Spiritual Sovereignty: A Foundation in Existentialism

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In my personal life, I've been discussing my views on witchcraft and spiritual beliefs with certain friends and family more often. They have been asking me more questions, which I greatly appreciate. I find that when people ask thoughtful questions and seek to understand, it's an intimate act of love and care. I've often kept my spiritual beliefs close to my chest. This stems partly from my upbringing—growing up Catholic there was an aspect of fear of judgment which is common among church elders. After I left the Catholic Church I briefly explored New Age Christian churches, attended a Universalist church, and now am fully embracing my eclectic views of paganism.

I could never fully grasp the idea of an absolute truth and was never interested in discovering the so-called Truth of the Universe, which religion and the church often seemed to propose. This is why I tend to stay away from groups like Golden Dawn and the Ordo Templi Orientis. While there's nothing wrong with these groups, and I have incorporated much of their teachings into my personal practice, they are just not for me. There's a lot of conflict in churches and organized groups about what is the right or correct way to conduct yourself. For magical groups it tends to be the correct why to perform an operation. To me, that's not the point of faith and spirituality, especially as a practitioner. 

I hold Quakers in high regard because they acknowledge that everyone has a drop of the divine or ‘spirit,’ and during meditation sessions, people can be moved to share the voice of God from their personal and authentic perspective. Pope Francis's open acceptance of LGBTQ individuals holds significant meaning for me as a former Catholic. It embodies a spirit of inclusivity, embracing all as children of God and reflecting divine love.

For me, being a witch means acknowledging that you don't know everything. It's not about finding the ultimate truth; it's about being willing to discover your own personal power, sovereignty, and the answers that make sense to you and align with your core values. 

Witchcraft embodies spirituality, sovereignty, and is deeply rooted in existentialism. 

This perspective developed partly from my existential experiences. After my brother died, I faced the reality of life's meaning. Why am I here, and why am I experiencing the pain and sorrow of losing a sibling? What is the point of existing? I had just started high school and was confronted with the knowledge of death, realizing that life is short and that you can just vanish. My mind was filled with questions about whether anything happening in my world meant anything in the grand scheme of the universe. That reflection led me to consider what I wanted to do with my life. Did I just want to graduate, work a dead-end job, and exist quietly? Or did I want to make something more of my experiences and myself? But if I went ahead with that, what would have been the purpose behind it, if there was any at all?

However, isn't that the beauty of life? 

The freedom to choose, the sovereignty to do anything, and how that correlates with personal values and core. If it matters to you then it is therefore important. There is no absolute truth, no matter how much faith, research, or experience you have; there's always the chance you could be wrong. 

I find reassurance in Marcus Aurelius' words: “Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.” 

The key to living with purpose is living with intentionality. Intentionality can be as simple as actively choosing to do something for yourself or someone else with a conscious effort rooted in genuineness. With that genuine effort, you may not change the world, but you’re changing that person's world and yours. Living authentically and intentionally means discovering who you truly are without societal, ancestral, and worldly expectations guiding your choices. Making choices with purity and centered harmony with yourself. 

It's a bittersweet truth that life is short, but the wonderful moments that make the human experience worthwhile are those of intentionality and resonance with your center.

Being a magician can help facilitate and amplify those choices. Simple acts like calling upon herbs by name in a ritual, reciting the multiple names of a deity, considering the timing, moon phase, and day of the week, all down to the tone of your voice, stating or singing  incantations in a different tongue, it all matters and can enhance the ritual's impact. The spirits I have come in contact with recognize the effort and intention behind actions. This amplifies the effectiveness of our endeavors. A practitioner resembles a musical conductor, skillfully combining different chords and techniques to direct the manifestation of a goal. It is essential that these methods work in harmony. Living authentically involves ensuring that your choices and intentional actions resonate with your true self and your heart.

I have my theories about what I believe. I know my experiences communing with spirits and that my operations have tapped into that liminal space unseen by our human shells. Paganism acknowledges that there are multiple forms of divinity that serve a purpose and connect to the ultimate power of the cosmos. I don't know the full answer, and even if I found it, I doubt I could fully comprehend it in this physical realm while maintaining human existence. However, what I do know is that I am making the best choices for myself to live my own authentic life. 

The beauty of the human experience lies in the never-ending performance of rising and falling to the tune of your own heart and returning to your own authentic divinity. That in itself is a journey back to your true self, a return to your home within the Universe.