The Occultist's Persona

In the mainstream occult "industry" right now, we see a lot of occultists that range from famous, feeling famous, notorious, diva, flamboyant, to psychotic. These types of people can be seen on TV, YouTube, Facebook and other social media platforms and their presence influence a lot of aspiring "witches" and "Wiccans" in the country. 

Observing these individuals made me realize that, although some are really knowledgeable in their respective fields, most, sadly are not. As image and social media presence are very important to some of them, I actually created some Personality template for some of the occultists that I observe in the country.

1. The Bunny- The bunny is an occultist that is afraid to commit to one specific Path. These are practitioners that are practicing monotheism last month and a vocal polytheist the next month. They hop from one mystical tradition to the other at a snap of a finger and would normally just inform people they are eclectic. They easily accept anything and everything.

2. The Maria Clara- The Maria Clara is a practitioner that conforms and agrees with everything. You can see them promote Love and Light to everyone, in the midst of two contrasting traditions. They are the people who would agree to all truths from all religion, but would disagree internally. If you put them in the middle of an argument, you'll see them agreeing with both parties.

3. The Cult Leader- This practitioner is a headstrong, dominating and controlling. They would appear as the "leader" of the group most of the time and would dictate what is allowed and what is not allowed in groups that they lead. They are so controlling that they would even dictate the information that their members should read about. They are self-centered and very egotistic and would normally be very charismatic. They also decide on things without even consulting the people around them, proving to all that they are the Alpha.

4. The CEO- These types of practitioners look at the monetary return in everything they do. They often monetize the value of their services and would normally build a business around it. Though not really wrong, some of these types eventually lose the spiritual side of the practice in favor of the returns they get. They can also be rabid against each other solely because they see other "CEOs" as competitors to the market. Ever saw a practitioner charging fifteen thousand pesos for a cleansing ritual?

5. You got to Hermione- These practitioners are the know-it-all. I sometimes call them "Google Witches" since it seems like they always have a say about anything and everything, even things that are beyond the scope of the tradition they practice. They always participate in discussions, often quoting someone else and posting excerpts from books. They rarely explain things on their own and would often start their arguments with "According to..."

6. The Grand Poobah- "One Ring to Rule Them All..." These people view themselves as the all powerful and most magickal of all the people in the world. They view themselves as superior magickally to everyone and would often tell people that they "summoned this God" and "called on this Demon". They would brush off threats and would boast about how powerful they are. These people would also test their skills against others to confirm their powers.

7. The Charlie's Angels- These type often surround themselves with a veil of mystery and half-truths. They would present themselves as an expert in whatever field that they want to represent. They would give a little information to the person they talk to (based on how knowledgeable they are with the topic) and they would not answer any follow-up questions under the pretense of secrecy. These practitioners are often oblivious to the things they are saying, but are excellent in making other people believe that they are the "real thing".

8. The Drama Queen- the Drama Queen is a practitioner that is full of negativity, either emotional or behavioral. They always talk to people and would air their problems. They will also ask for an advice, but would not follow it anyway. They feel that the people around them needs to drop everything that they do to listen to their problems and console them. 

9. The Superstar- This type is our typical "famous" practitioner. Most are well-known, exposed in the media, social media, literature, etc. They are the most influential of the bunch and most people who are seeking this path would listen and follow their advice. They desire the limelight and the fame that their practice bring, and would not hesitate appearing on an interview. They would always view themselves as "important" and should come first. Reminds me of the scene in Titanic, where Rose's mother ask the crew if there is a lifeboat for the "first class".

10. Miss Congeniality- is a very social practitioner. You can see this practitioner everywhere and in all celebrations (or rituals) of everyone. They do not have any reservations joining a rite of a different tradition, other than theirs, in the name of friendship and love. Imagine seeing a Wiccan, who also attends a celebration of Jehovah's witnesses, Mormons and a Born Again Service. You might also see them attend a Hindu Ritual, and the Holy Week Ritual of an Antingero. 

11. The Advocate- These are practitioners who always thinks of "social responsibility" in all their action. You see them very active in LGBT and Animal Rights and in all other social and environmental relevant events. They might be heading a fundraiser for stray animals, promoting awareness about specific Traditions or Path and educating people about culture and spirituality. These people normally do things even without the appropriate monetary returns, just for them to deliver their message to the world.

12. The Starchild- The Starchild is a practitioner who thinks that they are destined for something special. That the universe has something for them and they are a part of a world shaking destiny. They always feel that they are something important and would feel that they have a role to play in something big. These people are also afraid to face reality and when confronted by it, they would just tell you "You wouldn't understand it".

These Personas are not targeted to a specific person. Most of the time, these types may mix with each other. Some people may have two or more templates.

Can you see yourself in any of these Personas?

Photos are from the Internet