WanderingMagus Writes Words: Some Good

Everyone practicing magic seriously (or not so seriously) it seems, has a blog,or worse a TikTok and to be honest, for years I found it disconcerting, frustrating and if I’m being honest, it made me a little envious. It seemed like a community that I wanted to be a part of, but also due to the bickering and backstabbing I frequently saw, wanted nothing to do with. Especially as a magician who neither wholly identifies as Pagan, Christian, or anything else but rather as an Animist, and in many ways as the inimitable Aidan Wachter puts it a practitioner of “Dirt Sorcery”. My blend of folk Catholicism (and some versions of Christianity, looking at you Braucheri and Quakers), emphasis on local land-based workings, and reverence for a multitude of powers has made me feel out of place in most magical spaces. As an initiate in Thelema, I enjoyed the company but did not find much of what I was looking for in Crowley’s work, despite having a great fondness for the Gnostic Mass. Having practiced for over twenty years though, I feel like maybe it’s time to put down some notes and try to contribute to the living renaissance of the magical arts that we are currently living in.

I have always loved the idea of the fourth member of the Magi, Artaban where I drew one of my first magical names from. While I do not identify as a Christian in a traditional sense, my experience in Hermetics and with the broader Christian tradition has made me unwilling to discount the value and power of that tradition, at the same time, I am just as likely to be found at a crossroads honoring Hekate, or in the woods calling upon Nicnevin, Mab, or Titania. As a direct descendent of at least one accused witch burned in Alsace, I am acutely aware of the perils that can still face modern witches, magicians and pagans. I have tried to be an advocate for freedom in my life, and I do believe that our political and socioeconomic beliefs are ultimately intimately tied to our spirituality, even if we disagree on how to achieve a better world, it is important that we strive for it. I hope that the things I write here are useful or failing that entertaining. Thank you for reading my blog and I wish you peace and joy on your journey.

– Artaban