 | http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/audience/stories/050116authorq&a.shtml
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Wiccan ways
By RAY ROUTHIER, Portland Press Herald Writer
Dorothy Morrison says anyone can practice magic.
It all depends on your definition of magic.
"It's focusing your energy and using your mind and
body to attain something," says Morrison, who lives in
the York County town of Acton. "I practice magic, but
you won't find me levitating."
Morrison, a native Texan, is a practicing Wiccan who
has written 12 books that deal with spirituality and
Wiccan ways. Some of her books have used various
angles to get at spirituality, like gardening or
needlework.
Her latest book, which came out this month, focuses on
spirituality and the sun: "Everyday Sun Magic: Spells
& Rituals For Radiant Living."
Morrison writes about how to use the energy of the sun
with more than 140 chants, spells, affirmations and
rituals that can help improve your life.
And though Morrison calls this "magic," she's quick to
point out that this type of magic calls for people to
concentrate and focus on what they want until they get
it.
Q: Are there spells in the book that anyone can use?
Do they really work?
A: They will work for anybody. Magic is not rocket
science. You decide what you want, and you want it so
badly that you are one with the effort. You have to
focus and concentrate. The reason some people have
difficulty with it is that their attention span is
very short. They say, "I did this spell and it didn't
work." But you have to hang in there and be tenacious.
Q: What exactly is a Wiccan?
A: It's somebody who follows the Wiccan religion.
There are different sectors, like different sectors of
Christianity: Methodists, Baptists . . .
All of them are life-affirming and celebrate the
harmony of seasons. We revere the Earth, much the way
Native Americans do. We believe in the duality of
(God), that God is both male and female.
Q: Does Wiccan simply mean witch? Are they
interchangeable terms?
A: You can use them interchangeably for me. I was
taught all Wiccans are witches but not all witches are
Wiccans. Magic is a byproduct of Wicca, like prayer is
a byproduct of Christianity.
In today's atmosphere, some people (who are practicing
Wiccans) don't want to be called witches.
Q: What convinced you to write this book?
A: There is not a lot written about the sun in
connection to magic. Most people work around the
phases of the moon, which means you have to wait a
while for phases to come around again. The sun has
five phases every day you can work with.
At daybreak, for instance, is a good time for (spells
dealing with) new starts and fresh beginnings.
Midmorning, the "adolescent brother" sun, is a good
time for things that seem nearly impossible. The noon
sun is at peak power. Afternoon sun is the "sage
warrior" sun, a good time for things that take some
thought.
Q: Do you practice magic?
A: Yes. The best way to explain it is that a spell is
like a prayer. When Christians pray, they focus energy
toward a goal. The same is true of spell. I can use
magic to get a job, to get more money. It is the
change of any condition by ritual means, anything
repetitive, such as saying something over and over.
Q: How did you get into practicing Wicca?
A: After high school I moved to Houston (Texas) and
was introduced to it by a tarot card reader. I kind of
think magic may have had a hold on me when I was
little - my mother actually read tarot cards at
parties, and she was a devout Catholic.
Q: What exactly are tarot cards?
A: They are cards with different symbols. People think
they are a fortune-telling device, but that is not
exactly so. They tell you what is likely to happen if
you continue on your current path, but there's nothing
set in stone, you can change it.
Q: Do you feel that Wicca might fill a void for people
who want some sort of spirituality in their lives but
can't find it in other religions?
A: I don't think it is for everybody, but I do see a
trend recently of people questioning religions they
were born into and checking out other religions.
Q: Is Maine a particularly good place to be a witch?
A: I have found that people in Maine seem to be very
accepting of alternative paths; when I lived in
Missouri that was not the case.
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Rev. Daniel Nephilim's Occult Services and Investigations -
http://www.angelfire.com/dc2/nephilim
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