Urban witchcraft

[Polarbear]

Is there such a thing as urban or city witchcraft? Something that embrases city life and all of it's aspects as also being natural and having a spiritual side? It just seems like most witches feel pulled towards the wild.

 

[Cassiopia]

I love the countryside and the more naturalistic elements of witchcraft, but I am very much a city witch. I have done virtually all my magic within an urban setting. I did have some links to books about city/urban witchcraft... Not sure where I kept them, so I will try and get back to you on that.

 

[Polarbear]

Thank you! Anyway, is nature sacred to you? Does this go for the city as well?

 

[Cassiopia]

Nature is indeed sacred to me and there is plenty of nature in the city if you look for it. However, the city also has all sorts of other energy which can be worked with. It is also sacred for me, I think anything can be sacred. At a basic level I'd say everything in the city is derived from the same same fundamental elements that you will find in the country. Buildings are stone or wood. Fire and light are there in many forms. There is still rain and plenty of water. There is always air. In truth I would guess that there are more witches in cities these days than in the country and it is up to us to evolve and adapt to using the energy that is there.

 

[Polarbear]

So what is the main difference between energis in the city and in the countryside? Why are they different?

 

[Iti oj]

a bit off topic but i read a lovely book calledAmazon.com: Urban Shaman (9780671683078): Serge Kahili King: Books

 

[Cassiopia]

I don't think they have to be different. But maybe think about it as the difference between fresh food and processed food. Processed food can be fine so long as you know what is in it and balance your diet accordingly.

 

[Sylvan]

Much like kitchen witchcraft, I think witchcraft is wherever the witch is.

Places I work particularly with the forces of the city are crossroads, especially those created by large freeway underpasses.

 

[Polarbear]

Awesome how do you do that? Do you perform rituals around the city you live in? Do you get strange looks when people see you?

 

[Iti oj]

Awesome how do you do that? Do you perform rituals around the city you live in? Do you get strange looks when people see you?

in my area people ask lots of questions take pictures ask to join. but magic is very accepted in my area but i live in the suburbs not urban so i dont count i guess

 

[Polarbear]

So people want to join in on the fun, huh?

 

[Sylvan]

Awesome how do you do that? Do you perform rituals around the city you live in? Do you get strange looks when people see you?

You learn to be subtle. I don't wear any funny clothes, and have my beads or any other amulets, etc, mostly inside my shirt. You pick places to enter gnosis where there isn't a lot of traffic, or ways to do it that aren't so obvious. Long ago I developed a walking trance technique kind of similar to a ritually-induced ummm... thing I can't talk about because of rule 6. You also learn not to care about what other people think of you because guess what 9 times out of 10 they couldn't care less and will ignore you if at all possible. This is also something that invisibility spells are for.

Often my working will look like a bike ride to a particular place and then a walk along some other particular places and if you were to come up to me I'd give you a really weird look because I'm trying to walk in the Otherworld. But people don't usually do that unless they are being ridden by spirits. Which happens. I carry a flask of some kind of alcohol not to get drunk but to spit or dribble on certain street corners along with dropped pennies or offer to obviously spirit-ridden bums, prostitutes, or street kids. Then I deliver the offering to the determined place and I return to wherever I locked my bike up.. coming down as it were. I analyse the actions and impressions I received during the journey as a form of divination. Then I go home, eat a nice meal, light a candle to my ancestors for keeping me safe, etc, and take a bath with some cleansing and balancing herbs in it.

 

[Polarbear]

What is rule six?

 

[Quintessence]

Yeah, there are folks who work with the Spirits of cities and human-made things and do spellcraft involving the same. I have done so myself on occasion, but it's not the focus of my path. I get the impression that most Neopagans classify humanity as part of nature, but in practice it isn't always expressed as such. There are also a number of practitioners who get very fussy about using human-made things. I don't get that. They'll get fussy about, say, lighting a candle with a lighter instead of stick matches because supposedly the lighter is less "natural."

 

[Sylvan]

Yeah, ridiculous. My coven encouraged everyone to buy matches and lighters in bulk right before Imbolc and we would bless them as part of the ceremony so we'd have sacred fire all year. Some would even bring bottles of zippo fluid.

What is rule six?

Since we technically can't discuss moderation, I will refer you here.

 

[Polarbear]

Ah, okay forum rule six, got it.

 

[Gjallarhorn]

Is there such a thing as urban or city witchcraft? Something that embrases city life and all of it's aspects as also being natural and having a spiritual side? It just seems like most witches feel pulled towards the wild.

Most people don't understand what "nature" means, which is why the distinction is made.