This guide explores the basics of atheistic witchcraft, providing essential information for beginners and those interested in learning about different beliefs and paths. It covers topics such as making a magickal alphabet, casting spells as an atheist witch, and more. The author discusses the psychological effects of witchcraft, spells, and rituals, and the challenges faced by atheist witches.
The guide also discusses the author’s own path to witchcraft without religious beliefs, as a child and teenager exploring various occult topics through books and online resources. It is possible for atheists to practice witchcraft, as long as they understand the concept of magick and how to practice it.
The Atheist Witch’s Guide to Energy is another resource that provides guidance on energy and its use in witchcraft. It is impossible for an atheist to be an atheist and practice witchcraft, as witches believe in gods and spirits, while atheists do not.
In conclusion, Godless Magick is a valuable resource for those starting their spiritual journey and exploring various aspects of the craft. It offers insights into the psychological effects of witchcraft, spells, and rituals, as well as the challenges faced by atheist witches.
📹 Witchy Magic: An Excellent Beginner’s Guide to Witchcraft
This is a review of Witchy Magic by Lucy Cavendish and Serene Conneeley. This is a great reference text for anyone who is …
What did King James do with witches?
King James, who claimed to be descended from Banquo, had a keen interest in witchcraft. In 1597, he published his book, Daemonologie, which argued against traditional arguments and involved him in trials of alleged witches. In the dialogue, Epistemon explains that “unlawful charms, without natural causes” are considered witchcraft, even when their purpose is good. James’ skepticism towards witchcraft was evident by the time Macbeth was written, as he warned his judges not to allow themselves to be deceived. This lifelong interest in the subject is evident in his participation in trials of alleged witches.
What religion did King James 1 believe in?
James, a Protestant like Elizabeth, was expected to treat Catholics better than Elizabeth, as the son of Queen Mary, Queen of Scots. Some Catholics believed he might stop persecution and allow them to worship freely. However, James was under pressure from anti-Catholic members of the House of Commons and became less sympathetic towards Catholics following the discovery of minor Catholic plots. The Bye Plot of 1603 was a conspiracy to kidnap James and force him to repeal anti-Catholic legislation, while the Main Plot was an alleged plan by Catholic nobles to remove James and replace him with his cousin, Arabella Stuart.
Was King James superstitious?
King James I of England was known for his superstition about witches, leading to the creation of works like Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The play features witches who manipulate characters and cast spells to destroy lives. Elizabethans believed fairies played tricks on innocent people, similar to the play. Today, Elizabethan superstitions include not walking under a ladder, saying “Bless you” when someone sneezes, not spilling salt due to its high cost, and not allowing black cats to enter one’s body due to their association with witches. These practices continue to be followed today.
Why did the witch get Cancelled?
W. I. T. C. H., an animated fantasy-adventure series for Tweens, was considered for a third season based on Arc 3: A Crisis on Both Worlds in 2007. However, the show ended after 52 episodes in 2009 due to little to no interest from investors and producers. There are no credible sources mentioning a plan for a third season, and there have been complaints about the unplanned season and petitions to bring the series back.
Despite being a major hit and TV breakout in its early stages, the show’s popularity declined after Season 2, with little information available as to why. Clues for a planned third season can be seen in the second season’s finale, Z is for Zenith.
What are male witches called?
The term “witch” is primarily used in colloquial English, with women being the male equivalent. Modern dictionaries distinguish four meanings of the term: a person with supernatural powers, a practitioner of neo-pagan religion, a mean or ugly old woman, or a charming or alluring girl or woman. The term “witch” was first used to refer to a bewitching young girl in the 18th century, and “witch” as a contemptuous term for an old woman is attested since the 15th century.
What is the Netflix limited series about witchcraft?
The text offers an overview of the works of J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, particularly those pertaining to witchcraft and the dark arts.
What is the new witch series in 2024?
Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale is a TV series that portrays a town as a sanctuary for witches, with only one witch living there. However, it’s unclear how this town is considered a sanctuary, as there are numerous witches outside the town who seem to be doing better than the one inside. Additionally, the town’s residents are disturbed by the idea of witchcraft being blamed for tragedies, suggesting a “bad” witchcraft is at play. This suggests that the entire town deserves the horrors that come their way.
What is the new Prime series about witches?
In a world filled with witches, vampires, and daemons, Diana Bishop, an American historian and reluctant witch, discovers an ancient magical manuscript, Ashmole 782, in Oxford’s Bodleian library. Matthew Clairmont, a geneticist and vampire, is determined to get the book. Diana struggles with her growing interest in the magical and turns back on her witch heritage. However, her journey takes a dark turn when Satu, sent by Peter Knox, intimidates her. The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness is the basis for the story.
Why was the witches banned?
The Witches, a book by J. D. Salinger, has faced criticism for its misogyny and was banned by some libraries. Despite this, the book is listed on the American Library Association’s 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990 to 1999. Editor Stephen Roxburgh expressed concerns about the book’s misogyny during the editing process, but dismissed them. Feminist critic Catherine Itzin claimed that the book teaches boys to become men who hate women.
Critics like Emma Crew of the Newstatesman and The Times article “Not in Front of the Censors” suggest that the witch’s appearance could be a feminist role model for young girls. The book’s ending has also been a topic of debate, with some critics suggesting it might encourage suicide in children by telling them they can avoid growing up by dying.
What did James 1 call witchcraft?
In 1597, King James VI and I published Daemonologie, a treatise on witchcraft. The treatise, which translates to “the science of demons”, was a meticulous and time-consuming work that aimed to convince doubters of witchcraft’s existence and inspire those who persecuted witches with new determination. James viewed witchcraft as “high treason against God”, justifying various horrors in obtaining confessions. The publication of this treatise by a king made it enormously influential, leading to an alarming increase in cases of witchcraft in his kingdom.
What is the new witch series on Netflix?
A Discovery of Witches is a fantasy series set in Oxford, England, London, and Venice, Italy. The story follows a covert witch and an enigmatic vampire who work together to unravel an ancient text that could save or destroy the magical world. Diana Bishop, a philosophy doctorate holder and published author, is a witch who prefers to ignore her identity. When a research fellowship brings her back to Oxford, she discovers a centuries-old manuscript that supernatural creatures are eager to obtain.
Fortunately, she finds protection from an elusive vampire. The series stars Teresa Palmer, Matthew Goode, and Edward Bluemel. The series is set to release in three seasons. The series is based on the All Souls book series by Deborah Harkness.
📹 Atheist VS Witchcraft
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This is interesting. I’m an atheist but if religion has to be a thing, I’d like it to be like what he described. There wasn’t any ” you’re defective because you don’t believe what I believe” vibe. It was more of an explanation and you’re welcome if you want to be a part of it. Take note, Christians!
I’m one of those people that moved from Christianity, to Wicca/witchcraft, to atheism. Even though I don’t believe in gods and goddesses in the literal sense, I do still have a strong appreciation for the Wiccan point of view. When you consider that many practitioners only believe in the gods symbolically, and not as actual beings, you realize that witchcraft is actually just a really elaborate way to change your mental state and how you perceive yourself and the world. It’s quite beautiful in a way.
I am a witch myself and to me the intention itself actually is witchcraft. Spells don’t make things happen, it’s not a legit spell, you dont waddle your wand and bam you get what you wanted. You just strengthen your intention and will and it may or may not happen. And the witch or wizard you talked to is most likely wicca which is a religion, meaning he believes in gods while i for one don’t. I’m an atheist and a witch and yes that’s possible. Hope that clears some things up ^-^ ♡
ok…Jaclyn, you completely missed the point of what he was talking about. You displayed yourself to be stubborn and resistant to understanding his viewpoint. Basically what his viewpoint on witchcraft is, is about connecting with things emotionally to your core, on a personal “spiritual” level; metaphorical spirit not a literal spirit. When a person connects with things or people or places on a personal level, that is the “magic” he refers to; and again, metaphorical. Obviously he doesn’t believe in REAL magic, you were taking his words too literal. You said it yourself, “what they call magic, I call good intentions”, it’s the emotional-bond, the desire to connect with all things in the universe, or rather, in a persons immediate vicinity like friends and family; that is what he’s talking about. As for the multiple gods stuff; again he’s not talking about literal gods. When he talks about a god, he is referring to a focal point of sorts, an area that encompasses multiple things as one; like a forest that houses many forms of life with multiple supporting objects like trees and rocks and rivers…that is the forest god…metaphorically speaking… Witchcraft is about making connections, emotional bonds, nothing more. Anything perceived as supernatural is simply a metaphor. You should go back and visit him while on ayahuasca, and then maybe you might gain some understanding.
I went into Wicca after being disillusioned with Christianity and, though some of the tenets are extremely silly, the community as a whole is very welcoming to anyone. I still hang out with most of my Wiccan friends even after coming out as an atheist, but I’ve lost most of my Christian friends because I am an atheist. I say, if you ever get invited to a Sabbat, go. It’s interesting to observe from any perspective. Most Wiccans won’t pressure you to join up, but they welcome the curious.
I don’t know how to put this, put I feel like you should try and open your mind even more to people’s beliefs ^^’ Believing in god doesn’t necessarily mean believing in a guy in robes living in the sky above the clouds, heaven, hell, Jesus and all, it can also be, like how this man explained it, the impersonation of the world’s harmony, a designation of the world’s cohesion, a way to explain how everything feels like it’s part of something bigger, how a forest can feel like it’s a perfectly thought machine where every single animal, rock and twig seems to have a role I’m an atheist but I love this way of seeing the world ! It seems like a very interesting subject to philosophize about
Just for context, I’m an atheist. I’m skeptical about a lot of things… but so far, I find the most common idea of god (all powerful, eternal, all knowing etc) to really not make sense. I don’t believe anything supernatural. However, I can sort of see where this guy is coming from. It doesn’t seem like he takes everything in a literal sense, but an intensely metaphorical one. The bedrock of his outlook is perhaps his own artistic view towards his own perception, and he’s sane enough to realize that it doesn’t go beyond that. His spirituality comes from metaphor, not the other way around.
You’re thinking too literally about it. I considered myself an Atheist for a long time, but there was a certain point where I had to realize that not everything is black and white. There is power in nature and energy, which helps a lot of people. I think your rudeness and your ego in this interview really just shows your insecurity.
How is she recognized as acting respectful towards Griffith? She was very condescending towards him. Continuously shutting him down and speaking to him as if he’s entirely illogical. Yes, I understand witchcraft is a bulldog practice and I while heatedly disagree with most everything he said, but disagreeing with someone, even if you’re 100% right, does not call for speaking to them as if their an ignorant child. She’s not being respectful, please don’t use her as an example for civil discussion.
Hey I just want to say my I watched your full-screen show with my fellow Wiccans and we loved it. Skepticism is important to us as witches because blind faith is not what we are about. The whole series was really well done and I loved Richie in the witchcraft episode. I hope that spell works for you!
yes, ma’am! there actually is a science to this, but most see it as a pseudo science. the beautiful thing about paganism is that it is your personal journey, own personal beliefs, so no one is there or SHOULD be there to tell you you are wrong for believing or practicing the way that you do. makes christianity seem… barbaric
I think you might have misunderstood the ‘But, for me, they talk back’ line… I think it was meant as a joke. He even laughed when he said it. I was a Witch for about half of my life. Most of what you tend to hear are interpretations of how they interpret things. Take magic, for instance. Back in the beginning of Paganism, people weren’t going around hexing people with magic wands with light shooting out of them. They interpreted a perfectly natural effect as magic, and the cause as it’s craft. They had no other word for what they’ve just done, so; Magic. As for spellcrafting, there is ritual to it. To heal someone, for instance, there are bathing rituals, potion, or potant making, and the actual spell, or chant, where the infected must lie in the center of a circle, sometimes for days. Basically, they’ve just cleaned the patient, gave him medicine, and let her rest for a few days, allowing her to heal… The verbal spells aren’t a direct route to the magic, either. They are their form of prayer, asking their god(s) for assistance. They aren’t replacing the word science with magic. Science is the reformed art of magic, which came first. The only real difference between NeoPagans, and the Pagans of old is the old Pagans believed in specific pantheons, and only tended to worship one god from that pantheon, like the Cult Of Yahweh. NeoPagans believe that all of the gods from every religion exist in some form, or another, even if their stories have been muddled over time, and they can worship more than one of them, if they choose.
4:15 “Why can’t it just be a beautiful forest.” I call this anthropomorphication. If a person looks at any random chaos like cloud patterns for example, or maybe some kinds of ceiling tiles, or stucco walls, some people can see patterns in the noise. The most common pattern detected is a human face. Some behavioral psychologists feel this stems from when you’re a baby and you imprint on parents. Others feel this may be genetic – that we humans are hard coded to look for patterns in the noise. I recall Michael Shermer once referred to it at “patternicity.” Humans make up gods because we need to be able to wrap our minds around The Unknown. Way back in prehistory, this was readily done by applying a humanoid shape to whatever we didn’t understand. It’s why polytheism was so popular. a god for the sky. A god for the forest. A god for the mountain. Each nonhumanoid thing would be given human qualities in story and song so we could relate to it better and it would feel more like a friend and less like an enemy. We anthropomorphized The Unknown. Today, we have science, so we can understand Unknown concepts as they are, in non-human shapes without human-like qualities. Mars isn’t the god of war. It’s a spheroid out in space where we sent rovers and drones to study it. Wiccans and pagans can still see Mars as a god of war, even though we’ve proved with science that it’s a planet like Earth. When pressed, they’ll now say it’s both, cuz they refuse to accept the evidence of science is disproving their unscientific belief structures.
This guy seems pretty reasonable. When I have gone hiking or have sat in a forest by myself, I listen to the trees sway in the wind. I feel that connection with nature. I totally can see how someone believes in a forest God. It’s not some authoritative being (like he mentioned) but just a very strong energy that uplifts you. Yes, you can just view it as a beautiful forest because that’s what it is, but there’s no harm in feeling that you connect with the energy in that forest and can feel how alive it is.
As some have pointed out before, this guy isn’t a very good representative of the witch community. Granted, given the diversity and complexity of that community, any one spokesperson would fail to accurately represent the whole. Loved the article, but think it would have been better to speak to a coven or an experienced priestess, and had them define their type of magic.
I am a Pagan Witch who is currently dipping their toes into the Norse Pantheon. I do believe the Gods and Goddesses exist as do all supernatural beings. I’ve had things happen that makes no sense. I use to be a “Christian” when I was younger than an Atheist for a time then weird shit happened and I was stuck in a religious limbo. Some how I’ve found myself here.
Honestly of all the religions, wiccans and pagans are the most tolerable and make the most sense. Energy is a proven thing scientifically in all things, and they basically believe in those energies and manipulating and using them. Most of them dont believe in real magic, just intentions and focusing your energy. Its also a really pretty nature loving belief from what i can see
As someone who does observe what people call witchcraft, I can definitely confirm that although we’re a very diverse group of people with different beliefs, our intentions are much more well-meaning than Christian propaganda has led them to seem over the years. Personally, I don’t worship anyone or anything (so I suppose I’m technically an atheist, lol) but I appreciate universal balance, the beautiful mystery of life, and the power of intention. I’m not going to change the laws of nature anytime soon but it’s made me a happier person as it does most who try it because it really emphasizes gratitude, support, empowerment, and empathy with others. Witches really aren’t how you’d think they are, and chances are that they don’t make their belief system known because of all the misconceptions. TL;DR: Jaclyn does a great job of fairly showing both perspectives.
Ok Jaclyn, when the wiccan asked “How many Gods are there in the universe ?” you just say “none ! Zero.”….I take issue with that …….the reason being :- I think it is reasonable for you to say “Im not sure that God exists” but to say that “There is NO GOD, or there IS A GOD.” is annoying, and your being as dogmatic as the religious people you criticize all the time . Now you will take issue with the fact that I called you DOGMATIC . You feel that just because you are an atheist, it is silly to call someone like you dogmatic. But if you say with full conviction ” There is NO GOD” without even exploring all possibilities then you are being as dogmatic as the annoying person who says “THERE IS A GOD.” Just because you have not seen convincing proof of it does not mean that something does not exist. Centuries ago there was no evidence that the earth was round…….that does not mean the Earth was not round at that time the earth has always been round…similarly just because you have not seen proof of God, it does not mean that GOD does not exist …….. I mean if you haven’t searched the whole universe, you cant possibly sure if their is a God or not ……Nobody knows !!!! …..that being said I like you alot Jaclyn, I find many of your articles entertaining and you have a wonderful personality……
Magic=Magick. I practice Black-Magick and it’s a very real phenomenon. I manipulate and change the reality of this world almost daily and or weekly. You’ll eventually realize you’re a wrong atheist and you’ll return to being a Catholic/Christian(which is really what you want anyway). I personally don’t believe JESUS self resurrected or performed all the miracles stated in the BIBLE; nor that there is any afterlife or heaven/hell. I believe the divine spark is within, not somewhere ‘out-there.’
PLEASE EVERYONE REMEMBER THAT WICCA AND WITCHCRAFT ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS BEFORE PROCEEDING! That being said, I am a Wiccan and I also practice witchcraft. Something I wanted to touch on was the question “why can’t it just be a beautiful forest?”, the answer I’d like to provide is: it is! That is just exactly what it is, it is a beautiful forest, but the way wiccans and witches view it (keep in mind, this is very general & many wiccans and witches could see it differently) is that there is divinity within that forest. We see that forest, we recognize that it is beautiful, but we also respect that it is a living being and has an energy of it’s own and we give thanks and rejoice in that energy. For example, think of a place that you’ve been to in the natural world, whether you took a walk in the woods, or through a windy field, stood on a beach and watched the waves crash over the rocks. Think back to one of those times and try to recall if you ever were apart of those places and felt an all-encompassing sensation of joy, relief, calmness, or peace. When we Wiccans feel that, we recognize that as the Earth’s individual divinity and we give thanks to that divine presence in the Earth that is loving and protecting us. We see that the Earth is beautiful, but we take it a step further to identify that the Earth itself is sacred and loving and gentle and giving. That’s just my take on it, feel free to comment if you have anything to add!
As a witch and a skeptical I’ll share my view of this stuff, nice article btw: As for working with the ‘spirit of things’ i see it as basically a form of a placebo in a certain sense, you see a crystal and the crystal is talked about having these form of vibrations, you believe in it and it helps you feel better or whatnot, tbh it’s considering the placebo effect a ‘ magical effect’ or it is for me. You can look at it all through luck and the law of attraction/ karma that people talk about, which all in all is basically the same as the placebo effect. Now working with herbs comes more to the component of the plants and how they were used for medicine so long ago, nowadays those components of the plants are processed and enhanced in the best form for human absorption through whichever body system you introduce it, now if you believe that plants since they are alive (and being alive the way of how poorly defined it is that to be alive is only considered to be fitting certain characteristics that other live beings meet as well but sometimes there’s mismatch and such) you look at it as you look at idk animals for slaughter, take care of the animal beforehand don’t stress it doesn’t let it tense up and leave higher amounts of adrenaline stuck in their veins tissues after death, you kinda view the plant as the same, harvest it nicely it’ll have better effects. Don’t get me started on the therapist comment of his, the human brain and human psychology falls into many shitholes throughout our lives and there are mental illnesses and many other things, how does magick ( way it’s actually spelled by many in the craft to differentiate it from fantastical magic of the mainstream media such as Harry Potter) differ from them?
I’m an atheist but I also don’t wanna call myself with any kinda description witch wicca atheist etc. There is energy I strongly believe that and there are tools which nature given us what my heart and mind tells me is to follow the love and goodness in my own morals. Being closed is not making us improve but being open is what makes us learn… I love seeing the spells that I make works and meditation makes me feel stronger. Less fearless and more powerful.. follow your guts and check it multiple times … 🙂
Dont be so hung up about the term god in wicca. Going to the forest and praising the “forest god” is the exact same thing as just conciously being thankful in the moment for your surroundings and experience. Its just easier to say “im going to do a thankful ritual in the forest today”. Ya see? Its about not being arrogant and not ignoring the power and depth of each emotion, picture, vision, spund, ect, around you
I’m an atheist and a witch, witchcraft doesn’t necessarily have to do something with gods. It’s just a belief that you can make things happen if you put some sort of intention in it and do a ritual, but you can almost see it as a promise or an ‘amen’ if that’s what you want to call it. Witchcraft is also just knowledge about certain herbs and about celtic / other ancient cultures that you try to keep in the generations and perform as a ritual. I just like how free it is and it’s not necessarily about spirits and gods because I don’t hear or see them and I don’t talk to them.
I would just like to point out that you can be atheist and a witch. Not Wiccan (that’s the religion), but just a witch who practices witchcraft can be anything really. I’m an omnist, and I practice witchcraft. It is about finding your own way through things. She is really respectful of all of this, and I’m glad, but I thought I’d bring up the difference between just witches and Wicca beliefs.
I’m spiritual. But I am more leaning towards the pig inside. Everything I’ve ever done when I was little drawings and everything points to that religion but I kind of float in my own but I do believe in magic I know it works I try not to do spells among the people that deserve them. But for the most part I believe what you put out into the universe it will come back so if you are a bad person expect that energy to flow towards you eventually. Where if you put out positive vibes and try to do the best you can with the resources that you have that will come back in due time.
Im consider myself as an agnostic, but I’ve always though: “What if God is not this man in the sky, but the universe itself?” Have you guys seen how similar the known universe is to a brain cell? Maybe we are living IN God, maybe we are ourselves part of this “God”? We might as well be as aware as a cell compared to this being.
Hey Jacklyn I’ve been a fan of the show for a long time, I especially love the one of you eating a sandwich I lmao. Anyway I actually know Griffin, and wanted to thank you for being so respectful of him because he really is a great person and positive influence on his community. I’m also an athiest and have had similar interactions with the witch community when I dated a member of Griffins coven. So I know how it’s difficult to respond to thier conviction without seeming snarky. I think its because we are so used to dealing with christians or muslims who’s flavor of conviction is so destructive. I think you could make a great follow up article by doing interviews at Griffin’s coven’s public ritual, they usually have 2 or 3 a year. I’m sure he could give you the info. Keep up the good work!
Witch here 🙂 I just wanted to add something to the “Gods and Goddesses” topic. Some witches believe in the gods as actual physical beings, like Christians believe in their god as a physical being. But myself (and many other witches) believe in the gods and more of a symbol or personification of something. So for example, the god of the sun is a symbol/personification of the suns warmth, energy, power, size, whatever. The god of the forest is a symbol/personification of nature, peace, harmony of living beings, cycle of life, etc. and it also represents the energy of those things. All matter is energy (E=mc^2) so the trees, rocks, the desk in front of me, everything is energy. And witchcraft for me is the manipulation of energy through intent. (see the Institute of Noetic Science) there are some very small pieces of evidence for this being possible. Nothing near proof. And I fully except that “results” that are seen from witchcraft are very likely to be placebo effect or simply coincidence. Which is fine. It’s still interesting and fun to me regardless of whether or not it actually works.
a huge part of witchcraft is not expecting people to believe you, and not trying to force anything onto anyone else. like if we define the same things differently, then that’s great! like if we see spirits and magic in the trees, and you see the beauty and the general good feelings you get from the trees, it’s all good. it’s a very “agree to disagree” kind of thing (but not in the passive aggressive sense. in the sense that we’re sincerely accepting and almost appreciating those differences). and i actually thought you did a very good job with that, and i hope all other witches are extending the same kindness to you <3
Having a closer connection to yourself and the world around you is what I consider to be spiritual. You had a spiritual experience in the first episode Jaclyn. I would recommend you try going back again but this time try not puke. You only got the tip of the iceberg. Also, once you injest the substance, it’s already inside of your system. It’s already there so you must accept it let it take you on a journey. I was very glad with the results of the first episode. What you went through made me happy for you ^-^
In the end, polytheistic religions have gods to represent abstract concepts of many different aspects of life. Gods are like archetypes. But the thing is, the image of a God(dess) is important because it’s easier to focus on a certain image than in an abstraction. So when someone goes to meditate, or to have some mystical experience with alucinogens, or does anything mystical, the images and stories of the gods come into play, and help through the experience. You cannot meditate thinking about science stuff, it’s too complicated, and not adequate for the mental activity you are trying to perform. So different types of concepts are more alligned with different types of mental activity. But if you don’t want to reach any kind of mystical state, I guess it’s better to be an atheist. Just don’t bash people who use those tools to become better people. Just for comparison, there is theoretical thinking, empirical thinking, practical thinking, mystical thinking, phylosophical thinking and meditation. Each of them has their own language, their own resources. If you try to put metaphysics in science, you don’t go anywhere. If you try to put formulas in meditation, you don’t go anywhere. In some aspects of life, evidence is meaningless.
Instead of using the term ‘God’ I think ‘energies’ is a better term to use to explain it. Best example I can think of is the moon. Some Wiccans see the moon as a Goddess. The moon has an effect on the earth, most notably the ocean tides, so there’s a sort of energy to it. Forests are the home of plants and animals so, again, there’s energy there sustaining it. Some people are more sensitive to these energies than others and it helps them in some way; be it to clear their mind or get their creativity flowing or whatever. Magick is different for each person/group of people, so don’t take my explanation as the only way to define this – that’s just the best way I think of to try and explain it.
There is codes in our dna so we are designed by a intelligent being. An our heart is meant to be pure love, which is the heart of our spirit. So our God’s spirit is love. An the God in the holy Bible is pure love. So he’s our creator. He came as a man(Jesus) and died for us as a sacrifice and payed the penalty of our past present and future sins so we can not get death. When we were totally evil, REBELLIOUS, and had NO way of saving ourselves. An now we can go to him no matter how evil we are, an god will except us and purify us back to our true identity. That’s love! That’s the love of a father, a JUST selfLESS parent. Why hate yr God?
“Listen to your spirit and see if it attracts you.” “I don’t know what that means.” Allow me to translate: It means if you really want it and are willing to let go of any “negative energies” aka skeptical or rational thoughts that tell you how crazy it is, then you can be “predisposed” if you really want to. Self-fulfilling. It’s kinda like how some forms of modern protestant christianity work. If you really want it, whatever “it” is, then you ask for it, claim it, and its as if it were already true. You just have to accept that it’s already the truth. If you CLAIM it, then it just comes true. That’s putting faith over fact. It’s placing subjective perception over objective reality. Some nontheists even believe in this. I’ve heard it called “creative visualization.” Also “fake it till you make it” works in a similar vein. If you believe enough that you are better than you really are, no one can convince you otherwise.
There’s no magic? In The Magic of Reality, Richard Dawkins comments on “poetic magic,” which is what a lot of people who identify as Wiccan believe in. I guess this applies to all religions, but it is especially the case with Wicca/Witchcraft. When you interview an individual, you’re only getting their individual take on that religion and how they approach it.
I’m happy to see this isn’t just bashing like I was afraid it would be. Jaclyn is very right when she says that what is magic to them is just intention to her. That’s how most pagans/Wiccans/witches etc view magic. Magic is how thoughts can influence reality and your conditions of life. It’s because they believe in spirits/souls, a non material level to our universe that can have an influence on the material. Something like “having dark thoughts can have bad effects on your health” would be considered an example of magic. As to the number of gods, the answer varies from one witch to the next. I know some pagans are actually atheists who think the spiritual stuff isn’t supernatural but simply can have good effects on mental well being.
There are different types of pagans/Wicca we worship mother earth we protect the innocent there are many different types of gods and goddess that we call pantheons like greek,egyption,Celtic ext. Spell casting is just useing energy everything has energy energy can never be dytroyed anyhow I could go on for ever but I don’t fellow what he is saying a pagan does not belive in the Christian God giving a sented candle is not magic we work with none sented candles near do we push are beliefs on others
in my opinion i am an atheistic witch, i do not believe in god but i work with the energies of nature in the world around me. Like with your example with forest god vs. beautiful forest… i firmly believe you can enter the woods and feel deeply connected with the forest and all that is in it. the rustling of leaves, the sun peeking through the trees…everything. however i do not believe that the forest is beautiful because a god made it so beautiful..
so basically this has nothing to do with the supernatural at all and this man’s occupation is taking trivial concepts and giving them fancy names for no reason whatsoever. obviously we can all appreciate all kinds of love while understanding that all of them are natural phenomena. i might as well be a magician if i arbitrarily declare the act of me taking a dump to be magic. but why should i be doing this unless i want to rip people off?
We are real ….yes Witches are real ..we practice what we are cultivate our craft ….witchcraft….great vidz…for an atheist you habe some great questions and insights…..deity is creation ….destruction…is duality dark light all things in between…. God/Goddess is creator…..literal and figurative …thou art god…thou art goddess ….blessed be
Also like to point out that not all wiccans/ witches believe in “god” (AND Goddesses) as an actual “being”, more personifications of things. I suppose it’s an idea between “oh look a pretty forest” (non-religious) to “GOD MADE THIS FOREST” (Christians), I would say, currently, I’m an Agnostic Wiccan. Which means I don’t necessarily believe there’s a god/goddess, but what I lean towards is that there’s a personification of “Gods/ Goddesses” (to give them a title) of all things. (Also not all Witches think there’s a god/goddess, most of them are Agnostic/ Aethist, those Witches that think there’s Divine to whatever level are normally Wiccans).
Great article. Seems like you two are fast friends! It’s rare for me to see such a smart, positive, welcoming “witch.” But to be fair, the ones I’ve met who miss that standard were all female cliques… they don’t know the word “hello” even when they run a store like his! My path thus far has been Christianity -> Hater of Christianity -> Atheist -> Chinese Spirituality -> Wizard -> Hindu Prayer Warrior -> Crowley Researcher -> Law Worshipper -> Jesus Power User. Basically I have found a way to include all my learnings and understandings into one cohesive brain function. And I feel all the more useful in having done so. Basically, anyone who continues to think, read, and practice while being welcoming to other humans is a wonderful person. If you practice without thinking and reading, then you are doing it wrong. If you read without thinking and practicing, then you are doing it wrong. If you think without practicing and reading, that is better, but you are still doing it wrong. And above all, if you are pushing away and rejecting others who are truly, genuinely interested in learning (people like Jaclyn), then you are way off base. Practice is the real definition of Science. Not peer review. Experience is in the word Experiment. Not social approval.
Though I’m not a Wiccan or a Witch I do believe in a Divine Goddess (Kuan Yin in particular) and I practice Reiki Buddhism And tbh I was genuinely so afraid that this would be questioned too much by science or something or maybe one of you would push too much. But here I am, pleasantly surprised at how open you are while still asking critical questions. His answers and explanations were completely on point and exact! I like this whole article because honestly you IMMEDIATELY got what he was talking about with Gods and Goddesses being representations of god intentions and such. And as for the question of “why can’t it just be a beautiful forest” all I can say from my view is that… eh 🙂 there’s just a deeper appreciation. Personally my friends an family believe in ever flowing life and how it connects us all so… a forest is a giant representation of that.
You are loved by the Creator of Heaven and Earth and He calls you into a personal restored relationship with Him, through His Son and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus says, “I am the Way the Truth and the Life” Come to Him all who are heavy laden, burdened by life’s problems, depressed and anxious, worried and conflicted, and He will give you rest. Call on His Name, the Name of Jesus, the One who has forgiven and redeemed you by His death on the Cross. “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes on Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”(John 3:16)
I was never Christian and always had atheistic views, but I’ve started getting into to Wicca and LaVeyan Satanism recently. When I discovered the “gods and goddesses” aspect of Wicca I was turned off, to the point of wanting to drop the whole thing. Also, the word religion isn’t one I usually hold positively. However, I realized in my own personal practice there are no rules. Who’s to come in and correct me? No one. I could see them symbolically and not worship or have faith, like @Jacobra The Great said. I also like and dislike some values of Satanism and Wicca, and I HATE the idea of having morals you don’t agree with because a religion says so. I think that’s extreme stupidity and a sign you are being manipulated. In this day and age I wish it was more accepted to combine practices and fine tune it to what works best for YOU, because in the end it is for your benefit, and has no impact on those judging you (who should really just butt the fuck out 😉 I’m talking to you, bible crazies) Also, before you start to attack me and freak out- Modern day LaVeyan Satanists do not believe in God, and with this don’t believe in or worship Satan. He’s a symbol. Satanism is less a religion and more of an atheistic philosophy. So don’t even try calling me a devil worshipper lmao. Honestly, as long as you’re not harming anyone (including yourself) all of this should be less ridiculed. I still call myself an atheist and don’t have to justify it to anyone.
When you approach everything from the cult of Science, you can miss what’s actually happening in the world. Example, Monks are able to use their Chi to stop drills and more from totally penetrating their skills and skin. A True Pagan wouldn’t say the Forest has a God. That was odd to me, but I also caught his laugh. He was having fun with her. She would have to have a much deeper, longer conversation to understand much better. His answers were pretty good, but..again, the article lacks a lot of depth between the 2 in the interaction.
I wasn’t exactly amused by Griffin’s open disdain for Christians/Christianity. I am very well aware of the many flaws of Christianity, its history, and most of its followers, but most people fail to realize that so many have had to “recover” from dogmatic Christianity, not the actual teachings of Yeshua. The hypocrisy and corruption of the church and religious leaders who abide by and propagate literal interpretations of the Bible (most of the words written in the Bible were not words actually spoken by Yeshua) are what have caused people to turn away, for the most part. And they’ll never teach you this in Sunday school, but lots of Christian clerics have existed in the past. One of the more well-known Christian witches in the history of the church, for example, was Hildegard von Bingen. She was a brilliant mathematician, musician, botanist, and devout nun who eventually became the head of her convent. She had prophetic dreams and visions, and had very expansive knowledge of herbs and their medicinal/metaphysical properties. She is not considered a saint by most branches of the church, because she was a cleric (to most Catholics she is deemed merely a Doctor of the Church). From what I’ve seen in my religious journey thus far (Christian, then undeclared, then Militant Agnostic, then Christo-Pagan) is that all religions are connected in some way, or another. We don’t all have to like each other, but we’re all here and everyone deserves tolerance and respect so long as what they’re practicing (or not practicing) is not destructive to others.
You cannot be Christian and a Witch, because the bible condemns it. He obviously doesn’t read the Bible, the Bible saids this: “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.” Deuteronomy 18:10-12
I tend to think of fortune tellers and witchcraft as therapy with theatre. Some people just need that coating of mysticism to swallow the pill of sound advice, like “My boyfriend cheated on me, what should I do?” “Well, the cards tell me that he’s not going to stop cheating and it’s dampening your energy.” “oh… I mean, that’s not what I wanted to hear, but if that’s the case then I will break up with him” You know? It’s clearly someone just giving insight and advice but because it’s in a different format, it feels less stressful to get yourself out of those situations. Should the person needing to bring change to their life see it rationally and for what it is, YES but sometimes people can’t/won’t because of the situation or just being who they are. They need this personal belief that they can affect change, like an ideomotor effect but for actual productivity and work. In that sense, I like Wicca because it’s relaxing and calming and most of the time asks to keep a positive perspective, but if it gets sleazy and scammy like “But if you want him to stop cheating, buy these stones and have them blesses by me and put them under his bed, but blessing them will cost $$$.” Then that’s just taking advantage and you gotta get out. It’s Therapy with showmanship, keep that in mind.
Thank you for being respectful about my community. It’s all about perception. What you would call coincidence, I would see as a deity… I’d like to think most of us pagans realize very well that that’s filling in the blanks, but it brings us a way to work with it and the feelings even more. It’s overall a very positive movement that doesn’t persecute difference of opinion or belief.
There is a woman I watch on youtube named harmony nice, she is a Wiccan, and the way she described the “gods” to a wiccan made sense….I’m not religious, or an atheist really. But I feel like I would most relate to witchcraft, or wicca if I had to choose something today to follow…. Wicca itself is a nature based religion, and she explained the gods to just be a personified figure of the energy. So say you have a forest god…..they use a visual representation of a “god” so symbolize the energy that is the forest, or the forests energy. It’s just easier to have a visual rather than just saying, visualise energy. Does that make sense?
This guy definitely said some things that I as a witch cringed at. It’s very important to take everything with a grain of salt- but a root of paganism is animism, the belief that the earth, plants, natural phenomena etc have a spirit. In many indigenous cultures there’s a “grandmother spider” who birthed the world, weaving the web of life, and in some tales will eventually consume it. I did like how he brought up looking at ancient art, or being in a community and having an unexplained resonating sense of belonging. Druid culture does not have many historical artifacts to study, but the Burning Man is linked to it– what I’m trying to get at is a lot of it comes down to symbolism. Anyway, I’d love to hear your take on some Joseph Campbell and Carl Jung esoterica, listen to some of their lectures on YT if you find time.
I can totes get down with making life more whimsical. – and I think that’s really what they’re after. When you make it into a brand, and try to sell it (like in that mans case) you really have to put the extra “belief” and dazzle behind it. I too, personally can appreciate the beauty of this world without lighting candles, and doing a fairy dance under a full moon, but I get it. People desperately want life to be more than what they can perceive. It’s pretty darn miraculous as is, if you ask me. Still… I could be way into a midnight moon fairy dance. 🖤
It’s really good to ask questions when one is curious. After all, the curiosity is what moves many away from religions that worship deities and pushes them towards Atheism. However, it’s quite arrogant for anyone to claim what they believe is definitive. Witchcraft is “The Old Religion— it’s been around for centuries. While I appreciate those with a sincere interest to have it explained, because of the history people look silly mocking it.
From back in my wilder days of psychic readings and crystal healings, I recall this being the least offensive “religion” I knew of at the time. Live with intention, do no harm, respect for nature… These were things I could totally get behind. In fact, at its core, “magic” is merely the act of bringing something about through your intentions and your will. If you include physical action into that “spell” chances are the magic may actually work, just not necessarily in a supernatural way.
I can clearly say that you are representing the atheists through your website. I am humbly requesting that please don’t use the name of the Lord in vain. If you believes that God doesn’t exist, okay. I’ll show compassion and understand you. I will keep praying that God may have mercy and open your heart and mind that you may know him, that you may believe him through faith.
As someone who has dabbled in witchcraft while still being a little skeptic, I feel like secular witchcraft is the easiest for people on the outside looking in to wrap their heads around. First I want to clarify that there’s a difference between wicca and witchcraft. Wicca is a belief or faith while witchcraft is the rituals and things. You can practice witchcraft without being a wiccan. Everyone has a different philosophy and practice when it comes to witchcraft so this doesn’t apply to all witches. But for me, the “gods” are more of a symbol for abstract ideas. For example if you want have more self esteem you could “ask” Aphrodite (the Greek goddess of love) to help you in your ritual for self. Its just kind of a way to focus your intentions into something more concrete. I’m not sure how much I believe in all of it as much as I use to. I think it might be more of a placebo effect. But if it helps people I don’t see anything wrong with it.
Yaaaaaas finally!! I’m a witch and love your vids Jaclyn! Ironic I know. Lol but I don’t believe everything he does. We each have different beliefs. One of the differences between Paganism and Christianity is that we do not fear our gods nor do we feel we are lower than them..also they are simply a personification of nature.. and that’s it. I was atheist for 3 years and went pagan due to that I needed something to help me with my depression. It has helped a lot. (I do understand how powerful the placebo effect comes in play in this too.)
Substitute spirit for god, and then substitute experience for spirit. The forest can be beautiful or just a bunch of plants; and what that means is, if you experience beauty or evil or darkness or wonder when you see the forest, you have experienced a particular spirit of the forest. If it is nothing more than a bunch of leaves and plants and molecules and atoms to you, then you have not experienced the forest, and have not met any of its spirits. Is that supernatural? That depends on your definition of supernatural. Gods of Abraham/Greek/Roman etc. are supernatural. But what about that feeling you get when you walk through a forest, be it good or bad, that is not materially there, but the forest caused you to have it. Might we call that supernatural? As an Atheist, I know there is no supernatural anything, but I love the experience of being in the forest because it feels different than the desert or the city; it has, shall we say, a different feel to it…. its…. own… spirit. Just my $.02.
I have to take issue with what he said about therapy. Talking with your friends is no substitute for therapy with a qualified psychiatrist. Socialising with friends is vital for your well being absolutely, but they can’t help get to the root of your problems if they’re not trained to. Also saying that therapy is for people with no friends will only shame people away from seeking help, which is a dangerous thing to do. Still though he seems like a nice enough guy and it was probably just a careless throwaway comment, which we all make sometimes.
That is the problem with today’s new agey witchcraft – there is no fierceness in it. They begin to explain something and it’s all sleep inducing and nonsense rituals. I can teach anyone better about old religion witchcraft. All sorts of callings, bindings, divinations, hexes, walking, crafting, naming, etc etc. And I don’t even believe in those. I’m just an atheist.
I would view myself as an agnostic/atheist witch. That might seem strange, but let me explain. I believe that there are two sides the the world, a Physical and Spiritual. We are really good with connecting with physical, because it is easy but spiritual is harder. Like he said, it is more of an experience or something you have to find on your own. I don’t know, it makes sense to me and how I have experienced the world up until now.
I was actually pretty nervous clicking on this, but I was happy to see they were both kind and respectful of each other. I know some witches who can be real bitches. I do want to point out you can’t get a great idea of the whole of witchcraft talking to one person as every craft is different. Some witches believe in the Christian God, some like myself the Greek Gods, some Norse, and some none at all. Witchcraft is simply a practice, you can be any religion with it, the religion associated with Witchcraft, Wicca, is one many don’t subscribe to. Personally, I see witchcraft as manipulating the energies in the world and having an effect on them, while I do call upon my Gods to help me with this they, it’s mostly me putting my intent into something and playing with energy and my Gods help me to do so. Candles and such are simply symbolic of my intent, something physical for it to manifest in. And you’re actually right about the good intentions thing, if I make a friend a self love poppet to help them feel better it’s because I want to help them, it’s just another way I do so.
To me, the gods and goddesses are symbolic figures more than anything. I think that they were used in earlier times by Wiccans to honor a certain thing or group of things, and to focus their energies and thoughts on. A lot of Wiccans have different ideas than I, and that’s what makes the religion so appealing. There is no wrong way to follow it. The moment I turned away from Christianity and finally allowed myself to follow these beliefs, my overall life improved. My mind became more open, and I accepted a lot of new friends into my life for the first time, without worrying if their beliefs contradicted mine, or what church they went to, etc. Wicca/Paganism is truly a breath of fresh air compared to most religions today.
This is so much more respectful then I thought I might be and I’m so happy about this because I fall into this realm of ‘The Craft’ or witchcraft or whatever one wants to call it. When he’s explaining ‘gods’ he doesn’t mean it in a literal sense. He’s not literally talking to them or hearing them. What he’s trying to explain is the feeling and the connectivity of the emotion or feeling or power that you feel inside you when working with it. Its all about conducting energy and emotion and intention into whatever magick or ‘spell’ or whatever you’re working on. Its about projecting energy in hopes of helping a situation. For instance, a prayer. Obviously ‘god’ isn’t going to make things happen just because you ask for it. But for instance, if someone is praying for a loved one you is grieving a death for instance, and you pray for them to feel comfort or ease through the situation, its like a way of projecting that energy that you wish for them. However, if you don’t really mean it, if there’s no real wish from you, no gusto in it, its never going to work because you didn’t put your energy in it. In some ways, there is a bit of a placebo effect I suppose if you wanna get right down to the nitty-gritty, but it is mostly about energy projection and oneness with the space around you. When he talks about a ‘Forest God’ speaking to him, he means that he can feel the energy that the forest gives off, which is usually a feeling of peace and ease and sometimes comfort. Its not plain English or voices in your head.
I met this man with my mother and her friend and it was very interesting. He’s very different and we did a whole ritual. There was a cauldron in the center of the room and we burned thread and something else I can’t remember and he started speaking in tongue and doing dances around the cauldron. It was so fucking scary. It got so fucking CRAZYYYYYYY
This is the first vid of yours that I felt not necessarily offended by but rather uncomfortable perusal, being part wiccan myself, I feel that you (Jaclyn) didn’t get the opportunity to speak to the right person about this, over all I was slightly hurt but still support you as and your athesitic views 👌👌
As an atheist, I believe every part in this discussion should study a little more of philosophy to understand each other, you would find much more common ground, as I did with some traditions of Wicca and also Buddhists. I’m not going to try and explain anything because english is a second language to me and there’s just not enough time, but guys… Philosophy is so underrated this days. Symbolism. Call love a god and pray to it and you get much closer to it and it can change the way you perceive it. It’s not actually objectively there, but it can be there for you. And if you don’t need it, no one says it is an objective truth and you can’t deny it, it is subjectively true and to some people, that is how they connect to reality and sometimes go through the thing some call “existential crises”.
The big problem with explaining our spirituality to non witches is that there’s a fundamental lack of communication on what we actually define magick as. It’s not the sci fi fantasy stuff you see in Hollywood, it’s something that takes time, discussion, contemplation, and open mindedness to fully understand. You’re not going to get that in a five minute, heavily edited article. I honestly think this interview needs a redo. With the way this is edited even I, a long time practicing witch, can’t understand half the shit he’s saying.
Who in the hell is saying she’s being respectful towards him!??? She’s speaking down to him like he’s a child. He’s trying to tell her about his faith and she’s making fun of it. Calling it unnecessary and illogical. This article had no point other then for her to point of why she thinks Wicca is stupid. She went into this mans business and public ally made fun of him and his faith. That is so disrespectful
There is an atheistic and agnostic approach to witchcraft as well. There is a belief that nature IS the deity or deities, and that “gods” or “goddesses” are just personifications of these different aspects of nature. For example, it’s a lot easier to actually communicate with the god of nighttime than it is to communicate with nighttime itself, because nighttime can’t speak. This is an increasingly more popular viewpoint among witch and wiccan communities, and one that I personally believe. I think there are no gods, just real things we personify as people in order to understand them better. Just my two cents on the issue.
I was kinda irritated by his assertion that therapy is what you get when you don’t have mates. It’s insulting to the process and the value of therapy. A therapist is someone you can talk about things you may not want to burden/share/shock/depress with your emotional issues. Sometimes you really need someone that is entirely independent of your life. Someone who can talk to you in a non-emotional/non-judgemental way. Friends can be too invested. A therapist is also someone that can tell you things you need to hear but don’t want to hear. If you get upset about those things you can always switch therapists, but many friends are reluctant to say anything b/c they don’t want to lose your friendship. And some who do have the courage to say so HAVE lost friends.
I find the fear of God generates distrust while the love of God generates trust, both travel in the same circles which can be misleading. Personally I own my doubts in God and the bible, though I have trust enough to believe I won’t be condemn for it, as its the only way I can honesty confront them with hopes to ever resolve them. Faith isn’t a feeling or blindfold, just a deliberate conscious choice and a cold determination to pursue something you hope has a meaningful return, whatever you do, don’t look away.
I think it’s pretty clear to me now why the guy and so many more around him think in these terms. It makes them feel special, instead of feeling love they’re “communicating” with the great Aphrodite. Deep down they know there’s nothing supernatural about it (some of them at least) but they need to make themselves feel better in some way. Keep in mind that thinking like this can also greatly help with ridding yourself of any blame for, it wasn’t you, it was the energy around you that made you do what you did.
I love how chill this guy was. I don’t believe in literal supernatural forces, however I can understand the appeal of appreciating the forest in the context of forest gods and not just the forest itself being pretty, because imagining it like that for just a moment can add intrigue and a whole new layer of beauty to an already beautiful forest even for someone who doesn’t believe it. I also like the idea of working with a god or gods a lot more than the Christian way of seeing the divine as an authority. If gods did exist I think they would be helpful and willing to work with us and not judge rather than narcicissticaly control us. The divine is supposed to make you feel good and be emotionally replenishing not draining and scary.
I was hesitant to watch like you neu dae but appreciated the respect shown by Jaclyn in this article… I’m a Witch but also a therapist & did not appreciate the way he dismissed therapists to be only for the people with “no mates” (??) because sometimes mates are too close to help effectively & those who need therapy may not wish to burden their nearest & dearest with their problems, especially if they are the problem. Like you I connect to nature & the natural ebb & flow of the earth energies, the elements & now prefer to ‘go it alone’. There really are as many types of Witch as there are Witches… =)
Witches are what practitioners of Wicca call themselves and you are a witch wither male or female. Some claim to use “magic”, but some just see it as spirituality. What he described sounds to me like symbolism and shaping your thoughts, like what a lot of therapists do. I think you can see witchcraft as using feelings to deal with feelings, which is a good thing in my opinion. Objects and words help the mind define and understand the concepts.
I think they are just in love with the esthetic of witchcraft. Like, the candles, the thick leather books, the pentagrams, rituals, plants, rocks, etc. I am not gonna lie, i buy leather books, i love older looking things, and there is something really pleasing about the esthetic of it, but i dont call it witchcraft.
While I don’t believe in things like Witchcraft, I do understand where he is coming from. As a recovering atheist, I know what it is like to immediately reject anything that isn’t currently accepted in the scientific community. It is that feeling of safety and authority you can go to for reassurance and in many cases a feeling of superiority over others than many people find intoxicating. The part that struck a chord with me was the God part. She is not capable of seeing what he means by God. Her viewpoint of what God is has been so drilled into her via the Abrahamic variety that is monotheistic in nature and personal as well. While I can’t say I understand exactly what he thinks when it comes to the term “God”, I believe he is trying to bridge a gap with a word that fits the best for the most people he comes in contact with. God or Universal consciousness/force doesn’t even have to be related to religion. One of the most ironic things for me is that as Science is understanding more and more at the Quantum level, it is only strengthening the religious/spiritual side of things…and causing more confusion and questions among the scientists. So the “anti science” side is finding comfort in their beliefs being reaffirmed in quantum mechanics, while the atheist/science side is struggling with trying to answer even more questions that are constantly popping up due to their discoveries. Very fascinating stuff.
It sounds like he’s just messing with you in some of what he is say’in and your just jumping the gun there a bit. I don’t understand atheist. Are atheist, atheist because a celestial Santa Claus didn’t grant a wish or are they afraid of being accountable for something they feel like they are too much of a good person to be accountable for anything in death?
As i understand their god is like the god if Spinoza or Einstein … witch is basicaly nature ! It’s just easier to understand it if you call it god . As he said it’s all about the terminology and your definition of “god” i hava a friend who in practise is an Atheist but what he calls cod is the ability of a person to create ART ! for him god is us
I actually think he explained things very well. Still don’t believe in any of it but I did appreciate the way that he could explain what to him is a very spiritual and personal perception of the world in a way that I could understand. Its a view of the world that I think is very beautiful and unique. Just not one for everyone clearly.
there is a source/god of all things, but religion portrays it as an individual being, which is complete stupidity as that leads to an endless argument of who created the creators. Something that created from nothing can be nothing but everything, in other words you, and everything and everyone around you are god as a whole, unless you want to call advanced beings who create life with the building blocks that already exist gods
From what I understood of what the guy was saying, it doesn’t seem like he believes in actual deities, instead it seems what he meant was “I call these things gods because it’s a way to easily describe these huge and abstract feelings.” I think he might also be atheist, but uses the terminology because it’s convenient.
Yes that is what it is good intentions and the props are just a placebo affect to set a mood, like makeup is used to put on to go out which people feel confident. Just tools to set the mind, and Sometimes personalizing things are fun and add power even if you know its not real, like when you get mad at a machine and talk to it like its a person. We know a car or pc isnt a person, though personalizing helps a way to vent
lol intention… cute. so technically for him words have power. that is how he views it. hence why for him they can be anything. sort of like automatically ascribing each concept its own realm. each one then speaks to him, since to create a self narrative that is discussing the concept, is to invite it into mind. they technically deal with mind and usually refuse the implications of the body. by this i mean he casually dismissed chemistry but failed to realize how many lives were saved due to the advancements in it. one could argue these hospitals have increased the rate of survival and health beyond what their methods could achieve which bears its own implications. they are attempting to utilize the placebo effect but fail to realize the traps they leave in their wake. that filter in which communication must travel from one person to another can be a pain in the ass. and while he should be able to seperate himself from it not many others will be. you usually dont meet many that are that honest. at least i have not.
I enjoy perusal articles on your worldview I find it very different from what I usually what I come across I do the native American ceremonies that were part of my traditions but I’m not sure if i understood it wrong but because something that affects the spirit with a object is witchcraft a lot of my traditions have to do with the spirit and it is not witchcraft and with the forest god i think it comes to language the language of the land with my people back in the day we were able to connect with everything the spirit the land the animals in a sense the forest god i don’t think there is a god that rules over that forest but the forest its self could have a spirit
I loved how you are so open about something that people see as something too strange to understand, i’ll just say this not all witches falls in the same category it depends in what they wanna believe in if it’s roman or egyptian gods or if they are just connected to nature is all about good intentions and respect, we do not need any books but some are interested in how other covens believed in.