|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 6:41 pm
This is a topic to discuss witchcraft and the like. When it comes to paranormal activity, I'm largely a skeptic, but there have been a few stories I've heard and do believe.
My mom went to Salem, MA. with a friend of hers years ago. She had a GPS installed in the car she was using, and supposedly the thing shut down (swear) the second her and her friend crossed the "Welcome to Salem" sign and didn't start up again for the whole trip until they left and drove past the sign. She described that, the whole time her and her friend were there, that quite a few people on the street and in shops stared at them for no apparent reason, and when they went to this one museum place (I don't remember exactly where it was) a lady was following her from room to room and seriously would not take her eyes off my mom (and I wonder if it was the fact that the lady was wearing weird, old-looking clothing.)
Another time, I had a few friends over for a sleepover, and I guess one of my friends brought this "spell book" over so we could all fool around with it. Long story short, they tried bringing back the spirit of one of my dead pets back, I guess as a test run. It didn't work, per say, but later we all were kind of seeing (or thought we saw) weird shapes in my backyard and noises, such as the fence door shutting.
Anyway, they were glad to leave, and I can't say I blame her. She told me this a few years ago, and I can't help but put the question to all of you:
Do you believe in witchcraft? Or do you simply believe that some people really think they do think they have powers?
Do you believe in bad spirits?
Discuss. =D
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 6:58 am
witchcraft is usually more than just working magick, tho that is a big part of it. for most people it's a religion too. I was a practicing witch for over a decade, and am starting to pick up the practice again. I do believe in magick. I've done some things that are just too coincidental to be otherwise (I dont believe in coincidence). for example... I had a friend once who got pregnant.. but it was an ectopic pregnancy and she was in pain. I would babysit her on the weekends while her bf was at work. she wanted to keep the baby if she could but her dr said she'd most likely have to get an abortion because it could kill her. well, she gave me permission to work some magick on the situation, so one night I did.. it took a lot out of me... and she didnt know when I was going to do it, so the next day I asked her how she was feeling and how she felt the night before. she told me she was watching tv around the time I was doing the spell, and felt a tingling sensation in her belly. while I was performing the spell, in my minds eye her cat appeared out of nowhere. turns out her cat was laying on her belly too at the time. 2 days later, she went to the dr, and the dr found the embryo dislodged from her tubes and moved down into her womb.. her child is autistic, but is alive and well, and so is she. he's around 13 years old now.
so yeah, based on that an some other amazing happenings... I do believe in magick. it is the act of manipulating the energies within and around us and directing them towards a certain goal. but it will only work within the laws of nature... as in... one couldnt cause someone to sprout wings and fly.. that's against natural law, we are not birds. but working in accordance to natural law, much can be done to change or improve situations, conditions, or circumstances in our lives.
the trick is knowing what things you can change and what things you cant.
and as for spirits, yeah I believe in them. but I also go by the guidelines of 'dont call up what you cant put down'.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 11:30 pm
There is a chemical in your brain
I too, am a believer. Though I'm still battling with my current religion and paganism, I have been told by many people that my energy was very strong. I've also been told I was a healer and I had a priest tell my mother I was a mystic. A baby mystic, but a mystic nonetheless. I've often been able to have people with magickal gifts find problems that I had mostly forgotten I had, say if my back hurts, and I forget, they find that place and make it feel better. My Chiropractor actually works with energy (I know this is often misconstrued as a crack a** field anyway, but Chiropractic is mostly just allowing the body to do what it's supposed to do at a normal level). This is unusual for a lot of chiropractors, but mine has been able to heal me when other doctors told me nothing was wrong (one even kept insisting on asking if I was suicidal-this is when I went in because my throat hurt).
It's pouring sunshine and rain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 8:00 am
Rainbeam There is a chemical in your brain
I too, am a believer. Though I'm still battling with my current religion and paganism, I have been told by many people that my energy was very strong. I've also been told I was a healer and I had a priest tell my mother I was a mystic. A baby mystic, but a mystic nonetheless. I've often been able to have people with magickal gifts find problems that I had mostly forgotten I had, say if my back hurts, and I forget, they find that place and make it feel better. My Chiropractor actually works with energy (I know this is often misconstrued as a crack a** field anyway, but Chiropractic is mostly just allowing the body to do what it's supposed to do at a normal level). This is unusual for a lot of chiropractors, but mine has been able to heal me when other doctors told me nothing was wrong (one even kept insisting on asking if I was suicidal-this is when I went in because my throat hurt).
It's pouring sunshine and rain I think I know what you mean concerning battling religious beliefs. I was once asked to pick a deity to dedicate myself to. but then I realized that deep down I've always seen 'the gods' in the myths on the surface as being more like comic book characters. I couldnt 'dedicate' myself to any one of them. now, I view the gods as archetypes or symbols for the natural energies they represent. at best they may be spirits, but not 'gods' as what we commonly understand a 'god' to be. I've never been deemed a mystic or anything, but in my past in dealing with other spiritual people, mostly witches of some kind, I've been told Im very wise for one my age and that mine is an "old soul". I remember once, when my son was about 2, he had an extremely clubbed foot and had recently undergone an operation for it, I was walking with him to the corner store and an older lady was walking toward us staring at my son. she stopped in front of me, smiled at me and looked down at my son. then she knelt down and seemed to examine his leg. tho she seemed brimming over with benevolent energy, I remember at first thinking "oh my god, what is she doing?!" then she stood up and asked me about his foot, so I told her about his club foot and all he had undergone since birth because of it (he had been in casts since he had been 5 days old). she looked me in the eye and said "yours is an old soul.... you are a good mother" and she walked away. I was left standing there in amazement.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 9:58 pm
I believe in spirits, both beign and evil.
I believe in the power of prayer.
I belive witchcraft exists in the way Lilraine talked about.
I believe angels walk among us.
I believe St Anthony is a really nice guy! blaugh
I belive God does much in our lives that we don't notice or don't believe he did.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:21 pm
As I remember, witchcraft was the negative view term to describe wiccans. Wiccans were at the time just smarter than normal people with connections to nature and its elements. So then, if you make a healing potion of herbs and such, you are evil and must die, as it was.
I am pagan, of views of ancient greece, and I would guess in similar views as some wiccan tribes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 3:14 pm
Drak of Paradise As I remember, witchcraft was the negative view term to describe wiccans. Wiccans were at the time just smarter than normal people with connections to nature and its elements. So then, if you make a healing potion of herbs and such, you are evil and must die, as it was. I am pagan, of views of ancient greece, and I would guess in similar views as some wiccan tribes. I dont ever recall the term 'witch' being seen a derogatory to wiccans. in fact, all wiccans are witches, but not all witches are wiccans. the wicca that we know today is less than 100 years old and is an eclectic neo-pagan form of witchcraft. it combines aspects of various ancient pagan cultures. there are others who are hereditary witches from particular family traditions who would consider it an insult to them to be called 'wiccan' for their traditions were passed on to them from generation to generation within their family. on the other hand, to use the term 'warlock' for a male witch is considered an insult to all witches. the indo-european translation for the word 'warlock' is 'liar' or 'deceiver'. lastly, witches/wiccans arent necessarily 'smarter than normal', they just have a different understanding of things is all. they have a closer relationship to the natural world because they seek to have a closer relationship to the natural world, and ANYbody can do what they do. 3nodding
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 3:55 pm
lilraine Drak of Paradise As I remember, witchcraft was the negative view term to describe wiccans. Wiccans were at the time just smarter than normal people with connections to nature and its elements. So then, if you make a healing potion of herbs and such, you are evil and must die, as it was. I am pagan, of views of ancient greece, and I would guess in similar views as some wiccan tribes. I dont ever recall the term 'witch' being seen a derogatory to wiccans. in fact, all wiccans are witches, but not all witches are wiccans. the wicca that we know today is less than 100 years old and is an eclectic neo-pagan form of witchcraft. it combines aspects of various ancient pagan cultures. there are others who are hereditary witches from particular family traditions who would consider it an insult to them to be called 'wiccan' for their traditions were passed on to them from generation to generation within their family. on the other hand, to use the term 'warlock' for a male witch is considered an insult to all witches. the indo-european translation for the word 'warlock' is 'liar' or 'deceiver'. lastly, witches/wiccans arent necessarily 'smarter than normal', they just have a different understanding of things is all. they have a closer relationship to the natural world because they seek to have a closer relationship to the natural world, and ANYbody can do what they do. 3nodding Well the only time I ever hear witch, it is used in the evil spell castor sense, never in the good sense other than the Wizard of Oz's good witch. Warlock I've never heard in any term close to a positive view. Maybe the issue of growing up in a town who hates change (slightly racist and anti-other things). What ever happened to Salem though?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 5:11 pm
Drak of Paradise lilraine Drak of Paradise As I remember, witchcraft was the negative view term to describe wiccans. Wiccans were at the time just smarter than normal people with connections to nature and its elements. So then, if you make a healing potion of herbs and such, you are evil and must die, as it was. I am pagan, of views of ancient greece, and I would guess in similar views as some wiccan tribes. I dont ever recall the term 'witch' being seen a derogatory to wiccans. in fact, all wiccans are witches, but not all witches are wiccans. the wicca that we know today is less than 100 years old and is an eclectic neo-pagan form of witchcraft. it combines aspects of various ancient pagan cultures. there are others who are hereditary witches from particular family traditions who would consider it an insult to them to be called 'wiccan' for their traditions were passed on to them from generation to generation within their family. on the other hand, to use the term 'warlock' for a male witch is considered an insult to all witches. the indo-european translation for the word 'warlock' is 'liar' or 'deceiver'. lastly, witches/wiccans arent necessarily 'smarter than normal', they just have a different understanding of things is all. they have a closer relationship to the natural world because they seek to have a closer relationship to the natural world, and ANYbody can do what they do. 3nodding Well the only time I ever hear witch, it is used in the evil spell castor sense, never in the good sense other than the Wizard of Oz's good witch. Warlock I've never heard in any term close to a positive view. Maybe the issue of growing up in a town who hates change (slightly racist and anti-other things). What ever happened to Salem though? oh I see what you meant. and the term 'witch' does have a negative history, but it's not derogatory against just wiccans. "wicca" (male) and "wicce" (female) are actually old english words for 'witch'. it was the mideval christian chruch that gave the term it's negative associations, and they would use it against pretty much anyone they wanted. women, jews, muslims, healers (and these didnt have to be pagan, some were jews or even christian), someone with warts and other foolish reasons. what do you mean what happened to Salem? it's still there. smile
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 6:11 pm
But is it a frowned upon city?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 7:09 pm
Drak of Paradise But is it a frowned upon city? it's a tourist attraction and historical site. there is a famous witch there named Laurie Cabot. I dont think it's frowned upon in general, no. there may be some christians out there that think it's an evil place.. and my guess is that they'd be the same people who think Harry Potter is evil too, which is just silly but they're out there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 9:20 am
Sakyh I belive God does much in our lives that we don't notice or don't believe he did. Agreed. 3nodding
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 10:27 am
I myself am an amature practicioner of Heka (Egyptian word for magic, which you can see that withcraft predates medieval conceptions of when it started) Heka doesn't involve, for the most part, ingredients and circles, but instead focuses upon calling and harnessing the energies of the Netjeru and asking Thier divine aid to help people in matters thet They the Deities have endured in Zep Tepi (The First Instance, or Beginning of Creation) Sometimes ingredients are used if anything to increase the potency of a spell or when used to disperse negative energy.
Heka can be used however the caster intends for it's use, but it has consequences, and sometimes trying to use Heka for the wrong reasons will result in the request being denied at the least, or at the worst backfiring and causing misery to the caster, so the Netjeru are very watchful over how Heka is used.
As for spirits, there are two kinds: Akhu and muuet. Akhu are those who's kas have passed the Judgement of Wesir (Osiris) and have become Akhu, or 'shining ones' While thier ba (true soul) enters into the Duat, thier kas remain on the mortal plane to help guide those who seek thier aid. Muuet are spirits who refuse to go to judgement and torment humanity, or just sulk, fearing judgement.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
