Why Paganism and magical practices are not a quest for power…and how they are.

Disclaimer: In this article I seem to be using the terms paganism and witchcraft or magical system interchangeably. This is not meant to imply they are the same thing, but rather that in the mind of our opposition that they very much are. I do fully understand and recognize that not all witches are pagans, not all pagans are witches, etc. etc. The use of gender specific phrases such as "he" or "his" is entirely unintentional and used as a literary device, nothing more.

Many times in my research and dealings with those (principally Christians, but not limited to this group) accusations fly in regards to devil worship, problems with Christianity in the past, teen rebellion, and, my favorite, the desire for power. Many nice articles have been written as rebuttals to common attacks, but I choose to focus on power for the time being. This article focuses mainly on Wiccans and those who practices witchcraft or other magical traditions.

What is power?

pow·er/ˈpouər/
Noun: The ability to do something or act in a particular way, esp. as a faculty or quality.
(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/power)

This can be incredibly philosophical. Power is having strength, power is having the potential to exact that strength but not necessarily choosing to do so. Power means having the ability to act, to do something, but doesn't necessarily mean to use it (for good or ill). Often the quest for power is in reference to seeking control or dominance over others, but in a philosophical and political context, certainly not in a religious or spiritual one.

When Christians accuse pagans and witches of seeking after power, they show a marked lack of understanding for what both power and the pagan ways really are. They show a fear of political upset, of a shift in power from one where there is an ultimate, kingly, divine authority to one in which that authority is not so easily defined. For the Christian, his religion is one of supplication to his god. It is the relationship of an average citizen to a king, one in which the lines of power are clearly drawn.

Control
–verb (used with object)
1. to exercise restraint or direction over; dominate; command.
(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/control)

In the Christian mind, when he or she accuses the pagan or witch of lusting after power, what he really means is control, in the negative sense, of seeking to use power to control or influence others. And in one sense they are right. Spells are often done to encourage peace between others, and sometimes to manipulate others. So yes, this accusation can be true. However, this is a superficial understanding. Magic is rarely the entire focus of a path, and in fact we are often encouraged to focus on mundane methods first before turning to magical ones. We are asking the divine, in whatever form we view it, to assist on our behalf. It is the same as a prayer, it is the same as smearing lamb's blood across a door to tell an angry god not to kill you.

Power and control often go hand in hand, both negatively and positively. Many Pagans will use both power and control in taking command of their own lives in recognizing their responsibility. Paganism is about responsibility, not controlling others.

Power in the Pagan context means recognizing that each action we take, each decision we make, has consequences. Power means that you must realize that you will face the consequences of what you choose. Power means having control over the self, of being able to stand up for oneself, of being able to choose between what is right and wrong in the individual's context.

Paganism itself is not a quest for power, no more than Christianity is a quest for a Ferrari and a megachurch. A religion or a philosophy cannot be blamed for one person's greed; Pagan religions are first and foremost about taking responsibility and recognizing the power already contained within, and recognizing the power we have to shape our lives based on the choices we make and the consequences of those choices. Just as we cannot assume that all witches are using magical forces for purposes of gaining control over others we cannot assume that all Christians are using religious forces to gain power and control over others, though politically it is the Christians who are attempting to do just that. I've always said it is the loud-mouthed minority that gives the rest of us a bad name. That is true of any religion, and even we pagans have our extremists.

Certainly someone, somewhere is indeed motivated by a drive for power, however they define it. It is unfair to assume that even the majority of those who walk a pagan path or practice a magical tradition such as witchcraft of being motivated solely by this quest.

Power and the Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll accusation: Connections Between Helplessness and the Need for Control

It is my opinion that those who level charges of power hunger at Wiccans and other pagans are doing so because of a misunderstanding of the differences between power and control. Many "ex-Wiccans" claim that the further they delved into magical practices the further downward their lives spiraled into a vicious cycle of unhealthy promiscuity and drug use. Many times they see Jesus as the figure who not only saves them from these dark roads and by extension, paganism. People, in this case Christians, fear their loss of self-control, and attribute it to their involvement with whatever stripe of occultism they found themselves in. This is a false connection, one not based on fact. In reality, drug use is symptomatic of other issues, often depression. They want to feel good, to feel better than they do right now, and they see drugs and sex as the vehicle to attain this feel-good sensation. During the weaker times in a person's life, he or she may find themselves turning to a drug in response to dissatisfaction from something in their lives. Religion, for many, is a drug. A fanatic will always be a fanatic regardless of what religion s/he claims to follow.

In a way one can see how the Christians are coming to their conclusion that Wicca and paganism are the same as these drugs, inducing a feel-good feeling and a sense of control over ones life. This is not the case. At the philosophical level, paganism is about self-control, of reaching within the self for control and for realization without the dependence on external mediums; real strength comes from within, not without. Wicca and paganism work on a paradigm built around self-control and self-actualization, something to which a drug can often be a shortcut.

Drug use itself is a touchy subject. I will state that I do not believe in drug use, nor have I ever used a drug (this excludes of course certain medical pills that were taken according to direction and never abused; I refused Vicodin after a surgery, for example, relying on Tylenol and meditation instead). I have seen far too many lives ruined by drug abuse (and I have been the victim of a drug-abuser in the past). My paganism encourages me to seek deep within myself for the control I seek. I become empowered with the knowledge that each action I take has meaning. While some spiritual paths do use mind-altering substances to assist in spiritual development, it is not even remotely universally encouraged by any pagan tradition.

To those Christians, and anyone really, that find Wicca at the same time they discover drugs and an inner rage at society or their families or whoever, Wicca becomes the cause and the symptom. They cannot separate the religion from their own weaknesses, and thus feel justified in leveling the charges they do against us.

Pay a visit to youtube and watch some ex-witch testimonies. They always begin with a rebellion, an anger against their god. They always descend into some form of alternative culture (rock, Goth, you name it), and from there into drugs. Often this is at the same time they are discovering Wicca and working with magical forces. Eventually they attribute it all to a rebellion against god, they get help, and they promptly become evangelical Christians.

While this is a subject worth far more consideration than I have space to do so here, I hope I have at least touched on the issue and encouraged a little critical thought. In summary, take away the following points:

1. Power and control are not synonymous and not always abused

2. Pagan religions encourage self-control and self-actualizatio, and positive expressions of the power we have over ourselves through our decision-making and acceptance of responsibility. We have no Satan to blame- only ourselves.

3. Christian accusations are bound up in fears and false understandings, and by trying to understand the source of these fears in a psychological rather than religious way we can find better ways of addressing their concerns and dispelling the misunderstandings and false connections.

Other sources:
The National Institute of Drug Abuse http://www.nida.nih.gov/pubs/teaching/Teaching6/Teaching3.html