Authority & Wicca
Freedom of spirituality, sexuality, love, expression and communication are
all gifts from the God/dess. Our present global political systems are rapidly
failing. Communism of the Great Bear has given up the ghost and capitalism
is now experiencing the slum and epitome of its own over indulgence. Left
behind is a raped planet, its inhabitants left with little apparent free
choice which they could mould a more fruitful future. Sounds a lot like
Terminator scenario?
In a recent experience I was reminded whilst having a conversation on Earth
healing day how easily we obey, comply, manipulate, rebel, resist, withdraw
and become internally imprisoned by acting against the system and ourselves.
This conversation arose from fellow members to pledging to do all we could
to help realign the Earth and bring around further environmental awareness.
One person in particular felt that they could not carry out such a pledge
as their workplace would make it "difÞcult" for him and
his future within the company. I thought what perhaps leads to such a dilemma?
By pledging and taking action demands tenacity, struggle and vigilance.
Self-imprisonment conþicts what we wish or will to do. We are restricted
by fearing "punishment", as a result we quite often withdraw.
As Magicians we "will" things and create change, still have not
on the whole have got it together to resist those who try to control our
reality with a false set of values. But if our "will" is not one
to create change in our environment then why are the hell are we practising
magic?
Punishment works against ones will to change the environment. Thus the areas
of change outside are in effect cut off, and one is imprisoned within. Rules
of this imposed reality opposes freewill. Freewill or action is a catalyst
for change but one has to be made aware of that freewill in a restrictive
environment can result in punishment. That is to say that values that one
is carrying out are not recognised. Punishment works on the premise of taking
away all that the society values as imminent. In this day and age value
is the will to express oneself. Living inside an authoritarian prison all
resistance is crushed as self value has no place. One Þnds that the
powers that be are only having a continually hold on society as they seek
to manipulate its values. Whomever controls opinion, controls reality.
There are only a few ways which authorities can enforce its subject to perform
actions for them. Power is only effective in maintaining its strength only
by maintaining restraint. They can never enforce will unless one wishes
to comply. This relationship is maintained by the medium of the whip of
fear and the spoon of ignorance. Viz. the control of sexuality is a primary
way in which our self worth is determined. Sexuality is frowned upon by
governments, but is used by them in time of war to demonstrate wars apparent
admiration of women to gallant men, in Drafting propaganda. Never before
in recorded media has there been more confusion about sexuality and its
use. This ultimately has an effect on the masses psyche, controlled by fear
and taboo in one form or another.
Whatever we seek to protect materially or mentally we obviously value in
some form or another. In that protection, however, we cannot Þnd freedom.
There will always remain the fear that it could be taken away from us. To
experience true value means we must feel safe. Freedom by some is seen as
a dangerous concept. It involves risk, reminding us, quite rightly, that
we are mortal. This appears to be overlooked. With the disappearance of
imminent deities, authorities have become God-Men (NB. not good men). With
passive spirituality, humanity is gradually losing it's self worth substituting
action with forgiving.
Let us analyse what authority is. Authorities have power to enforce obedience,
giving an ultimate decision upon, and having control on the conduct and
actions of others. We Þnd that many people in positions of authority
believe that their title earns them respect. But we Þnd that many
of these people are not themselves an authority. That is to say, they themselves
cannot wholly fulÞl the title they hold. Resistance is our most powerful
medium. It enable us to affront our adversaries ground, and communicate
our values which were previously unrecognised. This would lead to the building
of a new power base and access for better communication. It reasserts the
value of oneself, in oneself. The value being that of power, the chance
to alter the system one belongs to. Resistance opens up channels outside
the existing areas of punishment, and challenges these. The more segregated
society is, the easier it is to destroy all unity of existence.
Authorities can only maintain their power by using imposed morality and
singling out fractions of society to control the whole. Punishment is control,
and control is domination. Those who wish not to stay within the conÞnes
of the system are branded radicals or criminals, frowned upon by the unknowing
public. With compliance we are blinded by our own victimisation, and fail
to act against it. Even in afÞliation we can only Þnd self p;
liberation a forum for shared beliefs. We must resist when we actively see
ourselves complying with something we choose not to, and the same goes to
resisting obeying, revolting, withdrawing and manipulating, wherever possible.
Why? Because although we see ourselves changing the situation we are in,
we still do not possess the freedom to change. To be successful at resisting
we must seek clarity in our vision, and Þnd þaws in the rules,
as these are the assumptions of our Masters' powers.
So far, have you complied, rebelled or withdrawn from what I have said?
Have you listened, or just judged what I have to say? Does it make you think?
Being aware is a starting point which is needed for all resistance. An awareness
of false realities dispels falsehood. Could our conceptual understanding
of a situation governed by the rules of society actually be the root of
the problem, not the violating action which has been taken against these
ideas? One must be conÞdent by viewing themselves and others by what
they represent. Clarity of thought is the most powerful value we have. Known
to some as enlightenment, to others as self p; development.
Due to the scale of problems we face against Freewill, we cannot always
resist. There are times when we choose that it is better to obey. Becoming
a martyr is not recommended. To Þght another day refreshed is a better
alternative. Compliance comes so easy, and creeps up on us so naturally,
it seems as if it is an automatic response. This can be witnessed as having
a complacent attitude, although we intellectually disagree with the system.
In effect we still support the system we oppose, albeit passively. Compliance
after a time becomes a belief, a reality tunnel of a preconstructed shape.
The limit the sources of information at our disposal, thus trapping us in
what the system wishes us to believe. With revolution we restrict ourselves
in a system where retaliation seems to be the only option. This illustrates
further restriction of self p; imprisonment of one's reality. One is
governed by an apparent set of alternatives. Options here are paramount,
as one can see that if we react in a certain way it is because we react
to the system within the system, and have thus not changed the environment,
or it's values.
Many people withdraw, denying themselves the chance to act at all. The ultimate
in self p; imprisonment is Withdrawal. This frame of mind invites, and
ensures total acceptance of no self p; worth, or seeks no to change
the system. Manipulation only emulates what we can get from the system,
and even then it neither liberates, nor changes the co-operative reality.
It may be an idea now to change truth to power. truth, that is, of one's
True Will, the desire of expression without unnecessary repression of self
or society. To free oneself of the shackles of a false reality is the only
way to look forward to an empowered future.
Anton Leaton