Witchcraft symbolism in the unconscious mind refers to the presence of witchcraft-related symbols and themes within one's unconscious thoughts and dreams. These symbols may include broomsticks, cauldrons, black cats, and spells, among others. The unconscious mind is believed to be a reservoir of repressed thoughts, desires, and fears, and witchcraft symbolism can be a manifestation of these hidden emotions. The main idea is that witchcraft symbolism in the unconscious mind can provide insight into one's hidden desires and fears. In many cultures, witchcraft has been associated with dark magic, mischief, and the occult. It is often portrayed as an ambiguous and mysterious practice, which has led to its inclusion in the realm of the unconscious.
It is often portrayed as an ambiguous and mysterious practice, which has led to its inclusion in the realm of the unconscious. The unconscious mind, as conceptualized by Sigmund Freud and later expanded upon by Carl Jung, is believed to contain repressed thoughts and experiences which can influence our conscious behavior and emotions. The symbols of witchcraft that appear in the unconscious mind can vary greatly depending on an individual's experiences, beliefs, and cultural background.
Witchcraft symbolism in the unconscious mind
Technologically Inclined Eclectic Witch. Gemini. 26. Allegedly the Martha Stewart of Witches. I post and reblog spells, grimoire ideas, witchy humor, and asthetic. My ask box is always open for any curious witchlings!
Witchcraft and the Placebo EffectA few days ago, an anon asked multiple witchcraft blogs, in short, “isn’t witchcraft/magic just the placebo effect?” I understand some witches’ hostility towards this question (some witches may involve appeals to a deity in their craft, etc). But it’s worth noting that some witches- myself included- actually embrace this notion. American psychologist, author, and self-described agnostic mystic Robert Anton Wilson said “Magick has many aspects, and can act as a dramatized system of psychology.” An appeal to your conscious mind in the form of, let’s say, a spell to start a new habit or a spell to get over someone, if done with sincerity and a clearly expressed course for change, can be helpful in making these changes a reality. Pagan therapy is an emerging field. So, yes, there are many systems for magic, but devaluing one system— this “dramatized psychology”— isn’t helpful to the discussion. After all, doesn’t the placebo effect prove that we can heal ourselves? It can help us to effectively reprogram our own minds. This can be a valuable tool for personal healing— and to some witches, even a sacred tool.
On the rare occasions when I do magic (they are very very rare) this is exactly how I think of it. That, and sometimes as an extended form of prayer/request to the divine or the universe in general.
I’m barely even a fledgling witch, but this is how I usually see magic.
Filmmaker, tarot reader, and mystic Alejandro Jodorowsky wrote an entire book on the premise that physical actions can have an effect equal to magic on the unconscious mind. His concern is using symbolic actions to create psychological healing, but he also hints that ritualized acts can bring about all kinds of magical effects (and are in fact the source of magic, as they impress your will upon the unconscious in a way it can understand).
From Psychomagic: The Transformative Power of Shamanic Psychotherapy:
It is easier for the unconscious mind to understand dream language than rational language. From a certain point of view, illnesses are dreams, messages that reveal unsolved problems. “Folk healers” develop personal techniques with great creativity; ceremonies, spells, strange medicines such as cafe au lait laxatives, rusty screw infusions, mashed potato sanitary napkins, animal excrement tablets, or moth eggs. Some have more imagination or talent than others, but all, if consulted with faith, are useful. They speak to the primitive and superstitious individual, whom we all carry inside.
It feels like I’ve been running into this idea (symbolic actions+power of the unconscious=magic) everywhere lately. The train of logic usually goes something like this:
- the universe is mental, and all physical reality is a projection of the universal mind
- the universal mind is accessible to humans through the unconscious
- the language of the unconscious is symbolism
- symbolic actions communicate will and desires to the unconscious mind and thus to the universal mind
- the universal mind responds to this act of will by bringing about change in the physical world
I’m still not sure what to think. This is all very theoretical. grimoire-of-geekery, I’d be interested to hear what you have to say about this.
I was reading Psychomagic and I need to get back on it!
I think the “placebo effect” phrasing implies that there was nothing to their magic beyond a mental trick and so it makes people react badly who might otehrwise agree with a statement such as: “magic can focus and change your will and intent to make yourself do something.” This is a powerful tool when the magic is self-focused in any way (even a way that focuses on changing yourself in a way that effects others), incorporating its effects on your mind is basically factoring in magic on another deeper level that does impact you. There are a lot of chaos magic principles that apply to this, and there’s a huge chunk of Goetic demon workers who believe that the demons they work with are parts of their consciousness made manifest in a way that they can be directed and learned from.
Buuuut “isn’t witchcraft/magic just the placebo effect?” The question here basically writes off any witchcraft and magic that’s not placebo-based as not existing or not being real or not working beyond the placebo effect. I think this is where we get a lot of conflict in many communities - a theory’s proposal is often worded in a way that automatically invalidates and erases other methods and belief systems. Instead of replacing, we can add.
“Can witchcraft and magic work via the placebo effect?” This asks about a possible mechanism instead of writing off tons of practitioners and traditions. It’s also a mechanism that can be combined with all sorts of methods. I constructed a devotional to Eligos that I read every day. I know it partly works via repetition, the wording reinforcing certain attitudes in my mind, the reassurance of the words themselves. But I also get Eligos talking to me throughout the day about how the devotional’s subject matter is going, and because I work with demons from the perspective that they are separate individuals with their own existences, I feel they are not my mind talking to itself. (I’ve entertained the idea of whether they are parts of my mind but so far that theory hasn’t squared up with my observations.) I also can feel when Eligos helps me according to the devotional’s terms, and from my perspective he is definitely an outside influence adding his aid as opposed to me just making a commitment to perceive things in a certain way. The changes that have taken place are not something I feel I could have engineered mentally considering the way the devotional was engineered and structured.
But yes, brain-hacking, chaos magic, placebo magic, intent-based workings, these are all possible ways of tackling a problem. It’s just that their existence doesn’t disprove the existence of other ways of doing magic/witchcraft, and that flimsy disproving premise is an assertion I’ve heard a lot from skeptics.
(A wobbly parallel to the anti-science version of this fallacy: Piltdown Man was a hoax “missing link” constructed by a racist scientist to combat the theory that humanity’s ancestors originated from Africa. Piltdown Man being a hoax is proof that Piltdown Man is not an ancient ancestor to humans and also lends support to humanity’s african origins. Anti-evolution peeps claim Piltdown Man as proof that evolution itself is a hoax even though that doesn’t carry over at all. So one evolutionary theory being disproven does not equal all evolutionary theories being disproven, and some magic being placebo-based does not equal all magic being placebo-based.)
I think the biggest deal with this is that placebo magic can really only effect people who know about it. The whole operation is based on the idea that someone knows something has been cast and then changes their will/self to match it. This can even be the basis of a curse, in fact, because it gets someone to curse themselves by messing their own head up. But once that magic affects an outside person in a way that can’t be chalked up to a placebo effect, placebo stops being the mechanism by which magic is operating and something else is going on. If I cast a spell on someone (a banishing for instance) and they leave town when I set the spell to activate, and they had no idea I cast that spell and not even any contact from me or those I influence, it’s hard to see that working via a placebo mechanism anymore. Even if the placebo caused me to change my will in a way to facilitate the action, if the person themselves is the one who left, and I didn’t engage with them at all on it in any meaningful or even third-party way, then some other mechanism is at play and my will is causing magic to happen in a way that’s not just placebo. I’m psychically connecting to them, a deity is involved, causality is getting rearranged to facilitate their leaving - there’s all sorts of possible mechanisms, but I think at a certain point we can rule placebo out as a causative factor, even though it may facilitate some processes along the way.
I’m barely even a fledgling witch, but this is how I usually see magic.
For example, a person who grew up in a religious household may associate witchcraft with evil and fear, while someone with an interest in neopaganism may view it as a spiritual practice. The presence of witchcraft symbolism in the unconscious mind can thus reflect these personal associations and beliefs. Dreams are often a window into the unconscious mind, and witchcraft symbolism can frequently appear in them. Dreams involving witches, spells, and other witchcraft elements can provide insight into one's hidden desires, fears, or unresolved conflicts. For example, dreaming of being a witch may suggest a desire for power and control, while dreaming of being chased by witches may indicate deep-seated fears or anxieties. Exploring the symbolism that emerges from the unconscious mind and understanding its meaning can be a useful tool for self-reflection and personal growth. It allows individuals to gain a deeper understanding of their own thoughts and emotions, and provides an opportunity for psychological healing and integration. In conclusion, witchcraft symbolism in the unconscious mind is a fascinating subject that offers insight into our hidden desires, fears, and experiences. By exploring and understanding these symbols, we can gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and work towards personal growth and psychological well-being..
Reviews for "Witchcraft Symbols as Portals to the Unconscious Mind's Deeper Realms"
- John Doe - 1 star - I found "Witchcraft symbolism in the unconscious mind" to be full of pseudoscience and baseless claims. The author's attempts to connect witchcraft with the unconscious mind seemed forced and lacking evidence. The book lacked depth and failed to provide any meaningful insights. Overall, I was very disappointed and would not recommend it to anyone looking for a serious exploration of the topic.
- Jane Smith - 2 stars - I had high hopes for "Witchcraft symbolism in the unconscious mind" as someone interested in the occult, but I found it to be a convoluted mess. The author seemed to jump from one idea to another without a clear thread connecting them. The writing was unclear and hard to follow, making it difficult to grasp the author's intended meaning. While there were some interesting points, overall, I felt like I wasted my time reading this book.
- Sarah Johnson - 1 star - "Witchcraft symbolism in the unconscious mind" was not what I expected at all. The book promised a deep exploration of witchcraft symbolism, but it failed to deliver on its promise. The author's ideas were shallow and lacked originality. It seemed like the author was simply regurgitating common knowledge and presenting it as groundbreaking. The writing style was also overly academic and dry, making it even harder to engage with the material. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a meaningful exploration of witchcraft symbolism.