the-wizard-spiderose

[the-wizard-spiderose]

The health insurance industry has a term for this sadistic practice. It's called "step therapy." If the choice is between a more expensive medication that works and a cheaper one that doesn't work as well and might have worse side effects, the insurance company requires that the cheaper drug be used first.

One benefit to the insurance company is that the patient on the cheaper drug might die before they get a chance to use the drug that works but is more expensive. That's money in the bank for the insurance company.

Or, the patient might be so worn down and harmed by the cheaper drug that they just give up the fight to get the drug that will help them. Again, that's bank for the insurance company.

[the-wizard-spiderose]

Nazis will never be welcome in paganism. They have no space in our communities, we will have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to nazis. You have no right to the cultures, gods and religions you hijack to spread your disgusting ideologies. You will find no refuge or comraderie amongst pagans.

Reblog to let nazis know they’re not welcome here.

[the-wizard-spiderose]

I have noticed that sometimes people seem to have this idea that you are really only allowed to cast one spell on a situation, and that's it. Or, you can only cast that specific spell on that situation once, and in order to try again, you have to change spells.

I don't know where this idea comes from. It's not a part of any tradition or school, as far as I'm aware.

Spells can be conceptualized as little guys that you create and release to take a specific kind of action.

You can create and release as many little guys you want, even if they're all trying to do the exact same thing.

There is no "magical law" that dictates you are only ever supposed to have one guy working on a situation at one time, or that if he fails, you can't make a copy to try again.

[the-wizard-spiderose]

No, fancy elitist witch dude, this happiness oil isn’t a placebo trick, I just want my wallet to really enjoy the process of bringing money to me.

It’s time to stop hating on “self-love spells” “spells for calm” “spells for motivation” “happiness spells” and start casting those spells on our other spells

[the-wizard-spiderose]

It’s time to stop hating on “self-love spells” “spells for calm” “spells for motivation” “happiness spells” and start casting those spells on our other spells

[the-wizard-spiderose]

I mean hell I’ve run Max/MSP on a ginkgo leaf. One of my best spells to memory actually

What if spells radiate in all directions in time, so the reason that it seems like things were destined to work out well even before you cast, is because the spell was working backwards from the point when you cast it.

[the-wizard-spiderose]

the Chicken furthermore tries to convince you to practice sorcery in a fun and fulfilling way

There is a difference between practicing goal-oriented practical sorcery, and placing the entire value of your sorcery on whether or not you achieved the goal. One of these things is soul-crushing.

Practicing sorcery should be it's own reward. The actual steps you are performing should be stuff that you like, or thrills you, or captures your fascination. As an activity, practicing sorcery should be satisfying regardless of whether or not the spellwork manifests properly.

If the sorcery on your plate is not satisfying, compost it and return to the endless buffet and try a different type of sorcery.

If you do not have the things you need, your first step to a spell becomes innovation. What is the purpose of the thing in the spell, and how can it be replaced?

A spell can be cast with a length of string, or a paper and pen. Or with a bit of crayon. Or a dead fly. Or with just you.

Sorcerous knowledge tends to reveal itself when the clutter of correspondences is placed aside, so having few things to practice with is not a curse.

You do not need an interpersonal spiritual friendship with every single spirit you want to work with in magic. YOU DO NOT.

Interpersonal friend relationships with spirits should probably be reserved for very special spirits in your "inner court," the beings with which you choose to share your life and that you honor as teachers and guides.

Many spirits are pleased to assist with magic, but have no interest in getting to know us personally.

Imagine if everyone in your askbox wanted to ask you for help on something you're knowledgeable about, but instead of just asking for help, they first wanted to DM you for a few weeks to make sure you're comfortable with being asked for help, meanwhile on your correspondence chart pinned post it says "I can help with [topic]! Just ask!"

Asking spirits for help in magic is a good, valid way to start building a relationship with them.

Repeatedly calling on the same spirit or type of spirit over and over in spellwork is a fantastic way to deepen your relationship with them.

Working with a spirit in magic does not mean you are obligated to build a shrine to it, venerate it, talk to it outside of spellwork, or any of that.

Practicing sorcery is not the same thing as casting a spell. Practicing sorcery also means practicing the composite skills which come together to make a spell.

A spell is like a completed painting. But to make that painting, the artist needed several skills: the ability to sketch the scene, knowledge of how to apply and work with their paint, color theory, an understanding of how to render landscapes, and so forth. As a sorcerer, your skillset might be imbuing intent, raising energy, centering and grounding, practicing trance, practicing psychism or divination, etc. As you gain familiarity with these things, spells become less like an imposing stranger, and more like someone you're sure you've met before.

Practice can be it's own reward, but discipline is often required for progress.

Raising energy once a day, forever? I think not.

Raising energy once a day for seven days? Or, dedicating to doing it a total of ten times this month? Perhaps so.

An artist may not be in love with every single step of the process, and sometimes a sorcerer may have to get good at a skill that's not their favorite. But if no part of the process sparks joy, then something is wrong.

Sucking at something is the first step to being kind of good at something. Be reasonable with yourself: does the beginner artist doodle a landscape, then look at their work and declare that their art "doesn't work"?

Not every witch is talented at every sort of sorcery. Not creating a potent prosperity spell after five tries doesn't mean you're bad at magic. It might mean that your current understanding of prosperity magic precludes good results, or that you are casting on one very intransigent situation, or that your true talents lie in destruction and chaos instead of peaceful growth.

Set practice goals, give it an honest go, and move on when the time is right: "I am going to practice raising Fire energy and putting it into this stone using the Pore Breathing method. I'm going to do it fifteen times." (3 months later): "That sucked and it never worked, but I did it all fifteen times. Next I'm going to do a grounded roots visualization and use it to channel water energy to cleanse my room." (10 days later): "That was awesome, I want to do it more than 15 times."

Play around and be silly with it. Taking your path seriously is not the same thing as taking your path somberly.

Sports teams practice drills to be ready for game day. Sorcerers are wise to take a page from their book, because when real-life game day arrives, it feels much better to deal with it when you know you've been having pretty good success with channeling water energies, so maybe it's best to do something with that, because you can't move fire for dick.

[the-wizard-spiderose]

Hi there! Hope you're doing well.

I was wondering how to remain in a magical state / altered state of consciousness / trance state while you are doing a spell. I've noticed that I can get into the state (either through meditation or physical activity) but I'm no longer in it when I have to open my eyes or sit down to do the spell. It's like the transition to another activity breaks me out of it. Has that ever happened to you? Is there a way to fix it? Thank you.

Listen I see what you're saying but are you sure it's important?

I mean I agree that if you want to stay in this state, that is a valid goal.

But I dunno, I'm not really that focused day-to-day and I can still run my life more or less competently. I don't really find that I have to be completely focused in ASC during a spell in order for the spell to work.

Anyway, my actual answer to your question is get something that limits/inhibits your vision. I've seen these things on Etsy which is a decent example of what I mean, I've actually never used them but I bet they'd work.

(I'm in the process of making something of a similar concept for myself, a process interrupted by the fact that I have lost 100% of my lace-weight crochet hooks).

Realistically, most of the time, I wear sunglasses and a big hat that goes down over my eyes.

Avoid fully opening your eyes. Where possible, work in dim light. Interrupt your vision as much as possible, but only when safe to do so.

Working in darkness helps very much.

Do not move normally. Move in stutters and jerks. Make your body feel like the unrefined clay flesh of your spell, partially formulated, bubbling up from the rich mineral well of existence, full of potential and yet somehow shapeless.

Move like a zombie.

Play rhythmic music. This probably should be music you only play during spellwork. Drumbeats work well.

When transitioning into another activity, do so in such a shambling, half-blind, wet-moth manner that it hardly feels like a transition at all.

Other sensory cues, such as the scent of an essential oil, may be very helpful in maintaining your trance state from one activity to another.

Training yourself on certain cues that you can re-activate at any time (such as counting down from a # to 0, and repeating 0 to yourself when re-accessing trance) can also be helpful.

Best of luck!

[the-wizard-spiderose]

I've spent a few years on the "stirring intent into your [beverage] isn't necessary or even that great of a way to formulate a daily practice" train and now I've wrapped 100% back around to that it's actually pretty decent and more people should take it seriously.

[the-wizard-spiderose]

All I'm saying is that the Hellenic Tradition had Personifications of Abstract concepts, nothing is stopping you from personifying abstract concepts for use in magick.... Want to make a personification of your personal anger towards a person to use in a spell against them? Go ahead...

[the-wizard-spiderose]

Yo so....

Witchcraft is actually hella customizable. You can invent shit. I don't know how this: "By the book, uber traditional, heavily controlled" thing gained so much traction, but...

You can make your own holidays

You can make your own Gods

You can design your own divination methods

You can make sigils -however the fuck you want

You can create your own theory on energy systems based on your personal experience

Write your own ethics and codes of conduct

Describe crystals or herbs by their ENERGY instead of a keyword list you got off Pinterest

Cleanse in a completely different way than the books tell you to

Literally the possibilities are unfathomably endless. And I've successfully done all of these. Go forth and get weird with it.

[the-wizard-spiderose]

I love you silly witchcraft. I love you pop culture deities. I love you arts and crafts magic. I love you action figures on altars. I love you reconnecting with childhood wonder in magic. I love you getting weird with magic. I love you cringe magic.

[the-wizard-spiderose]

"Detestable thought! He was ashamed of himself. Pure and vestal modesty..."

-Brave New World, pg. 145

Hmm.

Bored. Interested in seeing some interaction on this hellsite. Grab the book that's closest to you, ask the question "what do I need to hear right now", and open to a random page. Read the first three full sentences on that page.

For me, it's the wanderer's hávamál. Seeing as though this is a book of poems, I'll just read the whole page.

"Be a friend to your friend and also to his friend, but never be a friend to the enemy of your friend.

If you have a good friend, and really trust him, and want good to come of your friendship, you should speak your mind with him, exchange gifts, visit him often.

But if you have another friend, and you mistrust him but want to benefit from him, nonetheless— you should speak to him kindly, flatter him, and repay his treachery with your own.

This same friend, if you mistrust him, and suspect him to be false in his words: you should talk with him, laugh with him, but repay just what he gives you."

[the-wizard-spiderose]

Jewitch Self-Analysis: Theism & Personal Conceptualization

I've already monologued about my relationship with belief. I'm going to try to set it aside in order to focus on my current perspective on HaShem. I see this as perhaps one of the most--if not the most--critical sticking points about the awkwardness of combining Judaism and witchcraft. "Aren't you using non-Jewish spiritual practices that HaShem forbids? Do you think you can control HaShem with magic? Do you not trust HaShem to let things happen as they are supposed to?"

I'm... ready to wade into the controversial pool here. I feel like people can get HaShem wrong. And in an way that could be argued to be idolatrous. I'm not going to say that with absolute certainty nor authority-- I'm just one drop of opinion in an ocean of people with actual acclaim after all--but I'm still going to talk about it.

Jews generally recognize that references in the Torah to HaShem's arm or face or whatnot are intended to be metaphorical. We humans anthropomorphize things in order to better understand them. If people try to apply physical form to HaShem or act as if a physical thing is divine in a serious way, however, this is a form of idolatry. And so I argue that anthropomorphizing, trying to fit HaShem into a human box in any kind of serious way, is a form of idolatry (albeit perhaps a far less severe form). It comes easy to people, both because of the psychological phenomenon I mentioned (of making HaShem easier to understand) but also because it's an effect of living in a very Christian-dominated society which frequently depicts images of Gd in a human-adjacent form or mortal Jesus as Gd.

But HaShem is Ein Sof, Without End. HaShem is not human. For as easy as it is for me to apply human traits, it's equally difficult for me to not feel as though this application is disrespectful or inappropriate. It even feels wrong to say "melech" during brachot, and I have a little mental asterisk in my head that says "but not in a human way though."

It would be easy for me to say that HaShem would forgive us for this act of idolatrous anthropomorphizing because it is not intentional idoltary. And then that right there would be an example of the anthropomorphizing I'm talking about. Saying that "HaShem would forgive" implies HaShem has emotions the way humans do, makes choices the way humans do, interacts with the linear progression of cause and effect the way humans do. It's a set of assumptions we make because we are human and only truly understand how humans act. On an intuitive level, we have the barest understanding of how other animals act, try very hard to understand plants and fungi, and don't even see anything else as having a deeper understanding to it at all. And yet, we think we have a decent understanding of HaShem?

I feel like I'm just reiterating Maimonides' theistic conceptualization, in a way. I'm almost not even sure why I'm bothering to write this post, now that I'm re-reading the article I just linked and finding it a lot better worded without throwing around accusations of soft idolatry.

I think the place I diverge is when I start stepping away from Maimonides' very rational "negative theology" the article describes, and start adding something in again. (With the asterisk of "I don't fully believe this nor disbelieve this, please refer to the 'secret third thing' in my previous post on belief," of course.)

I agree with Maimonides that, logically, something came before the universe. I can't be satisfied with the Big Bang Theory alone, because something must have surrounded it, initiated it. Our world has a logical progression to it, and the only thing that could have predated it is something that is incomprehensible, something to be forever grateful to for helping/allowing/initiating the universe. And it seems to me that there is no reason to think that this Supreme Being vanished, or was eliminated by the universe coming into play. In fact, it seems very reasonable to think that this Supreme Being used Its own self (inasmuch as It has one) to create the universe, and as such is part of every little thing that lies within. We are still surrounded by Oneness.

So. I guess I currently conceptualize HaShem as the neural network of the universe. Not material, but the thing inhabiting and driving the material. Not thinking, but nevertheless acting. Everything connected on an immaterial level, and affecting one another like dominoes. Perhaps if we were able to somehow rip ourselves from our material forms we may perceive a pattern suggesting human-like intent or at the very least perceive the general direction of the universe, but that's not possible. At best, we have the chance at finding this understanding if/when we are reintegrated with HaShem at the end of the universe.

As a visualization, I see HaShem as the light behind the starfield of the universe. The waves of energy that seep from the stars emanating in all directions, and clinging to/supporting everything perceivable. Creeping tendrils of that energy reaching into the material, including my body and the chair and the air, with branches that are more numerous for more complex material things like life. All tendrils connecting to one another in a complex network, pulsing between each other. While my mind is limited to my branching tendrils, I am nevertheless part of this neural network and affect/am affected by each nearby component. I glow with the light. HaShem is Everything and I am part of Everything.

And here's the witchery part of this: If we are part of an immaterial neural network, we should be able to trigger effects in this neural network. Certainly I can cause the most perceivable effects with my material self (directly talk to someone to get their help), but I should also be able to cause effects if I can invoke those immaterial connections (invoking our connection so that a person feels suddenly inclined to ask me if I need help).

The closest I can perceive of immateriality, as a human, include my emotions and belief and intent and overall abstract thought. Perhaps I can better control my surroundings by engaging these most immaterial aspects of my self. Stronger connections can help me with that, and repetition (habits but also utilizing aspects of shared languages & culture) strengthens those connections. Following things that I associate with the immaterial because other people also do, the witchy-like things, may give me a better chance at successful invocation.

There's part of me that feels the universe is inevitable. The very concept of gravity dragging things in a specific direction suggests that all actions will happen along a predetermined linear path. Even if invoking the immaterial is possible and works, there remains a possibility it was also inevitable that things would happen upon my invocation. But this doesn't nudge me to quit. Because no matter the truth of the nature of the universe, I am tapping into something sacred and mysterious and worth acknowledging. I am reaching within and finding HaShem's light.

Say I do believe in this wholeheartedly, and wasn't stuck on my "secret third thing" belief. This is not at all traditional Judaism. And it may even seem an arbitrary thing for me to assign Jewish interpretation as the "correct" interpretation of That Which Existed Before The Universe As We Know It. I don't know if it's "correct." Everything is passed through humans in order to communicate such abstract concepts like this Ultimate Abstract Concept, and there are most certainly errors as we attempt to comprehend the Incomprehensible. I can't even bring myself to truly see the Torah, our most sacred document, as directly from HaShem because of all the humanness involved that is necessary for it to exist. So why continue with Judaism? Why not just start anew with these fringe thoughts?

I think it's because, at the end of the day, I'm still a human who needs home and community. And Judaism is this for me, more than fringe witchcraft alone could ever be. It is the truest monotheistic religion, it is the religion that I grew up with, and it is a set of beliefs that I can adhere to in such a way that makes me feel as though I still am doing something good and true. It feels right. I am ever-grateful to HaShem for my life, and perhaps by performing halachot, my sacred obligations, I can effectively express that feeling.

The short of it is this: Judaism gives me the strongest spiritual connection to the immaterial neural network of the universe, and invoking this immaterial through witchcraft makes me feel closest to HaShem. It gives me balance, and meaning. And through this I am fulfilled.

[the-wizard-spiderose]

And ok, if you think the difference is in whether it effects your own physical body vs the external physical world, then again, if you believe the mind/spirit isn’t physical then that distinction is mostly arbitrary because, you know. Possession. Astral travel. The afterlife.

It’s weird that the idea of the placebo effect being magic is considered near-exclusively the domain of mages who operate with the psychological model.

Like, ok, on the face of it that doesn’t sound weird, but if you believe in a mind (read: or spirit or soul or energy or consciousness, any of what’s considered mind in the philosophical mind/body sense) that’s distinct from physical matter, but you don’t believe that it counts as magic when that no physical mind has an effect on the physical body, then… what??

[the-wizard-spiderose]

It’s weird that the idea of the placebo effect being magic is considered near-exclusively the domain of mages who operate with the psychological model.

Like, ok, on the face of it that doesn’t sound weird, but if you believe in a mind (read: or spirit or soul or energy or consciousness, any of what’s considered mind in the philosophical mind/body sense) that’s distinct from physical matter, but you don’t believe that it counts as magic when that no physical mind has an effect on the physical body, then… what??