Say the word 'pagan' and thoughts of 'something bad' rise in the minds of most people. Why? What is paganism anyway?
Due to the fact gods and mythologies differ depending on the region, I will stay with the common beliefs shared by all pagans. Put simply, paganism is the reverence of nature. All pagan faiths strive to bring, and maintain, a balance between the human, the elements, and the spirits. The god head is seen as a divine being, balanced in both masculine and feminine qualities. This is why God is often represented by two candles, one gold (male) and one silver (female).
Magic is a very important element of paganism. The true meaning of the word, however, has been warped over time. When most people hear the word 'magic' they either think of an illusionist or a character from a children's book. When pagans say 'magic' they are refering to the interaction between a human and a spirit. Magic is neither good nor evil. The intentions behind the magic is what makes it white or black. White magic refers to the interaction between a good human and a pure spirit. Black magic refers to the interaction between a selfish human and a demon. (It's important to note here that 'evil' and 'selfish' are the same, and the two words can be interchanged for one another.)
Another term that has been misused is 'spell'. A spell is a prayer layed out on a table. The goal is that the human's spirit guide (guardian angel) will see it and better understand the request. The display itself does not cause anything to happen, the spirit the human is working with does. It is believed spirit guides are matched to their humans based on personality and element preferences. So if a human has a special connection to the sea, that person's spirit guide will also share a love for water. In this case, the person should use the element of water in their spells since that is something they and their guide both have in common and understand. The closer the relationship, and better the communication, between the human and the spirit, the stronger their magic will be.
Spells enable a human to communicate something they might not have words for. If someone you love has fallen very ill, you may not be able to say a prayer out loud (air magic). The pagan may remedy this problem by lighting a green candle with the sick person's name written into the wax (fire magic). Since green is the color of the leaves in the spring, the color is associated with rebirth and healing. Having the name written into the wax tells the guide who the prayer (spell) is for. Having multiple ways to pray is comforting to pagans as it allows the lines of communication to remain open and nothing is assumed.
A witch is a human who practices magic (a witch's craft) and refers to both female and male. A wizard is a witch who has a natural ablity to understand the spirit realm. Wizards are born, not made, and tend to possess an intuitive knowledge of math and science. Their spells reflect this higher learning and tend to be more powerful since the wizard understands how the prayer can be answered. The strongest of the witches is the sorcerer. Sorcerers are extremely rare and have shown a mastery over their element.
Looking through pagan eyes, certain biblical figures would be considered sorcerers. Moses' relationship with God was very close, and their communication was clear to both of them. When the Israelites needed to escape from Egypt, Moses thrusted out his staff and the Red Sea parted. Then a stiff wind came to dry out the sea bed. This shows Moses' spirit guide to be very powerful and possess a mastery over the elements of water and air. This also shows Moses to be a very pure soul, as he was able to establish and maintain a relationship that close with God. This is a perfect example of what comes to a pagan's mind when they here the term 'sorcerer'.
So why the bad reputation? Most of the modern views on paganism stem from Dark Age Europe, particularly England. Before Christianity reached pagan Europe, kings and tribal leaders often had their own magicians to help them lead the way they believed their gods wanted them to. Even King Arthur is said to have had his own wizard. However, when the churches were built, that all changed. In an effort to fill all the new churches, pagan holidays were 'christianized'. When this failed, pagan beliefs were then declared works of the devil. Words like 'pharmakeia' (a term for a mind altering substance) were changed to 'sorcery' and 'witchcraft' to make it appear like the bible condemned the pagan way of life.
Fortunately, a new generation is beginning to learn of the deception. More and more youth are finding their pagan roots and are connecting to their angelic guardians. It is important to educate this new generation of the differces between white and black magic, what the spirits are, and where they come from.
Love God. Love one another.
Blessed be.
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