The Importance of Doubt in MagicAuthor: Grey Glamer
One aspect of spellcasting, which is seldom discussed in occult literature, is the role played by doubt and uncertainty. Most magical texts discuss the importance of belief, encouraging readers to cultivate an unshakeable belief in the efficacy of their spells, while doubt is cast as an obstacle to be overcome through willpower and experience. Believe in magic without fail, we are admonished, lest our spells fail us.
Certainly, doubt constitutes an element, which – left unchecked – can hamper and even negate our magical endeavors. Whenever we second-guess ourselves, we chance losing the laser-like focus so vital for casting spells. Nevertheless, in moderate doses doubt is not only tolerable, but also necessary for the practice of magic. Before we can see how doubt and uncertainty support magic, however, I should clarify what I mean by doubt.
First, there are two kinds of doubt that arise when one talks about magic. The first species is moral doubt, the doubt that asks what we should do. This doubt is the uncertainty epitomized in popular culture by the angel standing upon one shoulder, the devil upon on the other. Moral doubt is the pregnant pause before we take action, the moment when our conscience weighs both the nature and the consequences of the course we've plotted. These reflective pauses, during which we endeavor to decipher the dictates of conscience, exercise an important check upon the extremes of religious and social behavior, especially the mob mentality that historically provoked the Burning Times. Without such introspection, we quickly lapse into unthinking zealotry.
Clearly, moral doubt – doubt about what we should do – has its place within the human experience, and consequently within the Witch's Craft. It's the second species of doubt – the practical doubt that asks what we can do – which proves more difficult to reconcile with the practice of spellcasting. If magic constitutes a process whereby we effect change, goes the argument, then anything which questions our ability to effect change can only detract from the magical process. If magic were nothing more than the uniformly successful fulfillment of wishes, then such an argument might be regarded as axiomatic.
Magic, however, is much more than simple wish fulfillment. As Witches and Magicians, we often begin with spells for love or spells for money - We may even discover a certain satisfaction in the pragmatic uses of magic! – and yet over time such applications pale in comparison with those deeper motivations for studying magic, namely the cultivation of virtues like wisdom and insight. As our magical practice deepens, we begin to realize the universe answers our entreaties, though frequently through unanticipated means, and our focus turns away from the desires of the moment and towards the contemplation of the universe and our place therein.
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