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[Ostraca]

There are many mistranslations in the Bible of course—partly because it was written so long ago! We all know about modern day “witches” that practice witchcraft. The Bible condemn such things; right? Not exactly. “Witch” is a mistranslation of “poisoner”. A “sorcerer” was someone who caused destruction and death. Clearly not what modern day so called witches do! Another point is divination. Divination back then was done in harmful ways such as reading animals spilled guts, blood, and apparently throwing babies into the fire. I can see why they would condemn such a practice! With this we can see that modern day “witches” are not evil at all, but the equivalent of wise women who worked with herbal medicine and other “witchy” things. So next time you hear about witchcraft, you can take a breath.

[jimwalton]

> The Bible condemn such things; right? Not exactly

Actually, the Bible does condemn such things. Deuteronomy 18.10 brings out a list that is meant to be all-inclusive of this type of lifestyle and information seeking: divination, sorcery, omens, witchcraft. And there it is condemned. 2 Chronicles 33.6 is similar. And Galatians 5.20 brings it into New Testament worldview as well.

> “Witch” is a mistranslation of “poisoner”

Let's look at the terms in Deuteronomy 18.10-11.

Divination. Divination involves any of a variety of methods used by soothsayers, mediums, and sorcerers to determine the will of the gods and/or to predict the future. These included the examination of the entrails of sacrificial animals, the analysis of omens of various types, and reading of the future in natural and unnatural phenomena. Any method used that excludes the true source of the will of God and the accurate picture of the future (the knowledge of YHWH Himself) is condemned.

Sorcery. Since magic in the ancient world was a means of contacting the supernatural realm, it was considered to have two facets: good and evil magic. It involved the use of potions, figurines, and curses designed to bring death, disease, or bad luck to the victim. Any method of making contact with the supernatural realm that wasn't trying to contact YHWH was prohibited since it led in a false direction and inevitable ended up with some false information.

Omens. It was the task of omen readers to perform extispicy (generally on lambs), examining the liver and interpreting this omen for the person who has asked for a reading of the future.

Witchcraft. Its practitioners might serve in royal courts or temples or as local herbalists and itinerant diviners, who would, for a price, provide the means to harm or destroy an enemy. The practice is condemned.

Casting spells. Self-explanatory.

Medium. Any medium of any sort doing any task related to mediums.

Spiritists. Their "art" attempted to circumvent YHWH by seeking knowledge and power from spirits. They represented a form of "popular religion," which was closer to the folk practices of the common people and served as a form of "shadow religion" for many. Because of its association with divination, their rituals and methods stood in direct opposition to authentic sources of truth.

Those who consult the dead. Self-explanatory.

> Modern day witches

I'd be pleased to hear from you what modern witches practice and what their worldview is. I have read that modern Wicca is little more than environmentalism and coming into harmony with nature, but perhaps you can explain. It's, by my understanding, working with natural forces by shaping or bending them, so to speak. It's also, by my understanding, a monistic spiritual quest centered in the god in oneself, seeking unity, peace and healing.

[Ostraca]

Being a “modern day witch” myself, I practice a lot of things to help myself and others. Usually incorporating herbalism and incense.

[jimwalton]

I'd like to learn more. I fully advocate using herbs not only for their fragrance, but also their flavor and their medicinal value. That's awesome. But I don't understand why the label "witch" goes with that. To me, the label "herbalist" is more accurate. What about incorporating herbs and incense has anything to do with being a "witch"? My skeptical side might say, "He or she calls herself a witch because it sounds cool and gets a nod out of people." My more reasonable side says, "She calls herself a witch because there's more to it than she's telling me." Because it seems to me that there is nothing about helping yourself and others using herbs and incense that has anything to do with the label "witch". But I'd be glad to learn more.

[Ostraca]

Well, herbs are associated with specific qualities such as money, luck, love, success, healing, ect. You use them by burning them or making what’s called a sachet with them to drink or carry for their metaphysical purposes

[jimwalton]

Thanks for conversing with me. I'm trying to understand. So you use herbs in specific quantities and types, like a recipe, to influence the future (financial success, situational luck, success in a love venture, physical healing)? When I mentioned an herbalist, such a person might add herbs to recipes for flavor or health, or might use herbs medicinally. But you are using herbs metaphysically or for occultation—to exercise some supernatural power in someone's life or into an event? Am I understanding you accurately? Is it fair to call what you do casting a spell or seeking spiritual powers to effect a certain direction or change?

[Ostraca]

Yes! But it’s where we draw our power from. Via Newton; energy is neither created nor destroyed. Everything is timeless energetic universal matter! People who practice witchcraft can draw their power from whatever they believe in. Faith is everything, whether that’s faith in YHWH or Zeus, it’s faith and there’s power in it.

[jimwalton]

Thanks for the conversation. This is very interesting.

I wonder how it works to draw energy from inanimate objects. I understanding you to be saying that energy is all around us (which it is), that energy is in all things (it is), and that energy can be transferred from one entity to another (which it can, like burning incense creates a change in energy, or throwing a rock alters it from potential to kinetic energy—classic physics).

But how does you burning or doing something to an herb, say, in Arizona, create an effect on wealth, health, or love in, say, Virginia? It's not like the Butterfly Effect where we can follow a chain of cause and effect.

> People who practice witchcraft can draw their power from whatever they believe in.

And what if the "whatever they believe in" doesn't exist, like Zeus? Can you draw power from that which is imaginary?

We all know that faith by itself is worthless; it's the entity the faith is in where the power resides. I may believe in the power of Icarus or Pegasus to fly, but the reality of gravity will negate any alleged power in my faith. I would be wiser to have faith in gravity, since it's real, than Pegasus, who is an awfully cool-o idea, but totally imaginary. Faith, then, cannot stand alone; it must have an existent and reliable reference point for it to be worth anything. Am I talking sense? Help me understand.

Sometimes people have faith in things or people that turns out to be a tragic mistake. So it seems to me it isn't the faith that counts, but instead that we need a worthy object of the faith.

[Ostraca]

Well the old “gods” we know are actually just aspects of the universe and earth. Thor, the Norse god of thunder literally translates to “thunder”. These things are just known by different names and given human qualities to reflect on humanity’s superiority complex being at the top of the food chain lol. And with he Arizona and Virginia thing; it’s magnetism. A lot like cell phones! The law of attraction and manifestation plays into whatever you focus your mind on. Look up a pic of the universe compared to a single brain neuron. They’re virtually the same! And we haven’t even scratched the surface in knowledge of the universe...we know nothing! There’s so many possibilities.

[jimwalton]

> Well the old “gods” we know are actually just aspects of the universe and earth

I agree with this, generally. It's easy to tell how this happened. In a world where they struggled for survival, things like sun and water were like deities, along with trees and rivers. At the same time they recognized the value and import of things, so fertility, wisdom, death, and life were deities. I get that. In the course of time various stories grew up (since everyone loves a good story), complications, other "deities," etc. It's easy to see the evolution of such things as quite organic and sensible.

If you asked an ancient whether these gods were "real," I'm sure they would look at you funny. "Of course wisdom is real." "Of course the sun is real." "Of course fertility is real." They were, of course, talking about the entities (wisdom, sun, moon, death, etc.), not a being (Zeus, Mercury, Aphrodite), but they would certainly say Mercury was real, because what he represented was real.

Along came Yahwism, that affirmed that the sun, moon, fertility, wisdom, and death were REAL, but there also was really a GOD, an actual deity, that was none of the these things. Whoa. That was a whole new way of thinking: an actual divine being, sovereign over all, omniscient and omnibenevolent, etc. The conversation has been going on ever since.

> And with he Arizona and Virginia thing; it’s magnetism. A lot like cell phones!

Interesting. I know there are theories that the defining core of the universe is electromagnetism (in competition with the idea that it's gravity). Among scientists, gravity is the winner.

But you're contending that your mind has some sense of influence over these magnetic fields, and all it takes is focus? I'm curious: why bother with the herbs and incense, then?

> Look up a pic of the universe compared to a single brain neuron. They’re virtually the same! And we haven’t even scratched the surface in knowledge of the universe...we know nothing! There’s so many possibilities.

I agree with this! I watched Pi a few weeks ago (1998; Darren Aronofsky). Fascinating! (and troubling...) How these mathematical shapes and formulas are all through nature, like the Golden Spiral and Golden Ratio.

For me, it the awesome wonder that God has created, complete with its beauty, elegance, dangers, wonder, balance, and forces. I'm going to say with some confidence that God's objection to your "modern day witch" concepts is that it gives credit where credit is not due, stealing it away from it's authentic source.

What is the nature and source of this divinity in you? Is there a divine source of the divinity in you, or a divinity over all the human divinities?

Another question, I guess (questions are popping in my mind quickly; this would be one of those times when I wish we could sit down in Starbucks and just talk): did all of these divinities evolve, or is it something inherent in the universe?