Seriously? Who cares?!

I guess this is my magick post for the month. Don’t really feel like sharing anything too personal. Of course a lot of my magickal work this month has been for other people.

So to my post: There are certain topics that are constantly beaten to death in the pagan/magickal communities that I am SICK TO DEATH OF. Why? Because ultimately — who cares? Why do we waste time chatting/arguing about this stuff?  People could be spending the time they wax philosophic about crap that really DOESN’T MATTER doing something far more productive or interesting.

Some of the topics I see over and over again:

– On the evilness of Daemons. Evil is a perception of the magician. One man’s evil is another man’s salvation. You can argue your stance until you’re blue in the face, but this isn’t going to change anyone’s views of the matter anymore than them arguing with you that Daemons aren’t evil is going to change your stance. Most people who enter these conversations already know which side of the fence they’re on and have no interest in changing their opinion. This is just a fact. So why beat your head against a brick wall? Go have a coffee and read a good book instead!

– Whether or not historically accurate magick is more “authentic” or “better than” chaos magick. You know what — if the shit works for you, strengthens your spirituality and your connection/relationship to the god(s) of your understanding — who gives a flying fuck? Really. Since when did any person’s individual spirituality (when they’re not harming anyone or trying to force their beliefs on anyone) need affirmation and validation from everyone else on the planet? Next!

– Is it magick, magic, majik, or majic?  Who fucking cares. Seriously. If you’re really worried about it, go with magic and be done with it. You won’t convince the rest of the occult community that one spelling is superior than another. The only real argument you can make is that magic is the correct modern English spelling and is in the dictionary. Magick, however IS also in the dictionary. Try this — type into the Google define magick. It will come back with — ma·gick  noun  – chiefly archaic spelling of magic. I happen to like archaic things. Some of us do. Meanwhile, those of us who like our alternative spelling are going to keep using it whether you like it or not. ::shrug:: Grammar Police be damned. (Hey – I’m a rebel like that. Plus I enjoy pissing off easily annoyed people. It amuses me.)

– Occult/Occultism just means hidden. Stop using it to describe magic(k)/paganism/witchcraft! ::eyeroll:: Actually, a lot of dictionaries are now defining it as: supernatural, mystical, or magical beliefs, practices, or phenomena. So…. really? Why is it SO important that people stop using a word just because you don’t like it? I don’t like it when people use the word demon to mean devil. But they do, and I can’t stop them. Hence I started using Daemon. Of course ultimately DOES IT REALLY MATTER? Is the earth going to fling off of its axis and into the Sun if people use a word you don’t like? Or spell something in a way you don’t like? Or define a word different from its original meaning? No? Well then….  Also – the English language is NOT A DEAD LANGUAGE. It’s constantly changing and evolving. It’s a living language folks! New words will get added and old words will get new meanings. Sometimes old words are revived! It’s the nature of the beast. Be progressive! B-E Progressive! P -R – OGG – RE- SS-IVE!  Besides, I find progressive people more interesting.

– Some magick is black and other magick is white. ::sigh:: Good/Evil, Black/White — it’s all in the eye of the beholder. Ask 20 different pagans/witches/magicians if they think magick is color coded – you’re going to get 20 different responses. Besides — you don’t color code it – you either use magick for certain purposes in accordance with your will – or you don’t. Why does it need to be labeled with a color? A curse is a curse. A healing spell is a healing spell. A money ritual is a money ritual.  So it goes.

– Running around screaming: “My method/belief/thought is superior!!!” ::yawn::  Yeah – you can think it. I find myself thinking it. I think it’s human nature to think it. But to go around boasting it in a public forum is kind of funny. Again, 20 different magicians, 20 different opinions. We each bring our own hangups, beliefs, intentions, and experience to the table in conversations about a topic as subjective as magick. If you can get 20 people in the same conversation to agree on EVERY point — I’ll buy you a cookie! Again, you can’t argue with those who think they know everything about magick. Not everyone who makes a pact is going to take it to a bad place. Not everyone is going to have a bad experience working with Daemons. Not everyone is going to find your method of ritual space construction comfortable or workable for them! Get used to it! People will disagree. It is what it is.

–Wasting an inordinate amount of time mocking others, or bitching about others who don’t hold the same view or who do things in a way the magician finds *wrong*.  I can’t begin to describe the annoyance I feel when I watch other magicians waste their blog (or social media wall), day after day, mocking those who don’t think like they do. Or expressing how upset they are that a certain group of people do something in a way they don’t like. Again, why bother? Why?  Do you really care about those people? Does what they do affect what YOU do? If I were you, I’d start worrying about why you’re so worried about what other people are doing if it doesn’t affect you. I mean – I guess if it’s your hobby, go with your bad self. Otherwise – relax. Sheesh.

Meanwhile – while everyone is arguing about this or that insignificant thing, and wasting away their lives on the Internet debating stupid shit, I’m writing books, reading books, spending time with my family, going to shows, getting out in the world, and actually enjoying my life and getting a lot done. I can’t imagine my day-to-day life being SO boring that I would have time to lament over this shit day in and day out. Don’t get me wrong — I used to do it. Probably until my mid to late thirties. Then I woke up and realized that I was wasting time. That my opinions didn’t matter to the people I was arguing with or bitching about. I also realized arguments like this are often started to bait and humiliate people who didn’t agree with the people who start the argument. I also realized I was wasting a lot of time talking about shit I didn’t really care about. This is the reason I stay away from online “occult” forums.

That said — this post is probably a waste of time, too. I just wanted people to know why I stay away from the online “occult community” at large, especially forums. Because it’s the same tired shit over and over again, and I get tired of repeating myself. After 30+ years, I’m bored with the arguments – they haven’t changed.