From The Dark Side

Reality - what the members of the Craft and the members of everyday society call reality are two very different things. People walk around attending to their lives, to their day to day business perceiving that what they see, hear, taste, smell, and touch is all that is real. The world that is presented to us on the news is the totality of reality. The world consists of work for adults, carpools, and school for the kids. This is the reality that is comfortable and safe. We are taught that things are a certain way and that is how they are going to stay. If everyone just took the time to look around them and listen to what the universe is trying to tell them, their eyes would widen in wonder. The real trick is to see beyond everyday reality and what we have been taught and to experience the other worlds that exist in parallel with our own, juxtaposed upon our own. The Astral plane is just one such world.

I have read many of the books written about the craft and most of them have neglected to touch on one subject that I feel must be addressed - the dark side. For many new age authors, it seems that the spiritual world is all bunnies and butterflies. All is positive, and nothing dark need be mentioned. This is a very naive and possibly dangerous stance to take. Everything that we are has to do with balance. Balance is what we humans should strive to achieve. Without dark, there can be no light, without male, no female, without yin, no yang. The universe has checks and balances, and it is important to realize that the negative does exist. How can you guard against something if you do not believe it is there? Knowledge is power. The phrase ignorance is bliss does not apply to the invisible world or to the astral plane.

The reality of it is this. There are negative things in this world and the next. There are bad people here, and there are bad spirits and entities there. For every good magical or spiritual act that you attempt, there is something or someone trying to stop your progress. We all have spirit guides or Guardian Angels that are working to help us. But did you ever stop to think that perhaps there is another person around you with spirit guides who want to help him or her, and to them, you are in the way? For example, if you are going for a certain job, your guides will work to help you. Just remember that you are not the only one going for that position, and the guides of other people are working for them. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. For every good deed you do, there is something doing bad in turn, or if not bad, at least counter productive to your ends. It is just the way the universe works.

There have been times when my coven and I have planned a major spell or ritual that will "shake up" the spiritual word. Whether it is to get rid of attaching spirits or to cleanse a house or an area of unwanted malevolent spirits, something happens to try to stop us. The negative entities do not want to leave the place or to stop the harm they are doing. One evening we were going to help a friend with a spiritual problem, and on the way, two of us became violently ill, another got a migraine, and I almost wrecked my car. We shook off this psychic attack, and told the spirits that we would not be stopped. The sickness faded, and we performed our spell, with great success, I might add. The key is to recognize when your actions are being hampered and to push ahead and do what must be done. If what you are trying to achieve is not for the better, why would others be attempting to stop your progress?

I am not trying to frighten anyone away from the Craft. I am only attempting to let anyone who is interested in new age practices and beliefs know that even though the Craft is very exciting and spiritually fulfilling, it can also be dangerous if the proper safeguards are not instituted. It is important to have a very healthy respect for, if not fear of, the occult world when first beginning. By being frightened and cautious, we practice "Safe Hex", and by learning to do things the right way in the beginning, we will in time create a safer environment because we will be doing things correctly out of habit. The quickest way to get into trouble is to get cocky and over confidant too early. Confidence builds over time. I have been a Witch for twelve years, and there are still things that frighten me. Pain and Fear are good teachers. They teach you not to do something wrong again. The Way of the Witch is a long path and not an easy one.

For those who are actually interested in the dark side of the craft, I would caution you to consider what you are doing. The negative aspects of magic can have dire physical and karmic consequences. I am not here to tell anyone how to practice, but I feel that it is my responsibility to inform you that surrounding yourself with negative energies may get your adrenaline flowing and can be quite a rush, but only in the short term. I have noticed that those I have known who practiced the dark arts have more physical and emotional problems over time than those who walk upon the lighter paths. One woman I know after years of such a path has had several forms of cancer, including skin and breast cancer, many very bad relationships, even divorce, and the list goes on for her. She always said that she was willing to take responsibility for her actions, and her actions caught up with her. I cannot stop anyone who wants to walk down the darker path, but I can inform you as to the severity of that decision. It is a path that, once followed, is very difficult to find your way back from. Be very certain as to your spiritual choices. In the end, all we have is the life we have led, and that life is built on our choices. While, on the other side, my wife started out with major health problems, and her health has been getting better and better over time. I know that my life and the lives of my friends have progressed in many good ways since working within the Craft.

Karmic backlash is another factor you should keep in mind. Never think that Karma does not apply to you. I met a woman who said that she had reverse Karma, and no matter what she did, karmic debt never effected her. She was fooling herself. She said that nothing ever came back on her. She was missing the bigger picture. She consistently complained about money problems, car problems, relationship problems, and health problems, and she still insisted that karma never effected her. Just because you do not recognize it as karmic backlash and just because you think that it does not apply to you, does not mean that it does not exist. "D’Nile (denial) ain't just a river in Egypt." Going through life with blinders on does not release your from your cosmic responsibilities or separate you from the laws of the Universe. Not liking a law does not mean that you can do what you want and that it will not affect you. I do not particularly like the speed limit laws throughout the country, but I know that if I break them and get caught, I will pay for the infraction, in some cases quite severely.

We as humans do not have the same perception as the Gods do about how our lives are destined to unfold. Picture the Gods and Goddesses as being on the very top of a mountain. They can see the all that is happening on the Earth, even beyond the horizon. We as humans are at the bottom of the mountain and can only see a fraction of what is visible to them due to the curvature of the earth. They see a more complete picture, and we only view a small portion of the whole. Are we living a good life, walking down a path that benefits us karmatically and morally? We may never truly know. All we can do is be the best person that we know how to be and hope that we have made the correct decisions in life.

The negative forces in the universe are also very devious. They may take on the guises of benevolent forces, and it can be very difficult to discover the deception until the damage is done. Always question. Never take at face value any information you receive from the other side. The Craft is a thinker's religion. The Gods and Goddesses gave us the gifts of free thought and free will, and it us up to us to use those gifts.

Blessed Be

Talon Storm