Magic is "Getting Something for Nothing" - My Thoughts

Recently I was listening to a podcast and one of the guests mentioned that some people disapprove of magic because they think it's "getting something for nothing." I apologise that I can't recall now which podcast it was. The guest didn't quote a particular source so perhaps it doesn't matter anyway.

When I heard that some people have this opinion, I was taken aback. Magic is certainly not "getting something for nothing," not in my experience or the experience of people I've observed who practice magic.

Magic takes a lot of time, effort and in many cases money, to practice. Let's start with money. Of course, you don't need to spend a lot of money on performing a spell or other magickal work, but for many people, having the right tools is essential to put them in the right frame of mind, and this may mean purchasing rare or antique tools or ingredients. Knowledge is even more valuable. My library of books is quite small -- only two bookshelves' worth so far -- but I've heard of people who own thousands of books, which is quite an investment. Then there's the online courses and workshops one can take to increase their knowledge. For those who interact with deity or other kinds of spirit being, there's the cost of procuring and preparing offerings. In several cases, I've even heard of people who've purchased a property due to it's suitability for performing magick at.

As for time, I've done spells that lasted 3, 5 and even 9 days. It takes commitment to get up every morning and spend up to an hour or more working an enchantment, setting up an altar, or worshipping beings. It takes time to track down the correct ingredients for a spell or find just the right tool for the job. The research required to follow a spell or ritual correctly can take days, weeks or even months. Magickal practitioners who follow the planetary hours may find it necessary to get up at any hour during the night to perform rites, or clear their schedules if a particular hour during the day is called for. Those who practice in groups need to spend time and effort in organising all of the logistics that come with that.

All of the above activities require effort, but there's also the effort and intention put into making handmade items, tools or offerings. Most people agree that magick involves energy, and the practitioner's personal energy is essential for magick to work. Expending energy is draining. Organising group activities requires effort, as does the study required to do magick effectively. The Grey School of Wizardry, for example, is a seven-year undertaking, requiring hundreds of hours of study and practical activities.

So, for those who claim that magick is "getting something for nothing," I beg to differ!

Why I'm not into Halloween

When I was a kid, we didn't have much to do with Halloween in Australia. It was an American thing. On the 31st of October, there'd be a piece at the end of the news with people in weird costumes standing around piles of pumpkins and that was just about all I'd hear about Halloween. It was an exotic custom that belonged to a different culture.

But not only that. Some years, kids would come around our house dressed up in white sheets and witches hats. (Never with their parents of course. It was a simpler time.) My Mum would give them a lecture on the Americanisation of Australian culture and then send them away. Any time Halloween was mentioned on TV or we saw a display of Halloween-themed merchandise at the supermarket, she'd embark on a rant about how everything American was over-running everything Australian.

With an upbringing like that, I'm sure you can imagine what I thought of Halloween. To me, it was just another overblown commercialised holiday designed to make money, like Valentine's Day. Plus, I don't like anything scary -- scary movies, practical jokes, haunted house rides, etc. Even mock-scary things make me feel uncomfortable.

It wasn't until I was older and did my own research that I found out about the older tradition of Samhain and how it's tied in to Pagan practices. I also learned more about the traditions of Halloween from a psychological perspective and how exposing yourself to mildly scary things can relieve greater fears. It was very interesting and explained a great deal, but I still wasn't into Halloween. These days, I would say I'm not into it the same way that the Wheel of the Year isn't part of my practice.

I mean -- I live in the Southern Hemisphere. Why would I celebrate a harvest holiday in Spring?

Spooky Cheese.

The dissonance between my experience of living in the Southern Hemisphere and the Northern Hemisphere experience becomes particularly acute at this time of year. I've felt it especially in the last 5 years or so. I think it's due to social media. Whenever I log onto Facebook or Instagram, my feed is literally filled with photos of Happy Halloween graphics, pumpkins, Autumn leaves, carved pumpkins, people in Halloween costumes, pumpkin pies, Samhain spell suggestions, pumpkin spice lattes. (Seriously, people are obsessed with pumpkins at this time of year!)

We can't even buy pumpkins at the moment because they're not in season. And there's no canned pumpkin in Australia. It might not seem like a big thing, but it does have a tendency to make me feel isolated and out of step. (Not just the pumpkin thing, but the whole cultural phenomenon.)

So when I see the Australians around me wholeheartedly embracing Halloween, it's a bit disconcerting. I'm sure that Pagans who follow the local seasonal cycle will be celebrating Spring right now, so I can't help but think some of the people here who celebrate Halloween aren't doing it with the depth that would show a true respect for Samhain. I can't really begrudge them though and I don't want to sound like I'm complaining -- it does look like a whole lot of fun!

Having said that, I'm really into Dias de Muertos. I know it seems strange, having just written a whole post about my aversion to Halloween. There are some key differences though -- Dias de Muertos isn't necessarily tied to the seasons, and it's a joyous time focusing on ancestors. I'll write about my practice at this time of year in my next post.