Practical Witchery!, John Stormm [ap literature book list txt] 📗

an absolute wonder when served with a dollop of vanilla ice cream thrown in. We used to call these “Faery Floats”. Our local woods were kind of special that way and it was our custom to leave out a saucer full for the faeries, or even spill a little on the hearth. Danu takes care of all her children and we are all related.

The Wisdom of Diety

 

In my previous chapters, I've been throwing around the name of "Danu" as our "Mother Earth/Nature/Mother Goddess". I've shared a picture of the ancient idol, that was known to represent Her among my people, since Paleolithic times.  Historically speaking:  She is where the Danube River and Valley got its ancient name.  But exactly who and what is She?  She is a created being, a bit higher up the hierarchy of the cosmos from us.  A living, breathing, self aware, self regulating Entity created to nurture us all.  But how do we relate to that?

In the ranks of our witch clan, definitions tend to move more towards specifics than the vague. Spells go beyond mystical mumbo- jumbo, into to something that a wise witch or wizard can work with. We are intended to learn from everything around us, seen and unseen. So, in this treatise, we will explore a specific definition for “wisdom”, for which our craft and titles are named after.

Wisdom - noun - the profitable and beneficial application of knowledge.

It’s been said, time and again, that going to college can make you smart, but cannot make you wise. Examine this to deduce that in college, we go to fill our minds with knowledge about our chosen fields of study. It might be something like nuclear physics, where we may take that knowledge in order to build a more destructive nuclear warhead. But since you only have this single planet to live on, is it wise to destroy the air, land and water you and your descendants will require to survive? In a word: NO! But suppose you were to take that knowledge, to develop a clean, and inexpensive energy source, or to make advances in radiation therapies for the curing of cancer? By definition, here is wisdom.

Long before New Age and modern Wicca, wisdom has always been an identifying trait to witches, druids and wizards through out history. I remember stories of my great grandmother’s time, back in Union City, PA, and taking care of mining injuries and such, by applying moldy bread poultices, directly to wounds (the kind of molds that led to the discovery of penicillin in later years). Often this kind of “magick”, that wound up in the annals of personal grimoires, were years ahead of their time to the average “muggles” of the day.  These were a matter of long studies and observations, by dedicated healers and wisely applied to those in their care for the betterment of the community, in so many ways. A healthy miner could return to work and support his family. A benefit to one and all in the community.

Let’s take a bigger and more generic look at witches and nature, with an eye to making wise use of natural forces in ways to benefit their communities. Wind is a natural force that is present whether we want it to be or not. We cannot stop it from blowing. We can create structures capable of keeping the strongest winds out, or structures the wind will move. There’s the knowledge. Let’s look into the wisdom of using that knowledge.

A Danaan or Gaian witch utilizes their knowledge of natural forces for the benefit of all we serve.  Many of us have been to Grace’s sanctuary (a Gaian witch), and saw the windmill that powers her lights and fences to protect her livestock. High up on that windswept hill, that propeller harnesses the energy from those prevailing winds and puts them to good use. Very “witchy”, Grace!

Likewise, knowing that the prevailing wind is in a certain direction, we can use it in sails to transport ourselves and our cargo, to a desired destination to multiple forms of profit. We also know that if it storms in a contrary direction or of sufficient force, *not* to risk ourselves to such a trip, and to wait out the forces, that we are not capable of withstanding.  This is also good wisdom.

Herein is yet another of the mystical truths enveloping historical witchery. One who understands the forces of nature, can harness the wind and fly on its very wings. A force once considered too great for the common man to understand. History is always rife with stories of people who feared divine retribution, when others took liberties with such things. It’s never been easy for witches. But let’s move this essay from the natural to the “supernatural”, and study the witch’s concepts of such things. I put it in quotes because I believe such entities are entirely “natural”, and merely on a greater scale than what is considered “human”.  Because it is not human, doesn’t make it any less or more “natural”. In any witch’s or cleric’s world view, humans have never been the top of the proverbial food chain. Our next step in this progression is “deity”.  When we speak of "diety" with a small "d", or a god or goddess, we are not speaking of the ultimate Creator of ALL spirits.  As pagans, we are merely speaking of lesser entities, and yet greater than ourselves, in their proper contexts.  Respect, where respect is due, and custom to where custom is due, as even the Biblical, New Testament adages goes.  In fact, it was written specifically with First Century genitles (pagans), in mind.  It's no wonder that so many of them, decided to follow Yeshua.  He never left them out in his teachings, as is often the case today, in modern Christianity.

Whomever and however you view deity, as a witch you are facing yet another force, or influence, in the grander scheme of things. Many witches and pagans today pick our patron or matron deities, as if they were choosing a T-shirt in a department store. Also there is the preponderance of spell books, insisting that we call upon this one or that one, to bring us our desires, as though they’ve been waiting all eternity, for us to give them something to do. Without, at least *some* sort of working relationship with the entities in question, there is not much, that we can reasonably expect to get from them, by merely asking in whatever language, the books insist that they prefer hearing. They’re “gods” not idiots, which defines them as smarter, and yet higher orders of beings than mere humans.

As with nature, it is up to us to observe where ever possible, to find the true nature these entities, and use this knowledge wisely in our dealings with them. Let’s face it: a lot of that knowledge is going to come from books, and hopefully enough of them, to give you a wider picture, and a little more confirmation of traits than merely the whims of a singular lunatic, heretic or what-have-you. What is this entity's defining trait? Mercy? Wisdom? Martial science? Love? Murder or lying? If you hope to strike up some kind of beneficial relationship, as with anyone else, you must understand whom you are dealing with, and what to expect when you come calling.

Much like determining which way that the wind is blowing, and how hard, we must determine this entity’s agenda, and what it will take to advance, or even hinder that agenda. The prophets of old would call that “knowing the will of God”. If you are going to ask for something contrary to that agenda, you can likely expect an answer in the negative, and a lowering of the esteem, or out-and-out contempt, that this individual may choose to hold you in. That is NOT a wise choice! Contrarily, if your plans are in line with theirs, and your request will advance their agenda, you may find yourself riding the crest of a mighty wave. I can tell you from my own experience, that this is one of the more heady moments, that you will ever be privileged to know. Sometimes, you need a miracle, and this is one of the better means for obtaining one.

I really don’t like anthropomorphizing deity, as they are *not* human, and some less so than others. But mainstream humanity, seems to want to treat them like vending machines. They pump in some cash, punch a button, and expect that it’s going to give them instant gratification, without a single thought to its own plans in the matter. It doesn’t matter if we are talking about Christians or any variety of pagans here.  It is the prevailing attitude with unwise believers everywhere. Try to think of what you would think of a person, who ONLY calls you, when they want you to do something for them. They insist they are your friend, but they never really ever want to help YOU, they just want you to help THEM, and then get conveniently out of their way afterwards, so they can enjoy the rewards.

Of course, then if their home burns down, they expect to move in with you for the rest of eternity, or until you build them their very own mansion (whichever comes first). It sounds ridiculous here, but this is precisely what people everywhere seem to expect, and they deem this a perfectly reasonable religious outlook. Do you suppose they might be missing some key points somewhere?

This is where a witch earns their title of “wise one”. We look. We learn. We apply what we’ve learned and we grow from it. If you are going to call yourself a follower, disciple, or friend of ANYONE, you need to know them first. You need to be comfortable with their agenda and you need to commit at least a fair part of your life yoked with them in their work and utilize that same yoke to get some of your own work done too. This is a more reasonable expectation: a relationship as opposed to a “religion”. I’ve been keeping this essay very generic, in keeping with the numerous belief systems embraced here. This applies to anybody’s belief system. For those put off by religious Christianity, I offer this piece of information:

As much as the common populace never seem to learn, in reading any Scriptures on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ:  Any and ALL references to the religious crowd or establishment, of his day were derogatory at best. He knew they weren’t going to be won over with the facts, so he went to the sinners in the streets, and they took his meaning straight away, while the religious establishment, made all of the arrangements for the crucifixion. When someone asked him what to do with their money, he asked them whose picture was on it, and then instructed them to give to Ceasar the things that belong to him, and to give to God the things that belong to him. He didn't take a collection!  *HUMANS* want and need your money. Gods and goddesses don’t. What they WANT, are souls that are