"...u savršenoj ljubavi i savršenom povjerenju"

Fotografija: Noelia Carballo

Iako je izraz "u savršenoj ljubavi i savršenom povjerenju" (eng. in perfect love and perfect trust) u osnovi wiccanski, vjerujem da može biti i jest dio općeg paganskog mentaliteta. Ovaj koncept je očito baziran na međusobnom i kolektivnom smislu za ljubav i povjerenje. Stoga, on ne bi ni postojao bez zajednice koja bi ga koristila. Vrijedi napomenuti da ove zajednice najčešće čini vrlo maleni broj ljudi (objasniti ću razloge za ovo kasnije). Većina neopaganskih pravaca je zasnovana na malim zajednicama; jedina razlika među njima jest ime koje se koristi za njih. Tako se wiccanske i vještičje skupine obično nazivaju kovenima, ili krugovima. Skupine koje su vezane uz Pokret Božice (eng. the Goddess movement) se također nazivaju krugovima. Ásatrú grupe se nazivaju rodovi (eng. kindreds), a skupine druida gajevi (eng. groves). Ukratko, svaki paganski pravac ima svoje individualne sljedbenike, ali velik broj njih se također skuplja u grupe za zajednički rad iz mnogo razloga. Bez obzira na razloge, sami pravac, geografsku lokacija, ili bilo koji drugi faktor, nijedna od ovih skupina ne bi postojala bez uzajamne ljubavi i povjerenja među članovima.

Pošto sam wiccanka, objasniti ću značenje izraza "u savršenoj ljubavi i savršenom povjerenju" iz wiccanske perspektive (s nešto više naglaska na povjerenje). No, kasnije ću povući paralele s drugim paganskim pravcima, iako vjerujem da će poveznice biti jasne i bez mojih objašnjenja.

Ljubav i povjerenje tijekom progona vještica

Kao što sam istaknula u postu "Samotnjaci vs. koveni", prve "vještice" su vjerojatno radile samostalno, makar ovo ne znači da se nisu s vremenom počele okupljati u skupine. Većina autora tvrdi da se one zaista jesu skupljale. Prema različitim povijesnim dokumentima, zakonima koji su provedeni u ovo doba i onodobnim općim praksama, srednjovjekovni ljudi su također vjerovali da se vještice sastaju u skupinama. Jedna, na žalost žalosna činjenica koja podržava ovu tvrdnju jeste da se u srednjem vijeku osumnjičene vještice mučilo i pritom ispitivalo o drugim ljudima s kojima su izvodile rituale. Očito su ljudi čak i tada bili toliko uvjereni da vještice rade u skupinama!

Ovo je vjerovanje nekako preneseno s koljena na koljeno i postalo svojevrsni mit, a ujedno i stereotip - vještice koje zajedno plešu oko vatre, ili u nekakvom gaju. Bez obzira na sve ovo, golemi popisi imena potencijalnih vještica kojima su urodila suđenja vještica se trebaju uzeti sa zrnom soli. Jadni izmučeni ljudi su priznavali raznorazne stvari pod mučenjem. Kada bi ih inkvizitor pitao: "S kime ste prakticirali vještičarstvo?", postoji velika mogućnost da bi samo rekli prvih nekoliko imena koja bi im pala na pamet. Naime, mučenje bi stalo tek onda kada bi dali zadovoljavajući broj imena.

Ipak, usprkos svim povijesnim nepravilnostima i manjku dokaza, ne bi me čudilo da se vještice zaista jesu okupljale u skupinama (ako ne u srednjem vijeku, onda malo kasnije). Ovo naprosto ima smisla jer je grupni rad ponekad toliko jednostavnija opcija, pogotovo kada je nečiji život konstantno ugrožen kao što je bio slučaj za vrijeme progona vještica. Ljudi su po prirodi društvena bića, a postojanje unutar grupe može učiniti život lakšim, skinuti nam nešto tereta s leđa, dati nam podršku, ohrabrenje, ljubav, a da ne spominjemo i stvarnu, fizičku pomoć kada nam je potrebna. Tijekom srednjeg vijeka kada je životni vijek bio mnogo kraći nego danas, a svako djelo potencijalna smrtna osuda, grupe su se držale skupa mnogo više. Članovi obitelji su se čvrsto držali jedni za druge i međusobno se štitili. Grupe općenito su bile od iznimne važnosti jer, kao što sam rekla, one su između ostalog pružale zaštitu.

Stoga, zašto se i vještice ne bi skupljale u zajednice? Hajdemo reći radi ovog posta da se zaista jesu grupirale. Možda nedostaju povijesne činjenice, ali se meni čini dovoljno logičnim. Zato predlažem da ovo za sada prihvatimo kao mogućnost. Kasnije možete biti skeptični. :) Ako u ovo uopće ne vjerujete, onda ovo samo shvatite kao priču na kojoj zasnivam svoju teoriju.

U svakom slučaju, pošto su suđenja vještica bila svakodnevna pojava, a ljudi su svašta priznavali tijekom mučenja, članovi grupa, odnosno kovena su trebali biti vrlo oprezni. Svatko vas je mogao izdati u bilo kojem trenutku. Zapravo, svatko je mogao bilo koga krivo optužiti za prakticiranje vještičarstva. Čak su i mlade, nevine cure bile optužene za ovo naprosto jer im je susjedu smetalo što ne žele spavati s njim, a primalje bile spaljene jer su navodno uzrokovale komplikacije za vrijeme porođaja. Jednostavno rečeno, optuživanje nekoga za vještičarstvo je bio najlakši način da im se osveti, ili ih se riješi. Dakle, oprez je bio još apsolutno neophodan ako zaista jeste prakticirali vještičarstvo. Naprosto niste mogli nikome vjerovati.

Zbog ovoga se vjeruje da su kovene sačinjavali isključivo članovi obitelji jer se tada moglo jedino vjerovati rodu. Zašto? Pa, ako ste tada bili pod sumnjom prakticiranja vještičarstva, onda bi se cijelu vašu obitelj uzelo kao suučesnike u tom zlodjelu pa bi i oni bili uvučeni u cijeli skandal. Članovi grupa/obitelji su se držali skupa bez obzira na sve. Potpuno povjerenje među članovima je bilo nužno jer je tada to bilo pitanje života ili smrti....doslovno! Ako bi netko izdao vaše povjerenje, onda biste bili spaljeni/obješeni kao posljedica toga. Ljubav je također igrala važnu ulogu u svemu ovome. Ljubav među članovima obitelji je prirodna, a bila je još više u to doba kada je cijela obitelj živjela u jednoj prostoriji i kada su svi ovisili jedni o drugima.

Kasnije, kada je cijela ova zaluđenost vješticama pomalo otpala, vješticama je bilo omogućeno istraživanje novog teritorija. I tako su počele nalaziti srodne duše čak i van svojih obitelji. Smatra se da su ovako nastali prvi "neobiteljski" koveni. Iako krvno srodstvo više nije bio kriterij za primanje novih članova, ljudi su i dalje vjerovali da ljubav i povjerenje trebaju biti sastavni dio ovih novih skupina. Ovo je bilo djelomično jer je određena doza tajnosti i dalje bila potrebna.

Još jedan razlog za postojanje ljubavi i povjerenja među članovima kovena jest taj što su rituali, slavlja i meditacije izrazito intimne stvari. Članovi skupina naprosto ne mogu izbjeći međusobno zbližavanje u takvom okruženju. "Sviđanje" se uskoro pretvori u "voljenje", a velika doza povjerenja se stvori u kratkom roku. Ali hajdemo malo više reći o postojanju ljubavi i povjerenja u modernim kovenima.

Neke stvari se jednostavno ne mijenjaju...

Sve paganske skupine koje danas postoje su zasnovane na međusobnoj ljubavi i povjerenju, iako nužno nemaju sve geslo poput "u savršenoj ljubavi i savršenom povjerenju". Wiccanske skupine ovaj izraz zapravo uzimaju kao vlastiti slogan. Njega se čak može naći i u prvom stihu Vještičje pouke. Ali zašto su uzajamna ljubav i povjerenje toliko važni čak i danas kada su progoni vještica davno iza nas? No, ne govorim samo o wicci; govorim o vješticama i paganima svih pravaca. Pa, koliko ja vidim, postoji nekoliko mogućih razloga.

1. Tajnost

I dalje postoji mnoštvo predrasuda oko paganizma i vještičarstva. Iako se danas neće nikoga spaliti na lomači/objesiti zbog prakticiranja vještičarstva, ili zbog njihovih paganskih uvjerenja, neki ljudi se i dalje čvrsto drže starih zabluda oko ovih dvaju pravaca. Pagani i vještice gube svoje poslove zbog svojih uvjerenja, svađaju se s partnerima, prijateljima, članovima obitelji, kolegama, pa čak i nasumičnim ljudima. Ukratko, nije svatko jednako tolerantan po pitanju ovoga. Stoga velik broj ljudi i dalje pokušava zadržati svoja uvjerenja/prakse u tajnosti. Ponekad je naprosto jednostavnije držati jezik za zubima i izbjeći konflikt.

Većina paganskih skupina/kovena inzistira na tome da njihove aktivnosti budu privatne. Stoga je na rituale i slavlja pozvana samo probrana nekolicina ljudi (tj. aktivnosti nisu javne). Imena članova grupe se također drže u tajnosti ako grupa tako preferira. Neki članovi možda neće imati ništa protiv toga da se njihova imena spominju u "paganskim/vještičjim" pričama, a neki od njih će čak otvoreno priznati svoju duhovnost. No, druge će možda biti strah da će kriva osoba čuti te priče. Iz istog se razloga fotografije sa svih ovih aktivnosti zadržavaju samo za privatno korištenje. Ako javnost ima pristup nekoj slici, onda za to obično trebaju dati pristanak svi oni koji se u njoj nalaze.

Naravno, osoba koju je strah da će se član grupe izbrbljati o njihovoj duhovnosti nekom manje tolerantnom članu obitelji/kolegi/prijatelju će pridavati veliku važnost međusobnom povjerenju. Na kraju krajeva trebate imate povjerenja u osobu da neće odati vašu tajnu.

2. Koven kao obitelj

Kako Starhawk predivno ističe u svojoj knjizi Spiralni ples: "Povezanost je u jakom kovenu prema tradiciji 'jača od obiteljske': koven je zajednica po duhu, osjećajima i imaginaciji. Cilj su 'savršena ljubav i savršeno povjerenje'". Stara tradicija u kojoj su članovima kovena bili u krvnom srodstvu se danas reflektira u shvaćaju modernog kovena kao nekakve druge obitelji. Naravno, kada kažem "koven" u ovom kontekstu, ne mislim samo na skupine wiccana/vještica, već na sve paganske skupine. Ljubav i povjerenje dolaze prirodno u takvom okruženju i zapravo su nužne kako bi se ikakva dublja veza razvila. Veze među članovima grupa ne mogu samo ostati fizičke; ljudi se trebaju shvaćati mentalno i duhovno kako bi sistem pravilno funkcionirao. Nakon što se ova sinkronizacija dogodi, čuda se počnu događati tijekom rituala, meditacija i duhovnih putovanja. Ljubav i povjerenje su nužni kako bi grupa bila obitelj.

3. Male skupine su ključne

Teško je uspostaviti jaki osjećaj ljubavi i povjerenja u velikim skupinama. Kada ste s pedeset ljudi u grupi, ne možete posvetiti previše vremena svakome ponaosob, a time ih ni upoznati zasebno. Ali kada se nalazite u skupini od desetak ljudi i kada se s njima nalazite često, imate priliku razgovarati sa svakim, stvarno upoznati svakoga i, s vremenom, ih zaista razumjeti. Htjela bih još jednom citirati Starhawk: 

"Craft se ne temelji na velikim, amorfnim, površno povezanim masama; niti na individualnim guruima sa štovateljima i učenicima. Nema hijerarhijskog autoriteta, nema Dalaj Lame niti Pape. Struktura vještičje religije je stanična, temelji se na malim krugovima čiji su članovi duboko predani jedni drugima i vještičjoj religiji."

Vrijedi opet napomenuti da se isto može reći za bilo koju pagansku skupinu jer malene skupine ljudi tvore i rodove, i gajeve, i kovene te sve skupine slične njima. Kao što sam rekla, ljubav i povjerenje je puno lakše uspostaviti u malenim skupinama. Uz ovo, svaka osoba je važna u takvoj grupi jer svaki član donosi nešto posebno svakom okupljanju.

Naravno, postoje prikladna vremena i za velika okupljanja. Ovo su obično sabati koji su po samoj svojoj naravi slavlja. Moguće je da se za njih veći broj rodova, gajeva, ili kovena okupi na jednom mjestu i slavi ovaj značajan datum, no pravi rad (introspekcija, privatni rad) se uvijek obavlja u malim skupinama. Zbog ovoga se ezbati slave ili samostalno, ili među odabranom nekolicinom ljudi kojima osoba može u potpunosti vjerovati i s kojima se osjeća ugodno.

4. Intimnost

Kada osoba radi u tako malim skupinama, viđa redovito druge članove i radi dublje radovi poput rituala, duhovnih putovanja, meditacija, introspekcija i dijeljenja (eng. sharing), ona uspostavi izrazito jaku vezu sa svim drugim članovima grupe. Ljudi se smiju i plaču tijekom rituala, izražavaju svoje želje i strahove, priznaju tajne, dijele svoje probleme i uspjehe, ali također slušaju ono što ostali imaju za reći. Mnogo intimnih trenutaka se dijeli za vrijeme ovakvih okupljanja, bez obzira koji je paganski pravac u pitanju. Gotovo je nemoguće dostići ovu razinu intimnosti bez povjerenja i ljubavi među članovima. Uz to, intimnost je potrebna da bi rituali i drugi radovi dostigli još veću razinu kvalitete te da bi pojedinac kroz njih vječno rastao.

5. Kovenski um

U svojoj knjizi Progressive Witchcraft, Janet Farrar i Gavin Bone govore o ulozi kolektivnog nesvjesnog (termin kojeg je poznati psihijatar Carl Gustav Jung smislio i pojašnjavao u mnogim svojim djelima) u formiranju nečega što oni nazivaju kovenski um (eng. the Coven Mind). Teorija kolektivnog nesvjesnog ukratko kaže da svi ljudi, bez obzira na njihovu dob, rasu, spol, geografsku lokaciju pa čak i vremensko postojanje dijele jedan nivo svijesti (odnosno "ne-svijesti") sa svim ostalim ljudima u svijetu i kroz sva vremenska razdoblja. Prema Jungu, ova latentna svijest je ista u svim živim bićima. On je nasljedna i usađena u naše umove. Zbog ovoga postoje arhetipovi; ljudi diljem svijeta, u svim vremenskim razdobljima imaju iste percepcije određenih arhetipskih figura. Majka, otac, dobre sile (anđeli, heroji itd.), zle sile (demoni, zmajevi itd.)...ovo je samo nekoliko primjera arhetipova koje postoje u svim kulturama i unutar uma svakog čovjeka, ali su s vremenom poprimili različite nazive. Ipak, njihove karakteristike ostaju nepromijenjene. Evo što Janet Farrar i Gavin Bone imaju za reći na ovu temu:

"According to Jung, we are all psychologically connected on a level known as the Collective Unconscious. In occult practice this is believed to directly interface with the different levels of reality that make up spiritual and magical cosmology, such as the elemental, Underworld, Astral Realm, and so on. We are unaware of the Collective Unconscious in everyday waking consciousness, although we may enter it to a certain degree during dream or rapid eye movement (REM) sleep."

(slob. prev. Prema Jungu, svi smo mi psihološki spojeni na jednoj razini koja je poznata kao kolektivno nesvjesno. U okultnim praksama se vjeruje da ovo direktno sučeljava s različitim razinama stvarnosti koje tvore duhovnu i magijsku kozmologiju, poput one elementala, Podzemnog svijeta, astralnog svijeta i tako dalje.  Mi nismo svjesni kolektivnost nesvjesnog u svakodnevnom budnom stanju svjesnosti, iako možemo ući u njega u nekoj mjeri tijekom snova, ili REM faze spavanja.)

U vezi s izrazom "u savršenoj ljubavi i savršenoj ljepoti", oni kažu da je on "važan ideal u sklopu modernog vještičarstva: da članovi kovena gaje bezuvjetnu ljubav jedni prema drugima, što je proizvod formiranja kovenskog uma". Kovenski um je svojevrsna minijaturna verzija kolektivnog nesvjesnog; on omogućava članovima kovena/roda/gaja/kruga da dijele emocije, misli, impulse, intuiciju i tako dalje. U ovom smislu, on pomaže članovima grupe da se usklade i pruža im potporu u ritualnom radu. Ljubav i povjerenje među članovima grupe samo dodatno jača kovenski um, oni osjećaju mogu također proizaći iz kovenskog uma. Naravno, dijeljenje ovako duboke povezanosti (odnosno, dijeljenje uma na neki način) s cijelom grupom samo po sebi omogućava uzajamnoj ljubavi i povjerenju da cvatu.

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Rituali bilo koje vrste su intimne prigode koje sve prisutne toliko zbližavaju. Ljubav i povjerenje su naprosto potrebi kako bi se svi osjećali ugodno i kako bi svi bili usklađeni. Zbog ovoga su ljubav i povjerenje praktički postali uvjet za pristup paganskim skupinama. Primjerice, oni koji žele biti inicirani u  wiccu i postati dio (djelomično) tradicionalnog kovena trebaju proći kroz barem godinu dana obuke. Tradicionalno pravilo je da se osobu može inicirati u Umijeće tek nakon što ona provede godinu i jedan dan s kovenom i kroz to proživi cijelo jedno Kolo godine. Tijekom ovako dugog perioda, pridošlicu se prihvaća u koven, ali još važnije od toga jest to što on/ona u procesu razvije povjerenje i ljubav prema svim ostalim članovima, kao što oni razviju prema njemu/njoj. Po inicijaciji, inicijat more reći lozinku kako bi ga se pustilo u ritualni krug. Možete li pogoditi koja je lozinka? "U savršenoj ljubavi i savršenom povjerenju". Time svaka novoinicirana osoba uđe u krug u savršenoj ljubavi i savršenom povjerenju. Zašto su oni savršeni? Jer su neraskidivi, oni su mnogo dublji od svjetovne ljubavi i povjerenja; oni nisu samo fizički već i duhovni.

Iako ova lozinka ne postoji u svim paganskim tradicijama, ljubav i povjerenje su inherentni. Grupe očekuju da bilo koja osoba koja ulazi u ritualni krug to čini isključivo s čistim, pozitivnim namjerama, s pozitivnim stavom i u potpunom povjerenju.

Govoreći iz osobnog iskustva, male skupine zaista jesu najbolje. Nekako izgubite sebe, ali i druge u većim skupinama, sinkronicitet nekako ishlapi i na kraju shvatite da oni rituali koje izvodite su rituali samo u imenu i ničem drugom. U maloj skupini možete u potpunosti proživjeti ritual, stvorite kovenski um i zaista razvijete duboki osjećaj ljubavi i povjerenja.

Voljela bih još samo nakratko pojasniti zašto je povjerenje toliko važno. Rituali, bili oni devocijski ili magijski, su osobni. Oni uključuju rad s energijama, entitetima (najčešće božanstvima) i čine osobu ranjivom. Nitko ne želi raditi s ljudima u koje nemaju povjerenja jer grupa kao cjelina određuje koje će se energije/entitete prizvati u ritualni prostor. Kada ste u tako ranjivom stanju, otvoreni ste svim utjecajima, i dobrima i lošima. Sigurna, kvalitetna, pouzdana grupa koja vas voli garantira da će samo pozitivne energije biti prisutne i da ništa negativno neće utjecati na vas. Drugi članovi vas zapravo štite, i vi štitite njih. Sve je recipročno. Vi dajete ljubav i povjerenje, i dobivate ljubav i povjerenje zauzvrat. Toliko je jednostavno.

Sve u svemu, vjerujem da su povjerenje i ljubav krucijalni u bilo kakvom grupnom radu duhovne prirode. Čak iako ovo niste shvaćali do sada, nadam se da ćete na ovo obraćati više pažnje u budućnosti. Vjerujte mi, ovo može samo voditi intimnijim i kvalitetnijim ritualima, čudesnim iskustvima i predivnim prijateljstvima!

Do sljedećeg puta,

vaša Witch's Cat

"...in Perfect Love and Perfect Trust"

Noelia Carballo photography

Although the phrase "in perfect love and perfect trust" is essentially Wiccan, I believe it can and does form a part of the general Pagan mindset. This concept is, obviously enough, based on a mutual and communal sense of love and trust. Therefore, it wouldn't even exist without a community in which it could be present. It's worth noting that these communities more often than not include a very small number of people (I'll elaborate on the reasons behind this later). Most Neopagan paths are based on small communities; the only difference between them is the name used to refer to them. So Wiccan groups and groups of witches are usually called covens, or sometimes circles. Groups that relate to the Goddess movement are also called circles. Ásatrú groups are called kindreds, Druid groups are called groves and so on. In short, every Pagan path has its own individual followers, but a lot of these followers also gather in groups to work together for many reasons. Regardless of the reasons, the actual path, geographical location or any other factor, all of these groups would not exist were it not for mutual love and trust between their members.

Since I'm Wiccan, I will explain the importance of the phrase "in perfect love and perfect trust" from the Wiccan point of view (with slightly more emphasis on trust) and I will later try to relate it to other Pagan paths. But I believe the connection will be very clear even without my explanations).

Love and Trust During the Burning Times

As I pointed out in my post "Solitaries vs. Covens", the first "witches" were probably solitaries, though this does not mean that they did not start gathering in groups in time. Most authors claim that witches did indeed flock together. According to various historical documents, laws that were passed, and general practices of the time, medieval people also believed that witches gathered in groups. One, sadly negative, fact that supports this claim is that, in the Middle Ages, suspected witches were tortured and asked to confess the names of the other people they did rituals with. Even back then, people were obviously so sure that witches gathered in groups! 

This belief has somehow been passed on from generation to generation and has become a myth, as well as a stereotypical image - the group of witches dancing around a fire or in a forest grove. Nevertheless, the many witch trials that produced huge lists of names of "witches" should be taken with a grain of salt. The poor tortured souls admitted all kinds of things under torture. There's a large possibility that they just listed the first names that came to mind when asked: "Who did you practice witchcraft with?". Because only upon giving a satisfying number of names would the torture stop. 

Yet, despite all the historical inaccuracy and lack of evidence, it wouldn't surprise me if witches did gather in groups (if not in the Middle Ages, then slightly later). This just makes sense because group work is just so much easier sometimes, especially when one's life is constantly in danger as was the case during the witch hunts. People are sociable beings by nature and being in a group makes life easier, takes a bit of weight off your shoulders, gives you support, encouragement, love and not to mention actual physical help when you need it. During the Middle Ages when the average life span was much shorter than today and each action a potential death sentence, groups stuck together much closer. Family members clung to one another and protected each other. Groups in general were of great importance because, like I said, they provided protection, among other things.

So why wouldn't witches also gather in groups? Let us say for the sake of this post that they did. There may be a lack of historical evidence, but it seems logical enough to me. So let's just go with it for now. You can be skeptical later. :) If you don't believe this at all, then just take it as a story on which I base my theory.

Anyway, as witch trials were an everyday occurrence, and people confessed to everything under torture, group, or should I say coven members, had to be very careful. Anyone could betray you at any time. In fact, anyone could wrongly accuse anyone of being a witch. I mean, innocent girls used to be accused of witchcraft because they refused to sleep with the next-door neighbor, and midwives used to be burnt at the stake because they supposedly caused complications during child-bearing. Simply put, accusing someone of witchcraft was the easiest way to get back at them, or get rid of them. So....caution was all the more necessary if you actually DID practice witchcraft. You simply couldn't trust anyone.

This is why covens are thought to have consisted of family members only, because you could only trust your family back then. Why? Well, if you were suspected of witchcraft, then all of your family members would be taken as accomplices and be dragged into the whole scandal. Group/family members stuck together no matter what. They had to completely trust all the other members because it was a matter of life and death...literally! If someone betrayed your trust, you would hang/burn at the stake for it. Also, love played a large role in this. Love among family members is natural and was even more so when the whole family lived in practically one room and depended on each other.

Later on, when the witch craze died down a bit, witches were allowed to explore new territory. And so they found kindred spirits even outside their families. This is how the first non-family based covens are thought to have been formed. Although bloodlines were no longer a criteria for accepting new members, people still felt that love and trust had to be a big part of the new groups. This is partly because a certain amount of secrecy was still necessary.

Another reason for love and trust among coven members is that rituals, celebrations and meditations are very intimate things. Group members simply can't avoid bonding in such an environment. "Like" quickly turns to "love" and a large dose of trust is established in a short amount of time. But let us talk a bit more about the presence of love and trust in modern covens.

Some Things Just Don't Change...

All Pagan groups nowadays are based on mutual love and trust, although they don't all have a motto such as "perfect love and perfect trust". Wiccan groups actually take this as their personal slogan. In fact, it can be found in the first line of the Wiccan Rede. But why is mutual love and trust so important even now when the witch hunts are over? I'm not only talking about Wicca though, I'm talking about witches and Pagans of all paths. Well, the way I see it, there are several possible reasons.

1. Secrecy

There are still a lot of prejudices present around Paganism and witchcraft. Although nobody is going to be burned at the stake for being a Pagan/witch nowadays, some people still cling to old misconceptions of these paths. Pagans and witches have lost their jobs because of their faiths, they have had quarrels with partners, friends, family members, colleagues and even random people. In short, not everyone is equally tolerant when it comes to this. So many people still prefer to keep their practices/faith a secret. It's sometimes just much easier to keep your mouth shut and avoid conflict.

Most Pagan groups/covens insist on keeping their activities private so only a chosen few are invited to rituals and celebrations (i.e. they are not public). Group members' names are also kept secret if this is how the group prefers it. Some members possibly won't have anything against their names being mentioned in witchy/Pagan stories, and will even openly express their faith. But others might be afraid of the wrong person hearing these stories. This is also why photos of Pagan/witchy events are kept private. If a picture is public, then everyone in it usually has to give their consent.

Of course, a person who is scared of a coven/circle member blurting out their faith to a slightly less-tolerant family member/colleague/friend will attach great importance to mutual trust. After all, you have to trust someone to keep your secret.

2. The Coven as a Family

As Starhawk beautifully points out in her book The Spiral Dance: "In a strong coven, the bond is, by tradition, 'closer than family': a sharing of spirits, emotions, imaginations. 'Perfect love and perfect trust' are the goal". The old tradition of coven members being blood-related is mirrored in the modern coven being like a second family to the practitioner. Of course, when I say "coven" in this context, I'm not only referring to Wiccan/witch groups, but also to all Pagan groups. Love and trust come naturally in such an environment and are actually necessary for any deeper connection to evolve. Connections between coven members cannot merely stay physical; people have to understand each other mentally and spiritually for the system to work properly. After this synchronization happens, miracles occur during rituals, meditations and spiritual journeys. Love and trust are necessary for the group to be a family.

3. Small Groups are the Key

It's hard to establish a strong sense of love and trust in large groups. When you're with fifty people, you can't devote a lot of time to each person and you can't really get to know everyone very well. But when you're in a group with only about ten people and you meet often with them all, you get the chance to talk to everyone, really get to know them and, in time, fully understand them. I would like to quote Starhawk once more: 

"The Craft is not based on large, amorphous masses who are only superficially acquainted; nor is it based on individual gurus with their devotees and disciples. There is no hierarchical authority, no Dalai Lama, no Pope. The structure of Witchcraft is cellular, based on small circles whose members share a deep commitment to each other and the Craft."

Once again, the same can be said of any Pagan group because kindreds, groves, covens and the like all consist of a very small number of people. Like I said, love and trust are much more easily established in small groups. In addition to this, every person is significant because each member brings something special to each gathering.

Of course, there are appropriate times for large gatherings as well. These are usually the Sabbats which are, by their very nature, celebrations. It is possible for several kindreds, or groves or covens to gather in one place to celebrate one meaningful event, but the real work, the introspection, the private work is always done in small groups. This is why Esbats are always celebrated either alone, or among a selected few who you can trust and feel comfortable around.

4. Intimacy

When one works in such a small group, sees the other members often enough and does such deep work like rituals, spiritual journeys, meditations, introspections and sharings, they establish a very strong connection to everyone else in the group. People laugh and cry during rituals, they express their wishes and fears, they confess their secrets, share their problems and successes, but also listen to everything others have to say. Many intimate moments are shared at such gatherings, regardless of the Pagan path in question. It's almost impossible to reach this level of intimacy without trusting and loving the other group members. Yet intimacy is necessary for the rituals and other works to reach an even greater quality and for the individual to grow evermore through them.

5. The Coven Mind

In their book Progressive Witchcraft, Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone speak about the role of the collective unconscious (a term Carl Gustav Jung, the famous psychiatrist coined and elaborated on in many of his works) and its role in forming something they call the Coven Mind. The theory of the collective unconscious basically states that all people, no matter their age, race, sex, geographical location and even temporal existence share a level of consciousness (or rather unconsciousness) with everyone else all over the world and in all time periods. According to Jung, this underlying consciousness is the same in all living beings. It is inherited and implemented in our minds. This is why archetypes exist; people all over the world and in all periods of time have had the same perception of certain archetypal figures. Mothers, fathers, good forces (angels, heroes etc.), evil forces (demons, dragons etc.) ...these are only some examples of archetypes that have existed in all cultures and within all people's minds but have taken on different names in time. Yet, their characteristics remain the same. Here's what Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone have to say on this subject:

"According to Jung, we are all psychologically connected on a level known as the Collective Unconscious. In occult practice this is believed to directly interface with the different levels of reality that make up spiritual and magical cosmology, such as the elemental, Underworld, Astral Realm, and so on. We are unaware of the Collective Unconscious in everyday waking consciousness, although we may enter it to a certain degree during dream or rapid eye movement (REM) sleep."

With regard to the phrase "perfect love and perfect trust", they say that it is "an important ideal within modern witchcraft: that coven members have unconditional love for one another resulting from the formation of the Coven Mind". The Coven Mind is a sort of miniature version of the collective unconscious; it enables members of a coven/kindred/grove/circle to share emotions, thoughts, impulses, intuitions and so on. In this sense, it helps to harmonize all the members of the group and aids them in their ritual work. Love and trust among members of the group only strengthen the Coven Mind additionally, but they also sometimes stem from the Coven Mind. Of course, sharing such a deep connection, or practically a mind with a group enables mutual love and trust to blossom.

_________________________________________________________________

Rituals of any kind are intimate occasions which bring all those present so much closer. Love and trust are simply needed for everyone to feel comfortable and be in sync. This is why love and trust have practically become a precondition for entering Pagan groups. For instance, those who wish to be initiated into Wicca and become a part of a (relatively) traditional coven have to pass through at least a year of training. The traditional rule is that a person can be initiated into the Craft only after spending a year and a day with the coven and thus experiencing the whole Wheel of the Year. During such a long time, the newcomer is not only welcomed into the coven, but also develops trust and love for the other coven members, as they do for him/her. Upon initiation, the initiate has to say a password in order to be let into the circle. And guess what that password is? "Perfect love and perfect trust". So every initiate enters the circle and coven in perfect love and perfect trust". Why are they perfect? Because they are unbreakable, they are deeper than your mundane love and trust, they are not only physical, but also spiritual.

Although this password doesn't exist in all Pagan traditions, love and trust are inherent. Groups expect anybody entering the ritual space to enter with pure, positive intentions, a positive attitude and in complete trust. 

Speaking from personal experience, small groups really are the best. You somehow lose yourself and others in large groups, the synchronicity somehow evaporates and you end up performing a ritual that is only a ritual in name. In a small group, your experience the ritual fully, you develop a Coven Mind and really develop a sense of trust and love.

I would just like to elaborate more on trust and why it is so important. Rituals, be they devotional or magical, are personal. They involve working with energy, entities (deities mostly) and make a person vulnerable. Nobody wants to work with a group they do not trust because the group as a whole determines what energies/entities will be called into the ritual space. When you are in such a vulnerable state you are open to all influences, both the good and the bad. A secure, quality, loving and trustworthy group ensures you that only positive energy will be present and that you won't be influenced in a negative way. They actually protect you, as you protect them. Everything is reciprocal. You give love and trust, and you get it back. Simple as that.

All in all, I believe that trust and love are crucial in any group work of a spiritual nature. Even if you didn't see this up to now, hopefully you will pay more attention to it in the future. Believe me, it will lead to more intimate and quality rituals, beautiful experiences and wonderful friendships!

Until next time. Yours,

Witch's Cat

Nekoliko riječi od samotne paganke

Kada sam krenula paganskim putem prije skoro jednog desetljeća (wow! ne mogu vjerovati da je zaista prošlo toliko vremena!), mislila sam da sam jedina osoba koju zanima paganizam u svom gradu, a možda čak i u svojoj državi. Ispočetka me je ovo naprosto frustriralo jer sam samo htjela učiti od nekoga, ili barem učiti s nekim. Očito, nisam mogla naći učitelja i, nakon što sam pročitala nekoliko inspirativnih knjiga, zaključila sam da mi ne treba učitelj. Shvatila sam da će mi sve što trebam naučiti doći od univerzuma, ili od mojih instinkta (a nekoliko knjiga tu i tamo ne može naštetiti). Tako sam neko vrijeme bila zadovoljna učeći o paganizmu sama.

Tada je internet učinio svoje jer sam zahvaljujući njemu upoznao prekrasne ljude preko foruma. Do ovoga dana tvrdim da su mi razgovori s ovim ljudima pomogli oblikovati vlastite stavove i mišljenja o paganizmu. Nakon nekog vremena sam shvatila da mi samo razgovaranje/tipkanje nije dovoljno. Samo sam htjela prakticirati svoju vjeru. Pošto ovo nisam mogla više odgađati, počela sam sama prakticirati.

Nisam znala nikoga tko je dijelio moj interes sve do jednog dana dok me univerzum nije blagoslovio jednim poznanstvom. Ovo je poznanstvo preraslo u prijateljstvo i sa sobom donijelo nekoliko novih veza koje su također s vremenom procvale i ojačale. Uskoro su me i ova prijateljstva dovela do novih prijateljstava, a s njima i do prekrasnih novih iskustava. Usput rečeno, samo je jedna od ovih osoba živjela u mom gradu!

Šest godina. Toliko mi je trebalo da nađem ljude s kojima mogu prakticirati, makar su živjeli na drugom kraju države. Zanimljivo je kako univerzum zna kada smo spremni za ovakve stvari. Kada se prisjećam ovog razdoblja, shvaćam su od ovih šest godina barem tri bile provedene u svojevrsnom duhovnom čistilištu u kojemu nisam bila sigurna što točno želim. Počela sam dolaziti do određenih zaključaka i u potpunosti prakticirati svoju vjeru otprilike u isto vrijeme kada mi je univerzum poslao sve ove predivne ljude. Ukratko, što pokušavam reći jest da svi dobijemo ono što nam treba u pravo vrijeme.

Od tada stvari samo idu na bolje. Prije godinu-dvije, saznala sam da ipak nisam jedina paganka u svom gradu - ima nas poprilično. I naš maleni krug ljudi pomalo raste. Nismo prozelitirali, ili išta slično tome radili. Ljudi su nas naprosto kontaktirali na ovaj, ili onaj način i moram priznati da je svatko od njih naposljetku ispao prekrasan. Zapravo dosta često radimo skupa u posljednje vrijeme; proslavili smo nekoliko zadnjih ezbata zajedno, napravili par invokacija, a čak i slavili svoj prvi sabat zajedno ovog Mabona! :D

Kada malo bolje razmislim, ne mogu se zapravo više ni nazvati samotnom pagankom...barem ne u punom smislu riječi. Usprkos tome, bila sam samotnjak veći broj godina i znam kako je raditi sam. I dan danas ponekad radim sama, ali samo za posebne, osobne prilike.

Iako samostalni rad ima svoju draž i pozitivne strane, osoba se ponekad može osjetiti usamljenom, pogotovo ako je izrazito društvena po prirodi. Na primjer, sabati bi trebali biti vrijeme slavlja, gozbi, plesa, pjevanja i tako dalje. Teško je ovo sve raditi sam. No, ezbati su znatno drukčiji. Osobno mi je lakše obaviti ritual za ezbat sama nego proslaviti neki sabat. Samostalni rad može stvoriti još nekoliko prepreka. Jedna od najvećih na koje sam ja naišla je bilo podizanje energije. Nedavno sam došla do zaključka da je podizanje Stošca moći najvažniji dio svakog rituala (bio on ezbat, sabat, ili ritual neke druge vrste). Stožac moći, ili bilo koja druga metoda podizanja energije koju koristite, tvori srž rituala i definira njegovu energiju, ishod i jačinu. Grupa s kojom radim je postala odlična u podizanju energije i ne mogu opisati koliko uživam radeći ovaj dio rituala s njima. Naravno, mnogo je teže sam podignuti energiju iz očitih razloga.

Ipak, samostalni rad može imati i svoje prednosti. Kao prvo, mnogo je manje organizacije uključeno. Možete naprosto započeti ritual bilo gdje i bilo kada ako radite sami. Uz to možete improvizirati cijeli ritual ako želite. Ali kada radite u grupi, treba se sve sudionike pozvati, odrediti vrijeme i mjesto, naći prikladnu lokaciju, napisati ritual, uskladiti svih i tako dalje. Ovo iscrpi osobi prije nego što je sam ritual uopće počeo. Također, kada radite sami, sve možete prilagoditi svojim potrebama i sklonostima. Neki ljudi preferiraju raditi u nebeskoj odori (nagi), ali im to nije ugodno u grupi. Drugi imaju problem s opuštanje tijela i ispuštanjem glasa pred grupom, ali nemaju nikakve inhibicije kada rade sami. Onda je tu i pitanje tradicija/pravaca; kada se radi u grupi, treba se uzeti u obzir da svaka osoba ne treba slijediti isti paganski pravac. Stoga svaki grupni ritual treba biti prilagođen i općenite naravi tako da se svatko osjeti ugodno i jednako uključenim za njegova trajanja. Kada radite sami, možete stvoriti ritual koji je specifičan za vašu tradiciju/pravac i u potpunosti prilagođen vašim uvjerenjima. Uz ovo, samostalni rad vam omogućava da radite mnogo osobnije radove i u njih ukomponirate znatno više introspekcije. Neki ljudi meditiraju o pitanjima izrazito privatne prirode, mole bogove za pomoć oko intimnih problema, zahvaljuju im se za osobne stvari i izvode magijske radove kako bi pospješili svoj privatni život. Nije svatko spreman ove stvari podijeliti s grupom ljudi. Dakle da, samostalni rad također ima svoje pozitivne strane.

Ako ste vi samotnjak i čitate ovaj post, imam vam nekoliko stvari za reći. Prvo vam želim čestitati na vašoj hrabrosti i upornosti. Nije lako raditi sam(a); znam kakav je osjećaj. Kao drugo, nadam se da uživate na vašem samostalnom putu te da vas on ispunjava. No, ako vas on ne ispunjava i ako biste voljeli imati grupu s kojom biste mogli raditi, ne brinite se; pravi ljudi će ući u vaš život kada za to dođe vrijeme. Svatko se osjeća kao da hoda svojim putem sam na početku. No ubrzo vam se ljudi počnu priključivati u vašoj šetnji; oni dolaze na vaš put iz malenih, bočnih, skrivenih ulica, pokazuju vam prečace i naposljetku vam postaju vodiči i prijatelji, kao što i vi njima postajete.

U slučaju da želite još čitati o samotnjačkom putu, o njemu sam pisala i prije u svojim postovima po imenu "Eklekticizam i wicca" i "Samotnjaci vs. koveni". U slučaju da ste samotnjak i u potrazi za kvalitetnom literaturom, onda za vas imam još lijepih prijedloga. Začudili biste se koliko je knjiga napisano posebno za samotne pagane/wiccane. Evo nekoliko mojih najdražih knjiga koje su mi znatno pomogle prvih nekoliko godina moga duhovnog puta. :) Nadam se da ćete  uživati u njima jednako koliko i ja. ^^

Starhawk - Spiralni ples

Raymond Buckland - Vještičje umijeće

Raymond Buckland - Wicca for One

Scott Cunningham - Wicca, a Guide for the Solitary Practitioner

Marian Green - A Witch Alone

Deborah Lipp - The Elements of Ritual

Od srca vam preporučam da ih pročitate ako planirate koračati samotnjačkim putem još neko vrijeme. Zaista će vam poslužiti. :) Želim vam puno sreće!

Do sljedećeg puta,
vaša Witch's Cat

A Few Words from a Solitary Pagan

When I started walking the Pagan path almost a decade ago (wow! I can't believe it's been that long!), I thought I was the only person interested in Paganism in my city or perhaps even in my whole country. At first, this just frustrated me because I just wanted to learn from someone, or at least learn with someone. Obviously, I couldn't find a teacher and, after reading a few inspirational books, concluded that I didn't need a teacher. All I needed to learn would be sent to me through the universe, or instincts (and a few books every now and then didn't hurt). So, for a while, I was satisfied with learning about Paganism all by myself.

Then the Internet did its part and I met lovely people on forums. To this day, I claim that carrying out discussions on these forums helped me form my personal stances and beliefs about Paganism. After a while, I felt that just talking/typing wasn't enough. All I wanted to do was practice my faith. Since I couldn't put this off any longer, I started practicing on my own. 

I didn't know anyone else who could share this interest until one day when the universe blessed me with one acquaintance. This acquaintance turned into a friendship and it brought about several new relationships which also flourished in time. In turn, these friendships also lead to many more friendships and with them, many beautiful experiences. Just by the way, only one of these people lived in my town.

Six years. That's how long it took me to find people that I could work with, even if they did live on the other side of the country. It's funny in a way, how the Universe knows when you're ready for these kinds of things. When I look back now, I realize that out of these six years, at least three were spent in a sort of spiritual limbo in which I wasn't quite sure what I wanted. I started reaching conclusions and fully practicing my faith just about the same time as the Universe sent all these wonderful people to me. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that we all receive what we need in due time.

Ever since then, things have just been getting better and better. About a year or two ago, I found out that I'm not the only Pagan in my town after all - there are quite a few of us. This small circle of people has slowly been growing. We haven't been proselytizing or anything like that. People have just been contacting us one way or another and I have to admit that each one of these people has turned out to be wonderful. We have actually been working together quite often and have performed several Esbats, a few invocations and even celebrated our first Sabbat together this Mabon! :D

Now that I think about it, I can't even call myself a solitary Pagan anymore...at least not in the strictest sense of the word. Nevertheless, I was a solitary for a number of years and know what it feels like to work alone. I occasionally work alone nowadays too, but only for special, personal occasions. 

Even though working alone has its charm and its good sides, it can get lonely sometimes, especially if you are very sociable. For instance, Sabbats are supposed to be about celebrating, about feasts, dancing, singing and so on. It's hard to do all this by yourself. Esbats are slightly different, though. I personally find it easier to perform an Esbat ritual by myself than a Sabbat ritual. Working alone can present you with a few more obstacles. One of the largest ones I came across was raising energy. I have recently come to the conclusion that the Cone of Power is the most important part of every ritual (be it an Esbat, Sabbat or any other kind of ritual). The Cone of Power, or any other method of energy raising that you use, forms the core of the ritual and defines its energy, outcome and strength. The group I work with has become great at raising energy and I can't explain how much I enjoy performing this part of the ritual with them. Of course, it's much much harder to raise energy by oneself because of obvious reasons.

Still, working alone can have its good sides. First of all, there is considerably less organization involved. You can just start a ritual anywhere, anytime when you work alone. Also, you can improvise the whole ritual if you like. But when you work in a group, you have to invite everyone, set a time and place, find a fitting location, write a ritual, get everyone synchronized and so on. This gets you exhausted even before you get started with the actual ritual. When working alone, you can also adapt everything to you own needs and preferences. Some people prefer to work skyclad, but don't feel comfortable doing this in a group. Others have a problem letting their bodies and voices go in a group, but feel no inhibitions whatsoever when working alone. Then there is also the issue of traditions/paths; when in a group, one has to take into consideration that not everyone has to follow the same Pagan path so every group ritual has to be adapted and non-specific so that everyone feels comfortable and equally included. When you work alone, you can create a ritual that is tradition/path-specific and fully adapted to your beliefs. In addition to all of this, working alone enables you to do much more personal work and a lot of introspection. Some people meditate on very private issues, ask the gods for help with regard to intimate problems, thank them for personal things and do magic to aid them in their private lives. Not everyone is willing to share these things with a group of people. So yes, being a solitary has its up sides as well. 

If you are a Solitary and reading this post, I have several things to say to you. First of all, congratulations on your bravery and persistence. It isn't easy to work alone; I know the feeling. Second of all, I hope that you enjoy following the Solitary path and that it fulfills you, Thirdly, in case it doesn't fulfill you and you wish that you had a group to work with, don't worry; the right people will show up when the time comes. Everyone feels like they're walking their path alone at the beginning. But soon enough, people start joining you in your walk; they step onto your path from side streets and bypaths, lead you along shortcuts and finally, become your guides and friends, just as you become theirs.

In case you want to read more on the topic of the Solitary path, I have written about it before in my posts entitled "Eclecticism and Wicca" and "Solitaries vs. Covens". If you happen to be a Solitary in search of quality literature, well I have some suggestions regarding that too. You would be surprised how many books have been written especially for solitary Wiccans/Pagans. Here are some of my favorite books that helped me a great deal during my first years on this path. :) I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. ^^

Starhawk - The Spiral Dance

Raymond Buckland - The Complete Book of Witchcraft

Raymond Buckland - Wicca for One

Scott Cunningham - Wicca, a Guide for the Solitary Practitioner

Marian Green - A Witch Alone

Deborah Lipp - The Elements of Ritual

I truly recommend reading them if you plan on walking along the solitary path for a while longer. They will really be of great use. :) I wish you the best of luck!

Until next time. Yours,

Witch's Cat

Razmišljanje o Mabonu

I tako nam je jučer stigla jesen. Moram priznati da me nije toliko iznenadila jer je ljeto bilo izrazito kišno,  a temperature su već nekoliko tjedana niže nego inače. No nisam je osjetila u punoj snazi do jučer na slavlju Mabona. 

Nas deset se skupilo i išlo slaviti jesenski ekvinocij u prirodi. Neki su putovali više do odredišta, a neki manje, ali je svatko podnio neku žrtvu da bi bio tu. Neki su se morali oprostiti od djece na to popodne, a drugi su morali smišljati opravdanja za posao. No jedan od aspekata Mabona i jest žrtva, zar ne? Rogati Bog na ovaj dan umire, poput zemljinih plodova, kako bi se uskoro ponovno rodio (i kako bi time zemlja bila obnovljena, plodovi opet mogli rasti, a priroda bujati). Ali usprkos svim preprekama, okupili smo se! Nije bilo ni oblaka na nebu, ali su prethodne kiše učinile svoje; zemlja je bila poplavljena, mekana i mokra, putevi teško prohodni (djelomično zbog poplave), a suho drvo gotovo nepostojeće. No, ustrajali smo i došli do odredišta, pripremili malenu vatru da se ugrijemo i napravili predivni ritual koji je bio pun smijeha, suza, plesa, pjevanja, spoznaja i ljubavi. Svatko je iz njega izvukao najbolje što je mogao u tom trenutku. Toliko nam je bilo lijepo da smo onu poznatu "Radosni se rastali, radosni se rastali i radosni se ponovno sastali" preoblikovali u "Radosni se rastali, radosni se sastali i radosni se što prije sastali". :)

Razlog zbog kojeg kažem da sam tek jučer spoznala što jesen zaista jest je sljedeći. Jesen je do sada za mene bilo godišnje doba koje je obilježeno dosadnim kišama, početkom školske/akademske godine i općim stanjem letargije. Jučer sam shvatila da su kiše potrebne zemlji kako bi se obnovila nakon ljetnog Sunca koje ju je nemilo pržilo cijelo ljeto. Radni dio godine je potreban da bi postojalo razdoblje za odmor. Čak i letargije sa sobom donosi određenu dozu opuštenosti te nam omogućava da malo usporimo svoj životni tempo. Jučer smo svi imali priliku stati na sat-dva vremena i razmisliti o svojim životima - nešto što nemamo baš prilike raditi u svakodnevnom životu koji je prepun svjetovnih obaveza.

Okruženi ljudima s kojima nismo povezani na onaj uobičajeni način, već jedan posebni, spiritualni način, imali smo priliku sagledati sebe na drukčiji način, ponašati se onako kako se inače ne bismo ponašali, plesati i urlikati onako kako inače nikada ne bismo i ispustiti svoje osjećaje i misli kako se inače ne bismo usudili.

Nadam se da ste i vi svoj Mabon obilježili na jedan posebni, vama značajan način i uspostavili ravnotežu u sebi koju jesenski ekvinocij potiče. Znam da ovo nije bio jedan od mojih tipičnih postova pun savjeta, ideja i teorije, no ponekad je refleksija o prošlim događajima potrebna kako bismo u potpunosti upili njihovo značenje u našim životima. Naposljetku je i to važan aspekt Mabona - sagledavanje prošloga truda i njegovih rezultata u ovom trenutku.

Sretan vam svima, Mabon, jesenski ekvinocij, Alban Elfed, Plodovi, ili kako god nazivali ovaj blagdan! :D

Vaša Witch's Cat

Reflections on Mabon

And so autumn arrived at our doorstep yesterday. I have to admit that this didn't surprise me all that much because our summer was very rainy and the temperatures here have been lower than usual the past few weeks. But honestly, I didn't fully feel autumn until yesterday at you Mabon celebration.

The ten of us got together and went to celebrate the autumn equinox in nature. Some traveled more to the meeting point, while others traveled slightly less, but everyone made some sort of sacrifice to be there. Some had to let go of their children for that afternoon, and others had to think of some excuse for their jobs. But one of Mabon's aspects is sacrifice, right? The Horned God dies on this day, just as to the fruits of the earth, only to be born again soon (and in the process revive the earth, enable the fruits of the land to grow once more and the land to thrive). But despite all of the obstacles, we got together! There wasn't a cloud in the sky, but the many previous rainstorms did their share; the earth was flooded, soft and wet, the paths were impassable (partly due to the floods) and dry wood was nowhere to be found. But we persevered and managed to get to our destination, light a small fire to warm our freezing hands and we also managed to do a beautiful ritual which was filled with laughter, tears, dancing, singing, much insight and love. Everyone got the best they could from it in that moment. We had such a nice time that we changed the well-known "Merry meet, merry part and merry meet again" into "Merry meet, merry part and merry meet as soon as possible". :)

The reason why I say that I truly understood what autumn is all about just yesterday is the following. Up to now, autumn was, at least for me, just that season marked by a lot of boring rain, the beginning of the academic/school year and a general feeling of lethargy. But yesterday, I realized that rain is essential to the land which is in desperate need of respite after the summer-long scorching Sun. The "working" half of the year is needed for there to be a time of rest. Even lethargy brings with itself a certain dose of relaxation and enables us to just slow down a bit. Yesterday, we all had the chance to stop for an hour or two and reflect on our lives - something we don't really have the opportunity to do in our everyday lives which are just so full of mundane obligations.

Surrounded by people with which we weren't connected to in the usual way, but rather in a special, spiritual way, we had the chance to see ourselves in a new light, behave the way we wouldn't usually behave, dance and yell the way we wouldn't typically dance or yell and release our emotions and thoughts the way we wouldn't normally dare to.

I hope that you too celebrated Mabon in a special way, one that has meaning to you and also that you were able to achieve balance in yourself as balance is just one thing that this equinox encourages. I know that this wasn't one of my typical posts in which I give advice, ideas and theories, but sometimes, some reflection on past events is necessary for us to fully absorb their meaning in our lives. After all, this is also an important aspect of Mabon - appreciating our past efforts and seeing their results in the present moment. 

A blessed Mabon, autumn equinox, Alban Elfed, Svarog's day or whatever you call this festival to you all! :D

Until next time. Yours,

Witch's Cat

Štrudla od jabuka

Još jedan iznimno prikladni recept s jabukama za Mabon! :D Probala sam ovu štrudlu kod prijateljice i odlučila da se naprosto moram dočepati recepta. I evo, uspjela sam. Ova štrudla se donekle netipična jer u sebi sadrži griz. Po mom mišljenju, gustoća griza je upravo ono što je potrebno da upotpuni teksturu klasične štrudle. Na vama je hoćete li formirati tijesto u valjke i tako ih peći (kao što bi se inače radilo za štrudle), no ja sam odlučila slagati sve sastojke na katove u dublji lim za pečenje i rezati kolač na kocke. Takvog sam ga probala i takvog ću ga raditi.

Potrebno je:

• 3 čvrsta jogurta (oko 540 g sve skupa)
• 3 jaja 
• 2 šalice (od jogurta) šećera (oko 300 g sve skupa, ali sam ja stavila malo manje)
• šalica griza (oko 150 g)
• šalica ulja (oko 120 ml)
• 1 prašak za pecivo 
• 1 kg naribanih slatko-kiselih jabuka
• šećer i cimet (po ukusu za jabuke) 
• gotovo tijesto za štrudle (potrebno 12 listova)

Priprema:

1. Izmiješajte jaja i šećer prvo te umiješajte jogurt, ulje, griz i prašak za pecivo. 
2. Ogulite i izribajte jabuke te dodajte u njih malo cimeta i šećera (po ukusu).
3. Stavite jednu koru u dublji lim za pečenje. 
4. Na nju namažite smjesu od griza. Poviše nje stavite drugu koru i ponovno premažite ovom smjesom.
5. Na drugu koru nanesite naribane jabuke. 
6. Stavite treću koru poviše svega.
7. Ponavljajte korake 4, 5 i 6 dok vam ne nestane jabuka te prelijte ostatkom smjese od jogurta i griza.
8. Zagrijte pećnicu na 175°C i pecite 35-40 minuta. I sada imate jednu veliku štrudlu! (Znati ćete da je gotova kada vrh pute u potpunosti rumen)
9. Ako želite, pospite štrudlu kristalnim šećerom za ukras.
10. Režite je na kocke dok je još topla.

U slučaju da želite raditi uobičajene štrudle (u obliku valjaka), onda nemojte početi slagati kore iz 3. koraka u lim za pečenje već na neku radnu plohu. Pratite 4 i 5. Potom zarolajte kore u štrudlu i stavite ju zarolanu u lim za pečenje. Ponavljajte korake 3, 4 i 5 (slažući kore na radnu plohu) dok ne nestane kora. Ako radite ovako, sve skupa ćete dobiti 6 štrudli od 12 kora.

Apple Strudel

Yet another very appropriate recipe for Mabon! :D I tried this strudel at a friend's house and decided that I just had to get my hands on the recipe. And obviously, I did. This strudel is slightly atypical because it contains semolina. In my opinion, the density the semolina gives this cake is just what is needed to complete the texture of your classical strudel. It is up to you if you will form the cake into sausages and bake them like that (as is usually done with strudels), but I decided to make the strudel in layers in a deeper baking pan and then cut it into blocks. This is the way I tried it and it is the way I made it.

You Will Need: 

• 3 solid yogurts (about 540g altogether)
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups (yogurt cups) sugar (about 300g altogether, but I put a bit less in)
• 1 cup semolina (about 150g)
• 1 cup vegetable oil (about 120ml)
• 1 baking powder
• 1kg grated apples
• sugar and cinnamon (to taste, for the apples)
• ready-made strudel pastry (12 sheets needed)

The Process:

1. Mix together eggs and sugar, then add yogurt, oil, semolina and baking powder.
2. Peel and grate the apples and add cinnamon and sugar to taste.
3. Lay one strudel pastry sheet into a deeper baking pan. 
4. Spread some of the semolina mixture onto this sheet. Put a second pastry sheet on top of all this and spread semolina mix on it too.
5. Spread some of the apple mix onto the second pastry sheet.
6. Lay a third pastry sheet down on top of all these layers.
7. Repeat steps 4, 5 and 6 until you run out of the the apple mix and then pour the rest of the semolina mix on top of it all.
8. Heat oven to 175°C and bake for 35-40 minutes. And you will have one big strudel! (you'll know it's done because the top will be completely golden-brown)
9. If you want, sprinkle some crystal sugar on top of the strudel once it's done.
10. Cut it into blocks while it's still warm.

In case you want to make typical strudels (in "sausages"), then don't start putting the pastry sheets from step 3 in a baking pan. Instead, put them on a counter top or any working area. Follow steps 4 and 5. Then roll the pastry into a sausage and place it in a baking pan. Repeat steps 3, 4 and 5 (making the strudels on a counter top) until you run out of pastry sheets. If you've done everything right, you should end up with 6 strudels from these 12 pastry sheets.

Molitva ili magija

Pogledajte na čas sliku na početku ovoga posta. Ako ste paganin, vjerojatno ste čuli izraz "Pomoliti ću se za tebe" barem jednom, i vjerojatno vam je djelovao iritantno, ili ponižavajuće. Također, moguće je da ste razmišljali o tome da napravite neku bajalicu za nečiju dobrobit (ili ste to već napravili). Ako ste kršćanin, možda smatrate da je magija grešna. Kako god bilo, moguće je da ćete ovu sliku gledati ne drukčiji način do kraja ovoga posta. :)

Broj razgovora koje sam vodila o molitvi i magiji/vještičarstvu je bezbrojan. Većina mojih bliskih prijatelja su revni katolici i obožavam s njima razgovarati o religiji jer su mi upravo ti razgovori dokaz da još postoji vjerska tolerancija. Jedan od ovih razgovora me potaknuo da napišem post o mogućim sličnostima između molitve i magije.

Naišla sam na više definicija molitve. Većina ih se vrti oko iste misli - komunikacije s Božanskim. Molitvu se definiralo kao riječi koje se govori kada se moli Bogu/višem biću/bogovima, kao govor (poput molbe) upućenu Bogu, ili nekom božanstvu u obliku riječi/misli, ustanovljeni red riječi koji se koristi pri molitvi, kao iskrenu molbu/želju, čin/praksu moljenja Bogu/božanstvu i tako dalje. 

U svom prijašnjem postu o magiji sam navela više definicija magije prema nekolicini istaknuti paganskih/okultnih autora i praktičara:

"Magija je umijeće i znanost o uzrokovanju promjene da se desi u skladu s voljom." - Aleister Crowley 

"Magija je projekcija prirodnih energija kako bi se proizveli željeni efekti." - Scott Cunningham

"Mi ne utječemo na sudbinu našim magijskim aktivnostima, mi utječemo na nas same; mi pojačavamo one aspekte naše prirode koji su naklonjeni silama koje zazivamo." - Dion Fortune

"Magija je kada učinimo da se nešto desi, a da ste htjeli da se to desi." - Raymond Buckland

"Magijski rad uključuje transformaciju, a prva transformacija je pomak percepcije." - Marion Weinstein

"Magija je umijeće djelovanja na promjene savjesno i sa htijenjem." - William Butler

U osnovi, magija se vrti oko slanja poruka u univerzum putem riječi, energije i djela, odnosno oko komunikacije s univerzumom.

Eh sada, mogli biste reći da Bog i univerzum nisu jedna te ista stvar. Pa za dobar broj ljudi i jesu. Čak i ako nisu isti, onda su slični u nekim aspektima. Mnogi pagani vide Boga i Božicu kao arhetipe prije nego zbiljske entitete. Neki ih vide kao stvaralačke snage univerzuma. Mnogi kršćani također ne percipiraju Boga kao bradatog starca koji živi na nebu. Zapravo, ljudi s kojima sam ja razgovarala o ovome ga percipiraju kao stvaralački entitet. Hoće li Bog, iz kršćanske perspektive, biti prisutan u univerzumu i svemu unutar njega, ili biti "iznad" svega postojećeg varira od pojedinca do pojedinca. Odnosno, ovo ovisi o tome vidi li pojedinac Boga kao imanentnog, ili transcendentnog. Samo bih htjela istaknuti da Biblija na nekim mjestima tvrdi da je Bog imanentan, a na drugima da je transcendentan. Stoga će kršćani imati drukčije percepcije Boga, kao što Pagani imaju drukčije percepciju Boga i Božice.

Ali što ako naprosto kažemo "Božansko" umjesto "Bog/Božica/Univerzum"? Pa onda bi i magija i molitva bili bazirani na komunikaciji s Božanskim! Ovo komplicira stvari, zar ne?

Osobno vjerujem da se riječi "magija" i "molitva" odnose na istu stvar, samo da imaju drukčiji konotacije te da se razlikuju u pristupu. Čak se i termini "invokacija" (uzivanje) i "evokacija" (prizivanje) mogu usporediti s molitvom i magijom. Samo da pojasnim, invokacija je čin uzivanja božanstva/entiteta (prihvaćanja/pozivanja) nekog entiteta u tijelo pojedinca. Evokacija je naprosto čin pozivanja božanstva/entiteta u nečiju blizinu (ne u samu osobu!). Onda, koja je osnova za usporedbu svih ovih pojmova? Komunikacija i kontakt s Božanskim.

Kada se osoba moli, ona se obraća Božanskome riječima. Ponekad je uključena i određena radnja poput brojanja zrnaca na krunici. Ove riječi se mogu reći spontano, ili ih se može naučiti na pamet. Iako mnogo kršćana ovo ne shvaća, molitve koje se uče na pamet i koje se ponavljaju su namijenjene da pojedinca uvuku u stanje transa. Ovo postiže bilo kakva repeticija i monotonija. Šamani koriste monotone i repetitivne bubnjarske ritmove kako bi postigli trans, pagani često koriste mantre i tako dalje. Repeticija i monotonija su ključni za trans. U ovom slučaju, trans je samo jedan put do Božanskoga. Također, osoba koja se moli ne odašilje samo riječi; ona također odašilje energiju i namjere. Kada se osoba moli, radi to s određenom namjerom, bilo da je namjera zamoliti pomoć oko nekog problema, oko zdravlja i bilo što drugo.

Kada osoba izvodi magiju, ona također treba imati određenu namjeru i biti spremna uložiti vremena i energije u proces. Magija je jako opširni pojam koji može implicirati da osoba izgovara riječi, izvodi radnje, ili naprotiv ne govori/ne radi ništa već samo projicira misli/energiju prema Božanskom. Usput rečeno, molitve se također mogu odaslati u obliku misli.

Jedina razlika između magije i molitve jest stav koji osoba može/ne mora imati. Mnogi kršćani ne komuniciraju direktno s Bogom kada se mole (npr. obraćaju se Isusu/nekom svecu/Papi itd. i mole njih da prenesu molitvu Bogu). No, neki kršćani ne dijele ovaj "pasivni" stav. Vjerujem da na ovo znatno utječe odgoj pojedinca, doktrina, a moguće i vjerovanje u predodređenost, što je prilično rasprostranjeno među kršćanima.

S druge strane, pagani ne vjeruju u predodređenost. Mi vjerujemo da imamo moć oblikovati vlastitu budućnost i da to čini svakog trenutka. Dakle, mi se možemo obraćati Božanskome, ali ne vjerujemo da će to samo po sebi promijeniti išta. Većina pagana vjeruje da molitva/magija može pomoći u prouzrokovanju promjena, ali i da magija/molitva sama po sebi neće ništa postići. Ukratko, magija/molitva je samo dodatak našim djelima.

Zbog ovoga smatram da je paganizam inherentno nešto "aktivniji" duhovni put od kršćanstva. Ipak, oba pravca streme ka komunikaciji s Božanskim. Pristup je jedina stvar koja se razlikuje. Evo jedne analogije kako biste bolje shvatili o čemu pričam. Hajdemo zamisliti na trenutak da su magija/molitva svakodnevni oblik komunikacije i da je Božansko neka fizička osoba. Pagani bi bili ti koji bi izravno prišli toj osobi, razgovarali s njima lice u lice (ponekad čak i na pomalo drski način). Kršćani bi bili ti koji bi osobi pristojno ostavili poruku na telefonu da vide kada se mogu naći na kavi. Neka količina komunikacije je prisutna u oba slučaja, ali odabir pristupa u komunikaciji je različit. Nijedna metoda nije ni dobra ni loša; stvar je samo u različitosti. Odabir metode je na pojedincu i često je uvjetovan osobnošću, odgojem, vjerovanjima, dojmovima koje osoba želi ostaviti i tako dalje.

Rekla bih da su invokacija i evokacija nešto više "paganski" pojmovi nego što su kršćanski naprosto jer ovakav pristup može biti još izravniji nego tipična magijska radnja. Kažem ovo jer i invokacija i evokacija impliciraju neposredni kontakt s Božanskim. Za razliku od prijašnje analogije, pagani prilikom evokacija (prizivanja) rade mnogo više od samo prilaženja osobi i traženja pomoći/savjeta itd. Oni zapravo pozivaju taj entitet/božanstvo u svoj dom. Kada paganin evocira božanstvo/entitet, on(a) govori: "Bok ____, pridruži mi se u mom domu/ritualnom krugu i pravi mi društvo u onome što sad radim". Invokacija (uzivanje) je još osobnija jer, metaforički, pagani zamole božanstvo/entitet da se useli s njima na neko vrijeme. Stoga bi invokacija zvučala otprilike ovako: "Bok ____, želiš li se useliti kod mene na neko vrijeme? Mogli bismo se još više zbližiti...".

Pošto većina kršćana vidi Boga više kao transcendentno biće nego imanentno (ako ne u potpunosti transcendentno), sama pomisao na to da se Bog s nama "druži", a kamoli živi s nama je naprosto apsurdna! Većina pagana vjeruje da Božansko postoji u svakome od nas (tj. da je ono imanentno) te da dijelimo ovaj univerzum s božanstvima/entitetima. Ovo nam omogućuje da komuniciramo s njima na navedene načine.

Ipak, magija i molitva imaju istu osnovu. U srži obaju pojmova stoji komunikacija s Božanskim, bez obzira na to kakvu percepciju osoba ima o njemu. Ova komunikacija se može postići riječima, djelima, ili mislima te uključuje namjere. Iako molitva obično podrazumijeva moljenje za nešto, nije uvijek tako. Neke kršćanske molitve se izgovaraju s ciljem zahvale, ili naprosto komunikacije s ciljem nastavljanja odnosa između Božanskog i čovjeka. Pagani također uključuju molitve u svoje rituale i obraćaju se Božanskom kako bi ga/ju zamolili za nešto, zahvalili se, simpatizirali s njim/njom, ili se samo javili. Skupa s ovim riječima i mislima je također poslana i energija. Praktičari magije su obično svjesni da je energija ključna, dok je naglasak na energiju znatno manji kada je u pitanju molitva. Bez obzira na ovo, razmjena energije je prisutna i u molitvi.

Kao što sam rekla, glavna razlika je u implikacijama i odabranoj metodi pristupa. Molitva je "implicitno kršćanska", dok je magija "implicitno nekršćanska". Pagani imaju nešto više "proaktivan" pristup kada je u pitanju komunikacija s Božanskim, dok su kršćani, usudila bih se reći nešto više sramežljivi. Vjerujem da granice između ovih pojmova nisu tako stroge te se nadam da sam uspjela objasniti zašto ovako razmišljam kroz ovaj post.

Voljela bih završiti s citatom iz knjige od Scotta Cunninghama po imenu Wicca, a Guide for the Solitary Practitioner:

"Religious magic?This isn't as strange as it might seem. Catholic priests use "magic" to transform a piece of bread into the body of a long-deceased "savior." Prayer - a common tool in many religions - is simply a form of concentration and communication with Deity. If the concentration is extended, energies are sent out with the thoughts which may in time make the prayer come true. Prayer is a form of religious magic." (str. 6)

(slob. prev.) Vjerska magija? Ovo nije tako neobično kakvim se možda čini. Rimokatolički svećenici koriste "magiju" kako bi transformirali komad kruha u tijelo davno preminulog "spasitelja". Molitva - uobičajeno oruđe u mnogim religijama - je jednostavno jedan oblik koncentracije i komunikacije s Božanstvom. Ako je koncentracija produljena, energije se odašilju s onim mislima koje bi s vremenom mogle ostvariti molitvu. Molitva je oblik vjerske magije.

Razmislite o ovim riječima. ;) Nadam se da se do sada vaše shvaćanje slike s početka ovog posta promijenilo.

Do sljedećeg puta,

vaša Witch's Cat

Prayer or Magic

Have a quick look at the picture at the beginning of this post. If you are Pagan, you've probably heard the sentence "I'll pray for you" at least once, and you have probably found it irritating and condescending. Also, you might have thought about doing (or actually have done) magic for the benefit of others. If you are Christian, maybe you think of magic as being sinful. Well, you might understand this picture differently by the end of this post. :)

The number of conversations that I have had on the topics of prayer and magic/witchcraft are innumerable. Most of my closest friends are devoted Catholics and I love talking with them about religion because it proves to me that religious tolerance is indeed possible. I was inspired by one of these conversations to write about the possible similarities between prayer and magic. 

I have come across several definitions of prayer. Most of them revolve around the same notion - communication with the Divine. Prayer has been defined as "words that you say when praying to God or gods" (from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English), "an address (as a petition) to God or a god in word or thought; a set order of words used in praying; an earnest request or wish; the act or practice of praying to God or a god"(from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary) and so on. 

In my previous post on magic, I listed several definitions of magic according to some noteworthy Pagan/occult authors and practitioners:

"Magic is the art and science of causing change to occur in conformity with will." - Aleister Crowley 

"Magic is the projection of natural energies to produce needed effects." - Scott Cunningham

"We do not affect fate by our magical operations, we affect ourselves; we reinforce those aspects of our nature which are in sympathy with the powers we invoke." - Dion Fortune

"Magic is making something happen that you want to happen." - Raymond Buckland

"The work of magic involves transformation, and the first transformation is the shift of perception." - Marion Weinstein

"Magic is the art of effecting change in consciousness at will." - William Butler

Essentially, magic is about sending messages to the universe via words, energy and actions. In short, communication with the universe. 

Now, you might say that God and the universe are not the same. Well, for a number of people, they are. Even if they are not the same, they are similar in some aspects. Many Pagans see the God and Goddess as archetypes rather than actual entities. Some see them as symbols of the creative powers of the universe. Many Christians also don't perceive God as a bearded man in the sky. In fact, the people that I have talked to see him as a creative entity. Whether or not God, from the Christian perspective, will be present in the universe and everything in it, or perhaps "above" all creation varies from individual to individual. Or rather, this depends on whether the individual sees God as being immanent or transcendent. I would just like to point out that the Bible implies that God is transcendent in some places, and that he is immanent in others. Therefore, Christians will have different perceptions of God, just as Pagans have different perceptions of the God and Goddess.

But what if we just say "the Divine" in stead of "God/Goddess/the Universe"? Well then, both prayer and magic would be based on communication with the Divine! This makes things slightly more complicated.

I believe magic and prayer refer to the same thing but only with different connotations and slight differences in approach. Even the terms "invocation" and "evocation" could be compared to prayer and magic. Just to clarify, invocation is the act of invoking ("inviting in") a deity/entity into one's body. Evoking is the act of simply inviting a deity/entity in one's vicinity (not inside the person themselves!). So what is the basis for comparing all of these terms? Communication and contact with the Divine.

When a person prays, they address the Divine with words. Sometimes a certain action is included, such as counting Rosary beads, for example. These words can be spoken in the spur of the moment, or they may be learnt by heart. Although many Christians don't realize this, the prayers they learn by heart and repeat over and over again are intended to lead the individual into a trance-like state. This is what any sort of repetition and monotony does. Shamans use monotonous and repetitive drum beats to achieve trance, Pagans often use mantras and so on. Repetition and monotony are the key to trance. In this case, trance is just one doorway to the Divine. Also, a person praying doesn't just send out words; they also send out energy and intentions. When a person prays, they do so with a certain intention, be it for asking help with an issue, for health or any other reason.

When a person performs magic, they also have to have a specific intention and be ready to devote time and energy to the process. Magic is a very broad term that can imply speaking words, performing actions or, on the contrary, not saying/doing anything at all but simply projecting thoughts/energy towards the Divine. Similarly enough, prayers can also be sent in the form of thoughts. 

The only difference between magic and prayer is in the attitude the practitioner may/may not have. Many Christians do not communicate directly with God when praying (e.g. they address their prayers to Jesus/a saint/the Pope etc. and ask them to take their prayers to God). Then again, some Christians don't share this "passive" attitude. I believe this has a lot to do with one's upbringing, doctrine and possibly the belief in predestination that is quite widespread among Christians.

Pagans, on the other hand, do not believe in predestination. We believe that we have the ability to form our own futures and that we do so every second of the day. Therefore, we may address the Divine in one way or another, but we don't believe that this alone will change anything. Most Pagans believe that prayer/magic can help in bringing about change, but that prayer/magic alone will not achieve anything. Basically prayer/magic is a supplement to our own actions.

This is why I see Paganism as being an inherently slightly more "active" spiritual path than Christianity. Yet, they both strive to communicate with the Divine. The approach is the only thing that differs. Here is an analogy so you understand what I mean. Let us imagine that prayer/magic are everyday communication and that the Divine is a physical person. Pagans would be the ones walking up to that person and talking with them face to face (sometimes even in a cheeky way). Christians would be the ones politely leaving them a message on their phone to see when they could meet for a chat. Some level of communication is present in both situations, but the chosen method of communication is different. Neither method is good or bad; they are just different. The choice of method is up to the individual and is determined by their personality, beliefs, upbringing, the impression they want to make and so on.

I would say that invocation and evocation are slightly more "Pagan" terms than they are Christian simply because this approach can be even more direct than typical magic. I say this because both imply explicit contact with the Divine. When Pagans evoke a deity/entity, they aren't just walking up to them and asking them about something like in the previous analogy about magic. They are, in fact, inviting them into their homes. When a Pagan evokes a deity/entity, they are saying: "Hey, ____, come into my home/ritual circle and join me in whatever I am doing". Invocation gets even more personal because, metaphorically speaking, Pagans ask the deity/entity to move in with them for a certain period of time. So invocation would sound something like this: "Hey, ____, why don't you move in with me for a while? Take this relationship to the next level...". 

As most Christians see God as being more transcendent than immanent (if not completely transcendent), the possibility of God "hanging out" with you, let alone moving in with you is just absurd! Most Pagans believe the Divine exists in all of us (i.e. is immanent) and that we share this universe with entities/deities. This makes it possible for us to communicate in such a way.

Yet, magic and prayer have the same basis. At the core of both of these notions lies communication with the Divine, regardless of the perception one has of it. This communication can be achieved with words, actions or thought and includes intentions. Although prayer usually implies "petitioning", this isn't always the case. Some Christian prayers are about giving thanks or simply communicating for the sake of carrying on the human-Divinity relationship. Pagans also include prayers in their rituals and address the Divine to ask for something, thank them for something, or just to say hi or perhaps sympathize. With these words and thoughts, energy is also sent out. Practitioners of magic are usually aware that energy is key, while there is much less emphasis on energy in prayer. Nevertheless, the exchange of energy is present in prayer also. 

Like I said, the main difference is in the implications and chosen method of approach. Prayer is "implicitly Christian", whereas magic is "implicitly non-Christian". Pagans have a more "proactive" approach when it comes to communicating with the Divine, while Christians are, I dare say slightly more timid. I believe the boundaries aren't so strict and hope I have explained why in this post.

I would just like to end with a quote from Scott Cunningham's book Wicca, a Guide for the Solitary Practitioner:

"Religious magic?This isn't as strange as it might seem. Catholic priests use "magic" to transform a piece of bread into the body of a long-deceased "savior." Prayer - a common tool in many religions - is simply a form of concentration and communication with Deity. If the concentration is extended, energies are sent out with the thoughts which may in time make the prayer come true. Prayer is a form of religious magic." (p. 6)

Think about these words. ;) Hopefully, by now, your understanding of the picture at the beginning of this post has changed.

Until next time. Yours,

Witch's Cat