The Deeper Well

Modern pagan and wiccan re-constructionist have allowed for extremely
radical and often fictitious accounts of deity-mortal interaction to
come onto the grand stage of witchcraft. The highly ritualized, tool
wielding, celestial body magic of today creates a grand show with no
audience to cheer on or even boo the practitioner right off the
stage. Witches today seem to find more power and inspiration in
sticks and stones or in heavenly bodies rather than in the Gods or
more importantly within themselves.
The glitz and glamor symbolistic magic of today has very little to do
with honoring or calling to the Gods and more to do with inanimate
inspiration for something that can be done much easier without all
the hype.
Many do not show favor or loyalty to any God or Goddess in particular
but reserve the right to call on a God/dess of their choosing when
they are in need of aid. Creating a relationship not unlike the
relative who only calls you when they want something. And when you
hear their voice say "Hello" the first thing you do is roll your eyes
and say "What now?"
Today's magical practitioners don't seem to be able to forge a deeper
relationship with any Deity outside of the re-constructionist view of
how to behave and regard them. Today the Moon holds more influence
than any Goddess attributed to it. And in this they have done nothing
but found power in a bigger rock.
Same holds true with a wand or staff. Nothing more than fashioned
wood. And if that is not fancy enough for you their are plenty of
factory forged and ready metallic wands with all sorts of shiny
stones and intricate metal works that look extremely powerful and
attractive to the human eye. To the Gods it is just a metal stick. To
the witch it is a source of great power.
The sum of magic and witchcraft today equals sticks and stones. Made
so by re-written tradition and falsities that the masses will swear
to with a passion. While the Gods roll their eyes and say "What now?"
Humans keep placing the powers and attributes of the Gods in anything
and everything that catches their eye or makes their alter look more
impressive to visitors. I never understood why they don't just allow
the power and attributes of the Gods to be in the Gods themselves.
The Goddess has been replaced by the Moon and the God has been
dominated by items like the phallic wand. Symbols for the symbol
minded people of the modern age. Their faith goes to the props. Not
to the directors of the show.
The masses are continually making the mistake of searching outward
for power and inspiration. A grand collection of stones, crystals,
ritual items, herbs, incense, photos, and figurines, and their life
is still a train wreck. A common response to those who suffer "The
Gods hate me."
How can they hate you when they don't even know who the hell you are?
These people spend so much time looking at sticks and stones that
they forget to look to the Gods. They spend more time running out
some copy write 2006 ritual in a wiccan guide to magic than just
setting down with a Deity and having a chat. Most mortals would not
like talking to a God anyway. They have a really bad habit of letting
you know when your wrong. Especially when your talking about them.
Cut out the rituals, the tools, the celestial bodies, and all the
math. Cut out all the physical things. Witchcraft in any form or path
is not a physical exploration. It is a spiritual one. So why add the
boundaries of physicality to it? We are not dealing with props and
most often not even the physical realm of being. The goals and powers
of these paths are not to collect sticks and stones. Your spirit does
not live in sticks and stones. Nor does the spirits of the Gods and
Goddesses.
Spirit, faith, magic, and willpower will not be contained or even
found in anything physical. From the crystal on your alter to the
moon it is not there. It can be called upon with an unspoken thought
just as easily as it can with an elaborate ritual with all the circle
casting and calling corners that you can mutter before you loose your
voice.
Looking at the rituals in modern day witchcraft books I am blown away
by all these authors who want to write out a 6 page step by step
ritual for a simple request that can be communicated without a single
verbal word. It does nothing and means nothing save for the fact that
they now have more content for their book.
What reader is going to memorize all that mumbo jumbo and actually
use it anyway?
If you do you have way to much time on your hands and not a lot of
self thought. The Gods are not setting there outside the circle
waiting on you to call all the corners and ring your little bell six
times before they raise their hand like a kid in a classroom and
say "HERE!" Chances are they are looking at their watch wondering
when in the hell you are going to get to the point.
Witches keep looking out instead of in. Witchcraft has become nothing
more than geology, astronomy, and herbology. There is no spirit left
in it. A certainly no strong relationships with the Gods.
There's a big freakin' hole in the world! I wonder all the time how
people keep missing it. Those that do see it are the ones trying to
fill it up with sticks and stones, chanting the whole time. You can't
fill it. It goes all the way through to the other side.
People have been taught to look to the moon and to all these other
physical things for aid, power, and inspiration. And the only wisdom
you see in all of modern day witchcraft is in those who actually
figured out that you can sell these things and make money off of the
fools who have been told they need them. They traded in their
spirituality for profit and sold the Gods and Goddesses to fulfill
the new standard. "The creed is greed."
People go around saying "I NEED to be wearing my necklace, ring, or
bracelet at ALL times." "I NEED to have my stone in my pocket." "I
NEED to have this and that."
You NEED to get a life!
How did you ever manage before that little thing came alone and you
got so attached to it if you can't manage without it now?
I have rings and necklaces that I wear out of habit, sentiment, and
even symbolism. But I don't NEED any of them when I am out and about
or working a spell. They are certainly not a direct line to the
pantheon in case of an emergency and they don't radiate energy like a
homing beacon or magical reserve that I can tap into at any time.
There just things. Physical, tangible, props. Not containers of my
soul, spirit, or magic. And as nice as they are I would not request
that any God or Goddess reside inside them. They are not extensions
of my body nor are they carriers of my soul. And I imagine I would
still be alive ad well if I actually lost one of them.
So if we cut out all the rituals and props what are we left with?
Nothing but you and the Gods.
All of a sudden it does not seem so spectacular does it? Not the
grand entertaining show that you had hoped for? It is a bit
disappointing when we find out that the Gods are not around to dance
for us and put on a show to entertain.
So what exactly are they doing here if not to entertain us and watch
our well thought out and practiced rituals?
Have you ever had a God or Goddess come along and request that you go
the the store and buy that really cool quartz crystal before they
will talk to you?
That is kind of like the preachers on TV asking for $1000 so that God
will bless your life. The saddest part is that thousands of people
fall for it every damned day.

"The Sun and the Moon are well springs of great power and influence."

"My ring is a well of an incredible magic reserve that I have stored
up over the last 15 years."

"My crystal has been cleansed in the river that the fish pooped in
and dried in moonlight on my back porch right next to the trash can.
It holds great poopy power!"

And somewhere a God raises his eyebrow, tries not to smile, and
says......
"Are you serious?"

There is a deeper well of magic and wisdom. And from it flows untamed
spirit, unbound magic, and unrestricted love from all of the ancient
Gods and Goddesses. There are no walls, there is no bottom, and there
is nothing physical about it.

The deeper well has a tributary leading to every mortal heart. Some
are beaver dammed with sticks and stones and some flow naturally.
Cast in all the sticks and stones you want in any manner you want and
it wont matter. The well will just adjust and flow into the tributary
of least resistance. The more people who fall victim to dam building
spirituality the more the well will flow elsewhere until nothing
magical remains and all they are left with is sticks and stones and a
dried up soul.

Don't look anywhere beyond yourself for the Gods, power, or
influence. Chances are if one of them is meant to be in your life at
the moment they are already there. And sometimes....just sometimes,
they might be in the form that you least expect. You don't need tools
or rituals to call someone who is standing right in front of you. All
you need to do is say "Hi". And let the deeper well flow.

Snowden-2006