When the Earth, moon and sun align on Monday, Kendra Pape Green will be staying in a secluded spot in nature.
She and two others plan to go out of the way and make “eclipse water” rather than crowding the astronomical phenomenon. This is an ingredient that self-styled witches can use to add extra power to their spells.
For people who practice other forms of spirituality, including some who identify as witches, a total solar eclipse like the one that will occur in parts of southeastern Canada on Monday is more than just a curious phenomenon, it has meaning. It can be a rich and sacred experience.
“Eclipses are always moments of great change. They are portals. They are transformative,” said Pape Green, 31. This is the moment for me to make some plans and set intentions. ”
At the same time, she prepares water to “recharge” under the eclipse. This is the same as people who leave crystals out in the moonlight believing that they imbue them with energy.
“When magic is needed, I often do custom spells for people, but I can pull it out and add an extra punch,” she said.
An eclectic witch, Pape Green draws elements from various spiritual traditions to find what works for her. In her case, that includes spell casting and astrology.
Pape Green has been practicing and turning it into her career ever since she found a book about Wicca at her aunt’s house when she was 13 years old. She and her wife co-own Witch Plz, a witch supply store in Innisfil, Ontario.
Through her work, Pape-Green said she has had the opportunity to see public interest in witchcraft grow over the past few years.
“It’s economics. It’s politics,” she said by way of explanation. “It goes back to power. Magic is about finding and feeling your own power, and feeling a kind of strength that you don’t feel naturally.”
Chris Miller, a postdoctoral researcher at the university’s ‘Secularism in Complex Futures’ project, said ‘witches’ and other New Age ideologies appear to have grown in popularity in recent years, although it is difficult to quantify. he said. Ottawa’s PhD was in the study of modern paganism.
“There are people who are taking this issue very seriously, and I don’t know if it’s grown, but what’s definitely growing is there’s a kind of interest in exploring it. “It’s the people,” he said.
Miller said there is a wide range of spiritual people, including New Age, Pagan, Wiccans, pagans, or just “witches,” whose philosophies overlap but are not necessarily the same.
“The common denominator I would like to draw from is belief in multiple gods,” he said. “For some it’s just two gods, for others it’s a whole temple. And the ability to practice rituals and magic – dialogue with nature, dialogue with energy, dialogue with God, etc. It has the ability to interact with the universe.”
Astrology is also a common topic for many people in these circles, he said, because of how it aligns with their beliefs in the cyclical nature of the world.
Toronto-based astrologer Samantha Chin is cautious about this eclipse’s placement in the cycle.
Some followers of astrology believe that solar eclipses are a sign of turmoil because the moon’s shadow blocks the guiding force of the sun, said Chin, who calls herself Lady Samantha. he said.
She noted that the solar eclipse will occur when Mercury is retrograde this year. This phenomenon is believed by people inclined to astrology to be a harbinger of misunderstandings and wrong decisions.
“It’s a commonly coined phrase that says, ‘Don’t make decisions when Mercury is retrograde,'” she says. “But it’s even more so because you can’t see it clearly at this time of year because it falls during a solar eclipse.”
Unlike Mr. Pape-Green, who is simply setting intentions beyond the end of Mercury Retrograde, Mr. Chin said he will not charge anything under this eclipse.
“It’s also affecting my own (astrology) chart, so I don’t want to be part of the public and buy glasses or watch this eclipse hoping it will pass me by. I decided not to,” Chin said. .
