Why pagans in community are more likely to experience magic

Last summer I was in the west of Scotland, hiking a trail through the woods that ran along the wild edge of Loch Carron. Mist twisted low through the pine, smelling of seaweed and salt. The night before, I’d dreamed of my grandmother, who had a Scottish maiden name.

In Celtic tradition, over the Western seas lie the Summer Isles – the lands of the dead.

That day, I climbed onto rocks jutting into the pewter waters and called my grandmother’s name three times then chanted to form a bridge between the living and the dead.

As my singing echoed across the waves, I could feel a presence. I felt seen. I was seen, two black eyes blinked above the water. A seal had come, a selkie, a messenger from my grandmother who’d heard me call her name.

• Have you ever felt you were very close to a powerful spiritual force?

• Have you ever received prophecy, visions, or messages from the spirit world?

Berger discovered that the more pagans practice magic, the more likely they are to have experiences like the one I described above.

The more magic you practice, the more likely you are to experience the sensation of magic “working.”

Through group practice, we gain the skills necessary to experience the Otherworld.

Rituals help us enter a trance state where mystical experiences are more likely to happen. Entering trance states requires some work, which you’re just more likely to do when you share that labor with a group. Hence the power of Mystery Cult!

In any case, I know you’ll probably want to come because according to Berger’s statistical analysis…

…pagans are readers. We’re proud of our libraries. We’re more likely than the average American to have gone to college. And typically our ethics are rooted in relationships and care instead of rules and commandments.

So many reasons to love being pagan! Can’t wait to discuss them all with you! Link to the text and to the questions for closer reading in the Subscriber section below.

Prayer is a technique for cultivating intimacy with the spiritual force that moves through all things. It has proven benefit for helping us navigate challenges and make choices with confidence. Come learn how to do it the Pagan way! Valued at $79, this workshop is FREE to all Yearly subscribers in gratitude for their commitment to my work.

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