New and Confused ( a few questions )

[Synapse]

{ You don't actually have to read this paragraph if ya don't want to}
Hey y'all, I'm Syn. I've always been drawn to paganism but it is only now that I've truly decided to invest time into understanding and perhaps practicing. Now, as I do my research I find that I've got more questions with every bit of information I learn. If anyone would like to take a whack at them I'd be ever so grateful.

1. How do you reconcile science with magic?
- This is why I couldn't stick to christianity, it felt too artificial. I enjoy proof, I love to have statistics in my hand to prove the things around me. Spirituality doesn't work in this way and I was wondering if there were any other people who have struggled with this.

2. Witchcraft for cowards, how does that work? / Can you summon things without accidentally summoning the wrong thing?
- Despite my interest in familiars and spirit guides I am also incredibly afraid of the spiritual nasties. I've suffered with bouts of sleep paralysis all my life and those trippy hallucinations have given me spiritual nightmares worth a life time.

3. I respect nature, but it isn't my lover. Is that ok?
- Yeah. I adore nature, truly. Its beautiful and powerful and has my utmost respect. But I don't live in a wonderful forest. The nearest I get to nature is the everglades and I don't fancy getting my blood drained by mosquitoes in ten seconds flat. If it isn't the ocean, I'd like it to stay at least ten feet away from me.


And also I posted another thread here once upon a time ago, so I'm back.

[missgraceless]

{ You don't actually have to read this paragraph if ya don't want to}
Hey y'all, I'm Syn. I've always been drawn to paganism but it is only now that I've truly decided to invest time into understanding and perhaps practicing. Now, as I do my research I find that I've got more questions with every bit of information I learn. If anyone would like to take a whack at them I'd be ever so grateful.

Welcome to the Cauldron! We're a (mostly, there are a few crotchety old folk around) friendly bunch around here. I figured I'd split up your questions to make it easier to follow.

1. How do you reconcile science with magic?
- This is why I couldn't stick to christianity, it felt too artificial. I enjoy proof, I love to have statistics in my hand to prove the things around me. Spirituality doesn't work in this way and I was wondering if there were any other people who have struggled with this.

I'm very similar in this aspect. One thing I try to remember is that both science and spirituality evolve with time. The 14th (current I believe) Dalai Lama said once, "if science proves some belief of Buddhism wrong, then Buddhism will have to change." Science and spirituality aren't mutually exclusive like so many people think. Science explains a lot, but not everything, and spirituality works to fill in the gaps.

2. Witchcraft for cowards, how does that work? / Can you summon things without accidentally summoning the wrong thing?
- Despite my interest in familiars and spirit guides I am also incredibly afraid of the spiritual nasties. I've suffered with bouts of sleep paralysis all my life and those trippy hallucinations have given me spiritual nightmares worth a life time.

I can't speak from experience as magic/witchcraft isn't part of my path, but I do understand that fear. Gods only know what kind of nasties are lurking out there.

3. I respect nature, but it isn't my lover. Is that ok?
- Yeah. I adore nature, truly. Its beautiful and powerful and has my utmost respect. But I don't live in a wonderful forest. The nearest I get to nature is the everglades and I don't fancy getting my blood drained by mosquitoes in ten seconds flat. If it isn't the ocean, I'd like it to stay at least ten feet away from me.

No one said nature has to be part of your path. I had always thought "paganism" meant "nature-based religions" until about 4 years ago when I joined TC. I definitely have a healthy respect and love of nature, but like you I hate mosquitos. Also sunburn. And fire ants. And humidity. BUT. My point is, you can definitely love nature from afar like I do. Your path can be whatever you make it.

Sent from my E6782 using Tapatalk

[Jack]

1. How do you reconcile science with magic?

Correlation does not equal causation, but when it comes specifically to magic (ie not stuff like "how does gods happen?") I try things, look for results, and then repeat the things that seemed to work (or things that seem like they ought to work) and see what is repeatable. I compare results with other practitioners to see if what works for them is recreatable by me and vice-versa.

I was watching Bill Nye Saves The World and on his episode about alternative medicine he had on a guy who studies the placebo effect in athletes, and I mean... the placebo effect is weird, if you think about it. Thinking you are taking medicine might improve your outcome. Athletes quantifiably performing better after taking a placebo performance enhancer. Bodies are weird.

If you mean like, supernatural powers, I believe in what presents itself to me (with some discernment applied) but I don't expect other people to necessarily take my word for it.

2. Witchcraft for cowards, how does that work? / Can you summon things without accidentally summoning the wrong thing?

1. There's lots of witchcraft you can do without summoning.
2. Find a system you trust and work the system. (Either a belief system with a higher power to protect you or a teacher who can train you to ward and shield.)

3. I respect nature, but it isn't my lover. Is that ok?

 
I mean, I've never humped a tree except for that one time, so you're probably okay. Humans have been living in cities and still doing magic/pagan religion for a long time.

[Faemon]

1. How do you reconcile science with magic? I enjoy proof, I love to have statistics in my hand to prove the things around me. Spirituality doesn't work in this way and I was wondering if there were any other people who have struggled with this.

Welcome back! I struggled with this but mostly progressed in another direction? I started off with psionics tutorials: meditation, attuning to receptive skills, lucid dreams, out of body experiences, telekinesis...I never managed the last one, and the receptive psychic skills I practised still wouldn't be reliably demonstrated in a lab.

But there was enough to keep me on with it, just not in the sense of physical results that would remain under my control.

2. Can you summon things without accidentally summoning the wrong thing? Despite my interest in familiars and spirit guides I am also incredibly afraid of the spiritual nasties. I've suffered with bouts of sleep paralysis all my life and those trippy hallucinations have given me spiritual nightmares worth a life time.

Ugh, yes, sleep paralysis...I swear, I practically got into out of body experience meditations because I read somewhere that it could help with sleep paralysis. I got pretty good at the out of body stuff, could do it fairly regularly without sleep paralysis, but still suffered sleep paralysis episodes where I couldn't go out of body.

Though, in one such case, I did find myself paralyzed in my bedroom with (if I recall) a molten wax monk, a steely caped figure, and a Handmaid from Margaret Atwood's dystopia

Spoiler:  

with the limbs freshly and messily sawn off—gyeaaah!! :sick:

and they told me they were demons and would take me to hell with them.

And you know what? By then I was just so irritated and bored of this happening that I went, "I'll race you there!" And went out of body by sinking into the mattress, aiming to get under the bed and to some grave otherworldly dimension full of Cenobites from Hellraiser probably.

What happened instead was that I woke up and could move. So I think...for most of my life I had been afraid that they could do something unimaginably awful to me or that I would be overwhelmed by stuff beyond my ken that wouldn't leave me alone, but, from that experience I learned that merely challenging them to follow through will already make them disappear.

Sometimes something unpleasant and otherworldly will push in, and maybe sometimes it's best to banish and shield (though I have...really, never been competent with that, so I have a lot of bias for this other way), and other times it's better to sit with it, figure out why the experience relates you to one another. More often, I'd found, unpleasant manifestations outright vanish just because of this specific sort of attention.

I wouldn't go so far as to promise that every encounter with a nasty is for A Reason, or that nobody ever really gets overwhelmed or harmed...but, that's the way it's been to me, that, I guess, their natures or characters or motives or whatever may be very different, but, their behavior depends a lot more on how you treat them than is usually bandied about?

Your experience would, fortunately for individualism and unfortunately for advice-giving, be very different from mine. But I do believe that if the nasty stuff has plagued you, then by the same substance you may find the sublime: spirit guides, familiars, weapons, locations with a homelike and safe feel, and techniques or skills unique to you that can be discovered and developed on such liminal journeys. And some of those (will) serve as a solution to the problem of nasties.

3. I respect nature, but it isn't my lover. Is that ok?

Yes. Why wouldn't it be okay?

[Synapse]

I'm very similar in this aspect. One thing I try to remember is that both science and spirituality evolve with time. The 14th (current I believe) Dalai Lama said once, "if science proves some belief of Buddhism wrong, then Buddhism will have to change." Science and spirituality aren't mutually exclusive like so many people think. Science explains a lot, but not everything, and spirituality works to fill in the gaps.

That's actually quite a useful quote haha
I suppose I had never thought about it in such a way as in my family's religion the belief system was seem as rigid and unchanging, but to think of it as fluid does make things easier

No one said nature has to be part of your path. I had always thought "paganism" meant "nature-based religions" until about 4 years ago when I joined TC. I definitely have a healthy respect and love of nature, but like you I hate mosquitos. Also sunburn. And fire ants. And humidity. BUT. My point is, you can definitely love nature from afar like I do. Your path can be whatever you make it.

Its good to know that I'm not the only one out there that isn't too keen on spending prolonged times in the middle of now where haha
I was only worried because so many pagans seemed so in tune with nature and that isn't quite me

Also thank you for the help/advice, it was super useful ouo

[Synapse]

Correlation does not equal causation, but when it comes specifically to magic (ie not stuff like "how does gods happen?") I try things, look for results, and then repeat the things that seemed to work (or things that seem like they ought to work) and see what is repeatable. I compare results with other practitioners to see if what works for them is recreatable by me and vice-versa....

That actually sounds like how I'll proceed with magic from here on out. Ironically it sort of sounds like a scientific approach to magic, which would probably work best for me

And things like the placebo effect really show just how much the power of belief can change real world outcomes, which now that I think of it sounds a lot like magic haha

1. There's lots of witchcraft you can do without summoning.
2. Find a system you trust and work the system. (Either a belief system with a higher power to protect you or a teacher who can train you to ward and shield.)

As for now I'll probably stay away from summoning things just because.. I'm a newbie and my ability to mess up is probably very strong lol
Later on when I get more comfortable I suppose I'll seek out someone more knowledgable in the subject? Just so I feel more comfortable and not so on my own

I mean, I've never humped a tree except for that one time, so you're probably okay. Humans have been living in cities and still doing magic/pagan religion for a long time.

Thank goodness, I've seen like at least twenty pictures of pagans literally kissing trees n I'm just like "im not here to eat ants, thank you"
I just wanted to sure i didn't have to go lick the ground or eat dirt in order to connect with my spiritual side

[Synapse]

I practically got into out of body experience meditations because I read somewhere that it could help with sleep paralysis.

Ironically, because I had never investigated into my sleep paralysis I always thought that my out of body experiences were just more of the general trippy-ness of the thing. Apparently my feeling like I had gotten out of my bed and was walking out of my room before falling back into my apparently still bed ridden self wasn't as commonplace as I thought?

For better or for worse my "stepping out of myself" has only ever lasted a few seconds at most, but I've never actually though to pursue the sensation as they are often incredibly disorientating ahhhh

I learned that merely challenging them to follow through will already make them disappear.

I'm going to have to try this omg, every time I go into sleep paralysis I just sort of close my eyes and pray that it ends soon ( like I said, I'm a chicken lol )

I wouldn't go so far as to promise that every encounter with a nasty is for A Reason, or that nobody ever really gets overwhelmed or harmed...but, that's the way it's been to me, that, I guess, their natures or characters or motives or whatever may be very different, but, their behavior depends a lot more on how you treat them than is usually bandied about?

So far I haven't really been harmed, but since I've spent most of my time trying to deny the existence of anything "spiritual" in nature they often just leave me.. well for lack of a better word they leave me sh00k.  Especially since I was left with no explanation from science as to why my chemically paralyzed body was making me see things I had never actually thought about ( like what the heck man, I don't remember asking for this? i'd like refund? )

But I do believe that if the nasty stuff has plagued you, then by the same substance you may find the sublime: spirit guides, familiars, weapons, locations with a homelike and safe feel, and techniques or skills unique to you that can be discovered and developed on such liminal journeys. And some of those (will) serve as a solution to the problem of nasties.

I'm actually dying to learn more about spirit guides and familiars, the notions really intrigue me. I do hope that any of these options will help, so I'll have to do some investigating on how to do what haha, and thank you for the advice!

[Jenett]

1. How do you reconcile science with magic?
- This is why I couldn't stick to christianity, it felt too artificial. I enjoy proof, I love to have statistics in my hand to prove the things around me. Spirituality doesn't work in this way and I was wondering if there were any other people who have struggled with this.

So, there's several different pieces here.

Spirituality, for me, is about relationships - that's something that science can inform me about, but is mostly about things like how I feel, and what brings me joy or help me get through hard times, that aren't easy to measure or quantify (and that also change over time, not least because *I* change over time.) Observation and self-awareness are obviously hugely important, but treating interpersonal relationships like a science experiment doesn't usually end well.

In terms of "Can I apply scientific observation to magic?" that's definitely a thing people do. Sometimes it's more observational (a lot of my magical work is at least partially applied psychology, a "If I do this thing, what changes?")

Sometimes people get a lot more analytical about it (though it's complicated because you can't actually do control group testing for a lot of things people do magic for...) Sometimes people apply scientific understanding of things to magical work (for example, using modern understanding of plants, animals, minerals, materials) to magical correspondences. Etc.

2. Witchcraft for cowards, how does that work? / Can you summon things without accidentally summoning the wrong thing?

Yep! One way to think of it is like having a party at your house.

If you build relationships with people before you invite them to your house, and only invite specific people in a filtered way (like sending a personal email or text just to them), chances are, you're only going to get those people showing up at your house.

If, on the other hand, you put up a notice (on Facebook, neighborhood flyers, email lists, etc.) saying "Having a party Saturday! Come on over!" you're going to get a much more random selection of people showing up (and chances are, some of them will be coming in the hopes of free food, but may not have the same idea of what it means to be a good guest as you do.)

This is why a lot of magical spiritual traditions work on building relationships up slowly over time, before you do more complicated things together - this is actually one of the things that initiatory traditions are often trying to solve.

In that case, you work within that tradition, and you get introduced to the entities they work with as a "Hey, this is a friend of mine" and you build your relationship with those entities in a space that's mediated by people who already have a good working relationship with them.

It's also possible to build relationships on your own, of course! But being cautious and taking your time is usually a good move. This is why a lot of good sources about magic and ritual talk a lot about building strong skills in centering and grounding (which are partly about energy flow, but also a lot about being clear about what's you and what's outside of you, and how you're being affected by things that are not you).

And then when you start building relationships with entities, take that slowly, and do it very deliberately - for example, start by working with a being that other people work with, that there's a fair amount of good information about, and don't dive into the deep end. Do work over time, and don't make ongoing commitments until you're

(In a lot of ways, this is very similar to dating: just like it's good advice that if you're meeting someone you've been chatting to online for a maybe date, you should meet in a public place at first, have your own way to get home, let a friend know what you're up to, make sure you've talked to the person about your mutual limits or concerns or what you want to do or don't want to do. Rather than just bring someone home you don't really know yet. Same deal with non-physical beings.)

There's a lot more on all of this on the Doing section of my Seeking website, for more 'how I go about this and have taught it to others' if any of that's useful.

The other part, of course, is how one goes about making sure when you invite one being you don't get the wrong one or others - that's a topic that's hard to get into without a lot of specifics. I recommend Ivo Dominguez's Spirit Speak: Knowing and Understanding Spirit Guides, Ancestors, Ghosts, Angels, and the Divine as a good starting place (and he's got lots of good advice on core skills, too.)

3. I respect nature, but it isn't my lover. Is that ok?

Yep. Not all Pagan paths have much intersection with nature. And definitely not in the same way.

Me, I am in 'I live in a place where being outdoors in nature for long periods is bad for my body at least 4-6 months of the year' (I live in the Boston area, and have cranky lungs that do badly in cold, damp, and sometimes just because plus lousy heat tolerance). I do pay attention to the cycles of nature around me, and I do some things like paying attention to local seasonal foods, etc.

But I don't go wandering about in nature at length routinely either, more "admire current seasonal weather while walking from parking lot to building I work in on gorgeous campus with many natural features."

[SunflowerP]

3. I respect nature, but it isn't my lover. Is that ok?
- Yeah. I adore nature, truly. Its beautiful and powerful and has my utmost respect. But I don't live in a wonderful forest. The nearest I get to nature is the everglades and I don't fancy getting my blood drained by mosquitoes in ten seconds flat. If it isn't the ocean, I'd like it to stay at least ten feet away from me.

 
Not quite an answer to your question, but it occurred to me that you might be interested in William Cronon's (long, but IMO worthwhile) essay, 'The Trouble with Wilderness; or, Getting Back to the Wrong Nature'. Much of what he says about the history of how 'wilderness' was modernly constructed is quite closely related to the construction of paganism as 'nature religion' (which, as Jenett notes, is not accurate for all pagan religions). The focus there is on North America, so there's only a little bit about English Romantic and Victorian idealization of 'nature' (actually an idealization of the rural pastoral/agricultural landscape; more info here).

Sunflower

[Vixen]

Welcome back :

1. How do you reconcile science with magic?
- This is why I couldn't stick to christianity, it felt too artificial. I enjoy proof, I love to have statistics in my hand to prove the things around me. Spirituality doesn't work in this way and I was wondering if there were any other people who have struggled with this.

Magic is just science yet undiscovered.

Like many here I have a very strong connection with science. I am a trained building engineer and historian. I work at the city archives. I love science and history and things that go poof.
As been said before, faith/religion fills the gaps where science has not reached yet.  Lightening was magic until science explained the how and why, nowadays we even use the power of lightening to run most of our household appliances. To a 17th century person this would be magic. Same goes for combustion engines, internet, nuclear power ect.

2. Witchcraft for cowards, how does that work? / Can you summon things without accidentally summoning the wrong thing?
- Despite my interest in familiars and spirit guides I am also incredibly afraid of the spiritual nasties. I've suffered with bouts of sleep paralysis all my life and those trippy hallucinations have given me spiritual nightmares worth a life time.

I'm very curious about this too as I'm new to much of this. I don't like magic and witchcraft much cause I just don't know shit about it.

3. I respect nature, but it isn't my lover. Is that ok?
- Yeah. I adore nature, truly. Its beautiful and powerful and has my utmost respect. But I don't live in a wonderful forest. The nearest I get to nature is the everglades and I don't fancy getting my blood drained by mosquitoes in ten seconds flat. If it isn't the ocean, I'd like it to stay at least ten feet away from me.
 

Faith/religion is not about nature perse. It's about understanding and connecting with a higher power to better understand your place in this world. To me it is very connected with nature. I feel at home in nature and I feel lost if I go too long without it.

[Darkhawk]

1. How do you reconcile science with magic?

How do you reconcile science with poetry?

I mean, other people have addressed several major points I'd agree with, but I think it's worth poking at the category error.  I've never met anyone who requires biochemical proofs of falling in love; I don't know anyone who needs to know the taxonomy of flowers to find them beautiful; one doesn't need to know what That Smell is to find it disgusting.

Scientific knowledge is critical where it belongs; trying to apply it where it doesn't belong produces bafflegab.  Western culture hypervalorises the Rational, Objective Perspective, so it's very easy to fall into an "Of course I'm a rational, objective person, I'm a good person, and that's what is appropriate" but lots of people don't ever stop and look at the fact that the overwhelming majority of life, that sort of Rational, Objective perspective is irrelevant.  (And that spins off into other problems which are Sir Not Appearing In This Thread.)

One of the root origins of paganism is reclaiming the idea of enchantment, of existing in relationship with a world that has relationships, not just lepidopterist-pinned facts.  This is one of the reasons that there is so much magical religion involved.

I mean, yes, people can formulate theories of magic, and apply them.  Some people think magical work is primarily psychological, adjusting one's own attitudes and perspectives to increase the chances of being successful.  Some people think it's probabilistic - tweaking chances of things happening slightly.  Some people test things for reliability and take extensive notes.  Some people note that spiritual phenomena are not wholly amenable to scientific study (though there's a bit of the brain that if it gets stimulated will produce perceptions of spiritual phenomena).  There are loads of things people play with.  I do some of them myself.

But I think it's important to keep in mind that that is not the point of why the pagan religions that are magical religions do that thing.  It's not about replicability and objectivity and rationality, it's about reintroducing wonder into a world that's been devastated by the Cult Of Rationalism, of relationshp with the world in forms other than "what are this thing's properties and what can it be used for".  (Not that there's a shortage of 'what are this thing's properties and what can it be used for' in magical discussions, see also 'approximately every conversation about "crystals" ever'.)

(And if you think 'devastated by th Cult Of Rationalism' is overblown, I commend to your attention 80% of the internet, which appears to operate under the principle that anyone who has emotional involvement in a topic - including a topic of life or death significance - has lost the discussion.  A toxic pseudoscientific pseudorationality is everywhere, even in places where, if one were to look at it actually rationally, expecting emotionlessness is unreasonable and actually kind of stupid.)

So, a few thoughts for you to chew on.

2. Witchcraft for cowards, how does that work? / Can you summon things without accidentally summoning the wrong thing?

Do you equate "witchcraft" with "summoning things"?

I mean, I'm in formal training in witchcraft and "summoning things" hasn't really come up?

(We start out with a bunch of cleansing and subjective inner balancing techniques, and then there's a whole lot of, well, I'm back to 'interacting with the cosmos in a manner that suggests it can have relationships' stuff.  And some inviting established friends to parties, basically.)

- Despite my interest in familiars and spirit guides I am also incredibly afraid of the spiritual nasties. I've suffered with bouts of sleep paralysis all my life and those trippy hallucinations have given me spiritual nightmares worth a life time.

It would probably be useful to you to study up on some cleansing, protection, and warding magic, if only to put your mind at ease about the nasties.  One of my go-to books on the topic is Draja Mikaharic's SPiritual Cleansing, which is a compilation of traditional folk remedies and protections.

3. I respect nature, but it isn't my lover. Is that ok?

 
YOu might not get on with some of the more intense nature-focused stuff but since that's hardly a requirement you'll be fine. :}

(I am gourmet mosquito food, myself.)

[Sefiru]

Magic is just science yet undiscovered.

Like many here I have a very strong connection with science. I am a trained building engineer and historian. I work at the city archives. I love science and history and things that go poof.
As been said before, faith/religion fills the gaps where science has not reached yet.  Lightening was magic until science explained the how and why, nowadays we even use the power of lightening to run most of our household appliances. To a 17th century person this would be magic. Same goes for combustion engines, internet, nuclear power ect.

I'm going to state a contrasting opinion to this. In my view, magic and science are two different ways of interacting with the world; kind of like seeing and smelling. There are some areas where both can work together or in parallel (I both look at and smell flowers; I set up protective charms and lock my doors), and there are other areas where only one or the other applies.

In particular, because science is limited to examining the material universe, there is a whole sector of human experience that science cannot address because it occurs entirely in our minds and the connections between minds. Things as beauty, value, fairness, right and wrong, or coolness.

As to science explaining things that were once thought to be magic, such as lightning, I'll paraphrase CS Lewis: that's only what it's made of, not what it is. Things don't stop being magic just because one understands them. At least, not by my definition of magic.

[Vixen]

As to science explaining things that were once thought to be magic, such as lightning, I'll paraphrase CS Lewis: that's only what it's made of, not what it is. Things don't stop being magic just because one understands them. At least, not by my definition of magic.

 
Crap, I forgot to put that quote in there, I was planning to! :eek:
Thank you for reminding me.

And I like your viewpoint on it. Something to think about.

[MamaThistle]

1. How do you reconcile science with magic?
- This is why I couldn't stick to christianity, it felt too artificial. I enjoy proof, I love to have statistics in my hand to prove the things around me. Spirituality doesn't work in this way and I was wondering if there were any other people who have struggled with this.

I am an economics/stats major so interesting to me that you say this. For me personally, I don't find that science and spirituality conflict with one another. I also feel that science is so much more limited than we know, for sure more limiting than spirituality IMO.

2. Witchcraft for cowards, how does that work? / Can you summon things without accidentally summoning the wrong thing?
- Despite my interest in familiars and spirit guides I am also incredibly afraid of the spiritual nasties. I've suffered with bouts of sleep paralysis all my life and those trippy hallucinations have given me spiritual nightmares worth a life time.

I think you'll be okay, as long as you take some precautions. This is why other practitioners suggest researching everything to can, including safety, before trying to contact spirits and doing spells.

3. I respect nature, but it isn't my lover. Is that ok?
- Yeah. I adore nature, truly. Its beautiful and powerful and has my utmost respect. But I don't live in a wonderful forest. The nearest I get to nature is the everglades and I don't fancy getting my blood drained by mosquitoes in ten seconds flat. If it isn't the ocean, I'd like it to stay at least ten feet away from me.

Respecting and loving nature doesn't mean you have to change your opinions on certain aspects. Mosquitoes are technically part of nature and I don't think they are commonly adored. I think the most important thing to remember is that respecting nature is not about making everything fluffy, like nature is just rainbows and twinkling fairies. It's a force, good or bad, that should be respected. Respect, however, is not offering yourself up to mosquitoes just because. Find things that make you feel connected. If you're into the ocean, but don't live near one, I would try setting up an altar with things that make you feel connected to the ocean and nature.

Good luck and welcome to the dark side!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalki

[Emma Eldritch]

2. Witchcraft for cowards, how does that work? / Can you summon things without accidentally summoning the wrong thing?
- Despite my interest in familiars and spirit guides I am also incredibly afraid of the spiritual nasties. I've suffered with bouts of sleep paralysis all my life and those trippy hallucinations have given me spiritual nightmares worth a life time.

Well, if you've already suffered through terrible nightmares and sleep paralysis horrors, honestly I don't think you'd see much that was actually any scarier than that. So you're already kinda prepared!

No, but seriously, as others have pointed out you don't have to summon stuff if you don't want to, and there are many easy ways to make sure you're working magic in a relatively safe environment.

I think the real issue is the fear itself and how you choose to handle it. The very first page of my book of shadows has a quote from Lon Milo DuQuette: "Fear is poison to your magical practice and poison to your life." For all my spookiness, I do sometimes get totally freaked out. "What was that noise?! What if something bad is hanging around?! AH A GOBLIN-- oh wait, that's the cat." So what I do is think to myself "what IS the worst that can happen? And how would I deal with that if it did?" I also push myself to go ahead and do stuff that frightens me anyway, because it helps me grow. (I'm not saying this is a great idea, and certainly not for everyone, but it's how I roll.)

I guess what I'm saying is that it's perfectly normal to get spooked, but that if there are avenues of magic you really want to explore, you just prepare as best you can and then try the stuff you want to try.