The Corner Crone: And After the Election? Then What?

I could reach my minimum word count easily if I simply listed all of the election-centric articles Patheos Pagan writers have been posting lately. From River Enodia to 3 Pagans and a Cat to Mortellus to Vincent Higginbotham, for the past several weeks (or years) some of our most insightful American Pagan writers have covered hexing, binding, protection and empowerment sigils, candle magic and any number of pre-election topics and magical workings.

But in these last few days before the election, I find that my own wonderings are not swirling around hexing. Instead, they’re centered around healing and what, if anything, members of our Pagan communities might be doing to prepare themselves for the crucial work we may find before us post-election—no matter which way it goes.

“A Witch who can’t hex can’t heal.” We’re all familiar with this saying (Cyndi Brannen’s article offers some further insights). And we’re familiar with the tension that exists between the “love and light” Witches and the Practitioners who hold a different understanding of the relationships between healing and hexing (and those of you who are Rule of Three folx may be struggling with some issues around that belief system in the current hex-happy climate as well).

The thing I’m wondering is this: with so many folx having been focused for so long on hexing and binding, how much energy do we have left to prepare and cleanse ourselves as we begin to recalibrate our energies toward healing some of the wounds and divisiveness that have taken root and blossomed among us these past four years?

A witch who can’t hex can’t heal, yes, but how difficult is it going to be for some of us to change our focus from hexing to healing after the election?

Will we even want to heal the wounds in our communities?

Whether or not most of us are aware of it, a not-insignificant percentage of our Pagan population leans rather more toward the conservative end of the spectrum. Perhaps you’re saying to yourself, “Well! I don’t know ANY Pagan who’s a conservative; there can’t be THAT many!”

And I would say this to you: if your mindset is a minority in a population whose majority members all assume everyone thinks just like they do, and who are pretty vigorous in defending why they’re right and why those who don’t hold the same viewpoint are wrong, how likely is it you’re going to speak up? Wouldn’t hiding in plain sight feel safer? BE safer?

This is known as the tyranny of the majority, and we Pagans and Witches, being human, are not immune from it.

So many of us are experiencing brokenness in ourselves and in some of our dearest relationships thanks to the past (and current) election cycle and yes, that’s in very large part due to one person who has done his utmost to stir up rancor and just pure unadulterated hatred among us. Did he create these issues? No, but he certainly fertilized their soil and nurtured their growth, didn’t he?

How might we help our communities, and individuals within those communities, find a way back into right relationship when they are no longer fertilized by hatred of the “other”? Or, even more daunting (and you’re welcome), how might we try to heal our communities should the current administration remain in office? Will we have the heart for it? The patience? The Will?

Who have you lost this Covid year? This campaign season? If you were able to look into a mirror that reflected your emotions, a mirror that reflected who you’ve come to be today, would you be able to recognize yourself? Would you be able to see yourself through the scars?

I’m not saying that Pagans and Witches “ought to” start thinking about how they’re going to augment healing in our post-election communities. Not everyone is going to feel called to do that work, and that’s OK. You do you, Witch.

But I am saying that healing is just as associated with witchcraft as hexing is, and that’s going to be the work some of us are going to find ourselves in a position to do after the election, wounded healers though we may be.

If that’s you, how are you preparing?

You can hear more of The Corner Crone during her Moments For Meditation on KPPR Pure Pagan Radio on TuneIn.