Natural Magic – A Modern Approach to Magic Witchcraft
What is your interest in an article with a title that mentions witch craft?
Is it because, like thousands of others around the world, you’ve had a long held curiosity of witchcraft and what it actually is, or are you like many, many other people? Are you actually aware of something bigger than, or ‘outside’ of yourself that you can’t explain; but you’re nevertheless, sure is there? It may just be that you’re someone who already has an interest in witchcraft and you’re simply interested in finding out what this article is all about.
Whatever your reason, I will try and provide you with a little insight into the ‘Natural Magic’ approach to magic witchcraft.
Natural Magic in this form has been practised by a relatively small, but ever growing group of individuals in Sussex, England — for over a decade. It is derived from an approach that follows and combines the teachings of both Wicca witchcraft and Pagan magic.
The important aspect of the way in which Natural Magic has been taught, is that it encourages the individual to set their own level of participation and the freedom to practice within their own comfort zone. Students have thrived on this approach; an approach which completely empowers them to practice without the traditional confines of a coven and most importantly, at their own pace and at a time of their choosing. It’s an approach that has been highly successful and has offered our students a real insight that teaches them how to become their very own Natural Magic and Spiritual Guru.
Today we have a variety of traditions all practicing their own form of ‘witchcraft’, but what is the history of witchcraft — where does it come from? This is a very difficult question to answer, because no firm origin could ever be established. We know that practices that could be described as witchcraft go back to at least a few hundred years AD — in northern Europe particularly. However, before we move on, it’s well worth mentioning that many researchers would argue that Witchcraft (in various forms) can be traced to periods long before this; but this could be the topic of a book in itself, let alone a short article.
If we take a look at Britain, It is doubtful that our ancestors called themselves Witches — in fact they were known as cunning folk and charmers — they would use their innate knowledge of herbs, plants, midwifery and spell craft to help the community, usually for money. They would practice different forms of spells and magic such as, magic ritual, magic candles, magic potions, magic healing and magic herbs. This magic and witchcraft knowhow would have been passed down through each generation, from mother to daughter.
Our ancestors seemed to have been free thinkers. They visualized themselves as inherently part of the nature around them, closely observing the cycles of life being played out every year as the seasons changed. They created myths that tied in with these cycles, bringing a greater understanding of what life and death meant to them.
They understood that everything in nature was balanced and intrinsically connected. For example, looking at the seasons, they could see the process of birth, death, growth and re-birth as a complete cycle — now known generally as ‘the sacred wheel of the year’. Women were revered as the living Goddess, acting out in life, the sacred wheel of the year for all to see.
Natural Magic as a modern approach to witchcraft teaches our students how to access and harness these incredible natural energies that our ancestors did and teaches them, through practical easy lessons — how they too can harness these energies — empowering them to experience a completely new, enlightening and liberating dimension to their life and how they want to live it. Natural Magic has enabled them to tap into and release the previously dormant but incredible magic spirit that resides in all of us.
The Natural Magic pathway teaches not only how to achieve long held desires, but also teaches ‘a way of life’ — how to take control over your life and how you want to live it. It also teaches you how to bring real positive changes, happiness and contentment into all areas of your life. By following the Natural Magic pathway, our students have been empowered to take real meaningful control over every aspect of everything they do, no longer feeling bombarded by all the daily dross that life seems to throw at them.
How about you? do you sometimes feel lost and alone, wondering what it is that is lacking from your life? Are you one of the ever growing multitude of people searching for meaning; feeling and knowing that something is missing — but not knowing what that ’something’ is? The very fact that you are here, reading this page, puts you firmly amongst the ever increasing number of people who are looking beyond the constraints of ‘normal’ society, striving to experience the secrets of a spiritual world that exists all around us.
Could Natural Magic be what you’ve been looking for?
Author: Andrew P Vaughan
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Electric Pressure Cooker
I’ve recently had a conversation with a friend of mine regarding the topic of philosophical and theological belief systems/dogma and the classification of them. There’s a bit of story behind that conversation. Just bare with me a moment or two and I’ll get around to my point as it pertains to the above article.
My son is a member of the Canadian Forces Army. At one point, he was pressed for a declaration of religious beliefs. He called home to talk to me about what exactly he should tell them. When he was in high school, he claimed Atheism… but with the help of a few close friends, I sort of got him pointed toward a more Native American spiritual path with a heavy emphasis on animal spirit guides. Well, anyway, he wanted to know what to call his spiritual path… and I told him, “Just tell them you’re a free thinker.”
Since there is limited space on dog tags, the C.F. just put “NRE” (I assume that stands for “No Relgion”). However, if you were to ask the C.F. what my religion is, they would tell you that according to their records, I’m Wiccan. When he told me that he had put that down as my religion, I told him that it wasn’t entirely accurate, but close enough.
Okay, lets see if I can tie all this together.
My friend, an elderly lady, said that the term “free thinker” could be interperated as all different kinds of ideas thrown together. I tend to express it as the understanding that every doctrine has some good points and that the individual is free to take what they want, and discard what they don’t.
In reading Mr. Vaughn’s interpretation of how “free thinkers” developed into belief systems, I am inclined to accept his version as a valid extrapolation of values.
Aside from all that, I’d like to answer the question, “Could Natural Magic be what you’ve been looking for?”
Absolutely! As a matter of fact, its what I’ve been striving toward for a long time. I see magic all around me every day and I would love to channel it for improving my environment that is just chock full of narrow minded and negative people. I do what I can when circumstances permit… but, I’d love to clean out the negative and cultivate the positive more often.
Blessed Yule!