Doubt and Knowing

“Don’t doubt what you know...” is a mainstay in the lexicon of Witcan thought. But then, conversely, “doubt” is related to “belief” and is a necessity among Seekers. Doubt everything until such time as you KNOW. Question, discern, examine, defy, with dispassionate objectivity. When we doubt based on fear, and only fear, we must look at what it is we actually fear. Are we afraid of physical harm? Are we afraid of losing our freedom? Are we afraid of being cheated or tricked by another? Are we afraid that we will lose everything we invest without any gain? These are all legitimate concerns and should be heeded by the Witcan when they become apparent. But when we are afraid of not looking good to others, of becoming an outcast for our spiritual choices, of meeting with disapproval or mocking... these fears are internal Gatekeepers which will block our spiritual growth.

Superstition, for example, leaves no room for doubt. Superstitions are irrational beliefs people hold onto in an attempt to make their world make sense. There are classic superstitions like, witches fly on brooms or breaking a mirror will give you seven years bad luck, and there are personal superstitions, ideas that individuals form from their own experiences. Think of some instances of superstition from your own experience. Here’s a quick list from my own insight of once so-called “facts” that, to me, have proven to be falsehoods:

• Astrology is a valid science...
• Nature is used by the gods to punish bad people...
• The gods are literally just as mythology describes them...

 

....and so on. These ideas, once pondered -- some at great length, others for mere seconds -- could no longer hold power over me once I chose to see the reality instead of the convenience of BELIEVING them to be true. I used doubt to rid myself of this burden, but I had to seek my truth within and without, by way of DOUBT. In this way, DOUBT is the seed from which rational KNOWLEDGE can spring from. Only once we really KNOW a thing can we take the advice, “don’t doubt what you know.” And since what we think we KNOW can change from day-to-day, we should be careful when we assert to ourselves, “This, I truly KNOW.”

So, I truly KNOW for myself that...

• Astrology is an ancient discipline based on the idea that the planets and other celestial bodies have an immense influence on people, according to their time and place of birth. Modern science eradicates this set of beliefs for me. I now KNOW that the gravitational pull exerted by far off celestial bodies has little or no effect on life here on Earth. The  Sun and Moon being the only exceptions.
• Nature is an impersonal, non-intellectual chemistry set driven by forces that are incapable of taking sides, or holding grudges.
• The gods of mythology are a manufactured perspective of different parts of Nature which ancient men developed in order to explain and describe the components and characteristics of features and events outside of their control.

In sloughing off ignorant belief, I have effectively freed myself from the burdens associated with some superstitious beliefs I may have held at one time or another. I may still read my horoscope, for example, but I do so with the KNOWLEDGE that the authors of these advices and predictions are mere human beings like me who are using a system of divination that has no basis in the real workings of the universe and it is sure that they KNOW nothing of my inner world and/or experiences., which make me wholly unique among my fellows. When astrologers get it right, I KNOW it is coincidence, or the happenstance of generalizations they make which could fit a majority in any group, and I  KNOW THAT I would be irresponsible to give any serious weight to the predictions of astrology in my life.

 

SO, TRUST WHAT YOU KNOW, BUT FIRST, MAKE DEEP ASSESSMENTS BEFORE YOU DECIDE THAT YOU KNOW!

 

Blessed Be All!

 

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What is the difference between “belief” and “knowing”? “To believe” means one is working from assumption and conjecture. “To know” means one is working from understanding and data.

Witcans will always seek to KNOW in place of BELIEVING. Every Seeker is asked, during their first days on this Path, “What do you KNOW?” What you KNOW is trustworthy, is stable, is fearless, is fundamentally not prescribable. BELIEF can be subverted, is intangible, is unreliable, is enslavement, is fundamentally flawed. But you may ask, “How do I KNOW that I KNOW? How can I differentiate what I KNOW from what I BELIEVE? One answer is: Start with static, unchanging FACTS which do not ask you to decide. For instance, do you KNOW or do you BELIEVE that you exist? Some would say, well, I may just be a figment of my or someone else’s imagination. Ah, but who decided what constitutes “real”? I KNOW -- and I BELIEVE you KNOW -- that you are real, in some way, and it does not change anything to KNOW exactly what constitutes “real”. Use your own KNOWING of “real”. So, if you KNOW you are real, then you can safely assert that you KNOW that you exist. One of the differences between an Adept and a Seeker is the KNOWLEDGE that they have the FREEDOM TO KNOW the condition of their own existence and not have it prescribed to them by any other.

Start a list of what you KNOW. It’s rather shocking how much we KNOW, while at the same time, how very little we can be absolutely sure of. I offer you a part of my list, if you need some grease on the wheel:

I KNOW that I am real.
I KNOW that I exist.
I KNOW that reality is real.
I KNOW that anything outside of the reality I inhabit has nothing to do with me.
I KNOW that Love is real.
I KNOW that Love is good.
I KNOW that no life is lived in this reality without pain.
I KNOW that joy is precious.
I KNOW that pain and joy both serve enlightenment.
I KNOW that I cannot change anyone else but me.
I KNOW that I am constantly changing.
I KNOW that the easiest thing to change about me is my mind, my perspective.

Let’s go as far out with the concepts of “KNOWING” and “BELIEVING” as we can for a moment: Some will tell you that it is impossible to know GOD and that, if you assert that you do KNOW GOD, you are delusional or mistaken. Thus, most people who revere some otherworldly supreme entity who is seen to watch over humanity will tell you that they BELIEVE IN GOD. To Witcan sensibilities, this is spiritually dangerous ground. It is more correct, because it can be KNOWN, that these people actually KNOW there’s a possibility for the existence of some otherworldly supreme entity who is seen to watch over humanity and that KNOWLEDGE is much more powerful than a random BELIEF in this god or that. You will hear this question often from your Witcan Teachers, so get used to it as I ask, What do you KNOW about GOD? Here are some potential answers, some of which will resonate within your KNOWING and BELIEF and some that will not. Print this page and check off those statements that apply to you:

[  ] I KNOW that GOD exists.
[  ] I BELIEVE that GOD exists.
[  ] I KNOW that GOD does not exist.
[  ] I BELIEVE that GOD does not exist.
[  ] I KNOW that there is a possibility that GOD exists.
[  ] I BELIEVE that there is a possibility that GOD exists.
[  ] I KNOW that I KNOW a lot about GOD.
[  ] I BELIEVE that I KNOW a lot about GOD.
[  ] I KNOW that I KNOW very little about GOD.
[  ] I BELIEVE that I KNOW very little about GOD.
[  ] I KNOW that I have been harmed by my/a religion.
[  ] I BELIEVE that I have been harmed by my/a religion.
[  ] I KNOW that I have not been harmed by my/a religion.
[  ] I BELIEVE that I have not been harmed by my/a religion.
[  ] I KNOW that others have been harmed by my/a religion.
[  ] I BELIEVE that others have been harmed by my/a religion.
[  ] I KNOW that others have not been harmed by my/a religion.
[  ] I BELIEVE others have not been harmed by my/a religion.
[  ] I KNOW that I have been helped by my/a religion to grow my spirit.
[  ] I BELIEVE that I have been helped by my/a religion to grow my spirit.
[  ] I KNOW that others have been helped by my/a religion to grow their spirit.
[  ] I BELIEVE that others have been helped by my/a religion to grow their spirit.
[  ] I KNOW that it’s acceptable that my/a religion harms some, if only to help others.
[  ] I BELIEVE that it’s acceptable that my/a religion harms some, if only to help others.
[  ] I KNOW that it’s acceptable that my/a religion harms me, if only to help others.
[  ] I BELIEVE that it’s acceptable that my/a religion harms me, if only to help others.
[  ] I KNOW that it’s acceptable that my/a religion harms some, if only to help me.
[  ] I BELIEVE that it’s acceptable that my/a religion harms some, if only to help me.
[  ] I KNOW that it’s not acceptable that my/a religion harms some, for any reason.
[  ] I BELIEVE that it’s not acceptable that my/a religion harms some, for any reason.
[  ] I KNOW that my religion has the best definition of GOD for me, even when I struggle with some of its dictates and precepts.
[  ] I BELIEVE that my religion has the best definition of GOD for me, even when I struggle with some of its dictates and precepts.
[  ] I KNOW that I can find a religion that has the best definition of GOD for me.
[  ] I BELIEVE that I can find a religion that has the best definition of GOD for me.
[  ] I KNOW that my religion holds the right to define GOD for everyone.
[  ] I BELIEVE that my religion holds the right to define GOD for everyone.
[  ] I KNOW that no religion has the best definition of GOD for me.
[  ] I BELIEVE that no religion has the best definition of GOD for me.
[  ] I KNOW that no religion holds the right to define GOD for anyone.
[  ] I BELIEVE that no religion holds the right to define GOD for anyone.

To some of you, it will appear obvious that some of the statements in that list are outrageously indecent or repellant. Don’t assume that there will be none of you who would check-off some of the statements you found so distasteful. It is a sad reality that there are those who do see their world in ways that do not lend themselves to spiritual growth. And surprisingly, it is true that there will be some of you who will agree with such statements as, “I KNOW that it’s not acceptable that my/a religion harms some, for any reason” as well as those who, if they are honest, will just as readily and vehemently agree with statements like, “I BELIEVE that it’s acceptable that my/a religion harms some, if only to help me”. It is truly amazing, from one person to the next, just how broad and/or narrow the human experience can be.

Now, take a look at all the BELIEF statements that you checked off. Saying, “I BELIEVE” is tantamount and interchangable with saying, “I KNOW I don’t KNOW” because BELIEVING is a state we find ourselves in when we aren’t sure of something, but fervently hope or doubt that it’s true. Demonstrate this to yourself by trying the following exercise. For every statement that you checked-off that was a BELEIF, try to re-think it as follows:

I BELIEVE that GOD exists = I KNOW that I do not KNOW if GOD exists
I BELIEVE that GOD does not exist = I KNOW that I do not KNOW if GOD does not exist
I BELIEVE that there is a possibility that GOD exists = I KNOW that I do not KNOW if there is a possibility that GOD exists
I BELIEVE that I KNOW very little about GOD = I KNOW that I do not KNOW if I KNOW very little about GOD
I BELIEVE that I have been harmed by other men’s ideas about GOD = I KNOW that I do not KNOW if I have been harmed by other men’s ideas about GOD

...and so on. You see, you do KNOW more than you thought you KNEW! And Witcan Seekers are asked to suspend both BELIEF and DISBELIEF in order to get to the core of what they KNOW and don’t KNOW. Remember: With the understanding of what you DON’T KNOW, you find the starting points for your individual Path to evolution.

So, going back to the KNOWLEDGE that BELIEF is a kind of hope or doubt that something is true or not true, we can also substitute “fervently HOPE” or “fervently DOUBT” and re-word the statement to read correctly in an alternative exercise. In the negative, one can also substitute “fervently DOUBT” with, “cannot HOPE” or “lost HOPE, etc:

I BELIEVE that GOD exists = I fervently HOPE that GOD exists
I BELIEVE that GOD does not exist = I fervently DOUBT that GOD exists, or, I cannot HOPE that GOD exists
I BELIEVE that there is a possibility that GOD exists = I fervently HOPE that there is a possibility that GOD exists

Thus we see that BELIEF is the Land of the Lost when it comes to Seeking and Pathwork. Your Witcan Teachers will always encourage that you focus on what you can KNOW in any given moment. And you must KNOW in your heart that new insights are on their way, that every day is a new chance to grow, that light always dispels darkness when a door leading outside is opened on a sunny day. We KNOW these things, all of us who have journeyed even just a little while. We sense it in our beings, without proof, otherwise, we’d never look for it beyond the human propensity to stay safe and just go on believing, wishing, hoping and doubting.

In closing, one can use this lesson as an assessment of their compatibility with Witcan Pathworking and Witca’s compatibility with their Path. If any of the following statements applies to you, you probably should speak to your Witcan Teacher about it or be looking elsewhere, outside of Witca, until such time as you find the answers you need to dispel such irrational (DNM*) thinking:

“I KNOW that GOD does not exist” is a dead-end that no Witcan Teacher should be asked to work with. Witca has no room for religion, including Atheism, as this spiritual movement has evolved into a religion of its own -- an anti-religion religion, with its own intolerant dogmas, doctrines and propaganda -- and all religions, DNM*, are belief systems which Witcan Teachers must ask Seekers to reconsider in order to undertake the Witcan Path with the proper original intent.

“I KNOW that I have not been harmed by my/a religion” tells the Witcan Teacher that the Seeker has either never had any meaningful, long-term contact with religion or is blind to the harm religion invariably, without exception, inflicts on the Spirit if one is exposed to it for any length of time. DNM*. Your Teacher will want to discuss this “KNOWING” of yours, to really ascertain what has brought you to this conclusion, so it would be in your best interest to bring this up to him/her as soon as possible.

“I KNOW that my religion has the best definition of GOD for me, even when I struggle with some of its dictates and precepts” exemplifies the confusion “faithful believers” experience when grappling with loyalty to a BELIEF system. It is clearer to state, “I KNOW that I have relinquished to my religion my right to define GOD for myself” because you are the only one, DNM*, who can give up your freedom to choose. Witcan Teachers will tell you that to react helplessly in the face of having your spiritual life dictated to you by others is not compatible with a fearless study of Witca. You have a choice before you: Reclaim your right to define GOD for yourself, or walk away from Witcan Paths until you find the courage and self-esteem to take that step. “I BELIEVE that my religion has the best definition of GOD for me, even when I struggle with some of its dictates and precepts” is just a watered-down version of the “KNOWING” and allows the Seeker to stay in the grips of religion without taking responsibility for their spiritual growth.

“I KNOW that my religion holds the right to define GOD for everyone” is completely at odds with any study of Witca and, if you hold this “KNOWLEDGE” as an immutable fact in your mind, please take responsibility for your perspective and inform your Witcan Teacher and community that you will no longer be a part of any further Pathworking and take your leave of them.

“I BELIEVE that my religion holds the right to define GOD for everyone” is not as volatile as “I KNOW that my religion holds the right to define GOD for everyone”, but comes very close to it. This kind of BELIEVING exemplifies that type of BELIEVING that Witca seeks to neutralize and is actually considered by our Elders and Founders as spiritually dangerous for the Seeker, as it leaves the option open that religion can be used as a foundation for a study of Witca or any other alternative Path to enlightenment. When the Seeker can suspend this sort of BELIEF long enough to question it, they will have mastered the fear religions bequeath, a very Witcan-specific goal and endeavor.

Other statements which are not compatible with Witcan Paths:

I KNOW that I KNOW a lot about GOD.
I BELIEVE that I KNOW a lot about GOD.
I KNOW that others have not been harmed by my/a religion.
I BELIEVE others have not been harmed by my/a religion.
I KNOW that it’s acceptable that my/a religion harms some, if only to help others.
I BELIEVE that it’s acceptable that my/a religion harms some, if only to help others.
I KNOW that it’s acceptable that my/a religion harms me, if only to help others.
I BELIEVE that it’s acceptable that my/a religion harms me, if only to help others.
I KNOW that it’s acceptable that my/a religion harms some, if only to help me.
I BELIEVE that it’s acceptable that my/a religion harms some, if only to help me.
I KNOW that I can find a religion that has the best definition of GOD for me.
I BELIEVE that I can find a religion that has the best definition of GOD for me.
I KNOW that my religion holds the right to define GOD for everyone.
I BELIEVE that my religion holds the right to define GOD for everyone.

If you checked-off any of these statements and still desire to follow a Witcan Path, please confer with your Teacher, and if you have none, get one, learning the way Witcan Seekers attain Teachers. Until then, follow your “KNOWING” and “BELIEVING” until you can follow them no longer. You can awaken from the nightmare of mundane ignorance and intolerance, even alone. But the inauguration of a Witcan Path is completely dependent upon, with a Teacher or not, your mustering the courageous freedom to choose  to abandon self-imposed slavery for a Path to Knowledge and Enlightenment. Take heart, for the first days of freedom may feel perilous. But I pray you travel safely from here to where you would Love to be.

Blessed Be All!

Ly. Leananshae


*DNM: [Fr] De Notre Monde, or, “of/in our world”; the phrase used by Witcans to clarify a group truth held by the general Witcan community of Teachers, Leaders, Founders and Elders. Also, Denotremonde, the Witcan word for “grimoire”.