Power and Control in Spellcraft

One of the underlying concepts of spell work in witchcraft is that you have some ability to control yourself or the forces around you to achieve some desired result.

One of the most important lessons in the Bhagavad-Gita is that individual souls — jivas — have limited power, and are not the Supreme Controller. However, most souls in the material world are trying to be supreme controllers.

So, how do I reconcile seemingly contradictory ideas into one practice?

First, I’ll start off by saying that I am completely, fully aware that I am not the Supreme Controller. When I was younger, I exhausted myself trying to control and change my situation, and finally drove myself to the point where I had no choice but to surrender. I could not control everything, I had very limited control. My control was limited mostly to how I reacted to things that are outside of my control.  I also finally realized that surrender is not the same as defeat, but the beginning of true victory. This realization was the start of my deeper spiritual practice. It was during this time that the desire to know who my deities were became the central focus of my spell work and meditations.

Now, I know clearly that Sri Krishna is the Supreme Controller of the Universe. So, where does that leave me and spell craft? How can I cast spells if I’m not in control?

Well, I was never in control before (just under the illusion of it), and it didn’t stop me from casting successful spells, so being “in control” is actually not a requirement for successful spell work. But not being in control does not mean I am powerless. In fact, I understand who really is in control, and that knowledge is very powerful.

I do have influence and control over myself and my mind. Through meditation, chanting, and listening, I know that my thoughts and choices and reactions are within my sphere of control. I believe the Law of Attraction is a real thing, because I’ve lived it. The difference with me and another practitioner of the Law of Attraction is that I understand that Krishna is the source of all things, so instead of putting my desires to the Universe, I go directly to the source. I ask Sri Sri Radha Krishna directly to help me achieve what I want to achieve. My spell work is largely prayer, with offerings of objects, food, candles, and most importantly, my intentions and love.

My relationship to God is one of surrender, but I’m also taking responsibility and action in that relationship. I don’t just ask for something and sit around until it happens. I put forth my energy and work with Them. And if something does not work out the way I wanted it to, then I’ve learned to not be upset about it, but instead to be thankful. I trust that Sri Sri Radha Krishna have my very best interest at heart, and since they have perfect knowledge and I don’t, if I ask for something and don’t get it, I trust that the thing I asked for was not in my best interest, and that there’s something better instead.

Getting to this place has taken a lot of spiritual growth and maturity, because the tendency is to pout or throw a tantrum when we don’t get what we want, especially when we’ve done a lot of work to get it. But understanding what my power is, and where that power comes from really helps me keep my perspective, and forces me to deeper levels of surrender. In this way, I can better work in harmony with God, and not try to resist the larger workings of the Universe.

Getting Back to my Roots: Tarot

I got my first tarot deck when I was 13.  It was the Dragon Tarot, still one of my most beloved decks.

Over the last several months, I've received guidance through lots of meditation to get back into serious study of Tarot. I've never given it up, but I was using oracle decks more and hadn't really pushed my abilities or gone deeper into tarot.

For my birthday, I bought myself the Mermaid Tarot deck, and fell in love with its whimsy. I also bought myself a copy of Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom, which is an incredible resource. My husband also got me a tarot deck for my birthday, the Haindl Tarot. This is a serious deck and I haven't let it leave my side since I got it. Not only does it have Radha and Krishna in it, but it also has Brigid, and other Nordic, Celtic, Hindu, and Native American deities and imagery.  Also, the High Priestess card has seals. Seals are my spirit animal and always signify to me that I'm on the right path.

I made a tarot journal specifically for my studies. Not sure where I got the idea to have a dedicated journal for tarot, but it's been nice to keep all my notes in one place. 

What's This About: An Introduction of Sorts

‘Sup Bitches Witches?!  So, what the hell is this Transcendental Witch blog about? That’s a good question, let me see if I can work it out.

I have other blogs and outlets for my spiritual and creative pursuits.  However, I’ve been feeling like one very important aspect of myself was kind of being neglected, or not honored properly, and that is my magical self.

You see, witching is not my religion. It is part of my spiritual path, and I am religious, but magic and witchcraft were what led me to find my spiritual path, and once I found it, I took a step back from practicing any craft to just focus on the new knowledge before me. And that was awesome and cool and I have no regrets, but I’ve been in a place where I could bring my magical practices back into my life, better informed and way stronger than ever before, because I had finally developed a relationship with my patron deities and approached them in the appropriate way. Now, I’m able to use my magical interests and abilities to further deepen my connection. My path is one that seeks to transcend the mundane, and my craft helps me to do that. 

I’m a Hare Krishna. You probably haven’t heard of a witch who was a Hare Krishna before. I’m not surprised. I am definitely not a normal Hare Krishna, and I would never consider myself to be an example of what a Hare Krishna should be. There is a very strong lineage of knowledge and rituals and ways of being a Hare Krishna that has been handed down through gurus for thousands of years. That is sacred and I respect that. I don’t have a guru, I am not initiated. I took on a spiritual name myself, because I don’t know if I will ever have a guru. And because I don’t have an earthly guru and am not initiated, there are some who would consider me less serious, fringy, or a heretic. I can understand their point and would never argue with them. They’re not wrong (except about how seriously I actually do take my spiritual life.) Spiritual life is very difficult, and that is why certain rules exist to keep people on the path. For them, my way would be totally wrong. I have tried temple life, and I didn't fit there any more than other devotees would feel comfortable casting a circle. So I keep quiet about my witchiness in devotee circles out of respect for those people. I do not want to offend, and I feel no need to argue.

I am a witch and a Hare Krishna, and after years of meditation and prayer and worrying that I’m doing something wrong, I’ve finally come to accept that I can be both and that is the right path for me, because I am a single, individual soul with my own, personal relationship with The Divine. My heart brought me to Krishna, and I trust it to lead the way. Besides, there is, actually, a LOT of overlap in the rituals.

So this blog is a space where I can express who I am and what I have to offer to the world in a more honest way. Although there is judgementalism in the world of witches just as there is in any other group, I find magical communities to be, on the whole, very accepting of individual eccentricities even when there is disagreement. And I think I need that right now. I have been withdrawn from the world for a long time, and I feel like it’s time for me to connect to it again.

My life has always been a mixture of cultures and traditions, and I dovetail those things with devotion. I see magic as a way for me to connect with God, to interact with the world in a positive way, and to focus my energies. Because of that, I don’t see it as separate from my spiritual path, but deeply ingrained.  :)