Pop Culture & Spellwork - Opinions?

Open discussion about how our beliefs have been affected by popular culture.
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Echo_of_shadows
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Re: Pop Culture & Spellwork - Opinions?

Post by Echo_of_shadows »

There are two books that I know of pertaining to Pop Culture and spellwork: "Pop Culture Magick" and "Multi-Media Magic: Further Explorations of Identity and Pop Culture in Magical Practice" both by Taylor Ellwood. I've only read the reviews on Amazon, but I'd like to get them some day because they mention incorporating anime into spellwork, and I'm a big fan of anime. Though I have never practiced chaos magic, I am open to it.
-Dark-Moon- wrote:If ken and barbie were your pop icon representations of male and female aspects, and you were seeking to perform the great rite, or sex magic, or a lust spell using sympathetic magic, you might very well put ken on top of barbie .......
A good example of a pop culture couple for male and female aspects in spellwork. Nice job! :)

They're not too hard to find or expensive. I think that Ken and Barbie would make interesting deity representations on an altar as an alternative to store bought figurines from expensive occult stores or an alternative to making your own figures.
Vervain
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Re: Pop Culture & Spellwork - Opinions?

Post by Vervain »

Very interesting--I had never looked up the term "chaos magick" as it didn't sound like anything that might pertain to me... but it appears that I am, in several ways, a chaos magician? Off to do some research... :flyingwitch:
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YanaKhan
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Re: Pop Culture & Spellwork - Opinions?

Post by YanaKhan »

Using characters from the pop culture sounds a bit ridiculous, doesn't it? But after all, I guess the ancient gods could be considered characters from the pop culture of the ancient times. So how is this any different? Only because someone made up the character 3000 years later, doesn't make it less appealing to someone. What are the gods? The religion is strong while having worshipers, who set their minds to believing in certain gods. If a religion has no worshipers, it becomes myth. Why do you feel somewhat different energy in churches? Because of the worshipers. They set their minds into believing in something and it becomes real. It doesn't take magicians to make it real, only too many people believing in it. So same with pop culture characters. If it works for someone, why not use it?
As for Chaos magick yes, after manifesting your desire by making a sigil and "shooting" it to the universe, the only way you can get it is to forget what the desire was. It's hard in the beginning, very very hard, but one can learn. It works if you make like 10 sigils (you need to start with things you don't really care about)and then leave them in a drawer for about 2 weeks. After that time, when you find them, you won't remember which sigil you made for which desire. It's possible you don't even remember the desires. Then shoot. It actually works. I made sigils part of my every ritual at first. I was carving them onto my candles as a way to shoot.
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Re: Pop Culture & Spellwork - Opinions?

Post by loona wynd »

I'm actually going to experiment with using the characters from Sailor Moon. Its not a full experiment as they were (at least Sailor Moon's Neo-Queen Serenity form and Queen Serenity) formed my early images and concepts for the Goddess of the Moon. For me it would actually be digging into my roots as a witch as I was a Moonie fan and new witch at the same time. They were both powerful forces that entered my life at the same time. I'll let you know how it goes.
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Re: Pop Culture & Spellwork - Opinions?

Post by BabyBear »

I think Dark Moon has it right, they even recently covered this in a Supernatural episod called ThinMan, the thought being that because so many people belive in it and give it energy and thought it becomes real.

ive seen this described in many books to, where gods are only as powerful as the number of people who believe in them. Going so far as some saying that they only are "awake" or "alive" if they have someone to believe in them.
And when it comes to this i have to agree. In many paths Its believed that you have to focus and charge and meditate on your wish or desire for the spell to be filled with your intent, basically using your energy to make the spell work. Or you see this in movies like peter pan where you have to believe you can fly to be able to fly or Drop Dead Fred you have to believe in a person for them to exist. Why cant this be applied to Gods and Goddess then.
If you were to honestly believe it is real to you then why shouldn't it work for you or exist.

thought i would put in my 2¢ cus i just saw this

also i would like to add that where as im not 100% sure but i think the japanese already do this and Tibetan Buddhism because they believe that you design your own reality that will power is what creates it but they also believe that more then a few people are needed to "power" this belief to make it a reality also called a Tulpa http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulpa


as for useing them in spell work i have to say that although i wouldn't necessarily use them i can see where it could be an option and hold meaning


also dont we do this in a way when we say use art based on tv shows and books for our tarot cards
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Re: Pop Culture & Spellwork - Opinions?

Post by Echo_of_shadows »

loona wynd wrote:I'm actually going to experiment with using the characters from Sailor Moon. Its not a full experiment as they were (at least Sailor Moon's Neo-Queen Serenity form and Queen Serenity) formed my early images and concepts for the Goddess of the Moon. For me it would actually be digging into my roots as a witch as I was a Moonie fan and new witch at the same time. They were both powerful forces that entered my life at the same time. I'll let you know how it goes.
I look forward to seeing your results, Loona. I've thought of creating a Sailor Moon themed altar using pictures of her scepter and holy chalice. Now that I know there's a fellow Moonie here, maybe I'll put it together and share. :fairy:
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Re: Pop Culture & Spellwork - Opinions?

Post by loona wynd »

Echo_of_shadows wrote:
loona wynd wrote:I'm actually going to experiment with using the characters from Sailor Moon. Its not a full experiment as they were (at least Sailor Moon's Neo-Queen Serenity form and Queen Serenity) formed my early images and concepts for the Goddess of the Moon. For me it would actually be digging into my roots as a witch as I was a Moonie fan and new witch at the same time. They were both powerful forces that entered my life at the same time. I'll let you know how it goes.
I look forward to seeing your results, Loona. I've thought of creating a Sailor Moon themed altar using pictures of her scepter and holy chalice. Now that I know there's a fellow Moonie here, maybe I'll put it together and share. :fairy:
I recently gave away all my mangas, but still have my DVD's (and VHS of the three movies both English and subbed) and will likely get the new version when it comes out. Sailor Moon was a part of my spirituality for a very long time. To this day when I think of the powers and colors associated with the planets I actually think of the traits of the sailor senshi. Which when I look at other lore, there are connections and similarities.

I also always understood all of the characters to really be how Naoko Takeuchi envisioned the Roman Gods. Though in her vision they were all Goddesses. Which again played into my early spiritual practices. I was ashamed of it for a long time, but then I recently realized "f*ck it". Its a part of my personal history and my spiritual history, and I honestly don't know if I would have been able to make the transition from Christianity to Pagan witchcraft as easily without the aid of Sailor Moon lore.

Seeing the characters as the Goddesses of that time. It was in fact mentioned in the manga and series that Queen Serenity was worshiped as the Goddess Serenity by the people of earth at one point in time. To me that translated to basically the other characters being Goddesses of the planets. This view allowed me to start looking at mythology in a different way.

I still hold that there could very well be a Goddess of Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, and Venus. I believe that if there is a God of something than there is a Goddess of that same thing. This is why I can accept the Sun as a Goddess in Norse Mythology while it is a God in Greek and Moonie mythology.

I of course no longer have any of the work that I did back then with this view. As I said I was ashamed of it for a long time, even though many books said that it was OK to use images and concepts from the modern world in your circle casting and God and Goddess view if it helped you reach to the God and Goddess of Wicca. Though now I would be working with them in a slightly different take.
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Re: Pop Culture & Spellwork - Opinions?

Post by Holdasown »

Let me start off by saying I don't care what anyone does in their practice. I understand using pop culture references for concepts and to represent a way you want to live your life. I also understand thought forms and creating a being from energy. I love the pop culture spell work. Spells are individual and emotional so any thing you do to help that is pretty cool. I have some doubts on prayer to Iron Man or Batman. I am a hard polytheist and I think the gods are old beings who have made contact with man. I know Batman was created by a person. Now I am happy to live and let live but i have had some people get nasty with me for it. Other than that I think it's great to see people find ways to be creative and incorporate something that gives them a focus or excitement to their craft.
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Re: Pop Culture & Spellwork - Opinions?

Post by SpiritTalker »

A friend of mine uses Beanie Babies to represent forces and the target and she is very successful. She finds other toys and figurines that sympathetically act out her intentions. It's a very magically sound practice.
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Re: Pop Culture & Spellwork - Opinions?

Post by SnowCat »

The Catholic Church places a lot if emphasis on statues, and the Greek Orthodox Church does the same with icons. I think for a lot of people, these items aid in focus. And I have my stuffed Bast and stuffed Anubis from the Luxor. They're souvenirs of the trip, but they're also tangible reminders.

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Re: Pop Culture & Spellwork - Opinions?

Post by SpiritTalker »

I've just been introduced to a clever concept of magical spells done with trading card games. It's something like your magician card vanquishes the monster card, therefore the issue (represented by the monster) that is imagined in the astral realm is also vanquished. As an aid to focusing one's magical concentration, this is inspired. Kudos to Nightshroud.
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Re: Pop Culture & Spellwork - Opinions?

Post by CaliCrow »

Whether or not you've read Homestuck, i don't honestly know; but for those of you who have not, it's basically a creation story in which the world(s) are created by players in the video game SBURB. so those who play it and win, become the gods of the new universe they create. To me, that seems like a pretty good basis for homestuck centered witchcraft! :D
I don't have a problem with using pop culture/fictional characters in my practice, however the relationships with the entities can be VERY different from other Wiccan beliefs. Also quite varied.
For example, Gamzee, a character I work with, is practically my best friend, and gets extremely flustered (even in his sopored up state) when I try to elevate him to diety status. Marquise Mindfang, on the other hand, enjoys offerings of spare change, mostly pennies, that I have laying around, along with poems and ritual. Oh, and then there's me and Dave... I won't go into into much details, but we're VERY complicated. He worries about me and sends his crows to check on me when I'm out of the house.

Yeah, I think that's enough rambling, I hope you get my point xD
Keith . 16 years of age . Trans boy . Was called MoonBright when he first joined . Green/Pop Culture witch
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Re: Pop Culture & Spellwork - Opinions?

Post by planewalker »

I think it's important to go with what works for you. What images do you find to resonate with your beliefs. What helps you put your esoteric methods to work and have them be most successful. It's a way of working in the Craft with the most ease and having the best results.
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