serpent aspect and traditional witchcraft

[Seeker666]

Hello, I wanted to ask about different praxes that apply to the serpent aspect
Firstly, Traditional Witchcraft. A combination/blend of many different ritualistic/shamanic
European folk magic/operative witchcraft techniques.
There is usually reverence given to the Devil as Master of the Cunning Folk.
And as Crooked Serpent. Is Folk Magic and Operative/Results based witchcraft something
The brotherhood finds interesting? Or perhaps inspiring?
Well known authors of this field are Gemma Gary, Nigel Jackson, Andrew Chumbley
And his successor Daniel Schulke

[Nefastos]

Although I'm not a Serpent aspect member myself, the connection here is inspiring indeed. And since the Stone aspect mainly uses formal magic in its connection to White theurgy, it really sounds appropriate that the Serpent aspect should balance that by studying some Black goetia, that the "Operative/Results based witchcraft" actually is (in my opinion, or vocabulary).

[Heith]

I think the interests and preferences inside the brotherhood wary greatly. I am a member of the Serpent Aspect, and have done my work mostly via artistic means, but of course magic is an art form as well. True, there are individuals in the Serpent Aspect who have an interest towards shamanism, witchcraft and folk magic but it's not a norm. To me, these interests come quite naturally in the Serpent Aspect, as I am a shamanist and a witch, or something of the sort. (As to what kind well that's another story then- there's great variation in different cultures already me thinks)

The snake is an important part of my aspect work, but also appears in shamanic workings from time to time. To me, there's a free flow in the Serpent aspect that seems different from the energies of the other exoteric aspects. But this is kind of stating the obvious- as artistic energies are very different from for example what the Eye aspect generally requires (this is a blunt and narrow way to put it, of course).

I do think that I see your reasoning with what you write, Seeker, and to an extent I would say yes, absolutely. But one should perhaps remember that as there are so many different ways to work magic, even in folk style- let's look at the Norse things for example, there also is the possibility to work traditional witchcraft in most if not all aspects. But out of all, I understand the Serpent Aspect to me appears as more ecstatic and freely flowing than the rest, so I can certainly say that dancing in spirals would go well into my practise.

But the Serpent Aspect is not the only aspect where people have interest towards shamanic workings or witchcraft. I'll quote a piece of Azazel's myth that fra Teratokrios kindly sent to me the other day:

After arriving to Azazel (who was bound in the desert), the sorcerer lit an incense, and stepped three times over the chain that bound Azazel. He closed his eyes, knelt down and worshipped the fallen angel, and Azazel spoke to him. For fifty days he revealed the most sinister secrets and mysteries to the sorcerer. After that time had passed no one on earth was a greater master of evil. After bowing farewell, the sorcerer left the cave, led by the snakeheaded cat demon. Once he returned from beyond the mountains of darkness, the sorcerer revealed all the other black witches where Azazel was hidden. These black witches in turn went to learn the ways of evil from the fallen angel. And thus, Black magic came to the world.

I'm sorry, this isn't all that well formulated. I'm late for a meeting already. More later!

[RaktaZoci]

I've personally never been really interested in the seremonial aspect of magic work, even though I am one of the Serpents. It is probably because I see it in comparison to Christianitys hypocritical prayer patterns and memorized litanies that lack all meaning.

This doesnt mean that my work isn't magical in case it's seen as a way to process and shape energetic currents. I just feel that I'm in no need of external props or patterns as I concentrate more to the internal.

This is of course only my way of seeing things, but I feel it is quite appropriate for this kind of intuition based way of working and seeing the world through.

As to return to the subject, I've been in contact with a few witchcraft practicioners and I've noticed certain similar points of views with our (Aos) way of seeing things and theirs.
In a way this can be a similar what the world religions share with just calling the same entity with different names. Only difference is that we don't feel that we have to wage war towards each other because of that.

The beauty with SoA is that different ways of how the world is reflected can come together to make greater ends meet.