introduces a number of philosophies, paths, and practices. Some will appeal to you, and some won’t. Take what you like and leave the rest. Regardless of which course you choose to follow, when you become a witch and do magick, you enter into an agreement with the universe that if you do your part, the rest will unfold.

From the perspective of science, everything is energy. Magicians see the world as surrounded by an energetic matrix that connects everything to everything else. This matrix, or “cosmic web,” envelops our earth like a big bubble. It also permeates all things that exist here and extends throughout the solar system and beyond. The web pulses with subtle vibrations that magicians, psychics, and other sensitive individuals can feel. Regardless of whether you are consciously aware of these vibrations, you are affected by them—and your own personal energy vibrations continually affect the matrix.

Everything in the world emits an energy vibration of some kind. Different things have different energy patterns, resonances, or “signatures.” These resonances reach out to touch one another in a series of crisscrossing lines all around the world, rather like a big spider web. They also connect the physical and nonphysical worlds. These energetic connections are what enable witches and wizards to work magick—even over a long distance. You simply send a thought or emotion along one of these energy lines to wherever or whomever you wish to reach—it works faster than sending a text.

Consider this: How many times have you gotten a phone call from someone you were just thinking about? It’s not an accident. Your thoughts and the other person’s connected in the cosmic web before you spoke to one another in the physical realm. When you do magick, you purposefully tap into this infinite web. You tug a little on one of the lines. As you become skilled at using magick, you’ll learn to navigate the cosmic web just as easily as you surf the Internet. The first step is to sensitize yourself to these vibrations and become aware of the energetic field around you.

Try these simple exercises to start becoming aware of your own energy and the energy around you. If you like, you can do these exercises with a friend.

1. Close your eyes and hold your palms up in front of you, facing each other, about a foot or so apart. Slowly move your palms closer together but don’t actually let them touch. Can you sense the energy flowing between your palms? You may feel warmth or coolness, various degrees of tingling, or something else. You might even sense a color or feel an emotion. Does the feeling grow stronger as your hands get closer together?
   
2. Choose an object, preferably a natural one such as a stone or plant. Run your hands around the object without touching it physically, trying to feel the energy it possesses. What do you sense? Can you feel warmth, coolness, or any other sensation coming from the object? Do you get any impressions or thoughts? Don’t discount them, even if they seem weird.
   
3. Ask a friend to do this exercise with you. Sit with your eyes closed, while your friend stands behind you. Slowly, your friend moves her hand toward your head, without ever actually touching you. When you sense the energy from her hand, say so. Then switch places and try the exercise again.
   

Write down what you experienced in what will become your “grimoire” or “book of shadows,” a journal of your magick spells and experiences. These notes will help you as you continue working with different energies, and as you grow more aware of how your own energies fluctuate with your mood, your health, and your circumstances.

Like the Worldwide Web, the cosmic web teems with information. All ideas, words, actions, and emotions—going all the way back to the beginning of time—are stored in this energetic matrix. Anyone who knows the password can access this vast storehouse of knowledge.

Maybe you’ve heard of a psychic named Edgar Cayce, sometimes called the “Sleeping Prophet.” Although he had little formal education or medical training, Cayce could go into a trance and discover cures for the thousands of sick people who sought his aid. How did he do it? He psychically “downloaded” wisdom that great minds before him had “blogged” into the cosmic web.

Not only psychics can access information in this way—lots of people do. They just don’t realize it. Inventors, artists, musicians, and other creative people often claim to get insights without really knowing where they came from. Mozart didn’t plan, structure, or analyze his compositions—he just listened to the music playing in his head and then wrote it down. Van Gogh said, “I dream of painting, and then I paint my dream.” Scientific people, too, report having epiphanies that lead to new discoveries in technology, medicine, and other areas. All these people are connecting to the cosmic web and drawing knowledge from it.

You, too, can tap into this awesome repository of information. Being able to key into the wisdom of the ages is a terrific asset to a witch. Wouldn’t it be awesome to have the great wizard Merlin guiding you as you cast a spell?

First, you’ll need to learn to quiet your mind. Most of us have minds that race like a hamster in a treadmill. In the world of magick, that’s counterproductive. You can’t “hear” the masters’ advice if you’re thinking about a zillion other things. One of the best ways to still the inner chatter is to meditate. If you’ve never meditated, you may think you have to sit in lotus position and chant “Oooommm” for hours. Not true. You can take a walk outside, listen to soothing music (without lyrics), watch the sunset, weed your garden, take a relaxing bath, or fold laundry. The point is to put all your attention on whatever you’re doing, without letting distractions interfere. (My book
The Best Meditations on the Planet
includes 100 different meditations—something for everyone.)

Meditation enables you to clear the clutter from your mind and focus your thinking. It also opens the channels of communication between you and the cosmos. Because the mind is the force behind magick, it stands to reason that the more mastery you gain over your thoughts, the more effective your spells will be.

Whether you call it ESP, a hunch, a gut reaction, an inner knowing, or psychic power, everyone has intuition. It may raise hairs on the back of your neck, cause a twinge in your solar plexus, or make you feel lightheaded. It may speak to you in moments of crisis or utter calm, in the middle of a city traffic jam or while you’re taking a shower. Regardless of how your intuition communicates with you, it’s important to remember that your so-called sixth sense is just as normal and important as the other five senses.

Think how much you’d miss out on if you lacked the sense of sight, hearing, taste, smell, or touch. The world would be a much duller place. Now try to imagine how much more you could get out of life if you had another sense on top of those five. The good news is that you do!

Because intuition doesn’t “make sense” (that is, it doesn’t rely on our five physical senses), people tend to discount its validity. Yet many noted scientists have acknowledged that intuition played a significant part in their discoveries. In his later years, Nobel laureate Jonas Salk, who found a vaccine for polio, wrote a book about intuition titled
Anatomy of Reality.
In it he proposed that creativity resulted from the union of intuition and reasoning. Bill Gates said, “Often you have to rely on intuition.” Albert Einstein believed “the only real valuable thing is intuition.”