The Nephilim Rising™

Lux in Tenebris Lucet

Posts tagged with Left Hand Path

LESSONS IN MAGICK: The Luciferian Witch

February 11, 2018

Witch

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“The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.”

Friedrich Nietzsche

In previous posts I have discussed what Luciferianism is, how I found it, and what it means to walk this Crooked Path of ours; what I have not dived into is Luciferian Witchcraft itself–what it is, and how it differs from other areas and aspects of the Craft.

As always, I claim to be no expert in any area of life or the Occult, I am simply sharing my experiences as they have happened to myself in hopes they help guide another to their own path, their own truth.

Nothing said here is universal truth, nothing said here should replace your own feelings and personal philosophy; if anything, let this piece allow you to think deeply.

So, first, who is the Luciferian Witch?

Well, the short answer?

Anyone.

Everyone.

The Luciferian Witch is an individual who lives and breathes their truth; they have asked themselves the hard questions, and went searching, seeking for the harder answers.

We do not look a certain way; we are your neighbors, your teachers, your postal workers.

We are not just the quiet Goth wearing all black.

We are Philosophers, thinkers, revolutionaries and rebels; dare I say, all Occultists and those who step outside of the status quo are.

Luciferianism is a Philosophy, Witchcraft is a Practice and it’s important to understand this as we go forth.

Both are open to interpretation, too; this is how they allow room for the individual to blossom and thrive.

Witch 3

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As mentioned in previous writings, Luciferians can be Theistic or Atheistic. If they are Theistic they do not necessarily believe in the actual deity Lucifer, furthermore, they don’t necessarily worship him, either.

I worship no deity; I worship truth, and knowledge, if anything.

I acknowledge the existence of Lucifer as a deity and energy/archetype.

I do not believe in the Devil.

I do not believe in an omnipotent God.

I do not identify as Pagan (even though by pesky definitions, I am one).

As far as Witchcraft, I am a Traditional Witch (another umbrella term, in my opinion). The practices I follow were handed down to me by my Mother, taught to me by mentors and learned through the grueling process of studying the Occult.

I would be defined most closely as a Hedge Witch since herbs and plants (in all their forms) are the center focus of most of my work; I am an animist, too. I also incorporate Rootwork, and Hoodoo; least we forget the influence Hinduism has had and does have on my practice and life. Not to mention my Seership abilities and how they affect my perspective on things. The Dark Goddesses are also paramount on my path, and have been some of my best Teachers.

It’s a hodge podge, really–of the best kind.

For some it suits them to follow a specific tradition, and that’s fine. Luciferians are not all Witches, and if they are, they are not necessarily Traditional Witches. There are all kinds of Practitioners in the mix; remember, Luciferianism is a Philosophy, Witchcraft is a Practice.

What I like most about this path is that we can forge our own way.

This, of course, is harder than walking an already established path but, anything worth having is worth working hard for. Plus, I can only speak for myself, but I don’t want to go where the crowd is; the exact opposite, in fact.

I follow this path to better know myself, to better understand why I think the way I do, and to re-establish my connection with the Old Gods and the Old Ways.

Witch 2

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So, what are the pillars of Luciferian Witchcraft, regardless of all the other moving parts to Philosophy and Practice?

Personal Responsibility: The Luciferian Witch understands that they, and only they are responsible for their actions, and reactions. They do not create a space to be a victim, they do not allow themselves to get into that mentality; everything does not happen for a reason but there is a lesson in everything that happens. Luciferian Witches can seek out those lessons and dissect them, no matter how ugly the truth is or how much it hurts.

Claims Their Power: The Luciferian Witch claims their power by establishing boundaries (for me, this is an eternal work in progress). They claim their power by connecting with their Higher Self, and their Ancestors. They claim their power by facing and acknowledging their pain. They claim their power by living authentically in a world that demands them to live otherwise; the ultimate rebellion.

Speaks Their Truth: The Luciferian Witch is not afraid to speak their truth, and they are not afraid to burn in it, either. Living in a world full of illusions and lies, we must speak the truth any and every opportunity we have; even if that means we stand alone. The Luciferian Witch understands the power of solitude, and the strength of connectedness.

Lives Their Truth: Just because you can talk the talk doesn’t mean you walk the walk, and the Luciferian Witch must do both. They must live their truth, as much as they speak it, otherwise they are just another hypocrite spouting off bullshit about how we are supposed to live instead of putting it into practice. Real Magick yields real results; real practice yields real results. This is not a path for an armchair Occultist, you are required to put in work; part of that work is living unapologetically in your truth.

Follows No Creed: The Luciferian Witch follows no creed other than their own conscience. They respect and understand Universal Laws, and the Laws of Magick (Hermetic Principles) but they don’t decide to not act based on fear of retribution, or Karma (most of us don’t subscribe to the idea of Karma).  The Luciferian Witch knows they are the Master of their fate, actions, morality and ethics; they need no God, deity, supreme power or book to tell them how to act. The Luciferian Witch acts in accordance to their own Laws, their own feelings and nothing is more liberating or powerful than that.

Individual Sovereignty: The Luciferian Witch knows that they belong to nobody but themselves, and as much as they may respect the collective and understand their role in it, they understand they are still an individual. Their actions, thoughts, opinions and experiences are their own; no one can take that from them. The Luciferian Witch does not concern themselves with the opinions of others because the only opinion that matters is their own; the only actions that can be controlled are their own. This lesson is profound.

At the end of the day Luciferian Witchcraft is the alchemy of combining Philosophy and Practice to create something magnificent: an empowered individual.

LESSONS IN MAGICK: Justified Hexing

November 24, 2017

Hex 1

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“Juju is not enough to protect you. Everything you have I will turn against you. I’ll turn sugar bitter for you. I’ll take your very shield and crack it on your head.”

Helen Oyeyemi

Jinxes, Curses, Hexes, Crossings—these words are well known throughout our community and they invoke a certain level of curiosity in many practitioners; an irrational fear in other’s.

I walk my own path so for me there is no rede, threefold law, karma or any other form of retribution; I obviously believe in cause and effect, seeing how it’s Newton’s Third Law (every action has an opposite and equal reaction) and I believe it applies to everything, but I am not scared to act because of this Law.

I will defend what is mine with the tools that I have when I am attacked. This is where it gets tricky because what is deemed as an attack? What is worth letting go, and looking past and what is worth facing head on?

What is deemed as an attack will differ from person to person; it’s entirely subjective but I also believe there are some base lines.

Me? Regardless of Laws I will do what is required because I believe wholly that there is such a thing as justified hexing.

Much like justified rage, these justified hexes are our way to protect ourselves, defend what is Sacred and fight back against a system that wishes to bring us down and further oppress us.

Witches ARE feared; we always have been, and probably always will be (merit based or not).

Hex 2

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We are misunderstood, and with misunderstanding comes fear, ignorance and herd mentalities.

There are three kinds of people in our community when it comes to the topic of Hexing or Cursing: those who hands down, under no circumstance will hex (they either believe in a threefold law of some sort, or they believe that the light is the only way); those who are hex happy (the people who will hex you for just looking at them wrong. They are neglected, bullied children who grew into Magickal adults with bleeding wounds and now use their Magick to get back at everyone they perceive to be a “mean kid”).

Then there are those of us who understand that one cannot cure unless they can curse—they cannot heal unless they can harm.

We must know both sides of the coin to understand the power of gold; that is Magick.

That is Alchemy.

I don’t believe hexes are dark/black and healing is white/light—I don’t even equate dark to black and light to white.

I believe Magick is a spectrum and we must walk along all shades of the spectrum to be a well-balanced practitioner.

There is this idea that if someone hexes they cannot live an attitude of gratitude, or they are somehow lowering their vibrations and therefore cannot manifest the life they want.

I couldn’t disagree more.

Sure, there are practitioners who, as mentioned above, are hex happy and absolutely that affects their vibrations, moods, and how they maneuver through and handle life; there are also practitioners who hex when it is necessary, we know the power of baneful Magick and only draw from it when all other resources have been tapped out.

Not only does hexing take a lot out of the practitioner—it is quite alarming to see your hexes come to be. Anyone who says differently has never seen the full potential of a hex and stood in its shadow.

I am sure we all recall the first time we cursed, saw it coming to fruition, and sat back in awe, and horror at the greatness of it all.

Witches are powerful, powerful creatures.

The words we speak equally create and destroy.

Hex 3

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Just because Magick isn’t always instant people think it isn’t real, or potent.

Magick has its own rhythm and it follows its own drum; we simply step in, play instruments occasionally adding our tune, and eventually someone will hear our war song and suffer the fate of doing wrong by us.

While on this topic, lets address what is considered justified.

I am not in the business of telling other people what to do, how to practice, or fear mongering so I am just going to tell you what I believe.

I believe that if someone causes bodily harm to myself or my family, it’s justified.

I believe if someone is relentless with their evil eye and Magickal attempts to bring me down, it’s justified. I also believe blessing the person, silencing the person with a freeze spell, cloaking myself from them, and doing a cord cutting are necessary steps before I will full out hex someone.

There’s levels to this shit.

I don’t hex on a whim, I don’t like the idea of destroying someone’s life (but I am not above it if they come for me, either), and I know the power I wield.

I am cautious, careful, and calculating; I consult my Ancestors and Spirits before I do anything, and then I sit in long meditation and listen to my inner self because that is where the truth always dwells.

Never be afraid to protect what is yours.

Blessed Are the Witches.

Lessons in Magick: To Thine Own Self Be True

June 27, 2017

Alessio

Image: Alessio Albi

“All great and precious things are lonely.”

John Steinbeck

When talking to fellow Crooked Path practitioners, and any Mystic or Witch really, the reoccurring theme is the immense amount of loss that we all experience.

Whether it comes in the form of trauma, loss of relationships (familial/social/professional), or simply losing our old Self so that we may be born anew—there is a tremendous amount of destruction and metaphorical death on this path that we walk.

It usually starts out with the death of our old Self; obviously this is something that never really stops once it starts because self-evolution is eternal, but this death is the first catalyst.

This is the time that we begin to wake up to the illusions of this world, start to question what we have been told, and seek out the truth with a veracious appetite.

We begin to feel more and more out of place, and the Soul calling for something, some place beyond this one becomes louder, and louder.

This is where the descent down the rabbit hole begins.

Slowly we start to have less, and less in common with people who we may have otherwise considered friends, or people we had common interests with; it’s usually the casual relationships that go first, they seem easiest to cut when our frequency begins to change.

After this, the destructive power of truth begins to hit closer and closer to home, and our immediate relationships are affected.

You will notice that your loved ones start commenting on how different you are or how distant you are; ideally, they will be accepting of your awakening but often times this simply isn’t the case.

It’s hard to describe to people who don’t crave truth what it tastes like.

It’s hard to describe to people that find it easy to conform what it means to rebel.

The majority would prefer to go on living in their false sense of comfort than dare step into the unknown and THAT is why we are so misunderstood, so feared, so envied, even: we are willing to step into the darkness to become the light.

This path is about self-discovery and that means a lot of solitude, and yes, loneliness; a word and emotion people fear so much but there are so many amazing lessons to be found in this place of desolation.

To be confident alone we must drudge through the vulnerability of our loneliness and find the root causes of that loneliness; humans may be social creatures but we should be able to enjoy our own company without needing anyone.

When we enjoy ourselves, love ourselves, understand ourselves, we are more equipped to enjoy, love and understand others. I do not mean love ourselves unconditionally, either, because that is simply not realistic.

The biggest test for us is when we must put our truth into action and our words into motion with someone we love. We can’t talk this big talk about living and burning in our truth if we refuse to speak our truth when the time arises.

I know full well that my truth is my own, and it’s not for anyone else but I also must honor my truth.

Even though I have been walking this path for many, many years now I am still cutting and losing people from my life. And, yes, I have lost a few friends in recent weeks; although their absence is felt, their presence is missed and I will always hold a place in my heart for them, there is simply no longer room in my life.

If a relationship is not feeding your Higher Self, if it is not stimulating your Soul, then let it go.

Life is too short to hold onto mediocre people who put in minimal effort, and expect maximum result.

You do not need to apologize for being true to yourself, your morals, your ethics, and your convictions because at the end of the day, all you have is yourself.

At the end of the day, it is only your reflection that will keep you company.

Lessons in Magick: This Crooked Path

June 1, 2017

Mud

Image: Roberta Tocco

“No single decision you ever made has led in a straight line to where you find yourself now. You peeked down some roads and took a few steps before turning back. You followed some roads that came to a dead end and others that got lost at too many intersections. Ultimately, all roads are connected to all other roads.”

Deepak Chopra

This topic has been on my mind for months now, and the memo pad in my phone is building up with all the blog ideas I have—along with pieces of poems, rituals, herbal remedies, chapters for the books, and all sorts of random bits of my brain.

It’s about time I sat down and got some of this energy out.

I used to perform word alchemy every day, I would literally get anxiety if I hadn’t written by 9am—it was madness in its purest form.

I would force myself to sit down and write, get the words out, even if the execution wasn’t flawless (and in an Artist’s eyes, it never is—flawless, I mean).

We pick apart everything we do, everything we birth because it is part of us and nothing that came from something so flawed could ever be perfect.

That is why we create, after all, because we see the flaws in ourselves and are able to paint with the blood of our wounds.

I create because I am cracked—because I have been broken down and risen from the ashes innumerous times. I create because I am a survivor and have stories to tell. I create because life has caused some blows that left me with two choices: React or Channel.

The former was how I handled things many years ago, in what seems like another life; the latter being what saved my life. The latter is what gave me the wisdom to understand that rage has a place.

Channeling that rage is what gave me purpose.

The path I took to get here has been bumpy, full of twists and turns, unexpected situations and more pain, and tears than I dare (or care to) recall. But, it has been a path of great reward and I wouldn’t change any of it for anything in this world.

I have learned about my Ancestral roots; I have learned about the Gods and how they impact our lives as Archetypes and actual deities; I have learned about and come to respect the variety of Spirits that exist beyond the veil; I have learned about the power of Shadow and the grueling work required to incorporate that into my whole; I have learned the power of plants, and the Spirts they possess; I have learned that I am my greatest weapon, ally, and tool.

I have learned all of this and so, so much more because I chose to forge my own path; because the Universe left me with no other option.

As many of you know I am a Luciferian, which is the Philosophy I hold but I am a Traditional Witch by Craft and Practice (Trad Witch).

Traditional Witch/Witchcraft is an umbrella term used to identify a large group of Witches. The practices vary from Witch to Witch because Trad Witchcraft leaves a lot of room for personal interpretation—which is why I believe it is the most obvious path to take.

Conversely, this reason is exactly why so many people avoid it altogether: it’s too broad.

But, it’s also not at the same time; it’s a Soul calling.

I walk this path because it’s full of wonder and peril, it’s both thrilling and shocking,  comforting but brand new; I walk this path because it forces me to face my wild nature, and become one with it.  I walk this path because the lessons to be learned are limitless.

I walk this path because it let’s me create my own roots.

I am sure the vastness of Trad Witchcraft had something to do with the reasoning for it being called the Crooked Path.

You could put three Trad Witches in a room together, ask them all the same questions and the answers will vary—sometimes (often) greatly—between each of them.

For example, there are many Trad Witches I know that equate RHP with light or white, and LHP with dark or black. Saying, “I need both hands to practice Magick”—which IS true but that is not what RHP and LHP are.

You can’t tell someone how to believe though.

I think RHP and LHP being PHILOSOPHIES is wayyy too often confused with the concept of duality, and being a ‘Gray Witch’—or someone who uses both “White” and “Black” Magick (I say it in quotes because Magick is neither black or white but everything).

The point of this blog is, there are many reasons why Trad Witches find this path, and we each carry such different ideas about what it is to be a Witch.

That part is really important, too because it shows (proves) that Witchcraft is NOT one size fits all, it was never intended to be, and there is no one way to your end destination.

It’s okay to take detours, it’s okay to get lost—in fact, I encourage getting lost, and hopping off your path for a little while and seeing what else is out there.

Collect what resonates, honor and leave what doesn’t; create your belief, create your tradition, create your Craft.

Life is about adventure, right?

Well, so is Witchcraft.

The whole topic brings to mind that damn quote which has haunted me for years from Life of Pi that I have mentioned before: “Faith is a house with many rooms.”

Witchcraft is also a house with many rooms, and many roads that lead to it—

Most of which are Crooked,

The best kind of road there is.

Divine Duo: Femininity and the Left Hand Path

January 4, 2017

christopher-mckenney

Image: Christopher McKenney

“Femininity is depicted as weakness, the sapping of strength, yet masculinity is so fragile that apparently even the slightest brush with the feminine destroys it.”

Gwen Sharp

This is one of those posts where I know no matter how I word this, or how many disclaimers I put in here along the way, it’s going to cause waves; people are going to be offended, take it wrong, and some will be left feeling uncomfortable. As I said just last week, I would not be who I am or true to myself if I did not make you, my readership, uncomfortable.

This topic has been floating around in my head since I started NR but I never knew how to word it, I never knew how to say this without coming off as one of those new age, man hating, Feminists.

I am a Feminist but I do not hate Men. I do not have to put down an entire gender to make my own look better; I do not have to hate on ALL Men to attempt and heal the wounds inflicted on me by one, or a few. That is totally not how healing happens; you cannot heal through hate.

Anyways, let me just get to the point of this post and I am going to be as blunt as I can:

It’s fucking hard being a Woman on the Left Hand Path.

Before reacting to my above statement, let me explain it first.

I post things to the page that resonate with me and what I am going through at the time. Since I am a Woman, and am starting to embrace my Feminine side after turning my back on her a few years ago because of my cancer, I post about the Divine Feminine, Sacred Sex, and Female Empowerment.

When my physical womb was removed, it felt like I lost my womb power and everything that made me a Woman; it has been a long, painful journey to realize that my womb power, that womb wisdom, is rooted in my Soul—no matter what happens to this physical shell.

I also post about these topics because this world is seriously lacking some Sisterhood.

What these posts have done, is they have brought out misogynists in droves.

I have had post after post trolled and I have been personally attacked because an article represented the Feminine without mention of the Masculine. It got to the point where I finally just started deleting and banning people without even bothering to engage; you just can’t reason with hate.

Why does my Femininity bother them so much? Why does my voice, my opinion and my fearlessness to speak my truth make them react so violently, so aggressively?

What is it about a Woman standing in her power that makes Men scared? (OBVIOUSLY, I am not talking about all Men; I am referring to the ones who troll the posts, etc. It’s sad that this must be said for clarification purposes; everyone is triggered by something these days. Shout out to the Awakened Masculine, btw.)

What kills me is some of the Men who troll have been following me for quite some time, and are not asleep in the consciousness department; they are not stupid by any means, either. Yet, they feel the need to constantly talk about “You need balance. You need balance. You need balance.” Blah. Blah. Blah.

You’re right, I do need balance!

What I don’t need to find that balance is a Man.

*GASP*

Did she just say that…?!?!

I did.

And, it’s true.

The Masculine lives inside of me, as the Feminine lives inside of them. Having a Man is about having a life partner, and (if it’s your thing) having someone to start a family with.

Please believe that balance can be found by the individual without “needing” anybody else.

I continue to get hit with, “Where are the Men posts?” and usually my reply is, “When I see posts about the Divine Masculine, I share them.”

But, when it happened two days ago, and I was hit with “you’re not understanding what I am trying to teach you” my response was quite different.

Why the fuck do I HAVE to represent the Masculine?

I don’t deny the Masculine: I love him, I respect him, I honor him, I cherish him.

We live in a world that is male dominated; yes, I am “one of those” who believes in the Patriarchy.

On top of living in a male dominated world, the Left Hand Path is a male dominated community.

Why can’t there be some Feminine energy up in here without it being a huge fucking problem?

I post sex positive articles, how to re-wild ourselves, and embracing the Dark Feminine and get shit for it…

From men…

All. The. Time.

I embrace my sexuality, and my inner whore. I embrace my inner virgin, too. I embrace all aspects of my being and I will not apologize for that. Is that not what being a Luciferian is about?

I will not apologize that my individuality bothers some people so much; I will not apologize for breaking barriers in a world that wishes to confine me to a cage full of labels and expectations.

I will not apologize for being true to who I am.

I am a beautiful, delicate, divinely feminine being, and I walk the Left Hand Path; that IS okay.

So, you stay in your lane, and I’ll stay in mine, being all Goddess like and shit.

Tales From the Nightside: The Draconian Path

December 17, 2015

Dragon

Image: Sima Domke

“If the sky could dream, it would dream of dragons.”

Ilona Andrews

If you walk the Left Hand Path, either as a Theist or an Atheist, you have had encounters with the Dragon or Archetype. There are few things synonymous with our path but the Dragon, Serpent, Great Mighty Sea Beast (all one in the same, really) seem to be the top contenders.

Whether it is a metaphorical process of death and rebirth as the Ouroboros (Uroboros) suggests, or the shedding of skin aka accepting change via the Serpent metaphor; the Dragon is the epitome of what it means to walk this path.

Throughout history there have been depictions, stories, and great tales from the likes of Tiamat in Baylonian/Sumerian Mythology; Nidhogg (Nidhoggr) and Jormungondr in Norse Mythology; Leviathan and Her consort Behemoth in Hebrew mythology, though many suggest that Her origins are from the Canaanite Sea Beast, Lôtān or Litānu. Python in Greek Mythology; Apep in Egyptian Mythology, just to name a few. We then of course have the depiction of the Dragon as the Serpent who tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden.

I find it interesting that Leviathan is mentioned as a female in the Book of Enoch:

‘And that day will two monsters be parted, one monster, a female named Leviathan in order to dwell in the Abyss of the ocean over the fountains of water; and (the other), a male called Behemoth, which holds his chest in an invisible desert whose name is Dundayin, east of the garden of Eden.’

1 Enoch 60:7-8

I also find it interesting that Tiamat is described as “a primordial Goddess of the ocean, mating with Abzû (the God of fresh water) to produce younger Gods. She is the symbol of the chaos of primordial creation, depicted as a woman, she represents the beauty of the feminine, depicted as the glistening one. It is suggested that there are two parts to the Tiamat mythos, the first in which Tiamat is a creator goddess, through a “Sacred marriage” between salt and fresh water, peacefully creating the cosmos through successive generations. In the second “Chaoskampf” Tiamat is considered the monstrous embodiment of primordial chaos. Some sources identify her with images of a sea serpent or dragon.”

In all the other stories the Dragon is associated with strong masculine energy, and Satan but could it be that the Dragon really is a female? Only a female can birth beings into creation, and if we adopt the ideology that we come from the great Void aka the Womb of the Dragon, it surely must be a She.

Before I get into that, let me first explain what it means to walk the path of the Dragon.

Like the serpent is sure to coil, our path is sure to be crooked; there is nothing that is going to be handed to us, and answers will not come easily. This is not a path for the faint of heart, or those who seek instant gratification. The Left Hand Path is a path of battling self, going against the status quo; this is a path of searching, of pain, and endless leaps into the Abyss where we go to molt, shed our skin, and come out a better version of ourselves– a stronger, more aware, and enlightened version.

The Dragon shows us how to be an element of our own, and reminds us of the Chaos that was necessary for our birth. Not only did a star have to die for us to come into existence but the act of sex, the moment of orgasm, the very second when the sperm meets the egg, are all moments of sheer Chaos: beautiful, Divine, creation.

The Dragon is an unforgiving force but one of freedom, and individuality; She grants us permission to be exactly who we were created to be.

The Dragon is in all of us because we all come from Her Womb, but children or not, Her natural instinct is undeniable, She will devour us all the same. We must face our own inner Dragon, or surely the Beast’s true nature will turn on us.

Now that I have said my piece, let me give you some information for your reading pleasure.

For Jung the Dragon is “the personification of Sulphur and is by far the male element. Since the dragon is said to impregnate himself by swallowing his tail, then the tail is the male organ and the mouth is the female organ.  The winged dragon represents personal obstacles that must be overcome to insure a more-perfect being; thus, leading to the saying: “You conquer the dragon or he will conquer you.”  We see that Jung did, certainly, inspire awareness of the connections between modern psychology and ancient spiritual practice.  Some credit the Chinese as the inventors of dragon. The origins of dragon lore are a matter of some debate. It is known that at least as far back as 300 BCE, some bones of prehistoric animals were labeled as coming from dragons. In Christianity the dragon is generally a symbol of evil, a demon or the devil. The most famous Christian legend is that of St. George slaying the dragon. “

If you notice how the Sulphur symbol (pictured) resembles the male sex organ. The Ouroboros (also pictured) as noted above is said to impregnate himself by swallowing his own tail. We know this metaphor today to be the idea of life/death/rebirth, repeat.

Fun Fact: The word Ouroboros comes from Oura meaning “tail” and boros meaning “eating”, thus “he who eats the tail”. Some translations have noted it to mean “tail devourer”.

Leviathan Ouroboros

Jung not only associated the Dragon with the collective unconscious, creation itself and overcoming obstacles, he associated it with the Hero Archetype, and the need to rescue the Feminine:

“In the fight with the dragon the hero battles the regressive forces of the unconscious which threaten to swallow the individuating ego. The forces, personified in figures like Circe, Kali, medusa, sea serpents, Minotaur, or Gorgon, represent the Terrible side of the Great Mother. The Hero may voluntarily submit to being swallowed by the monster, or to a conscious descent into Hades so as to vanquish the forces of darkness. This mortifying descent into the abyss, the sea, the dark cave, or the underworld in order to be reborn to a new identity expresses the symbolism of the night-sea journey through the uterine belly of the monster. It is a fundamental theme in mythology the world over — that of death and rebirth. All initiatory rituals involve this basic archetypal pattern through which the old order and early infantile attachments must die and a more mature and productive life be born in their place.

“The mythological goal of the dragon fight is almost always the virgin, the captive, or more generally, the ‘treasure hard to attain.’ This image of the vulnerable, beautiful, and enchanting woman, guarded by and captive of a menacing monster gives us a picture of the inner core of the personality and its surrounding defenses. The hero’s task is to rescue the maiden from the grasp of the monster and, ultimately, to marry her and establish his kingdom with her. This dragon fight and liberation of the captive is the archetypal pattern that can guide us through those major transitional passages in our personal development where a rebirth or reorientation of consciousness is indicated. The captive represents the ‘new’ element whose liberation makes all further development possible.

“In response to the call the hero undertakes a journey, usually a dangerous journey to an unknown region full of both promise and danger. Often the journey is a descent. Sometimes, as with Jonah, Aeneas, Christ, and Psyche, it is a descent into the depths — the sea, the underworld, or Hades itself. Always there is a perilous crossing. Sometimes the faintheartedness of the hero is balanced by the appearance of guardians or helpful animals that enable the hero to perform the superhuman task that cannot be accomplished unaided. These helpful forces are representatives of the psychic totality that supports the ego in its struggle. They bear witness to the fact that the essential function of the hero myth is the development of the individual’s true personality.”

Regardless of how you view the Dragon, or what experiences you have had, it is clear that the Dragon in all Her forms has made a mark in history among every culture, and that is something that cannot be denied. Her story has been demonized, but we owe everything to Her primordial Chaos; the great Void, the Womb of Darkness, the Great Mother Herself.

For we are nothing without Her.

“I say unto you: one must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star. I say unto you: you still have chaos in yourselves. Alas, the time is coming when man will no longer give birth to a star.”

Friedrich Nietzsche

In Nomine Draconis!

Sources, and Further Resources:

http://stottilien.com/2012/06/03/the-symbol-of-serpent-and-dragon-an-jungian-view/

http://www.cgjungny.org/d/d_mythpsyche.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviathan

http://www.crystalinks.com/ouroboros.html

http://www.tokenrock.com/explain-ouroboros-70.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiamat

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apep

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Python_(mythology)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B6rmungandr

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%AD%C3%B0h%C3%B6ggr

Lessons in Magick: What Daemons Have Taught Me

December 14, 2015

Kamina Kapow

Image: Kamina Kapow

“You’ll learn, as you get older, that rules are made to be broken. Be bold enough to live life on your terms, and never, ever apologize for it. Go against the grain, refuse to conform, take the road less traveled instead of the well-beaten path. Laugh in the face of adversity, and leap before you look. Dance as though EVERYBODY is watching. March to the beat of your own drummer. And stubbornly refuse to fit in.”

Mandy Hale

My life has been intertwined with the world of Magick since I was a child but fear held me back most times from being able to fully experience, or understand some very important lessons; I was a late bloomer in most aspects of the Craft because of this.

Life is nothing more than a series of lessons, only when we acknowledge the lesson does the hard work begin to pay off.

I believe that our entire life is just one big lesson, with some pop quizzes given at random; I never was any good at pop quizzes.

These lessons come in all shapes, and sizes, in all magnitudes and duration’s of time; we even have reoccurring lessons, those are the moments of déjà vu that you sometimes experience during times of great joy or sadness, great changes, and tribulations.

I find that metaphors, and allegories for life are found within the pages of Ancient text I scour, conversations with deities I work with, and number sequences.

I guess that is the point though, isn’t it? For these things to conjure such images in our minds, to create such a deep resonating feeling from the stories we read that we can not doubt we are on the right path? (Er, in this case the Left Path).

If I had to narrow down my greatest lessons in life, the grandest epiphanies, the stories would all stem and blossom from interactions with my Beloved Dark Ones; my Daemons.

I am currently on a path of change, and growth right now; when are we not? Part of my growth is to publicly acknowledge some of the pieces of wisdom these Divine beings have taught me; some lessons I have excelled at while others are a work in progress.

I hope you appreciate, as always, my candor on this topic.

Lesson One: Boundaries are essential!! This lesson is one that I cannot for the life of me seem to fully grasp and that is because I am quite literally, a walking contradiction. I am a Cancer Sun, Capricorn rising so that alone brings conflict internally.

Cancer is the Mother of the Zodiac, while Capricorn is the Father; Capricorn is how the world perceives me, my first instincts and Cancer is my personality and ego.

My immediate reaction dealing with people, or deities and having to lay down boundaries is usually firm, aggressive, quick, and powerful. A few minutes later though, my Cancerian personality makes an appearance along with my overwhelming Empathy, and INFJ trait, and well, there is either a complete meltdown, or I back pedal; I take back everything my Capricorn self said because my Cancer emotions can’t handle it.

Then, I have no boundaries laid and people (or deities) are free to walk all over me, until one day I can no longer take it; I blow up, unleash the beast and destruction is caused.

So, the lesson in the midst of my nearly incoherent rambling is that boundaries are essential from the very start of *any* relationship. I don’t care if it is a romantic partnership, a friendship, co-worker, one-night stand, God, Goddess, or freakin’ Daemon; you must lay down boundaries or you will be nothing more than a doormat for someone else’s shit to be smeared when they no longer like the smell of it.

Lesson Two: Fear is the Mind Killer!! Yes, I did just quote Dune, and that statement is so true. Fear does nothing more than eat away at us slowly, crippling us from excelling on our path. I know this all too well because I used to be paralyzed by fear more times than I was free, and wild.

I rarely make decisions without well thought out plans. I cannot be random, I cannot be spontaneous, I cannot because I am scared; scared of the unknown, the what ifs, the could be’s.

But, being scared is not an option. Fear is not an option.

I fear this human experience more than anything else because it has never made any sense to me; Daemons make sense to me. It has been through my interactions with Daemons that I have learned to appreciate and fully live this life. I used to get so caught up in fear, especially the fear of failure that I couldn’t see how much I have succeeded already; I could’t see how every moment of life is an opportunity to succeed at something; big or small, all we have to do is be aware enough to take it.

There is no place for fear on a path to Ascension, and Transcendence.

Lesson Three: Ego is a Poison, Use it wisely!! I can’t stress this enough, ego and hubris can kill you. I think that at certain points in our lives, and in times of internal battle ego can prove to be our greatest ally or our most devious enemy; we are taking a 50/50 chance every time we step into the Magickal arena.

I prefer to feed my ego in small doses. I used to think that dropping the ego altogether was the only way to go but, as with everything else, the ego serves its purpose, too.

You see, Daemons have taught me that I am but a bug to them, while I may have superior reign while they are on my plane of existence, to think that I am above them or know more than them, is a recipe for disaster; I know because I have seen the aftermath, and had to clean it up. I believe I am equal to the deities I work with, I show respect at every point in the process, but I never allow my ego to get in the way, or theirs for that matter.

There are so many misconceptions about Daemons, and what it is like to work with them. People think they require blood sacrifice, “your Soul” or some other extreme in order to have their attention, but we have their attention naturally; they are as fascinated, and at times as disgusted with us as we are with them. Some of us have learned to walk among them as they walk among us, some of us are even Blessed enough to have their blood flowing through us. Some of us are even grateful enough to call them family, and Kindred Spirits.

We are so much more than flesh, blood and bone; we are stardust, and divinity, chaos and calm; we are everything, and nothing; none of these realizations would have come to me without the tough love of the these amazing Divine beings.

It is because of them that I have found my God; that God is me.

The Collective Conscious vs. The Collective Unconscious

November 23, 2015

Edmond Yang

 

Image: Edmond Yang

“Our hearts resonate at the same frequency as the earth and the universe. Therefore, we are all valuable instruments in the orchestration of the world and its harmony. We must always be aware of the vibrations we emit individually and collectively. Always be in command of your music. Only you can control and shape its tone. If life throws you a few bad notes or vibrations, don’t let them interrupt or alter your song.”

Suzy Kassem

 

Since I have started writing I have had the honor of meeting and crossing paths with many beautiful souls. I have also been blessed with some priceless career and life advice from some amazing people.

The first piece of advice was given to me via an email conversation with Peter and Alkistis of Scarlet Imprint. I had reached out to them with some questions about writing, and publishing, as I very much respect their knowledge, and professionalism in regards to their Craft. They told me to stay passionate, stay hungry, and to take over the online world; they also told me to take my time because they see too many talented writers want to be published too soon. Finishing off the e-mail with, “it seems your heart is in the right place for this.”

To get that email a little over a year ago, while just beginning my true path was profound and surreal.

The second piece of advice was given to me by a few fellow writers on a fb page I follow, they told me to write 2,000 words per day, even if they are a jumbled mess of nothing; force yourself to write, they insisted. So, I do. Every day. I force myself to bleed.

The third piece of advice was given to me by a mentor, someone I look up to very much, he told me to write about things I am not comfortable with. He told me to step outside of my box, never to be stuck in one genre or rhythm; he said that if I end up getting stuck and finding my rhythm the artist will die, the muse will lose authenticity. His words haunt me when I notice any sense of repetitiveness in my writing, which is often, I mean, I do have my own style.

I hope not to get stuck, I hope to be able to take my style, my sass and apply it to whatever topic it is I am discussing. Some days I am better at this than others, let’s hope today is one of the good days.

I get requests all the time for blogs, and I keep a list in my notebook; it’s my go to when I want to challenge my skill, my mind, my thought process, and my ability to explain things in a manner that is articulate but simple and with depth and soul. I want people to feel my passion when they read my words.

One of the main topics that is requested is the collective conscious, and unconscious. I am a huge fan of Jung, and to even attempt to explain this makes me nervous.

The collective unconscious is defined as follows:

“In Jungian psychology, a part of the unconscious mind, shared by a society, a people, or all humankind, that is the product of ancestral experience.”

One could then draw the conclusion that Jung was referring to what most of us know as the Akashic Records. It seems his theory is based on both the individual and collective, focusing primarily on the individual though; whereas the Akashic Records is a library for the collective, and much harder to access levels of individual information.

If you have ever been to the Akashic Records via Astral Travel or guided meditation, then you will understand what I am talking about; to those who have not experienced this, I will perhaps write a future post about accessing them, and what they are.

The collective conscious is defined as:

“Collective conscious or collective conscience (French conscience collective) is the set of shared beliefs, ideas and moral attitudes which operate as a unifying force within society. The term was introduced by the French sociologist Émile Durkheim in his Division of Labour in Society in 1893.”

“The French word conscience can be translated into English as “conscious” or “conscience” (conscience morale), or even “perception” or “awareness”, and commentators and translators of Durkheim disagree on which is most appropriate, or whether the translation should depend on the context. Some prefer to treat the word ‘conscience’ as an untranslatable foreign word or technical term, without its normal English meaning. In general, it does not refer to the specifically moral conscience, but to a shared understanding of social norms.”

“As for “collective”, Durkheim makes clear that he is not reifying or hypostasizing this concept; for him, it is “collective” simply in the sense that it is common to many individuals; social fact.”

Collective consciousness in Durkheimian social theory

“Durkheim used the term in his books The Division of Labour in Society (1893), Rules of the Sociological Method (1895), Suicide (1897), and The Elementary Forms of Religious Life (1912). In The Division of Labour, Durkheim argued that in traditional/primitive societies (those based around clan, family or tribal relationships) totemic religion played an important role in uniting members through the creation of a common consciousness (conscience collective in the original French). In societies of this type, the contents of an individual’s consciousness are largely shared in common with all other members of their society, creating a mechanical solidarity through mutual likeness.”

“The totality of beliefs and sentiments common to the average members of a society forms a determinate system with a life of its own. It can be termed the collective or creative consciousness.”

—Emile Durkheim

“In Suicide, Durkheim developed the concept of anomie to refer to the social rather than individual causes of suicide. This relates to the concept of collective consciousness as if there is a lack of integration or solidarity in society then suicide rates will be higher.”

To put this in simpler terms, the collective unconscious refers to each individual, and the knowledge we inherently carry with us via our ancestral bonds; basically every memory, every thought, every feeling, every, everything that has ever occurred exists in this “database” and we can tap into it.

I guess I could even go further and say that some of our instinct, or intuition could very well be coming from the collective unconscious, and perhaps it is not us entirely who are making those decisions based on “our gut” but rather, the unconscious becoming conscious. Or is that what instinct really is, and I am just now figuring it out?

The collective conscious can be compared to herd mentality, and how the thoughts of united groups of people create, effect, and change ‘reality’. One could also compare the collective conscious with organized religion because dealing with the collective conscious, the individual is lost and the social structure (hierarchy) or herd is formed.

Tapping into the collective unconscious is something that many people wish to do, but the more I study the whole idea, the more I have to wonder if we are not already tapped into this energy source, just calling it by other names, every name, any name, when it really has no name.

We are everything, and nothing, remember? Therefore, our levels of consciousness are, too.

We are limitless, boundless, infinite.

I am going to link you to some resources, some were used as reference points in this piece, and some can be for further exploration.

http://www.carl-jung.net/collective_unconscious.html

http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Collective+consciousness

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/collective+unconscious

I am mad that Wikipedia actually got this right, because usually I dismiss everything on there:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_unconscious

Brace yourselves for this one, it gets a little crazy towards the end:

http://thegreaterpicture.com/collective-consciousness.html

Lessons in Magick: How I found Luciferianism

November 6, 2015

Violetta Kostyreva

Image: Violetta Kostyreva

“All the various types of teachings and spiritual paths are related to the different capacities of understanding that different individuals have. There does not exist, from an absolute point of view, any teaching which is more perfect or effective than another. A teaching’s value lies solely in the inner awakening which an individual can arrive at through it. If a person benefits from a given teaching, for that person that teaching is the supreme path, because it is suited to his or her nature and capacities. There’s no sense in trying to judge it as more or less elevated in relation to other paths to realization.”

Namkhai Norbu

I am asked questions all the time, I think that this late in the game I am used to it for the most part. I still get bombarded with basic, beginner questions and I take a deep breath, answer as politely as I can, and send the newly born Seeker on his/her way.

Besides being asked “What is Luciferianism”, which I have covered in a past blog, the second most asked question is, “How did you find your way to Luciferianism?”

This is a multi-layered answer, and not a clear one, at that; I will try my best to tell my story of how I sparked the Black Flame within myself.

It seems to be common belief that you have to start at a specific point, or that you need specific books, or tools, initiations into sects, or societies to gain the knowledge of Luciferianism, or anything Occult related; this couldn’t be further from the truth.

We are all individuals, we all view the world and believe subjectively, to say that there is one starting point would make no sense. How can there be one starting point for ALL of us?

I was raised in the Roman Catholic Church, my Father and his parents being Orthodox Polish Roman Catholics. Which in my opinion they can be stricter than the notorious Italian Roman Catholic. I say this in a light hearted manner, and am not trying to offend any ethnicity, or religion.

In order to understand me, and my story, you need to understand my Slavic, and Roman Catholic roots.

Even though I was forced into the Church, and man was I defiant, I am grateful for the knowledge learned there. The Bible itself may be a bunch of stories but in order to understand the whole you have to understand that piece.

So many Occultists, and Witches, Luciferians etc. completely discredit the bible, and won’t even read it. In my opinion, it is essential reading. How else are we supposed to combat those who wish to oppress us other than with their own words? Fight fire with fire, right?

Magick has always been a part of my life, rebellion, defiance, and visits from Celestial beings have been, too; one would think that when I broke away from the Church that Occultism, or some form of Paganism would be the first stop on my path.

On the contrary.

I started to devour every historical book that I could find with text on Philosophy, religion, and taboo belief systems throughout the world; I studied, and I studied, and I studied some more. Then I reached the point where some important questions had to be asked in order for me to continue forward on my path.

  • Do I believe in a Supreme being?
  • Is this being omniscient?
  • Are there multiple Gods/Goddesses?
  • What do I think about pre-destiny? And, who is behind it?
  • Where does my Magick come from?
  • How was this world created?
  • Where do we go when we die?
  • Why am I here?
  • Is there such a thing as Karma?
  • Do we reincarnate?

After these questions were answered I was able to start forming my personal Philosophy, I did not want to label it as anything other than “my belief” and for a while, I was all over the board because I couldn’t find anything to fit, so I didn’t force it, I let it be.

Then I found Hinduism through a book called Life of Pi. There was one quote that stuck out to me out of all the brilliant ones in that book.

“Faith is a house with many rooms.”

The context of the quote was how Pi was led to God from Hinduism, to Islam and then to Christianity.

Now, I may be against religion, but it was a profound moment for me at that time.

It gave me validation that my path didn’t have to be straight, it didn’t have to be neat, or follow any rules because there are many rooms—many levels to Philosophy, and there is no rule book out there that tells me I cannot believe the way I want to.

Once I was “given permission” at the age of 19 reading that book, I was liberated from the confines of society, and labels in general. I began to feel my Soul, and Magick blossom.

I reveled in the mysticism that Hinduism provides, loving the dualistic approach to all their deities. I loved the destruction of Kali, and Shiva, I admired the courage of Hanuman, and the beauty of Krishna. Most of all I admired the resilience, and power of my Beloved Ganesh.

The stories are rich in spirituality, and symbolism that can be applied to almost any, and everything in life, but it didn’t fit for me personally, as much as I wanted it to.

I cannot worship. I refuse to worship.

I almost border Atheism with my absolute disgust for worship of a deity.

It was through further reading on Kali, and Shiva that I came to find the LHP and how they are both bold symbols of destruction of the old self to be born anew, both tied in with darkness, serpent energy, and strength; most importantly, justified rage.

I started to stray away from Hinduism, still keeping close connections to certain deities, and made my way to theistic Luciferianism. I am also a practicing traditional Witch; I have a hard time, personally, identifying as Pagan, even though by definition Luciferianism is Paganism. I will always debate that point, “wrong” or not.

I don’t like labels, and I don’t like thinking about limitations because there are no limits. Any restrictions or obstacles that I may face I know I have the knowledge, tools, and ability within myself to handle whatever comes my way.

There is no set course to your destination and there is no starting point, you just have to start.

May the Black Flame light your way.

Lessons in Magick: Common Misconceptions of the Craft, Part One

October 19, 2015

Courtney Brooke Hall

Image: Courtney Brooke Hall

“Indubitably, Magick is one of the subtlest and most difficult of the sciences and arts. There is more opportunity for errors of comprehension, judgement and practice than in any other branch of physics.”

Aleister Crowley

I am an observer by nature, I find that people watching is one of my favorite things to do, and human behavior is something that has fascinated me since I can remember; I always wanted to know what made people tick, and why—the why being most important to me.

My observations of life, and of people have carried over onto my spiritual path, one that because of my writing offers a wide variety of people for me to analyze, watch, and learn from. Seeing how my roots are in Social Media my playground has become a bottomless melting pot of sorts that I freely stir at will when a new subject is needed, or wanted.

Sounds kinda creepy, huh?

I want to know why people act and think, believe and perceive the way they do; I like to know what makes people laugh because you can tell SO much about someone by what they find funny. I want to know what has caused them to form their personal Philosophy, and I love to get into people’s heads. I think everyone is so much more fascinating than I am, leading their colorful lives full of comedy and tragedy.

An epiphany has just come to me as I write this: I like to people watch because it keeps me at a distance, and stops me from forming any real connection.

Shit.

Swerving away from that let me get to my point, because I observe so much, and I interact so much via my pages, I pick up thought patterns and it is in these thought patterns that I have been able to find a few common, very common might I say, misconceptions about the Craft. This is not only coming from outsiders, but from our Sisters and Brothers, too.

I am going to try and address these two issues in my own way (saving two more common issues for a later post) and I may not get it all correct but this is my standpoint on subjects that no one has ever really put out there. It is my intention to start conversation, or at least trigger thought, while cleaning up some of the muck in regards to definitions, labels, and our community.

Here we go…

Can you be Right Hand Path and Left Hand Path at the same time? This question comes quite frequently and it was recently brought back up when someone asked what I thought about “Luciferian Masons”. I laughed. I have said this next line more than I would like to in recent weeks but it must be said again, I come from a long line of Masons and Eastern Stars, recently inheriting a ritual book from 1943 that I am so proud, and blessed to have. I don’t claim to know everything about Masonry because, well, I am not a Mason, no matter what runs in my blood. I do know one thing and that is, Masonry is a form of Gnosticism, therefore it is RHP.

I know there are some who say that Mason’s true deity is Lucifer, out of misunderstanding and fear mongering (the Christian Devil Archetype), or that they believe Jesus Christ of the Bible to be Lucifer, while others claim it is the Baphomet; unless you have actually read THEIR text and not something off the internet, you will never really know that answer, and that is why Masonry is so secretive, and why so many lies surround the group.  People really just don’t know.

One truth remains though, they are Right Hand Path.

Luciferianism is an Esoteric Philosophy that falls on the Left Hand Path; no matter how you want to make these two fit together, no matter how you claim to be “more awake than the rest” or “see the bigger picture” when it comes to these two paths, they are mutually exclusive.

To put it simply:

You cannot be dominant, and submissive at the same time; you either are Left Hand Path or you are not, there is no duality in terms of these two Philosophies.

When I have explained this before people brought up the fact that I am a theist, and I am, but I do not worship. I do not look to my deities for answers, or problem solving, I do not look to them for issues that I can readily solve myself if I just go deep enough within. Have I called on deities and powers from beyond for help? Yes, as a Witch it is part of my Magick, but I do not worship these deities, I offer items to them and barter, when the deed is done they go back, and that is that.

Those who follow the RHP, worship. Those who follow the LHP, do not.

Both paths are equally important, and one does not trump the other but please for all that is holy and unholy, can we get them straight?

The idea of Karma vs. Free Will: This is an extremely gray area and one that sparks many heated debates whenever it is brought up. I can only speak from my perspective, and many of you will probably not agree with me, fun thing about that is, you don’t have to.

I do not believe in the Western idea of Karma which is, “what goes around comes around”. I think history has completely butchered and bastardized the word.

Let us define the Eastern idea of Karma, you know, where the word originates. I will link you to the full article at the bottom.

“Karma means action, means “to do”. Immediately we have an indication that the real meaning of karma is not fate because karma is action. It is dynamic. But it is more than simply action because it is not mechanical action. It is not unconscious or involuntary action. It is intentional, conscious, deliberate, willful action. How is it that this intentional, will action conditions or determines our situation? It is because every action must have a reaction, an effect. This truth has been expressed in regard to the physical universe by the great physicist Newton who formulated the law which states that every action must have an equal and opposite reaction. In the moral sphere of conscious actions, we have a counterpart to the physical law of action and reaction, the law that every intentional, will action must have its effect. This is why we sometimes speak either of Karma-Vipaka, intentional action and its ripened effect, or we speak of Karma-Phala, intentional action and its fruit. It is when we speak of intentional action together with its effect or fruit that we speak of the Law of Karma.”

Could one not take this definition and say, my will is for this outcome to happen, and if said action (your willful intent) causes said reaction (result) is that not Karma? Where does it say that the effects will COME BACK TO YOU, or effect anyone or anything negatively?

It does not.

So you see Karma in this definition IS Free Will.

Free Will being the idea that we govern ourselves, and have individual sovereignty thus we make our own decisions, we have willful intent. (See definition of Karma again)

When dealing with some forms of Magick (Wicca, specifically) it became a rule that one must not take over another’s Free Will, but in some instances, is that not all Magick is?

I do not agree with casting a Love Spell directly on someone, or using Magick to force someone to make a decision in your favor, things of that nature are not within my moral compass to do. I also believe that if you feed into the idea of Karma (Western style) then you must subscribe also to the idea of some omniscient being whom is dishing out retribution, and I do not follow that theory.

When we hex, compel with truth/glamour spells, or do binding spells, we are in fact taking away free will.

Example: You wish to bind someone from acting in a specific manner, from being in your life, or from doing harm to themselves/you, whomever. Well, if that person wishes to do those things, and your Magick stops them, then you have taken away their free will.

Make sense?

While the Western form of Karma and Free Will cannot co-exist, the true definition of Karma and Free Will can because in actuality, they are one in the same.

I want our community to be the best we can be, full of knowledge, understanding and compassion for our Sistren and Brethren, but that cannot happen if we do not open dialogue about issues that plague us, and do nothing but hinder our growth on a personal, and collective level.

Blessed are the Witches.

Link to read more about Eastern Karma, and source for referenced definition of Karma:

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/karma1.htm