Why Ambition is a Witch's Greatest Weapon

Author: Quill / Labels: , ,

"A fellow spellcaster--how wonderful!  I'd love to hear about what you do."


I've just met a witch and I'm so excited I could boil over!  I've got a million questions but do my best to stay reasonable on the outside.  Even after all these years, I still get a barely-repressible thrill at meeting someone who might understand one of the most essential and resonating parts of my life, someone who could get me.

"Oh, ya know, I've done some spells and stuff, and one time I went to this open circle..."


Okay, to be quite honest, this is a terrible start.  But I'm hopeful.


"Yeah?  That's great.  What did you think of the circle?"


I don't go to open circles, and would enjoy hearing about personal impressions, so this could be a great topic!

"It was okay.  My friend Alice and I went in college so I don't remember a lot.  But I'm doing a lot of my own stuff these days, so it's no big deal."


Alright.  Fine.  No talking about that, I guess.  But it could still turn around; creativity is totally my thing.  Lets talk about it!

"Your own stuff?  Like what--writing, art, a coven?"


"Um, like, I make up spells sometimes.  I don't really like books and groups and stuff."


"Oh."


Next.




This raises so many questions.  Do people just not consider ahead of time how to describe their magical selves in the event they meet another caster?  Is it shyness that makes them downplay their experiences to a detrimental--not to mention boring--degree?  Is this a bluff to keep weirdos like me from finding out their secrets?

This example is far from unique and represents a sad gap in our community.  I try, I really do, but if I'm going to keep up with any witch they're going to need one thing above all else: ambition.  A shot of this to the occultist's vein and you have a dynamo, no matter what they end up doing with it.




Without Ambition, What is Life?

We're here for more that just muddling through another work week.  This goes double for witches.  Why bother delving into the great sprawling world of magic if you're not going to use a map but instead ramble around at your leisure?  Are you on a 70 some-odd-year holiday, or are you living an adventure?

Sometimes I leave things open to your own interpretation, but not here.  This is not a "should" situation, it's a "must."  You simply must endeavor to do something with the time, talents, and resources available to you.   


Knowing What you Want is Next Door to Getting It

Start today.  Start now.  If you don't know what you're good at or what you'd really like to do with the talents you are already familiar with, get out a notebook and start writing.  Figure yourself out.  What haven't you tried but would enjoy?  What did you love about magic when you first began?  What other parts of your life can be tied into magic but haven't been yet?  

Witches are traditionally knowledgeable, not only about the world but also about themselves and about human behavior in general.  You walk in illustrious footsteps when you seek out to learn what makes your particular skill set perfect for the life you might lead.  To refuse this opportunity is to close the door on splendor and inner (and possibly outer) riches that have been set aside for you alone.


If Your Goals in Life are Meager, Quit Magic Now.  It's Not for You.

A beer on Saturday night.  Being able to get the latest gen. iPhone.  Don't get fired before your car's paid off.  These are small ideas for small people.  Occultists aren't small; they can't be.  The job is so massive that it requires a massive personality with equally broad desires.  Let them unfurl, don't be afraid!  You're supposed to expand!  If you have dreams that start a fire in your every time you think about them, take up the wand and cauldron.  

All Your Ambitions Have Magical Importance

Not only do spells get the things we want in life, they also teach us that we can have whatever it is week seek.  Our wishes matter and have potential.  

Spells help us to improve our inner world by rearranging and experimenting with the outer world.  Will more money make you a better person?  Will you really be happier if you have a romantic partner in your life?  Will your problems actually end if you finally move out of your current home?  Let's find out!

After each trial, each change, improvement, and mistake, we learn something new about ourselves.  We respond and grow and adapt.  Magic gives us an amazing ability to evolve at an accelerated pace.


And You Know Who is Afraid of This?  Everyone Else.

Socrates taught us that the unexamined life is not worth living.  It's been my experience, however, that it's also fountainhead of a lot of fear and that leads to anger, aggression, jealousy, pain, and confusion.  People who don't know themselves and who aren't working toward a goal are often defense and short-tempered with those who are.

Happily, none of that touches the path you're on.  People like that can't harm your goals--they're not even within reach of themselves--so they are no threat.  Just keep going; you've got someplace to be.

  
Images from:
stagandserpent.com


  

Witch Tips: Formulas--Happiness Powder

Author: Quill / Labels: ,

Back in the "good old days" of my early twenties, when my husband and I were first married and living poor but happy, we ran with a very different crowd than we do now.  In fact, most of them were characters straight out of a comic book.

The tall, bookish guy in a trench coat with long hair and a wicked grin who had at least one hand over his face in every photograph.

The piggish grease-monkey whose limited vocabulary was full of made up words.

The all-day drunk with a good heart but terrible life choices.

And then there was the stocky scrapper who was fiercely proud of a European heritage that I'm pretty sure no one actually believed was real and had probably never done anything legal if he could help it.

He was probably the most common visitor to our house in those days and definitely a memorable part of many adventures.  This is only important to know because he figured prominently in my strongest memory of the formula I'm about to give you,  Happiness Powder.

As an open and proud spellcaster, I often had bundles of herbs drying in the kitchen, spell candles burning on an obvious altar in the living room, and various other magical items sitting in plain view around the house.  The night I made my first jar of Happiness Powder, I left it on the coffee table before putting it away.  When our guest came in and sat, he excitedly poured out a line and sniffed it because coke was the only "happiness powder" in his vocabulary.

Needless to say, I don't recommend this!  But, he was okay after that, though maybe not as happy as he had hoped.  Like I said, strange times and strange people.

The proper way to use Cunningham's powder is to sprinkle it around your environment, on people who could use cheering up, as an added ingredient in mojo bags, or use it to dust spell candles.


Happiness Powder

2 pts. Lavender
1 pt. Catnip
1 pt. Marjoram

Quick Link--Surprising Facts about the Magical, Terrible Middle Ages

Author: Quill / Labels:



7 Weird and Wonderful Medieval Facts 


It's such a shame what little credit most people give our predecessors, especially the further removed they are from the current era.  This is painfully true of the age of so much of our occult traditions, the Medieval Period.

Though we still had a long ways to go in terms of social and political issues, there was a lot more than we realize that was inspiring and inspired in the middle ages.  Enjoy this quick list for starters.

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