Fairly Take and Fairly Give - Voluntary Simplicity for Wiccans

The term “Voluntary Simplicity” refers to a conscious choice of lifestyle in which one focuses not on gaining more, but strives to find the threshold of “enough” in order to feel content. Sociological studies have demonstrated that for most people there is a threshold of security attained through material goods and income level at which point most individuals feel content. Raise their level of wealth even slightly above this threshold, and surprisingly, contentment gives way to anxiety, pressure, depression, doubt, and misery. A greater number of people worldwide are awakening to this concept that abundance exists in a delicate balance, and that while having too little to survive contributes to emotional stress, so does having too much!

The movement toward consciously choosing less material gain beyond a point of basic comfort is not new and can be traced back as far as ancient times when Greek philosopher Diogenes, credited as the “First Cynic,” openly rejected a life of hard work in pursuit of more “stuff” and instead, chose to live as he saw a truly free man to exist- without strings attached to the burden of material goods and the toil required to make, keep and maintain them. While not everyone would want to follow Diogenes or even more modern examples like Thoreau, seeking simplicity has become a popular way to de-clutter not just the home, but life itself.

Historical surges of simple lifestyle movements have often held some form of moral or religious connection as well: one may think of the Amish for example, shunning both the excesses of modern luxuries and also being detached from the stress brought about by email, cell phones, cars etc. For Wiccan practitioners however, the value of “voluntary simplicity” resonates just as much as for followers of monotheistic religions. In fact it is a fundamental part of Wiccan belief to strive for balance, avoid excess and live in harmony with nature rather than seeking to dominate one’s environment.

This is not to say that acquiring income, assets and material goods makes one “un-Wiccan.” There are as many different facets of the Wiccan religion as there are practitioners. However if you are looking for a way to tone down the pressures in your life, simplify your needs, and reconnect to the voice of the Goddess in nature who may have recently been drowned out by the roar of emails, faxes, summer homes, car repairs and other noises of the “rat race;” exploring Voluntary Simplicity can be a great way to reconnect with your physical, emotional, and spiritual needs- and for once, tune out the rest!

Keep It Simple

Starting small is important to any lifestyle change, especially one that runs counter to most of what our culture has promoted in the form of upward mobility. Turning off the “more” switch and finding the “enough” factor requires one to tune in to a form of intuition. As a Wiccan, you are no stranger to intuition. You look for it in perceptions, synchronicity, and sensations in the body. You seek inner guidance in dreams and mediation and you know that there is a more subtle and deeper voice than that of the never-resting ego that rules the “more” button. Breaking away from the “more” race and sitting in the contemplative silence of the present moment is an art that Wiccans no doubt engage in to support many of their ritual and spiritual practices. Why not use the same process to silence the voices of advertising, the compulsive draw to obtain and improve, upgrade and climb the ladder, settling instead into the comfort of experiencing what already surrounds you? 

Start slow: use the following steps to explore ways to incorporate Voluntary Simplicity concepts as part of your Wiccan lifestyle. There are various degrees to which people engage in the simple lifestyle and not all forms will work for you. The goal is not to undercut things you value or engage in martyrdom or self deprivation. The goal is to simplify, and to be more conscious around material and financial decisions: to “fairly take and fairly give,” a little more mindfully.  Try the following experiments to scale down your lifestyle, the Wiccan way!

Fairly Give - We all know the joy of donating no longer used goods and clothing to a worthwhile charity. Don’t save this habit for seasonal or special occasions, make it more of a habit! Set aside a box to fill with items you have not used in 6 months, or things you only think about when you see them (and still don’t use even when you think about them). Don’t panic, you don’t have to donate them for another 3 months. In that three month time if you run to the box to retrieve and use something, take it back out and put it away. If you haven’t used it in the three months, it is time to bless someone else who needs it by making a donation.

Let’s Make A Deal - Help humanity, the Earth, and yourself! Make a deal with yourself and your family that each day that you drive the car you will find something in the home to donate to a charity.  Yes it sounds extreme and that is why it is a challenge. Remind yourself that the act of driving takes a toll on yourself and the Earth, and so by donating to those in need you are balancing the scale, taking and giving, and perhaps being more conscious of your choices to drive or find alternative transportation. Still too overwhelmed by the thought of daily donations? How about aligning special days with donations such as the new and full moons, Sabbats, and other cyclical markers aligned with the Wiccan faith?

Separation Anxiety - Learn to separate the objects you hold on to from the emotions attached. Wiccans know full well that all objects carry energy, but also that energy can be summoned from a distance. It might take many tries to let go of some clutter because of fond memories attached to the objects even though they weren’t and likely wouldn’t be in use for a long time. The acknowledgment that memories and conscious thought do not disappear with the release of an object made it easier to finally let go of a significant amount of clutter.

There is a good feeling in knowing that someone in need will benefit from items held hostage by nostalgia. As Wiccans we transcend time and space barriers to practice meditation, astral travel, and Magick, therefore we can remind ourselves that we don’t need tokens of fond times to re-experience them. Some people even prefer to take a picture of the items to trigger memory and then donate the item itself. Go at your own pace. The important thing is to keep what you value but allow yourself to release what no longer serves you. This can even be done as a ritual and akin to a cleansing process. Remind yourself that by releasing what you don’t need you are opening up room for new abundance to come your way.

Induce a Black Out - Plan a day during the week and stage a black out. Turn off and unplug any items that are not essential for support of life in the home. You may choose to keep the fridge plugged in but the computers, clocks, TV’s, radios etc. must go- just for one day. You may be amazed at the level of connection you find with nature and loved ones, and the sense of recharging after a fast from the electronic world. For an added challenge, try fasting from the cell phone and iPod as well.

Air Your Clean Laundry - At 91 years old, my grandmother has never had a clothes dryer. The act of hanging laundry rather than using a dryer not only helps the Earth and preserves the clothing itself, but is also a great way to commune with the elements and interact with nature.

Take Time Out - Invest in quiet time every day. Meditating, sitting or walking in nature, all of the latter actions make it essential to unplug and to tune out the mundane world. Whether you can only spare 5 minutes or an hour, treat yourself to this luxury and you will quickly feel the difference.

Eat Your Leftovers - Open up your creative streak and make Magick in the kitchen. Americans waste a horrendous amount of food every day. This is not only bad Karma, it hurts Mother Earth. Recycling is not just for bottles and cans, but applies to reusing parts of meals that are still good for one, or even 3 days, or ideally until they are gone. Being more conscious about portions also helps avoid wasting food. There is no reason a meal has to stay the same day after day. Have fun creating new dishes and combinations using last night’s leftovers. You can even make a game out of having family and loved ones guess what’s in the stew, casserole, salad, or stir fry!

These are just some basic ideas to help scale down your life to reconnect and find serenity.  By sharing these experiments with friends you may be amazed at how your introduction to a simpler life both alleviates stress and opens up doors to explore a life of freedom, abundance and excitement!

Article by: Angela Kaufman.  Angela is a Priestess for the Dragon Warriors of Isis Coven in Upstate, New York, and the co-author of Wicca: What's the Real Deal?  She is a professional tarot reader.  For more information about Wicca: What's the Real Deal? visit http://www.wwtrd.webs.com.

The Magickal Workout

If exercise has become synonymous with torture, it is time for a fresh perspective. Why not bring the recognition of Magick and energy from your Wiccan or Pagan practice into the work out for a full body-mind-soul charge? To begin, we need to flex one of the most important parts of the body- the brain! Decide for yourself why it is important to engage in physical activity. Better health? Less stress? Endorphins? Once you have clarified the basic reasons you have been working out in the first place, it is time to extend beyond the mundane in true Witchy fashion and start to discover what more the practice of regular physical activity has to offer.

Could this half hour to hour of time dedicated to the body be a way to seek solace in your physical form, while realigning energies of your body with your intentions for the day? Why not make the work out a sacred time, free from distractions, out of reach of the demands of work, home and other obligations? What if the process of working up a sweat was also the process of cleansing the body of toxins, refreshing you cell by cell? The view of exercise begins in the brain. Extend your list of reasons to be active further now, including benefits to your mood, as well as cultivation of a specific type of energy. Now that you are closer to the zone, let’s explore other ways to make Magick at the gym!

Sacred Time for the Body

If an exercise routine has become boring it is time to reclaim the routine! Instead of a chore, consider this time - however long or short it may be- as sacred time. This is your body’s time to play! The experience of your body stretching and moving is a gift to be cherished. This is your time to let the parts of your body that have been cooped up at a desk or in mundane routines thrive and wander through movements that you don’t typically get to enjoy. This is also your uninterrupted sacred time. For your next routine of whatever length you can devote to yourself without interruption, unplug or silence the phone. Limit distractions like television. If music helps to charge you for your work out, that’s fine: set a playlist on your music player and use this and not clocks or watches to keep the boundary of time in which you will relish in movement for the sake of reinvigorating your body.

Sacred Motion for the Body

Forget bicep curls, jumping jacks, or stair climbers. These terms are boring and lack life. When you engage in lifting a weight toward you, imagine that you are pulling forth refreshing energy. Align your actions with spiritual intent and expand the meaning of the motions you are making. Your movements are sacred, filled with energy both expanding and constricting, bringing harmony and growth. Consciousness makes all the difference. When running, try to align your physical sensations of your motions with a purposeful sense of spirituality. The legs are not just repeating the same forward movement; they are carrying you through the breeze. Jumping Jacks are not a means of repeatedly pounding your feet on the floor while flinging your arms carelessly, they are an opportunity to raise energy from the Earth below you and collect energy from the sky above you, this energy being drawn in as your arms lower and collected when arms are outstretched. Explore other ways motion common in your exercise of choice draws or repels energy, and then add the factor of intent.

Visualize

As you engage in the practice of cycling, swimming, weight lifting, walking or other physical activity, visualize in this delineated time of sacred communion with the body, and what you are striving for too. It may be a mental representation of a goal, each motion bringing you closer to your dream. It may be a color or image representing the energy cultivated in your exercise. Consider the process of exercise much like the process of raising energy in a magickal circle, you are building up this energy with some kind of intent which can be as magickal or mundane as you would like.

Release and Cool Down

Don’t forget the importance of cooling down the body. This provides a transition time between your sacred motion and re-emergence into the mundane world. This is an opportune time to release the energy raised during the work out. Visualize sending out the excess energy raised to take its course toward manifesting that which you intended. It should be for positive ends at all times. Stretching will open up the body to realign and adjust, allowing for more energy to refill and replenish. Use this time to focus on refilling your system with renewed energy, intending any stagnant, negative, or residual energy having dissipated through the cleansing activity. You have allowed motion to regulate and refill your body’s energy. Don’t forget the cleansing power of water as well, and be sure to stay well hydrated even if you don’t think you need it. Remember, water is powerful and can be charged to provide another source of reinforcement to your original intention.

As always the goals of these practices are to bring connection to the body and not to cause harm to one’s self or others. If the body is giving signals that certain activities are beyond your current capacity, then activity should be modified to prevent injury. This should be a process of celebrating and joining with the body, not fighting against it.

Article by: Angela Kaufman.  Angela is a Priestess for the Dragon Warriors of Isis Coven in Upstate, New York, and the co-author of Wicca: What's the Real Deal?  She is a professional tarot reader.  For more information about Wicca: What's the Real Deal? visit http://www.wwtrd.webs.com.

The D Card – The Meaning of the Death Card in the Tarot

Tarot has gained a sinister reputation thanks to popular media conveniently manipulating certain cards to add flash and suspense to horror and mystery stories. You can already imagine the card referred to in this article, the skeleton on horseback bearing a black banner and armor, passing by the poor and powerful, all pleading for mercy but none receiving it, a sunset in the background. It is, of course, the “Death” card.  Easily mistaken for a literal death, this card has amassed the power to invoke fear in those who do not understand the purpose of Tarot and the archetypal and symbolic power of its images.

When consulting the Tarot it is not advisable to inquire about physical death. The answer serves no purpose and will be unclear anyway. Life contains a million endings none of which may be due to a physical death, and the lifespan brings a million changes before one is released from mortal binds. The Death card does not mean the end of one’s life is near. It bears a sinister energy because it represents that which most of us, if we are honest with ourselves, fear more than actual death - living through change that we have no control over.

Recall the lessons of the Hanged Man, release through acceptance and development of a new perspective. After experiencing some degree of sacrifice, loss, and stagnation, the Hanged Man becomes wiser. For all his time contemplating (after all there wasn’t much else he could do in his situation…) he emerges with a new vision and it is not likely what he would have wanted had the crisis never occurred in the first place. He is set back on his feet, but the road he must walk is no longer the carefree daredevil path of the Fool, it is a lonely and sorrowful path through transition, through Death’s domain. It is as if life has set him free to experience growth and transition, but it is far from paradise. A major change is at hand, and some endings are part of this. The Death card portends a large scale transition that redefines the self. Whether it is “good” or “bad” is irrelevant. It is happening whether you like it or not.

Growing pains accompany any transition. Adolescence brings excitement, new ways to test boundaries, and painful heartache that accompanies exploration into relationships, independence and limits. The Death card brings a similar rite of passage, an initiation into a new chapter in one’s life. One must be willing to surrender ideas, attitudes, and perhaps even important identity roles and relationships that have been outgrown and are not suitable for this transition. This tends to be a slow process of metamorphosis where we learn one stage at a time what will lie ahead and what more sacrifices and adjustments we need to make. Death brings awakening. We cannot hold on to old illusions as we walk this road and the bleak horseman is there to remind us that endings are beyond our control but give way to new motion, new growth and new connections.

Ever wonder if a butterfly misses being a caterpillar and dreads the instinctual pull toward cocoon building? Ever consider if they resist the process, mourning the loss of so many legs and the security of life without wings? Likely we simply see the final product as so graceful and beautiful that one would never think that a butterfly would grieve its new shape and abilities and miss its previous identity. Yet here we are, facing the Death card and without the security of knowing we will emerge with greater abilities, gifts, and growth than we started out with, we cling to what we have known, begging the horseman to pass us by with minimal “damage.”  Death is here to remind us that change brings new opportunities and that by letting go and accepting the transition we can embrace our new beginnings with the grace of the butterfly.

Article by: Angela Kaufman.  Angela is a Priestess for the Dragon Warriors of Isis Coven in Upstate, New York, and the co-author of Wicca: What's the Real Deal?  She is a professional tarot reader.  For more information about Wicca: What's the Real Deal? visit http://www.wwtrd.webs.com.

Rope with a View- The Hanged Man

A journey through the early Major Arcana cards brings us face to face with Magicians, Priestesses, wise guides and teachers. We experience limitations within large systems and the freedom of the open road. We find the support of powerful leaders and loving, nurturing guides sympathetic with our cause and concerned for our well being. We journey forward, maturing with each lesson encountered and gradually the challenges become more sophisticated. We must share, maintain boundaries, keep our cool in the face of danger, and have faith that justice in the universe will eventually prevail. Our sense of integrity is challenged, as is the concept of our capabilities and limits. With each lesson we find ourselves able to prevail, to initiate change, to make choices and to come out triumphant, learning and making gains each step of the way. Then it happens…

We thought we knew bad times, feeling invincible in the face of dilemmas overcome one by one. It was only a warm up. The greater tests still remain. The Hanged Man reminds us of this.  Having to choose between the lesser of several evils is hard enough, but when the Hanged Man appears, it may feel as though choice itself is no longer even a factor. The Hanged Man is suspended from a tree by a rope tied around one ankle. From his outstretched leg he dangles, bound and powerless, while his other leg bends at the knee, foot tucked into the knee of his straight leg like an upside down “4”.  He is without mobility. The carefree stride of the Fool is stripped from him. In the midst of this dilemma his face betrays no panic, but rather appears serene and contemplative. A halo crowns his head. It is as if the Fool has decided to take advantage of his situation by absorbing as much of the unusual view as he can - and being content with this for the time being. Indeed, he makes it look so easy!

Assuming most people no longer are under threat of hanging we may wonder what type of situation in modern life could parallel that of this unfortunate man. Is he being punished for a crime or as a traitor? In that case, we may assume, he is deserving of his fate! Have enemies conspired against the Fool so that he can be hung out to dry as a scapegoat? Perhaps then, he is an undeserving victim. The key to the Hanged Man’s situation is powerlessness, the lack of mobility and lack of ability to effect change to one’s surroundings. This is not for lack of trying.

The Hanged Man represents a significant event that leaves one in a state of inertia and inability. In modern day this can be likened to being physically limited suddenly by an illness or injury, or a prolonged experience of life being “on hold” in spite of any effort you may take to initiate change again. Make no mistake, this is not a matter of the bus being late or not having the money to buy the mansion of your dreams and being stuck with a mere four bedroom house. This is a condition in which one is experiencing sacrifice, an intense experience of futility, an obstacle or burden that one will carry for a period of time.

The situation surrounding the Hanged Man is not one that bends to our previous logic and lessons. Working harder will not loosen the ropes, in fact it may intensify the pain. Begging, pleading, bargaining, and putting forth more effort will also not prove advantageous now. It may seem like all is lost, but rest assured that is not the case. After all, we still have 9 more cards to go! So what does the universe want from us? Why are we being tortured, punished, or even abandoned?

Liberation for the Hanged Man will come, but it will be an inside job first. Our feelings of betrayal, anger at the Powers that Be, or loss of hope in the world is part of the internal prison that would exist even if a passerby kindly cut the ropes and released the Hanged Man from his tree. The events precipitating this difficult time stand to strengthen us, from the inside out. We are forced to accept external situations beyond our control and not to our liking. We are forced to find new meaning, new definitions. In a sense, “being hung upside down” forces us to consider a new view of the world not accessible to us before. We are forced to take a new perspective. Just like Odin, we are forced to learn a new vocabulary, develop new insight into the world through the loss of many of our previous senses. As Odin was suspended from the World Tree, sacrificing an eye but given the wisdom of the Runes, we are compelled to stretch our strength, limit our control, accept our situation and gain a greater, deeper understanding through sacrifice. When contentment and acceptance have been found through this new understanding, we will be released.

Article by: Angela Kaufman.  Angela is a Priestess for the Dragon Warriors of Isis Coven in Upstate, New York, and the co-author of Wicca: What's the Real Deal?  She is a professional tarot reader.  For more information about Wicca: What's the Real Deal? visit http://www.wwtrd.webs.com.

Divine Justice

The Tarot card often numbered 11 is the Justice card. It typically portrays a female figure, blindfolded and holding a scale in one hand, a sword in the other.  This card holds great significance in the spiritual and mundane world. While most Major Arcana cards reverberate powerfully through the individual’s life sending significant messages pertaining to growth and development, the Justice card does this and more. It holds a microscope over the life of the querent and cautions that not only are spiritual matters unraveling to produce powerful Karmic feedback, but these lessons are also playing out in mundane life at this time. It is likely the querent will deal with matters of justice, legal issues and consequences of various sorts in their daily life as a means to echo the larger spiritual message carried by this card.

So what are the ramifications of Justice on the grand scale? Justice portends returns. These can be good or bad depending on what the querent has been cultivating karmically and spiritually. This card should serve as a warning to remember basic spiritual principles surrounding consequential thinking and if all else fails, should summon the great lessons inherent in Murphy’s Law - if something can go wrong, it will. This is not a card of doom and gloom per se, but it reminds one to not cut corners, even if “everyone else” seems to be getting away with it. Justice bears a reminder that we are never truly in a situation where “no one is looking” that we have a higher authority of one form or another to answer to, even if that authority is none other than the chain of events our actions set into motion. The Justice card appears to remind the querent of their integrity and not to compromise this at any cost. To do so now would ensure retribution on a large scale. This is not the time to park where you are not authorized, speed, or “borrow” office supplies for personal use, no matter how clever your ego can be in justifying why you are entitled to bend the rules. The Justice card is a reminder that there is a grand balance in the universe even when this may not appear to be the case.

When involved in a conflict with another, the Justice card warns one to play fair, and if need be, fight fair. Even if it appears that others are gaining an advantage by cheating. It will all be brought into balance, Justice reaffirms, but may require patience. This card can be difficult for people to grasp because it entails forms of justice beyond what human beings are used to expecting to see enforced in the mundane. When we feel slighted or wronged we expect instant results, many times in the form of monetary compensation or punishment of the offender. When we do not see these results, or worse, when we see punishment doled out that does not seem to “fit the crime,” it can be easy to lose faith and question the purpose in doing the right thing in the first place. This card is beckoning one to expand the understanding of justice to more than the “tit for tat” bargaining that occurs in court rooms.

The Justice card asks you to expand your faith and understanding beyond the mundane and remember that Justice is not executed solely by mankind, but exists in the balancing act performed in nature and the universe that brings harmony on a much larger level. This can be frustrating, as we all would love to be the fly on the wall when our adversary gets their just deserts. We may not get the pleasure however, and must have faith that our actions bring the returns we deserve, as do the actions of others. When this card appears it is a reminder to uphold one’s own truth and integrity even if it means waiting for the slowly cultivated spiritual balance brought about by Karma rather than instant gratification one may desire through vigilante measures. It is possible you will be called to account for your actions whether in a court, police station, or through some type of authority in the workplace, family or community. It is also a portend of being involved in conflicts or legal issues whose resolution will be much more advantageous as long as you ensure you are not bending or breaking the rules yourself. If you have acted outside of your highest ethics, use this time to amend the situation in a way that is appropriate. Come clean with others, act to balance the scales and amend broken trust. If it is not possible to directly “fix” the situation, learn from it and take efforts to promote positive and help to others where you are able.

Likewise if it seems that you have lost out in a conflict or situation that was not resolved to your immediate liking, take heart, you will likely find positive returns you could not have planned or anticipated coming your way from a higher authority than the mundane court and government systems. Strive to be open to the return of your positive actions in whatever form they may take. Avoid feeling like the victim at this time as to do so may limit otherwise benevolent gains that are blessings in disguise.

Article by: Angela Kaufman.  Angela is a Priestess for the Dragon Warriors of Isis Coven in Upstate, New York, and the co-author of Wicca: What's the Real Deal?  She is a professional tarot reader.  For more information about Wicca: What's the Real Deal? visit http://www.wwtrd.webs.com.

Spinning with The Wheel of Fortune

Of the twenty-two Major Arcana Tarot cards, the Wheel of Fortune is one of the more exciting and suspenseful cards. The images typically depict a wheel strewn with characters or figures in various forms of conquest and stages of evolution or regression. In some traditional decks the phrases “I will reign,” “I reign,” or “I have reigned” also accompany this image. The Wheel of Fortune represents the presence of fate and circumstances beyond prediction.  Obviously someone consulting the Tarot wants to know the nature of future events. To draw the Wheel of Fortune can portend luck and fortune itself, but often leaves one with an air of suspense and anticipation. The meaning of the Wheel carries a bit of a contradiction in concepts. Things are afoot that will reroute your destiny, alter your fate and change the course or your plans. Do not get too rigid in your own expectations, for what you get will be what you could never have anticipated. There is nothing like a dose of “expect what you least expect” to make one’s brain hurt and heart race.

The Wheel of Fortune is a card beckoning one to open up to more spontaneous occurrences. “’You will be taken care of” Lady Fortune reassures, “Just not according to the plans YOU designed,” she adds, perhaps with a smirk. This card signifies new beginnings, a ripe time for change, and a strong likelihood that what comes your way will be an array of doors opening, new opportunities knocking, and blessings landing at your feet. What could be wrong with that? Nothing, as long as you are not so busy tied to your carefully crafted and well controlled plans for the future that you fail to go with these changes and be open to the flow of new possibilities. There is a required compromise here. You will find luck and opportunities for success coming your way but they will not be the dreams you thought you were chasing. They may also not be the roads you thought you would take to get to your destination.

When the Wheel of Fortune appears in a layout, Fate has a greater plan. The Powers That Be are lining you up for success, but in order to get there you must surrender to a bit of a rollercoaster ride. It is as if you were planning a vacation to a moderately nice hotel and along the way were caught up in anticipating every minute of your trip being spent in accordance with what the brochures, websites and advertisements promise will be a fun filled time. When you arrive however, a mistake has been made, your room is not available, and just as your visions of recreation are shattered you are offered an even better room, at an even better price. Doors have been opened up that you could not have planned for and if you are able to get past the fact that your well laid plans have been disrupted - you might have a far better time than you originally planned!  When the Wheel of Fortune presents itself things are shaken: those who had power or had power from a role or status they held, may find themselves having to seek status and identity elsewhere. The Wheel turns, and what used to define success will now change.

Largely this remains a promising card. The biggest precaution to consider when this card appears is how tightly you may be holding on to your own definition of yourself, your success and your value. Are you holding on to one vision and one dream so tightly that you cease to allow new blessings to enter your life? If so, the transition brought by the Wheel of Fortune may be difficult to adjust to; regardless of whether you are ready or not, surrendering to changes around you will ultimately work in your favor. After all it is the Wheel of Fortune, not the Wheel of Crushed Dreams!

Article by: Angela Kaufman.  Angela is a Priestess for the Dragon Warriors of Isis Coven in Upstate, New York, and the co-author of Wicca: What's the Real Deal?  She is a professional tarot reader.  For more information about Wicca: What's the Real Deal? visit http://www.wwtrd.webs.com.

The Hermit-Illuminated by Inner Light

The Hermit is a mysterious figure in the Major Arcana of the Tarot. He is weathered and wise and has walked a solitary path free from the binds of social constraint and opinion. He has mastered the strength to forge his own road and does not rely on the opinions of others. He is not void of interaction however. In fact, the Hermit holds a lantern to light the way for any who choose to seek his guidance. He does not seek out students but rather patiently awaits those who would join him in search of the road not often traveled.

The Hermit stands on a precipice on a desolate snowy mountain. He looks down where the light from his lantern illuminates a path to be taken by those willing to climb to his ascended but lonely heights. His message brings an invitation to turn within one’s self and likewise turn away from the noise found in the external world. He awaits those who would learn mysteries not often recognized by the mainstream and signals a spiritual if not solitary journey. He also harkens the need to detach from the crowd or more importantly, from the influences of the crowd. Your path, he suggests, lies outside of what those close to you may envision for you. This suggests that it is time to recognize that your pursuits will be taking you down an uncommon path, and that your solutions are not to be too heavily influenced by the mainstream, for their answers will not solve your problems, your situation has become unique and you strive for an original resolution that is spiritually satisfying regardless of the risks involved.

This card also marks a time of learning great valuable lessons. The Hermit is a passive teacher. He is ready to bestow wisdom on others but requires the majority of the effort to be made by his students in the classroom of daily life. The Hermit suggests a time of meeting influential gurus and role models of an unconventional nature and of choosing to follow minority examples rather than majority opinions. It is time to disconnect from mundane chatter and busy work and dig deeper within to align your actions and attitudes with your most spiritual aspirations regardless of short term losses. This card appears to suggest a deeper truth and more integral road awaits you but requires some searching and decision to forego popular opinion to develop in ways that are more spiritually nourishing. This is a great time to take up meditation, monitor your dreams, and become aware of life’s unlikely teachers. It is also a time of evaluating priorities for their value in your highest evolution vs. the service of that which others want for you more than you may desire for yourself. Asking yourself “whose ambitions am I serving?” and reflecting on what and who you are following are key questions when the Hermit appears.

This card also carries a reassuring message to those who have felt abandoned or alone. In solitude there is opportunity for the development of wisdom. Without the distractions and commotion of outside influences one can begin to hear their inner guidance. With a solitary path one has the freedom to adapt and choose what is in their best interest, with guidance that speaks to their truest ambitions. In this sense being alone ceases to be a reason for distress and becomes a temporary phase promoting growth and evolution.

Article by: Angela Kaufman.  Angela is a Priestess for the Dragon Warriors of Isis Coven in Upstate, New York, and the co-author of Wicca: What's the Real Deal?  She is a professional tarot reader.  For more information about Wicca: What's the Real Deal? visit http://www.wwtrd.webs.com.

Strength and the Greatest Weapon

The Major Arcana of the Tarot outlines archetypes experienced by mankind for centuries, depicting both the joyful moments of our lives and also the trials we face in our quest for purpose. Among the first card in the Major Arcana to signify the more challenging aspects of our collective experience is the Strength card. This card traditionally shows a virtuous youth suppressing or appeasing a lion, typically with a gesture that involves the figure’s hand being inside of or covering the lion’s mouth. This is a posture that depicts a very dangerous situation in which one would expect disastrous results. There is an air of calm in this card. The lion in the scene acquiesces to the gentle prompts of the youth and although the beast has the instinct and ability to do tremendous damage - it does not.

This is the lesson of the strength card. Who is the observer? Both the youth and the lion exist within you. Both the power to subdue aggression and win through logic and poise, as well as the ability to maul one’s enemy exist in each of us. This card presents to remind us that we have the capability to flex our physical muscle in aggressive or intimidating ways, but perhaps should reconsider doing so. This card also signifies situations in which one’s strength of will is put to the test. How much aggravation can you stand before the lure of letting your lion run free and teach your opponent a lesson becomes too much to subdue? The answer, Strength tells us, is that you can tolerate a lot more than you believed yourself capable of, and to prove it you are given this situation as a test, and as a gift. It is your opportunity to choose a higher road and to wield your greatest weapon - the control of your mind - to positive effect.

This is the card of beating the odds, of outwitting your opponent, of stamina and endurance. Of course this implies a struggle or conflict of some sort otherwise there would be no need to summon one’s strength and reinforce one’s ability to win through reason and logic. In spite of the conflict at hand, it is presented through this card that the challenge will be overcome but it is essential to not allow base instinct to over-ride rationality. This is easier said than done. The tests one encounters, particularly when security, survival, or the safety of loved ones are at stake, produce a natural drive to act out of primal instinct. In fact matters perceived as threatening are not even processed through the logical, developed part of the brain in the frontal cortex.  Stimuli perceived as threatening is immediately sent to the primitive part of the brain where alert signals are sent all through the body in order to respond in survival mode. Therefore biology has placed an obstacle in the way of acting on the more refined expectations of modern day society. Regardless of this disadvantage in our wiring, the truth remains that most situations are not as dire as they initially appear, and even the significant conflicts present opportunities for development and transcendence if we choose to allow ourselves to restrain impulse reactions and allow our deeper strengths to emerge.

Who then is the true King of the Forest? The lion able to tolerate encounters with a human, or the lion who acts only out of initial instinct? When Strength appears it is time to examine your strengths and assets and the proof that you have always found a way to thrive in spite of your surroundings.

Article by: Angela Kaufman.  Angela is a Priestess for the Dragon Warriors of Isis Coven in Upstate, New York, and the co-author of Wicca: What's the Real Deal?  She is a professional tarot reader.  For more information about Wicca: What's the Real Deal? visit http://www.wwtrd.webs.com.

Revenge and Magick

Anger can work like a drug. It intoxicates as it compels one to obsess on how they have been wronged, and how glorious it would be to execute revenge on those who are perceived to be the source of the injustice. It is said that anger is a shield, typically hiding fear. When we perceive we have been wronged it is easy to imagine cultivating the perfect revenge. What happens when a practitioner of Magick becomes angry and begins to imagine the perfect revenge? Unlike “keying” someone’s car, students of Magick know full well that they have a resource literally at their fingertips which mundane authorities may never connect to them. It becomes tempting to want to unleash anger through Magick with the goal of revenge.

This is where spiritual and Magickal ethics become paramount. If one has absolutely no spiritual ethics or code of conduct this becomes concerning, as this is the equivalent to anarchy in the spirit realm and is beyond the scope of this article.  Assuming that there is a core desire to live in harmony with others, to not act in destructive ways, and to promote spiritual growth and development, we can explore how impulsive reactions prompted by fantasies of revenge and harmful Magick can actually sabotage one’s spiritual growth and cause more damage than good in the long run.

The belief that all life is energy and that energy remains attached to living and nonliving things for at least some time is the basis of most Magickal practices. It therefore makes sense that thoughts, imagination and words carry a subtle energy as well. When this energy is of a more primal nature and is fueled by anger, jealousy, or resentment, it carries a vibration that is synchronized with these states. These states naturally are temporary emotions, but nurturing these states can lead to an increase in the energy given to the emotion. One begins to cultivate a garden of anger, possibly even hatred. Even fantasizing about revenge and punishment to those who seem to have done you wrong breeds an increase in this energy. Suddenly, the fixation on these people, events, and the emotional states that one associates with them, results in a narrow focus, a mission to seek revenge or spread the anger and hurt to others. The energy accompanying these thoughts and feelings is not healing. It does not refresh or rejuvenate. In fact it may be heavy, oppressive, bitter, leaving one feeling hollow and resulting in despair and the reinforcement of a “victim” role.

To direct one’s mental, spiritual or physical energies toward seeking revenge through Magick would therefore intensify the energy that contributes to a great deal of the pain one is already experiencing. Compare this to someone who is unhappy to be covered in mud, but digs deeper and deeper into the mud puddle to find a source of water with which to clean themselves. The process becomes counterproductive. This is before one even considers Karma or beliefs about retribution and return. This is solely looking at the quality of energy one exudes by becoming too immersed in reminiscing about their loss or grief and seeking revenge as the solution.

Now as to the consequences of using Magick for revenge or to harm, even when one feels justified; many practitioners of Magick operate with some code of beliefs regarding actions and consequences. In our modern societies we mistake natural consequences with value judgments. We have developed such elaborate systems of justice - often based more on illusions of righting wrongs than on realities of bringing order and maintaining peace, that we forget the core concept of consequences.  When a choice is made, it sets into motion a progression of next steps. If one spends the rent money on a vacation, then one faces eviction. It is an objective process made only moral or subjective by one’s human interpretation. If one feels a sense of entitlement to a vacation regardless of other obligations, then one may feel a personalized sense of attack at being evicted for not having the rent money. It is not a matter of one choice or another being “good” or “bad.” It is merely a matter of one choice leading to one act followed by an outcome. Bring this concept back to Magick, if one expends energy, the vital life force, on negative, angry, hostile causes, then one will have little energy left for creating growth, healing and positive. Likewise, the energy spent on the negative will also breed more negative, in the long run creating an abundance of raging anger and resentment with very little inner peace to serve as a buffer or to refill a depleted system. Perhaps this is why many simplify this process by acknowledging that the type of energy one “puts out” is the type they will “get back” usually at a greater intensity. Well, it is only natural, is it not? If I have a potato garden and a pepper garden and I tend to the peppers to a greater extent, I will logically have more peppers than potatoes! The same goes for the type of energy one cultivates through focus and intention. 

Potential consequences of not heeding this conventional wisdom and pursuing revenge through Magick can be disastrous.  By breathing life into powerful negative emotions, one potentially sets the stage for the return of such emotions in force. This return of negative energy not only has the potential to harm the practitioner, but to also bleed into other relationships or goals which one holds dear. This happens on both an energy and mundane level. By focusing on the negative one fails to cultivate much else therefore mundane blessings and opportunities are missed or vanquished. In a spiritual sense, the use of Magick to bring harm to another even out of revenge, returns the quality of the energy to the sender. In the end choices remain; however, one must remember that in battle if one chooses to throw flaming sticks at an opponent, expect to become burnt as well. By and large one must ask; “Is it worth it?”

Anger and pain can serve as great teachers and motivators and it is not suggested that they not be used to influence Magickal working that can have the outcome of personal growth and transcendence of obstacles. If a painful situation brings anger and resentment, but these emotions are dealt with on a human level, but inspire one to use Magick to enhance one’s own healing process, bring greater understanding, or help achieve growth from crisis, then the energies have been channeled to bring benefit rather than harm. It is also not uncommon for some practitioners to appeal to higher spiritual manifestations of Justice, be it Goddesses such as Ma’at or Gods such as Jupiter, to allow the Deities to intervene as they will. This can be helpful because it allows a sense of connection to the Divine to foster the security of knowing one can let go of the need to control or “fix” the situation and allow higher forces in the universe to take charge. It also allows one to regain perspective on their personal role in the universe as part of a greater framework.

Article by: Angela Kaufman.  Angela is a Priestess for the Dragon Warriors of Isis Coven in Upstate, New York, and the co-author of Wicca: What's the Real Deal?  She is a professional tarot reader.  For more information about Wicca: What's the Real Deal? visit http://www.wwtrd.webs.com.