Bane of the Modern Pagan
The Pagan Path is an evolving
Path. It has endured and evolved all these years and became what we have in
these modern times. However, with the evolution of the practice, the spiritual
aspect of the Craft has been overshadowed by the interest of magick for
everyday use. As I am not entirely against the use of your skills to craft
spells for your everyday needs, I am a bit concerned about people leaving out
the spiritual parts of their practice.
Let me enumerate some of my
observations regarding the practice of the modern Pagan. I call these the bane
of the modern Pagans.
1 1. The
Lack of Spirituality- As I have mentioned earlier, the Craft has became more
practical and less spiritual. A lot of so-called Wiccans and Pagans right now
are more into spells and rituals than they are with their devotion to the
Divine. Whenever you ask some of them why they want to become Pagans, the usual
answer I get is because they want to do spells for their crushes or do
prosperity spells. Not a lot of them would say that they want to be close to
the Goddess or to the God.
2.
2. 2. The
Flair for Instants- As information became very accessible on the internet, some
of the Wiccans/Pagans I know forgot some good old by the book research.
Majority of us are just into the pre-made spells and rituals that we forget that
crafting and wording the spell is already part of the spell. As spells on the
internet become readily available, some of us fail to realize the importance of
putting our intentions to the spells.
3.
3. The
“Chopseuy”- now dont get me wrong, Eclectism is a valid and accepted Path
however, there are some who claim that they are eclectic as an excuse for
putting things they believe are useful, without even studying the entire Path
or Tradition. Eclectism should be a blend of practices that creates a cohesive Path
where an eclectic practitioner should be able to piece together parts of
structured or identified traditions. However, the Eclectics that I see right
now are people who would put together stuff without even knowing the entire
thing. No spirituality, no belief in the Gods just plain and simple practical
spells.
4.
4. The
Devotion- Focusing specifically on devotion, some of our Pagan friends do not
even bother to celebrate their Goddesses or God’s feast. They only call the
Gods when they need them in rites. When the Gods did not give their petitions,
they would drop them like hot pies, jump to “worship” a different God. This
cycle can go on and on until such time that their prayers are heard. One they
ask for another thing and its not given to them again, the cycle starts again.
How can the Gods answer a prayer from a person they do not even know?
5.
5. The
Inner Mysteries- with the lacking devotion, some of our Pagan friends are
practicing the Craft superficially, unable to connect with the Divine. Some of
us are guided by the Voices of the Gods, especially if we have created a very
strong connection with Them, through devotions and prayers. Some of us though,
especially those who failed to maintain a strong relationship with the Gods,
are unable to connect with them and cannot and will not hear the voice of the
Divine.
As a Wiccan or a Pagan, we need
to be very spiritual as this is the foundation of our Practice-may it be
Stregheria, Seidr, Greek, etc. The Path is always affected by our connection
with the Divine. We need to be close to the Gods we serve and devote ourselves
to them. By being connected to the Gods, we eventually hear their voices and in
return They could guide us better. Try to start a devotion with the God/Goddess
you serve by getting to know them better. Learn Their stories, myths, Sacred
Days, feasts, color, etc. Try to light a candle, burn Their favorite incenses,
provide the right offerings on Their Sacred days and you’ll be surprised to
have visions and hear Their voices.
Modernity does not make the Gods
unreachable. It is the witch’s heart that stray away from the Gods. It’s time
to reconnect with the Divine.
Photo from the Internet
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