“These are the times that try men’s souls.” (The American Crisis, No. 1, by Thomas Paine, 1776)
“We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light the candle that can guide us thru that darkness to a safe and sane future.” (John F. Kennedy)
I am not exaggerating when I say a war has been declared on those of us who would champion democracy, human rights, and basic dignity.
While the U.S. political right-wing machine continues to incite violence and then blame it on the left, MAGA/Republicans have conveniently framed this as left vs. right when the real divide is between those with obscene wealth and those who are scraping by. But the current regime would have us believe that the real reason the working class can’t pay their bills is because of trans people using bathrooms and “Antifa.” In truth, this sort of political BS has been in effect for as long as I can remember, but since the coming of Trump/MAGA, it has gotten exponentially worse.
I am no longer going to waste my energy trying to convince people that we are standing on the precipice of fascism. It is unnecessary to elaborate on the reasons why fascism is intolerable. If there is an American value worthy of prioritizing, the principle of anti-fascism would be foremost among them. In a country in which the very concept of anti-fascism is both demonized and even made illegal, and where literal concentration camps are being built and filled with innocent people (even losing hundreds of them) to stand idly by is to side with those who are terrorizing our communities.
A curse doll, surrounded by other magickal accoutrements [DepositPhotos]
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We have a responsibility to resist the authoritarian regime in whatever ways have been afforded us. While the United States government is daily and gleefully violating human rights by denying due process to those accused of being in the country illegally, often subjecting them to cruel and abusive treatment, the political Right has renounced their claim on morality and has become the very authoritarian evil they have so often decried. Not surprising for many Witches and Pagans, who have long seen in American Evangelism a mindset of cruelty, intolerance, and moral decay that Christians most often describe in others as “Satanic.” Again, we see how, when dealing with the political right, “every accusation is a confession.”
If you are still on the fence, I am not sure what it would take to convince you to actually be a good person, and so I am not directing my words to you. Join us or not – I am not proselytizing or trying to convert followers. If you are upset because you are a Trump supporter and you think I am judging you, then congratulations for being able to think. I am judging you. You have been presented all the evidence in the world, and you have chosen to either deny it or you secretly agree with the heinous act being done every day by this man and his cabal of sinister toadies. If you want to support actual fascism, you have made your decision. I am speaking only to those who resonate with my message.
To those who feel pain at the knowledge that innocent people are being rounded up by secret police that won’t identify themselves and cannot be held accountable. I am speaking to those who are outraged that our government is depriving human rights based on nothing more than the color of their skin. To those who see the guardrails of our democracy falling like so many dominoes as our Supreme Court grants immunity to the very worst humanity has to offer. You know who you are. This is for you.
Whether in public, or in secret, we need to oppose this regime with everything we’ve got. And since this is a publication for Pagans and Witches, this means magic.
One might be tempted to throw hexes at Trump or his sycophants in the administration, but I’d like to cite the wise words of Matthew Venus when he said, “Think globally, hex locally.” Often, smaller, more focused actions work best at causing the type of change we want to see in the world.
(That said, if you have been hexing Trump don’t let this discourage you! We need a grassroots, sustained effort on all fronts in fighting this threat. If nothing else, throwing a hex at the Orange Menace can be cathartic, giving us an opportunity to direct some of that chaotic anger and despair somewhere other than just feeling bad and disempowered, thus clearing us up for other work. So, by all means, hex the [EXPLETIVE] and then go about your day feeling fresh and renewed!)
But not everyone is wired to hex. For some, it might be a moral barrier, as some traditions expressly forbid such “darker” workings. For others, it might literally be an aversion to the type of energy involved.
Back in 2012, when Mitt Romney was running against Barack Obama, a group of us decided to hex Romney’s election campaign. I was no stranger to this type of magic, having done similar 12 years earlier when a group of us hexed the campaign of then-candidate George W. Bush. What I learned from that earlier experience was “be specific,” as our intention has been to cause his campaign problems, but we didn’t really spell that out. History will show that his campaign certainly did have problems – but not in the way that we wanted or needed for him to lose the presidency. All those hanging chads, and we still ended up with him at the helm. At the time, a Bush presidency seemed about the worst thing that could happen to America. Boy, were those simpler times. (But I digress.)
Fast forward to 2012. A group of our coven members were visiting New Orleans for a Witchy event around Halloween. Since we were all there in a magical city at the time of the election, we decided to do some magic together in between haunted tours and bar hopping. We chose items for our working from the local culture, mainly a candle and some oils from a local shop and one of those cheesy, mass-produced (made in China) “voodoo dolls” that are sold for like three dollars in the French Market. We affixed a photo of Romney’s face to the head of the doll and then entered into a magical space to empower our working. I honestly forget all the details, but I know that we chose some hot sauce with which to slather the doll in; a sort of “hot foot” working to drive him away.
While we chanted and raised energy around the kitchen table of our shared AirBNB, we all felt the shift of power moving through us and into the doll. That was when one of our coveners became suddenly and violently ill.
As he rushed to the kitchen sink to empty his stomach, we all felt that this was actually a sign that that we had effectively tapped into the type of power needed for the rite. This person had never cast a hex in his life, and this experience told him that this was not his magic.
And yet… I can’t say it didn’t work. Obama was elected (by 126 electoral votes, thankyouverymuch) and the rest is history.
Now, I am not here to make claims that our group single-handedly prevented the Republicans from taking the Presidency in 2012 (as cool as that would be, I am sure that there were hundreds, if not thousands of magical practitioners doing similar at the time) but it did educate me a bit more on how this type of magic works. Darker and manipulative magic is not for everyone, or at least not for everyone all the time. As with all magic, there is a price to pay. As the saying goes, “there’s no such thing as a free lunch.” And one of our own lost his. (His sacrifice of that afternoon’s jambalaya will always be remembered. Not all heroes wear capes.)
If the above story makes you think that perhaps you are one of those who would not do well with magic of the “hexual” variety, then you will perhaps want to focus your efforts on protecting the innocent. I might suggest working with a sigil from the amazing Laura Tempest Zakroff, created back in 2018 for the protection of protesters and detainees from ICE. This is even more relevant today than it was back then.
Or perhaps you are inspired to cast magic aimed at changing people’s minds. Or exposing truth in the face of lies. Or performing magic for healing those who have been harmed. There is room for all types of magic in this fight. But even if hexing is not for you, I would advise not judging that work as being “less spiritual” that those workings considered to be more “positive.” There can be no truer spiritual state than justice, and history shows that this is rarely achieved by playing nice. I am committed to non-violence, but that doesn’t mean rolling over and allowing injustice to flourish. There is strength in numbers and there is a special divine power in standing up for what you believe to be right in the face of so much opposition.
I will be taking this energy with me as I participate in one of the many “No Kings” protests being held around the country on Saturday, October 18. “A Witch bows to no one,” as the saying goes. Speak out, witches! And let us stand tall together.
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