For most of us, \u201copportunity\u201d is not one of our favorite words. It\u2019s never distributed evenly. It guarantees nothing, not even a fair exchange. It hints that fortune is in our favor, but promises only possibility, not probability and never certainty. And it is always time-limited (a \u201cwindow of opportunity\u201d), which means it\u2019s ripe for exploitation by people trying to sell you something you don\u2019t need and probably don\u2019t want.<\/p>\n
But if your situation is dire, the appearance of an opportunity is a very good thing. It\u2019s not as good as fixing the problem and removing the circumstances that caused it, but at least it\u2019s a chance for something better. It\u2019s hope where before there was only hopelessness.<\/p>\n
Many times an opportunity is all you\u2019re ever going to get.<\/p>\n
This is where the term \u201cTower Time\u201d becomes especially appropriate. The Tower represents institutions that have become stagnant and corrupt. The Tower is struck by lightning, those who benefit from the Tower are cast down, and \u2013 after much suffering \u2013 there is room for something new and better to be built.<\/p>\n Provided, of course, someone comes along to do the planning, the organizing, and the physical labor required to do the building.<\/p>\n We\u2019re still in the early stages of the Storm. We\u2019re still trying to figure out what\u2019s causing it, what it\u2019s going to do, and what it means for us. But we can be certain it will bring opportunities, and understanding that will help us be ready to take advantage of them.<\/p>\n When we think of opportunities brought by a storm, one of the first things that comes to mind is price gouging. A hurricane warning goes up and all of a sudden gas stations double the price of fuel, bottled water goes up by a factor of ten, and $300 chainsaws are selling for $1500. The short term supply is fixed, demand is high and inflexible, and unethical retailers see an opportunity to make a killing.<\/p>\n Even Texas has a law against price gouging.<\/p>\n But laws don\u2019t stop hurricanes and they can\u2019t stop them from damaging and destroying people\u2019s homes. That damage creates an opportunity for builders and tradespeople to ethically make a fair profit doing repairs and reconstruction, which helps people who live in those homes get their lives back to normal.<\/p>\n Continuing the physical storm example, disaster relief work in poor countries (and sometimes in not-so-poor ones) is a good thing. It can make the difference between life and death for people whose infrastructure wasn\u2019t much to begin with. Some of the best disaster relief work is done by religious groups.<\/p>\n Feeding the hungry because your holy book says to do it is a good thing, no matter what religion you follow. Using disaster relief as a pretext for proselytizing \u2013 or worse, tying assistance to conversion \u2013 is exploitative and highly unethical.<\/p>\n Storms present an opportunity for people to show who they really are. Let\u2019s make sure who we really are is ethical and respectful.<\/p>\n And with that out of the way, let\u2019s talk about some of the opportunities we\u2019re likely to see in the coming days and years.<\/p>\n The currents of magic are getting stronger. I think this is a natural cycle that\u2019s currently on an upswing and I think this is part of what\u2019s causing the Storm \u2013 but only part of the cause. I have no hard data, but anecdotally this seems likely.<\/p>\n This doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s easier to do magic. It means that if you do magic properly, then the impact will be far greater than the same input would have produced before the Storm. Mumbling a few words of badly pronounced Latin or mistranslated Welsh will still get you nothing.<\/p>\n This is your opportunity. Invest the time and effort into learning and practicing magic. Pick your system: traditional witchcraft, chaos magic, grimoire magic, or anything else. Learn it, practice it, and use it to improve the odds that your life will turn out the way you want it to go.<\/p>\n There\u2019s another magical opportunity in the Storm. Throughout history, in difficult times ordinary people turn to magic. Some will pick up a book and a wand and go to work. Many more, though, will seek the services of a professional witch or other magician. Want to start a side business reading Tarot or runes, making charms and amulets, or doing major workings? Here\u2019s your opportunity.<\/p>\n And unlike most times in history, you don\u2019t have to worry about being burned at the stake\u2026 though there are some countries you should avoid, like Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n You do, however, have to worry about charlatans and frauds. Doing magic properly is hard work. Pretending to do magic is easy, and bad times always bring out the con artists.<\/p>\n Needless to say, never promise what you can\u2019t deliver. I do very little magic for hire, but when I do I make it clear I will do the work but I cannot guarantee results. And I price my services like a skilled craftsman, not like a Wall Street lawyer.<\/p>\n The Better Business Bureau doesn\u2019t know how to evaluate witchcraft. Besides, this is the era of online reviews. Let\u2019s call out frauds when we encounter them, and let\u2019s talk up those who do good work.<\/p>\n Christianity has been in decline for the past 500 years, a decline that has accelerated in the past 50. That decline will continue. The liberal denominations have lost their power and the conservative denominations have lost their hearts (and in the case of those who endorse Donald Trump, their souls). I would love to see a mystical version of Anglicanism or a contemplative version of Methodism arise and take off, but I do not think that will happen. The Christianity that exists today is poorly equipped to deal with a metaphysical storm that isn\u2019t Armageddon\u2026 and Armageddon isn\u2019t coming<\/a>.<\/p>\n The future is not atheism. Oh, it is for some, and that\u2019s fine. But for most, there will remain a need not just for religious community but for religious experience and practice.<\/p>\n Every person who walks away from Christianity is an opportunity to grow the Pagan movement.<\/p>\n Some are looking for the many Gods. Some are looking for magic and witchcraft. Many don\u2019t know what they\u2019re looking for, but if we build it they can find it.<\/p>\n We need not \u2013 and should not \u2013 build speculatively. But if we build the deep, vibrant traditions and institutions we need today, they will be ready for those who come looking for them in the future.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/243\/2019\/06\/Seattle-06.17.19-01.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nSeparating ethical opportunities from unethical ones<\/h1>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nMagic<\/h1>\n
Magical services<\/h1>\n
The Pagan Restoration<\/h1>\n
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