The K in magick

Week #22 - the letter "K" again

I used to wonder why, in some instances, the word "magic" had a letter "K" at the end of it.  At first I thought it was just a Pagan thing.  Along the lines, I heard that it was used to differentiate between the magic you see on stage performed by magicians and what Witches do in practice.  About.com gives some credit to Aleister Crowley, saying:

Aleister Crowley started using the work "magick" and gave several reasons why. The most often mentioned reason is to differentiate what he was doing with stage magic. However, such a usage is really unnecessary. Academics discuss magic in ancient cultures all the time and no one thinks they are talking about the Celts pulling rabbits out of hats. 

But Crowley gave several other reasons why he used the term "magick," and these reasons are often ignored. The central reason was that he considered magick to be anything that moves a person closer to fulfilling their ultimate destiny, which he called one's True Will. By this definition, magick doesn't have to be metaphysical. Any action, mundane or magical, that helps fulfill one's True Will is magick. Casting a spell to get a boy's attention is most certainly not magick. 

 There is a lot of chatter out there about adding and omitting the "K".  Everyone seems to have their own opinion about what is right and what is wrong.  Does it honestly matter?  In the end, I agree with the owner of the Spiral Star website:

So when you get right down to it, you can spell it anyway you want. Magic, magick, magicke, magiq, magique, magiqe, majick, majik or however else you want to spell it, it's the same thing.

If you are referring to the workings of a Witch (moving energy to affect a change), it really doesn't matter how you choose to spell it.  Intention is what matters.  For me, I prefer to add the "K" to distinguish that there is a difference but I do not care if you choose to spell it a different way.  As long as we are aware that our discussion is on the same topic/type of magic(k), we are good.

I really like the rationale in the below picture and feel it is a good summation of my preference to use the "K".

What goes around comes around

Karma sees all

Karma

Week 21 - the letter "K"

The idea of Karma was one of the main reasons I converted from Catholicism to Paganism.  Besides always asking the questions that weren't "appropriate" I had major issue with a god who was all-powerful but "allowed" bad things to happen all over the world, and to seemingly good, non-deserving-of-wrath people.  I couldn't understand it.  And when my younger brother suffered a tragic accident that was nearly fatal, me and this god had a little bit of an argument.

When I stumbled onto Paganism and really started looking at what Karma was, I felt a bit of relief.  I still struggled with it because what could a child have done that was so bad that Karma visited and caused them immense pain and suffering?  Digging into the idea, I began to understand it better, especially if I tied it in with reincarnation.

To me, Karma is attributed to your soul and crosses over into all your lifetimes.  Because of this, your Karma can come back on you - good or bad - for something you did in a previous life.  It is your soul that has to learn the lesson.  It is your soul that benefits from the good Karma and suffers from the bad Karma.  If you put out good, good comes back to you.  If you put out bad, bad comes back to you.  It is both simple and complex.

I also believe that Karma can work in mysterious ways.  Many feel that Karma only affects the person who is the recipient of the boomerang their soul has sent out.  I believe this is mostly true but I also feel that Karma can come back on someone other than the person who put the energy out there, as long as it still affects the original sender.  To me, this would be an extreme case but it does allow me to better rationalize some events in the world.

Recently, I found the graphic that is located to the left.  I really like the idea of embracing Karma as a love-based ideal.  Lessons sounds so much better than consequences.  I think both the fear-based and the love-based versions or Karma are accurate, it just depends on the perspective you elect to have.  The fear-based concept is good for holding yourself to your personal morals and ethics because you don't want something "bad" coming back on you.  Fear-based is the gut-check.  Love-based, on the other hand, caters to the boomerang that comes back to you.  It allows you to accept that the "bad" or "negative" in your life is there to make you stronger and allow you to grow and learn.

Being a Grey Witch, I take Karma seriously.  I know that what I put out there will come back to me as a consequence or a lesson.  I may have to make the first strike in certain situations and I will do so, knowing full well the potential reactions.  There are instances when it is worth the potential pain if it means keeping me and mine safe.  I am responsible for myself and what I do, or do not do, is my choice and I accept whatever it is that may come from my choices.

Jizo

Week 20 - the letter "J" again

I don't remember when I first discovered Jizo.  I remember looking around online or through some random catalogs and magazines and pausing as I saw his statue.  (The statue is below.  I saved the picture but not the link of where it can be purchased.  If anyone can help me find this version of Jizo, please let me know).  There was something about it that made me stop and smile.  I felt a connection to this person depicted in the statue and needed to know more. There was very little in the description of this statue except that he was associated with Buddhism and his name was Jizo.

The image that captured my soul

So I started searching.  And researching.  And reading.  My smile grew larger and I felt myself getting choked up as tears filled my eyes.  Never had I had an experience like this one.  I had never been so drawn to something that I couldn't physically touch at that moment.  Little blurbs of information didn't usually affect me in such a huge and emotional manner.  It was amazing.

Jizo/Jizu Bodhisattva (a Bodhisattva is someone who has become enlightened but decided, unlike Buddha, to remain in a lower state-of-being in order to help others whose souls need to be saved) is the embodiment of the Bodhisattva Vow.  He is the protector of children, expectant mothers, firemen, and travelers. Most of all, he is the protector of deceased children, including miscarried, aborted or stillborn infants. In Japanese folklore, Jizo hides the children in his robes to protect them from demons and guide them to salvation. Jizo means "earth treasury" or "earth womb." Jizo is the guardian of all things that emerge from the earth, and the protector of those on physical or spiritual journeys.

When he is not portrayed carrying children, Jizo carries a wish-fulfilling jewel and a staff with six rings to show his mastery of the Six Realms.

From the blog Grace in Japan, here is a story of how Jizo serves the deceased children:

... if a young child dies, she/he is sent to Sai no Kawara, the river of souls in purgatory. Not only is he/she in this horrible place, but the child is also totally naked and cold. So, in desperation, this poor child, tries to pile up stones into towers so that he/she may get high enough to escape. However, before the tower can be built high enough, evil demons come buy and kick the poor child's tower down.

Just when all hope seems to be lost, out steps our hero - Jizu - who gathers the children beneath his long, warm, flowing robes to protect them. The littlest of all, who can't yet walk, Jizo picks up and carries tucked-up inside the sleeves of his robe. Brave Jizu then helps these children escape out of purgatory.

A particular form of Jizo, the Mizuko Jizo, emerged after World War II to relieve suffering caused by the death of an infant or young child. Mizuko, meaning "water baby," is a term for unborn fetuses, who float in a watery world. If children die early, they are taken back into the realm of the gods where they resided before birth, guided by Jizo Bodhisattva, who shelters little ones who might be confused by the events of a brief life and sudden death.

This ceremony is still performed today and is even celebrated in a number of American Zen temples. The simple but deeply moving ceremony offers a palpable easing of the weight of suffering that surrounds the death of a child. This is the particular gift offered by the holy being Jizo Bodhisattva.

A beautiful, but heart-tugging article about a Jizo Garden shows how Jizo can bring some peace and closure to parents during what is certainly one of the most difficult and painful experiences.

It is the connection to children - in all phases of their lives and deaths - that is my heart.  It is my connection to Jizo.

Jizo Garden in Kyoto, Japan

Jewelry

Week 19 - the letter "J"

One of my favorite ways to visually show and express my spirituality involves wearing my pentacle necklace. It's a very simple method but one that is universal.  Many people wear symbols of their religion via jewelry - pentacles, ankhs, crosses, the Star of David, etc. - to show their pride in their belief system, as a mode of honor and respect, and just to have that physical reminder or touchstone to remind them of their spiritual dogma. I wear my pentacle for all of those reasons.

In the past, I've had people tell me I wear my pentacle openly for shock value.  That is simply not true.  My spirituality is very near and dear to my heart and is an essential component of who I am.  I wear my necklace as a statement of my religion.  It is no different than someone who elects to wear a crucifix.

I've had my pentacle for many years.  It is a simple, silver pentacle that is slightly smaller than a dime.  I don't remember when or where I got it or how much it cost but it is special to me.  I wear it every day and only take it off when I shower.  In fact, I feel "naked" if I'm not wearing it.

Random people have asked me what it means.  I'm open about it and, depending on the situation, I give them the full story.  If the situation seems to be more touchy, I generally say that it is an expression of my spirituality.  We then go from there.  I have been asked if it is a Star of David or if I worship the devil.  I'm always sure to clarify when that happens.

Because my spirituality is constantly evolving, I have been feeling the need to find a different symbol to wear to express myself.  Some good friends are jewelry designers and one of their designs caught my eye and my heart.

The decagram is a 10-point star that is made up of an up-right pentacle and an upside-down pentacle.  The Mithros Designs description:

This double-sided pendant features an upright pentacle on the front and an inverted pentacle in the back, combining to form a decagram. This pendant is reversible so that either pentagram can be in the front and features a very attractive fixed bail.

In some traditions, this symbol is the sign of the power of becoming whole: when one accepts and purifies the animal nature and opens to and connects with the divine nature.

In Feri, this is called the Copper Decagram, the marriage of iron and pearl. We offer this pendant in 10k rose gold, which has a copper color and the highest copper content of the non-tarnishing, jewelry-grade metals. It is also available in tarnish-resistant sterling silver and in pewter.

For me, the main representation is the duality and balance that is important to me in my practice.  One
pentacle represents one side - life, black, hate, etc. - and the other pentacle the polar opposite - death, white, love, etc.  Neither side is completely positive or negative.  Each has its powers and strengths and is beautiful in its own right.  But combine the two, forming the decagram, and the support and beauty is something to behold.  It is balance and whole.

I purchased my decagram in November and wore it for many weeks but have reverted to my pentacle.  I don't feel that I'm quite ready to wear it daily.  I need to earn it and deserve to wear it by digging deeper into my spirituality.  I need to answer some questions that I don't yet know.  I want to be able to have it represent me in a way that is genuine and correct.  Time will tell when that will happen.

Until then, I will wear my pentacle with pride and explain it to those who ask.  It is a symbol that I hold close to my heart and have always viewed as a perfect representation of my spirituality.  It also exemplifies many of the aspects of my belief system. 

Live your life with intent

Intention

Week #18 - the letter "I" again

Intention: noun 1. an act or instance of determining mentally upon some action or result. 

Intention is a core concept in ritual and in magick/spellwork.  An intention is a purpose, a goal, and/or a determination to achieve something. It is an attitude toward the effect of one's actions or conduct. To me, intentions are simple, easy, and most of all, achievable. They can be small steps towards a larger goal or they may be the goal itself. 

Without intention, you are not focused on what it is you wish to achieve.  It is important that you make your intention as clear and precise as possible.  Not doing so can backfire on you or others. Intention gives a focus and a clearly defined goal.  Your energies flow in the direction of your intention.  And it is your energy that puts the magick out into the world. 

Intention is key to so much...in life, in magick, in service, in relationships.  Give it some thought and think about it.  What if you set an intention for your day every morning?  Would it change your outlook on life?  Could it over time?

My intentions are what keep me going.  They keep me learning and they keep me going. I have spiritual intentions and personal intentions.  Intentions lead to results so be sure to keep your intentions positive.  Find motivation in your world and work towards it each an every day. 

Intentions are important on so many levels.  They may not have a spotlight role in my spirituality and my practice, but they are behind the scenes helping to keep everything mindful and moving in the right direction.