The Politics of (Spiral) Dancing...

...The politics of oooo feelin' good.

So will this post be about using magick when dealing with politics, or politics when dealing with magick? Both, of course.

Let's start with the one that I abhor: Politics when it comes to magick. Solitaries might not get the magickal back up of someone else's energy, or the benefit of a coven-mate's experience, but one thing solitaries have got goin on is the removal from the political bullshit that happens when 2 or more people get together. Let's really call politics what it is: Pack hierarchy.

• The pack’s structure and hierarchy is centered around the Alpha pair.
• The dominant male and female control or influence all facets of pack life.
• Competition is also within the pack and without. Within, males and females compete for the role of Alpha.
• The Alpha pair maintain their position through a combination of force and the ability to lead and provide for the pack.
• The Alpha pair also controls the taking in of new members into the pack. In this way, they can control future competition for leadership while still serving the pack.
• New members increase the chance of survival as long as the pack size is controlled.
• They may even find that a rival pack has come into their territory. In this instance, competition takes on a social and survival role... Social, because the outcome of the confrontation can either secure or undermine the Alpha. Should one pack lose, packmates may take the opportunity to take control of the Alpha role.

Substitute "Pagan group" or "coven" for "pack" and there you have it. The above was taken from a discussion of Wolf pack dynamics. Is it any wonder that Wolves are at the heart of the founding of Rome? Romulus and Remus would not have survived without the Lupa.
(Speaking of... Lupercalia is just over a month away and I will be discussing "Whip My Roman Sex Gods," a favorite article I like to repost every year)

So what do you do when "politics" creeps in, as it inevitably does? It's not a gigantic community- you can't always drop a group and find another. And what if you like most of the group but a few bad apples are starting to spoil it with their bs? I don't know. It depends on the size of your, er, the size of your tolerance cup. I have a tiny little shot glass of tolerance for political games and have almost zero problem leaving a group because of it. Then again, I'm a solitary at heart. Practicing alone doesn't make you a solitary, you could be a coven kinda Witch and just not have found your group yet, and conversely, you can be a solitary who is practicing in a group. It's a mindset, not a current condition. Oh no! Another topic on which to expound! Add it to the list!

How about using magick for political purposes, as in influencing the direction of the country and its laws? I belonged to Isaac Bonewits' Spells for Democracy group which closed in the moths before he passed. He posted often about when and how to use our skills in the arena of the mundane political world. His keynote speech at NYC Pagan Pride was about this very subject. I will leave off tonight with two quotes from him and links to where to find more information about practical ways in which you can use your skills. 

From the group's description: "The policy of this discussion group is that it *can* be ethical to perform magic/invoke Divine energies upon people without their permission, and that it is *unethical* for Pagans and magical people to sit on their hands doing nothing when the wealthy and powerful control all other means of fighting for freedom."

From neopagan.net:
"I repeat my proposal that we who live in the United States, currently the most powerful and therefore the most dangerous nation in the world, inaugurate a new Pagan Holy Day in the Neopagan calendar. Around every 4th of July, let us all invoke Lady Liberty, the Goddesses Freedom, Justice, Truth, and other appropriate deities (the Roman pantheon is filled with such personified abstracts and works well with the architecture and thinking patterns of the American government). Begin by reconsecrating the statue of Freedom in DC, the Statue of Liberty in NYC, or other local statues of Her. Ask Her/Them to increase Their influence, not just over Washington DC, but over all our state capitols as well, so that our legislators, executives, judges, and military/police will also act in accordance with Their highest ideals. In addition, let us cast our own spells, every year with Their help and guidance, to encourage our public servants to remember what they are: the servants of the entire public, members of all religions and none. (I have a page of Liberty Rite Materials that will provide some ideas and I would be happy to add more from my readers.)"

Who wants to meet me at the Statue of Liberty the first week in July?