Three Things I Learned from Donald Michael Kraig

I am saddened by the news of the death of one of my favorite Pagan authors, Donald Michael Kraig.

I met Don a couple of times in the late 1990s, when we both were presenters at American Tarot Associations conventions in Albany. At the time, he was already a well-known author.

Over the years we had a few phone conversations and exchanged a few emails. I had always assumed our paths would cross again one day.

That Don passed on March 17^th strikes me. Many modern Pagans celebrate March 17^th as “All Snakes Day,” in recognition of the stories of St. Patrick’s atrocities toward Irish Pagans.

Although there are reasons to doubt the historical accuracy of those stories, All Snakes Day has become something of a modern Pagan holiday. I don’t know if Don celebrated it or not. I do bet that, over the next years and decades, many Pagans will take a moment to honor the life of Donald Michael Kraig each and every March 17^th as part of their All Snakes Day celebration.

I often quote Don in my classes. Although we didn’t spend any significant time together, I learned a lot from him. Here are three things I learned from Donald Michael Kraig.

1. It’s human nature to act against the advice of divination, and that’s ok.

   Readers so often bemoan the fact that clients don’t take our advice. Don assumed and accepted that we have the prerogative to do what we want, regardless of the information we receive from divination. To me that has always been very freeing and affirming. It allows us to use divination in a more proactive way.

2. Divination and magick are linked.

   Don’s books really helped me understand the way magick and divination work together, and the way tarot fits into all of that. Without his work I would not have been able to do mine.

3. Teach with your whole self.

   Don was a truly great teacher. I was fascinated by his stories. When Don taught a class, all of his body, mind and spirit was focused on the task. He would jump up and down and wave his arms around, gesturing wildly. He managed to be funny, grounded and wise. I try to do the same.

I’m grateful that I had a chance to meet Donald Michael Kraig. I know that through his books, and through the people he taught, his wisdom will continue on forever.

During Don’s struggle with pancreatic cancer a fund was established to help with expenses. Please considering making a donation in his memory.

Every Year the Nations on Earth do Magick Together

Those who study astrology and honor the movements of the sun, moon and planets as powerful times and times of spiritual and magickal opportunity often poo-poo the change of the calendar year. Our calendar is contrived, and not based on anything truly “natural.” It’s a young calendar, too. Many spiritual people find more power in older measurements of time like the Chinese New Year or the Jewish New Year.

Nonetheless, many astrologers found the New Moon in Capricorn on January 1, 2014 to be an auspicious start to the calendar year, although most were quick to say the changing calendar is simply an artificial marker and means nothing.

I disagree.

Sometimes magick is not only what we observe in the movements of the heavens. Sometimes power comes from what we ourselves do.

As a planet, we have all agreed to our calendar. We have all agreed to the date and time that marks our new year. More importantly, even the most secular of us have agreed that the change of the calendar means something. What does it mean? It means an opportunity to let go of the past. It means a time to celebrate past accomplishments. It means a clean slate for the future. It means a time to be optimistic about what might be, and a time to take control of our future by manifesting different behaviors and reaching for different ideals.

That so many people across the globe have agreed to this is what gives the concept of the New Year its magickal power. That we all put our energy into this is what makes it meaningful and valuable.

That’s a way magick, energy, spiritual power – whatever you want to call it – works.

Every year our planet collectively creates the intention of a wonderful new year. Magickal practitioners might see this as a creation of a “magickal child” or an “artificial elemental.”

Tracking the New Year ringing in across the globe is like a “Rolling Thunder” spell, which increases power each time a time zone is added.

Every magickal ritual needs a point of release, where the collective energy that has been built during the ritual into a fervor is sent into the Universe all at once.  At this moment our intentions are sent out to be made real.

When people say that their NYE experience was “magical,” they may be more accurate than they think!

So often we focus on the terrible things that have happened and are happening on our planet. On the other hand, it could be a lot worse.

What if this global magickal spell for a great year which we perform annually is actually working to help keep us in balance, and safe from global catastrophic events?