The Witches Pyramid

The Witches' Pyramid is not necessarily Wiccan. Rather, the concept applies to proper use of magick. The steps of the pyramid are the components necessary to achieve effective magick. However, the same concepts can be applied to much of life aside from magick as well. Thus, the Witches' Pyramid is not only a vital magickal concept but also a useful spiritual tool in navigating through life. Originally, the Witches' Pyramid consisted of only four components. However, it is common today for the Witches' Pyramid to be presented with a fifth component, though this component seems to change depending upon tradition and experience. Presented here are the original four components to know, to will, to dare, to keep silent, and a fifth of to imagine.

To Know

To know is perhaps the easiest of steps to understand. The one word that sums up this part of pyramid is Awareness. The Witch must know what he or she wants to do and consider all consequences of the action. Being aware of multiple perceptions is key. Viewing a situation through multiple perspectives assists in creating awareness, knowledge, and understanding of one's desires and the desires of others. Likewise, grasping different perceptions of the same situation allows one to clear the way of deceptions and illusions which may cloud judgment.

Magickally, this skill is simple. What are you going to do? What is the purpose or intent of the working? What tools do you need? What will be the result of the working? Apply the Rede of "Harm none" to the working. Will the result of the working bring harm to none? If harm is possible, would the resulting harm outweigh the benefit of the working? Will more harm come from not casting the spell? Are you willing to accept the risk of negative consequences if there are any?

To Will

To will is very closely related to the last concept as without knowing your will, you cannot apply it. The Witch must bring together his or her thoughts, passions, emotions, and energies to direct them toward his or her goal. This step requires a significant amount of self-discipline because one must be able to act on what he or she wants most, not what is wanted right now. Thus, one's will must have unwavering purpose. The Witch must stand ready to put the required energy into making his or her will manifest.

Magickally, this skill is the focus and intent. Have you clearly defined your objective? Is this truly in sync with your will? Or is this just a passing fancy? Is this but one step on the way to accomplishing your ultimate goal or dream? Are you prepared to move ahead with action? Will this working be in conflict with future goals? Can you focus your intent into a cone of power?

To Dare

To dare is to put your will into action. It is not enough to merely have a strong intention if the Witch is not willing to follow through on it. To dare involves faith in one's abilities, the power of the universe, and that we can all shape our own realities. Here, the Witch must possess personal courage. To know one's will is great, but putting into action is what matters. It takes courage to live ones dreams, goals, aspirations, and desires. The Witch must believe that his or her will can become manifest and have the courage to make it so. One cannot let the fear of failure hinder progress. Rather, the Witch needs to be willing to accept failure as a learning process. Changes in life are guaranteed. The Witch takes responsibility and makes those changes intentional.

Magickally, to dare involves practice, experience, and growth. Do you believe you are capable of taking the actions required to make your will manifest? Do you have faith in your ability to successful cast spells? Can you let go of the limitations and doubts that hold you back? Do you have the courage to live your dream?

To Keep Silent

To keep silent at first sounds restrictive. Why not talk about one's experiences? Wouldn't this assist in learning? Keeping silent isn't about never discussing magick or other areas of life. To keep silent protects privacy, avoids the dilution of your magick by the thoughts and emotions of others, and provides opportunity to hear the Goddess and God. When working with others, magickally or otherwise, the Witch keeps the privacy of others in mind. The Witch who is open and willing to discuss workings with others should respect the privacy of others. For those in the medical field, think of this like HIPPA. On an individual level, the Witch who discusses a spell that was just cast and has not had time to manifest may speak to someone who doubts it or otherwise harbors negative feelings and may, unintentionally, manage to dilute the positive energy the Witch used in the spell. Aside from magick alone, keeping silent provides a stillness inside. It allows focused meditation, patience, and an understanding that magick and forces of nature take time to manifest.

Magickally, this skill provides a strong foundation to the others. When you discuss magick you've done, are you bragging? Do the people you are talking to want to hear about it? Will telling your co-worker about the promotion spell you did last night boost the spell? Or is it more likely to backfire because your co-worker is also seeking promotion? Are you aware of the length of time the spell will take to manifest? Are you grounded and centered? Or has discussing your workings muddled your focus?

To Imagine

To imagine involves flexibility and creativity. Before we can send out energy effectively, we must be able to draw it in. The Witch must be inspired. Kerr Cuhulain in Full Contact Magick explains imagination as a key factor in determining traditions that are not necessary. Traditions may be good to have, but if they are outdated or do not work, they are not necessary. Think of the daughter cutting off and throwing away a piece of meat because her mother and mother's mother did it before her just to find out that the grandmother's pan was too small for the meat! To imagine, then, is about being inspired to change when routines are no longer effective. It's about being innovative when confronted with a difficult problem with no prior solution.

Magickally, to imagine is vital. Can you visualize what needs to be done? Did this spell work the last time? Will it need to be altered to suit this new purpose? Or will you need to write a whole new spell? If you follow correspondences such as the phase of the moon, can you be flexible enough if the phase isn't right for the magick that is needed to be done? Or will your inflexibility hamper your ability to dare? Do you get uptight or closed-minded when presented with other ways to do magick? Or are you creative enough to see the differences as new learning that may or may not be implemented into your current routines?

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