BE AFRAID WITCHES, BE VERY AFRAID

by Joey Morris

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

– Frank Herbert, Dune.

Witchcraft is not for everyone.

This sentiment is often greeted with hostility if expressed openly in publically accessible witchcraft circles, as if it were meant to segregate and accuse people of ineptitude.

If the idea offends certain sensibilities in your soul then that is a reasonable indicator that perhaps something is amiss within your own path. Words only wound if we let them.

However, there is something else rippling through current social media trends which needs to be nipped in the proverbial bud and blown up with a side order of napalm.

This is the inclination by other witches, spiritualists or mediums to attempt to instill fear into others in order to subvert their path, and these people are presenting themselves as fake mentors, which I have addressed before.

The notion that Witchcraft is not for everyone does not need to be applied on a personal basis, merely stated and left open for the individual to interpret.

Witchcraft is never going to be a cookie cutter practice; it speaks to the soul of the individual, whipping up their excitement, their desire for adventure, their soul becomes ignited in the quest for personal transformation.

Witchcraft is an enigma; arguably beyond being fully comprehensible to human minds; every time a definition arises to cage it; witchcraft shape shifts, drops the skin of the outmoded, carrying with it tradition but not being chained by it.

Witchcraft is a survivor, because berated, bullied, belittled or burnt at the stake, witchcraft lives on.

Part of this indestructibility is certainly the spell of glamour cast over witchcraft from a variety of sources, adding to the mystique of witchcraft which begs those to whom it truly calls to unravel its mysteries – fully knowing that such a thing is never completely possible… Witchcraft is a bit of a tease.

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The glamour can be a double-edged sword for it gives rise to misinformation.

There are people who “dabble” without learning the basics, those who buy into the media hype of orgies and sexual misconduct, those who believe that witchcraft is what they say in the movies.

They seek only to harm and control others through its arts and those who wish to instil fear into others by whispering the evils of witchcraft.

The first rather insidious step that fear-mongers usually seem to engage in is the presentation of literature which they beg us to read because it will change our minds and our lives.

The idea behind the pop psychology here is that they are merely offering you an idea to consider, they are supposedly not trying to manipulate you (the book will do that for them, obviously.)

It can even play on an individual’s fears of not wanting to seem like a dismissive illiterate buffoon, so they accept the suggestion as well-meaning wisdom.

There are many examples of this sly manipulation that most witches will experience at some point in their path.

The first and most obvious example being the Bible.

Most witches at some point will come up against those who present them with a Bible and tell them it will save their soul, change their mind and set right their lives because currently they are evil and wrong.

Many witches feel inflamed by this confrontation and speak out angrily, full of indignation at being so judged and accused of being a bad person.

I understand that it can hurt when this situation arises, but for many of us it is simply a rite of passage. I have read the Bible, and it never really spoke to me. Some of the stories are beautiful, but it never stirred my soul, and some parts really turned me off Christianity for life.

As a woman under the Goddess Morrigan I have never been a weak-willed meek damsel in distress and the whole notion of behaving like one for whatever reason (religious or otherwise) turns my stomach.

This witch knows her worth, sees a world worth fighting for, changing, speaking out against injustices in her personal truth and with honour. Bowing out was never an option.

I enjoy the popular meme that states,

“Sure you can pray for me, and I will dance naked in the woods for you”

which summarises how I feel is the best way to deal with overt religious confrontation; I am happy for you to be whatever spiritual denomination speaks to your soul, so leave me to mine, thank you.
The second example is one that I have had the misfortune to run into more than once recently, and irritates me just a smidge more; and when I say a smidge more I mean on the scale of the continent of Africa being teensy. Or an elephant being light-weight.

The second example is those of a supposedly spiritual path determined to instil fear into others who they take under their wing as mentors so they can control and use them for a variety of reasons.

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The one that riles me up to the point of channelling a very angry Celtic battle-crying Boudicca-like figure, is:

Spiritual Manipulation for Sexual Gratification.

This is by no means a phenomenon that occurs solely in witchcraft and spiritually associated paths; for their are well documented cases of catholic abuses, the case of Bill Gothard, founder of Institute in Basic Life Principles being sued by ten women for rape and the Yoga guru Bikram Choudhury who has been accused of sexual assault and harassment, amongst others.

In these circumstances, well-educated and supposedly spiritual individuals used a poisonous combination of preaching a singular line of spiritual truth (their own) in order to “assist” others towards enlightenment and coupled this with fear to control, manipulate and sexually assault those under their care.

In this witch’s personal experience, I have come across many who have been used for sexual gratification by less high-profile individuals conducting this same vile practice.

One young man informed me that he hated The Morrigan, so I took the time to listen to his story. A woman who claimed to be “a priestess of the Morrigan” had sexually used him supposedly in the Goddesses’s service.

Another older woman trained in psychology inserted herself into a man’s life as a supposed mentor and confidant with the ultimate outcome being an ulterior agenda; sexual gratification, whilst encouraging him to fear the advice of others engaged in witchcraft.

So you see: This happens to people regardless of gender.

Be it for spiritual, emotional or physical power and gratification over another individual, the manipulation and spreading of fear into the heart, mind and soul of another practitioner is one of the few things I would label as abhorrent human behaviour.

This is not what it means to engage in witchcraft or to walk a spiritual life.

A true mentor, friend or guide will never tell you that their way is the only way or ask that you fear any part of your path. They might challenge you, but they will always ask that you think for yourself.

Daughters and sons of the Morrigan are sexually empowered and do not need to manipulate another into sexual acts to “please” their Goddess; the very notion is repugnant.

Living in fear of spiritual truths, of spirits, of other spiritual paths, is limiting and seeks to keep you bound, to a person or to a faith.

At the start I expressed that witchcraft is not for everyone, and if you fear witchcraft for any reason, then it is not for you.

But as witches, we have to speak out against those who would use our God and Goddess given path to instil fear into others, who seek to stomp on those whose journey is young and inexperienced.

I do not adhere to the rule of three for it is not my chosen path but I will stand in the way of anyone seeking to tear down others, to harm them, to use them sexually or otherwise.

Witchcraft is a life; of mystery, adventure, hard work and personal introspection. Honouring the world around us, spirits of plants, animals and humans alike.

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A personal definition of a calling of the soul is all I can humbly offer to you, my experiences lead me to define witchcraft though my eyes and heart to hopefully redress the balance, to shine truth and honour into an arena which is beset by those who would damage the spirit of witchcraft.

This is my truth:

“They’ve tried to break me
Since I was a child
Told me to behave
Be quiet and mild
The truth is I’m broken
And proud to be so
For light pours through the lines
We’re daring to show
I readjust when I stumble
I cry and I scream
But I won’t let you tell me
That I can’t have my dream
So the world can keep
All of it’s fakes
I’ll run to my wildness
Even when my soul shakes
So come with me, jump with me
Into the gulf
Together we’ll run with
The souls of the wolf.”

– Joey Morris

 

About the Author:

Joey Morris is a Celtic Witch and Daughter of the Goddess Morrigan who shares many of her experiences on video via her YouTube channel.
The YouTube channel blends discussions of spirituality, witchcraft, the Celtic path, and the Goddess Morrigan alongside lighter topics such as visiting pagan places and witchcraft supply shopping.
It also showcases StarryeyedSupplies, which is an online metaphysical store created and ran by Joey offering a wide variety of supplies and tools for witchcraft, all handmade with magical intent.
Joey’s shop can also be found via Facebook.

 

 

featured image – source

Merken