Hello my lovelies! Before going into our topic today – Pop Culture Magick: Samhain Style – I wanted to give you a little personal side note. I had promised 13 articles before Samhain…now if you do the math you’ll see that unless I post multiple articles in the following days that won’t be possible. I won’t give you any excuses…I will be honest in why I’ve fallen behind on my promise.
I suffer from CPTSD (Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). I have worked very hard over the past couple years to break free from the crippling symptoms of that mental illness. However, there are still triggers. I will most likely have triggers for the rest of my life. I am hopeful that I will work through them but according to psychiatrists and research, it’s not likely. A few weeks ago I found myself in a situation that set off a lot of triggers, and flashbacks. Since that time I have been suffering from a type of depression, I suppose is the best term. I don’t feel unhappy, and I don’t even feel sad. But I have felt incredibly sleepy, unmotivated, and weak. I haven’t felt inspired to write, draw, sculpt, not even to paint. It’s really quite frustrating, that this person who means nothing to me was able to set off something in my mind that has had me tied down under the immense weight of my traumatic past for entirely too long. I have missed deadlines and been late submitting work to my clients. I haven’t been outside, I haven’t done magic, and I haven’t even done more than sit in my recliner talking to the Morrigan for devotionals. The haze is clearing, but it still lingers. I suppose it’s why I was put on permanent disability – the psychiatrist that evaluated me obviously saw that the horrors of my past have left scars that immobilize me in many ways. I have surpassed all expectations, but I’m still human and I still suffer from time to time. It drives me nuts to know that even though I have carefully carved the life I want, and am on the path towards the life my son and I deserve, that there are still monsters that can jump out of the woods and scare me into hiding. I will not apologize for my illness, nor am I ashamed of it. Too many battered women apologize for their abuse and for the aftermath. I will not be one of those women. My abuser is out of my life, but not all of the wounds he caused are fully healed. I am sorry that I haven’t kept my word. I will do my best to provide as many articles as possible, but I won’t sacrifice quality for quantity. With that said, let’s take a breath, center ourselves, and open our minds to learn a new technique!
Pop Culture Magick (PCM)
Pop Culture Magick is any form of magick that includes someone/thing from pop culture – books, movies, television, music, etc. There are a number of resources about this technique, but I was surprised to learn that it was established over a decade ago! Some authors say that this form of magick is often snubbed, even sneered at. Well, I grew up feeling like a ‘loser’, and if I’ve learned anything it’s how to give zero f*cks at what other people think!
I’m new to PCM, and have only used it in my practice for about two months now. This is why I’ve included a list of links – not only because these are the articles I used to gather information for this article but for you to learn more about it if you wish.
Halloween Hoots, Samhain style
Today I am going to share with you how I have incorporated PCM into my Witch-tober craft. I am celebrating both Halloween and Samhain, and have brought characters from my favorite books and movies to life, so to speak, and requested from these spirits help with a number of spells. To add a hint of Halloween, or to give PCM some Samhain style, call upon characters from your favorite Halloween movies or books, or use a Samhain song to send you into a guided meditation.
I have an ancestor altar set up, and every night I will light the candles, provide an offering, and take a moment of silence. Some nights I will just talk to my ancestors, others I will meditate. Occasionally I will perform divination, asking my ancestors specific questions. To help boost my psychic abilities, I called upon the spirit of Professor Trelawney. Sure, she was a bit, erm – off- most of the time. But when she went into trance she channeled very real messages. So, I meditated and shifted my mode of consciousness to one in which I could channel psychic messages. I envisioned Professor Trelawney guiding my hand, helping me choose the cards that would best answer my questions. As a sign of respect and appreciation I lit some Nag Champa incense (I imagine that would be one of the many scents that swirls around her classroom), and offered her some Vervain, and herb associated with psychic powers.
In my opinion, there isn’t a wrong way to do PCM. Below are some websites that have a lot of information about it. What better way to incorporate Halloween with Samhain magick?!
Resources:
http://www.spiralnature.com/magick/pop-culture-magick-intro/
https://wildhunt.org/2015/07/a-look-at-pop-culture-magick.html
Pop Culture Magic Systems
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