There is an epidemic within our community. From ‘natural-born’ witches, to those Pagans who claim a anime bloodline, the Cleopatra Syndrome is no longer just for those claiming to be imbued with the historic queen’s soul.
While far more prevalent in the Fluffy Pink Bunny sects, one can still find traces of this syndrome in seemingly normal people who adamantly insist that skills such as divination, prophecy and astral travel, are in fact ‘gifts’ reserved by the gods for a select few. But what is this fascination with being better than your average Witch?
Is it just an overwhelming desire to be recognized as special? Or perhaps a true psychological weakness in believing that they are somehow not good enough just being themselves? What, I ask, is really so terrible about being a plain vanilla human being?
I believe that part of the blame lies with Western culture. We have been raised to strive to be the princess, the rock star, the famous actor, the sports hero … drowning in wealth and adoration … better than the average person. But pop culture is not the soul cause.
Many a church leader teaches that the earth belongs to mankind, to be used as we see fit … creating a severe distaste for the contention of modern science that human beings are little better than animals. This twisting of many religions’ teachings is what allows people to abuse the earth and her creatures … what does it matter if we are destined to be so much better than this place?
This is a fundamental problem I have with the notion of transcendence. If our goal is to become one with a deity that is beyond this world, then we, in turn, numb ourselves to our surroundings. Nature and the health of our planet no longer matter because this existence is a temporary exile from something far more … far better than can be imagined.
For me, one of the central goals of my craft is to reawaken those senses and abilities that were suppressed or forgotten due to conventional wisdom deeming them ‘childish’ or ‘make believe’. Many of these skills I believe to be instinctual and available to all humans.
Empathic ability, for example, is not just a sensitivity to energy fluctuations. Have you ever been told that animals can smell fear? That they ‘know’ when a storm or natural disaster is about to hit? Has it ever escaped the attention of your beloved pet when you were sick, or unhappy?
One thing science has taught us about animals is that they are extremely sensitive to body language – some to the point of seeming able to solve complex mathematical problems by mere observation of the questioner. Subtle fluctuations in facial expressions, breathing patterns, and muscle tension can alert ‘us’ to the moods and sometimes even thoughts of other people.
For some, these theories may take away the magic of extra-sensory skills, but for me, they provide a sense of illumination. This is an instance where science has allayed one of the greatest fears of many environmentalists. When we strive to reclaim psychic skills and abilities, we are not further removing ourselves from the world, we are forcing ourselves down into it. We are reconnecting with the earth and the creatures who inhabit it.
Perhaps a day will come when we are all able to feel the intricately woven pattern of life on this planet. We will feel the damage we do to the environment, and strive to limit it … we will feel the deaths of our fellow creatures and learn to respect them a little more.
You don’t have to be a fairy or some sort of mythical sorceress to understand this … you just have to be human. Embrace your humanity, warts and all. Perfection is not the goal … connection is.
A Less Travelled Path 