It is a scary time right now. Sarah Sanders has been run out of restaurants. I mean, there’s a list of things going on. Now you’ve got witches that are placing a hex on Brett Kavanaugh!
Did I mention I’m an atheist? I’ve often thought that should I run for public office I’d elide that by mentioning I’m a Buddhist (I am, but it’s a Philosophy not a Religion) or join a Unitarian Universalist congregation (I’m told they’re cool with worshipping the hub caps on a ’57 Chevy and while ’57 Chevys are bad ass I don’t worship anything) because atheists are the most hated and despised minority in the world (not that I wear my martyrdom/victimhood on my sleeve like Bill Maher because the subject rarely comes up and I can always lie. I tell the truth out of respect for the beliefs of others.). I’d have a better chance of getting elected if I were a Wahhabist leaning member of the Nation of Islam.
Most “Christians” have given up on me (the Jehovah’s Witnesses still ring the bell because Richard encourages them to torment me. He’s Methodist.) but I meet a lot of Wiccans and they’re like- “ek, you’re so spiritual. You should be a Wiccan.” Hubcaps.
But there are worse things to believe than that the Universe is permeated by a Life Force which manifests spontaneously in Nature and that with proper concentration you can channel it. Chants and Incantations are exactly the same as Hymns and Mantras, they put one in the proper frame of mind. A Wiccan expects the same results from a Spell a Fundamentalist Evangelical expects from a Prayer, not much unless you are using a Potion which is basically a Drug. Those work quite reliably.
Now because of the Manichean aspects of Christianity (stolen from Zoroastrianism) any manifestation of successful wishful thinking outside the rituals of the Church is ipso facto (Latin for “by the fact itself”) Magic, and a particularly pernicious and evil form of Magic- Witchcraft!
That’s right, direct from Satan himself (or one of his fellow Fallen Angels/Demons) and it pollutes the soul not only of the caster, but the target. Thus compromised even the most righteous and faithful can only expect to be consigned to the Lake of Fire to burn for eternity rather than sit at the right hand of The Lord! Or in a milder interpretation suffer separation from Yahweh and his Choirs of Angels which I personally think, not that I believe in an Afterlife, would be a relief.
So, if you are a believing Christian, Witchcraft is about the most horrible thing there is. No wonder they’re scared. What’s irrational is not their fear, it’s their World View.
Cursed: witches are planning a public hexing of Brett Kavanaugh
by Sam Wolfson, The Guardian
Tue 16 Oct 2018
A coven of witches will gather in an occult bookstore in Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday to place a hex on the supreme court justice Brett Kavanaugh. Tickets to the event, which cost $10, with half the proceeds going to women’s and LGBT charities, have already sold out.
The event is not out of the ordinary for Catland Books, which describes itself as “Brooklyn’s premier metaphysical boutique and event space”. They have previously held ceremonies to hex Donald Trump as well as a “hex your ex” ceremony on Valentine’s Day.
Dakota Bracciale, co-owner of the store, told the Guardian the event will be an important act of protest and community outreach, even if some attendees are skeptical.
“The whole thing is going to be really cathartic, whether you believe it or not. The right has churches but the left is scattershot. The left is where you’re going to find atheists, secularists, humanists, people who follow non-traditional religions. So how are you going to get all of us together in times of trouble? That’s what we’ve been doing.”
The ceremony has become a talking point for some rightwing commentators, who see it as part of a pattern of leftwing attacks on leading Trump allies. On Fox News last Friday, Tucker Carlson discussed the coven’s plans, taking particular umbrage with their idea to donate 25% of proceeds to Planned Parenthood, which he said would “help them continue to fund their human sacrifice rituals”.
Let me stop right there. This accusation, that other religions drink the blood of Christian babies or use them in ritual Magic is called Blood Libel. While most frequently anti-Semitic it has been applied pretty indiscriminately to slander persecuted groups including the Order of Solomon’s Temple (who’s real sin was that Philip IV owed them a lot of money any didn’t want to pay it).
Amy Kremer, the co-founder of the Women Vote Trump Pac, brought the event up in a roundtable on MSNBC, describing it as an escalation of attempts to publicly shame Republicans. “It is a scary time right now. Sarah Sanders has been run out of restaurants. I mean, there’s a list of things going on. Now you’ve got witches that are placing a hex on Brett Kavanaugh.”
The event’s Facebook page has also been flooded with comments opposing the event, many of them proclaiming it an affront to Christianity. “Kavanaugh is a Christian. True Christians have the protection of our heavenly father against others that desire a demon attack against them,” wrote one commenter.
Bracciale says that the store also organises more traditional protests and voter registration drives, but using the language of occult has been more effective in riling up their opponents. “It strikes fear into the heart of Christian fundamentalists. That’s one of the reasons that we do it. Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. We don’t subscribe to this bullshit, pacifist, love and light, everybody just get along thing. If you want to hijack the country, if you want to steal the election, if you want to overturn Roe v Wade, if you want to harm people who are queer, well guess what, we’re not doing civility. If you’re going to be these awful bullies, you have to understand someone is going to punch you back and it might as well be a bunch of witches from Brooklyn.”
The actual event will involve two rituals. The first will be putting a hex on Kavanaugh. Everyone in the room will focus on an image of the judge while passages are recited and candles burned. Graveyard dirt, coffin nails and effigies will also feature.
The second is the rite of the scorned one, created by Bracciale, which is about welcoming rage. “It’s saying that constant, absolute pacifism only leads to you getting harmed more. Sometimes there has to be an allowance for rage as your ally.”
Confront bigoted, racist, misogynistic assholes wherever you find them to show that the community disapproves of their behavior?
Yes. More of that please.