Manifestations

In what I read of Witchcraft: a Very Short Introduction today, there was a very short line mentioning “a moral grading of witchcraft.” This one line got me thinking. 

 

At the start of 2021 I decided I was going to try out this new trend called manifesting. Manifesting in my eyes is just speaking affirmations over myself every morning or every day to ultimately steer my life in the direction I choose. I even downloaded an affirmation app that gives me new lines to speak to myself every few hours to help me on my new manifestation journey. These range from lines like “I am worthy of feeling happy” to “I will find a loving partner in my life” to “I am content.” Do I feel stupid sometimes saying these things to myself? Heck yeah I do. Is it now the third month of the year and am I still doing these affirmations? Heck yeah I am. 

 

I can’t help but think if I am engaging in a “witchcraft” of sorts. There’s an interesting intersection especially in Millennial/Gen Z world between what is labeled as positive thinking and what is labeled as a paranormal conjuring. Our generations are apt to believe that we have the power to create what we want in life through mere words. Social media is rife with this. From Tik Tok to Instagram, I constantly see manifestations taking place. If we say it and believe it and speak it into existence, it will in turn come to fruition. From my perspective, our generations are optimistic in the way we think about our ability to catalyze change. Is our overindulgence in our own self-power witchcraft? Are we all just casting spells on our own lives?

 

I think it boils down to how we “morally grade” what we’re engaging in. When I am speaking my manifestations over myself, I’m not wishing any harm or malevolence. I’m trying to spur personal positivity and hopefully align my actions with my words. It is a personal, individualistic experience that isn’t intended for harm. Now, if someone were to come to me and say they were creating a morning potion to drink everyday that would guide their life to love, joy, and peace, I’d probably think they were clinically insane. A potion? That’s weird. This in itself isn’t harmful either, but where their power is deriving itself from is what makes me second guess the whole practice. 

 

What this points to is something that I think was seen in the opposition yet parallel characteristics of religious powers and witch powers in 15th century Europe. It wasn’t the power itself society was scared or fearful of. It was the morality behind that power. If a healing happened in the name of Jesus it was labeled as a miracle. If it happened not under the laws of the church it was labeled as Satanic. Moral grading was present in every powerful act. I think we grapple with a similar feat today. We’re not scared of our individual power or our funny tactics to try and control this thing called life, but we are scared of people’s beliefs behind their power. Words are harmless and positive, but potions are wicked and weird. I don’t think that our grades make sense all the time and that there’s still a lot to unpack here, but regardless, I think we’re engaging in a similar grading scale. Moral grading is subconsciously taking place in my funny little morning affirmations and I just so happen to even still give them an A.