Little Wolf IV (eBook)

Modern Myths Versus Literalism in Witchcraft

These are thoughts I was telling a friend a few weeks ago, and since the topic of “fakelore” has come up in the Pagan community lately, thought it would be good to share those thoughts I had here. These are my feelings and thoughts – and as always, your mileage may vary.

When it comes to the grandmother myths, origin stories, folklore, “fakelore,” etc. within witchcraft – some things need to be addressed that aren’t being done in the manner that I feel that they should. What I am discussing in regards to “fakelore” is completely in the context of Witchcraft as a mystery tradition – not “colonizing” indigenous traditions or other religions.

Witchcraft is not a fundamentalist religion of blind-belief. Nor are our stories and history literal. Witchcraft is an oral tradition and a mythopoetic tradition. Meaning stories do not need to be literal or historical to have a purpose.

Whenever I read the origin stories of folks like Gerald Gardner, Alex Sanders, Robert Cochrane, Victor Anderson, Austin Spare, Aleister Crowley, Andrew Chumbley, the Theosophists, or people who claim to be from a long line of witches, taught by their grandmothers, and so on. I simultaneously don’t believe their stories as literal and believe in their accounts as serving an important purpose. What they have done is created a modern myth, and there’s great power in a tale.

All religious stories, all folktales, and folklore are myths. Sometimes there’s a bit of history to back up certain aspects of the stories, but most of the time there’s not. To believe that these folks were being literal is absurd and indicates a fundamentalist religious mentality where everything is literally and historically true by those who lost understanding of its original purpose.

It also demonstrates an inability to recognize the blending of other levels of reality with a focus purely set on the physical world. To throw the baby out with the bathwater is naive and demonstrates a lack of wisdom and insight into the heart of witchcraft itself.

This is why witchcraft is often regarded as a Mystery Tradition and not a fundamentalist religion. It’s about experiencing paradox that can’t be explained literally, but can be pointed to through myths. It is also a tradition of taking the central spiritual power that huge religions hoard and wielding it themselves as the people and not followers – and that includes the power of myth. It’s a Promethean act of stealing the fire for the people.

Are we to believe the story of Cerridwen is literal? Or perhaps the Titanomachy? Is the story of Jesus Christ 100% historical or provable? Is the dismemberment of Osiris an actual event? Is there historical evidence of Krishna being on Earth? Did Usui have some spiritual visitation that brought everyone reiki? Did Odin literally slaughter all the ice giants? Of course not. Unless you’ve fallen into fundamentalism.

The humans who created those myths were no different than the humans living today or in recent times. Those myths created a stream of consciousness with power behind it for people to tap into. Most of those probably started out as “fakelore” before being widely embraced throughout time by enough people to be “canonized” as “historic.”

So a more important question than whether or not someone is teaching “fakelore” about their history or not – does it work? Does the magick they teach work? Do you get results from it? Do the spirits they proclaim exist come when you call upon them? Can you attend and experience the astral sabbath under their direction? Even more important than that – is it making you a better person? Is it making your world a better place?

Those with wisdom shouldn’t blindly believe things, nor dismiss ideas or experiences because they don’t seem real on the physical level. Witches of all people should know that reality is not what it appears on the surface.

That is the heart of occultism itself.

Magick is an art as much as a science – and part of that art is the art of story, language, and myth.

My point is that I don’t feel like the historical authenticity of it matters and misses the mark of the purpose and power of myths. Occultism shouldn’t be taken at face value. I suppose another thing which may differentiate my view from others is that I don’t see Witchcraft as a religion. I think a lot of people come to witchcraft seeking religion in the manner that they’re used to, and that can be the first pitfall on the path. Religion and religious thinking is a hard thing for the subconscious to kick, even when we consciously denounce it. Whether or not we were raised with a religion or not, we were raised in a culture that functions with a religious view of things.

This is also the problem with trying to take closed witchcraft traditions and make them open source. Taking outer-court and second-hand information and believing that it’s equivalent with having the training and insight that comes with these tales which are passed on verbally within the mystery tradition by the mentors who guide the seeker to understanding their full breadth. Initiatory and oath-bound witchcraft isn’t for everyone, but to talk with authority and literalism about it when you are not privy to the inner insights is problematic. A great witchcraft mentor will help guide you to your own understanding of what’s being passed on and its purpose, with an understanding themselves of what the stories mean and their function. This is one of the reasons you don’t see me going into depth about Witchcraft Traditions that are initiatory that I’m not privy to. I’m staying in my own lane.

Myth, of course, is never an excuse for abuse nor should be used as a tool for such. Personal discernment is always key.

Like every woman is quenn of her own lust... Like every drop of wine she is worth helpin the other out, to get to know the truth, how things're going!

As happens sometimes, a moment settled and hovered and remained for much more than a moment. And sound stopped and movement stopped for much, much more than a moment... - John Steinbeck

What is true, do not put sand in your eyes,

what is true, sleep and death ask you.

- Ingeborg Bachmann, which is true.

Nature is like an oracle that you ask. - Peter Handke

Where nothing happened, at times I experienced the most.

- Peter Handke, in front of the tree shadow wall at night.

It is like this: love is the awareness of the language of the other.

- Peter Handke, Yesterday on the way.

Where's the weather I'm in my dreams ... I fly as a free bird ... I know that he loves me respecting, that's my dignity to build my castle of dreams, respecting that I have the own destiny.

My child was not born out of powerlessness.

It always had its place under my heart.

The delicate creature was born in pain.

It was my childhood wish, the will to pave the way for life.

A man was not my interest. I myself was a friend who knew his body.

I knew abuse in my life. But the child had emerged as a wish in love.

I was not ready to beg the family for help, because for the birth of the child.

I was not ready to be ashamed for that.

There was no reason to portray me as a bad mother and yet they did.

Their hatred and emotion make me realize

I had never cared to be a member of her family.

As superfluous as the aid of a man to education.

There was only one thing for me

that would have distracted me from thinking differently.

If they had realized that it was not necessary

even then to pronounce the family ban. I've always been running away.

There is only a moment that could change my decision.

If they decided to repent to me,

to convince what a wonderful person has become of me

and I was since I was born.

The more I learn about myself, the more courageous and straighter I run into the stranger in the city, because in a short conversation I can tell them in several ways when they are just serving a lie and I see them in truth just spying on me. The shame has started and when they just give up, so as not to be seen as liars even more embarrassing. Too often, my eyes tell them when to catch up with their mendacity and naturally I send them back to when they've begun to cover up and suppress all that. Everyone gets what he earns, like stepping through life as a retiree, but afterward, whatever they say point with the bare finger on people who have not the money to survive, but do work, even those who work but even don't have a place to stay. Then I see them run, and see their wifes catch their husbands, ashamed for they have showed a behaviour like nuts and feel the shame like a twenty-dollar-note in their stomache hard lying. Hihihi.

I am blessed to have You as my Friend!!

Art teaches them the dance in the colorful celebration straight to education, in the credibility of distinguishing classic from nature, and from education to nature. There to recognize the coach to himself.

Be a Friend - don't rent One!!

Hej med dig - That means in Danish, my neighbour language -

Hi, my friend, I wish You the best! - Here in the northern area is the

German and all small dialects, and Danish said in very short words,

but its the eyes that can tell a lot more.

I allways thought it is my chance to prove them how wrong they've been in family in opinions about me. I turned around to...