On Power

Oh, my beautiful ones, how do I begin to speak of Power and the nature of power? And how to explain what an essential and important role you have to play in this tradition? I would have to start by saying that most witches within my tradition were brought to this path by the acquisition of power. As a witch of Star and Serpent, I also am here for the acquisition of power. However, what I mean by this may not be what is assumed among Western witchcraft. Witches, like most people, see the world through the lens of culture. In the West, that lens is overwhelmingly colonial and individualistic. Where most people, and in particular people with independent self-systems, think about power as relative power or power over others, and that other includes the world around them. The idea of power being only valuable when one can control is always an artifact of fear. It is why the colonizers are so afraid of equality. They fear that we will take over and treat them as they have treated us. That we want power over them. That fear requires our oppression, so that we do not become a threat to them. It is a hallmark of privilege to believe that all other people are like you and think like you. Because what you think is obviously the right and real way to think, right? Otherwise, why would you have become so powerful over others? Obviously, that means they are right. Hint: it’s because that is where you have invested your power to create and destroy. Power over others must be constantly maintained, by threat or reward. People do not tend toward obedience unless you give them reason to do so. Churches and governments and institutions in general rely on sticks and carrots, and eventually are undone because that kind of power is unsustainable.

Participating in magic as a person of color requires one to question every principle of magic. Mostly, the peoples not in power (BIPOC, disabled, fat, even other animal species) want to be left alone to live our lives in self-determination. Witches are human, and therefore subject to culture. However, with training and practice, one can come to see culture as a tool like any other, a means to the expression of power. For those able to see beyond the assumptions of the dominant culture, power is the power to create or destroy. I would say that I am motivated by the power to create and destroy according to larger patterns. It is something that is sustained by simply being present. It is experienced as a center of strength and solidity. Nothing can be forced on the person who is in their power. They are the unmovable object and the irresistible force. But it isn’t something that exists independent of the world that surrounds us. It is the very act of connection to that world that informs this power, and which actions of power are required. It is about being still and in that stillness understanding the great web. Systems theory. A change in any part of the system changes the system as a whole and any change to the system impacts all parts of the system. Knowledge of the interdependence we share with the world is a systemic view. We can hear it call, and we then can know what to create or what to destroy, or what to leave the fuck alone, to restore balance. We do not just create or destroy for our personal gain, but for the balance of the system. Our own suffering is not a sacrifice made for the system. Not everything is a zero-sum game with clear winners and losers (another Western assumption). I, my students, and most likely you are also not solely part of the dominant culture. The rest of the world has always seemed out of alignment with this. It has made you feel strange and lonely, and likely taken advantage of. You may even wonder what you are doing here. The truth is that you are actually in touch with this larger collective power. The power to control is an artifact of fear. For so many of us, we are already living in a post-apocalyptic world. We are descendants of the survivors of genocide and the ones kidnapped and kept as slaves. You may come from places on the globe that dominant cultures deem “primitive.” But underneath that stigma is a gift. We understand power for what it is. And we are very much aware that stigma is a quality of the beholder, not the stigmatized. It is the inability to see anything different as beautiful, to see the strange as anything but dangerous.

The basic tenets and values of Star and Serpent are embodied in the pentacles. The iron pentacle is about personal characteristics and values. Who we want to become as a person and a witch. The Pearl pentacle is about the values and qualities that we embody in community, the dreams and goals of a collective place that arises and passes away on the regular, just like we arise and pass away as Selves. In Star and Serpent, Power is the only point that is the same on both pentacles, although not exactly the same because of one being more internal and the other being more relational.

My personal power is something for which I am a steward. It is mine by birthright, but what I do with it determines my welfare and ability to create and destroy. As a steward of this gift, it is my obligation to hone this power. It has been said that our tradition is a warrior tradition, and that is best explained in terms of power. It is about having a goal of being impeccable to one’s own ethics, and to be ruthlessly compassionate with the self. To see things as they really and truly are. No magic can proceed without this knowledge. I can tell you that as a fat person, a person of color, a disabled person, a queer person, that power has been crucial to seeing myself as I am. I must always be on guard against the dominant culture being assumed, and this requires endless work. Meditation. Holding myself to be accountable. Power is connected, but it does not allow me to bow to those societal expectations without challenge. In my professional life, I studied stigma. The cognitive phenomenon of stigma is not a quality or essential part of the person who is stigmatized. Stigma belongs to the person viewing the stigmatized person. It belongs to the person who has the privilege. So, when someone calls me some nasty name, in an attempt to gain power over me, I must summon the inner warrior, so I can stare them in the eye and smile, as I remember that the stigma belongs to them. It is their weakness or fear. It does not belong to me. And I also remember that to be in my power, I must stay mindful and centered and open.

Open? Yes, open. You see, power is more a lack of fear, or the courage to accept fear and still remain centered. The other person is in fear of me, likely because I am different. And they lack the stability of personal power they need to feel and act from a place of power. If they can see you in your power, they will have a moment of fear. You can see them. They can see you. Mostly they will try to get away at that point. If you can find compassion for them in this moment, sometimes they will have a moment of insight and stop. Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche once said that a warrior removes their armor to be invincible. Before I was old, I wore my head shaved. Yes, all the dykes loved it, and that was an added side benefit. But mostly I did it to be seen. People could not help but see me. I shaved off the armor of my long black hair. When I did, something amazing happened. Firstly, old women would come up to me and exclaim that I was beautiful and that they wished they could do the same. I always told them that I would be happy to shave their heads for them. No one ever took me up on that offer. Walking though the world being seen is a lot of work. Secondly, I stopped being harassed on the street. So, I am not a small person. Standing at 5’ 10” and weighing at least twice my expected weight, I always was an imposing figure. And yet, people wanted to try me every day on the street, on the bus, at work, everywhere. But shaving my head seemed to send a message. People stopped harassing me. I was not being particularly threatening, simply occupying space and graciously handing them back their stigma. Here, this belongs to you. I reject your cultural assumption. And when someone would call me a dyke, I would smile and say, “yes.” When they called me fat, I would smile and say, “yes.” I knew who I was, but rejected the stigma associated with the physical characteristics they felt made me inferior. And, generally, it is what has made people find me intimidating. Mostly because they could not predict what else I was capable of. It is also how someone hands you their weapons. If they fear me, I can use that to get what I want, which is mostly to be allowed to mind my own business. And also, to get my own lane at the pool. You know, those things that are often attributed to magic.

Power on the Pearl Pentacle is collective power, how we work to create or destroy with others, within a system, and how we hold the commons. And my dear ones, those with privilege are really terrible at this, and witches are no exception. They will try to steal the commons from you, so you must foster that ruthless compassion to know who is balanced in their Pearl power. It is part of the power of Pearl that allows groups to do things that individuals cannot accomplish alone. You see, if you have more than one warrior, you have a squad. If you have many warriors, you have an army. If you all can stand in your power, you will seem solid and firm. Others will be careful. Others will think you are crazy. That is exactly what you want. Because as a group, as an army, all the warriors will hand the stigma back to them at once and say, “yes, exactly.” Nobody wants to face down a wall of warriors. You don’t need to attack them. You simply need to shed your armor. Generally, in public, people fear groups of people taking off their armor.

Now within the Tradition, there are those who wish to steal or spoil the commons for their own personal gain. Just because someone says they are a witch does not mean they are a warrior. You can try your best to try to right these people, but greed is a weakness that one has to consciously disavow. It is born of a sense of scarcity or disconnection from the whole. Once we split as a tradition. In part because of safety issues, but also because the commons were being sold. Was there any way to stop that from happening? Not really. But in those conditions, something will happen, in order to restore balance. So, an elder, Miriam, came forward and talked to those people she knew honored their oaths and wanted to preserve the commons. The thing about Auntie Miriam is that she was not like other people. She was a wild thing that lived outside of societal expectations. She decided at 16 that she was not of this modern world. Her power was that she was able to walk away. And she took many initiates with her. But that was Miriam’s gift, that she was able to envision a world that was different. It took many people to make it work. Some worked on stating the values and guidelines that the new tradition would have. Some are teachers, who did not sell their teachings, but instead adopted their students as family. Some created ritual and liturgy that was only shared within the tradition. Some kept knowledge and made sure that others could have access in a way that would not be stolen again. But Miriam didn’t do all that by herself. That is the creative power of Pearl. The split was destructive in some ways, but also created a new tradition with new creations. It inspired people to do things in different ways. Yes, it is easier to accomplish tasks with many hands, but it is also the power to be part of a whole, and in that way, to be willing to plant seeds of trees of which you will never taste the fruit. The power of Iron dies with us. The power of Pearl is immortal. It’s why I’m writing this for you to read when I have long since found my rest (Ha! As if). Because Pearl is immortal. Don’t call me with my sigil if you cannot honor the commons, because I will give you a swift smack on the ass. Ancestors hold the commons sacred. Their power is part of the Pearl as well.

Think of power as balance, not control. Power over is always fear-based. Stealing the commons is always based in scarcity. It is life out of balance, and ultimately destroys those who attempt it. Know what you are capable of. Know what you are willing to do. Know your fellow warriors and who you can trust to defend the commons. Understand that, take off your armor, and be invincible. Your job in Iron is to know your power, to reject the stigma laid on you, and to be steadfast and solid. Your job in Pearl is to understand that you are never alone, and that you are a part of something greater. You have at your back the very Hoops of Heaven. You have at your back the Gods both remembered and forgotten. You have at your back the wisdom of your ancestors. You have at your back the warriors of your tradition, sworn to aid and defend. Breathe. Be solid. And listen. Be patient. See with ruthless compassion what stands before you. Look for balance. Then act.

I will say this. Because Star and Serpent was most practiced by white folks, and especially American white people, you will see so many witches practicing only the Iron pentacle. But Iron and Pearl are two sides of the same coin. You cannot build something solid by gazing only at your own navel. There is balance to be found in the practice of the Pearl, but it is not a wisdom found in dominant culture. So, part of the gift you will bring to the Tradition and the world is the fact that you are not part of dominant culture. You probably wondered why you were taught to be mindful in the beginning of your training. This is why. You can see more from the outside than from the inside. But you will need to stand firm, because those with privilege cannot see it, unless they work very hard. As witches in this tradition and the world, you are being asked to do something very difficult. Stand in your truth. Hand back the stigma. Protect the commons. More are coming. Sometimes you will have to challenge your own people. They may not acknowledge your power, but they can never nullify you. You will simply look at them compassionately, smile, and say, “yes.” And still hold your ground. Remember that all those behind your back are willing to also hold them accountable, as you must hold yourselves. And when you make a mistake, you own it. That is the balance that we so desperately need. Know that others may see this as an opportunity for their own greed or status. Do not worry. They just showed you their weakness. It’s always good to know. Someone who is right in their Power of Pearl will never do that. It’s good to know who you can trust and respect, and who will extend an arm to you when they have bested you. As my Tia Salome once said, “A noble enemy is more valuable than a false friend.”

And now you can try. You can understand that this soul forged in starlight and this body made in bliss is capable of creation and destruction. You are the witch, the hand of fate. What will you make or destroy? What does the great web ask of you? You have the power to make it real.