When the sun has set and the moon is high in the sky, a different kind of energy covers the land. Those things that remain unseen during the day come out of hiding, and reveal themselves under the cloak of darkness. In the same way that certain flowers and plants only bloom at night, the powers of the witch are also at their strongest. As dusk approaches, and the busy interactions of the day begin to cease, many prepare for sleep. It is during these night-time hours, particularly between 3am-5am, that psychic interference in the unseen realms is at it’s lowest ebb. The witch can cast his or her spells with minimal obstacles to block their success. Witches have long been associated with the night and with hidden knowledge. The word “Occult” simply means “hidden”. In other words, it is arcane knowledge that is hidden from those without the awareness to comprehend it. The night is the realm of potentiality. It is the nothingness from which all things emerge. All plants grow from within the darkness of the earth. Humans are born from the darkness of the womb. Ideas are formed in the hidden recesses of the creative mind and are then put into visible action. As Above, So Below. What happens above is influenced by what happens below. Likewise, what happens below is influenced by what happens above. This is a concept that applies not only to magical things, but also extends to mundane areas of life, including world events. Those who understand this concept will know that the reasons why things happen in our world are not as simplistic as some try to make it seem. There are hidden forces at work, forces that exist above, below and around us. Witches have the ability to see, to sense, and to influence these forces. In many ways, the night is like the dark depths of the witch’s cauldron. The desired result depends on what energies are directed into it. Just like the magic of the cauldron, the night can absorb and shape, bringing form to the formless. The night is just as alive and potent as the day. Those who tap into the energy of the night can hear it’s mystical hum. Many witches and pagans focus on the Waxing and Full Moon and shy away from the Dark Moon, also called the New Moon. While the Sun reveals how we express ourselves outwardly to the world, the Moon directs us to the things that are hidden within, and also hidden from us. Addictions and insecurities, repressed abilities and gifts, and unseen dangers are often brought to the surface. The Dark Moon is the perfect time to examine these things in a ritual setting, and make the necessary adjustments. There are some who caution against doing any kind of magic during the dark moon, because they fear that it’s energies are too volatile and unpredictable. These fears are unfounded. A general rule is that if it makes you uncomfortable, then simply don’t do it. Personally I have found that some of my most powerful magical workings have taken place during the waning to dark moon phases. You have nothing to fear from these workings unless you bring fear into them. Of course, the dark moon is the perfect time to work on fear-related issues. It is important to understand that light is not always beneficial and darkness is not always harmful. If someone has you backed into a corner, throwing “love and light” at them may not save you. In the old days, witches were respected and feared in equal measure. You wanted to be on their good side. There were consequences for provoking a witch, and they were not pleasant. There was no Wiccan Rede, no imposed magical laws that all witches were expected to follow. Today we are living in dark times, and dark times call for darker magic. It is time for us to move away from the Dark/Evil and Light/Good paradigm. There are some who may think they have your best interests at heart, but in truth are causing you harm. For example, when evangelical Christians pray for your “salvation” they might think they are doing something “good”, but in reality they are practicing harmful magic by trying to overpower your will. Likewise, there are many witches who prefer to dwell in the shadows and under the cover of darkness, using these times to do spells and enchantments that benefit themselves and their communities. It doesn’t make them “evil”, they just work better with these kinds of energies and are more comfortable with them. Many meditation teachers direct their students to visualize going down into the roots of a tree and into the depths of the earth. It is from there that wisdom is first gained and the seeker is then led upwards on the path to enlightenment. The idea is that you must go down before you can go up. Many who work with the chakras begin at the root chakra and then work their way up to the crown. The energy of Kundalini begins at the root, and then uncoils like a serpent as it reaches toward the crown where it becomes fully extended. In some Kabbalistic meditations, practitioners start at the bottom with the Sephirah of Malkuth (Earth) and then ascend upwards to the Sephirah of Keter (Crown) at the top. If we desire to reach the light, we must learn to navigate the darkness, as we remember that darkness and light are two sides of the same coin. The light casts many shadows, and yet the darkness will make the moon and stars appear even brighter. Each side influences and is influenced by the other. The night carries it’s own mystical power and energy. To tap into it, simply wait until the moon is high in the sky and darkness had descended upon the land. Go outside if you can, or open a window. Close your eyes and listen. Become one with the stillness. What does it seem to be saying? As the wind blows through the trees, or as the leaves scatter across the ground, pay attention to any impressions you receive. Learn to commune and embrace the powers of the night. Allow them to become a source of wisdom and comfort. Embracing the dark does not mean we are rejecting the light. The light is necessary and has it’s place in regards to healing and restoration, certainly, but directing all of our energies solely on the light will cause an imbalance within us. One can find healing and restoration even in the dark. Many witches and pagans identify as ‘lightworkers’, however, witches are ‘workers of the dark’ as well as the light. Working with the dark does not mean we dwell on negativity and pessimism, but rather to seek the hidden enchantments in the darkness of the night and the powers of the moon. There is a difference between “Dark” and “Night”. Dark simply refers to the absence of Light, while Night is the opposite of Day. While there are some who work with darkness in a malevolent manner, witches of the Old Ways utilize the darkness for beneficial purposes. That is, we work with the “darkness of the night” as opposed to those who are drawn to the abstract concept of “dark” as a means to cause harm. Pagan author Konstantinos speaks of Good/Dark and Evil/Dark. Witches of the Old Ways are those in the Good/Dark category. What many witches and pagans refer to as the New Moon is the first phase of the lunar cycle, when the moon is between the earth and the sun. This alignment is called a conjunction or syzygy. During this time, the side of the moon that faces earth is not illuminated by the sun and is therefore not visible to us. The moon appears dark because the side facing us receives no direct sunlight. The New Moon marks the beginning of a new lunar cycle, which is approximately 29.5 days long. While most refer to this as the New Moon, many of us call it the Dark Moon. A few days pass from the time the moon begins to disappear from the evening sky until it is completely dark, and then another few days until it reappears as a faint sliver in the morning sky. In magical terms, this is a “between time”, and has the potential for powerful magic to take place. Experienced witches take advantage of these times when planning their spells and enchantments. In Celtic and Irish folklore, people born during a Dark Moon are believed to be granted good health and prosperity, and are encouraged to honor the Dark Moon whenever it occurs to maintain this in their lives. Traditionally, it is a time when people set new goals or begin new projects. In the same way that plants grow up from the darkness of the soil, new intentions are planted like “seeds” during the dark moon phase, that they may sprout and begin to grow as the moon becomes visible again. It is seen as a potent time for personal and spiritual growth, while at the same time it is when many witches do magic to remove harmful influences. In some witchcraft traditions, the dark moon is symbolic of the aged and wise crone, dressed all in black. An Old Ways belief is that the moon is home to spirits of the dead, as they travel from the depths of the earth, through the branches of trees and then ascend upward to the moon. Hecate, goddess of magic, witchcraft and the underworld, was strongly linked to the moon’s darker phases and to crossroads. At these liminal places, offerings were regularly left to her during the dark phase of the moon, just before the new moon, seeking her aid in magical workings or protection. The first visible crescent of the new moon also held significance for Hecate. The night and the dark moon are in many ways like the dark depths of the witch’s cauldron, filled with potentiality and possibility.
#darkness
The Dark, The Light and In Between
“The brightest flame casts the darkest shadow”. (George R. R. Martin)
When we examine the qualities of the Old Ways witch, we can see they are not far removed from what some call ‘Traditional’ Witchcraft. The strong connection to the powers of the Night, poisonous plants, interactions with spirits and the dead, and so forth. These are often looked upon as ‘darker’ elements of witchcraft, but they have always been part and parcel of it’s practice. Many in the pagan communities shy away from these things and prefer to focus on the Light, but this only causes an imbalance, as the Darkness is equally important. There is nothing to fear from darkness. It hides, obscures, protects. Regard it as a friend. The darkness holds many secrets. It is both enchanting and mystical. Let it surround you like a veil. Those who dwell in the shadows are a unique and set apart community. Find strength and solitude in the darkness. Appreciate it’s beauty and strange quietness.
Magic is best practiced under the cloak of darkness, by candlelight or the light of the moon. During the very late hours of the night when much of the noise and chatter have ceased, it is then that psychic energies can flow unhindered, and communication with the gods and spirits is much clearer. It is a time for powerful witchery. Dark Magic is often misunderstood to be enchantments that are intended to cause harm or injury. This is not entirely true. Magic is a neutral force, being neither black nor white. While a practitioner may use magic for malevolent purposes, labeling this as ‘dark’ is somewhat of a misnomer. The Dark is not always harmful. The Light is not always beneficial. Malevolent Magic and Dark Magic are not necessarily the same thing. Dark implies that which is hidden, that which is unseen. In fact, this is the definition of the word occult: hidden wisdom. It is knowledge that is hidden from those without the awareness or discipline to uncover it. Dark also implies the aspects of ourselves that we keep hidden from others. Everyone has a dark side. Everyone. Yes, even you. We all have secrets that we keep from others. We all have private issues and problems that we need to work on. Some of them are legitimate problems, and others are not really problems at all, but we perceive them to be problems because of social conditioning. These are our secret fears, guilt or shame, whether self-imposed or wrongly imposed upon us by others. There are many things in our lives that we have been made to feel wrongly ashamed of. Some of these include sexual orientation, porn, alternative lifestyles, pagan spirituality, or even the choice to avoid religion and spirituality altogether. None of these things are cause for shame.
A large part of true dark magic is the process of examining the Shadow Self, a term coined by psychiatrist Carl Jung. He stated “To confront a person with his own shadow is to show him his own light”. Once we acknowledge our darker aspects, we can work on transforming them or integrating them into our lives in a healthy, positive way. What are some of my personal struggles? Anxiety. Depression. Inadequacy. Self-Esteem. These are things I struggle with often, but I accept them as part of who I am. I talk about these issues openly with others. I don’t pretend my life is perfect. To help me deal with these things, I use affirmations, meditation and medication. These and other therapies help a great deal but they don’t take it all away.
There has been so much focus on “Love and Light”, particularly in the Wiccan and New Age movements. There is this idea that ignoring or denying our darker natures will somehow make them non-existent. “No bad vibes” is a popular saying that is actually harmful. We can’t live in a bubble where we pretend everything is rainbows and unicorns, and we can’t expect the same from everyone around us. None of us live perfect lives. We all have struggles, and we must acknowledge that throwing “love and light” at everything does not always provide a solution. There must be a balance of both dark and light, and these are two sides of the same coin. Those who practice paganism through a darker lens find comfort and solace in their rituals. These energies are not evil or malevolent, they merely operate on a different vibration.
By working with these dark energies, we perform magical practices that work to make our lives better and more fulfilled. Some of us prefer to approach magical spirituality through a darker aesthetic. “Dark Energies”, for the purpose of this article, refer to dark stones and plants, the waning and dark moon phases, the Shadow Self, dark aspects of deity, dark animal guides, the allure of the night, and certain kinds of divination.
Any form of magical practice requires us to look within. We examine our motives and desires to see if our magical working is coming from a place of love, or anger, or healing, or revenge. We examine any possible outcomes that may result and adjust our spells accordingly. I don’t consider witchcraft itself to be a form of therapy, however, many practices do require the practitioner to look within and examine themselves. We take responsibility for our spells and enchantments, adapting and improving them in such a way that the result is best for all involved.
Call me a stick-in-the-mud, but I still believe in the Old Ways. We need to be careful what we label as a “modern idea” or even an “outdated” one. There are some bandwagons that I refuse to jump on just because it is the trendy thing to do. Author/Teacher Raven Grimassi spoke of the “momentum of the past”, describing how many magical practices and concepts have accumulated power over the years because they have been done the same way for so long. Altering or changing them dilutes their power. Please do not take magical advice from teenagers on TikTok, or from anyone who is not a well-respected author/teacher that has been around for awhile. There are truthfully only a handful of teachers I would personally recommend, as these are people I have met in person, I have studied their work or I have taken classes with them. I don’t have to agree with every single thing they say, but much of what they share and teach does resonate with me and my practice. I trust their experience, which is something sadly lacking in many self-described “experts” on social media. Having a best-selling book or thousands of followers are not necessarily good indicators of a worthy teacher.
Witches of the Old Ways are deeply connected to the powers of the night, and to various herbs and plants, many of which are quite toxic. It is only in modern times that witchcraft took on a lighter, more sanitized tone. Witches of the Old Ways do not turn the other cheek, nor do they ascribe to the Wiccan ‘harm none’ philosophy. There are times when banishings, bindings and even curses are absolutely called for. I have always believed that witches are meant to be respected and feared in equal measure. To provoke a witch is to incur consequences. The ‘threefold law’ is another Wiccan invention, and is one that we do not see played out in the real world. If one watches the news regularly, we see many instances where harm is caused without punishment, threefold or otherwise. Modern Wicca has sanitized the image of contemporary witches, who many view as docile and harmless New Age hippie folk who surround themselves with pretty crystals and scented candles. This is not an accurate picture. It is unfortunate that as witches we are not approached with the same trepidation we once were. In the old days, those seeking solutions to their problems visited the local witch as a last resort when all other efforts had failed. Witchcraft in today’s society has become incredibly commercial, with anyone and everyone calling themselves a witch and charging exuberant prices for their services. Many of these charlatans have no idea what it really means to be a witch, and some of the younger folks have foolishly attempted to redefine what witchcraft is.
The practice of witchcraft is not as simplistic as some people try to make it seem. It is not “whatever you want it to be”. It is not “picking up a rock” or “looking at the moon”. It does seem at times that younger pagans find witchcraft too boring, they want something more exciting, so new ideas are introduced, many of which only detract from rather than add to the practice of witchcraft. Some have said “Just because something is old doesn’t make it better”, but I have to disagree and say that just because something is new doesn’t make it necessarily better either.
Many modern books about witchcraft present a Disney-fied, watered down version to make it more acceptable to the masses. The Wiccan Rede and the Threefold Law are modern inventions that did not exist before Gerald Gardner and Doreen Valiente. Before Wicca, most witches were simply witches, who lived by their own ethical codes and moral standards. The Wiccan Rede has become somewhat of a disclaimer, as in “Yes, I’m a witch but that’s okay because I follow the Rede”. They don’t want to be thought of as “that kind” of witch, one who banishes and curses, yet these are also part and parcel of witchcraft. It is commonly known that not all witches follow the rede, but this does not necessarily make them “unethical” witches. Witches who do not follow the rede are sometimes called “Traditional” witches, but this term can be confusing as it implies one who follows a tradition, such as Alexandrian or Gardnerian. Both Traditional and Old Ways witches are sovereign, meaning they are self-ruled and self-governed, unbound by redes and ‘threefold’ laws. When I tell someone I’m a witch, they often say, “But you’re a good witch, right?” To which I reply, “If you’re good to me, I will be good to you”. This is usually followed up with, “But you don’t put curses on people, right?”, and I reply with a smile,“Only if they deserve it, and sometimes they do”. I actually like the fact that this makes some people apprehensive. It means they know to show me respect.
I have to question the spiritual maturity of gatekeepers, those who attempt to police how other people practice. These are people who say, “You’re not authorized to use this practice unless you’re…(insert culture or tradition here)”. Cultures have borrowed from one another for centuries. There is no culture that has not been influenced in some way by another. ‘Cultural Appropriation’ is an expression that gets thrown around a lot these days, mostly by people who do not fully understand what it means. There is nothing at all wrong with engaging in practices from any culture, as long as one understands the importance of that practice to the culture which it belongs. Becoming acquainted with the history, language, symbolism and folklore of a particular culture is also recommended for those who wish to use magical practices from another culture or tradition. Examples of real cultural appropriation would include the person who wears Native American dress but is not themselves a true Native American. It would include dancers at Celtic festivals who wear those fake “Irish curls” in their hair to give the appearance of being Irish. Cultural Appropriation occurs when elements of a particular culture are used in an exploitative or stereotypical manner.
Social media is rife with people sharing information that is completely untrue. Here are a few of these myths:
- You’re not a witch unless you’ve been initiated by another witch.
- Covens can only be formed by a 3rd Degree High Priest/ess.
- Tarot is a closed practice, it is only for those of Romani descent.
- You can only honor deities from the culture you were born into.
- Only Native Americans can have animal familiars.
These are all false statements. Rather than getting magical advice from strangers on social media, it is better to do your own study, getting information from well-respected authors and teachers. Read, read and read some more. Take a few classes if you can afford it. Another person’s magical/spiritual practice isn’t “wrong” just because it is not how you learned it. I share what has worked for me and encourage others to try my methods, but if they don’t feel right for someone there is nothing wrong in that. In the end, all that really matters is that you do what works best for you, and turn a deaf ear to those who say otherwise.
I have to scratch my head at those who seek an academic study of witchcraft, as this would be rather difficult due to it’s experiential nature. Witchcraft is a mystical practice with many aspects that cannot be backed up with footnotes and references. A magical system that works well for one practitioner may not necessarily work the same for another. Add to this the subjective nature of symbols, and the fact that many witches have unconventional abilities that they discovered quite by accident, abilities they did not learn from a book or a teacher. Such things cannot be “researched and vetted”.
Many people consider things like healing and personal growth to be associated with the lighter aspects of witchcraft, but it is also true that a person can find healing and personal growth from the darkness as well. It is important that we embrace the darkness as much as we embrace the light.
Rick S. Potter 