Category: Spells & Potions


Ask Black Witch

Filed under: Ask Black Witch, Spells & Potions — 2 Comments
February 25, 2011

“Just read your entry. VERY interesting. love your sense of humor. How do u come up with spells? How do u know they will work?”

– Daé (via Afro-Punk)

I come up with spells depending on the situation, what I want out of it and what feels right to obtain it. I don’t use spell books because they’re not personal to me but I know I can make something because I already know how to create a spell.

Spells do have a way of showing they have or have not worked but not always in the solid manner that everyone is fairly accustomed to. For example, if you charge your cell phone, you know when it is fully charged because there’s at least one indicator (light, the battery symbol changes or move, etc) to let you know that the phone is currently charging, about to die or finished charging, otherwise it would all be a surprise or potentially unfortunate guesswork. Magick is a bit more subtle than that since you’re modifying already existent energy to bend to your favor. A good way to find out is if the situation turned out as close to your desired result as possible and to continually analyze the situation to make sure that it was magick and not simply going through the motions that brought about change. In my experience, it’s usually the more unlikely the string of events or improbable the outcome, the more likely it was magick.

This is a pretty big question often gotten when it comes to practicing witchery so there will be a column for it in the future for certain.

Now, what’s this whole Fandom and the Fan thing that I’ve been going on about? It’s my first ever Black Witch series exploring fandom primarily within the music business. It’s not entirely as it seems. Fans are important to the industry but not all are the same and how much of the love to the musician is created by the fan or just persuasions of the industry? And is the musician really as big as they live or what percentage is smoke and mirrors with a little hype?

All this and more will be explored in Fandom and the Fan, with the help of a friend of mine, Angela, a radio dj who really knows her stuff when it comes to the industry. The whole series will run throughout March every Friday, everything from the columns to the installments will circulate around this subject. I’m making an aim and effort to run a series every March that may or may not be related to being Black or Pagan (okay, this one won’t but the next two will, mainly Blackness). However, because I waited so long to get out my three initial series (Fandom and the Fan was written in August, Black Witch started in June), there’s going to be three series squeezed in between March 2011 and March 2012, starting with Fandom and the Fan.

As for the installments, they will be modified as I have mentioned above. The Arts will be a surprise (even to me too, seems like ideas are constantly happening) but Ask Black Witch will be modified for the series. That means if you have any questions about fandom and the music industry, they’ll be greatly appreciated. If you ask any Black Witch questions, they’ll be answered too but mainly if there’s not enough Fandom and the Fan questions to answer. Otherwise it may have to wait ‘til April’s Ask Black Witch.

See you in March! (Oh, and have you checked out the Lupe Fiasco Lasers giveaway that I’m currently holding? Win a free copy of Lasers on Black Witch.)

Nota Bene: Sorry for the short notice but I’ll be in NYC on Sunday for the free Lupe Fiasco concert. Gonna be there? Lemme know!

Comment

Love Potion No.9

Filed under: AfroPunk/The Establishment, Divination, Pagan Life, Relationships and Dating, Spells & Potions — Leave a comment
February 11, 2011

The Establishment (Afro-Punk) Version

Ah, oui, l’amour. Such a wonderful thing love is. Whether you get it from your kitty, your fish, your kids or your loved ones, love is a pretty nice thing. The world would probably be a happier place if the nasty people in it got a hug once in a while (some of them, preferably from a strait jacket). Everyone wants it and works hard to get it: go to the gyms, ask advice columnists what went wrong, wonder what that special gal or guy is like and will they ever meet The One.

Valentine’s Day is a day to show that love or it just stands out as Single Awareness Day where you want to shoot down all the heart shaped balloons, ship Cupid to a war zone and be the Grinch that hates Valentine’s. A lovely – albeit incredibly commercialized – holiday, it’s a day that everyone is a little more dreamy – or miserable.

How do Witches and Pagans celebrate Valentine’s Day? Meh, just like everyone else. Either we’re happy in love or sneering at those who are. While we cherish or suffer, we just get more people asking us if there’s any way they could get a love reading or even spell to see what their luck’s like in the world of hearts and cuddles. Ugh, walking reminders of whether you’re dating or not.

Love readings are sometimes a pain to do but mainly because they have a high chance of opening a can of worms (I learned that the hard way). Everyone, me included, wanna get the details on the who, how, when and where of the one person they are bound to spend the rest of their life with. Divination being such a fickle thing when it comes to love, it can be easy to be unsatisfied with what you get. It may not be the right time to know about who you’re going to end up with, you could wind up missing your chance by avidly looking for it, you may learn that it’s going to be a pretty long ways off before meeting anyone worthwhile. Having a particular idea of what kind of person you want (not always the kind of person that will work well with you) and then learning about your true love can prove vexing.

Before I go on, I would like to clarify that I believe true love is different from soul mate. A true love is someone who you are bound to spend your life with as a love partner for the rest of your life that you live and grow with in sync whereas a soul mate is just that, a mate for your soul to advance itself. That can be anything from a stray cat to the one co-worker that seems to always get you to the best friend you have.  Since I believe in reincarnation (a lot of Pagans believe in reincarnation but not all do), I believe that a true love is constant throughout the lives you live but it’s not a promise that you’ll meet them in every life because not every life has the goal or room for the pursuit of true love. Plus, it may not be right or the perfect time for them themselves to meet you.

Continuing on, I used to do this reading I would call the “true love” spread. In reality it was not one spread but a series and I used to do them for anyone that would ask. I didn’t really think much of it because, hey, everyone wants to know when that special someone is coming, why not? Yeah there was the chance that the person could find out that there’s no one for them this life but, hey, they asked. I have faith that my divination is pretty on point (I’m very rarely wrong) so I didn’t see much wrong with it. I would do a yes/no spread just to get it out of the way, a signification  spread to find out what kind of person the guy or girl will be and then a spread for the timing.

Y’know, it seemed not so bad at first – until people got really antsy about these readings. You see, when I first started doing divination for others, I thought that I would get a plethora of divination requests from jobs to life to love to general questions. I would set up my tarot spread request page on Mystic Wicks and wait for the diverse requests to come sliding in. What did I get? A bunch of love spread requests. Does so-and-so like me? Should I stay with this one guy who totally doesn’t make me happy but buys me lots of stuff? Will this random guy I keep seeing in the gym and I have a future together though I haven’t even said hi to him yet? All these love spread requests and they were my least favorite requests because I’m not really super lovey dovey and some, if not a lot, of the questions were a bit no-brainers. I guess I fell into creating my own love spread series because I wanted to kinda shut these people up in the first round if I needed it. I would of course do the spread they asked (I have a series of questions to ask when I do spreads just to get most of the trouble out of the way first) but if they would press on, hey! Why not do the true love spread! I would get it out the way and the end result would be a happy (or unhappy) person. I was in my late teens and impatience is a visible personality trait of mine so that didn’t bug me in the least bit. I didn’t do it super often though, plenty people were happy with the readings they got, not often did I need to go further. The True Love spread mainly came from trial and error instead of a perfectly polished product from the start.

The problem with love readings (spells and pretty much anything to do with matters of the heart ) is that people are very fixed on finding The One and have pretty idealistic views about who that person is supposed to be. If it isn’t what they imagined, something must be amiss or if there isn’t one at all, someone is not happy because let’s face it, everyone wants to be loved by someone. That means if they know someone who can give them the details (or close enough details), the requester sticks to the diviner like glue. That’s no fun. Consistent contacts, asking for a new reading every few days or couple of weeks, etc etc. That’s one reason why I don’t do True Love Spreads anymore, I like my breathing room and my inbox not flooding full with people who think I’m a genie or something.

Then I got kicked in the derriere myself with these readings. I always said I would never want one or get one but I guess I got wrapped up in doing so many love readings, I thought I should do one myself. Extremely long story very short, that was a total doozy and an experience I never want to relive. Like I said, I was impatient so I made all the mistakes that folks who asked me for love readings made: did my cards over and over again, wonder way too much what kind of guy my true love would be, where would I meet him and when. It got me into a lot of trouble, embarrassment, agony and serious heartache stretched over a few years that I really could have avoided. It was a Pandora’s Box – one of the biggest reasons of all why I don’t do the readings anymore. I got to sit in the recipient’s seat and saw it really was a nasty piece of work to be thrown in.

As for spells – if readings were tricky, spells certainly are. They’re one of the few kinds of spells that get a solid “Don’t Do It” from practically everyone in the Witch and Pagan community. No one minds spells casted for self-love or to heal from a break-up, not many find issue with casting a spell just to get a nice date for Saturday night but just about every Witch, Pagan and Wiccan I have met are staunchly against the stereotypical “make him/her come back to me” love spells. Why? It plants itself firmly in the field of manipulation, a big no-no regardless who you talk to.

Any Witch with sense wouldn’t do so but the average person doesn’t always see the harm. I just had to talk to someone who wanted to cast a spell to bring their ex-boyfriend back. There’s even a search term someone used to find my blog “I want a spiritual witch doctor to bring back my ex-boyfriend.” I believe I joked on Twitter in response, “Bring back an ex-boyfriend from the dead or bring him back into a dead relationship?” because while I understand how grave it must be to the inquirer, it’s a little silly and concerning to me. The reason being is that if the relationship is dead, it’s dead. There’s always a possibly for a relationship to bounce back but not for everyone. To cast a spell to make a lover come back even if they don’t want to and much rather move on is the exact equivalent of being an controlling spouse that will physically, emotionally and/or psychologically bar someone from leaving the relationship, no matter how much that tired partner wants to. A little Witchy rule of thumb: if it’s wrong through mundane means, it’s probably (read: 98%, leaving room for potential exceptions) wrong through magickal means. The same goes for casting spells on people that you like and want to make them love you back. Love has to happen on its own, not when you pretty much zombie someone’s will. That’s not love, that’s really scary.

Love is a beautiful thing but it can just as easily drive someone up and down the wall frustrated with the idea that in a world of six billion plus people, there’s got to be their perfect match out there…right? It sometimes seems like a sporting event for the gods: how many times can you bark up the wrong tree/date the wrong person/have enough broken hearts before you say “Forget it?” and become a spinster or hold out hope as long as you can ’til you find the right one who will make your heart sing – and for how long? It isn’t fair and no one is really alone in the matter, the idea of finding true love is a timeless topic. If only there was simply one database that everyone in the world could subscribe themselves to and find eternal matches that way, maybe lots of people would be happier. Finding love is important but what I think is often lost is the idea that the perfect person should be perfect for you and your quirks and shortcomings. Someone to grow and consistently modify yourself with and vice versa. I believe many forget that relationships are supposed to be balanced somehow and not in the 60/40 or 90/10 or 100/0 or 150/-50 way because that’s not a good relationship but one doomed to fail because both sides can’t grow together and possibly not individually either. No one is perfect so it would be foolish to assume that the perfect person that comes into your life will be too. It just means they’ll be perfect for you: know just the right way to work your nerves to finally clean up after yourself or know exactly how to piss you off in less than a minute over absolutely nothing – but also know how to make you happy and feel like all the time you spent on them is totally worthwhile. Relationships aren’t perfect, just like the people in them. All anyone can do is be honest, meet people, figure out what works versus what doesn’t and hope that someday you may have someone to spend the rest of your life with.

But if you need love that bad, visit your local animal shelter and adopt. You’re not the only one who wants to be loved.

Next week: The Arts! Who will be featuring:
– Savage Love
– Shihan
– Museum of Black Superheroes/Black Comic Book Convention

Don’t forget to send in Ask Black Witch questions! You know how to get them in: email, tweet, fill out the Ask Black Witch submission form, ask on the Black Witch fan page or simply comment.

Now, in case anyone is wondering why I don’t have up any special posts for Black History month, my answer is fairly simple: There’s no need. To explain for those who are probably making a frown or a look of horror, I feel that albeit Black History Month is something indeed important to highlight the multitudes of greatness for the Black race, I don’t believe that the expression of Blackness should ever reside in one month but all year round, Black is forever. I already am Black, I mean – even the column’s name is titled Black Witch, I shouldn’t have to necessarily dig out anything incredibly Black for the month of February when it already has a high likelihood of getting posted up here anyways because of that very fact, this is a Black blog after all. For this very reason, that is why there isn’t a special Black history month column up here on Black Witch. There’s a whole year and the rest of time to dedicate to the pursuit, successes and tribulations of the worldwide Black race. However, if there is someone special that you, my readers, want me to highlight or even consider, let me know.

There will be a series dedicated to not exactly or not only Black history but also modern day Black culture and society in March 2012 called “Comin’ Straight Outta Your Monolith”. The month-long series will discuss what it is and isn’t to be Black, the narrowness of the Black monolith and mainly the outsides of the Black monolith such as Blacks who are into cybergoth or simply those who do not want to become a stereotype. In addition, there will be a series in September 2011 titled “Black Diamonds and Pearls” which highlights Black girls (and guys) in Lolita fashion. These two are very exciting for me because these series allow me and others (a main feature of my series is that there will be guest writers and other voices besides my own) to examine the different sides of Black culture, Blackness, how do we perceive it, what are the flaws in our current perceptions, how we validate or don’t validate particular ideas of Blackness and what is it truly to be Black. This is why I’m not putting up anything particular for Black history month; we have all year ‘round.

Comment

Can You Keep A Secret?

Filed under: AfroPunk/The Establishment, Divination, Pagan Life, Spells & Potions — Leave a comment
December 10, 2010

The Establishment (AfroPunk) Version

For any Witch, diviner or psychic that decides to do some social good, the ethics of confidentiality is always a big subject. Who do you tell, how much do you tell and how big of a mouth do you have are all important questions when it come to reading or performing spells for others. I can’t really talk about other Pagans because we can have such varying views but the general consensus is usually keep it personal and private unless in an emergency. I couldn’t agree more.

I have been doing divination for others since 2004, basically since I was 16. I’ve had countless requests, questions and reactions to my readings. Many were positive, some were bad, very few were wrong (I’ll talk about getting a reading wrong in future columns). I’ve helped out countless people with their lives and try to make sure they only will need me once. One reading to set them on the right track and not need coming back, I feel this should be the aim of all diviners. Often people would worry, especially when I inform them that I keep all natal chart data stored in my laptop and card spread interpretations in a handmade booklet (that Saul Williams signed, omigosh!), that their lives will be spread to unknown ears out and about. I have to consistently console many a person I’ve read for (I hate using the term “client” because I don’t treat my divination like a business…somewhat) that I don’t use their lives as my mini joke book and whatever comes up in a reading remains between us, emergencies being the only exception.

One reason I don’t talk about spreads and readings I have done in the past is, frankly, I simply don’t care enough to remember. I’ve done well over a hundred readings – I don’t even know who was the hundredth read or when it was – there’s no way that little snippet of your life story is going to intrigue me enough to tell others after my day or my job is done, they’re rather few and far in between. Have problems in your love life? You’re not the only one. Family issues? Plenty others out there just like you. Social issues? There’s a reason Facebook and Twitter are big hits. I have rarely came across readings that stood out to me so much they stick with me, there’s a reason why I keep a book full of spreads about. I won’t go, “Oh! You’re so-and-so with the boyfriend issue! How’s he doing?” if I run into that person again. If it was a short period ago I did a reading then yes, I’ll remember without much help but go a little longer than two weeks and you will have to jog my memory. The more diviners will do readings, the more they will forget them, hence why I tell plenty new diviners to carry around a booklet to write their readings in or they will forget. While it may be a blow to my querent’s ego to inform them this, it probably gives them some assurance that their business won’t be front page news somehow. If I do remember anything from readings, it’s how people have acted and reacted. I can tell you plenty of readings I’ve done for people who were eerily quiet, incredibly egotistical, unnecessarily religious (if you’re that, please let me get a taco, okonomiyaki, mochi or something first before you begin your diatribe  so I’ll be well fed while you convince yourself that you’re not betraying your God’s trust and forcing me to listen to it) but I can’t for the life of me remember what their readings were. I once read for some guy that had an ego that could probably best Kanye West, I forgot what I said but he was pretty quiet and humble at the end of the reading. Otherwise, just about everyone has the same reaction, sit and listen attentively.

I’ve never casted a spell for someone. I feel that if it is your life you want change in, it has to be your energy to be put in motion, not mine. The part I rather play is fairly instrumental, I rather be the informant telling what you’ll need, what you need to do and why. (The why is always important, gives the action more meaning than just “you’re lighting a candle and talking over it, the end.”) In addition, I usually make the querent perform the spell because I have learned the hard way that if you do the dirty work for others, they’ll always keep coming back mumbling out a new request. The average person is pretty spooked out to do any form of witchcraft so refusing to do the legwork for them means that person won’t do it much.

I will advise and oversee spell construction (the what you’re supposed to do and how) but only if the querent needs a spell. Mundane options have to be sought first, spells are last resorts so when approached with a spell request, I sit the querent down and pick their brain. I’m just making sure the person has a legit reason for spell casting (i.e. really terrible run of bad luck) and not using magick as an excuse for leg work or a “get out of jail” free card. I don’t make people fall in love, I won’t kill or hex anybody and the inquirer simply can’t keep coming back to me just because I let them try one spell. I’ve only had one jinx removal request and that was an adventure and a half…and one I rather not have again. Many times people won’t get the spellwork because they simply don’t need it. Upset you lost a job and wanna get back at the boss? America is going through a sucky economy, you’re not the only one. Wanna get that cute boy’s/girl’s attention and maybe a date? Have you tried talking to them? Works fairly okay. Poor health? What did the doctor say? (And did you go to the doctor at all?) Most spell requests can be solved with mundane measures, I don’t even often cast spells myself and I’m a practicing witch.

Even when someone does manage to get their hands on some magick, it’s never much, usually. I rather suggest simple things that are easy to do like prayer or affirmations. If anything beyond that is needed, then I craft a simple, cheap, one-time use ritual designed strictly for the inquirer that takes less than an hour to do and fairly discreet. The reason is often times the person doesn’t know a single thing about magick so it wouldn’t make a bit of sense to throw complicated works into the mix where there is a higher margin of error. Everyone knows basic first aid such as putting on a bandaid but not everyone knows how to stitch shut an open wound. Same thing with magick. I don’t want to weird the person out either so I keep it simple. It’s only if I’m getting spell requests from other Witches do I make the constructions more complex because I’m aware they know what they’re doing and they’ve taken all the steps they could prior to solve the problem. Witches and normal people combined, however, I barely get five spell requests a year, even lesser become actual spell constructions – if any at all.

I keep spells and divination under wraps for several reasons. The most prominent (but seemingly least obvious for those who I have helped) reason is I simply don’t care. Everything always looks scarier when standing in the center of the storm but to me, an outsider and seasoned diviner, it’s really not that noteworthy. I recommend that perspective towards divination and spell casting as well for other diviners, psychics and Witches because it’s less burden on the heart. To overly worry and care as if you know every person personally is going to wear very quickly because people are people and people are different. Some do need saving, some have to save themselves, and some simply can’t be saved or don’t want to be saved, just flail in the water for attention. The last two are the biggest reasons to be easygoing about readings because it is not the diviner’s or witch’s job to save that person, only help them. If they wanna continue screwing up even though they know there’s a brick wall ahead, let them. If they wanna keep coming back because they know someone is paying them the slightest bit of attention to their self-made drama, don’t feed into it and remain professional. No diviner or witch has an S on their chest so they don’t have to save anyone, just guide. I have had to tell many that, I’m not here to solve their problems, just let them know what they are and the potential solutions. I only get involved further if the person is possibly suicidal or making any other terrible mistakes. There, I make sure the querent has open venues to receive help and inform loved ones if at all possible. It’s not my job to save anyone but it would be against my ethics to simply let them destroy themselves.

Another reason I keep readings under wraps is because of the stigma that divination and witchcraft still has. Tell someone you’ve seen a diviner or witch and prepare to get odd looks. Either people will think you have lost your mind, become very desperate or up to no good. Then there’s religious implications that I simply won’t go into because they’re quite complex depending on the religion and I don’t always quite understand myself. Either way, I don’t announce to a crowded room, “Hey, Mr. so-and-so! I finally did your natal chart! Did you know you have a lot of placements that spell out divorce and failed relationships? I think it might have stemmed from your dad.” Whether the person I’m reading for believes in what I’m doing or not (not like that makes the reading any more accurate or not), embarrassing information is embarrassing information. Often I am telling sensitive information and if I wouldn’t want my business out there, why would anyone else? This is why I never publicize readings I have done for others, no one needs to know but the person I am reading for.

Regardless of what method of help is being sought, it is important to keep everything confidential. How can the querent trust their reader or Witch if they’re loose at the lips? Plus it can cause very unsavory rumors anyone would like to avoid. No matter how interesting someone’s life or problem may be, it should never be the subject of idle gossip or terrible stories. Confidential mean the inquirer can have confidence in the reader or Witch involved but that means the Witch/reader has to be able to keep a secret, which won’t feel like secrets after a while.

Hey hey, everyone! Black Witch is doing a bit of traveling! AfroPunk is having a Christmas Party in NYC on Dec 16th and I’ll be there! Come see me! I’ll also be milling about in Koreatown for a bit before I have to head down to Webster’s Hall where the event is. As usual, you’ll be able to keep track of me on my twitter (@thisblackwitch) and if you’re in the area and wanna hang out, let me know! And don’t forget to submit questions for Ask Black Witch! It’s coming up!

Comment

I Put a Spell on You – Nah

Filed under: Pagan Life, Spells & Potions — Leave a comment
August 13, 2010

Remember that episode on “Everyone Hates Chris” where the dad Julius thought the family had a jinx put on them because his wife Rochelle mentioned of an upset hair salon customer that didn’t like her hair color? I love that episode because of all the silly things that happened. Things like what Julius had his kids doing to avoid the “bad juju” when really they had a bad case of the flu and how overdone the Caribbean chick was. There were so many candles in the Rock’s home they could have replaced the heating and the lighting bill together! And what was up with that chicken? That was one funny episode but I think the humor for me is that I’m on the other side of the crystal ball. I have seen people flip out aplenty like that and my god is it funny but also a little concerning because these people actually believe the nonsense they do will work. I was just watching the episode going “Bull…bull…that’s bull too…just call a doctor, man!”

The voodoo shop…I don’t think I have ever been in a spot like that and I have been in many metaphysical shops since I was 16. I’ve only been in Maryland metaphysical shops but I have this hankering feeling Brooklyn doesn’t have it this overdone either. I know I wouldn’t have stayed there, too dark and ghastly. And guess what? At the end of the episode, you found out this Caribbean chick was a sham. But in real life, she still would have had someone fooled.

Oh, the memories that episode brought. People have ran to me or called me, swearing up and down someone put a bad fix on them when really it was just life being life. Yes, jinxes and curses are indeed real but the likelihood of getting one? Chances only get slimmer and slimmer the more industrialized the nation and the higher the socio-economic ladder you go. Oddly enough, that little piece of logic never really stops anyone from pestering me either online or offline because they’re worry someone jinxed them. What I find more amazing is that I’m an actual Witch who does know other witches and I’m fine but normal people who know just about no one besides myself who owns a spellbook are the ones claiming to be jinxed. Supernatural hypocondria, I guess?

When someone tells me they believe they’ve been jinxed, what follows up as a close second is they tell me whatever pseudo-voodoo they have been practicing. To sum this up the best I can, it’s like a firefighter having a friend tell them that they’ve figured the best remedy for an oil fire is to dump lots of  water on it. (In case you slept through science class, this is possibly one of the worst ways to fight an oil fire because water and oil doesn’t mix, it would just spread the fire since the oil – which is on fire, mind you – is sitting on top of the water. Either use a fire extinguisher or suffocate the flames somehow.) Generally I would laugh because the things people come up with are really funny – like jumping on one foot with a tube sock tied around your neck at noon for a week to remove bad luck – but when I find these people are dead serious…well that concerns me.

Dear readers, as I have said before, the more industrialized the nation and the higher the socio-economic ladder you go, the less likely you will find a folk curse. Instead, it could be a run of bad luck. It’s a cold world out there, misfortune does happen to even the best of us. It doesn’t take a curse to lose a job, have a bad relationship, a terrible day or a sucky life. Bad things happen on their own, whether we want them to or not. Spells are mostly used for counteracting life’s curveballs but not always the cause of them. Everyone has issues, remember that.

To cure life’s problems, even I don’t always turn to spells. Any good book on Witchcraft and Paganism will tell you that spells ought to be your last option, mundane options first. That’s right, I have to solve my problems the normal way just like everyone else before breaking out the herbs and stones. I wasn’t casting spells my whole life so that doesn’t bother me, often my problems don’t need an incantation to solve it. A witch is not judged by the number of spells she (or he) casts but by how they act. This isn’t Harry Potter or Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. I’ll talk more about spellcasting at another time but know that it is not necessary to solve all of life’s problems. It’s super useful but not a cure-all.

As hilarious as I do find the average person’s lack of real magickal knowledge enable to determine that what has been hounding them is not a nasty fix but life itself and the straight-from-tv methods that they use, it does make me wonder how much the average non-Pagan person believe the movie magic that they see so much. The supernatural is quite a tricky thing to pin down but even at the slight mention of being exposed to it, imaginations go off like nitro rockets – and into the wrong direction. Here’s some pointers:

Use your logic.
I love this strip so much, it’s from a Pagan comic called “Oh My Gods”.

Y’know why I love that strip (besides the webcomic being hilarious overall)? Because that’s what I deal with most when it comes to people asking me about magick. I wonder the exact same thing: Is logic the first thing you throw out of the window in attempt to fix a problem? Use your head about your situation. Think a jinx made you lose your job? Ask yourself: How has the economy been doing? What’s your job and how is it valued in that economy (i.e. work with technology, plumbing or typewriter repair)? Do you work for a company? How has been your workplace behavior? If you’ve been on your best behavior but lost a job still and the economy sucks, it could be the economy. No jinx involved…unless you count former president George W. Bush as a jinx. Please use your head and understand that lighting a candle and saying a poorly crafted rhyme will not get your job/significant other/money/whatever back or even thoroughly combat your “curse”. Just understand that sometimes bad luck does occur, it’s how you deal with the bad luck that determines how bad it gets … and trying to choke a chicken in sacrifice doesn’t count as “dealing with it”. 

It could be all in your head.
You are now aware that a friend of yours is a Witch or a Pagan. You think all of a sudden because you dreamt of fishes and then choked on your soda that morning you might be cursed since you have a magickal friend and thus life has become more…uh, magickal. Ah ha – no. Before you knock down your friend’s door and vex them for months on end, question yourself why would dreaming of fishes and choking on your soda thereafter have any significant meaning? I believe in coincidences too but there is such thing as reading way too much into something. A dream of fishes could have various harmless connotations but choking on your soda just means you probably should drink it more slowly next time.

Voodoo is not a cure-all.
Thank you bad television, lame movies, brain-dead producers and hack writers that are fresh outta ideas. Wanna demonstrate magick at its most devious? Mention voodoo. I like the idea of throwin’ some voodoo on it when doing the Tightrope (with the funkiest horn section in Metropolis, of course) but please know that actual voodoo – also known as Voudon – isn’t wholly evil and shouldn’t be the first thing to seek out if you think you’ve been cursed, regardless of your religion. Voudon is an actual tradition passed down mostly orally and is the fusion of Christianity with African religious traditions. It really is a wonderful culture and amazing to study in my opinion. Yes, there are poppets and there is some needle sticking but that’s not all of Voodoo and definintely not always used for evil so unlearn that, will you? Voudon also differs depending on region so Haitian Voudon is different from New Orleans Voudon because of background. With the use of African deities and saints in a total fusion, it would be difficult to practice decent Voudon without guidance from a Maman Loa or a Papa Loa around because, remember, a lot of this is oral tradition. There’s an amazing history behind Voudon, it is not some poor deus ex machina. You shouldn’t believe everything you see on tv anyways.

If the person is creepy, that doesn’t mean they’re a Witch. Just creepy.
It is near astonishing how many, “I thought they were a witch!” I have heard because the person accused doesn’t follow societal norms or are very creepy. Makes me feel pretty bad about myself, really. I can be odd but I don’t think I’m very creepy. Meanies. I have met maaaaaany creepy people in my life, way more than I care to admit but I can assure creepy does not equal witchy. Creepy equals creepy. Witches and Pagans can be anyone from the mailman to the deli owner. In other words, we’re normal functioning people.

Have some faith.
“If you reach a dead end trail, pray to God, it never fails.” – K-OS

I always liked K-OS, he’s got a terrific point here. Not a Witch? Then why do magick? A lot of work and practice goes into doing magick correctly and it certainly isn’t good to dabble at all. Contrary to popular belief, Witches and Pagans do work with deities and chances are we can or have worked with yours. Witches are not atheist outliers of religion so you may as well cut to the chase and have more faith. If your religion suggests prayer for your problems then pray. Even Pagans and Witches pray, you ought to do the same. Besides, all spells are – in my opinion – are fancy prayers usually. The divine is supposed to be considered most powerful and thus most useful for any curdled situation, use them. And if you don’t believe in a god, rely on what you should have already – yourself. Spells are my way of communicating to the divine above just like someone saying a normal prayer but that doesn’t mean it is a suitable practice for everyone nor is it an insta-fixer for life little mishaps. Have some faith in yourself and your beliefs and go with that.

It really is uncommon for a person in a well-off nation to be the recipient of a curse, remember that. If life is being unbearable, know that will happen from time to time. It doesn’t mean you’re jinxed, it’s just life. And if someone walks around saying they’ve put a fix on you, chances are they probably didn’t, especially if they’re super overdramatic about it. It’s not normal to announce spells because some believe the effectivness would be reduced (i.e. you now know you have something to counter) and others believe that some things shouldn’t be shouted from rooftops. I’m more of the latter but either way, usually lips are kept zipped. This column is the start of the “Spells & Potions” Category! However, don’t think I’ll be posting spells here. This is a column and while I know what I’m doing, I can’t say the same for everyone else.

So soon? The Arts is next week! Second round of the installment posts, I hope y’all like the last ones! As always I am very excited to do The Arts! This month will feature:

– Nastassia Davis
– Japanese Cartoon
– Artscape ’10 (late, I know)

And after The Arts is Ask a Witch! Remember to send in your questions, I want to do six this month but next month will be the normal postings of three a month. Say it in the comments below or use the form but send in your questions! Wanna email them to me? That’s okay too, thisblackwitch@hotmail.com. Remember, if you have Twitter, follow me and my 140 character randomness: @thisblackwitch.

EDITOR’S NOTE: A mistake was made in the post “Baby, the Stars Shine Bright”. It was Isis Valentino, not Nastassia Davis whom I met with Kellindo back in May. Appropriate changes has been made. Ms. Davis will still be featured in next week The Arts! My apologies for this incredible oversight, thank you Kellindo for informing me.

EDIT: Misspellings of “Voudon” were cringeworthy. Sorry it was caught late but now corrected! And I renamed the category from “Spells and Spellworking” to “Spells & Potions”

Comment