FAQ: Spirituality
Q: How would you describe your spirituality?
A: I would call myself a witch; one who walks the crooked path and practices his art in a way that's often ecstatic and woven amongst the spirits and gods, stars and land.
Witching interests include moving betwixt the spirits of the garden and greenwood seeking plant gnosis; weaving amongst the stars and the black road between; brewing potions of life and death; scrying the fate of men and women amongst card, star, or bone; and horsing for the gods and spirits of lands seen and unseen.
I find inspiration within traditional European practices, amongst others; and work with the Elder Gods, revered by the ancient peoples of Greece.
Q: Can you recommend books for me on paganism overall or a specific topic?
A: I have a fully detailed recommended reading list for neopaganism here.
Q: So if I get close to you, you would not expect me to learn or follow what you believe?
A: No, certainly not. Everyone is entitled to their own spiritual path, I would never attempt to enforce mine upon anyone I knew, lover, family or acquaintance.
Q: Wait? So are you a Witch / Pagan / Neopagan?
A: I often self describe as Witch for I do practice Witchcraft, as well as Pagan (or more properly NeoPagan) as I practice Neopagan traditions. Read on to better understand what these terms do and do not mean.
Q: Are you Wiccan?
A: No.
Q: But don’t you have to be Wiccan to be a Witch / practice Witchcraft?
A: No. Wicca is a specific set of theories and religious practices, whereas the term witch is used by many who are not Wiccan. Witchcraft is merely a larger set of beliefs and practices.
Q: Isn’t Wicca ancient?
A: Wicca was created in the 1940s / 1950s and was not, in any way, based off any ancient traditions or covens that survived the “burning times.”
Q: What is Witchcraft?
A: This term is widely controversial so I will say what I personally believe. Witchcraft is a set of practices, thoughts and theories for looking at the world. It’s a paradigm for interacting with nature, the land, spirits, and specific tools.
Q: Are you a Satanist?
A: No. Nor do I worship Satan in any way.
Q: Do you believe in Jesus?
A: Absolutely, however, I do not worship him as I do not feel a personal tie to either him nor the faith that he is worshiped through.
Q: Do you sacrifice babies / animals?
A: I respect the energies and spirits of all beings and believe that any offerings I make to my personal spirits that I may work with can be done using plants, foods, personal blood, seed, or energy. Sacrificing of animals / babies is not a regular part of my personal practice.
Q: What Gods / Goddess / Spirits do you work with?
A: I work closely with the Elder Gods, revered by the ancient peoples of Greece.
Q: What are the Fae Folk / Sidhe?
A: The Fae Folk / Sidhe are the “fairies” of ancient myths. Not the tiny flittering things with wings (diminutive fae), but rather the spirits of and amongst nature and the land.
Q: What is Magick?
A: In the broadest sense, magick (for me) is defined as imposing your will upon the universe. This can be as simple, however, as turning a channel on the TV. The term is often used with a “k” to denote it from Stage Magic (rabbits in hats, that sort of thing). Magick usually is then distilled to mean acts with involve esoteric practice such as spell work, contact with deities, ancestors, prayer, trance states, and dancing.
Q: But isn’t Magick dangerous?
A: Yes, it is. However, so is having sex, eating, and driving to work. In our lives we take risks and push boundaries doing everything from just stepping out the door. How dangerous you live your life is up to you, and how safe you live it is also.
I practice magick which could be dangerous at times, but like anything else dangerous, I take proper precautions and always have multiple safety measures in place to make sure it’s always is, and always remains, a non-issue.
Q: Isn’t magick evil?
A: To some people being Gay is evil, to others, eating fish on Friday is Evil. There is no big-giant-rule-book saying what truly is Evil over anything else. Personally I say you should judge your world for yourself, not based on what anyone or anything tells you, and then create your own morals and dogma to follow.
I personally practice a craft that honors nature, empowers my personal life, helps me banish the hindrances within and around of myself, respects and protects my family, and honors those who honor me.
Q: Doesn’t this whole Magick / Pagan thing involve ritual orgies!?
A: Some people do indeed choose to incorporate sexual practices into their spiritual life, including participating in ritual orgies. However, said orgies are amazingly infrequent event within the Pagan Community.
While I am not opposed to the idea of using sexual energy in my craft, I would never do it with a partner who was not informed before hand, and completely comfortable & open to the idea. I would never take advantage of a sexual partner in any manner, including the aforementioned.
Q: Will you cast a spell for me?
A: See Potionwood for that answer.
Q: What do you do with your Ancestors?
A: I honor and respect them by acknowledging them and their position in the universe as well as sending them energy and love through offerings, food, water, songs, and voice. In return they often will voluntarily help me in my personal life with the matters at hand such as finding a job or learning to bake a cake.
Q: What is Ceremonial Magick?
A: Ceremonial Magick is merely a set of specific set formula for enacting your will upon the universe.
Q: What is Hoodoo?
A: The beliefs and customs of Folk Magick brought to America by African slaves mingled here with the beliefs, customs, and botanical knowledge of Native Americans and with the Christian, Jewish, and pagan folklore of European immigrants. The result was hoodoo. Hoodoo is merely a set of folk traditions to engage in magickal practices – and does not have any specific dogma or theology (so it can be adapted to fit into almost any religious system). Most Hoodoo practitioners are Christian.
Hoodoo is not Voodoo (which is a religion), and has no relation.
Q: What is Chaos Magick?
A: Chaos Magick is often misconstrued as “chaotic” or “dark” or “evil” – it being neither of these things. Chaos Magick is a set of theory that recommends you take risks and try new things in one’s magickal practice! Chaos magic utilizes paradigm shifting and inhibitory or excitatory states of consciousness, called “gnosis,” not limited to but including meditation, chanting, spinning, dancing, etc. It’s an invigorating set of magicks that holds the core tenants that there are no rules and that anything is possible if it works for you.
Q: What is the Kabalah?
A: The Kabalah (or Quabalah, Qabalah, Kabala, Kabbalah, etc) is a form of Jewish mysticism that is a paradigm for looking at the Universe, largely through the concept of the Tree of Life – a model for the Universe based on 10 spheres of emanation from divine whole to material existence.
Q: What is Divination?
A: Divination is the act of predicting the future via the use of outside information usually gathered from tools such as a crystal ball, tarot cards, scrying mirror, bones, stones, or other such items.
Q: What Divination tools do you utilize?
A: I utilize everything from scrying mirrors, to the tarot, a bone oracle, a egyptian tile oracle, and simple nature gazing.
Q: Will you read my future?
A: See Potionwood for that answer.
Q: What is herbalism?
A: Herbalism in my spiritual practice involves working with the energies and physical forms of specific herbs to make incense, oils, and brews in order to empower magickal techniques.
Q: What about cursing / hexing?
A: While you might often hear me joke about such things, these are very very serious magickal practices to me that I would never ever employ lightly. Further, I would only employ them after all other means of solution were void to assistance of the cause. The likely use of these would be the protection of either myself or another that I loved and cared for deeply. These would not be acts I would perform upon random strangers or people of little importance to my / my family’s existence.
Q: Will you curse someone for me?
A: See Potionwood for that answer.
Q: Are you an ordained minister?
A: Yes, through the Universal Life Church – this helps me to perform marriages, and other ceremonies, in various states, if necessary.