When pagans talk about “magic,” they don’t mean waving a wand and turning somebody into a toad. Although a lot of pagans do have a wand, they don’t believe they can just wave it and change a human being into an amphibian.
Okay, I take that back. I’m sure a few pagans—and non-pagans, for that matter—do believe they can do that sort of thing. But we have a word for those people: nuts.
So, although most pagans believe in magic, I’m slowly learning that pagan magic is not quite as exciting as it sounds. As Wiccan writer Scott Cunningham explains, “Contrary to popular belief, magic isn’t supernatural.” Which means I won’t be turning anybody into a toad. Damn.
Real magic—the kind most pagans practice—is, in the words of writer Carl McColman, “nothing more—or less—than harnessing your own inherent mental and spiritual power to create the life you desire.”
For lack of a better comparison, pagan magic is kind of like the power of positive thinking. What you think—whether it’s good or bad—eventually becomes reality. So pagans try to shape their worlds for the better through affirmations, visualization, and yes, magic spells.
I guess maybe I was hoping for a little abracadabra-type “real” magic, but this pagan magic stuff kind of sounds like work. It’s not necessarily about changing the physical world in obvious ways or changing your ex into a toad. It’s much simpler than that—and much more difficult, if you ask me.
Carl McColman describes it pretty well. He says: “The more you say positive and powerful things about your life, the more you train yourself to believe that you deserve good things and the more conscious you become of opportunities that come your way.”
Ugh. So it’s basically that same old “happy, positive thoughts” stuff—like The Secret. The thing is, I do believe I deserve good things. I just don’t have those things. If I didn’t think I deserved better, I wouldn’t be so pissed off all the time.
I do think I deserve good things, and sometimes I even think positive thoughts. But . . . nothing. My regular old everyday "magic" just doesn’t seem to work.
I guess I was kind of hoping that having a wand would help, but so far, not so much. Again, Carl McColman sets me straight: “The various tools and props we use are merely objects to help in the real work of magic: focusing the mind.”
Oh, crap. I’m in trouble. If you’ve read more than a single post here, you know I’m not all that great at “focusing the mind.”
But I refuse to give up. And I refuse to accept my crappy life—oops, what I meant to say is “I am paving the way for a wonderful life full of amazing things.”
So, just to prove that I’m willing to go the distance every month and with every religion, today, I’m going to do a spell. I am going to change myself and the world around me. I’m going to rock this magic thing!
See? I’m all about this positive thinking crap. I mean, stuff. Whatever. I’ll let you know how it goes.
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