Witchcraft in the Absence of Justice

What is Justice?

Justice means receiving fair treatment from others, in particular, systems of justice involving police and courts. It, also, means honesty and fair play when we interact and transact with others in society, whether in interpersonal relationships, in business, or in other day-to-day circumstances. Justice in the practical sense means being let alone, let be, left in peace. It means being treated with the modicum of respect owed to human beings–or, at least, to animals–and being allowed to exist without constant interference.

The Men of God Administering Their Justice

Justice has been unattainable for many witches. Anytime a person wants to be simply left in peace to live life in accordance with his or her own will, he or she is in a position to draw the wrath of authoritarians.¹ This is a longstanding problem for witches, occultists, and other heretics, who are targeted and treated unjustly.

Witches are often denied the opportunity to practice the healing arts openly and women, in particular, are still specifically targeted for especially violent crimes, simply for existing. While the names of the perpetrators have changed since the 17th century and they don’t burn women at the stake anymore, they have other ways of targeting those whose existence presents an offense to the established systems of religion and medicine, which are a part of government and society and which remain unchanged despite outward appearances.

In this instance, “witchcraft” may defined as spiritual, healing, and other practices for which our ancestors were murdered because they are incompatible with official religion or government of the persecutors. Nearly every aspect of the system is at odds with the life and philosophy of a witch, whether legal, medical, financial, or educational.

How Witches Cope with Injustice in Society, the Justice System, and Other Established Systems

Because witches cannot count on justice, whether in the justice system or in society, you must rely upon secrecy and witchcraft when moving among the common masses, and often you must use other techniques, called “black magic,” to put an end to the targeting. It is often the case that the system of justice does not recognize crimes perpetrated against witches and most often against women (especially single women or otherwise socially non-conforming individuals) as crimes at all. Such abuses are regarded as a natural part of our lives that we should reasonably expect to have perpetrated against us and they are, therefore, permitted to flourish in the belief that witches and women are not worthy of the most basic human dignity and respect.

Witches’ History with the Justice System

After all, it was not long ago that our humanity was questioned by the establishment. They said we did not have souls. Even if they do not admit it, there are many who seem to hold onto the belief that women and witches do not have souls and are less than human. These ideas are deeply ingrained in their psyches, as evidenced by their own words and actions.

As a witch, you must look out for your own interests both by mundane means and by the power of witchcraft. Guard your privacy well, too, because anything that someone knows about you that can be used against you eventually will be and probably by someone you once trusted with your life.² Do not assume that justice is a fair and equitable institution simply because some Men of God granted some rights to others of their kind.³ There are and always have been different applications of laws to different folks.⁴ Some people have always been regarded as more deserving of justice in court rooms overseen by men in black robes with Bibles in hand, while others of us have been regarded as less than human and in league with Satan and, therefore, not deserving of justice, at all.

Black Magic for Dark Times: Spells of Revenge and Protection

Moreover, no law of man has ever prevented a crime against a witch or anyone else. You have an inherent right to protect yourself, to guard your own interests by whatever means you have at your disposal. You must do this for yourself because no one else will do it for you. Moreover, it is often the very justice system (or legal system) itself from whom you are most in need of protection.

In general, public sympathies tend to lie with the criminals. Crime flourishes not only because of the actions of criminals, but because of those abettors who love to “forgive” sinners, those lovers of prodigal sons. They love sinners and hate their victims, whom they frequently subject to even worse torments than the original crime itself. Secrecy and witchcraft are by far better alternatives in the face of such adversaries, who are the same now as they ever were. They just have different names, different titles, and different attire. But their smirking, smug expressions have not changed. Nor have their systems changed, which give the advantage their own parasitic, criminal kind and deny justice to productive members of society, those who produce, who create, invent, and innovate. Our adversaries have not improved themselves one iota.

Practical Black Magic: How to Hex and Curse Your Enemies

It is not up to witches to free the world from itself. If the world is to be freed from these malefactors, it must free itself. Although it likely cannot. The day-to-day, mundane society and all its deeply entrenched systems are ruled by black magicians of the most malignant kind. Institutionalized justice is an illusion of their creation. It is they who maintain and promote it. If a small group of witches had the power to break the malignant spell the entire world has been under for thousands of years, we would have done so long ago. But, our numbers are small, we have never been particularly organized, our path is not an easy one to tread, and we have always been their primary targets.

Therefore, your concern must be to obtain some measure of justice for yourself and to protect yourself against all those who wish to do you harm. As a witch, your survival alone is a triumph. Many before us were not so fortunate.

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References and Notes:

1. Many people, whether witches or not, who (a.) make make healing salves, (b.) teach methods of vision correction, or (c.) ear candles are forced to end their practices or move them to another country. The modern Inquisition persecutors are usually various government agencies, ie. the FDA, the AMA, etc.

(a.) Amish man jailed for salve. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-amish-salve-maker-kentucky-20170306-story.html

(b.) Optometrist jailed for correcting vision problems with relaxation techniques. Ironically, the following article was written by an allopathic quack who refers to actual healing methods (the opposite of eye glasses and surgical refractive correction) as “quackery.” http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/eyequack.html (Authors note: Such techniques as exercise and appropriate nutrition have improved the author or this blogpost’s own vision. It is obvious why the allopathic eye doctors have mounted an organized, highly systematic effort to discredit these simple, no-cost methods. Imagine the benefits to humanity and the detriment to the allopathic quacks if these techniques were taught to school children. Progressive vision disorders are often caused by the doctor’s own prescriptions and, of course, this is by design and is endemic to allopathic medicine of any kind.)

(c.) Ear candles, a very old form of energy medicine, are deemed “medical devices” by the FDA. “Don’t Get Burned, Stay Away from Ear Candles,” U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm200277.htm

2. Notoriously, witches are scrutinized in child custody cases. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2012/03/wiccan-convert-faces-custody-battle-in-texas.html

3. Interest in the occult, if known, can result in a harsher sentenced if you are charged with a crime. https://prezi.com/pmm1-tnhya56/the-arkansas-witch-hunt-of-1993/

4. Injustice in Beebee, Arkansas demonstrates that there are different rules for different folks. The laws are not applied evenly. http://wildhunt.org/2014/06/whats-happening-in-beebe-arkansas.html – – – http://www.arkansasmatters.com/news/pagan-high-priest-alleges-discrimination-by-beebe-city-officials/209357952

***

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Traditional Witchcraft and Occultism: The Importance of the Black Santa Muerte for Protection, Revenge and Cursing

The problems of injustice and impunity in Mexico have been well-publicized and this is clearly one important reason for the rise of Santa Muerte in popularity there. But, here in the U.S. and in other supposedly more peaceful and just countries many people, especially those who are members of traditionally disenfranchised groups, live daily with injustice and the fear of crime and corruption.

Enemies of Santa Muerte malign her devotees, calling us criminals and prostitutes. But, this is malignant ignorance because the vast majority of devotees of Santa Muerte are not criminals or prostitutes, but are simply not members of the establishment and do not enjoy the privileges of being part of the in-group. The truth is many people become devoted to Santa Muerte after they are victimized by criminals of one class or another. Very often they discover her immense power only after turning to her as a last resort. Very often, they are people without special privileges and without a voice.

There are those who must suffer in silence because giving voice to what is happening to them will only open the door to more crimes against themselves – those who are victims of domestic violence, rape, harassment, stalking and other violent crimes that far more often than not go unpunished. Those people whose lives have been sabotaged over and over again, who have had to rebuild over and over again that which their enemies have destroyed will most understand and appreciate the value of the black aspect of Santa Muerte.

Grimoire of Santa Muerte: Spells and Rituals of Most Holy Death, the Unofficial (Santa Muerte Series) (Volume 1) by Sophia diGregorio

This is why the black aspect of Santa Muerte is very important. The color, black, represents the most important and powerful aspects of Santa Muerte‘s primordial powers. Before there can be healing, love, prosperity and the other necessities of life, there must be peace.

Before a seed can grow in the soil, it must be covered in darkness and protected, it must not be deprived of its nourishment by thieves, its young shoots must not be trampled by the feet of the wicked.

The cover of darkness in which to work on your plans without falling subject to envy, jealousy, greed and sabotage. Secrecy is important for people who may be targeted in some way.

Santa Muerte, working through her black aspect, can help you to establish your privacy and protect you from those who would harm you in any way. Santa Muerte works in secret, in the darkness, to right wrongs, to protect the innocent, to avenge those who love her and to conceal you from anyone who might wish to do you harm.

Not only does the black aspect of Santa Muerte have the power of stopping dangerous and powerful enemies, even causing the death of enemies who wish devotees harm, but provides extremely powerful protection under the cover of darkness. The great owl companion of Santa Muerte provides eyes in the night with which to see an approaching enemy, to learn of his plots and thwart his sabotage.

Grimoire of Santa Muerte, Vol. 2: Altars, Meditations, Divination and Witchcraft Rituals for Devotees of Most Holy Death

Keepers of the status quo warn against the evils of revenge. They admonish the wronged parties to forgive their oppressors. They taunt the victims’ because of their need for anonymity. But, there is no peace without justice.

And, to go forward with your life, to pursuit happiness and fulfill your life’s purpose, you must first have peace. You must not be tormented by evil-doers and those who perpetrate evil against you.

This place of peace is a protected one from which you can live and work in safety. All people are naturally entitled to that kind of peace and opportunity to live their lives without sabotage, without betrayal, without constant victimization.

The black Santa Muerte is the most powerful aspect for all those who have been denied justice, who have been left behind by the established system in some way, those who were not born to privilege, those who do not have the benefit of equality under the law, those who have no representation in places of power, those who are oppressed. Santa Muerte is our greatest ally and a source of personal power.

Traditional Witchcraft and the Occult: Television and the Layering of Black Magic Spells to Cause Confusion and Trauma

by Sophia diGregorio

The Purpose of this Article

Practical Black Magic

The purpose of this article is to consider aspects of black magic as practiced by everyday witches and show how these methods are being used to enthrall the television-watching population.

Methods of Black Magic

In practical black magic, a succession of spells is often used against an enemy to weaken, prepare and “soften” him or her for a final purpose, for example, to obtain obedience or the destruction of the target. In such an instance, the first spell forms a foundation for the second and the third attacks, and so on, against an enemy to slowly weaken or poison that person at a distance, to destroy every aspect of their lives and eventually drive them out of their minds or cause their deaths due to accident or some self-destructive act.

Highly effective black magic often has a psychological component, as well. The more you know about your enemy– his location, personal details, psychological make-up, associates, and so on–the better you can tailor your efforts toward effecting his subjugation or destruction.

 Black Magic and Secrecy

Practical Black Magic: How to Curse and Hex Your Enemies

Black magic spells and methods thereof are not discussed openly for a number of reasons. A major reason is that many people find it offensive. Of course, this attitude is one that only further serves to render a potential target more susceptible. Many people scoff at the idea of black magic or believe that if they deny the existence of it, they cannot be affected by it. This is not true, however, black magicians typically do not discourage those who do not believe in witchcraft because it creates a position of strength for themselves.

Another reason it is not discussed is that revealing too much about it, especially a particular operation, can weaken or even nullify its effect. If people know about it, they are able to do something about it. And, this is why I’m discussing methods of black magic here in relation to that which is currently being practiced by elements within government and, by extension, the major media. If people are aware of the manipulative techniques they use, they have the ability to recognize and resist them. The purpose of this discussion is so that readers can recognize that black magic is being used on them very directly, especially if they have an object of influence, such as a television, in their home.

Powerful witches and black magicians have long had a place in the warfare of nations. Dion Fortune, Aleister Crowley, and Sybil Leek are all examples of witches who worked with some aspect of the government. Usually this is covert and the general public only finds out about it decades later, if ever.

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PsyOps

One of the most talented and public figures to apply the esoteric science of witchcraft to government warfare operations was Lt. Col. Michael Aquino. He is commonly regarded as the father of American PsyOps or Psychological Operations and the founder of the the Temple of Set.

Aquino’s writings on black magic and psychological warfare describe the basic aspects of black magic technique, which is to place an enemy into a suggestible state by whatever means, including the appearance of a friendly and familiar face on the television screen. By this means other methods of black magic can be implemented, including psychological trauma, emotional trauma and confusion. This is means of weakening an enemy and obtaining compliance, which is equivalent to the domination and confusion spells used in practical, everyday witchcraft.

 Television and the Perils of Accepting Gifts from Black Magicians

In practical black magic, we place an object of influence in the home of our enemy. Sometimes it is placed covertly or it is given to the person as a gift. Once this object is inside the person’s home, we project energy waves, much like a broadcast signal, into this object, thus creating an influence on the person and everyone in their home.

Remember the government “gift” of those high definition television broadcast boxes a few years ago? They wanted Americans to have access to television broadcasts badly enough to give two vouchers to every citizen! These boxes broadcast very vivid images using a different frequency bandwidth than the old analog did. Furthermore, the box itself emanates dangerously high levels of electromagnetic frequencies that cause physical weakness, which you can feel if you are sensitive to such things. It feels like a strong field of static electricity and it can be headache-inducing to electromagnetically-sensitive people.

Television and PsyOps

Practical Black Magic: How to Hex and Curse Your Enemies

While broadcasts can be used to psychologically weaken targets in other ways, for example, by the relay of false information to an enemy to cause them to take certain actions according to the black magician’s will, they can, also, be used to induce emotionally traumatized states and deepen the suggestibility level further. In hypnosis, this is simply called “deepening.” It is done on a mass scale by means of broadcasting emotionally traumatic evens, such as the Sandy Hook “Massacre,” 9/11, and most other constantly “breaking news.” When these are sent through television sets to already emotionally bombarded or “softened” targets, who are in a lower-brainwave state, it renders them deeply, deeply suggestible. They will believe almost anything and even process commands.

The television, by means of its flicker rate, causes hypnotic induction to occur in a matter of a few minutes. When you stare at the screen, you become entranced and this trance deepens as you continue to stare. Then, because of its ability to broadcast very realistic images combined with this brain wave-lowering flicker rate, is the perfect medium for broadcasting telepathic suggestions to the subconscious mind’s of millions of people at a time. The subconscious mind has no power of reasoning or analysis and willingly accepts whatever suggestions, images or other ideas it is given without question.

The use of trauma to induce compliance in PsyOps is the reason for mass casualty events being broadcast in a highly emotional way on the television. The black magicians on the television will “suggest” to the viewers what to feel and think. Once the trauma has sufficiently taken hold, the magician assumes the target is now “soft” for any further telepathic suggestions. The black magician, in this case, ananchor or television journalist, will give such hypnotic suggestions as, “There is fear all across America,” “Americans are shocked!” “Americans are in grief over this event,” “Americans demand tougher security measures,” “Americans demand more gun control,”* and so on. This is the second layering of a black magic spell by means of telepathic suggestion. The people under hypnotic induction receive these images at a subconscious level and accept them as their own.

If you don’t watch television or keep abreast of popular culture, you may have noticed that people who do are difficult to have a discussion with about real world events because their minds have been heavily programmed by the sounds and images they have received in a semi-conscious, highly suggestible state. The television has been broadcasting an unreal version of life, especially Americans life, to American and people around the world for decades. The people subjected to it are literally under a spell and seem to live as if they are in a different version of reality because of all the messages that have been broadcast to their subconscious minds while in a highly suggestible state.

Learn methods of black magic with the book, “Practical Black Magic: How to Hex and Curse Your Enemies.”

How to Break the Spell

Anytime you suspect you are under the influence of black magic, the first thing to do is to get rid of the object of influence in your home, by means of which the black magician is transmitting his or her influence. In the case of mass media PsyOps, this is your television and to a lesser extent other forms of mainstream media communications like certain radio broadcasts and newspapers.

The television itself is not an object of witchcraft, but the signals that are being transmitted into your home by means of it are. So, you don’t have to give away or destroy your television to destroy this influence, simply cut the broadcast, cancel your subscription or get rid of your “box.”

Practical Black Magic: How to Hex and Curse Your Enemies

The next step to break the spell is through the acquisition of forbidden knowledge or “illumination.” Learn more about the methods used by black magicians in the media.

Witchcraft is power. It is neither good nor evil anymore than the electricity coming into your house is good or evil. The good or evil comes from the way it is used by the witch. So, don’t be afraid of learning more about the occult and try to get your information from insiders.

Learn methods of black magic with the book, “Practical Black Magic: How to Hex and Curse Your Enemies.”

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The Devil’s Grimoire: A System of Psychic Attack

The Devil’s Grimoire: A System of Psychic Attack

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Witchcraft and Love Magic in the Ozark Mountains Old-fashioned Love Spells

by A. Giovanni

(This article is reprinted here with the permission of the author, A. Giovanni.)

Granny and Jed Clampett from The Beverly Hillbillies. (Public domain image.)

Most people who have seen the old television comedy “The Beverly Hillbillies” have no idea about some of the little grains of truth in the show. The show’s creator, Paul Henning, was a native Missourian who was clearly very familiar with the area and the people of the Ozark Mountain region. On the show, the Clampetts make visits to such locations as Silver Dollar City, Springfield and Joplin, Missouri.

What most people who have watched the show never guess is that Granny was more than just Elly May’s grandmother. Granny, who once says she comes from Taney County, which is the southwestern Missouri county where Branson is located, is a “granny woman,” which is an old Ozark term for conjure woman. The word, “medicine,” is another word for potion among old-timers.

“Hillbilly” is perceived by some a pejorative term and probably to others it seems like a joke. The rest of the world probably can’t imagine what the area is still like–even today. It’s probably especially hard for city-folk to imagine that there are such people as those who live in the hills outside of beautiful, modern Branson, Missouri. They’ve have always been secretive and distrusting of outsiders and for years nobody knew much at all about them until a folk researcher named Vance Randolph married an Ozarker and spent decades trying to ingratiate himself into their culture, which is really impossible for anyone who wasn’t born among them.

In the 1940s he published several books, but arguably the best one is “Ozark Mountain Magic and Folklore.” The ancestors of the original Ozark Mountain settlers came from England and Scotland by way of Appalachia. And, as is alluded to in a two-part episode where the hillbillies go back to England to find their noble ancestors, their ancestors were probably among the earliest American arrivals and were made of a rough, tough stock of people who could survive even the worst adversity.

The Ozark Mountains is still very rough terrain, but 100 years ago, it was only a special breed of people with strong survival skills who were able to live there. The winters are hard and the people live in relative isolation from each other in the hills and “hollers.” Before recent modernization of the highways and literally cutting through the rocks of mountains made travel easier, they were isolated from the outside world and often from each other. They had to rely on what they knew about the environment, animals, insects, plants and herbs and the practice of witchcraft, which grew and thrived among them.

They had magic for all the important aspects of life, but love and courtships was very important, especially for young women although young men, also, practiced love magic. Girls conducted a variety of spells to see their future husbands or to know his name. They used charms and potions to induce love and lust and to dominate their boyfriends and husband.

The following are just a few love spells collected by Randolph in the Missouri Ozarks:

Beltane, the 1st day of May, is a very important day for those who want to know the identity of their future husbands.

Mirror scrying

If you would like to see your future husband, you must go to a well at noon on May Day and hold a mirror in such a way that it reflects the daylight into the darkness. Then, look into the water and you should see the face of your future mate. But, if you happen to see yourself lying in a coffin, you will die before the next May Day. If you see nothing, you’ll probably be an old maid.

A variation on this procedure requires you to have a glass of water, a gold ring and a mirror. Place the glass in front of the mirror and gaze fixedly at the reflection of the ring in the water.

If you want to see the face of your future husband, rise very early on May 1st and go to the well carrying a guinea egg and a glass. Once at the well, break the egg into the cup and gaze into the water. There you should see the initials of your husband to be reflected in the water of the well.

Similarly, if you wake early on May 1st and look into the reflection of a mirror, you should see the reflection of your future husband’s face or his initials

If you would like to dream about your future mate, look at the new moon over your right shoulder at night and repeat the following incantation:

“New moon, new moon, do tell me

Who my own true lover will be,

The color of his hair, the clothes that he will wear

And the happy day he will wed me.”

Love Attraction and Lover Return Spells

Wear a yellow garter to attract a man and keep him faithful.

Carry a wasps nest to attract men. If you attach it to the aforementioned garter, so much the better.

The following love charm will probably only be practical if you work in a morgue or have legal access to dead bodies. You must obtain a needle that has been stuck into a dead body. Cover it with dirt in which a corpse has been laid. Then wrap the whole thing in a piece of cloth cut from the shroud that has covered a dead body. Keep this charm with you to make any woman fall in love with you.

If you take the needle from the above charm and stick into the footprint in your own yard where your lover has stepped, he will have to stay with you whether he wants to or not. If he leaves you, he will get sick and if he stays away very long he will die.

Use the following spell if your lover has been away from you for a while and you want to see him. This spell is said to work regardless of circumstances and is most effective on married men or those otherwise engaged or involved.

Arrange your shoes in a “T” shape. As you do so recite the following incantation:

“When my true love I want to see, I place my shoes in the shape of a ‘T’.”

If you have quarreled with your true love and want to make up, prick the middle finger of your left hand with a needle. Write your initials on an ironwood chip and bury it. He’ll be back within three days.

If you want to inspire desire and lust in your lover, keep dried turkey bones in the room or car where the two of you will meet. This will put him or her in an amorous mood.

The dried tongue of a turtle dove, likewise concealed, will render a girl unable to resist your advances.

There are many more spells and customs among the people of the Ozarks, but it’s difficult to know how many people still practicing such things. The area, especially around Branson and the Lakes has become the new home for a lot of fundamentalist Christians who believe that theirs is the only history. And, they are very fearful of anything that seems to them to be witchcraft. So, witches in the area are very much in the closet.

Copyright © 2012 A. Giovanni. All rights reserved.

Traditional Witches’ Book of Love Spells

Cast your own powerful love spells.

Includes formulas for necessary inks, potions and magical oils.

No moralizing, no judgments, no fluff.

Spells to Find an Unknown Love
Spells to Attract a Particular Person
Spells to Bind a Lover to You
Commanding Spells
Spells to Reunite Lovers
Spells to Banish Unwanted Persons

 

 

About Santa Muerte or Holy Death: Ritual to Consecrate a Talisman to the White Lady of Mexico

by Sophia diGregorio

Sophia diGregorio is the author of The Grimoire of Santa Muerte: Spells and Rituals of Most Holy Death, the Unofficial Saint of Mexico

Santa Muerte, or Holy Death Death, is believed by some to be a representation of an ancient Aztec goddess called Mictecacihuatl, the Lady of the Dead. Although this origin is disputed by other researchers who point to a long history of death goddesses throughout Mexico and in Western Europe, as well. She may be a little bit of both.

Santa Muerte was practically unknown until a few years ago. According to one account, her influence grew in Tepito, which is a neighborhood in Mexico City that the police were unable to control. She is sometimes described as a “narco-saint” and is associated in the minds of law enforcement agencies with the drug trade. But, her significance and popularity is much broader than that.

Santa Muerte is not necessarily associated with crime, but she might be characterized as a spirit of defiance, which has grown out of the injustices perpetrated by the government and law enforcement agencies on good, hard-working Mexican people. The police and the organized criminal class is intertwined in Mexico, just as they are in many large cities in the U.S.

Los Zetas, the infamous drug traffickers said to be responsible for a great deal of violence in Mexico, was formed by police officers. In cities like Juarez, it is estimated by some that 1/3 of the police department is comprised of members of drug cartels. In other parts of Mexico, the police engage in the human trafficking of people from Guatemala and El Salvador. Sporadically, there are reports of good townspeople fighting the police to rescue the victims.

So, you can see that, at least in some places in Mexico, if you have been victimized by criminals, the police and the legal system may not be the best place to turn for help.

In past centuries, the Catholic Church has stood between criminal governments and the people, but the Catholic Church in Mexico has failed to meet the needs of many Mexicans either physically or spiritually.

Because of this, Santa Muerte has become a refuge for those who need protection from criminals of both the common and police classes.

In circumstances of oppression like this, witchcraft always grows darker and stronger. Such is the case with the Santa Muerte.

Her popularity is, also, growing in parts of the U.S. where people face similar injustices and dangers from the same two classes of people.

Grimoire of Santa Muerte: Spells and Rituals of Most Holy Death, the Unofficial Saint of Mexico

Getting to Know Santa Muerte

Grimoire of Santa Muerte: Spells and Rituals of Most Holy Death, the Unofficial by Sophia diGregorio

In most representations of Santa Muerte, she is depicted as a skeleton wearing a hood and holding a scythe like the grim reaper. The scythe and her deathly appearance symbolize her power over life and death. Essentially, she is the spirit of death and probably a combination of several such spirits from both Mexico and southwestern Europe.

Because of her thin, skeletal image, she is sometimes called “la niña blanca” (the white lady or “thewhite girl”) or “la niña flaca” (“the skinny girl”). She is quietly referred to by many as, “mi amiga” (“my friend”).

Commonly, she is depicted holding the earth in her hands as a representation of her earthly powers. Sometimes she is standing on it, similar to some depictions of Our Lady of Guadalupe. In some depictions, she seems to be holding what looks like a crystal ball, however, in other representations it is clearly the earth with the various continents she holds in her hand.

She often holds the scales of justice. This is reminiscent of the Egyptian goddess Maat, who represents law, order, balance and justice. One of Santa Muerte’s most important functions is to mete out justice in instances where crimes and criminals would otherwise go unpunished.

Frequently, she is depicted with one or two owls either perched at her feet or behind her shoulders. The owl has associations with witchcraft in Mexico, Europe and around the world. In Mexico, it is believed by some that witches can turn into owls and there are many reports of human-looking owls (Lechuzas) flying in the air along the Rio Grande and all the way from Monterrey, Mexico to northern Texas. Furthermore, the owl is regarded as a bad omen in Mexico and to hear an owl hooting is seen as a sign that death is nearby.

As further evidence of Santa Muerte’s connection to other goddesses of death in Western Europe and earlier civilizations, the owl is associated with Hecate, the Greek goddess of the Underworld and Minerva or Athena the Roman goddess of Wisdom. The Akkadian goddess Ishtar, who is depicted with owl-like claws and wings, is accompanied by two owls, one on either side of her.

Less often, we see Santa Muerte depicted with a black cat, which is among her chief pets. Cats are associated with both good and bad fortune and with protection, however, they are often considered an omen of bad luck in Mexico.

Santa Muerte statues used primarily for success in business and finances are usually painted gold and she is depicted with golden coins.

Sometimes she carries an oil lamp to light the way. The light is, also, a symbol of illumination and always a symbol of Luciferian rebellion and the willful desire to obtain the knowledge of the gods.

She is, also, often pictured with caskets, skeletons, skulls and horseshoes.

The horseshoe is an ancient symbol with many different meanings. In this instance it may be associated not only with good fortune and protection, but with the crescent moon because Santa Muerte is similar to other goddesses from the Mediterranean. Our Lady of Guadalupe is, also, frequently depicted with a crescent moon.

Statues of Santa Muerte commonly have a cavity in the bottom filled with amulets, seeds or other representations of her power

Grimoire of Santa Muerte: Spells and Rituals of Most Holy Death, the Unofficial Saint of Mexico

Colors Associations of  Santa Muerte

The colors, altar cloths, candles and other dressings used to honor Santa Muerte and to facilitate magical working differs slightly from those used by most modern witches in the U.S. and England. In some ways, they seem closer to the color associations of Buddhism and Hinduism.

Gold, red, black, and white are probably the most commonly seen colors. But, she is dressed in other colors, as well.

Gold or golden yellow is for money, success and financial concerns

Red is for matters of love, romance and protection, especially from the Evil Eye

Black is for total protection from enemies, hexing and revenge, and protection from the Evil Eye

White and bone-color are for peace and harmony in the home and among neighbors

Blue is for increased mental powers and concentration

Green is used in matters pertaining to the law, courts and justice

Amber is used for healing and releasing habits and addictions

Purple is, also, used for health and healing and sometimes revenge.

In the modern devotion to Santa Muerte, she is typically approached like any Catholic saint. Unlike other saints her powers are not limited and she does not pass judgment on you or your needs or desires. People often giver her a special altar, which becomes a place of power over time as you work with her.

Once you are used to working with her, you can ask her to lend her power to any of your spells. She is extremely versatile and will be able to help you with all your needs. Simply, tailor your candles and other dressings for her altar, accordingly.

In the U.S., you may have difficulty finding Santa Muerte articles unless you live in Texas or the southwest. If you are fortunate enough to have a Mexican grocery store near you, you may find Santa Muerte candles, scapulars, pendants and other articles sold along with images of other saints. Most Mexican tiendas, also, keep dried herbs, incense and magical powders on hand.

Grimoire of Santa Muerte: Spells and Rituals of Most Holy Death, the Unofficial Saint of Mexico

Ritual to Consecrate a Talisman to the White Lady of Mexico

If you would like to keep the power of Santa Muerte with you, always, you can use the following ceremony to consecrate a pendant to her to create a talisman.

You will need the following:

A statue of Santa Muerte (a prayer card or even an image of her printed from the computer)

Red Ribbon or Cord
White Candle
A glass of fresh, clean water
A Santa Muerte pendant (you may substitute a skull, skeleton or grim reaper)
A red or black cotton handkerchief
Santa Muerte Money Spell

Cleanse the pendant and chain by rubbing it with a little alcohol. Then, allow it to dry.

This consecration ceremony takes place over the course of 3 nights. So, place two marks on the candle to divide it into three sections.

If you are using a prayer card or paper image of Santa Muerte, place it under the candle holder on your altar. Place the glass of water near the candle. Water is the most basic offering to the spirit. You may, also, bread, candy, fruit or some other small offering to her in a little bowl.

On a Tuesday or Thursday night during a Full Moon, light the candle and pray to Santa Muerte, asking for her protection while holding the pendant in your hand, as follows:

“Most Holy Death, I ask that through this image you will cover me with the cloak of your protection, that you always take care of me and guide me through all snares and dangers. Give me your blessing so that I never lack the things I need. Give me strength, health, prosperity and protection. [Add any other petition.]”

You may use a different prayer, the above is only an example. In fact, the words and actions in this consecration are less important than your own energy. There are a lot of prayers to Holy Death, but there is no standard prayer. Many people like to begin and end with a recitation of The Our Father, but this is not a requirement. The best thing you can do is really speak from your heart and make a connection with the spirit of Santa Muerte. Whatever wording you use, ask for her protection to be granted to you through the pendant.

When you have finished your prayer. fold the pendant and cord up into the handkerchief and place it on or in front of the Santa Muerte statue. If you are using an card or paper image, place the handkerchief in front of the candle. Allow it to burn down to the first notch. Then, snuff out the candle and take the handkerchief and place it in the bottom of a drawer.

On the second night, retrieve the handkerchief with the pendant from the drawer and repeat this procedure. It is not necessary to cleanse the pendant, again, as long as no one else touches it. When the candle as burned to the second notch, snuff it out. Place the handkerchief in the drawer.

On the third night, repeat this procedure, allowing the candle to burn down completely. Now, the pendant is ready to wear.

Whenever you need help, touch the medal and ask Santa Muerte to be with you.

Some practitioners repeat this ritual every three months to maintain its power.

The Judeo-Christian god demands worship and his followers consider themselves his servants. By contrast, Santa Muerte serves the people. She doesn’t take anything from the people; she doesn’t demand service and she doesn’t pass judgment or punish. She only gives protection and power to those who have no other advocate and no other recourse.

Grimoire of Santa Muerte: Spells and Rituals of Most Holy Death, the Unofficial Saint of Mexico

Santa Muerte is a Mexican saint, but her devotion is truly a gift from Mexico to the world!

Grimoire of Santa Muerte: Spells and Rituals of Most Holy Death, the Unofficial by Sophia diGregorio

In January 2013, a new book in English, The Grimoire of Santa Muerte: Spells and Rituals of Most Holy Death, the Unofficial Saint of Mexico is the first book especially for American (and English-speaking) devotees of Santa Muerte. There have been numerous books in Spanish from Mexican presses written for Mexican audiences, but few in English written especially for people who are not as familiar with Mexican culture and Catholicism. This book was written by an American Santa Muerte devotee and lover of Mexican history, culture and language especially for non-Spanish speakers.

It contains information about Santa Muerte, her history and legends. It shows how to construct an altar for her, how to consecrate it and it gives prayers, spells and rituals for obtaining the assistance of Santa Muerte for love, protection, prosperity, healing and all of the necessities of life. The next book in the series delves into how to really tap into the power of Santa Muerte and is set to be released in the winter of 2014.

Grimoire of Santa Muerte, Vol. 2: Altars, Meditations, Divination and Witchcraft Rituals for Devotees of Most Holy Death

Update: The 2nd Volume of this series was released in July 2016. A third one, on the subject of healing with Santa Muerte, is in progress.

Comments

Note: The comments below were provided by readers of this article when it was hosted at another website. The responses by “TraditionalWitchcraft” are those of the author of this article.

Duby:

Very captivating to say the least. Your knowledge and research on these subjects must be very time consuming, but well worth the effort. I fear with the way things are changing within the US we may soon need Santa Muerte to protect us as well.

TraditionalWitchcraft:

Thank you for your kind comment, as well. I really live and breathe the occult. I think it occupies most of my waking time and a lot of my dreams.

And, yes, I think for some of us, this is happening already here in the U.S. and actually has been for a long time. I have had protection from Santa Muerte and a host of saints. In my experience, they don’t work for the Catholic church, they just work! Mexico is a really magical place, so maybe they get their power from something down there.

Dominique:

Thanks for this article!  I’m taking notes…

TraditionalWitchcraft:

Dominique,

The above prayer could be expanded. She is sometimes called Santisima Muerte or Most Holy Death because some say she is actually a high ranking spirit who commands armies of both angels and demons.

My natural tendency is to start with the Our Father and to end the same way and to address her as Most Holy Death or Santisima Muerte. I always ask her to enlighten my home and cloak me with her protection. Since I’m a person who needs a lot more spiritual protection (we all have as many locks and alarms on our houses as we feel we need – some of us need more than others to feel safe) I always invoke her darker side for protection from evil.

The longer you work with her, the stronger and more powerful her presence seems to become in your life.

magicman:

Hi,

I have been living out of my car for 5 years. Now I just have enough money to rent a space in a persons living room for a wile. I desire some more income for my own apartment and a girlfriend. Will Santa Murte help with this? Can I have other things as well like I have St Romo and some Buddha things or is she jealous ? Thanks For the help Grant What color should I get?

TraditionalWitchcraft:

Magicman,

It sounds like you have had a streak of bad luck. Santa Muerte is appealed to by people who have had had difficult times and need a little boost. Gold Santa Muerte statues and golden yellow candles are used to appeal to her for financial help. Red Santa Muerte statues and red candles are used to request favors in the romance department.

If you have limited space or are in a situation where you are not free to burn candles, you might want to just get a small Santa Muerte statue – I’d start with the gold. Keep her with you, say prayers to her, invoke her power and generally establish a relationship with her. I suggest gold because you’ll probably want to get your finances straightened out so that you’ll have time to devote to a relationship. You can still use the gold statue, but use a red candle – most practitioners agree that the color of the candle dominates. Also, you can always sew a little red cape for your gold statue to use in love rituals.

Some people say she is jealous. I don’t find this to be true – I work with an army of spirits, including Hindu ones. I find her to be perfectly compatible with other saints and spirits – although she is less specialized and more powerful than most of them. I do have a special altar for her and this is recommended by most people.

Thank you for your comment and your question. I hope this helps. And, I hope things improve for you very soon. The fact that it’s hard times for so many people is exactly why Santa Muerte has become more and more popular.

She does seem to demand devotion. Many people who work with her grow to genuinely love her, so if you work with her for very long the devotion will probably follow very naturally. She is one of the most powerful spirits I’ve run across.

My continuing research on Santa Muerte suggests that she is an ancient spirit that has been helping people, much like Our Lady, for a very long time.

Grimoire of Santa Muerte: Spells and Rituals of Most Holy Death, the Unofficial by Sophia diGregorio

As the authority of both church and state have crumbled, Santa Muerte’s following has grown ever larger.  Devotion to Santa Muerte is not so much a matter of faith or belief, but a matter of experience. To know the power of Santa Muerte for yourself, you must forge a personal connection with her.

The Grimoire of Santa Muerte: Spells and Rituals of Most Holy Death, the Unofficial Saint of Mexico was written especially with non-Catholic, non-Spanish speaking people in mind. The author attempts to make Santa Muerte accessible to English-speaking readers.

You can find it at Amazon.com and other online outlets.

A nice article and review of this book may be found at: http://ideefixemon.blogspot.com/2013/02/santa-muerte-unoffical-saint-of-mexico.html

Grimoire of Santa Muerte, Vol. 2: Altars, Meditations, Divination and Witchcraft Rituals for Devotees of Most Holy Death

Grimoire of Santa Muerte, Vol. 2: Altars, Meditations, Divination and Witchcraft Rituals for Devotees of Most Holy Death provides potentially life-transforming rituals and prayers to Santa Muerte. This book goes deeper into the modern devotion to Santa Muerte and the author shares more insights into Most Holy Death.

Get it at Amazon…

…or get this or our other Winter Tempest Books in print using cryptocurrencies.

 

 

Traditional Witchcraft: What are Enemies?

Traditional Witchcraft: What are enemies?

In black magic spell books, we often talk about our enemies. But, what exactly are enemies? How do we identify them? How do we acquire them? What is the danger of ignoring them?

Some people believe they do not really have any enemies. There is a prevailing cultural belief that if we go about our lives being kind to others, minding our own business and trying to do the right thing, no one should want to hurt us. But, of course, this is a naive outlook on life.

Our enemies are those who, little by little, tear our happiness to shreds and disturb our peace of mind. Some of these people are authoritarians and bullies in our our homes, our schools, our work places and even among those we count as friends. They are, also, those who have no qualms about committing crimes against us, simply for their own personal gratification. Ranging from the seemingly less insidious to the deeply wicked, they are all enemies when they stand in the way of our personal goals.

Everyone Has Enemies

The unsettling fact is the world is full of truly evil people. Regardless of how good we are, there are those who see us as enemies or as prey. Therefore, even the most innocent among us have enemies.

Some of these enemies may be mentally disordered. Psychologists have a variety of classifications for such people who lack humanity or conscience. They call them psychopaths, sociopaths, narcissists and the like and they make up a remarkably high percentage of the population. Moreover, they are often attracted to positions of authority and influence in which they can acquire power and the admiration of others and thus obtain access to a pool of victims.

Some medical research studied that these people’s brains are structured differently from that of a normal person. Although, some of them may be members of our own families and we may have nothing in common with them. Many of them are bosses or people in positions of authority in society. Many of them know what they are – that they have other than normal human emotions and thoughts. They see normal human emotions and ability to empathize with others as a weakness to be exploited.

Psychopaths and sociopaths can both be very charming, clever and difficult discover. Even psychologists cannot always tell and many people are married to such people for years before they are able to see through their masks. Different experts place their numbers at between 1 and 3% of the population for psychopaths and as many as 30% for sociopaths. The number of such people varies from place to place, as well.

Such people commit evil acts because they enjoy doing so. They often have an exaggerated sense of their own self-importance and self-worth. They do it for their own gratification and personal satisfaction – not because they have been hurt in some way, which is a claim such people sometimes try to make. They do not know love or conscience. They, also, become very angry once they are discovered by their victims and it is then they are often at their most dangerous.

Not all such people are criminals – some are simply too clever to be caught – but undoubtedly they are responsible for a large percentage of crimes. There are psychopaths who thrive on controlling and dominating anyone they come in contact with. There is no logical answer to the question, “Why?” as in “Why do these people do what they do?” They are simply manifestations of evil in the flesh.

So, you can see that you do not have to do anything wrong to acquire such an enemy. You should never blame yourself for having such an enemy, nor should you tolerate anyone blaming you for it. Such irredeemably evil people exist simply because evil exists.

Once you understand evil exists and people do evil things simply for their own pleasure, then you can be better prepared to deal with such enemies whenever you run across one.

Get: The Devil’s Grimoire: A System of Psychic Attack

How Do We Acquire Enemies?

The power of a glance – the evil eye.

Most often, we acquire enemies very unexpectedly and through no fault of our own. We acquire them simply in the course of living our own lives and trying to mind our own business.

To put it simply, the world is full of mentally unstable people and predators of one kind or another. So, you can acquire an enemy simply by existing. People who aren’t “team players,” who are individualists or independent thinkers often acquire enemies. You can attract enemies by being a nice person, being attractive, well-dressed or even a little bit successful. People who are especially individualistic and unique or who stand out in any way often attract enemies. But, even the most average and conformist people have enemies, too.

Some enemies are people with personal problems, for instance, they may act against us out of envy because we are smarter or more attractive. Some are narcissists who literally believe the entire world revolves around them and the people in it are there simply to benefit them in some way.

Lots of these people end up being school administrators, managers, salesmen, businessmen, law enforcement agents and judges. Simply having the misfortune of running across them at work, school or in the course of living your own life means you have acquired an enemy.

Sometimes your worst enemies are members of your own family into which you were born entirely by chance. Sometimes we unknowingly marry them or we marry the children of such people. We often run across them when we are most vulnerable, for example, they exploit our need to earn a living. They prey upon us at our work place, on your way to and from our work place or take advantage of our need to earn money in some way or other. They take advantage of us when we most need help, for example, when we try to report a crime or to escape the clutches of a violent person.

Enemies are often the people who work within various established systems, whether it be law enforcement, the school or university system, the corporate system, etc. Such people thrive in hierarchies – in situations of unequal power dynamics in which they can get the upper hand.

Get: The Devil’s Grimoire: A System of Psychic Attack

What Exactly Are Enemies?

Enemies are people who threaten our existence in some way. They are those who threaten our privacy and disturb our peace of mind. They are people who are in some kind of position to make your life miserable or even completely unbearable. Moreover, they are people you have no option of simply avoiding.

Sometimes our worst enemies are members of our own families – often they are interfering in-laws. In the worst cases, they are our most trusted confidants (spouses), who harbor a secret and sometimes violent agenda against us. These are often the most difficult enemies to deal with.

Very often we find our worst enemies at our workplace. It’s our bosses or co-workers who seem intent on destroying our peace and happiness.

Sometimes our enemies are criminals of one kind or another. Some are harassers, stalker and violent criminals. Some are thieves and worse. Others are scammers of one stripe or another.

A criminal enemy is one who has no fear of committing crimes against other people and often you will find that you have little or no help from law enforcement agencies. Sometimes you find that in the course of defending yourself, you run the danger of breaking laws – a fact the criminals are counting on and one which keeps them safe. They typically have no conscience and no ordinary human fear of the consequences of breaking the law. If they choose victims who are good, upstanding citizens, then they feel safer because such a person is less likely to commit a crime in their own self-defense.

Con artists are named such because they are artful at fostering “confidence” in others. Psychopaths and sociopaths are especially good at this kind of social deception, they tailor their behavior to their victims and can keep up appearances for years. This accounts for many people’s experiences in marriage, when the con artist’s mask unravels, when he can no longer keep up the facade and they learn the truth about the person they are married to. This is a dangerous situation, but a common and every day one. Now, you have a very dangerous enemy – one who has been close to you, who has had access to your financial documents or to other sensitive information. This is an example of a very dangerous enemy because he or she often knows far too much about us and may have access to personal material or information that could seriously harm us.

Another type of dangerous enemy is the white collar criminal, who lies, cheats and steals using fraud and hiding behind what appear to be legitimate fronts – often financial institutions or other companies that appear to be reputable. These people steal by moving around numbers, shuffling paper work or by directly stealing private information, which they use for the furtherance of their own selfish ends.

Another enemy is one who comes into your neighborhood, who is a a nuisance, a drug dealer or otherwise threaten the peace of your home and your privacy. Enemies who threaten our privacy or our homes -whether these are stalkers or white collar criminals – present a very real threat to our survival. These are especially dangerous enemies.

Sometimes you find out way after the fact that your enemy set out from the beginning to harm you, often posing as friends. Although, in these cases, you may not recognize that a person you thought was a friend is an enemy until they do something to you.

Get: The Devil’s Grimoire: A System of Psychic Attack

Why It’s Important Not to Ignore Our Enemies

Avoidance whenever possible is the best way to deal with enemies. If enemies become too numerous, you can become overwhelmed. So, once you recognize our own vulnerabilities and the opportunities our enemies take against us, we must try to take steps wherever possible to insulate yourself. Of course, this is not 100% effective. Therefore, it is only a partial remedy.

Dangerous enemies should not be directly confronted. If you must engage them, do so anonymously. Never make threats or say anything that could be construed as such.

Enemies of all classes are a particular danger to witches and occultists because they can disrupt our peace of mind – this is perhaps the greatest harm they do when it is analyzed at the most basic level. Interference from enemies can disrupt our ability to focus and achieve our personal goals. In the long term, they can become a threat to our happiness, our health and our very lives.

It is not necessary to hate your enemies – that’s just a waste of your time and energy, but it is wise to have a healthy fear of them. It is, also, necessary to the fruition of your own plans and the attainment of your own goals that wherever you cannot avoid them, you must eliminate them.

The necessity of putting your enemies out of the way before you are able to make your other dreams come true. A major foundational step to creating a more satisfying life is to put your enemies out of your way so you can achieve your personal life goals without obstacles.

If you are plagued by enemies or other misfortunes, it is important to clean up this aspect of your life before you can really make you can reach your other goals, for example, success in love, money or other personal pursuits.

Nonetheless, when we come to recognize that human enemies exist and take steps to aggressively and proactively defend ourselves against them, we strengthen our level of protection. This higher level of protection, which is a feature of the practice of black magic, functions to eliminate a broad swath of unfortunate circumstances and paves a smooth road for success in all of your other endeavors.

The Devil’s Grimoire: A System of Psychic Attack by Moribus Mortlock

The Devil’s Grimoire: A System of Psychic Attack

Have you ever felt powerless against someone who was in a position to make your life miserable?

Have you ever wished you could relieve your misery through entirely secret and legal means without ever leaving the comfort of your own home?

Inside this book is a powerful system of psychic attack designed to help you do this.

To gain and maintain control over your life, dominate your enemies, get revenge, restore your peace of mind and prove the power of witchcraft to yourself, put the little devils in “The Devil’s Grimoire” to work for you.

The Devil’s Grimoire is available in paperback and digital formats at Amazon and other online retailers.

Click here for information about how to order print books from Winter Tempest Books using cryptocurrencies.

Find more Winter Tempest Books at Psychic Powers & Magic Spells.

The End

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.

Click here to visit Psychic Powers and Magic Spells

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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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.

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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