The Witch's Pyramid: Discipline and Silence

I can't seem to recall the last time I heard the Witch's Pyramid being referenced online, if I ever did.  Yet, for many, the Witch's Pyramid remains a cornerstone of their faith, a model for every spell, every ethical scenario, and as a way of life.  For those who don't know, the pyramid goes like this:

To

Know

To Will

To Dare

To Keep Silent

All four pillars are related to one of each of the four elements.  To know, which some interpret as "acquiring the basic information," but which I think is better ascribed to every situation a witch encounters to know when to act or withdraw, is associated with air.  To will is associated with fire, and obviously it is just that: the desire to manifest change, to truly want something.  To dare is associated with water, and it is the impetus to action, putting both knowledge and will to work.  Finally, to keep silent is associated with the element of earth, and, surprisingly, I think it is the corner of the pyramid that most witches today forget.

What does it mean, besides the obvious, to "keep silent"?  In spellcraft, some witches believe that speaking about the spell will nullify it.  Is this what it means to keep silent?  Or what about the Burning Times, when covens had to maintain secrecy above all else?  Does "keeping silent" mean not ratting out your co-worker because she requested Samhain off before you got the chance? 

Well, yes and no.

Keeping silent involves all of those things, but it also involves something else: keeping your goddamn trap shut no matter how much you want to vomit words and useless information over everyone you come across.  The Witch's Pyramid is ultimately about discipline.  It teaches you to assess a situation TO KNOW when you are needed and when you are not.  If there is some worthwhile action you could take, the Pyramid teaches you to look within yourself, to see if your WILL is in accordance with this knowledge.  Just because you could choose to act, does not mean that you desire to.  To make a difficult ethical choice requires a great amount of discipline.  The Pyramid teaches you TO DARE, to try, if your brain and heart can agree.  "To dare" implies a certain amount of risk along with action; to force yourself to take a risk is also an act of discipline.

And if it all goes off without a hitch?

The Pyramid teaches us TO KEEP SILENT, not to brag.  Even if it doesn't go off quite as you intended, the Pyramid still councils the witch to keep her disappointments close to her heart.  Leaving cryptic facebook messages begging for attention is the act of a child, not a witch.  Some might not agree with me when I say that there is a certain amount of decorum involved in being a witch, and that's fine.  However, it is indisputable that there is a lot of DISCIPLINE involved in being a witch.  There is no pastor to call you when you have missed services, no one to nag you about duty or obligation (in most cases).  It's just you.  And if you can't keep from sharing that latest bathroom selfie because OMG LOOK AT THIS PIMPLE than your pyramid might be a bit precarious.  Just sayin'.

3 Reasons Why Wiccans Aren't Taken Seriously (And Why This Isn't a Bad Thing)

The intent of this article is not to offend.  It is simply a matter of course that Wiccans--and Pagans in general--are not taken seriously by mainstream culture.  I've touched on this a few times in the past, but I intend to really explore this issue with this post.  With that said, here we go!

1.  No one knows what we actually believe.

In general, people are not educated about Paganism and Wicca.  This is not helped by the fact that many people practice their own brand or tradition of Wicca.  In the past, there might have been more resistance in the form of devil-worshipping accusations (at least, every intro to Wicca book feels the need to discount this claim), but nowadays, most Wiccans are met with confusion and the question, "So, what do you--you know--actually believe?"  And worse, it's hard to come up with an answer that is all-inclusive.  There is no short summary that explains all of us.

Why this isn't bad:

What we have is a great diversity of beliefs, and we still manage to get on pretty well!  There is very little antagonism between different groups of pagans, at least not compared to say, Protestants and Catholics.  And, because of the nature of our religion, we can openly swap (and adopt) different ideas.  This results in a very personalized faith, something that I think is easier to hold close than one that is "one size fits all."

2.  Most Wiccans are young people.

According to a recent survey that I conducted on Wiccan demographics, about 47% of people who responded were under 24 years old.  There are probably a couple of reasons for this: Wicca naturally attracts young people because it is, admittedly, a somewhat fanciful religion.  It also represents pretty much the opposite of Christianity, making it attractive to young people seeking rebellion from their parents' religion.  There are probably less "older" Wiccans because, unfortunately, some of the young people who become Wiccan choose not to stick with it.

Why this isn't bad:

Talk to any established church and they will tell you that young people are the lifeblood of the congregation.  Young people bring vitality and new ideas to any path they choose to walk.  Wicca has changed because of its young adherents, for better or for worse.  However, because of these young people, Wicca continues to grow and--more importantly--continues to be relevant to today's culture, something many churches cannot say truthfully.

3.  Wiccans believe in magick and spells.

I mentioned this before when I said that Wicca is naturally a more fanciful religion.  For many Wiccans, magick and spellwork are important parts of their spiritual practice.  Outsiders may not understand the terms, or believe that we are being silly by incorporating intricate rituals into our practice.  Largely, I think this is a misunderstanding on the part of the outsider, who stereotypes Wiccans as impractical or even delusional because they do not understand the difference between Wiccans and witches they see depicted in mainstream media.

Why this isn't bad:

When you get right down to it, there is very little difference between magick, spells, rituals, and praying.  That is to say, in reality, the difference between an esbat and a Catholic mass is really only the setting.  (That is over-simplifying things a tad, but you get the point.)  And what is a spell besides a prayer with props?  If anyone tries to make you feel silly about casting spells or believing in magick, remind them that this is basically the basis of all religion.  Warning: this won't work on atheists.  They think we're all collectively dumb.

Stay tuned for Part 2!

Saya vs SJWs: Part 1

If you haven't seen this photo montage yet, you probably don't frequent the same dark corners of reddit and tumblr that I do.  Congratulations!

In any case, the idea of cultural appropriation and paganism has been somewhat relevant on the 'net these past few weeks, and it's something that I've wanted to address before, but it's hard for me to come down on one side of the argument.  On the one hand, picking and choosing from different traditions and religions is kind of unethical, especially if the tradition from which one is cherry-picking is unknown to you.  Note: I did not say that it is unethical if it is foreign (as in culturally or ethnically) to you, only that if the tidbit you have claimed as your own is something you saw off-handedly in a witch's encyclopedia and it "seemed kind of cool" so you took it.  Kaatryn MacMorgan-Douglas does a good job of addressing the difference in her book The Ethical Eclectic, which I highly recommend.

The other angle from which cultural appropriation is relevant to paganism is what is seen above: aspects of paganism that (most) pagans hold sacred are being appropriated into popular culture by people who do not know (or care) about their significance to a minority group (us).  One such example is the pentagram, which has spiritual significance to a great many pagans of varying paths and traditions, and which is also regarded by mainstream culture as "bad" or even demonic.  While the majority of pagans might be able to brush this off as simple ignorance, others get incredibly butthurt about it.  There is kind of an overlap between pagans and SJWs (Social Justice Warriors, a pejorative term described by urban dictionary as "an individual who repeatedly and vehemently engages in arguments on social justice on the Internet, often in a shallow or not well-thought-out way, for the purpose of raising their own personal reputation. A social justice warrior, or SJW, does not necessarily strongly believe all that they say, or even care about the groups they are fighting on behalf of. They typically repeat points from whoever is the most popular blogger or commenter of the moment, hoping that they will 'get SJ points' and become popular in return. They are very sure to adopt stances that are 'correct' in their social circle").

So, you might say, what's the issue?  Isn't it offensive when the culture at large appropriates our spirituality?  To answer that, I say, the ignorance is annoying, maybe even offensive, but is it really causing us harm?  Some would say that, yes, it does.  It gives people the idea that all pagans are devil-worshippers and so on.  There is a certain truth to that, but my experience has been different.  When I openly wore a pentacle, I received more curiosity than outright damning, and I live in the thick of the Bible Belt.  I have never in my life been accused of devil worship or anything nefarious.  I understand that others' experiences have been different, but I don't see violence against pagans as a really serious problem.  We are seen as silly, sure, and it's a little tiring to never be taken seriously, but crying "oppression"?  Please.

And another thing.  When we say that appropriating ouija boards and pentagrams is offensive to the pagan community as a whole, we are stereotyping members of our own faith.  I, for one, could not give two shits if someone wanted to wear a pentacle or ouija board, because neither of those things means anything to me spiritually.  Saying that I should be offended by that simply because I am pagan is forcing me into a box that I don't belong in.  The pagan community, if indeed it can be called that, is so diverse that it really denies typing of that sort.

So instead of getting huffy about a Supernatural shirt, maybe we should focus on things that matter, like environmental issues and the fact that a lot of our fellow pagans live in abject poverty.  How about that?

An Informal Guide to Spellcraft

This is a selection from my BOS that I retyped today.  I thought you all might be interested.

Casting spells is all about your frame of mind.  Don't approach a spell with a negative mindset; it's apt not to work or do so with disastrous results.  Keep in mind that spells use many elements, some of which are kept secret to protect the witch.  If something doesn't work, look for more correspondences or factors to oomph the power of your spell.  With this in mind, use these questions as a guide for writing your spells

What is the goal or outcome of the spell?

• Keep this as positive as possible.  Karma is a bitch!

What are the elements involved?

• Remember the difference between elements (earth, air, fire, water) and elementals (gnomes, sylphs, salamanders, sprites).

What God or Goddess are you working with?

• Get to know the deity.  Do research before engaging with any unfamiliar presence.
• Don't invoke something you cannot banish.
• Make sure there are no conflicts (i.e. do not summon Yahweh and Zeus).
• Above all: know what you are working with.

What materials do you need?

• Lighting, candles, incense, and herbs.  Make sure everything fits.

What is the appropriate date and time?

• The more correct correspondences you have, the better.

What is the appropriate place?

• Inside, outside, in a park, against a tree?  Be creative.
• Make sure that there is a back up plan, especially if you are using public areas.

Does it rhyme?

• A spell can include one word, a song, or a chant.  A spell can also be silent.
• Use divination to decide what to use and when to use it.

How do you raise energy?

• Raise energy in the shower, with your own thoughts, music, etc.

How are you going to give thanks?

• If you are ungrateful, you won't get results.
• Even if there is nothing tangible, give thanks.

Do a final draft and put a date on it.  This goes in your Book of Shadows.  Make sure you note how you feel.  If you're sick, the spell won't be as powerful.  Where are you mentally?  Are you "present"?

What was the weather like?  What was it supposed to be like?  Does this work for or against your spell?

Who was involved?  People, gods, goddesses?

What was the environment like?  Were there distractions?

How long did it take you to do it?   How long before you saw results?  This is good for future reference.

What did you notice before, during, and after?  Did you see spots?  Ringing in your ears?

What sounds did you notice?  Thunder, lightning, dogs barking, people arguing?  These are important and can be deciphered later.

How long do you believe it should take before you see results?  Use your intuition.  Make check-in points.  Answer the above questions, and you might get a reality check.  Maybe even set an alarm to evaluate the spell and its effectiveness.

Were there any changes?  Even small changes should be noted.

Did it work like you thought it would?  Did you over-exaggerate?  Try not to have too high of expectations, but don't cap yourself, either.

Do you need to change anything?

The more you write, the better your spell will be.