Binding: What is Your True Intent?

One of my readers asked me to clarify the ideas behind binding spells. And it's a great topic to look at! Whole movies and books have revolved around it, so there's a lot of interest out there. 

At some point in every Witch's development, the question of performing a binding spell occurs. When should you do one? What's a good enough reason? And what are the karmic implications?

Let's start with what a binding is: A spell to keep someone--the caster or someone else--from doing a specific action or actions. And yes, it does involve hindering someone's free will; consequently, I take binding as a practice very seriously indeed.

Before we start down this path, I want to remind everyone that my stance on "harm none" is pretty simple: It's not possible. You are harming things every day, from the grass you walk on to the environment you live in. That's not to say that you shouldn't go out of your way to avoid harming people, but let's be realistic. Any spell you perform to enhance something in your life is going to "harm" directly or indirectly someone or something else. Fluffy-bunny Wiccans might say otherwise, but as a practicing Witch, that's where I stand. 

With that said, on the surface, taking away someone's free will is most definitely not "white magick"; you're definitely harming someone. But there is one question that should be central to your understanding of binding, or of any magickal working for that matter: What is your intent? To be clear, it's not what you SAY your intent is, but it's what you INTEND to do with your spell. This will also determine the karmic backlash you receive if any.

For example, did you know that love spells are actually binding spells in disguise? That's one of the reasons I never recommend using them. When you bind someone to love only you, you're taking away their free will to love or be with someone else. At that point, it's pure selfishness and ego driving you, and you can expect a pretty severe karmic bitch-slap for that.

But let's use another scenario. Let's say that you are concerned that a co-worker is gossiping about you or causing trouble for you deliberately at work. Before I even considered binding that person or "freezing" them in water--another great variant on the binding with the same impact!--I'd recommend protection spells. You can perform spells to protect "you and yours"--significant other, friends, pets, etc.--from harm with no concern about karmic repercussions. So I usually recommend starting there unless the danger is imminent. 

If there's no change in the situation in 3-4 weeks--and YES, you do have to wait that long--then a binding is something you could consider. 

Once again, let's go back to INTENT. If you intend to keep this person from gossiping about you and causing trouble at work, then that's essentially protecting "you and yours" and karmically you should be OK.

My concern is bindings that also cause harm to the target. If you want the person to stop causing trouble and gossiping and you also want them to perform poorly at the office, then you've crossed a line. Your INTENT must be crystal clear and not intend to cause any harm to your target. 

This last point is exceptionally important, folks. I'm a Scorpio, and we could practically write the "Don't get mad...get even!" book. If your spell involves the target receiving worse than they've given you, then once again you've crossed a line. With "I hope his dick falls off!" you risk having problems with your own genitalia, for example, when the target was unfaithful to you.

To be clear, revenge and justice are two different things. You don't bind someone as a punishment or to mete out justice in your own way; you bind them to protect yourself and those you hold dear. If you want the Universe to deal out something worse for your target than you yourself received, you're asking for trouble. But you don't bind someone for justice, either. 

Before I forget, you can also bind yourself, and this is a great way of helping yourself spiritually if you're trying to keep from doing something that harms you--smoking, overeating, etc. Of course, you won't get any bad karma from using it this way.

Finally, a binding to me is a serious spell done in serious circumstances. In other words, once you have tried to accomplish your goals on the mundane level without success, and you've worked some protection magick, then you can start to consider working a binding. But not before. I take a more conservative approach than others and I'll freely admit that point.

If we go back to our earlier gossipy co-worker, you should start by addressing the problem. You gather your evidence and you talk to this person, your supervisor, or their supervisor, or a neutral third party, like a human resources person or peer counselor. These are mundane--earthly, material--ways of dealing with this problem, and they should not be ignored. 

In other words, your first thought should not be to go home, make a poppet to look like your colleague, and bind them from ever receiving a promotion. Start in the mundane world, and work toward magickal solutions as necessary. If you don't need to use magick to solve this problem, then great! You can use the energy to fuel that prosperity spell with tax season upon us, right?

Bottom line: Binding is serious business, and it's a great tool to have in your Witch's toolbox. But Abraham Maslow once said, "If the only tool you have is a hammer, you'll see every problem as a nail." Simply put, binding--and magick as a whole-- is NOT the answer to all of life's problems. It's used to help things along when necessary. And the Universe will often handle the problem for you; granted you might not be around to see a person receive their karmic just desserts, but that's just your ego talking. With a little time and some effort, you can swallow your pride. And sometimes, that's the best course of action. 

I'll just end by re-stating what I hope you take away from this blog. Binding someone else requires a thorough, honest look at your true intent. If the need is clear, and your intent is pure, then have at it! If you realize that you may be risking some karmic repercussions, back off and make sure you've done everything else you can in the mundane world before making a mistake that could lead to disastrous consquences. 

Book Review: Paganism 101: An Introduction to Paganism by 101 Pagans

When someone asks me “What’s a Pagan?”, it can be a very hard question to answer. Like Christianity, which has many different sects, Paganism has a number of important religious traditions under its “umbrella”, including druidry, heathenry, Wicca, Witchcraft, and a number of others. And if you ask any one Pagan what their religion is about, you are going to receive answers that vary wildly from person to person.

Paganism 101 is a collection of articles from different Pagan traditions organized by theme. It’s divided into three main parts: “Who We Are”, “What We Believe”, and “What We Do”. It’s further separated into different categories with an introduction of a number of the different Pagan “paths”, and specific chapters on nature, the afterlife, and various aspects of spellwork such as herbalism, ritual, and healing.

One section of the book that took me by surprise addressed “Christo-Pagans”, a term that encompasses those who choose Jesus as a God and Mary as a Goddess, generally speaking. I’ve met quite a number of folks who follow it, and it appears to be becoming quite popular. Both Pagans and Christians say that you cannot be both Pagan and Christian, a number of stories in this book would show you that this is not the case.

As I looked through the table of contents, the Ethics portion of Part 2 jumped out at me immediately. This is often a very interesting area to look at, as each different path or tradition in the umbrella could have its own moral code. Some of the more universal themes include belief in the threefold law—both good and bad are returned to you three times as good or bad—respect for the earth, and openness toward human sexuality in whatever form it takes.

Of all of the ethics articles, Mary Caelsto wrote the one I liked the most and it really resonated with me. Having different moral codes does not absolve us from personal responsibility, and to allow bad behavior to occur without consequence means that we are not following our own code. We must accept the consequences our actions have not only on ourselves, but also on those around us. It’s a simple and profound message that modern Pagans need to hear.

One of the things I like most about this book is that it welcomed all paths and put them on an equal footing. I’ll say right now that as I read through this book, there were things I didn’t agree with. If you are a practicing Pagan and you read this book, you are going to have the same thing happen. I look at that as a good thing. You don’t have to agree with every practice of another Pagan path; you just have to respect that what they are doing is every bit as valid as what you are doing.

Overall, I liked this book and think it makes a great reference, especially for those who are considering different Pagan traditions. But reading this book really showed how similar many of the paths truly are.

Editor: Trevor Greenfield

Moon Books, 2014

$18.95

Indiana, Marrying Horses, and Dancing Naked at a Government Building

Being Wiccan or a Witch has its share of challenges; it's not an easy path by any means. Many don't understand who we are or how we worship. They think we're sex addicts, devil worshipers, or damned for eternity. We are targets of discrimination. And don't even get me started on the impressions of us from movies and television. 

But more than perhaps any other religion, people judge all Wiccans and Witches by the vocal ones who make statements to the media, like in this article. 

[SIGH]

We have some very serious battles for equal rights going on right now. You'd have to have been on an Alaskan cruise for the past few weeks to not have heard about the controversy in Indiana over "religious freedom" laws that would essentially permit discrimination by people who could refuse to serve others, such as homosexuals, citing their religious beliefs.

One Wiccan High Priest (HP) decided to look on the bright side of these laws. Despite calling them "horrible", he says that it would allow the tenets of Wicca to govern behavior in Indiana, and would provide the opportunity for Wiccans there to:

• Marry a horse ("love is the law" so "whatever we want to do with marriage we can do")

• Refuse drug tests ("natural" substances like "herbs" can be used at officially sanctioned ceremonies; the "body is a temple" that we don't have to "give a piece of")

• Dance naked on the Indiana capitol's steps under a full moon ("The Charge of the Goddess" allows this practice)

People in America (seem to) understand that there are different sects of Christianity. So when a Christian who runs an establishment says they won't serve a particular group because of their religious beliefs, we don't tar all Christians with the "bigot" brush. We seem to get that the indvidual does not speak for all Christians, but is expressing their personal spiritual beliefs, which we are free to agree or disagree with. 

Unfortunately, Wicca has not been given that luxury yet. Yes, I believe we're a growing spiritual path in the United States; I don't think we're the 5th largest, but we are growing quickly. We don't have an overall hierarchy, and many Wiccans wouldn't recognize one if we tried because our beliefs differ so much from person to person. Add all these facts to the common stereotypes of Wicca and Witchcraft, and we're just asking for trouble. 

Bottom line: People assume that this HP speaks for all Wiccans, and of course, he doesn't. 

Hubert H. Humphrey once said, "The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously." When you talk about marrying horses, what do you expect?

This situation also reminds me of a protest rally going on in Washington, DC, a number of years ago, and a protest march was underway. Way in the back, once almost all the participants had walked by, was a lone man with a sign that said FREE BANGLADESH. While I truly can't recall the reason for the rally, it definitely was NOT about Bangladesh. But there he was, carrying his sign with a group of unrelated protesters.

Indiana has changed the law, which is fantastic news. Ultimately that protects all Indiana citizens from discrimination, which I strongly support. And if I look at it from this HP's perspective, maybe his statement was strategic, that he said some of the most ridiculous things possible to show Indiana lawmakers how crazy things could get if the law actually went through. Seeing anybody dancing naked on the steps of a government building under the full moon would be pretty bizarre indeed.

In the end, though, this HP is doing essentially the same thing as the FREE BANGLADESH protester at the rally: Taking the opportunity to dive into a political issue and try to twist the conversation to a topic of his choosing. Yes, the argument could be made that this fight affects us as Wiccans and Witches, and it does in the sense that any group could be targets of discrimination. But all this article seems to do is perpetuate the idea that Wiccans and Witches are crazy, since we obviously think about marrying livestock. [headdesk]

(NOTE: For the record, the Commonwealth of Virginia has not authorized inter-species weddings, so if you're planning to marry your horse here, at least as of the date of this blog, thanks for thinking of me but I won't be able to help you out. Even if you got that far, making the case to your accountant for joint human-equine filing might be a challenge, even if the horse is wealthy and paying taxes, which wasn't an obligation for non-human mammals the last time I checked, although it might be open to debate.)

There is No "War on Christmas" For Me

Merry Christmas to all!

It seems like this time of year is when we start hearing in the media about the "war on Christmas", and frankly, I'm kind of sick of it.

I can understand people thinking that the religious/spiritual meaning has gone out of Christmas. For many people it's about spending money and making money. And there's nothing wrong with either of those two things; everyone has different ideas about what they get out of the holiday. But I can understand people being upset about that. 

With that said, it isn't what we're talking about, really. The distinct impression I get when I hear about the "war on Christmas" is that people are upset that people of other faiths are starting to push back against the idea that we're not all Christians, and that many of us do not celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. 

One of the manifestations of this phenomenon is the idea that you can somehow offend people with "Merry Christmas!" Since you don't know what faith everyone is, you can't necessarily greet them appropriately for their spiritual path. And what about atheists? Dan Piraro, the creator of the Bizarro comic, has two atheists greeting each other with "Happy Nothing!", which I found hilarious. But I digress. 

If someone wishes me "Merry Christmas", I take that as "I hope you have a great holiday, whichever one it is you celebrate at this time of year." I find it makes me feel good and doesn't piss people off, and I know deep down that people are wishing me well. Not everyone knows I'm a witch and I don't feel the need to advertise it, so I don't correct people and say, "No...it's 'Blessed Yule'!"

(For the record, more and more people are recognizing Wicca/Witchcraft, so I often get messages from friends wishing me well for the solstices and the other holidays. I'm always extremely impressed and grateful!)

Other than the whole "Merry Christmas" thing, I'm not sure what the "war" is about. If you mean that people should be able to put up nativity scenes and other faiths should be able to construct and publicly display symbols of their faith, I'm all for it. Everyone, from Wiccans to atheists to Satanists and every other group, should be able to put up displays at public buildings. Or no group should be allowed to do so. That's only fair. 

I think that many Christians are starting to get nervous that their faith is losing ground in the United States. I'm not sure why that would make people upset; your faith is your faith no matter how many people practice it. What other people say doesn't affect what you believe, does it? Christianity is one of the world's strongest and largest faiths, so I'm not sure how others expressing their religious beliefs threatens them. 

If you really believe there's a "war on Christmas", then perhaps you should look within and ask yourself why other people wanting to express their beliefs has a negative impact on your own.  To push this idea forward smacks of intolerance, which is just unacceptable.

My Christmas wish for us all is acceptance. If you can accept that the beliefs of others have nothing to do with you; and that when someone wishes you well, even if it's not of your personal spiritual path, you can accept it as a kind wish, you're already in good shape for 2015.

Best wishes for a prosperous, peaceful, and healthy 2015. 

Solstice Interview with Saturn

John: Hello everyone, and blessed Yule to you! Saturn has been asking me for a while now to interview him on the show, since I did it for Jupiter a while back. This seemed like the perfect time for it, so I'd like to welcome Saturn back to the blog. 

Saturn: John, it's a pleasure. Well, it was more of a pleasure before, when you were one of my preferred people, but I've noticed that since you started this blog my reputation has taken a hit. So I'm glad to be able to explain my function more clearly. You tend to, shall we say, distort my image a little bit. 

John: Oh REALLY? What a fascinating observation from the "greater malefic".

Saturn: Now, now...that's pretty rude. If you're referring to that archiac archetype, they don't call me that anymore. That was hundreds of years ago. 

John: Well, would you like to tell my readers where that idea came from?

Saturn: It's because people don't like me. They never have. I impose limits; I force people to discipline themselves; I don't deal with fantasy or the way humans want things to be. I just AM. 

John: Well, while I'm still in my infancy in my astrological studies, I'd say those ancient astrologers were on to something. You're sitting in my 5th house, the house of excitement and fun. Did you know how BORING a child I was? How closed off? Would you like to guess what planet is sitting in it? That would be YOU. 

Saturn: I was there. You weren't boring; you were thoughtful and responsible. You weren't out causing trouble like people with strong benefic planets, having illicit sex, doing drugs, or just plain old acting like a spoiled brat. Which would you have preferred?

John: I'd have preferred a little more balance. Since you and Jupiter and Neptune don't get along in my chart, it took me a lot longer to find that. 

Saturn: Big lesson, wasn't it? I was responsible for it. You're welcome. 

John: Oh no, Old Man. If anyone is taking credit for that, it's me! You just made it harder. 

Saturn: And maybe it wouldn't have been as valuable for you if it hadn't. 

John: Should I tell them about the Grim Reaper?

Saturn: Once again, a chronic misrepresentation of what I do. Yes, people see me as the Grim Reaper. There are images of me with a scythe and people get carried away. 

John: But you said it yourself. You impose limits, right? Like our life span? And our health? 

Saturn: Yes. Nothing lasts forever. And things tend to get better for people as they get older. But when the time comes, eventually all of you bow to my will. But there are more of you who see 3 Saturn returns, and at 30 years a pop, that's pretty good, I'd say. 

John: What about depression? Don't you contribute to it?

Saturn: Yes, I do. I think you humans make too much of that. Some people were meant to be melancholy all the time. Acceptance of that limitation of happiness or contentment is a noble thing. 

John: Unfortunately, we call that a chemical imbalance. And you don't know much about us at ALL if you consider suffering with constant unhappiness noble. That's truly an asshole thing to say. 

Saturn: You've picked up a few habits from planets not named Saturn, I see. You demean yourself when you talk that way. And you're so much more intelligent than that but yet you tend toward lowest common denominator expressions. 

John: You are doing nothing but reinforcing the idea in everyone's mind that the "greater malefic" still lives. 

Saturn: Look, I do my job and I do it well. I'd love for people to love me like they do Jupiter and Venus. But they don't. Some good PR was the reason I came on your blog today, but you did exactly what most of you do: you're always looking at the negative.

John: Well, the way it sounds you don't have many positive qualities at all. 

Saturn: Depends on your perspective. I'm great at long-term goals that require work and sacrifice. I'm really good at boundaries. People want to be too nice. If you're nice all the time you become a doormat. And I'm fantastic at editing because I take out what is unncessary. 

John: As my astrology teacher says, "Saturn takes prisoners." You damage every other planet you come into contact with in a chart. Generally speaking your job is to remind people that they're getting older and will someday succumb to our health "limitations" by dying. Do you THINK that people want to get to know you? I can answer that one--"NO." 

Saturn: Honestly, John, most people don't have the stomach to get to know me. No, I am not a happy go lucky planet. I don't bring love, good luck, or peace. I don't help you think clearly and I don't provide motivation. But I'd like to at least get the respect that I am due for my role. It's a dirty job but someone's gotta do it. I've been around a long time and people haven't liked me since my astrological role was discovered. I was hoping that the magic of blogging and social media might help people "get" me a little more. 

John: Well, Saturn, in addition to everything else, you usher in a time of year when the earth is dead, so I think that's going to be a stretch. But I respect your desire to try to explain yourself to people. Maybe people will try to respect you a little more if you can stop harrassing other planets trying to just do their jobs. 

Book Review: The Witches' Almanac, Issue 24, Spring 2015-2016

The Witches’ Almanac, Issue 34
The Witches’ Almanac, LTD
$12.95

I have many old copies of The Witches’ Almanac from past years, back when they were done in paper without glossy covers. This should give you an idea about how useful they are, and this edition is certainly no exception.

The theme of this particular issue is “Fire, the Transformer”, and many of the articles deal with “fiery” topics. If you’re working with fire in your magickal practice, this is definitely not an edition you will want to miss.

Similar to other almanacs, there is very useful information in here for your magickal edification that would make it a useful purchase even with that information alone, such as holidays, moon cycles, and horoscopes for the coming year. But as usual there is so much more.

I was thrilled by the amount of astrology articles in this edition. I don’t recall seeing as many in the past, or perhaps I just wasn’t looking for them. But one of the best articles in this edition for me is the one about the “galactic center” in astrology, from approximately 25-29 degrees of Sagittarius. This is an important area of an astrological chart, and you should definitely check and see if you have any planets in that area. They will take on an added significance in your life, as their energy is being chewed up and recycled. What liked was that the article gave a nice introduction to the concept of the galactic center, and gave some planetary transits over that point in the next year.

I also enjoyed the article on the planetary days and hours, especially since it gave a calculation so you can figure out which planet is ruling a given hour in a day or night where you are. Certain computer programs will calculate this for you, but I’m totally excited to try it by hand!

For fire-themed articles, I definitely enjoyed the one on fireflies, a nice look at some of the legends of fireflies and how to attract them to your outdoor spaces. Who knew that having lights on in your house will interfere with their breeding?

Two page-long articles also attracted my attention. One was quotations from various people about fire, which includes, “Fire is the most tolerable third party,“ by Thoreau. The second was a short article on the Devil card in the tarot, which did a great job encapsulating some of the major themes and imagery on the card. Since the Devil is not a card you want to see come up in a reading, it’s important to know what it means when he does.

Finally, another short article that crossed my mind is on cardinals. They’re a bird I have always loved, and I’m guessing I’m not alone since seven American states have chosen them as the state bird, more than any other.

If you’re looking for lengthy articles, this isn’t the place, but The Witches’ Almanac shows consistently that an article doesn’t need to be wordy to be meaningful.

Book Review: Llewellyn's 2015 Magical Almanac

Llwellyn’s 2015 Magical Almanac

ISBN 978-0-7387-2685-4

Llewellyn, 2014

$11.99

Reviewing this work is almost a no-brainer. I say that because there are very few magical books that so many people have to own year after year that are more popular than Llewellyn’s annual magical almanac. I can’t think of one I’ve ever read when I didn’t find at least one of two articles that resonated well with me. I’m happy to report that this year’s was no exception, but let’s take things one step at a time, shall we?

There are those who buy it only for its “informational” value, and if it’s unclear, I’m talking about that section in the middle with the gray pages. Llewellyn calls it the “Almanac Section” in the table of contents. It’s an entire calendar for the year with moon phases and their respective dates, good days for communing with the earth, and the dates for festivals and holidays. I also like the little reminders, like giving a list of astrological correspondences for the days of the week. Sometimes you forget that Friday is Venus’ day, for example.

If you’re only in it for the information in the gray pages, you won’t be disappointed, but I’m not being honest with you if I don’t tell you that you’re missing out on quite a bit if that’s its only purpose on your bookshelf. There are some fantastic articles in here that you won’t want to pass up.

The table of contents is set up by elemental magical themes: Earth magic, air magic, fire magic, and water magic, in that order. In each section, I found at least one article that I really enjoyed.

The earth section’s highlight for me was “The Lure and Lore of the Graveyard” by Susan Pesznecker. As a sun sign Scorpio, graveyards have always been interesting to me, and the Paris catacombs fascinate me. The article gives us an interesting historical perspective on graveyards, catacombs, and mausoleums.

In air magic, I couldn’t choose one; there were two that really hit home for me. The first one was, “Conflict Resolution for a Magickal Community” by Emily Carlin. She presents some practical solutions for spiritual communities when conflict arises. You’ll note that I didn’t say “if” but when; this is a must-read for anyone in a Pagan or Wiccan community. As a professional tarot reader, “The To-Go Tarot Kit” by Deanna Anderson was wonderful as well.

For fire magic, even though I am myself melissophobic—afraid of bees—I really loved the article by Natalie Zaman entitled “The Blessed Bee”. I’m not in a position to create a spirit hive for them in my current living situation, but it’s a great reminder of how important bees are to us. Given the colony collapse syndrome that honeybees are facing now, building a hive like Zaman describes is a fantastic way to address an important environmental need as well as a spiritual one. If you work with the Goddess, you will definitely want to check out this article.

Finally, in the water realm, I have to give major kudos to Lisa McSherry, as both her articles were the tops in my book. “Wedding as Ritual” is an excellent primer for people trying to create their own wedding or handfasting, with plenty of her own experiences woven throughout. As an interfaith minister, I plan to recommend the article to couples I marry, especially the part about creating your own vows. This is definitely a delicate dance, and couples should heed McSherry’s practical advice on the topic.

McSherry’s other article about Brighid’s Well was a great travel story that discusses sacred wells, and gives their locations throughout Ireland. Warning: Do not read this article if you’ve always wanted to go. It will just make you want to go that much more. You have been warned. :)

A close second for me in the water realm was “Tarot’s Crystal Allies” by Lunaea Weatherstone, and explores correspondences between tarot and gemstones. I work with a gemstone altar in my professional tarot practice and understand the powerful link that can be created between these two disciplines. No matter what your experience level with either, I’m sure you’ll find something to take away from this article.

Speaking personally, I’d love to see a similar offering by Llewellyn on spirit magic. But the Magical Almanac’s byline is “Practical Magic for Everyday Living”. While I believe that spirit is an important part of everyday life, that’s not really the purpose of this particular guide.

One final important note: Many of these articles are sourced, either in the article, in a list at the end, or both. Honestly, that’s one of the ways that the Magical Almanac keeps on giving: If you want more information, the authors have graciously provided you the opportunity to find it.

I’m going to be keeping my copy of the Almanac handy, for many reasons. This one is definitely a big winner.

There's Trouble Right Here in Front Royal, Part 2

The vote in Front Royal, VA, occurred last night, and this time, the good guys prevailed, 4-2. The ban on fortunetelling in Front Royal was lifted! And there was MUCH rejoicing! WOO HOO!

What's interesting to me is at the last minute, one of the City Councilors tried to amend the law by removing some of the language, including "gypsies", but that didn't fly. 

If you've read anything about this story, however, you probably remember that the last vote was 4-3 in favor of repealing the ban. What happened to the seventh vote this time? I've been looking for an answer but haven't found one yet...

In the end, it doesn't matter, because a ridiculous law has been struck down. I'm so glad it went the way it did. 

If you don't like tarot card readers or other psychics, don't patronize us. But to try to prohibit us from making money with our skills because you don't like us or believe in us is ridiculous and closed-minded. 

I applaud those who stood against what seemed to be a small, vocal minority in Front Royal and defended the rights of fortunetellers to practice. WELL DONE!

There's Trouble Right Here In Front Royal, and the "T" is for Tarot

I've been living in Northern Virginia for over ten years now, and I just love it. By and large it has been a very warm and welcoming place for both my faith and my tarot reading business. But I must admit that this story has me very concerned.

Front Royal, VA, a town maybe an hour west of where I live, is considering removing a ban on fortunetelling, which is how my business is classified by many municipalities. I look at that as a good thing; the bill passed with a small majority (4-3) and will be heard again soon for a final vote. I hope that the members of the City Council decide to push forward and repeal this ban. 

Folks, it's 2014. Do we still have "Witchcraft" mentioned in the same breath as "fortunetelling"? They are two separate activities. Many people use forms of divination as part of their spiritual practices, but they're not the same thing. 

Opponents of the repeal are afraid that somehow crime will increase in their little town if fortunetellers are allowed to practice their craft here. And if it is eventually lifted, then some townspeople are hoping to put regulations in, like that it must be done away from schools and day care centers. This sounds way too much like "The Music Man" and its pool table. "We've got trouble right here in Front Royal" because some people want to make money with their gifts. You've just put tarot readers in the same category as drugs and alcohol. Come the fuck on.

This is ridiculous. I understand that fortunetellers do not have a great reputation and I'll be the first one to tell you that you must be careful who you use. With that said, this is true of any business...I give my psychic the same scrutiny that I do my doctor, my dentist, and my auto mechanic. 

What scares me is that people can be so provincial, even in 2014. It is not going to bring more crime to your community; likely there is tons of it already that is invisible to most people. Or is it just that you find the practice morally reprehensible? 

"Increase in crime" might be a reason to disallow casino gambling, but I've never heard of psychics causing widespread criminal activity. So I'm thinking that it's more of the "morally reprehensible" angle, couched in words that are more acceptable in today's society; who can honestly say they want crime to go up? And that's the angle. The logic is specious to me, but if that's the best argument you have, you don't stand a chance of winning the second time around. 

I applaud all those who are standing up for the right of Front Royal's honest fortunetellers to do business there. 

On a side note, they're also looking at repealing the $400 "license fee" that they charge fortunetellers as well. Considering that here in Fairfax County I pay $500 a year for the privilege of reading cards, I'd love to see that happen here, too, since we're placed on the same level as "bail bondsmen" and "dance halls". LOL. 

Book Review: The Witch's Eight Paths of Power: A Complete Course in Magick and Witchcraft

The Witch's Eight Paths of Power: A Complete Course in Magick and Witchcraft
Lady Sable Aradia
Red Wheel/Weiser, 2014
$14.92 (paperback) / $9.99 (Kindle)

As a Head High Priest of a community and school of Witchcraft, I'm always interested in books such as The Witch's Eight Paths of Power: A Complete Course in Magick and Witchcraft. It's always great to compare notes and see what other schools of thought are in the area of the Craft.

I could tell there was going be a lot here to like right away, even by looking through the table of contents. A lot of the principles that were nearest and dearest to me were here, from the basic to the more advanced, and it became obvious to me that a person who didn't have access to either an in-person or online school of Witchcraft could learn a whole lot.

One of my favorite sections of the work was about midway through it, and discussed the role of ego in Witchcraft:

“As we are learning to reclaim our power, sometimes we become a little drunk with it, especially those who came to the craft because we felt disempowered. This is commonly called the High Priestess’s disease, and it is associated with the shadow […] This is the stage of development that causes most of the ‘Witch wars’ that happen in our small communities. It is good to recognize that you are divine; but so is everyone else. It seems that humility should go without saying, but my experience in training priests and priestesses tells me that it mostly falls on deaf ears.”

I couldn't agree more with this quote, and considering the empowerment that can occur through the Craft, and the book's title, "Eight Paths of Power", I have met way too many Witches just looking for that next "level up" in their community just so they can have a title they can flaunt. That's ego, pure and simple, and it destroys relationships and communities, and hinders spiritual growth. Many people don't understand the tremendous responsibility that you take on as a spiritual leader. A big part of spiritual leadership is putting your ego aside for the good of others and not expecting recognition or reward, financial or otherwise, for doing so, and this book seems to support that theory. 

So I'm repeating myself, but there's so much to like here. Chakra work. Visualization. Symbols. Basic herbalism. Spell work and intent. Astrology. Dealing with psychic vampires. And exercises for it all. It's an all in one resource for those who want to learn the Craft, and in that regard it’s an impressive work.

And then I read the parts in chapter four, “Intoxicants”, about how to connect with the Divine using drugs and alcohol, and what could have been a truly outstanding book took a unexpected and unpleasant turn.

I understand that people have been using both legal and illegal drugs to connect to the Divine for centuries. I don't purport to make that choice for everyone; it's certainly an individual one, and my opinion is irrelevant. With that said, I think it's incredibly irresponsible for a spiritual leader--and if you look at Lady Sable Aradia's bio, she certainly has earned the title of spiritual leader--to put the information in a book, especially one called Eight Paths of Power.

If Witchcraft is so empowering on its own merits, and I believe that it is, then why is it necessary to include information on using intoxicants to connect with the Divine? It sets a dangerous precedent for witches of all levels, and for those considering the Craft as a path, it puts the idea in their minds that this is something that is expected. Yes, there's a statement at the beginning of the chapter, reminding each person that they take no responsibility for the actions of individuals, and that's something you'd expect. The reality is that anyone with an Internet connection can find that information if they choose, but by including it you are tacitly encouraging it, in my opinion, and I do not believe you need to use any sort of drug to improve your connection to the Divine.

With that last chapter being the lone exception, I generally agreed with the rest of what was presented. Every Witch practices a little differently, but what was here was a solid base for anyone who wants to go back to basics on their own.

To me, a classroom setting—even a virtual classroom—is better than a book for learning the Craft. But if that’s not possible for you, The Witch's Eight Paths of Power: A Complete Course in Magick and Witchcraft is a better way than many to increase your knowledge.

Neat Article about Tarot Readers from Brooklyn!

Hey there people...

I saw this cool article from the Huffington Post about some tarot readers in Brooklyn and their various spiritual paths.

There's at least one Witch in the group, but I was also excited to see a man who says he's a tarot reader but NOT a psychic, and one who self-identifies as Catholic. I think that's really cool!

I'd love for someone to do an article about readers in the Washington DC/Northern Virgina corridor. There are plenty of outstanding readers here as well. 

Enjoy! 

The Witch Doctor Who Felled a Soccer Idol

Ok, so many of you who read this blog are NOT soccer fans, while those of us who are...well, we're pretty excited because the World Cup began today! 

If soccer's not your thing, please don't leave! I promise to make it worth your while. 

This article from The Guardian was not something that came across my personal radar. I was too busy reading the articles about world cup teams who are being required to abstain from sex during the Cup tournament. (No, this last article was not from the Onion. SERIOUSLY. Click the link and be prepared to laugh your ass off! And this is not the only article on this topic. You're welcome!)

Anyway, a friend at work (thanks Rita!) sent me a great article about witch doctor from Ghana who claims responsibility for the knee problems of Cristiano Ronaldo, an extremely talented soccer player. Ronaldo, the witch doctor alleges, will have problems that "no doctor can cure" and may prevent him from playing in one of the sporting world's most prestigious competitions. 

What makes this more interesting is that Ghana also has a team in the World Cup, and that Ghana is playing in the same opening group as the United States, Germany, and Portugal, the team that Ronaldo plays for. That group is one of the toughest in the tournament, called the "Group of Death". 

So essentially, what we're saying is that the aforementioned Ghanian witch doctor, whose name translates as "Devil of Wednesday", cursed a very talented player on a team that could cause Ghana problems in this tournament. 

I'll admit here that I don't know what religion or spiritual path this witch doctor practices. If he was Wiccan or a Witch, I could tell you that he'd karmically get his ass kicked. If you deliberately cause harm to another person, that's horrible, but then to do it because of a soccer game? I don't care that this is the world's biggest soccer stage. In the end, it's still a fucking game, people. And this is what you turn your energy toward, really? (For the record, some other spiritual paths are OK with this sort of magickal work.)

Of course, this is assuming that the witch doctor's claims are true, that he really did "curse" Ronaldo. As I've said before, hexes and curses are real, but do you know how many times people wish for bad things to happen to others when they want their team to win? As a Patriots fan, I'm sure that lots of our opponents would hope Tom Brady would get knocked out of a game so their team would have a better chance of winning. It's not meant maliciously per se but when you want your team to win, people do some crazy things. 

So do I really think that some Ghanian witch doctor caused one of the world's most talented soccer players to have knee problems? Likely not. It's like my other posts on curses. I'm guessing Ronaldo is going to try to rehab his knee, assuming that there are physical causes for it and not metaphysical ones. But I'll be interested to see if Ronaldo plays in the Cup, and if so, how he does. Of course, it may or may not help Ghana, who is a good team in their own right. 

If you think this blog sucked because you're not a soccer fan, my sincere apologies. Please blame Rita. If this was some of the best writing I've ever done, I'll thank her for inspiring me with this article. 

And if you couldn't care less about the World Cup, at least go read the articles about teams who think their players will perform better abstaining from sexual activity. It will just amuse you to no end that people care about sports that much that they want to control the sex lives of their players. 

I'll just say this: You can bet your ass that if someone gets laid and goes out and has the game of their life, they're going to re-think that strategy. 

And wouldn't "Devil of Monday" sound a lot more menacing? Everybody hates Mondays...maybe that guy's curse would have had Ronaldo's leg fall off instead. Just sayin'. 

Lessons from the Story of Brandi Blackbear

So I read an interesting article today about a high school girl who was supposedly suspended because of her Wiccan beliefs and practices. Take a look!

Note the date on the story. This is making its way around Facebook, but it's not new. This happened quite a while ago. 

Anyway, while you can read it for yourself, the crux of the matter is pretty simple: An Oklahoma middle school suspended a student for 15 days when they suspected her of casting a spell to make a teacher sick. Of course, the parents, the administration, their lawyers and the American Civil Liberties Union got involved. The school district was forced to defend its actions--namely, suspending Brandi twice in 1999--in Federal court. 

Eventually, the court found in favor of the school, and the 2002 story here suggests that there would be an appeal, but I haven't gone digging for additional information yet. 

According to the second story, the judge in the case did not believe that Brandi was a true Wiccan practitioner, and thought that the whole religious aspect of the case was played up so there would be more media attention surrounding it. 

Stories like this are challenging, because many Wiccans get very strident about voicing their 1st Amendment rights, and a story like this just stokes the flames. But I think it's important to take a step back and look at exactly what happened, based on the information that is presented to us, before we go running off saying that the school was at fault. 

Actually, for me, the whole thing is just sad, and there is blame on both sides. 

Here are few things that struck me as I read these articles:

1) Brandi had claimed to be a witch with the power to harm others with spells

Two students came forward saying they were afraid of Brandi for this reason. This was the reason behind Brandi's first suspension. The job of the public schools often rests on the principle of in loco parentis, a "parental" role in which one of the school's main jobs is to keep the students safe. In this age of people walking into schools and offices with murder on their minds, they are right to take that role seriously. Imagine if Brandi had been an actual threat and the school had done nothing; the school would have been in serious trouble. 

With that said, I'm balking a little bit at the 19-day suspension that was imposed here. With the understanding that I'm not aware of all the circumstances, isn't 19 days a bit...well, harsh? Would the message have gotten across with 10 days? 5 days? 

2) When Brandi was suspended a second time, after the teacher had become ill, she had been questioned about her beliefs in Wicca by the administration, her notebooks of horror stories she had written were confiscated, and she was forbidden from drawing or wearing any signs or symbols of the Wiccan faith. 

I side with the family here to a certain extent. The administration seized her stories, which, truth be told, could have been her plans to kill people, so if they saw her as a threat they would have done so. Also, if she was writing them at school instead of doing work, I could see taking the notebooks, too, provided they were returned to her at the end of the investigation. 

To question her about her spiritual beliefs, however, is ridiculous. Were they really that scared that a girl could make a grown man sick? Just the fact that they would even consider this possibility is crazy, even in 1999 Oklahoma. 

And real Wiccans don't use their power to harm; Brandi would have taken on a serious karmic debt had she actually done that, anyway. 

And until everyone else in that school had hidden their own religious items--including crosses--I disagree that the school had the right to ask Brandi to stop drawing or wearing Wiccan symbols to school. The fact that she was interested in Wicca, and by her own admission had read a book in the school library about it, is meaningless. She should not have been questioned about it. 

So where does this leave us? Well, I'm reminded of some very important points. 

1) Words have power, so be careful how you use them. 

In both the mundane and magickal world, words have a lot of power. Don't claim to be something you're not, and don't threaten others with any power, magickal or otherwise. 

2) The US Constitution may give us the freedom to practice Wicca/Witchcraft, but you can't legislate respect. 

There is a difference between tolerance, respect, and acceptance. Practicing Wiccans and Witches will find people who wholeheartedly accept them and their spiritual path. They will also find those who will generally be respectful without accepting who we are, and that's fine, too. There are people who will tolerate our spiritual practice to varying degrees, and some who rail against it. We are allowed to practice it by law, but if you expect everyone to be thrilled about that fact you've got another thing coming.

My community and I have experienced various displays of discrimination and intolerance directed our way, and while it's sad, it does happen. We have to take the high road, report it to the appropriate authorities when it occurs (if applicable), and do our best to take it in stride when that's all we can do, with the understanding that these incidents are not truly frequent. 

3) Know what you are taking on when you call yourself a Wiccan or a Witch. 

Some people may never be "out of the broom closet", a term we use for a Wiccan or Witch who practices openly. I leave that choice to each individual person. With that said, practicing Wicca openly in some countries could get you killed, quite literally. 

If you choose to practice openly as a Wiccan or Witch here in America, remember that your example has an effect on all of us. While we are one of the fastest growing religions in the United States, we still have a lot of obstacles to overcome before we are fully accepted by American society. Is it sad? Absolutely. But it is also the truth, folks. I take my "Blessed Be" bumper sticker off my car when traveling through certain areas of the country myself; it's just common sense. 

Every religion has its crackpots, but our reputation takes a serious hit when stories like this make their way around the social media circles. So please don't act like a crazy person; choose to be an informed, balanced, empowered, responsible Wiccan or Witch. And a part of that responsibility is withholding judgment on stories like this one until we get all the facts. 

We're fortunate in this country to be able to believe and worship as we choose, and I think that's something we all can agree on.

Book Review: Tarot Tour Guide by Christiana Gaudet

Tarot Tour Guide: Tarot, the Four Elements, and Your Spiritual Journey
Christiana Gaudet
Jupiter Gardens Press
$16.95 

In April 1989, I stood outside one of the world's greatest art museums, the Louvre, with only an inkling of what I would find inside. I knew about the Mona Lisa, "Winged Victory", and a few other gems, but otherwise, I had no idea of the depth and breadth of the collections that stood all around me. It was definitely overwhelming. 

Working with the tarot can seem overwhelming, too: There are tons of books and other resources vying for the time and attention of the beginning tarot reader. Luckily for those interested in learning the tarot, Christiana Gaudet created something that I should have had at the Louvre: A tour guide! 

Tarot Tour Guide is a remarkably complete work that surprised me with its breadth and simplicity. Everything you'd expect from a tarot book is here: Card meanings, example spreads, suggestions for tools and various techniques, and meditations. The author's tone is conversational and not pretentious, making the reader comfortable. It also doesn't make judgments about how you should or should not use the cards; in other words, Gaudet presents the options without pushing one way or the other.

What I didn't expect was the elemental focus of the book--five entire chapters dedicated to this vital topic. To me, the four elements of fire, earth, air, and water are an essential part of not only tarot, but of spiritual practice. Gaudet includes a full chapter on each of the elements and asks the student to work with each one through exercises and meditations. Most books are content with a cursory "here are the four elements" portion, but the author really went over and above to ensure that the reader understood each element. I'd love to see an individual book on each of the elements in the tarot from this author someday.  

I really liked the additional information included in each of the elemental chapters. In Chapter 8, for example, "The Element of Air", Gaudet discusses the element and the mental body, but includes related topics, like reading for other people, tarot ethics, and what to do if you feel that someone is lying during a tarot reading. The other elemental chapters follow a similar pattern, with earth focusing on work and the physical body; fire focusing on the spiritual body, creativity, and sexuality; and water presenting the emotional body, as well as love and relationship readings. The fact that these topics were organized by element really stood out for me, and for that reason they resonated with me even more. 

One final point: The readings that Gaudet includes in the book really help understand not only the elements, but the role of the tarot reader. The reading "Single Again" from Chapter 10, "The Element of Water" really hit home for me as a professional reader, because these are the types of problems our clients face every day. It's about a man going through a divorce. While you should go buy this book and read it for yourself, I'll say this much: The author does a great job of showing how to react compassionately but honestly when a client doesn't want to see the truth of a particular situation. It's a regular occurrence in my own practice as well.  

Whether you are an aspiring tarot professional or just want to develop your intuitive abilities, I'd recommend this book. It's also great for beginners, especially those who may be interested in using tarot as a larger part of their spiritual development or are drawn to a Pagan/Wiccan spiritual path.

P is for Pele

Welcome to my "P" post about the goddess Pele!

Pele is from the Hawaiian pantheon. She is known as the goddess of fire, volcanoes, wind, and lightning. At least three different legends discuss the origin of Pele, but the most popular one appears to be that she comes from a dormant volcano.

Hawaiians worshipped Pele through the early 1800s, even after the arrival of Christian missionaries.

As a fire goddess, Pele rules creativity, passion, drive, and love. Today, however, many Pagans worship her also as a warrior goddess as well.

One of the more interesting parts of Pele is that she often appears in pop culture references. Various bands and albums have been named for her, and one of my favorite video games--the "Borderlands" series--also has a character that has many similarities to "the earth-eating goddess".

Thanks as always for tuning in! Come back tomorrow for my "Q" post. :)

O is for Osiris

Hello everyone...welcome to my "O" post about Osiris!

Osiris is an Egyptian father god who is the husband of Isis. He is known mainly for his rulership over the underworld. What is interesting, however, is that Osiris not only acts as a fair judge of the Egyptian afterlife, but also of new life and anything associated with natural cycles, such as agriculture. As such, Osiris is often depicted with green skin.

Killed by a jealous god, Set, his body was magickally reanimated by Isis, which allowed him to father Horus with her.

Osiris is known for his just rule, and as such was not a deity that Egyptians feared. He is a great example of a kind father god. He's a god that I look forward to working with more as I grow in my role as a spiritual leader.

Thanks for tuning in to my "O" post! Come back tomorrow for my "P" post. :)

N is for Nepthys

Hello everyone and welcome to my post on the goddess Nepthys!

An important member of the Egyptian pantheon, Nepthys is a goddess who rules decay, death, magick, and the invisible. She is often overshadowed by her twin sister, Isis, who is well-known and beloved by many who follow a Wiccan path. She is known by many names, but most of the information I have seen refer to her as "The Excellent Goddess" or "The Useful Goddess". Both she and Isis are on many sarcophagi together.

Nepthys is the "shadow" side of Isis, and as such was often invoked for funerals and death rites. She provides comfort to those who mourn, and helps speed souls who have passed over to their final rest. When Osiris was dismembered, she helped find the pieces.

For me, I'd consider Nepthys a dark goddess. Death is a natural part of life, but Nepthys can help us to see the positive in the shadows. Just as we will all die physically one day, we will be reborn in millions of ways an infinite number of times.

Nepthys is not a goddess that I would work with every day, speaking personally, but I think she could be very helpful for anyone mourning someone lost, whether that is through a physical passing or the ending of a relationship. It is in those times that we learn the most about ourselves, and Nepthys can help us understand and accept these changes.

This post is dedicated to a very special woman who introduced me to Nepthys. :)

Thanks for tuning in! Come back tomorrow for my "O" post.

I is for Isis

Hello everyone! Today's post is about Isis, an Egyptian mother goddess beloved by many Witches. 

Egyptians worshipped Isis as the ideal mother and wife to her consort, Osiris, as well as a goddess of nature and magick. She used her magickal abilities to restore Osiris to life after he was murdered, and was a patron goddess of children and the downtrodden. 

Isis' son Horus is also a beloved figure in the Egyptian pantheon, and it is said that early Christianity took images of Isis suckling Horus to model art involving Mary and the baby Jesus. 

Isis is a wonderful goddess to work with if you're in need of protection, or if your maternal instincts or compassion need a boost. She'll help you see a situation from someone else's point of view, and make you more sensitive to the suffering of those less fortunate than yourself. 

Thanks for tuning in for my "I" post! Come back tomorrow for "J". 

Finding a Home vs. Finding a Place

I saw this article recently about a Wiccan group that recently found a home in a building in Memphis, TN. This is, of course, the heart of the Bible belt. 

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS to all of the members of the community. Their courage to practice what they believe in an area that has the potential to be very intolerant of their spiritual path is an example to all of us. 

I'm thrilled they've found a space that they can all their own and worship freely. Can you imagine what it must be like to be an out-of-the-closet Wiccan or Witch in a place like Memphis? I really hope they don't have any trouble with their neighbors, which, according to the article, includes a number of other churches. 

I find it disappointing that religions such as Christianity that teach tolerance seem to have a blind spot when it comes to Wicca or Witchcraft. I understand it, though..."thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" is one of the more common themes raised from the Bible, in addition all kinds of condemnation or astrologers or fortunetellers and "worshiping false idols". Some Christians think of the Bible's word is absolute, so it's hard to make a case for tolerance here.

On our side, we don't do a lot to help ourselves. I've met Witches or Wiccans who go out of their way to antagonize practitioners of other faiths because they have experienced persecution themselves. So they make it a point to bash Christians at every opportunity. Two wrongs don't make a right, folks, no matter how you slice it.

Certainly, not all members of either of these spiritual communities are guilty of bigotry, so I'm not painting with a broad brush. Every faith is going to have those who believe fervently that anyone who doesn't follow what they do is wrong. This is nothing new and it even extends out to our life choices. Think about it: Straight vs. Gay, Pepsi vs. Coke, you name it, there are always those who will malign others for their choices. 

Would you be threatened if a person you cared for very much said, "You know what? I've been a Big Mac eater all my life, but I've found that I love the Whopper so much more"? You'd say, "To each his own," and move on with your life. 

What all spiritual paths need in the United States is to find not just their home where they can worship, but a PLACE in society. Every religion has gone through it at one time or another. Look at Northern Ireland, or countries in the Middle East where Christianity is not considered the norm. Every faith has to carve out their spot, and Wicca and Witchcraft have to do the same. 

It's a true shame that Wiccans and Witches cannot practice openly. Many won't even wear a pentacle or other symbol for fear of being ostracized. Unfortunately, while you can legislate freedom of religion, you cannot legislate respect for a particular religion. To me, you can't go out there and demand that people respect you, because it doesn't work. It needs to become something normal that people are comfortable with. Those who do practice openly need to be excellent ambassadors for our faith, but there are so few of them that it makes it difficult.

Do we as Wiccans and Witches need to be who we are not for acceptance? Absolutely not. But we need to be brave enough to slowly come out of the broom closet and act like normal people to gain the respect of others. Doing charity work is one way to do that, for example, but the best way, in my humble opinion, is by just being good people who are kind and respectful of the spiritual practices of all. What you put out you should receive in return, right? 

For those of you who have come out of the broom closet, you have my respect and gratitude. Understand, however, that perhaps more than any other faith you have an enormous responsibility to pave the way for future generations of Wiccans and Witches so they won't feel the need to practice in mystery and darkness.

I have dealt with religious intolerance many times, and while I don't like it, it's not going to drive me back in the broom closet, nor will it make be so bitter that I hate every member of another faith due to the actions of a few misguided believers. As Gandhi so eloquently put it, "Be the change you wish to see in the world," by being the bigger people. Only then can we take our rightful place in the spiritual fabric of the United States.