Traditional Witchcraft: Should I Worry About Bad Karma If I Use Black Magic?

Some people regard black magic as a misuse of spiritual energy. Some define it as any act that interferes with another person’s free will and believe that no witchcraft, even healing, should be conducted without the permission of the subject. Some modern ceremonial magicians call it “the left hand path.” Some warn that it is karmically dangerous to the spell caster.

But, none of this is really relevant in traditional witchcraft. In fact, the purpose of most of traditional witchcraft is to affect the outer environment and those around us and what is commonly called black magic is only an integral part of witchcraft, itself.

The definition of “black magic” used by Winter Tempest Books authors is that it is simply malefic witchcraft, meaning it is witchcraft used for the purpose of causing harm or injury to another. Moral judgments and ethical considerations are withheld and reserved for the individual, who is the only person fit to judge his or her own particular situation. Moreover, we always advocate that, for your protection, such witchcraft should be done secretly and without violating the laws of whatever state, country or other legal jurisdiction you live in.

Some members of modern witchcraft religion state that no “real witch” would use black magic. But, if this were true, why is that that most of the documentation of witchcraft in Western Europe, New England and around the world is full to the brim with instances of curses and demonic visitations? Obviously, this assertion doesn’t hold water.

The dominant class of popular, modern religious witches often warn against the use of black magic because of a fear of it “recoiling” on the one who cast the spell. They have various names for this, such as the “Law of Returns,” and the “Three-fold Law,” and it appears that this modern dogma evolved from the Hindu concept of Karma.

The Doctrine of Karma

The ancient Hindu religious principle of Karma is similar to, but, also, differs from the modern New Age concept, which is described below. In Hinduism, which includes a belief in reincarnation, karma occurs after death and it determines the soul’s path in its next incarnation. Both this life and the next incarnation could be affected by your past deeds. At the core of the doctrine is the concept of cause and effect, the idea that your actions in this life and past ones have have effect on the present and the future. Suffering is seen as a “spiritual gift” by which a person learns and becomes stronger, so disease and other adversity is seen as part of life’s lesson.

This doctrine of karma has been recycled and revamped by Western New Agers and Christianized. Then, it was adapted by Wiccans. (Read more about the Christianization of Wicca in the U.S. in a previous article, “Differences Between Traditional Witchcraft and Wicca: How Wicca Became Mainstream Modern Witchcraft.”)

By contrast, in traditional witchcraft, suffering is not regarded as a spiritual gift. People do not need to learn cosmic lessons by disease, injury, violence, etc. There is no God or system that judges and rewards or punishes.

A danger of this kind of thinking is that it engenders the false belief other people want or deserve to suffer or that we, ourselves, deserve to suffer because of some imagined transgression in this or a past life. Crime survivors might internalize the abuses that have been perpetrated against them by others and imagine that they are somehow deserving because of some imagined bad behavior. For instance, an abused wife may be convinced that she deserves to be abused because she abused her husband in a past life – this is the kind insanity that can flourish when this notion of karma is taken to an extreme.

Karma is a religious doctrine that has no place in traditional witchcraft, which is not a religion, at all. Such thinking prevents people from looking for solutions to health issues, excuses criminal behavior and allows evil-doers to prevail.

Then, there is the negative psychological aspect of accepting this religious belief.

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Wiccan Guilt

Wiccans believe that witchcraft and, indeed, all of life is governed by their version of the law of karma. They are constantly warning people about the dangers of bad karma and bad intent.

Among Wiccans there is a common belief that the things you do now can affect completely unrelated events down the road, either for good or evil, based on the nature of the action you have taken.

Wiccan belief is that if you send out negativity, this causes more negativity in the world, which will inevitably boomerang its way back to you. But, if you send out positive energy, positive energy will come back to you. (To that I say, if you’re a woman, try walking down a street in New York City beaming positive energy at everyone you encounter and see how much positive energy comes back to you. A word of warning: Don’t try this without years of martial arts training.)

This concept of karma within Wicca can become absurd, leading to Wiccan guilt, which is a lot like Christian guilt. Neither are mentally healthy. The New Age belief in past lives affecting the present one is similar to the the Christian doctrine of Original Sin. The Wiccan belief of being cosmically punished if you step out of line is similar to the Christian doctrine of Judgment.

Many Wiccans and New Agers swear this Westernized karmic dogma is true. This is because religious people often have a confirmation bias – if they believe a doctrine, they will look for proof of it where none exists.

For example, a Wiccan who gives a sum of money to charity, then experiences some kindness from a stranger in the next day or two might attribute the kind behavior of the stranger to having made a charitable contribution, when in fact, it was just an encounter with a kindly stranger and nothing more. If the same Wiccan had knocked down an old lady and stolen her grocery money the day before instead, he or she would still have experienced an encounter with a kindly stranger the next day. There is no cause and effect in this situation because there is no cosmic overseer judging and punishing your every move. This is simply a religious belief similar to those held by Hindus and Christians.

To further illustrate, if you think a bad thought about someone and then trip over a piece of loose carpeting and stub your toe, this injury is not a result of your “transgression.” Or, if you fail to adequately tip a waiter and a month later your house is foreclosed on, it is not reasonable to say this is because of a karmic law.

Wiccan guilt comes in when you do good, but good does not return to you – then, you may feel you have not been good enough. If some accident befalls you, a loved one dies or you become the victim of a violent crime, you may be encouraged to believe that this was because of some wrong action or thought vibration on your part. Karma-based beliefs engender a remarkable degree of self-blaming, victim-blaming and criminal enabling.

Letting Go of Harmful Beliefs

The doctrine of karma is simply a religious belief, the key word being “belief.” Such cultural and religious conditioning is a form of mind control.

Holding onto such unfounded beliefs is ultimately destructive. It leads to a state of being in which the person constantly fears they are doing something wrong. To let go of this programming, you only have to allow your rational mind to overcome this irrational and unfounded religious belief.

If you have had the misfortune of being subjected to either Christian or Wiccan indoctrination and consequently fear stepping out of line because of imagined cosmic repercussions, you may have to do some deprogramming before you feel comfortable using black magic.

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The Power of Black Magic

Fortunately, black magic can help break the chains of religious conditioning. Traditionally, black magic rituals involving such things as the recitation of the “Our Father” prayer backwards or meeting a spirit in a cemetery or a crossroad at midnight mark a witch’s passage into the world of witchcraft.

Former Wiccans who want to make a break from their religion might perform a short ritual by writing the “Rede,” “The Law of Returns” or whatever other dogmatic belief on a sheet of paper and burning it in a little ceremony to break the psychological tie to this religious philosophy.

Of course, none of this is really necessary. Simply performing acts of black magic is enough to make the break.

The use of black magic is often a matter of survival. Sometimes violent crime survivors discover their ability to use it very spontaneously.

Sometimes using black magic is the right thing to do in a situation to prevent harm to yourself or someone else. Black magic can be a means of restoring justice and peace – and maintaining it.

Black magic can provide the ultimate form of protection. Once you begin practicing black magic, you will naturally require more protection, but the acquisition of this protection is part of the process of learning more about witchcraft, especially communicating with and employing spirits.

Black magic thinking has the power to release people from a sense of being victimized. It helps crime survivors regain control over their lives. If you have been through a terrible ordeal at the hands of some malefactor, black magic helps you heal, restore balance and re-establish more control over your own life.

Above all, black magic is a mindset. It is a strong self-defense mentality. It helps to undo some of the damage done to us by living in a victim-blaming society in which we are blamed for the failures and evil actions of other people. It helps to restore power and autonomy to the individual.

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The Use of the Magical Circle in Traditional Witchcraft: How it is Cast and Why

A Magician

The casting of circles in witchcraft is very old and appears to be universal.

Those familiar with the modern, popular form of witchcraft, Wicca, know that they cast a circle by “calling the corners.” This procedure is sometimes complex and technical in nature and involves the use of specific colors of candles and other implements. Some of them do it to create “sacred space” to celebrate seasonal holidays, worship their gods and goddesses, or to raise a “cone of power” for some particular purpose. This is one example of the use of a magical circle in a modern form of witchcraft, but there are many others.

The next most familiar type of circle-casting to most people might be the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram described by Israel Regardie in the book, “The Golden Dawn: The Original Account of the Teachings, Rites, and Ceremonies of the Hermetic Order.” In this version four spirits or energies are called to form and guard the circle at the four cardinal points.

The circles described by Regardie are similar to those found in some old medieval grimoires, including “The Lesser Key of Solomon.” These circles are used to summon and converse with demonic spirits. Furthermore, such rituals as these involving circles were documented by the authors of some of these old grimoires who observed and recorded the activities of witches around them at the time.

Those who are new to witchcraft may have the impression that circle casting is something only Wiccans or ceremonial magicians do, however, this is not the case, at all. Although, the Wiccans and ceremonial magicians have their own, often complex methods involving the recitation of specific words and the use of certain magical implements, the casting of a circle as part of a spell is common to witchcraft around the world.

Henry Fuseli – Scene of Witches from “The Masque of Queens” by Ben Jonson {pd}

Worldwide, the circle is primarily used as a place to concentrate power and to perform acts of witchcraft, particularly those involving manifestations of spirits or transformations.

The Obeah men and women were magicians who were among the slaves brought to the Caribbean from some region thought to be in northern Africa. The people from this region of Africa were extraordinary in their beauty, physical strength and intelligence and were prized by the human traffickers who bought and sold them, bringing them primarily to Jamaica despite the fact that they were considered dangerous and inclined to rebellion. The Obeah men and women were both revered and feared by other people because of their magical abilities. The Obeah form of ritual magic sometimes involved the magician drawing a magic circle with a special type of chalk. The origins and content of the chalk are disputed by researchers. Some say that it was formed from the native earth of Africa. Others say that it was made of powdered, white egg shells.

According to researchers, the aboriginals of Australia, also, used similar circles in their magical rituals, including witchcraft for the purpose of cursing enemies. The magician might use the circle alone or with a group of people in this procedure. In such an instance, the circle becomes a metaphysical container for the energy involved in spell casting.

Magic Circle

But, the circle functions to protect the magician and his or her work, also. The following tale, entitled “The Witch as Cat,” involving a chalk-drawn circle comes from Bohemia, historically a German region, which is now part of the Czech Republic; it illustrates the use of the circle in witchcraft as both a protective device and a place from which to conduct acts of magic:

At the end of the sixteenth century a miller woman lived in a mill with her six children. No servant could stay in this mill because during the night a cat with six kittens would always come and bite and scratch the worker, sometimes to death. However, one day a journeyman came to the mill who knew black magic.

When he asked for a night’s lodging the miller woman said that it would not go well with him, because the place was haunted.

“That doesn’t matter,” said the journeyman. “I’m not afraid.”

That evening he lit a candle, drew a circle around himself with sanctified chalk, then sat down at the table. Near midnight a black cat with her six kittens approached the light, wanting to put it out. The journeyman grabbed a hatchet and cut off one of the cat’s paws. She let out a terrible shriek, then all of them ran out the door.

The next morning the miller woman was ill, and no one knew what was wrong with her. However, the journeyman knew what it was; that morning instead of a cat’s paw he had found a human hand lying on the ground. He reported the event, and the miller woman was burned to death, along with her children, for these too someday would have learned witchcraft. ( Josef Virgil Grohmann, Sagen-Buch von Böhmen und Mähren. Erster Theil: Sagen aus Böhmen (Prague: Verlag der J. G. Calve’schen k.k. Universitäts-Buchhandlung, 1863), pp. 225-26.)

Witch and Black Cat

The following story illustrates how a witch very simply casts a circle to perform a conjuration. This account demonstrates the efficacy of a simple circle for summoning spirits, which is accomplished without elaborate ritual, incantations or a lot of ceremonial tools. A book and a glass in a circle along with a pan of hot coals upon which some stinking herbs were thrown is used to conjure spirits, which take on various forms:

The Witch took her staff and there drew him about the house, making a kind of Circle, and then took a book, and carrying it over the Circle, with her hands, and taking a green glass, did lay it upon the book, and placed n the Circle an earthen pan of Coles, wherein she threw something, which burning caused a very noysome stinck, and told the Maid she should not be afraid of what she should then see, for now they could come, they are the words she used and, so calling Beelzebub, Tormentor, Satan, and Lucifer to appear, there suddainly arose a very high wind, which made the house shake, and presently the back Door of the house flying open, there came five spirits, as the Maid supposed, in the likeness of ragged Boys, some bigger than others and ran about the house, where she had drawn the staff, and the Witch threw down upon the ground Crums of Bread, which the Spirits picked up, and leapt over the Pan of Coals oftentimes, which she set in the middle of the Circle, and a Dog and a Cat of the Witches danced with them; and after some time the Witch looked again in her book, and threw some great white feeds upon the ground… (Bower, Edmond, Doctor Lamb revived, or, Witchcraft condemn’d in Anne Bodenham, 1653, Cornell University Library Witchcraft Collection,P. 4-5.)

A Witch in His Circle

The circle may be seen as a three dimensional geometric shape that confines and concentrates the energy that makes possible manifestations and other acts of magic. For example, in the 1947 book, “Ozark Superstitions” Vance Randolph mentions how conjurers in the Ozark Mountains force the appearance of a witch by arranging brush in a circle and lighting it on fire at midnight.

In the following story, we see that a circle large enough to accommodate an outhouse, with the cardinal points marked, is used to make someone ill by means of malefic witchcraft.

An account from circa 1579 from the book, “A Detection of Damnable Driftes Practised by Three Witches Arranged at Chelmifforde in Essex,” demonstrates that the circle not only accumulates power, but holds it in place. It is alleged that an accused witch, Mother Staunton came to the home of a Mrs. Cornell to ask for some milk, whereupon she was turned away on the suspicion that she was a witch. The second time Mother Staunton appeared, she drew a circle in the dirt with her knife outside the door of the house, marking out the cardinal points. Afterward, Mrs. Cornell departed from the house, and stepped across this circle and became very sick.

In many nations around the world, we see the circle used as for both power and protection; to contain the energy needed for a spell or ritual and to guard that energy. Sometimes it is empowered by a prayer, such as the “Our Father” or powerful names or symbols. It is drawn with knives, staffs or special chalk and often oriented toward the four cardinal points, north, south, east and west. But, the circle does not have to be created in an elaborate ritual to be effective.

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Differences Between Traditional Witchcraft and Wicca: How Wicca Became Mainstream Modern Witchcraft

by Sophia diGregorio

There are many differences between traditional witchcraft and Wicca and while there are numerous articles on this subject – in fact, I’ve written a couple of others on this topic elsewhere – it doesn’t hurt to stress it all the more, especially for newcomers to “the craft.”

The term “traditional witchcraft” is one that has evolved in recent years to try to distinguish more historically-based and folk practices from the modern witchcraft-based religion Wicca, which has become very popular in recent decades. Wicca began in Britain in the 1950s, but was not fully exported to the U.S. until the 1970s. Wicca was first very popular on the west coast, in Colorado, Massachussetts and a few other isolated regions until it became part of mainstream pop culture with the release of the movie, “The Craft,” in 1996.

At this point, Wicca became the loudest and proudest voice among those who practice witchcraft, which has generally remained a secret or, at least, private practice for most people. But, this movie made witchcraft – or, at least, a form of it – popular, especially among high school and college aged people. Since then Wicca has remained relatively popular and it is now very often the first introduction many people have to the occult.

But, there are fundamental differences between this modern form of witchcraft, Wicca, and traditional witchcraft.

Those who wanted to take witchcraft mainstream created a “kinder, gentler” form of witchcraft for mass consumption back in the 1970s.

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How Witchcraft in the Form of Wicca Entered Mainstream Popular Culture

In 1974 there was a meeting of some neo-pagans in Minneapolis, Minnesota at which they attempted to codify the beliefs of witches, but they weren’t really talking about witches as much as Wiccans. These people claimed to speak for all witches, but they were actually a group of Wiccans looking for a way to make witchcraft more palatable to Christians.

The following is the result of their attempt to codify and define the beliefs of witches:

“Principles of Wiccan Beliefs” 1974 Council of American Witches

Wiccan priestess preaching in a temple.
Date: 26 August 2007
Source: The Priestess in the Temple.
Flickr user bluheron / Heron Herodias.
Image Lic.: Creative Commons 2.0

We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarter.

We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment. We seek to live in harmony with Nature, in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.

We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary, it is sometimes called supernatural, but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.

We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity — as masculine and feminine — and that this same Creative Power lies in all people, and functions through the interaction of the masculine and feminine. We value neither above the other, knowing each to be supportive to the other. We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magickal practice and religious worship.

We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological, worlds sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconscious, Inner Planes, etc. — and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magickal exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.

We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.

We see religion, magick and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it — a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft — the Wiccan Way.

Calling oneself “Witch” does not make a Witch — but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A Witch seeks to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well without harm to others and in harmony with Nature.

We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness giving meaning to the Universe we know and our personal role within it.

Our only animosity towards Christianity, or towards any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be “the only way” and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.

As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the Craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.

We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as “Satan” or “the Devil”, as defined by the Christian traditions. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.

We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.

The Council that came up with this supposedly did so to counteract misinformation and dispel stereotypes, but actually they succeeded in making more of this very thing. Interestingly, this witches’ council was assembled by Carl Llewellyn Weschcke, President of Llewellyn Publishing. They have been the primary publishers of books on Wicca and Neo-paganism since, at least, the 1970s. And, it is their books that are common sources of confusion about what witchcraft -at least, traditional witchcraft – is. This is because their Wiccan authors do not usually acknowledge and have even worked to deny the truth about witchcraft.

Not surprisingly, this Council of Witches, which was founded in 1973 ceased to exist by 1975 because of differences among its members.

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Black Magic, Demons and Other Spirits

“Bide the Wiccan Rede, ye must; in perfect love and perfect trust.”

Mother Goose: A Traditional Witch

A fundamental difference between traditional witches and Wiccans is that traditional witches do not acknowledge or accept the Wiccan Rede or any other moral code. The Wiccan Rede became popular with many non-Gardnerian Wiccans. Gardnerians have never acknowledged it, their “code” is the Charge of the Goddess.

The Wiccan Rede has roots that stretch all the way back to the late 1960s and seems to stem from something said by Doreen Valiente in speech she gave.

On the other hand, traditional witches are entirely self-autonomous and do not acknowledge any code or authority, therefore, they usually have no problem with the practice of black magic. In fact, traditional witchcraft is quite a lot darker than Wicca and the the slick, glittery popular culture conception of modern witchcraft from the movies.

In contrast to traditional witchcraft, Wiccans eschew black magic. Some go a little further and declare that anyone claiming to practice black magic or work with demonic entities is not a real witch. Some, also, claim that Satanists and Luciferians are not real witches. Some Wiccans are very reactionary to this aspect of traditional witchcraft and expend a lot of energy trying to convince people that real witches don’t practice black magic or commune with the devil.

On the other hand, many traditional witches don’t consider Wiccans to be real witches. And, in recent years, some Wiccans do not consider themselves to be witches and do not practice spell casting, rather they just celebrate the earth and its yearly cycles.

As stated in the “Principles” above, Wicca does not recognize evil, ascribing these characteristics to forces of nature. Furthermore, most Wiccans do not believe in the existence of demons or devils. By contrast many traditional witches work with spirits of all kinds and of different natures.

Traditional witches, also, employ familiars, but they are not cats or dogs – they are spirits. By contrasts, many Wiccans translate “familiar spirit” to mean a pet.

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Traditional Witches Look and Act Like Everyone Else

Most traditional witches, unless they’re in business as witches, do not dress any differently from other people. They, also, typically do not use telltale phrases like, “Merry Meet” and “Blessed be.” The closer we fit to the witch living alone on the edge of town with a black cat stereo-type, the more circumspect we tend to be with regard to our lives and our activities because people knowing anything about our personal business has not worked out well for us in the past.

By contrast, Wiccans tend to be very social and they dress in certain ways and use certain phrases so they can recognize each other in social settings. They are the vocal majority who are “out of the broom closet.

Wicca and the Self-help Movement

Traditional witchcraft is not a self-help movement. It is not about personal empowerment through positive thinking or affirmations. It about changing the outer world. Traditional witches are very serious about altering circumstances in the outer environment, yes, even manipulating other people. Traditional witches understand that there is a an occult science that makes this possible. Witches have a natural power to cause changes in the outer environment and they spend a lot of time studying the occult and trying to improve upon and perfect their natural abilities.

By contrast, many aspects of Wicca focus on self-help and changing things about one’s self as opposed to changing things in the outer environment. Some even forbid using witchcraft for healing without the subject’s permission.

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Wicca’s Earth-Centeredness

Traditional Witchcraft

Unlike Wicca, traditional witchcraft is not an earth-centered religion or, for that matter, an earth-centered anything else. In fact, it’s not a religion, either. Traditional witches do not worship anyone or anything.

Traditional witches tend to rely more on history, old documents and old practices, whether from old grimoires, the writings of the Hermeticists or from folklore.

On the other hand, Wiccans tend to rely more on their own books on the subject of Wicca, which is really a completely different thing. The Llewellyn Publishing Company is probably the most important publisher to shape present-day thoughts about both Wicca and witchcraft. But, Wicca is in many ways the converse of everything that both traditional witchcraft and historical witchcraft represent.

Read a related article at this blog: What is Traditional Witchcraft? How to Know if You are a Wiccan or a Traditional Witch.

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Green Man Nature Spirit Symbolism in George Romero’s Movie “Season of the Witch” or “Jack’s Wife”

by Sophia diGregorio.

Young Pan by L. Bakst

(This is my third review and analysis of “Season of the Witch.” The first one is entitled, “Traditional Witch’s Review of the 1973 George Romero Movie, “Season of the Witch,” aka. “Hungry Wives” and “Jack’s Wife” and the second one is entitled, “Review of “Season of the Witch” (1973) or “Hungry Wives.”)

The Green Man is a nature spirit who represents licentiousness and liberation in the untamed wilderness. He represents mankind’s untamed nature. You’ll see  images of the Green Man in a lot of people’s gardens because he’s a spirit of growth and abundance.

He represents the difference between the “civilized” town-life and life in the wild, untamed forest. The pagans and the wise ones usually lived outside the city and were closer to nature, so he might be seen as a representation of paganism vs. Christianity. He is sometimes associated with Cernnunos, Pan, “The Horned God” or the Satyr.

Christian doctrine is opposed to the natural man. It is something I heard often among the Mormons. They said that god doesn’t like “the natural man” and his natural desires must be subordinated to the will of god. We find it in the Bible in the King James version of 1 Corinthians 2:14 “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

To many neo-pagans, Wiccans and other modern witches, the Green Man may be seen as a symbol of personal transformation. His face sprouting with new growth is a representation of a person transforming from a Christian (city-dweller) to a pagan (natural man or woman of the forest).

The Green Man motif is seen often in English literature. In Shakespeare’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” he is the fairy Puck, who places a spell on all of the people of the forest, including the fairy queen, the actors and the four lovers. The Green Man is a god of the Spring, of renewal and rebirth.’

Robin Goodfellow or Robinhood is another example of the use of the Green Man motif. Robin Goodfellow is a natural man, a law unto himself. He is a trickster and a little devil in the classic sense of the term, who gets the best of the evil Sheriff of Nottingham.

Another classic use of the Green Man motif can be seen in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” The Green Knight is a representation of the unknown dangers of the forest. We see J.R.R. Tolkein make use of this theme in the first book of “The Lord of the Rings” when the hobbits first leave the shire and meet Tom and his wife.

In Season of the Witch, we see writer and director George Romero make use of this classic literary motif to show what is happening to the main character, Joan. Joan is a Catholic who is slowly transforming into a natural woman – a witch.

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Green Man Symbolism in Season of the Witch

If you haven’t already read my review of Season of the Witch, you’ll find them here: The first one is entitled, “Traditional Witch’s Review of the 1973 George Romero Movie, “Season of the Witch,” aka. “Hungry Wives” and “Jack’s Wife” and the second one is entitled, “Review of “Season of the Witch” (1973) or “Hungry Wives.”) These reviews discuss more of this movie’s theme and its overall use of symbolism.

Romero lamented in the documentary footage of the DVD for this movie that he didn’t have the money to shoot the scene where the main character, Joan, is being pursued in a nightmare by a man wearing a Green Man mask. He compares it to a similar scene in Rosemary’s Baby, which achieves a film effect closer to what he probably had in mind. But, the corresponding scene in Season of the Witch has marvelous symbolism in it and this really makes up for the whole thing. Romero’s use of symbolism throughout this movie is nothing short of brilliant.

You’ll want to pay close attention right from the opening sequence on because there’s nothing in this movie that’s not supposed to be there. The Green Man transformation happens to the main character, Joan, who is apparently a pretty heavily indoctrinated Catholic. While we’re all born witches, those who’ve been indoctrinated by the Christians have to find their way back to the forest and that’s symbolically what this movie is about… and it’s about women finding their freedom at the same time.

There is a sexual theme, but this has always been part of “selling your soul to the devil” – it’s in all the old witch trial accounts and folk lore about witches. Women who are witches are sexually free because they understand they are not owned by the church or a man. This is part of the green man transformation theme in this movie, which Romero really wrote to express his views on the Women’s Movement in the early 1970s.

Romero’s “Season of the Witch” is a movie is about both sexual liberation and witchcraft and these two things are intertwined throughout the movie. For example, in the ritual she conjures “Virago” – The term means a powerful, Amazon-like woman. So, she is conjuring her own power, essentially (this was adapted from Huson’s book and the original entity’s name is Vassago). And, the actress who plays this role is very statuesque and powerful-looking like an Amazon-woman, but her power has been usurped by her white, middle-class suburban life, which is what she has been told is an ideal. This was supposed to be the thing that made women happy, but she’s not happy, at all. Joan is about 40-years old and her life-choices were not very broad. Her friend Shirley is a little older and feels this even more intensely, that life has passed her by, she’s lost her sex appeal and she’s not ready for things to be over because there are so many things she wants to “cut loose” and do.

The man in the mask coming after her in her dreams is her own sexual liberation coupled with her interest in the occult, which subconsciously really scares her. She verbalizes her fear of the occult at the tarot reading and again before the conjuration. But, we really see her fear of both the occult and her own sexuality in the nightmare of the man in the Green Man mask.

Here the Green Man is a representation of Joan’s freedom from both Christianity (Green Man is a representation of the god of the witches) and her life in “the dog pound,” which is the prison of the middle-class existence of women. As much as Joan wants what he represents, she is afraid of him, so she her subconscious mind produces these nightmares about him chasing her though the house.

The ending is a little ironic, if that’s the right word. She ends up shooting her husband. As much as she’s afraid of witchcraft and all it represents, she is even more afraid of staying trapped in her present situation. Her fears drive her to accidentally shoot her husband.

Joan doesn’t like swearing and in the extended version, she and Shirley are about to leave Greg and Nikki during the discussion about witchcraft because of his use of foul language – in the theatrical version he uses the “F” word, which we’re used to now, but was really out of line, especially in the company of women in the 1970s. Also, at the dinner table, when she’s wearing the ashes on her head, the tea pot starts shaking (as if from her annoyance or anger) at her husband who is swearing on the phone. And, then the last thing we hear from her husband as he’s trying to open the door downstairs in the rain is “Son of a …” – and then there’s the shotgun blast and he’s dead!

I urge you to see Season of the Witch, especially if you like complex horror or have an interest in the subject of witchcraft because this movie portrays it very well.

The movie was done in Philadelphia in 1972 and released in 1973. But, it wasn’t promoted properly and maybe it was a little too deep for some audiences, especially those who were expecting a porno movie, which was one of the ways they tried to promote it. That’s why they called it “Hungry Wives.” The original title was “Jack’s Wife.” It wasn’t re-released again until 2005 under the title “Season of the Witch.” By this time people knew who George Romero was. But, this movie isn’t much like his later work. It’s much better, I think.

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What’s Next After Wicca? Non-Wiccan and Traditional Witchcraft

What’s Next After Wicca? Non-Wiccan Occult Practices and Traditional Witchcraft

What’s Next After Wicca? Non-Wiccan and Traditional Witchcraft was written to show the true history of Wicca in Britain and the development of neo-Wicca in the U.S. It tells the benefits and the drawbacks of what has become the most popular, accessible and socially acceptable form of witchcraft. Wicca is the most popular aspect of the occult today, but it is certainly not all there is. This book encourages readers who want more to continue their exploration of witchcraft and their study of its origins.

It was written by a metaphysical bookstore owner who often heard the question, “What else is there?” Find “What’s Next After Wicca? Non-Wiccan and Traditional Witchcraft“ by Sophia diGregorio at Amazon, Barnes & Noble.

Amazon.com: “What’s Next After  Wicca?  Non-Wiccan and Traditional Witchcraft“

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Review of “Season of the Witch” (1973) or “Hungry Wives”

by Sophia diGregorio

 

(This is my second review and analysis of this fascinating film. The first one is entitled, “Traditional Witch’s Review of the 1973 George Romero Movie, “Season of the Witch,” aka. “Hungry Wives” and “Jack’s Wife, and the third one involves an analysis regarding Green Man symbolism, entitled, “Green Man Nature Spirit Symbolism in George Romero’s Movie “’Season of the Witch or Jack’s Wife’”, which follows this post.)

About Season of the Witch or Hungry Wives

“Season of the Witch” was originally filmed and directed by George A. Romero in 1972, but not released to theaters until 1973 as “Hungry Wives.” The original title was “Jack’s Wife,” which really describes the main character, Joan Mitchell (played by Jan White), who, as a suburban, middle-class housewife has no real identity of her own.

Although, the director has expressed regrets about this film, which was one of his earliest efforts, it is truly an amazing work of art and one I just can’t stop watching. It is outstanding for its script and its actors, but possibly the first amazing thing about the movie is the opening dream sequence, which makes wonderful use of symbolism to tell us almost everything about the main character in just a few minutes.

Although, Romero denies any personal belief in “the devil,” it is evident that someone was familiar with the work of Paul Huson and his book, “Mastering Witchcraft,” which is quoted throughout the film. Rituals are taken verbatim from the book, in fact, the exact symbol of the Goetic demon Vassago from Huson’s book is used in the conjuration rite, along with other spells for new witches.

Season of the Witch seems to tell two stories depending upon the viewer’s perspective. Based on the deeply divided reviews of this film, it seems that those unfamiliar with witchcraft see a completely different movie than those familiar with the subject.

Other viewers are confused about the kind of witchcraft that is portrayed in the film, which is not Wicca. Wicca, although not entirely unknown in the U.S. at the time this film was made, was not very popular. It was certainly not popular with the author Paul Huson, who was originally from England and familiar with British Traditional Wicca. Wicca, mainly in the form of Neo-wicca, would not become popular in the U.S. for another 20 to 25 years.

This movie is, at least, as relevant now as it was back in the early 1970s when the Women’s Movement was first getting underway. It may be even more relevant now as women’s basic human rights in the U.S. are more threatened than ever by extremist Christian organizations and the increasing violence of the secular patriarchy.

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The Representation of Witchcraft in This Movie

Some reviewers have complained that there is too little about witchcraft in this film because we only see a couple of ritual scenes at the end. But, the theme of witchcraft runs throughout this film from beginning to end, if you know what you’re looking at. This film is not an in-your-face kind of horror film and it is sure to disappoint people who are looking for something sensationalistic. What it is is a remarkably realistic movie about real witchcraft.

From the beginning, we see that Joan has the power to dream things that later happen in one way or another. For instance, her dream of being locked up at the dog pound by her husband is realized that night at the cocktail party. They do a Mad Lib reading wherein,”Jack Mitchell works at the dog pound.” Joan’s psychiatrist, who locked her into the kennel in her dream, is present at the party, too. And, while these things are subtle, they are the kinds of things that happen to people when their psychic abilities begin to open up.

At the cocktail party, Joan’s best friend Shirley mentions a friend of theirs who is involved in witchcraft. The following night, the two of them visit this lady and Shirley has a tarot reading. Joan expresses both an interest in and fear of witchcraft. The tarot reader gives a very accurate reading, acknowledging to Shirley that her husband has been having an affair and describing the woman involved. This is something Shirley already knew about, but had not told anyone else.

After the tarot reading Joan and Shirley return to Joan’s house where her daughter Nikki and her boyfriend, Greg get into a discussion about the power of the mind. Joan has never met Greg before, but she’s had a dream about him, in which his sexual services were offered to her. During the discussion Greg expresses his doubts about the reality of witchcraft and says its effects can all be explained psychologically.

Joan’s dreams continue to carry a great deal of meaning, especially to the viewer, because they tell a lot about her life and her state of mind, however, they become increasingly frightening and violent. Some of the nightmares feature an intruder wearing a Green Man mask. Interestingly, this mask has been interpreted as a “devil mask” by some viewers. But, the Green Man is Puck or Robin Goodfellow, a familiar motif in pagan literature and lore as a spirit of the forests and nature, also, at times associated with lust and licentiousness.

Read more about Green Man Symbolism in Season of the Witch at the hub: “Green Man Nature Spirit Symbolism in George Romero’s Season of the Witch or Jack’s Wife.”

From time to time throughout the film, when something significant to the plot happens, we see a shot of of an interesting bull figurine, which represents the pre-christian era. It is a representation of the Sacred Bull of Mesopotamia and has been used to represent pagan gods and goddesses, such as Moloch of Canaan and Hathor of Egypt.

After Joan comes home early and overhears her daughter having sex with her boyfriend, the girl runs away. Her husband is angry at Joan’s response to the situation and hits her across the face. As Joan’s oppression becomes more profound, her interest in witchcraft deepens and she continues to read more about it.

With the song, “Season of the Witch,” by Donovan playing in the background Joan shops for all the ritual items and things she needs to set up her altar, paying for it all with MasterCard!

When her husband returns from his most recent business trip, Joan has to pretend that she’s still Catholic. But, we see that her witch powers have grown because as her husband speaks angrily on the phone with a colleague during dinner, a pitcher on the table rocks back and forth.

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Joan Performs a Conjuration from Paul Huson’s “Mastering Witchcraft”

Joan does a ritual, as recommended in Paul Huson’s “Mastering Witchcraft,” to renounce Christianity. We see her opening up a page of the bible and writing the Our Father prayer backwards. Afterward, she attempts to bring her daughter’s boyfriend Greg to her by means of witchcraft. When this fails or, at least, doesn’t work quickly enough, she calls him on the phone.

To many viewers this appears as just a little extra-marital sex justified by dabbling in witchcraft, but it is far more than that. We know from Joan’s own words that she is very sexually repressed. This programming is related to her relationship to the conventional morality of the patriarchy and the Catholic church. Reversing this kind of repression is not a simple matter, but anyone who has done it will recognize the procedure in the film. After doing the ritual to renounce her Christianity, she embraces witchcraft by having sex with Greg and breaking down the psychological and emotional barriers she has attached to sex.

In other words, this is not sex simply for the sake of sex. At least, it isn’t to Joan. She is using him for her own purpose. Although, Greg (and a lot of viewers) believe this is just a “cop out.” It isn’t. It is a method of deprogramming one’s self that is used by many women who escape a misogynistic mind control cult.

Joan tries to conjure a spirit with the help of Greg. The sigil of the Goetic demon Vassago will be immediately recognized by anyone who is familiar with it. Although, the spirit is renamed “Virago.” The word “virago” means a strong, brave or war-like, Amazon woman, which seems to indicate that this entity represents her own power.

The conjuration is a success. We know this because we see a cat (the form taken by familiar spirits) entering through a basement window and crawling up the stairs. When Joan leaves the room and comes back, she sees a strange cat standing in the middle of the circle and she screams.

In the final scenes, Joan’s nightmares seem to come true in a very real and violent way. These scenes are woven in between scenes of Joan being initiated into the coven.

At the end of the film, Joan is sitting among her friends at a cocktail party, again. But, this time she looks very regal and powerful. Someone comments about how good she looks an her last words are, “I’m a witch.” According to Romero, during the filming of the scene as she said these words, the ceiling cracked above her head. He called this one of many coincidences that occurred during the filming.

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The Theme of Misogyny

Throughout the film, we see hints of the varying types and degrees of repression the women suffer from. Joan has a daughter, thus fulfilling what woman’s purpose was thought to be by some people at this time. In fact, there are still people who think this way. She finds her role as Jack’s wife unfulfilling and lonely and she feels more like the family dog than a real human being.

At the beginning, we see a woman at the party being assaulted and degraded. While this man should have been prosecuted or, at least, chastised for what he did, it is just brushed off. Anyone who has been in this situation knows that all of the blame always falls on the victim or she is told that it’s no big deal and just something she knows she has to put up with.

The sexualized sense of ownership that Jack has of his daughter Nikki is disturbing, although it is subtle. It, too, is the sort of thing that many people might write off as just the words and actions of a concerned, loving father. But, it is in fact a form of sex abuse and we can imagine that it is something he has made a habit of. In the patriarchy, wives and children, especially daughters, are property. As Jack tells us when he hits Joan, they are to be brutalized into conformity, if necessary.

Some of the last lines of the film are from misogynistic police who say that “she’ll get away” with what’s she’s done to her husband. “Women always get everything in the end,” one of them says bitterly.

This film depicts something that was really happening in the 1970s and is still happening today, which is the fusion of the original Women’s Movement with witchcraft. This is why “Season of the Witch” is mentioned in “What’s Next After Wicca? Non-Wiccan Occult Practices and Traditional Witchcraft,” in reference to the growing interest in this subject of witchcraft as a social under-current in the 1960s and ’70s in the U.S.

I can’t recommend “Season of the Witch” strongly enough to anyone interested in the portrayal of witchcraft in movies or witchcraft, in general. This film has been called “feminist” by some and maybe it is, given the era it portrays and the way in which this is done. But, more than this, it is a film about the lives of women and about witchcraft. It depicts both realistically. It has as much value as a lot of great literature that gives us historical insights into the lives of people. Although, it is hard to imagine a film more relevant to many women’s lives.

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What’s Next After Wicca? Non-Wiccan and Traditional Witchcraft

What’s Next After Wicca? Non-Wiccan Occult Practices and Traditional Witchcraft

What’s Next After Wicca? Non-Wiccan and Traditional Witchcraft was written to show the true history of Wicca in Britain and the development of neo-Wicca in the U.S. It tells the benefits and the drawbacks of what has become the most popular, accessible and socially acceptable form of witchcraft. Wicca is the most popular aspect of the occult today, but it is certainly not all there is. This book encourages readers who want more to continue their exploration of witchcraft and their study of its origins.

It was written by a metaphysical bookstore owner who often heard the question, “What else is there?” Find What’s Next After Wicca? Non-Wiccan and Traditional Witchcraft by Sophia diGregorio at Amazon, Barnes & Noble.

Amazon.com: “What’s Next After  Wicca?  Non-Wiccan and Traditional Witchcraft“

See other books by Sophia diGregorio

 

Witchcraft and the Occult: Good Reasons for Staying in the Broom Closet and How to Keep Your Private Business Private

The following is an old witch’s advice for other witches, atheists, Satanists and independent thinkers who do not live in a supportive environment.

Since, at least, the 1990s when a form of witchcraft, Wicca, became mainstream, there has been a lot of discussion about “coming out of the closet” as a witch. This is usually a big question for teenagers or college students whose lives may be heavily dominated by their parents. But, it’s, also, a problem for many adults whose families, employers or general environment is dominated by religious fanatics.

Coming out of the closet is not a light consideration, nor should it be approached with a cavalier attitude. Once you’re out, it’s hard to get back in and the consequences can be very unpleasant, depending on your particular circumstances.

A lot of bigotry, some of the dangerous kind, remains in parts of the U.S. where Christianity dominates, although, if you live in a bigger city or a place like Salem, Massachusetts where witchcraft is celebrated, you might find it hard to believe. Similar intolerance may exist in other countries, as well.

If you happen to live in a less than forward-thinking place, considering the following ideas while you make your decision may be beneficial.

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Good Reasons for Staying in the Broom Closet

Even if the climate is not bad where you are now, this can change – and it has. The churches are businesses that exist with the benefit of billions of dollars annually in U.S. government taxpayer funds since George W. Bush signed the Faith Based Initiative into law by executive order. Many, also, enjoy 501-C-3 status with the IRS, which means they are classified as non-profit organizations. By claiming to be religious organizations and meeting certain standards, they are exempt from Federal and State taxation. This gives them a great advantage over other types of businesses and, as a result, they have grown abundantly in the past few years while other businesses have failed under the burden of taxes and, in some cases, the domination of Christian “morality.”

As they have grown fat on the back of the American taxpayer, they have grown more powerful. This means that where their influence was problematic a few years ago, in some places, it is becoming unbearable. In some parts of the Midwest, the South and in the Mormon Corridor, it is a challenge to find an employer or an employment situation that isn’t dominated by Christians, often very tyrannical, fundamentalist ones. If you are out of lockstep with them, you can lose your job. If you have a business, you can lose your customer base, if they find out you are not one of them.

If you conform or appear to conform to their “standards,” you won’t encounter many problems.

If you can run your business without it interfering with the laws established by the churches with regard to alcohol sales or certain types of entertainment, you are better off doing so.

For most people, witchcraft is a quiet personal practice and there is really no need to discuss it with anyone else. In your interactions with other people, let them make the first move toward any open discussion about the occult. Never initiate the discussion.

If you do have a few friends and hold meetings at your house, be discreet. If you have a spiritual development group, for example, you have a few friends who gather together each week to practice mediumship development or discuss occult-related subjects, try to keep your meetings low-key. You might even devise a cover story and tell outsiders that it is a “Bible Study” group. Religions are given special status and if people think you’re holding a Christian religious meeting, you won’t have any problems.

If you live in a heavily Christian area where people’s lives revolve around their church, you may want to devise a story to tell people who inquire about your “faith.” Usually, if you tell people you’re Catholic, the questions stop there. Many protestants don’t really like the Catholic Church, but they will respect a Catholic enough not to nag or harass them. Tailor your choice of cover story based on the area you live in.

Make a game out of dealing with Christians. If you have religious co-workers, keep them off the scent by throwing a little “Bless You,” or “Thank the Lord,” into the conversation at appropriate times. You can laugh quietly to yourself once their backs are turned, knowing that your privacy is being maintained and you are secure from being hassled.

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Tips for Staying Safely in the Closet Online and In Real Life

The following are some ideas to consider if you want to guard your privacy online and remain in the broom closet, both online and in real life:

If you have a job working for a Christian-dominated company, do not post on “anti-Christian” sites while at work. It can be traced by your employer and people have lost their jobs this way.

Always stay anonymous online. Never use your real name, disclose your location or family relationships or anything else that could identify you to someone who knows you. There are millions of people online, but it can become a very small world in some online communities. Furthermore, never post pictures of yourself, your family, your pets. Never talk about your work place or your school. People who know you may be able to identify you just from you giving too many details.

•     Use different UserIDs.
•     Do not integrate social networking sites with other social networking sites or your e-mail account.
•     Use multiple e-mail accounts.
•     Never give personal information that could identify you.
•     Do not give information about your location.
•     If you suspect someone is tracking you, leave disinformation crumbs.
•     If cornered by your employer or anyone who could do damage to your life, remember the words of Bill Clinton, “Deny, deny, deny!”

What is bad about following this advice is that when everyone follows it, it can prevent you from connecting with people you know.

For instance, I joined a closed online witchcraft group once and recognized someone I knew and was friends with by his moniker and photo. I introduced myself and we re-established contact after a couple of years. If everyone is in the closet, it’s much more difficult to make these kinds of positive connections. But, especially, if you are vulnerable, you are better off staying in the closet and letting those who have less to lose by being out (for example, this guy is the head of a Satanic order and is something of an intimidating figure to many people) do so, then you can connect with them, as you like.

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Other Reasons for Staying in the Closet

Peace of Mind: By staying in the closet, you enjoy more peace of mind. Not wasting time and energy dealing with people you don’t want to deal with gives you more time to focus on your personal goals.

Privacy: Privacy is part of safety and security, online, at your job and in every aspect of your life. People cannot attack you very easily if they know nothing about you.
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Efficacy: It is often easier to get things done and to have influence, for example, within an organization, if you appear to be a team player. It is an easier position from which to try to persuade others to see things your way. If you come out of the closet in an “in your face” fashion, this will predispose others to oppose you in all matters.

You’re not going to change the minds of religious fanatics by being a good person or setting a good example as a witch (or an atheist). It is their goal to dominate other people and force them to conform to their “standards.” They don’t consider morality, decency, goodness or the content of a person’s character. If you have not accepted the redeeming blood of Jesus, they will regard you as “Satan.” Again, you may have a better chance of influencing them by remaining in the closet and playing along.

All of this advice is meaningless if you are fortunate enough to be living in a place dominated by educated, non-superstitious people who are grounded in reality. If you are not so fortunate, then you really must consider the danger that being out of the closet could pose to you, your safety, you family’s safety and your financial well-being.

Notes on the Regional Nature of The Problem of Intolerance of Witchcraft in the U.S.

The decision to come out of the broom closet or not is absolutely an individual choice. Each witch will have to realistically evaluate the environment he or she lives in to come to the right decision.

Coming out can be liberating and really seem like a relief. But, it can cause some problems, too.

The following is a famous example of what could go wrong:

Brandi Blackbear is a woman who was persecuted at a public school in Tulsa, Oklahoma back in 1999-2000, when she was 15-years old. Lifetime Movies did a dramatization of her story called “Not Like Everyone Else” in 2006. Brandi was not a witch, but her trouble began when she was caught reading a book on the subject of witchcraft from the library. Brandi suffered persecution at her school to an extreme until she received help from ACLU and hers became a landmark case upholding the 1st Amendment. She gave an interview in which she commented that what happened to her was partly related to the region of the country in which she lived. If she had lived in Seattle, WA or Salem, MA, it probably wouldn’t have happened.

Other Instances of Anti-Witch Discrimination and Modern Witch Persecution

You may notice that most of the victims listed below are Wiccans. Wiccans are often encouraged to live openly in Wiccan books, which is just not safe for everyone everywhere, as you can see.

The woman in this story objected to having to stand and bow her head in prayer to Jesus before city council meetings in South Carolina. She was prevented from speaking, then things got worse.

‘Wynne … said her home has been vandalized and townspeople have tried to forcibly “exorcise” demons out of her, poisoned her cats and threatened to burn her house. “They flipped over my refrigerator. They squirted ketchup and mustard everywhere. They’ve written ‘Die, witch.'” (“South Carolina: Witch Persecuted by Christians” By Austin Cline, About.com GuideAugust 11, 2004. http://atheism.about.com/b/2004/08/11/south-carolina-witch-persecuted-by-christians.htm)

Burnet, Texas has been the scene of two cases of witchcraft persecutions in 2003 and, again, in 2009.

In the first instance in 2003, Wiccans who ran a store in Burnet were threatened and eventually forced to leave town by the local Christians. The original KXAN report cannot be found, but an article, “The Persecution of Wiccans” by Austin Cline, remains at About.com:

“The group says they relocated to Burnet in April after pressure to leave from community groups in Kingsland. They say they’re receiving threats in one case to burn down their business.” (http://atheism.about.com/b/2003/08/03/persecution-of-wiccans.htm)

The original Austin-Statesman article about the 2009 event cannot be found, but a brief article by the same author as referenced above is found at About.com: Austin-American Statesman:

“Over the past 10 months, Allen said, threatening phone calls have poured in and strange cars have followed her home from her store at night. The police dismissed her requests for protection, she said. Allen also claims that in March, one Llano County sheriff’s deputy told her daughter that “we had a family practicing witchcraft awhile back, but we ran them out of town.” (http://atheism.about.com/b/2003/08/06/more-on-the-persecution-of-wiccans-in-texas.htm)

In South Carolina, a Wiccan couple endured extreme harassment from their neighbors and a government agency, DHHR, took their children. They had to sue the government to try to get them back after being accused of engaging in the human sacrifice of their own children.

“A family of Wiccans falsely accused of sacrificing their children during religious ceremonies sued the state’s Department of Health and Human Resources for allegedly harassing them and taking possession of their children.”

“The couple contends they have been continually harassed since moving to West Virginia in 1999.”

“On one occasion, DHHR officials and a State Police trooper were called to investigate an allegation that the couple had killed their youngest child in a sacrifice and were carrying the boy’s body with them. A later DHHR visit came from another false report that the couple’s children had been sacrificed.” (“Wiccan family files suit against DHHR” by Charles Shumaker “The Charleston Gazette,” July 28, 2004 http://wwrn.org/articles/9560/?&place=north-america&section=occult)

Another case from 2008 highlights the dangers of living openly as a witch when you have children and how government agencies that purport to protect children can be manipulated by persecutors. A family was completely torn apart and forced to flee as fugitives because of false reports to the Department of Social Services (DSS) by their Christian neighbors. (“Pagan Persecution a National Travesty” by Lady Passion, High Priestess, Coven Oldenwilde, Asheville, NC Published February, 2008, in Oracle 20/20 Magazine. http://oldenwilde.org/oldenwilde/members/lady-passion-articles/pagan-persecution-a-national-travesty_part-1.html)

Sometimes the harassment is not as overt, but it can still be very damaging. The following is an example of how witches may be undermined or sabotaged at work. TSA worker, Carole Smith was fired from her job under the pretense of poor job performance, but it seems likely there were other reasons. As a person of integrity, she was concerned about lax security at the airport and became a whistleblower. She was, also subjected to witchcraft accusations by co-workers:

“A co-worker even complained that Smith cast a disabling spell on the heater of her car one snowy evening,” (“Wiccan Lawsuit: Carole Smith claims TSA fired her for being a ‘witch'” by Larry McShane, Daily New Staff Writer, March 31, 2011 http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-03-31/news/29386452_1_tsa-wiccan-witch-hunt)

Some witches do not feel safe or comfortable telling their own family members about their witchcraft practice. The following article is from the New York Times:

“A stay-at-home mother of two in Northern Virginia who was raised Southern Baptist keeps her Wiccan faith secret. Not even her mother knows.” (“Wiccans Keep the Faith With a Religion Under Wraps” by Stephanie Kuykendal, The New York Times, May 16, 2007. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/16/us/16wiccan.html)

Learn More About Staying Securely in the Broom Closet

Learn more about importance of privacy, especially financial privacy and how to obtain more of it when you read Sophia diGregorio’s newest book, Traditional Witches’ History of the Occult Banking System: How Witches and Occultists Can Use Bitcoin and Altcoins for Privacy and Anti-Discrimination, available for sale on Amazon.com for Kindle readers and in paperback.  Also, it is available from Barnes & Noble for Nook.

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(Note: This article was updated on January 10, 2019.)

How Learning to Read the Tarot Cards Can Open Up Your Psychic Abilities and Increase Your E.S.P.

The painting depicts Prince Francesco Antelminelli Castracani Fibbia (1360-1419) with a deck of Tarot cards, tarocchino bolognese. The Queen of Batons can be seen, bearing the Fibbia arms. There is no historical evidence that Tarot had been invented until two decades after the Prince’s death. From Andrea Vitali’s Il Tarocchino di Bologna, Late 1600s, Artist Unknown.

One of the biggest benefits of learning to read the tarot is the increased psychic sensitivity that comes along with the practice. It may be that working with the Kabbalistic and astrological symbolism in the cards stimulates something in the brain that makes us more in tune with our psychic abilities. Or, it may simply be that as we become more accustomed to tapping into the subtle frequencies of the spiritual planes, it becomes easier to do.

Regardless of why you decide to learn to read the tarot, you will find the experience rewarding. And, as you become more adept as a tarot reader, the benefits of being a reader will grow. While you can use the tarot to increase your personal popularity or to make a little extra money – even establish yourself in a new career as a tarot reader – one of the most profoundly rewarding benefits is your connection with something most people only wonder about the existence of. There’s no word for it. But, it is a relationship with something beyond our ordinary, five-sense world.

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Which are the Best Tarot Decks?

Your first deck is an important one. My first deck was a Zolar deck, which belonged to my great-grandmother. This deck had the meanings written upon each card. The Quick & Easy Rider-Waite Tarot is a good choice to begin with. After which, the plain Rider-Waite is desirable.

I am a tarot deck collector. I’ve never seen a tarot or oracle deck I didn’t like, at least, a little, but my absolute favorite deck to work with is Aleister Crowley’s Thoth deck. You can use any deck for a reading and get decent results. But, this deck has the most powerful imagery and symbolism in it, which will help you in your reading. Unlike the Rider-Waite deck is Kabbalistically correct.

Do not limit yourself to one deck when you are learning. Different decks illuminate and focus on different aspects of a card’s meaning. It helps to use multiple decks, at least, at some early intermediate stage in your study. Besides, tarot deck collecting is wonderfully fulfilling hobby!

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How to Learn to Read the Tarot

How to Read the Tarot for Fun, Profit and Psychic Development for Beginners and Advanced Readers

You can go a long way learning the tarot on your own. The more dedicated you are, the faster you will progress in your study, which in the beginning is an exercise of memorization. If you have difficulty, check with a local metaphysical store to see if anyone is giving lessons on the tarot. For many people, learning in a workshop or group environment helps them learn faster and impresses the meanings of the cards on their minds more deeply than working entirely solo. Of course, you’ll still want to set aside plenty of time for self-study. Overall, learning the tarot is a solitary process.

You may find it helpful to keep a journal of meanings of the cards as you understand them individually. Also, record the meanings of cards in relation to other cards in readings. These can be mock readings in the beginning. Record any other impressions or sensations you experience during a reading, as well. Your journal can be fancy or plain. The best thing to start with is a simple spiral notebook.

You may choose to read the cards reversed or not. It may be in the beginning, that it is easier for you to read without considering the reversed position. You can always change your practice later.

Use the tarot manual that comes with your deck when you first begin to learn. But, do not rely too heavily on tarot manuals or you will never get past the rudimentary aspects of reading. Truly being able to read the tarot requires a thorough study of the Kaballah, astrology and numerology combined with your own gnosis or inner knowing.

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Reading the Tarot Expands Your Psychic Abilities

Even in the beginning stages of reading, you will get some very satisfactory readings. As you become more skilled and more confident, your accuracy will grow. You will begin to amaze other people. And, then you will begin to amaze yourself!

And that, of all the rewards of becoming a psychic tarot reader, is the most highly beneficial outcome. It gives you a “knowing”. It is an amazing thing to simply know something that could not be known by any conventional means.

How to Read the Tarot for Fun, Profit and Psychic Development for Beginners and Advanced Readers

Furthermore, what you will know for yourself, beyond the shadow of a doubt, is that there is something beyond the world of the five senses. You will know that you are more than a human being or, as many people claim, a human animal – you are part of the divine and you have a divine mind. You will know this in a way which is beyond the power of ordinary words to express.

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Spirit Communication: How to Conduct a Séance for One

The author’s personal spirit board. Spirit boards (Ouija boards) are not dangerous “toys,” but serious tools that can be used to help you find your focus for spirit communication.
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Many people who are interested in making contact with spirits by means of a seance believe that they need to work with other living people. While it is nice to have a psychic development circle, it is not necessary to have another living person to conduct a séance. You can do it successfully entirely on your own.

In fact, many of the most successful psychic mediums are people who spend a great deal of time alone. Times of silence and peace in your home are the times when a spirit is best able to get through to you. Furthermore, the spirits of the dead are of great comfort and solace to the living, especially those who live alone or have few friends among the living.

One of the most important aspects of successful spirit communication is being psychologically open to receive communication from spirits. Distractions, noise and activity can all stand in the way of being open to receive messages from the metaphysical world.

Before you begin your seance, turn off noisy appliances and turn of the ringer on your phone. Eliminate any other distractions that might interfere with or cause contact with a spirit to be broken.

Overcoming Doubt

A common obstacle to spirit communication, which must be overcome is negative skepticism. While skepticism is a healthy trait, if you want to succeed at communicating with spirits, it is important to keep an open mind. It is best to approach any attempts at communication as you would any experiment.

Some skepticism is directly related to fear. In order to bridge the divide between the physical world and the one beyond, it is necessary to release any fear you may have of actually making contact. This may be a subconscious fear that if you do make contact, it will alter your present view of the world or that it will make you seem freakish or weird to others.

It is important to remember that spirit communication is perfectly normal and natural and it is our present culture that is at odds with reality.

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The Importance of a Quiet Mind

Once you have a quiet place in which to conduct your seance for one, it is important that you proceed with a quiet mind, which is free from internal chatter. Set aside an hour or so one day per week and commit it to doing nothing but relaxing and quieting your mind for the purpose of making contact with spirits.

If you have difficulty quieting your mind, consider practicing yoga or some other form of meditation to train your mind to become more quiet and receptive.
Timing

Certain times seem to be better than others for making spirit contact, especially the first contact with a spirit. The weeks before and after Halloween are an ideal time to try to make first contact with spirits. But, there is no need to restrict your experiments to only this time of year.

Any time of the day or night can be a good time to make contact, although, late at night and after midnight is often preferred, if for no other reason than that it is quieter. Most people are settled in their homes, in bed or asleep, which means you are less likely to be distracted.

Successful spirit contact usually takes a great deal of patience and persistence. Once contact is made, make an appointment to meet with the spirit, again.
Environment

Create an pleasant environment with a vase of fresh flowers. Set a chair in the room for your spirit guest. If you hare having food or drink, set a place for your guest, as well. This signals your subconscious mind that you are open and receptive to communication. It, also, signals the spirit that you are open and receptive at this time.

Treat the spirits in your home as if they were living people. Invite them to sit down, eat or drink with you. Place a chair in your room just for them. If you are contacting the spirit of someone you once knew and you know their favorite food, drink or scents, place these things in the room to let them know you are interested in speaking with them.

Give the spirits permission to come into your home, to sit down and talk with you and they will.

How to Communicate with Spirits: Seances, Ouija Boards and Summoning

How to Communicate with Spirits Séances, Ouija Boards and Summoning by Angela Kaelin

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Signs that Your Psychic Abilities are Developing and How to Increase Your ESP

Image of Charles Baudelaire.

It seems likely that most, if not all, people are psychic to some degree or other. Most people who are honest about it, have experienced something anomalous, something they cannot explain by conventional means. Although, it may be that there are a few people who never have such experiences and are naturally skeptical about such things.

Some people are born psychic, but for many people, psychic abilities develop a little later in life.

The first symptom that many people experience is very vivid dreams. Sometimes these dreams seem to portend some event. Other times, they may involve people who are far away or even deceased who come back to talk to you in a dream state.

Another common early symptom of psychic development is seeing or hearing unusual things during the waking state. This includes seeing or hearing apparent ghosts or spirits. It, also, may include seeing anomalous creatures and unidentified objects, such as U.F.O.s.

Sometimes people do not notice that they have the ability to see, hear and otherwise sense occurrences outside the normal five sense range until they live in a spiritually active house. This may be the first time they hear rapping noises or the sounds of other people living in the house with them who aren’t fully physical.

The most common experience that people have, which is a sign that a person, at least, has some natural ability to be psychic is having hunches or intuitive flashes. For example, if you know when the phone is about to ring or who is going to be on the other end when it rings, this is a sign that you have some psychic potential that can be developed.

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How to Develop Your Psychic Abilities

Use a pendulum. One of the easiest things you can do to turn yourself into an instant psychic is to acquire a well-balanced pendulum and begin practicing with it. The pendulum is a very great psychic development tool that has an unlimited number of applications. To make a great leap in your psychic abilities, get a pendulum and start using it.

Practice some form of meditation that requires you to quiet your mind for, at least, short periods of time each day. This may be the recitation of Hindu mantras, Catholic prayers like the rosary or taking yoga classes. It is important to psychic development that you are able to discipline your mind.

Learn to read tarot cards. The cards are a very great psychic development tool. Even working with them a little bit can help open up psychic abilities. Committing to mastery of the tarot is the path to advanced psychic development.

Open your mind to the idea of communicating with spirits. If you haven’t bought into the Hollywood hype and are comfortable using a Ouija board, this can be a good tool for making contact with spirits. Automatic writing is another good method of receiving metaphysical messages. So, is holding your own seance on a regular basis.

How to Communicate with Spirits: Seances, Ouija Boards and Summoning

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Traditional Witchcraft and the Occult: What is Initiation?

by Sophia diGregorio

There are two basic types of initiation:

1) Initiation into a group, religious or secular in which you learn more about the organization, more responsibilities or degrees. This kind of initiation is largely symbolic of information and knowledge that is to come.

2) Initiation by the acquisition of knowledge about the occult – includes personal research, study and experimentation. This kind of initiation does not involve a ceremony, but it is a true initiation into the occult.

The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn is a very good example of how initiation works in free masonic groups, covens and other secret societies. We can see how it worked because the Golden Dawn was intentionally transparent unlike its predecessors or most other such contemporary organizations.

In the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn’s original organization, initiates were both ceremonially initiated into the order and subsequently initiated to various levels of it, however, they were, also, expected to undergo a specific course of study in order to graduate to each level. But, you do not have to be an ceremonial initiate into the Golden Dawn, any other Hermetic order or a coven to become an initiate into traditional witchcraft and the occult.

You can do it yourself.

Now, when I say you can do it yourself, I don’t mean this the same way Raymond Buckland meant it when he said it. (Buckland was an earlier Wiccan author who advocated self-initiation into the Wiccan religion.) You can skip right over any ceremony and right onto true initiation by making your own personal study into the occult.

All true initiation is self-initiation because study, research and experimentation are the only ways to truly know the truth about witchcraft and the occult. This is not something that can be conferred in any ceremony or by any coven leader, master or guru.

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The Meaning of the Word “Profane”

The word, “profane,” is derived from the Latin words, “pro fanum,” meaning “outside the temple.” This word has evolved to mean a lot of different things, but in witchcraft it simply means a non-initiate or a person who lacks the knowledge to understand the true meaning of something.

To the profane certain works read differently than they do to the initiate. For example, as you make your personal study of the Kabbalah and initiate yourself into that knowledge, you will find that works by authors who belonged to Hermetic organizations read very differently than they did before you had that knowledge. As another example, the Bible used by the Christians, especially the New Testament and some of the last books of the Old Testament, also, reads differently after a study of the Kabbalah, which may explain why it seems so contradictory with just a superficial reading. The purpose of the book does not seem to be what most religious folks think it is.

Your understanding of the tarot, astrology and things related to Western alchemy, also, appear completely different to someone who has initiated himself or herself into the esoteric sciences. Things that once appeared arbitrary or nonsensical now appear to make logical sense.

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Importance of True Witchcraft Initiation

Unfortunately, a lot of ego is often involved in the concept of initiation and degrees of mastery in formal organizations. Covens and other initiatory orders can become playgrounds for narcissists and more often than not the social dynamics of such organizations often gets in the way of a person’s true witchcraft initiation, which cannot be conferred by another person and can only be attained through diligent study and personal experimentation.

Traditional Witches’ Formulary and Potion-making Guide: Recipes for Magical Oils, Powders and Other Potions

For this reason, independent study is usually the best method of attaining true witchcraft initiation. The leadership of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, who recognized the dawning of this new age and the easy availability of published material to a relatively educated public, rendered most of the functions of initiatory orders irrelevant.

Now, anyone can find the writings of the Hermeticists and study witchcraft and occult subjects entirely on their own. There is no need to find an order or coven or look for a master or guru because this is literally a new age. You how have the power and ability to initiate yourself through the acquisition of knowledge, once held for only a select few, which is now readily available to anyone who seeks it out.

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