Political Spells
As the election grows nearer many occult, magickal and pagan groups are doing coordinated spell-work to influence who comes to power and what values are emphasized in the coming years.
The hipster mages over at Barbelith have put together a sigil to concentrate their efforts to remove George W. Bush from the White House.
“The overall motif is taken directly from the Presidential Seal, with the eagle and everything. In one hand, the eagle carries olive branch for peace, and in the other it’s got arrows for war. I made olive branches in both claws to double the peace effort and eliminate the notion of continued “war”. The polygon shape in the middle is the HEINZ ketchup label, and the word POTUS is simply P-resident O-f T-he U-nited S-tates. Then I put a cross underneath the ketchup label to exemplify the balanced mind, with a Muslim Crecent at the Yesod position of the Cross(Svadisthana Chakra), and a six-pointed star at the Tiferet position (Anahata Chakra). At each arm, I put a “mystic animal” of the liberal Democratic donkey and the Bull Market for added good stuff for the economy. Stars are fun.” – Chad on Barbelith
The best method for working with a sigil? Why that would be masturbation according to writer and practitioner Grant Morrison.
“Could the use of such sigil magic?of large numbers of people performing a masturbation ritual while focused on [a sigil] at a predetermined time?remove George W. Bush from office? Morrison thinks it?s possible, but warns that the president certainly has wankers of his own.” – OC Weekly
Meanwhile on the Neopagan side of the fence Issac Bonewits is gearing up the 2004 edition of his Spells For Democracy.
“To begin with, I repeat my proposal that we who live in the United States, currently the most powerful and therefore the most dangerous nation in the world, inaugurate a new Pagan Holy Day in the Neopagan calendar. Around every 4th of July, let us all invoke Lady Liberty, the Goddess Freedom, Justice, Truth, and other appropriate deities (the Roman pantheon is filled with such personified abstracts and works well with the architecture and thinking patterns of the American government). Invoke and ask Them to increase Their influence, not just over Washington DC, but over all our state capitols as well, so that our legislators, executives, judges, and military/police will also act in accordance with Their highest ideals. In addition, let us cast our own spells, every year with Their help and guidance, to encourage our public servants to remember what they are: the servants of the entire public, members of all religions and none.” – Issac Bonewits
The main focus and talisman for these workings is The Statue of Freedom on the top of the Capitol Building which has been blessed and consecrated by groups of American pagans twice in recent history.
Bonewits lays out a series of spells and the seasons in which to do them. Including one to “give Ralph Nader a vision of what will happen if he takes enough votes away from the Democratic candidates to allow Bush and company to win this year. As much as I love the man, this year I?m going to support the Presidential, Vice Presidential, Senatorial, and Congressional candidates who can actually defeat the Religious Reich and the Neo-Con imperials, which, alas, will be whoever the Democratic candidates are.”.
This along with Raven Grimassi’s call for a national “Needfire” in October and more direct actions by The Pagan Cluster and Starhawk seem to show a mobilizing politically, and a growing urge to be involved in current events on the part of many segments of the rapidly expanding pagan and magickal communities.
Additional informational links:
The Art of Using Political Magick
Ritual, Magick & How Pagans will Save the World
Political ritual reconsidered
Magical Activism
No responses yet
