Witch Aesthetics, Competitive Witchcraft, and Spiritual Materialism

Last updated on: August 2, 2019 at 4:31 pm by Mat Auryn

Witch Aesthetics, Competitive Witchcraft, and Spiritual Materialism 2019-08-02T16:31:59+00:00 Mat Auryn

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Inside the April 2019 Vol #47 issue of Witch Way Magazine, there’s an interview that Michael Herkes conducted with me. In the interview I discuss the topics of community, supporting each other, and talk a bit about my upcoming book Psychic Witch. With their permission I have shared an excerpt from the interview.

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Witch Way Magazine:

What is your biggest piece of advice for anyone just starting out?

Mat Auryn:

There are a few things that come to mind. The first is to not get trapped in the aesthetics, which is easy to do. Witchcraft has a glamoury about it – glamoury in the sense of an illusory spell with an aura of attraction, and the aesthetic is definitely a big part of that. The glamour of witchcraft can prevent folks from diving deeper into its mysteries if they never go beyond that. Now I’m not saying the aesthetics are inherently wrong or bad. I grew up as a goth kid and I love my spooky stuff and a nice witchy aesthetic. But there’s so much more to witchcraft than that. In some ways I think it can serve as a ward, preventing folks from moving deeper if they can’t go beyond that.

Another important thing is to not compare yourself to others when it comes to witchcraft. Focus on your own development and your own craft, not what so-and-so is doing or thinking. Strive to constantly better yourself without comparing yourself to others and falling prey to the competitive mindset, which is a trap that will stop your progress on the path and hinder the development of your magickal talent.

Be clear of why you’re here. Really meditate on why you’re on this path and what you hope to gain from it and what you feel you can offer it. Being a witch is a relationship of give-and-take. There’s always a balance. So knowing why you’re on the path and what your exchange is in regards to the spirit world is crucial if you want to go anywhere on it, and often that’s an exchange of service.

It’s also very easy to fall into materialism when starting out on the path of the witch. A lot of books and websites make it seem like you need to spend a lot of money to have all the tools and supplies that you need. The energy work should always be the main priority and focus, if the energy component is lacking the tools and ingredients don’t do a whole lot anyway and you’re out several hundred to thousands of dollars buying things that you don’t really need as a seeker on the path. That’s why in my book I have almost no tools required in it for any of the workings. I think the most items I have in the whole book are tea lights which are insanely inexpensive and a simple wine glass.

To read the full interview and other great articles download the issue for only $4.99, which helps to support independent pagan and witchcraft media.

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