XPost: alt.religion.wicca, alt.arts.poetry.comments, alt.writing   
   XPost: alt.magick   
   From: jani@dsl.pipex.com   
      
   "Arlon Staywell"  wrote in message   
   news:utlVd.311631$w62.255160@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...   
   >   
   > "Rhyanon"  wrote   
   >   
   >> Words aren't necessary for "spells". which is a misnomer in itself. I   
   >> don't   
   >> have the patience to dumb down the basics for you nimrods.   
   >   
   >     I wrote a paper for an English class on whether the election of   
   > Clinton   
   > was the result of a spell witches put on the United States.  It is   
   > important   
   > to understand that it was not a political science class, not mathematics,   
   > nothing "serious."  It was a topic "for fun."  The English professor   
   > didn't   
   > want another paper on Clinton because he said he was sick and tired of   
   > them   
   > after grading so many.  By making the paper about witchcraft I made it   
   > different enough to be allowed the topic.   
   >   
   >    My point is this though, I read many books on the topic.  I read most   
   > of   
   > them the James Branch Cabbell Library had about it.  I tore my best book   
   > bag   
   > loading it with so many books.  The paper had to be over 20 pages long and   
   > have at least 25 references.  Consistently the essence of the matter is   
   > accessing the subconscious through symbolism.  Carl Jung of course wrote   
   > quite seriously on that (and I included references to him and other   
   > scientific sorts), but books on "magic" and "witchcraft" (often misused   
   > terms) made much the same point, to whit:  Symbolism is the key to the   
   > influence, such as it might be, exercised by those believed to be or   
   > purporting to be practicing "magick."  Words are the ultimate symbols.   
   > Practicing "magick" without word power is like practicing medicine with   
   > leeches and poultices.   
   >   
   >     It is quite possible to make people sick, healthy, apprehensive,   
   > courageous, contented, empowered, to laugh, to cry or almost any other way   
   > through the "magic" of words and symbols.  Other methods aren't really   
   > "magic" although possibly more sinister.   
      
   Very true, especially if you consider that psychology is a part of   
   witchcraft (which some do, whereas others consider it a substitute for it   
   :). However, for symbolism to work, you need the same cultural referents. No   
   use waving a crucifix at a Jewish vampire, etc :)   
      
   Jani   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)