Since the beginning, magick has been expressly reserved for those in need. More specifically, it’s been the key to revolution and liberating oppressed people from tyranny. This is seen through The Gospel of Aradia, The Old Testament, Operation Cone of Power, and the conjure workers that covered The Underground Railroad with their Hoodoo works. This means magick finds its natural home in the world of Social Justice. In recent years, we’ve seen many attempts to utilize witchcraft in this manner, including a nationwide call to “Hex Trump”. However, many of these campaigns have been fruitless, and all contain similar fatal flaws. In this article we will discuss these flaws, potential remedies, and ways to utilize magick effectively in our fight for social justice.
First we have to understand that not all targets are easily affected by magick. Especially high-profile individuals like political leaders, CEOs, celebrities, and dictators. This is because a lot of other individuals and circumstances are tied into their fate. That and the fact that people in high standing are often covered in some manner by their supporters; more on that later. This accounts for why even with a mass movement to “Hex Trump” he still remains at large and continues to threaten the rights of others. Though, I have to admit, the sink hole that opened up on the White House lawn is one of my most favorite things. So, how do we effectively utilize magick for social justice, especially on a large scale? We do so by following these simple rules.
1) First rule about witch club is don’t talk about witch club.
Though I fully support recent attempts to hex our president, the big mistake the movement makes is putting it on blast across social media. If you were following the story, you undoubtedly heard of the immediate counter measures taken by his supporters. In record time, prayer circles formed, special masses and church services were given, and opposing thoughts were all fired into the cosmos.
Now, I know a good handful of you are cackling like Maleficent thinking such things have no effect. Therein lies your downfall. If you believe that you can curse someone and have it affect them whether they believe or not, you can understand how your belief in the power of something holds no say in its effectiveness. Prayers are tiny spells, and in great numbers, can overpower witchcraft when focused this way.
If these witches had met in secret, and executed a single well-written spell together, no one would have moved to block them and their results. So, when applying magick to social justice issues, it’s best to keep it under wraps. Especially when it’s a negative or scary-sounding working. If it’s a positive thing (magic to protect marginalized/oppressed folks etc.) then it’s less important to keep it secret as most folks aren’t triggered into action by something that doesn’t sound destructive. The moment they hear something that sounds dark though, the prayer beads come out! So, keep it hush hush.
2) Choose your team (and your spell) wisely.
If you’re going to overthrow a tyrannical government, a dictator, or a hate group, you don’t pick just anyone to go on that mission. You select an elite team, focused on a singular result. Witchcraft is like baking; if you invite everyone in the world over to throw their own special ingredients in, you won’t get cake. You’ll get a mess. This is also part of why high-powered individuals are stubborn targets. A bunch of unfocused work sent by disorganized folks tends to just cancel each other out without much impact. You want a direct hit, not a bunch of noise.
Choose your group carefully. Choose a small team of practiced witches who all have the same goal and similar (if not identical) methods of practicing their craft. Pick your day of the week and lunar phase wisely. Also, take into account any advantageous astrological happenings. Look over your spell and make sure the details and your intention are clear and agreed upon. Five focused witches working in tandem will out-cast several hundred sloppy witches working in a disconnected fashion every time.
3) Pick your cause wisely.
As discussed above, some targets are easier to affect than others. Choosing your cause wisely can really impact how successful you are in the long run. Usually it’s best to not go directly for the biggest players and instead, focus your magick on smaller battles that make a big impact (specific court cases, political races, local government etc.). These smaller battles also draw less attention, meaning if you do go public with your cause, it’s likely that not many people care enough to try and block you.
Furthermore, social justice magick does not always have to be offensive. Defensive magick can be utilized to protect protesters and those actively participating in social justice movements outside the realms of magick. Same goes for protecting at risk populations like LGBTQ+ individuals, women, people of color, immigrants, etc. Sometimes supporting our people on the ground with magick can be just as effective as casting up a storm against a political leader we despise.
4) Back up your magick with physical action.
All magick requires effort in the material world. For instance, you can cast spells all day to find true love but if you don’t leave your house or talk to people, you’ll never find it. Same goes for social justice. If you spend all day casting spells in your room but you don’t vote, speak up, or participate in the revolution, you’ll never see it come to pass. Make sure to take action, and do your part to make your work a success!
5) The last rule of witch club is don’t talk about witch club.
Seriously, don’t. Especially if you’re aiming high and hitting low.
In conclusion, social justice is exactly where magick belongs. It does (and always has) belonged to marginalized and oppressed people. As witches we are guardians of these folks who exist in the fringes. They are the liminal and they are our people. By following these simple rules, we can make a bigger impact, and cause greater change in our country. So, get out there and crush the capitalist patriarchy!
Follow J. Allen Cross @Oregon_Wood_Witch
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