Everything Under the Moon

We knew, at least in part, about our abilities. We didn't know about shielding. I appreciate your thoughtful comments.

Snow

Dear SnowCat, I'm sorry for your loss.

May I ask a question regarding your story? It's kind of a dry, theoretical question; and I don't want to be disrespectful. No hard feelings if you'd rather I don't.

Please, feel free to ask any questions you have. The story was shared as a teaching experience, and for my own catharsis.

Snow

Thanks!

So, I'm currently reading "Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner" by Scott Cunningham. As good a place to start as any, I thought. He writes (Loc 478):

Performing magical rituals simply by manipulating tools such as herbs and crystals will be ineffective, for the true power of magic lies within ourselves - the gift of deity.

So no matter the magical system, personal power must be infused with the need and then released.

If I understand this correctly, according to Cunningham, simply performing the outer form of a spell or ritual - eg. speaking certain words, performing certain gestures - will not have any effect. For magic to work, there needs to be intent, and a conscious effort from the spell caster.

Now, in your story, the two of you didn't seem to have any intention; you were just goofing around. And yet something happened, eventhough there was no intent. Do you disagree with Cunningham on this matter, or do you think I misinterperted that passage? Or is there another explanation?

[edit: phrasing]

I think there may have been subconscious intent. We were bored, and wishing for some excitement. I was 16, and Cindy was 14. It's an age that lends itself to unintentional intent. It's an aspect that Cunningham may not have considered in his book. Or he may have chosen not to address it, so as to avoid confusion.

Snow

Ok, that makes sense. Thanks for answering.

I went back to Mesita four years ago. My daughter and I had taken my grandkids to the Sand Dunes. Mesita was only an hour away, and I felt a need to see it again. As we drove through what remains of the town, two black dogs appeared out of nowhere, and followed us until we drove back out of town. They disappeared, just like they had appeared. Back into nowhere. The church is still standing. I don't think much of anyone lives in town anymore, other than a shepherd. But the dogs weren't his. His dogs were with the sheep.

Snow

The way you wrote this suggests that you feel guilty and haven't processed it fully. But you need to know one thing : IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT.

Evil spirits are real and they attack good people. It is a real and serious thing. Your friend was vulnerable and they used her as soon as they got the chance. And they dared to do it on the holy ground!

You had absolutely no chance or skill to protect her. She was a victim of spiritual laws that you didn't know at the time.

I felt guilty for a long time. I felt guilty when I started telling the story in this thread. I don't anymore. I was 16 when it happened. We did some dumb things that summer. Cindy had other issues in her life that contributed to everything that happened, including what happened that night. Whatever was there that night used us both.

Snow

Good that you don't feel guilt anymore.

It's not good or healthy to talk about negative entities all the time but it's very important to remind ourselves from time to time. One should not take spirituality lightly. The deeper you dive, the greater the risk. Especially if one is mentally unstable/vulnerable. We need to be aware of it.

Thank you for sharing your story. It definitely is an excellent reminder that there are dark forces in the world that we can bring about without even the slightest intention of doing so.

I'm thankful to have survived that night. And I really appreciate people taking the time to read the story.
I went back to Mesita three years ago, with my daughter and grandkids. We had been to the Sand Dunes, and I felt compelled to see Mesita again. By the time we got there, it was getting late, although still daylight. As we drove through town, two black dogs appeared, literally out of thin air, and followed the car until we drove out of town. They disappeared the same way. The church us still there, and according to the internet, is still in use.
This year, on our way back from the Sand Dunes, we somehow took a wrong turn around Walsenburg. When I started to look for a place to turn around, a large gray dog appeared. It was too much like the dogs in Mesita. We kept driving, and stopped for dinner in Pueblo instead of Walsenburg.

Snow

Thank you Snow