The Unintentional Skeptic

[Synapse]

So, as much as I love the idea of witchcraft I have the most difficult time shutting off the side of my brain that says to cop out on it. I don't know how to shut off the knee-jerk reflex of saying "it isn't real, no one can prove it". The reason I abandoned Christianity ( other than disagreeing totally with the institution and its values ) was because I just couldn't buy it. I can't force myself to believe something.

Is there anyone who has had similar trouble? How do I just accept what I cannot prove when it goes against some of the main tenants of my being?

And its worth it to mention that no matter how often I try to push away witchcraft, it comes back to me like an incessant cough. I can't wander away, it just lurks in my mind until I'm pushed to try to pursue it again. I figure if something continues to be so persistent I may as well give it a shot, right?

[Shekinah]

Initially don't worry about proving anything. Set about to come in tune with the Natural world and the Infinite, listen to silence in isolated places, stare into the night sky and let your mind wander in the star fields, feel the beauty of a tree, hug it, walk in the fresh morning air while much of the world still sleeps. Sail a boat and discover the feeling of being one with wind or fly a glider and feel the wonder of three dimensional freedom. As you practice Witchcraft it's truth will dawn on you and you will see beauty between the lines of daily life. As you develop visualization skills and begin to feel the presence of Divine forces in your circle casting and realize the power of magickal manipulation of probabilities at your command you will know the truth of our Craft and way of life. Your rewards are proportional to your investment of time and energy. The world is a magnificent place when we walk in the presence of Spirit.

[Siona]

When I talk to people who've been practicing witchcraft for several years, a lot of the reasons why they believe and practice as they do come down to personal experience. They continue to practice because what they have experienced acts as a sort of proof to what they are doing. Those that do not have those personal experiences don't generally continue to practice. To me, that's what makes witchcraft different than some other paths out there. No one's asking you to go on blind faith or to just accept. Witchcraft must be experienced. If your experiences (or lack of, I guess) lead you to something else, there's nothing wrong with that! It's not like Christianity - believe, even if you never have any reason to, or be punished. There's no punishment for not being a witch. You are not asked to believe because of what someone else says or has experienced. So, treat it like an experiment if you want. Try it out for a while. Experiment with different approaches. See what happens. Even if it doesn't work out, at the very least you'll know this isn't the path for you, and maybe it will break that cycle you seem to be in.

[Lord_of_Nightmares]

I actually became more skeptical with witchcraft than without. Since witchcraft is more about experiencing it and experiences are subjective, not necessarily provable to science.

Then you have healthy delusions vs unhealthy delusions. We know for a fact the placebo and nocebo effect works. So, even if it is not real, the belief benefits you and makes the quality of your life better.

What should really be asked is if "Am I happy?", "Are these healthy beliefs?", and "Does witchcraft work for me?" these are more important than repeatable tests in a laboratory setting that will only give you objective views on reality.

[Corbin]

What Lil said.

[HopefulChild]

Arthur C. Clark. - "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

Witchcraft is technology. Just because it is old, doesn't mean it isn't advanced. The more we understand about the universe and the more we learn about matter, the more it is revealed that the practices of magic are legitimate means to exert influence in our individual lives.

That's what witchcraft is. Using rituals and components and thought to influence changes in our lives on a relatively small scale.
The energy required to influence is commiserate with the output of the influence, which is itself part of the law of thermal dynamics and standard newtonian models of "A body at rest wishes to stay at rest until acted upon by a greater force", and then any complex system is seeking equilibrium against entropy and any introduction into that system either increases or reduces entropy.

Witchcraft is the root of science. And the understanding and acceptance that there are dimensions, and realities that we can't see but which exist and enact on us, and us on them, is the basis of religion. I feel that "witches" are people who need better explanations, and who need to see behind the curtain, and when they do they don't gain "faith"....they attain knowledge and insight and so their minds and their spirits are elevated.

Look through some of my posts. I spend most of my "magic" time dedicated to reconciling what I know about science with what magic is reported to be. They are very similar.

You first have to remove from your waking thoughts "movie magic". Movie magic is to magic what playing a First Person Shooter game, is to being a Navy Seal. You can't play 40 hours of Call of Duty and decide to rescue 10 hostages from Somali Pirates thanks to all your experience and expertise.

[Shekinah]

Pretty much the more we learn about Quantum physics the more we see how magick works and the more valid the concepts of Witchcraft becomes. Entanglement, bi-location, thought and the act of conscious observation influencing particle vs wave function is very substantial correlations with magick probability.

A great post HopefulChild

[Crazy Cat Lady]

What they said, lol. Magic is just early explanations of quantum physics.