Llewellyn Publications's Blog, page 86

It wasn’t until I was in college, taking a class in children’s literature (OK, it was supposed to be easy, but it had tons of reading), that I read Ursula K. LeGuin’s classic book, A Wizard of Earthsea. It’s an incredible tale filled with Jungian overtones as well as a great version of Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey.” It presents a concept that a lot of magickal people have taken to heart: if you know a person or thing’s true name, you can use that name to have power over that person or thing. This, of course, became part of the background of the Harry Potter stories, as well as in other tales.

In certain aspects of real magick this is partially true. For example, in dealing with non-physical spirits, you have to know exactly who you are working with. That doesn’t mean you have power over them, only that by addressing them correctly, and if you know appropriate rites and rituals, they will follow those instructions. This may seem like a deep, inner secret, but to me it’s always been kind of obvious. After all, if I call out, “Hey Johnnie, come here!” and your name’s Sam, you’re going to ignore me. If non-physical entities have (or behave as if) they have consciousness, why should they act any differently?

Words can have amazing power. They can move hearts and change minds. They can drive people into a frenzy. Their power, if used properly, can change behaviors, change attitudes, change beliefs, and even change the functioning of your body.

This is especially true during times of crisis. Years ago, when I was living in Minnesota, my girlfriend, whom I’ll call “Ruby Mathers,” awoke in the middle of the night. Ruby had desperation and terror in her eyes. She was wheezing heavily and having trouble drawing a breath. It was either an acute asthma attack or a serious allergy attack. She didn’t have any drugs in the apartment.

I took charge. “Look in my eyes!” I commanded. I knew she was getting enough air, she just felt like she wasn’t, resulting in fear that made things worse. I stared firmly into her eyes.

“You’re getting plenty of air,” I said, “even if you think you’re not. Do you understand?” She nodded. “Good. Now here’s what I want you to do. Imagine that you’re on a beach at the ocean.” Ruby was a powerful magician and great at visualization. I could see by the look in her eyes that she was doing the work. “Good. Now with each cool breath, even if it’s very tiny, know that you’re getting more than enough oxygen.” Her shoulders began to drop and she relaxed a bit. “Good. Now close your eyes and imagine a bunch of streams in front of you. In this visualization you can see that they’re clogged and not running smoothly. Hold out your hands and send beams of unstoppable magickal energy to clean out the streams.” As she did this it was clear that her unconscious understood the metaphor. Her labored breathing began to ease.

“Life is returning to the sides of the streams. Birds are singing in the fresh air. Fish are swimming down the river. You can smell the clean air and each breath becomes slightly richer and fuller.” I continued in this way for about ten minutes. Her breathing returned to normal. She opened her eyes and told me that I had saved her life. “No,” I replied, I just directed you. You did the work.”

Hypnosis?

Did Ruby enter a state of hypnosis that allowed her to change her body’s responses? There had been no formal hypnotic “You are getting sleepy” induction. I didn’t do anything to induce a trance. All I did was make suggestions and she followed them.

The thing is, I could make suggestions to someone all day and even if they wanted to follow them they couldn’t do it. “Make the flow of saliva increase to your mouth,” is a suggestion, but it didn’t change anything, did it? The suggestions have to be given in the proper way. In this instance, there is a long visualization where you bite into a very juicy and sour lemon, and the saliva increases. I’ll be some of you had the flow of saliva increase just from those few words.

Back with Ruby I had been very fortunate. Although I had not begun an in-depth study of hypnosis, I did know enough about the concepts of suggestion to word them in a way so she would follow them.

Some people contend that what I did was hypnosis. I got her attention and then gave her suggestions which she followed. No formal induction was needed. Others say that we frequently go in and out of hypnotic trance, and the process of hypnotic induction involves knowing how to grab a person going into a natural trance and have them follow your instructions. Either could explain how I was able to work a form of powerful magick.

Still another concept is that by using the proper words in the proper way, they have the effect of hypnosis without needing to actually hypnotize someone. This is an approach followed in NLP (although some “NLPers” may debate that explanation). The vital thing to know is that words have power.

Some firefighters in France have been trained and are utilizing this skill. As they say in this article, “We have known for a while that hypnosis works, it is not a placebo.” But if you read the article, they are not doing lengthy inductions or even rapid or instant inductions. “It is not really pure hypnosis that is used…but ‘more like certain hypnotic techniques.’” They are simply using the power of words.

If you’re ready to learn about hypnosis that is as powerful as described, you can start with these books:

Hypnosis for Beginners

New Age Hypnosis

Self-Empowerment Through Self-Hypnosis

Self-Hypnosis for a Better Life

Click on any of the titles to learn more about them.

Words Have Power

The choice of words, as well as the tone, volume, pitch, etc. make a difference. They have power to change people. They have power in magick work. And they have power to harm. That simple put-down you slapped on someone years ago may still be affecting them, unconsciously, today. A simple joke may have changed a person’s life…for better or worse.

This doesn’t mean you should be terrified of saying anything. Rather, I’m just suggesting (no pun intended) that you should be aware of one of the biggest childhood lies:

Sticks and stones

May break my bones

But names can never

hurt me!

Yes, getting hit with a stick or stone may break a bone. If treated, that will heal. Being called a name, however, may invisibly hurt a person for the rest of their lives.

Be aware of what you’re saying and think before you say it.

Understanding the power of words is part of understanding magick.

And Speaking of Speaking…

On Wednesday, June 26, I’ll be interviewed on the Seasons of the Witch program with Raven and Stephanie Taylor-Grimassi. It’s absolutely free and will begin at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Raven and Stephanie have been friends of mine for a long time. Although I had studied a few books on Wicca and Witchcraft before meeting Raven, he was my first teacher on Wicca and Witchcraft back in the 1970s. We’ll have lots of stories to share. It’s going to be a lot of fun. You can listen in, for free, and ask questions. Here is the LINK.

My Next Worldwide Webinar

Make plans now to participate in my next webinar.

Sunday, July 28, 2013

12:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. Eastern——9:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. Pacific

Topic: Tarot & Magic

When people first learn to work with the Tarot cards they usually do so in order to do fortune telling, give readings, or do divination. As they become more advanced, they may use them as keys to Kabalistic Pathworking. However, there is much more which can be done with the Tarot cards, including using them to make positive changes in your life: magick.

In this live webinar you will learn the nature of ritual and magick plus several of magickal techniques that work with the Tarot cards, including:

Using the Tarot cards as talismans
Using the Tarot with colored candles
The amazing technique of “Dancing the Tarot”
Discovering how to use the Tarot as a synchronistic key to sex magick

Previous knowledge of the Tarot is not a prerequisite for this webinar. All you’ll need is your favorite standard Tarot deck and an open mind. This is perfect for Tarot beginners. It will also give people with some Tarot experience new approaches. For professional Tarot readers it will show how you can share magickal techniques with your clients and make your readings more memorable.

This is a LIVE event. You’ll be able to ask questions. You’ll hear me and see my slides live. This is designed for Pagans, ceremonial magicians, beginners, and long-time practitioners. It will also give ideas for professional Tarot readers to help bring their readings to a new level.

My qualifications to teach this webinar include that I:

Became a Certified Tarot Master through his studies with The Associated Readers Of Tarot

Became a Certified Tarot Grandmaster through the Tarot Certification Board.

Have taught classes in Tarot and given thousands of readings across the U.S.

In my previous webinar we had people participating from North and South America, from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Attendance is limited so click on this LINK and register today.

The Full Moon in Capricorn will occur Sunday, June 23 at 7:32 am Eastern (11:32 am GMT) at 2 degrees. Full Moons represent the culmination of those things that were begun with the New Moon (in this case the June 8 New Moon in Gemini), which found us focusing on family communication.

The Capricorn Full Moon opposes the Sun in Cancer; we are reminded to check ourselves in the progress we made towards our goals set during the Gemini New Moon. Have we begun to be more open with our family members, both near and far? Are there still old hurts that need to be addressed?

This Capricorn Full Moon is also a “Super Moon,” meaning it is at perigee (it is at the point in its orbit that is closest to the Earth); this—along with the fact that the Full Moon occurs right on the heels of Friday’s Solstice—will add intensity to the Moon’s energy. The Moon rules our emotions (and the Sun is also in Cancer, ruler of the Moon), so be prepared to deal with any emotions that surround the issues you’ve been working through these last couple of weeks.

Cancer, The Crab

June 20 to July 22

Modality: Cardinal

Element: Water

Ruler: Moon

Keywords: Receptive, patient, intuitive, nurturing, sensitive, imaginative

As a Cancer, you are known for your nurturing nature; you will do your best to make others feel secure, and will go to great lengths to ensure that you have strong family relationships and a warm and welcoming home. You are often very emotional, being ruled by the watery moon; you must be careful, as you are very intuitive and can pick up on energy and vibes (both positive and negative) from others around you.

You are devoted to those in your inner circle of friends; while that circle may not be that wide, you cherish your friends and open to them a side you may never show the outer world. You may be a tad uncomfortable when meeting new people. Family relationships are highly important to you, and you will not only have deep emotional ties (whether good or bad) with your family members but will also likely want a family of your own. You need the security of a personal relationship, but you may have a hard time finding that right person. Don’t hold on to a relationship (or a grudge) when it sours. You will likely be rewarded with a lasting love if you are able to move on and keep searching. A Capricorn (your opposite sign) or another water sign (Scorpio or Pisces) could make a good match.

Leadership and independence are highly important to you, no matter what career path you choose; few Cancers will be satisfied with a career that finds them sitting behind a desk. You look for opportunities to learn in the workplace. Financial security is just as important to you as is emotional security. Home ownership is a biggie, and you are a pro at bargain hunting. You have a tendency to become miserly, no matter how much money you have; remember that what you give comes back to you many times over, and be generous with others.

For the year ahead:

Affirmation: Confidence and enthusiastic optimism come from within.

Jupiter moves into your sign on June 25, making the next twelve months lucky in just about every arena of your life. Optimism will help you attract exciting opportunities for personal growth.
Saturn continues to advance in Scorpio, your fifth house. You may find that parenting may become trying at times, but Saturn also brings the opportunity to both teach and learn from your children.
Uranus continues to transit Aries , where it will remain until 2018. Here in your tenth house of career, the next years will bring unexpected changes, but also opportunities.
Neptune is in Pisces until 2025. Here in your ninth house, you can anticipate an emphasis on spirituality and faith, in addition to a quest for knowledge.
Pluto continues in Capricorn (your seventh house), highlighting your relationships. Some will be positive, while others will be quite negative, but either way you will learn more about relationships and your role in them. This transit is more about you and learning from relationships than it is about the other people in your life.

Each week this month, we are taking a look at the Tarot Illuminati by Eric Dunne and Kim Huggens.

 Because so many reader relate to the High Priestess, this is an important card. I think we’ve got one here that shows power and beauty.

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Douglas de Long, author of Ancient Healing Techniques, Ancient Teachings for Beginners , and the new Past Lives for Beginners .

About five years ago my wife, Carol, and I took a trip to the red rock country of Sedona, Arizona. It was a working vacation for us; I did a book signing and lecture at a very, popular bookstore there. During our vacation, we took a one day excursion to the Grand Canyon and the surrounding area. It was a profound and eye opening event; the energy and expanse of this natural creation took our breaths away.

My fear of heights made it all the more exciting as we stood on the edge of the Grand Canyon gazing at this wonder of creation. Suddenly, I had a vivid past life glimpse. In the vision, my wife and I, dressed in ancient clothing like Mayans, were being thrown off the side of a steep cliff; this was some type of ritual sacrifice. It looked and felt very real, as if we were right there. In fact, my fear of heights may have originated from this past life event (many fears and phobias can sometimes be traced to previous incarnations).

Our final day in Sedona was also eventful—we signed up for the “Ancient Ruins” jeep tour. The tour guide, dressed like a cowboy from the Old West, was a knowledgeable and unique character. He took all of us from Sedona up into the surrounding hills to an ancient place called Hoptaki Ruins. The ruins are nestled into the side of a butte, and there are ancient pictographs and blackened walls at this ancient place.

While we were exploring the Hoptaki Ruins, a former home of the Anasazi Indians, the tour guide explained that sometimes cameras will not work here due to the high energy. Sure enough, we experienced “camera issues” here. As we came close to the ruins, our camera simply stopped working, and another tourist walked by us saying, “My camera’s not working.” We believed that the high energy here had affected our digital camera. As an extremely sensitive person, I could sense the Indian spirit guides and protectors in this ancient place. My wife and I both felt we needed to be respectful of this place, this place that may have been sacred to the ancient people that lived here long ago.

All of the Sedona area possesses extremely high vibrations of energy. In fact, it is believed that there are four energy vortexes in Sedona; one of these energy vortexes is believed to be on top of Airport Mesa, which overlooks the town of Sedona. Sedona is a mystical and marvelous place with the beautiful red rock cliffs and buttes that glisten under the sun. It is a magical destination to visit.

We returned home to Canada with our lives forever touched by this incredible place. We plan on visiting Sedona again in the not too distant future. (Also, for those wondering, our digital camera did not work again until we arrived home.)

Our beautiful earth possesses wonderful and magical places. Sedona is one of these places.

Our thanks to Doug for his guest post! For more from Douglas de Long, read his article “Discovering Our Many Past Lives.”

Today’s post is more of a long, rambling kind of question rather than tips or ideas.  It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time. As an acquiring editor, it is part of my job to think of these things. Also, sometimes when I’m at conferences or on panels, I get asked about this. Also, as a deck designer, I get either critiqued or praised for this. What is “this”? Let me tell you.

The Rider Waite Smith (RWS) deck revolutionized tarot for many reasons. And, in the US, it is the most popular deck, selling who knows how many copies a year. Additionally, most teachers use it for classes and in most workshops I attend at conferences, the RWS is the “common language” amongst readers.

But tarot readers want more than one deck. So publishers publish them. And here’s what happens:

If a deck follows the imagery of the RWS deck in the cards, the deck is said by some to be nothing but a clone, as if following in that tradition is a bad thing.

If a deck tries to create a new way of expressing the cards that is different from the RWS, some people say “oh, it is more of an oracle than tarot” or “that card doesn’t look like the Moon to me.”

Now we know that no deck is going to please all readers, so it’s not a problem of “how to make everyone happy.” It’s really just a question: is tarot going to evolve and change, as it always has over the centuries of its existence or has the RWS really nailed it and we should quit trying to reinvent the wheel?

I am really curious to hear your opinions. I confess that I’m a RWS girl and have a hard time imagining something else. That is why doing the Book of Shadows, vol. 1: As Above was such a challenge. I was asked to think outside the RWS box. I’m glad I did it and hope that I continue to flex my creative muscles, because it is good to get outside my comfort zone, right? So tell, me, what do you think is the future of tarot?

One of the most popular and successful aspects of working magick involves what is known as Gematria (pronounced with a hard G as in “good”: gem-ei-tree-uh). Gematria is a Kabalistic technique for taking the letters of Hebrew (and later other languages) and assigning them a numerical value. It is believed that if two words had the same numerical total they had a significant relationship to each other, and in some cases could be considered synonyms. As an example, aheva = 13 and echod = 13. Therefore, aheva is the same as echod. Echod is the Hebrew word meaning “one.” Since in Judaism there is only one God, it also represents God. Aheva is Hebrew for “love.” Therefore, according to this system, God is love. Further, the holiest name of God, the Tetragrammaton of YHVH totals 26. Since 13+13= 26, we can say that love (aheva) plus oneness (echod) equals the nature of God (YHVH). Here is a chart I designed for Modern Magick: Other than proving things such as God is Love, gematria is far more than a mental exercise. Although gematria is invaluable for learning secret meanings of words and symbols (such as on Tarot cards), it’s also a fundamental technique in many forms of magick. Sure it can be useful in the evocation of spirits (I’ll leave that to another post), but perhaps its most important function is as a key tool for creating new and unique correspondences for use in forms of sympathetic magick. Using gematria you can come up with a number (or another word that equals this number) and use it as a correspondence to empower your magick and make it more effective.

For example, if you wanted more love, you could inscribe or write the number 13 (as described above) on the object—ranging from a simple doll (or poppet) to a complex talisman—you’ll use for your magick. Alternatively, you could transliterate from English using the chart above. L=30, O=6, V=6* and E, being silent, gets no attribution. Thus, “love” could = 30+6+6 or 42 (hmm, Douglas Adams might have liked that). You could also use a mystical formula such as 13=42 and make perfect sense.

But what if, instead of a number, you wanted to use a word or phrase linked to that number? If you’re unfamiliar with the language, how do you make up words in Hebrew that total 13? And how do you figure out words in English that total your number? (Well, 42 could be  pronounced “Mob”—if you don’t count the vowel—so perhaps you want to be “Mobbed with love?”)

If all you wanted to use, for example, were words from the Hebrew Torah (the first five books of the Bible), there’s a book for that. However, magicians usually prefer something far more specialized. Aleister Crowley first published a study like this with his book, Sepher Sephiroth. Using our 13 example, he gives fourteen words with a gematria value of 13. Since one of those words is a locust, you could use a drawing of a grasshopper to represent love.

For an easier-to-use and more complete book with gematria relationships and other associated techniques and information, the book Godwin’s Cabalistic Encyclopedia by David Godwin is an ideal resource. It even includes Crowley’s Sepher Sephiroth.  As you become more involved with the use of gematria for theory and practice, you may find your own lists of gematria will be getting bigger to a point where, well, they’re really out of hand. What’s needed, in my opinion, is something where you can easily jump from one thing to another and find terms, meanings, translations, transliterations, and more. This is something that simply cannot be done in a book format, but can be done electronically. And I’m glad to say that some friends of mine have done exactly that.

A New Tool for

Students of Gematria

In a pdf format, the people at Thelesis Aura have published Cartier’s Dictionary of Gematria by François Cartier, a student of the Hermetic Qabalah for 45 years. It’s the most complete and massive cross-reference of gematria I’ve ever seen. Because it’s electronic it’s easy to use and a must for magicians. A massive 539 digital pages, the numerical relationships between key words in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek are connected through an elaborate system of internal hyperlinks with explanations in English, combined with extensive tables, indexes, and interactive graphics. Looking again at the gematria equivalents associated with the number 13, there are an astounding 43 associations, plus information on key concepts related to the number, arithmetic associated with the number, geometry associated with 13 (including that it’s the sum of the faces and edges in a regular pyramid, making this number associated with pyramids and their correspondences), the Tree of Life, and more. The appendices include selections from Fabre d’Olivet’s The Hebraic Tongue Restored, Gesenius’ Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament Scriptures, Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Paul Foster Case’s Gematria, and Aleister Crowley’s Gematria.

I don’t see this as competition for books such as Sepher Sephiroth or Godwin’s Cabalistic Encyclopedia so much as a valuable complement to them. The more information you have from these tools, the better a magician you’ll be.

One thing to be aware of: This is a highly technical file from a computer standpoint. I tried to open the pdf file with a simple reader and it wouldn’t do it. I would suggest that you get the latest Adobe Reader (it’s free) directly from Adobe. The current version is XI, although this .PDF has been tested to run under version X, too. The link to this ebook opens to a page that has a link to Adobe’s website so you can download the reader.

 

* Alert readers will note there are two Hebrew letters and associated numbers that carry the sound “B.” There are also sounds in English that are missing or have duplicate Hebrew letters. As a general rule, if there is no direct comparison in Hebrew, work something similar. For example, the English “C” can be sound like an “S” or a “K.” Use Hebrew letters associated with those sounds in place of the “C.” Although in pure Hebrew there are specific rules for choosing which letter to use when a word might have to letters with the same sound, these rules are generally not followed in this type of Gematria. Try using each and see which one provides the most significance to your investigations.

I’d like to begin by thanking everyone who commented on my previous post concerning the Wiccan Rede. All of the comments received on it, save one, have been posted. I hope you’ve read them and that they’ve triggered debate and discussion.

The one comment that was not posted was far too long to include in the comment section. In fact, it was longer than my original post. This comment came from Rain Dove, the Priestess of The Dragon and The Rose Coven of Georgia. A quick look on The Witches Voice shows that “Rain Dove has been practicing and walking the path of Wicca since 1996, but has been studying since 1994.” The Coven practices the Jordanian Tradition of Celtic Wicca. By this she means they “are referring to attempting to practice, to the best of our abilities, the same religious path and follow the same religious beliefs of our Celtic Ancestors…The Jordanian Tradition was developed and designed by Rain Dove’s own experiences and training in this path. The Tradition is a mixture of Irish Paganism, Celtic Studies, Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca.”

As you will see, Priestess Rain Dove was rather upset by what I posted. Well, that happens. When you write a great deal and/or are willing to take a stand you’re going to upset someone. Although I could be wrong, I get the feeling from the tone of what she wrote that were I to edit her comments in any way she might get upset, so I’m going to publish it here exactly as it was sent in. For ease of understanding I will make my comments in between her paragraphs. To differentiate what she wrote from my comments, her words are in blue while my responses will be in black.

I would like to thank Priestess Rain Dove very sincerely for the time and effort she took to respond. Obviously, this means a great deal to her and I’m glad she was able to write this. As you will see, we have some differences. That doesn’t make either of us right or wrong, just different. She clearly considers the topic important and so do I. It is my hope that this will further open discussion, thought, and consideration.

This is a long post—a very long post!—so settle back and enjoy the ride…

Before I even begin this response, I want to let you know .. I am not a “writer”. I am not a “journalist” .. I am simply a practicing Wiccan Priestess. A practicing Wiccan Priestess who is also APPALLED .. at what I am reading.

Once again and as usual … the Rede has been taken out of context, been exaggerated, and is being viewed from ONE angle. Your first mistake was writing about something that apparently you don’t understand or know about. It might have been a good idea to have gotten with someone who is a High Priestess or a High Priest of WICCA .. ((and I don’t mean someone who is the HIGH PRIEST OR PRIESTESS OF THE PAGAN WICCAN CHRISTIAN BUDDHIST UNIVERSAL ANIMA ANIMUS TEMPLE OF ALL WALKERS OF THE OCCULT CHURCH !!!!!

I am talking about someone who has been on this path for many years .. as a WICCAN. Someone who KNOWS what our REDE means .. and what it applies to and HOW.

A Wiccan HP or HPS who perhaps … is also a writer or journalist .. so they could explain to you ((and alot better than I am getting ready to do)) … what the WICCAN REDE actually means.

Well, according to the information about you and your group on The Witches’ Voice, I have been studying, practicing, and was initiated into Wicca for over 15 years before you even began looking at it. I trained and was initiated into Wicca by Raven Grimassi and Scott Cunningham. I have “gotten with” and studied with, talked with, and practiced with Wiccans of numerous traditions long before you ever became interested in the Craft. And I have discussed the Rede with many of them.

The Rede applies to our MAGICAL lives. It doesn’t hardly ever … pertain to our MUNDANE lives .. such as “shopping in a grocery store”. This article just proves ONCE AGAIN …how badly training is needed in the Wiccan path. It is very evident that you not only do not understand what it means, you do not know or understand the PURPOSE of the Rede , either.

Kids *and* young adults, as well as … people who have had no training … want to get in our path, read a book or two … take a look at something that was written by any of our most respected Elders , and many years ago … .. and dissect the crap out of it, tear it apart, criticize it, downplay it .. or change the stinking words to it ….. just to suit THEM and possibly a handful of others who might *see* things the same way. I must ask, don’t you have something better to do with your time .. than to attack our Rede?

What is up with that???? Why don’t you go and try and do that with the Bible…??? I am sure there are many things written in it .. that you could dissect, criticize … downplay … analyze … tear apart!!!

I certainly agree with you that training is needed for Wiccans, Pagans, and magickal people of all sorts. One of the problems, however, is that sometimes people mistake the specific—their own, personal approach—for the general—what they assume must be true for everyone.

Therefore, while I acknowledge that you want to separate your magickal life from your mundane life, many others see them as united or at least vitally interconnected; they see the world as a wonderful, magickal place. Our understanding of the magickal nature of the universe “informs” our approach to daily—or what might be called “mundane”—life. In fact, part of my Wiccan training was to do exactly that. Certainly we each have a collection of different personas, putting on “faces” that we present to different people. We relate to parents, spouses, teachers, co-workers, friends, etc., in different ways. However, if we do not have a unifying and underlying principle upon which we base all of our actions, we are justifiably called hypocrites.

Even if we were to completely separate our magickal and mundane lives, there is nothing in any form of the rede that states it’s only for our magickal lives. It’s meant as a guide for all of our lives. I would not want a person to claim they represent Wicca when they are “shopping in a grocery store” and push elderly people to the floor to get the last bag of discounted apples, saying such behavior is allowed in Wicca because it’s not part of their magickal life, would you?

Let me see if I can put this most ridiculous article … in its place.

The Rede was simply put in place to help those who are “tempted” to go in the WRONG DIRECTION with magic, to think twice. Do not harm another .. *INTENTIONALLY AND WITHOUT JUST CAUSE* … BECAUSE … the three fold law does and can, and will respond. It doesn’t pertain to anything else. It doesn’t mean we can’t walk on the grass .. or we’ll *harm it* .. it doesn’t mean don’t eat meat, “you’ve harmed yourself and the animal” .. it doesn’t mean “don’t go to the grocery store and purchase those vegetables because they were grown by underpaid workers” ….. It does not mean ANY of those things.

I am sure that is your interpretation. But that’s exactly what it is: your interpretation. There is nothing in the history of the rede that says it must be interpreted this way. So what you are doing is abandoning the rede, as written, and created a new version of it, with more details, as you’d like it to be. I think that’s a good thing. Or perhaps it would be better to say, “The rede is a concept we should discuss,” which is exactly what my post did. That’s why you’re responding to it. You felt you needed to talk about the way it should be reinterpreted. 

It is not hard to understand what the Rede means. It is not hard to understand … that if you are going to practice the Occult , if you are going to practice magic, if you are going to go to places that ANGELS AND DEMONS DARE TO GO …… that FIRST, it might be wise to get with someone who is EXPERIENCED … and who has been doing this for a substantial amount of time .. before you try and strike out on your own. Just as … it might be wise to get some training before we write about something we do not understand.

I agree. Sort of like it might be a good idea to do a web search on someone before assuming they’re of a certain age or background. By the way, you might enjoy my eBook on my friend Scott Cunningham, The Magical Life of Scott Cunningham, available through the Kindle Store [LINK], Kobo [LINK], Nook Bookstore [LINK], Sony [LINK], and iTunes [through the store in iTunes]. And on June 26, 2013, I’m being interviewed on Seasons of the Witch by Raven Grimassi and Stephanie Taylor-Grimassi. The link to this live, FREE program, is here: LINK.

Second …. you must use common sense, logic and be practical and smart about it .. or else …. those things which *are* hidden .. may very well come back to bite you in the ass. (Hidden; i.e. Occult).

And again, I agree with you. That’s why I made my previous post. I was looking at the rede logically based on what is there, not what people might think is there.

<<<<>>>>

What??? This is absolutely RIDICULOUS. If a pet is suffering, it is ETHICAL AND MORAL to put the pet down .. so not to prolong the suffering. THAT IS NOT HARMING THE PET. That is MORALLY the right thing to do.

And I agree. It is the ethical and moral thing to do. However, to define something out of existence doesn’t make it true. My dictionary defines the word harm as “physical injury, esp. that which is deliberately inflicted.” Indeed, that is what happens when we euthanize a pet. We deliberately inflict a fatal injury (stopping breathing and the heart) in order to prevent pain and misery. The rede, as written, does not allow for this decent practice, allowing our beloved pets to pass to the summerland in peace.

You are literally applying our Rede in situations where it DOES NOT apply. First, you are taking the Rede’s words .. for LITERAL FACE VALUE, for *exactly* what they say .. instead of seeing the REST of the Rede .. you take these few words and cut it up in shreds. When you place the REST of the words WITH the “harm none” clause … I believe you can clearly see it means .. UNJUSTLY CAUSING HARM to another. NO WHERE … does it say to “go against your moral code of ethics”. Common sense, being practical,. and using logic … as well as using a MORAL COMPASS … all play a role in the WICCAN Rede. Anyone knows … that if one has any kind of moral compass, they would not allow a pet suffer. Our moral code of ethics would not allow us to have a disease and not do something about it, either.

I respectfully disagree with you. The intent of the rede is to apply to all actions. However, you are correct. I am taking the rede’s words literally. If that is not done there can be dozens or hundreds of interpretations of it, including interpretations I’d disagree with and I imagine you would disagree with, too. If you want to change the rede to say, “An it does not unjustly cause harm to another, do what you will,” that’s fine. I would suggest that you start a website or at least blog on why you think it should be changed to say this.

I agree that most Wiccans love their animal friends. We consider them part of our families. There is even a long-held belief in some Wiccan traditions that unlike any other creature, cats are unique and can go in and out of circle without disrupting it. Our pets our special to us and, like most decent people (Pagan or not), we do not want to see them suffer. But that’s not what the rede says. That’s the way you are interpreting it. Fine. Why not re-write the rede so it is clear and doesn’t need such interpretation? After all, if you can interpret it according to your moral compass, others can interpret it according to their moral compass.

You have torn these beautiful words to shreds and have tried to turn them into something they are not. What you have said here is very indicative of no guidance in this path. It is utterly ignorant and ridiculous some of the *examples* you have used to explain our Rede. Our moral compass is used in conjunction with the Rede. But the Rede itself is applicable to our magical lives more so than our mundane. I would have a tendency to believe that most Wiccans use their moral compass in every aspect of their life. Like … if someone is being raped, or if a child is being abused … we don’t think of the Rede and use those words at face value. Naturally, we would do what our moral compass GUIDES us to do. There is no “repercussion” for HELPING someone or PREVENTING someone from being harmed. There is the three fold law, but the three fold law is not always a bad thing. Good things happen to us too. Good things return to us, just as the bad would return to us.

The rede is one of the bases for the Wiccan moral compass. It informs it and guides it. If it’s the other way around, then the rede is unneeded. We could function quite well following our moral compass without the rede. Of course, then you have to determine the source of our moral compass. It seems to me you are presenting some confused ideas, such as when you say there is no repercussion for helping someone in one sentence and in the next sentence you contradict this by citing the three-fold law.

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Dear, if you knew the history of the “bible”, you would also know that the words written in those texts … were written LONG before anything called “Christianity” came along.

The “we reap what we sow” statemetn … is considered to be a spiritual law. It is written in ALL spiritual and/or religious paths. No matter which one you go to, you will find that same idea. Maybe not in the same words, but the same message is most definitely there.

When it comes to “law of return” .. whether that be the “three fold law” .. or the “ten fold law” .. it does NOT mean that the way you have put something OUT .. is going to return in the same FORM. We might take our winnings or our inheritance and loan someone some money to get through a rough spot (a very kind act) .. and it may or may NOT .. return to us in the form of money. It could be .. that someone ELSE comes along .. and takes us out to dinner. Or .. maybe we get in a rough spot .. and someone comes to HELP US. It does NOT mean .. that we would get money in return THREE TIMES. And SPEAKING of “three fold” …..

That does not mean you will receive something THREE TIMES. It simply means that what you do, what you think, what you put out there .. shall return TIMES THREE (x 3) .. not THREE TIMES. It may not return in the same form, but be rest assured, it will return and likely “times (mulitiplication) .. three”.

Its like placing water in a glass … and dropping a pebble in the glass. It cause ripples to go to the *edge* of the glass .. and we have no problem seeing that. What we do have a problem seeing .. is the ripples returning to its source. They always return to the middle where the pebble was dropped into the glass. But what happens to the pebble, you ask? Well,. the ripples follow that pebble … all the way to the bottom of that glass. Even though YOU don’t see it … they are there.

Well, I don’t claim to be an expert on the history of the Bible. I’ve only been studying that since the early 1970s, and there are people with far more knowledge of the subject than I. Nor do I claim to have studied “all spiritual and/or religious paths” as you seem to be claiming you have done. How else could you state that “ALL spiritual and/or religions paths” believe a certain thing? And you are correct that times three doesn’t equal three times. Perhaps what you’re saying—contrary to my example where if I break someone’s arm my arm will be broken three times—is that if I break someone’s arm, my arm will not be broken three times, but in three places?

The problem I question is with the dogmatism of the three fold or three times. What if it is only 2.9 times? What if it is 3.1 times? You talk about other spiritual/religious paths, but I know of no others that necessitate a specific number of times the energy of an action is returned to you. Perhaps some others reading this know of a religion or ancient tradition that believes this way.

More importantly, in my opinion, is not merely that energy is returned, but why that energy is returned. If it’s simply, “if you do X you will get 3X back, so don’t do X,” it’s implying that the universe wants to treat us like little children, or like the those who interpret the Abrahamic faiths as telling people what to do and not do just because that’s what God says.

<<<>>>

This is yet another misconception. Wiccans do not *follow* the law of karma. The law of karma is a Hindu belief. While we do not deny the existence of karma, nor do we not *acknowledge* the theory of it, we do not follow that belief. It is not part of our *foundational* beliefs, in other words. THE THREE FOLD LAW .. and KARMA .. are TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT THINGS.

What are the differences , you ask? Karma deals with past lives. The belief is .. what you are going through in THIS life.. is a result of what you did in a past life. Whether that be GOOD, BAD OR INDIFFERENT. The THREE FOLD LAW .. deals with NOW. The PRESENT. The three fold law means that what we do., what we think .. what we put out there … shall return to us TIMES THREE (again multiply x 3) … IN THIS LIFE. It does not WAIT until the next life. Does this mean we don’t believe in karma? NO. It simply means we have experienced the three fold law in our own personal lives … to happen in the present. It could be that some things … happen in our next life, we don’t know. What we DO know .. is that we’ve experienced the three fold law .. IN THIS LIFE. In other words .. its actually happened. We’ve received something for something we’ve done.

Respectfully, this information is incomplete. First, the concept of karma precedes Hinduism. Second, part of karma deals with a carry-over of the results of actions of past lives on the current life. However there are traditionally four types of karma, most of which are related to our current lives. Rather than repeating them here I would direct readers’ attention to my article on this available at this LINK. Now it is true that some authors, such as Ray Buckland, do consider the three-fold law as limited to the present life. However other authors, such as the Farrars, believe that our actions carry over from life to life. Who is right? That’s going to come down to our beliefs. All I can say is that within their current lifetimes many people do not receive either a positive response in some way for their good actions or a negative response in some way for their bad actions. I believe that most people are aware of this. If we limit karma and/or the three-fold law to one lifetime, it would appear not to be accurate.

<<<>>>

You said it yourself RIGHT HERE .. in this paragraph. And it is EXACTLY how we apply the Rede in our lives. ” I’ll try to stop them without hurting them. However, if I must, I will use force.” ..

The Three Fold Law is something that works in our favor .. or against us .. depending on our INTENT of what we do. If you INTENTIONALLY stop another from hurting someone else .. or… to save another … this is not hurting or harming without JUST CAUSE. The Rede applies if we set out to harm someone WITHOUT JUST CAUSE. Again, so simple .. but everyone wants to complicate the hell out of it. No where .. does it say in our Rede .. to go against our moral codes or compass. In fact, it is saying USE your moral compass and/or code of ethics.

And again, it reads to me as if you want to change the rede to say “intentional harm” rather than just “harm.” Further, you are contradicting your claim that the rede only applies to magickal practices when here you’re saying your interpretation also relates to more mundane causes.

<<<>>>>

I don’t think you want to know what I *really* think. If I wrote it, it wouldn’t get posted. What I do wish .. is that everyone would stop dissecting our religion and our ethics and morals that we live by. As a practicing Wiccan Priestess who has been on the Wiccan path for almost 18 years, I feel that there are way too many “wannabes, dabblers, trouble makers, know it alls AND new agers” … coming into our path and tearing it apart. If you don’t want to be Wiccan, then don’t be. IF YOU ARE NOT WICCAN, what is your concern of our Rede? No one told you that you had to live by the Rede. Most who are NOT WICCAN .. DO NOT claim it, nor do they live by it. It’s called the WICCAN REDE .. for a REASON. Its WICCAN. It is not PAGAN, it is not BUDDHIST, IT IS NOT CHRISTIAN .. IT IS WICCAN.

It sounds to me like what you’re saying is that your interpretation of the rede is correct and that nobody has the right to question you about it, because if anyone dares question you they are merely “wannabes, dabblers, trouble makers, know it alls AND new agers.” If that’s the belief system within your coven, fine. My attitude is somewhat different. When I give workshops (and I’m giving two worldwide webinars in the near future, one on Tarot & Magic and the other, which I am repeating by popular demand, is on Magickal Self-Defense), I always begin with the letters: TFYQA. That stands for “Think For Yourself. Question Authority.” I invites questions and disagreements and try to present my positions so people can understand them. I have stood in front of screaming Christian fundamentalists, as well as some very polite ones, asking questions about beliefs and why I dare to stand up for the Lord and Lady.

When you’re a voice in the community, people will look at how you present yourself and how you respond to questions. Saying that you won’t answer people because they’re wannabes or dabblers, etc., or that their questions (which may challenge our perceptions) are trying to dissect our religion and that is bad gives the implication that there are only certain “right” people who are entitled to information. When someone tries to dissect our faith it may be because they’re trying to understand it. When someone tries to tear apart our faith I choose to stand up for it by answering their questions.

I think it’s wonderful that you’ve been on the Wiccan path for almost 18 years. Having walked the Wiccan path for about 35 years, I say that your choice to join us is fantastic. The thing is, I love the Lord and Lady enough to think that even if people don’t want to follow our faith, if they adopt some of our ethical and moral beliefs and practices they may be better for it. So I choose to share with people within and without the circle. If we simply blindly follow tradition without asking questions our living faith becomes mere dogma. That is something I hope never happens.

The words of the WICCAN REDE .. are for WICCANS. They are not for anyone else … unless they CHOOSE to apply them in their lives. If you CHOOSE to live by the Rede, then get with someone who can better explain to you … what the Rede actually means. Especially before you go writing about it.

We all choose whether to apply them in our lives. To follow blindly and without questioning turns Wicca into just another dogmatic belief instead of a living, growing faith. Even you have reinterpreted the rede to meet your needs. That’s great. That should be discussed.

I have a friend who told me about a time when her young daughter was performing with a group at her elementary school. The performance began with the Pledge of Allegiance. When everyone paused after saying, “One nation, under God,” her daughter piped up saying, “and Goddess.” I think that’s great. She’s thinking. She’s questioning. Maybe it will help others open their minds and lead them to think and question, too.

The one request that alot of us Wiccans have at this time … it to stop coming into our religion and dissecting, analyzing and tearing it apart … just to suit your own beliefs, to suit your own personal spiritual needs , wants or desires.. Wicca has worked and is STILL WORKING.. with the REDE,. THE 161 LAWS, THE PRINCIPLES and ALL OF THE DIFFERENT TRADITIONS in place for LOTS AND LOTS OF YEARS … and … its been working JUST FINE !!!

If you want something DIFFERENT … then make up your OWN religion.

That’s just it. Contrary to the belief held by some people, there are dozens of traditions that call themselves Wiccan. Are they actually Wiccan? How far from Gardnerian or Alexandrian or some other tradition can they be and still justifiably be called “Wicca?” This is a debate I believe we should be having, but are not. These are questions we should be asking, but are not. Personally, I believe that if we don’t ask these questions of ourselves, others who are not Wiccans will make those decisions for us (or attempt to do so). I don’t consider that a good thing.

We’ve never had this problem before .. with folks coming into our path and trying to change it, to morph it into what THEY want it to be .. until recently. Over the last 5 to 10 years, we’ve had HUNDREDS .. coming into this path trying to destroy it.

We do not FIX something that isn’t BROKE.

LEAVE IT ALONE.

Actually, we’ve always had this problem. I have dozens of books by people claiming to be Wiccans and that supposedly enlighten us about Wicca even though they have little or no relationship to the Craft. Most of the people who have been involved in Wicca for a long time love to laugh about some of these books.

The dinosaurs existed for about 165 million years. They weren’t broken. They just couldn’t evolve to meet the changing environment. I would hate to see Wicca vanish like the dinosaurs because of fear of introspection and change.

<<<>>>

This statement is ridiculous. First and foremost, there’s no TRADITIONAL SOURCE that holds ANY position … for anything pertaining to karma, the three fold law .. or any other spiritual theory or belief. ITS CALLED FAITH. And EXPERIENCE in life. When you get ENOUGH experience in life … you might come to understand this.

Rain Dove

Priestess of The Dragon and The Rose Coven of Georgia

Well, the reference to your comment isn’t clear. But I’d like to thank you very much for raising your concerns and expressing your ideas. You seem to be saying that you have an interpretation of the rede which isn’t in the rede itself. I think that’s fine. I would strongly encourage you to write your version and post it on your website or blog. I would encourage discussion and debate about it by Wiccans and non-Wiccans alike.

I wish you and your coven continued success and peace.

Well, readers, what do you think?

Should we accept the rede without change or should it be updated?

Should we accept something else?

Do we accept it as written or as interpreted?

If we believe it should not be accepted literally whose interpretation should we follow?

Please leave your comments below.

Modern Paganism embraces a wide variety of spiritual traditions. One of the challenges of these traditions is that in some instances they are not thoroughly considered. An individual tradition may leave out large swathes of concepts and limit themselves to small sections of reality. There is often the worship of deities, the practice of magick, divination, and healing, the celebration of festivals and holidays, but little else. As a result, for many people their spiritual tradition is merely a part-time practice rather than a way of living. (I wouldn’t limit this to Pagans, either.)

In fact, for many Pagans, when asked how their spirituality flavors their lives, they have little to say, often responding not based on their spiritual paths but according to their sociopolitical beliefs. Some other Pagans—even those who do not identify themselves as Wiccans—fall back upon the Wiccan Rede:

Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill,

An it harm none do what ye will.

The source of the rede (rede is a Middle English term meaning “counsel” or “suggestion”) is highly questionable. Some date it back to Bible (Romans 13:10 can be interpreted as similar to the rede in concept),  Saint Augustine of Hippo (“Love, and do what you will”), John Stuart Mill’s “Harm Principle,” French author Pierre Louÿs’ 1901 book, The Adventures of King Pausolus (“Do not harm your neighbor; this being well understood, do that which pleases you.”), or Aleister Crowley’s famous “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

Perhaps it was derived directly from one of these, perhaps indirectly, or perhaps it was just the founders of modern Wicca expressing their libertarian views. Whatever the source, as related to Wicca it first appears in a speech by Doreen Valiente in 1964. Various versions of it, including ones that are much longer, have appeared over the past half century, but the essence remains those eight words: An (Middle English for “If”) it harm none, do what ye will.

This seems like a magickal mantra for modern-day Objectivists and libertarians: As long as you leave me alone and don’t affect me in any way, do whatever you want.

The Practical Impact of the Rede

Unfortunately, unless you live by yourself and completely “off the grid” using no public services of any kind, actually following the Rede is not only impossible, it’s unethical.

If you buy clothes of any kind, chances are they were made in third-world countries by people in terrible conditions. You’re hurting them.
If you buy food in a grocery store, chances are the fruits and vegetables were planted, raised, and harvested by underpaid and overworked temporary workers. You’re hurting them.
If you see a person such as a child or someone who is elderly being attacked or abused, you can’t use force to stop the attacker or abuser. That would be hurting them.

To completely follow the rede requires you to either raise your own foods or know where it came from during every step of its production, not buy any clothes that might have been made by workers who are laboring under horrible conditions, and certainly not use force to defend the health, safety, and well-being of the weak or powerless.

If you have a pet that is suffering intense pain from age or disease, the rede requires you to let them suffer until they die on their own. You could not euthanize them to prevent further suffering. And since the rede is usually associated with treating yourself well, if you’re suffering intense pain from some disease or other ailment, and there is no possible cure or way to alleviate your pain, making the conscious decision to end your own misery is not allowed.

Silver RavenWolf clearly understands the problem of actually following the letter of the rede. In Solitary Witch she writes that “if you lived by the ‘an’ it harm none’ rule to the letter, you couldn’t even work against disease!” Her workaround is to acknowledge that by not acting to stop someone from doing evil, you are allowing greater harm to manifest. Your goal should be to minimize harm to everyone.

Okay. That’s a way of working around the rede. But that’s what it is: working around the rede. The rede doesn’t say act to limit harm to all; it is an instruction to you not to do harm. Period. You can choose not to follow the rede and work to limit harm to all. That might be a good solution. However it should be made clear that you have abandoned following the rede and are replacing it with something that allows for what I would consider to be a more ethical response to the real world.

Fully following the rede in our current culture is simply not possible. You would have to act like those who follow the Jain religion in India, living a life where they even avoid stepping on an insect. Some Pagans simply add a clause to the eight-word rede to cover modern reality: “An it cause harm, do as you must.” This basically negates the rede and changes the context to following RavenWolf’s interpretation of limiting harm to all.

The Missing Part of the Rede

There is also something important missing from the rede that makes it irrelevant: the result of not following it. If you harm someone, what happens as a result? As written, there is no negative impact on you. You may as well say, “try to live a harmless life, but if you harm someone, well, YOLO. That’s the way it goes.”

So what is it that’s missing? Although not originally directly associated with the rede, Gerald Gardner first wrote about it in his Wiccan novel (1949) entitled HIgh Magic’s Aid. It’s later described as a “law” by Monique Wilson and was popularized as a law by Raymond Buckland. This is the “Law of Three” or “Three-fold Law.”

Simply put, this “law” states, “whatever energy a person puts out into the world, be it positive or negative, will be returned to that person three times” (Wikipedia).

Really?

So if you break someone’s arm, does that mean you’re going to get your arm broken three times? If you trip someone does that mean someone is going to trip you three times? If you kill someone does that mean you’re going to be murdered three times? How could that work? It would have to imply a belief in reincarnation and multiple lives. So isn’t it great, then, that you have your own murder to look forward to? I don’t think so.

Some people refer to this as the “Law of Return” and state that the concept is valid, but it may not necessarily have a three-fold return. So does that mean if you murder someone you’re only going to be murdered 2 1/3 times? How does that work?

And if we follow the Law of Return, do we need the Wiccan Rede at all? Others have different versions of this “law.” One older version is usually presented, “As you sow, so shall ye reap.” That comes from Galatians in the Bible. So are the ethics of Wiccans, Pagans, and magickal people who follow the rede ultimately based on the Bible or is there another alternative?

The Reluctant Messiah

In Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah, author Richard Bach confronts the situation. A movie Dracula-like vampire asks to feed on the story’s protagonist. The protagonist refuses. His mentor points out that he’s hurting the vampire by not letting him feed. He leads the protagonist to understand that we are all free to do whatever we want. Period. But wouldn’t this ultimate freedom lead to pure narcissism and anarchy and not caring about anyone other than ourselves? Possibly. But there is an even older Pagan solution.

The Tantric Solution

Most people think of Tantra as being “that sex stuff.” In actuality, Tantra is one of the world’s oldest Pagan spiritual traditions. Tantra is the source of such concepts as the chakras, kundalini, acupuncture, the Tattvic Tides, a God and Goddess, etc. Some authorities (see, for example, Ann Moura‘s book on the history of Witchcraft) even believe that it was people from early India who came West into Europe where they became known as (or influenced) the Druids.

The ancient Tantrics also discovered the concept of karma. Most people reading this will have some idea of karma, and I describe it more fully here. Basically put, karma has nothing to do with intent. It only has to do with actions. If you do something, there will be a result. Your intent is irrelevant.*

Contrary to popular belief, the purpose of karma is not to punish or reward; it is to educate. Once you learn the results of what you do, enlightened self-interest will encourage you to do good so that the response from the universe back to you will be good. This process will help you on your personal spiritual evolution. This traditional concept of karma makes clear that:

You are free to do whatever you want in life,

but you are responsible for whatever you do.

A karmic response to any action may come through the actions of friends and family, governmental organizations, or from the universe itself with new opportunities or a removal of positive things in your life. It may take several lifetimes for you to learn what you need to do to make your life the wonderful thing you want it to be.

However, you are free to do whatever you want. The ancient Tantric term for this is svecchacharya (pronounced svek-cha-car-ee-ya), Sanskrit for “The path of doing one’s Will.” You are free to do whatever you want, but you are responsible for whatever you do.

If I see a child being abused, someone weak or frail being abused, a woman being raped, someone being bullied, etc., I’m going to stand up to the bully, the abuser or the rapist. I’ll try to stop them without hurting them. However, if I must, I will use force. That will have a negative impact on my karma. But I’m aware of that and it’s my choice. In my opinion, freedom without the awareness of the results of that freedom is ethically worthless.

So what do you think? Is it time to abandon the Wiccan Rede and Three-Fold Law as unobtainable and unrealistic goals? Would moving to the concepts of svecchacharya make more sense? Share what you think in the comments section below.

 

* Some New Age writers disagree and claim that there are “Lords of Karma” who determine the degree of reward or punishment for an action based on some sort of mystical or clairsentient interpretation of your intent. There is no traditional source that holds this position, nor is there any traditional understanding of karma indicating that intent affects the karmic process.

 

Each week this month, we are taking a look at the Tarot Illuminati by Eric Dunne and Kim Huggens.

The 9 of Swords is not really my favorite to get in a reading, but in so many decks, I find the card to striking and powerful. Such is the case here: