Pagans and strange spelling / archaic sounding phrases...

@Galena (9110)
April 12, 2007 7:44am CST
do you do it? or like me are you a bit baffled by spelling good old Magic, as Magick, Majik, Magicke, Majiek...I could go on I've seen so many varients. not to mention Wytch, Wych, Wetch, Wytchecrafte, Wykkan, Wykchun.... blessed bes and merry meets flying at you from every direction, where there is nothing wrong with good old hellos and byes, the insistance on referring to any pet, even a goldfish as a familiar, completely missing exactly what a familiar is...... well. what is it with all that? I know I'm not some medieval Wench, I don't need to speak like one. it sort of suggests some age, although why as a Witch we should speak like someone from ye oldene tymes longe paste I don't know. I'm sure that Witches of the past would have spoken in whatever the normal modern manner of the times was. I've had many a bemused young thing in too much bad jewellery and velvet raise their eyebrows when their earnest "merry meet" was met with "Hiya" even been told what I'm meant to say instead, although why I don't know. I've heard the old "it was a greeting used when Witchcraft was underground to avoid persecution" thing, but you know what. Witchcraft hasn't been bubbling away under the surface and hiding since pre-christian times. it's just there, same as now. some people always have objected, and the majority not. at no point did Witchcraft do an Anne Frank. so Hello, Goodbye. normal spelling of normal words, calling a pet a pet.... what's wrong with that?
2 people like this
5 responses
@rainbow (6761)
12 Apr 07
hiya Galena or should I say fortunate moons shine upon our meeting? Maybe the velvet clad, black fingernailed, fingerless lace gloved people are trying to make a statement - I would just think they were Goths, blessed be. I have a friend who does wicca, reiki, distance healing, shamaning and all sorts of things that are fascinating, she's presently exploring her past life with the grandparents and its all maggickal to me. Never once have I known her to wear a pointy hat, lace gloves etc. Lawks for indeed she's more likely to say wotcha. I have a feeling that some people who romantacise about witchcraft probably will not get far in their craft as there will be a new faze along shortly. I'm sorry if it upsets them to hear my view! I am not a witch, wicca or at all religious but I am interested; I pick up things from different beliefs and input them into my life to lead it as well as I can. My pets are my friends, they don't perform magic except for unconditional love and the ability to get me out of bed in the middle of the night. People have always used natural magic(k) and always will, giving a little herbal or other knowledge about something a name like charm is pretty. Surely a witch is someone who just has a little uncommon knowledge, I've never taken phases of the moon as an excuse for dancing around with no drawers on but if it makes someone happy I've no objections. Let them be if they're happy, we all know a frogs a frog no matter what colour, lol. Blessed be my darling, I will buy bad jewellry and wear black nail varnish in the hope that ocult knowledge will descend unto me. Hugs to you!
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@Ravenladyj (22904)
• United States
12 Apr 07
LOL Ha! nevermind the goosebumps I'd be far more concerned with mosquito bites in places that um...just dont need to be bit ;-) *shudders* damn its makin me itchy just thinkin about it LOL
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@Ravenladyj (22904)
• United States
12 Apr 07
Magick is the spelling I use simply out of habit after all this time and it really does save from confusion LOL I confuse ppl enough as it is why add one more thing I suppose....BUT....I have to admit that the whole "Blessed Be" and "Merry Meet/Merry Part" thing has ALWAYS annoyed me to absolutely NO END! I see no rhyme or reason for it...I am quite happy saying "hey" or "hiya" and things like "ciao", "catch ya later" and "see ya" etc....and to be perfectly honest (and this I'm sure will ruffle some feathers but whtaever LOL) I think it sounds really silly....its just overdramatic super hype "look at me look at me" type crap IMO and I always have to snicker when some stranger comes out with that one on me..(though while snickering I do turn my head and put my hand over my face so as not to be AS rude LOL) as for ever pet known to man (or woman) kind being a familiar...LOL well I have six pets (not including my husband and children) and yes I am in fact familiar with all of them, they're my pets..I should be familiar with them..BUT thats as far of an association between my pets and that word goes LOL
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@Galena (9110)
12 Apr 07
exactly. without wanting to offend anyone, as I usually do when I say so, it does come across as attention seeking.
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@APMorison (424)
• United States
13 May 07
I tend to use a varied spelling of magic mainly because I am a witch that also has a passel of friends who are performance magicians and it keeps written communication a bit clearer for me. General gatherings - Hiya gets the top usage - we save the Merrys for opening and closing of circle - kind of just as a focusing point. I tend more toward the Nanny Ogg school of witchery according to my friends though I don't really have the bosom to carry a flask ;) or the neverending line of children. One 'emergency' ritual was run with baby apple juice and teddy grahams - a dixie cup, a straw, paper plate (no we did not get a snotty attituded green demon) - use what you got when ya need to get it Done. Only one of the critters in the house tends to take on the role of familiar and that's only when she's of a mind to - If I am doing any scrying she will come sit with me and 'look' as well, at the cards or into the mirror. She has occasionally put herself between the scrying tool and myself when I was disturbed by the reading. But she doesn't change shape, speak anything other than Cat or much else that some do in stories and on the idiot-box. I speak, teach and work in my current speech pattern - except for rituals where certain things have been 'requested' - like weddings - if they couple wants Flashy Wording - so be it - hitched is hitched. As to the "Blessed-Wanna-Bees" I make them cringe anyway because I tell rude jokes about being able to tell a witch from a wannabee when the witch floats and the wannabee sinks under the weight of the jewelry and crystals. Go Dancing Naked In The Moonlight - hmmmm - nope - not in YEARS - but then when I did that it wasn't for ritual anyway - it was a drunken party - and we 'just avoided the cops' - I was glad I left my clothes in the car instead of like a few did and left them on the ground - Besides I think its much more fun to dance in fancy skirts so that others can't be distracted by the 'extra ounce' of flab on your butt that's jiggling long after the music stopped. Witches, real witches are practical people with real lives, they don't need the 'extra drama' of some romanticized story to make it work for them. Although I'm not giving up reading Pratchett anytime soon!
@Galena (9110)
13 May 07
well, I reckon Pratchett has it more right than most Pagan authors, to be honest. and tell you what, never underestimate play dough as a magical tool. and yeah, it sounds like in your social circle the extra K is probably justified. excellent post.
13 Apr 07
LOL - please let me say now that I'm a goth and we are not all like that. *grin* Actually I agree with you hun, there is no need for all the *mumbo jumbo* language. My cat is not a familiar, she is a cat. Hello is just hello.
1 person likes this
• United States
13 May 07
Well, I use Magick instead of Magic to describe ritual Magick simply because people think when I type "Magic" that I mean "Show" magic. I use the term "Magick" so that people will know the difference. That's it, that's all. The familiar thing annoys me too. One can have many familiars in my belief..but not every black cat deserves a higher calling than just being a plain old cute and cuddly cat. I have had a few familiars in my life. The dog we have now is a family familiar and he is much more than just a "dumb old dog". We had a cat too...that was not a familiar when we had to give him up..and though he looked like a Chinese dragon (thus we named him Dragon)he was not one that we had a heavy spiritual connection with. A powerful name...no special powers LOL. He was just an awfully cute cat. I have more wild animal familiars than domestic ones. (Which are a dime a dozen I am afraid.) It will be very hard to bring a new dog into the house once the one we have goes. He's been there....thru so much. But, back to your point..it is quite annoying when people misuse magickal terminology. As far as Merry Meet and Merry Part...well, I think its just a tradition that people have over-used. Frankly, I find it sort of musical..and use it at the end of letters to pagan friends simply because not only is it musical, but in Internet-speak I can type MMMPMMA and be done with it LOL. (Yes, I AM lazy LOL). Also..kind of depends on where you come from too. One of the reasons people do it is to keep the Christians and other Nay-sayers from knowing what the heck they are talking about. Most people don't spell Wytch. They spell Witch..; which has many negative connotations to folks outside of the circle of witchcraft and paganism. Basically it's so we don't have to come out of the closet..does it make us lazy..oh...maybe..but it does protect some of us from certain folks that would do their darndest to make things hard for me if they knew. In a Christian dominated society..there are still those that believe witches should be burned at the stake, or at least ostracized. But, I agree that speaking in "pagan speak" among other pagans is sort of silly. Its one of those things in mixed company that would help identify the pagans...it's a ritual greeting and parting...so on ritual times...its probably appropriate. But, the familiar thing..LOLOL..let those that believe it..believe it..you won't make them think otherwise..and just nod and smile..and when they walk away..shake your head of all the cobwebs that build up when you talk to people like that and move on with the day. I find most of them that overdo it sort of laughable.