The recordings we have from European Witch-trials of men and women trafficking with the Devil and being granted "familiar spirits" are not accidents. They are not based on a single reading of two or three verses from the Bible. These sorts of spirits, and the powers they granted to sorcerers and witches, were well known from the Pagan world. They were known to people in the Middle Ages, and most importantly, they are well known to some people now. I have met and corresponded with such people, and I have had experiences in which a familiar spirit came to me, and bonded itself to me. In the power of that spirit, with whom I keep contact, I have performed acts of sorcery.
I have also faithfully recorded what I have learned, both from humans and from familiar spirits, in my books and writings Those from England whom I drew some knowledge from simply prayed outright to the "Devil"- though they made it clear that this was not meant to be taken in the usual sense, as understood by the mainstream. To their information, through all of my copious research, I attempted to make connections with their "God" or "Master" and some of the Gods of the older Pagan world, because I personally believe that whatever powers and spirits sorcerers of old were communing with are still here. I do not believe that the powers of the Pagan world are unique only to them- spirits don't live and die. Gods don't live and die. If they were here then, they are here now, and we can still contact them.
This does not mean that I think that all witches should begin trying to revive the “pantheons” of Pagan faiths. I think that within the pantheons of historical Pagan religions we can see some of the faces of the same spirits that are available for mystical contact now. There are countless other spiritual powers that we can contact and work with as witches or sorcerers. The most primordial spiritual powers, like the Firebringer, the Horned God, the Fate Goddesses, and the Earth Mother are certainly always present, in every pantheon, and even in times long before “pantheons” were ever dreamed of, and they are present now. Witches DID have recourse to them under many names and in many guises, as many sources ancient and modern show.
Yes, I believe that the “devil” or the Master of the Craft was operating somehow in the past and in the present through the images of many of the Gods of antiquity- Apollon, Pan, Dionysos, etc. And I think that the older God of Nature was present in the guises of other Gods, across the world. Once again, this is no call for a sudden “leap into pantheonic Paganism”- it is a call for people to look to the myths and pantheons of old for hints and wisdom regarding some of the real living powers that still exist in the Unseen World.
I have drawn some criticism from many ignorant people for my writings and my claims regarding Witchcraft. My writings depict a witchcraft, a sorcery, that calls upon familiar spirits and upon other spirits to "get things done". Never in my writings have I revealed anything BUT this same pattern: getting the attention of familiar spirits, getting the attention of spirits that may once have been worshipped as Gods, and asking them or convincing them to do things on behalf of the witch. And if we are to believe the dictionary and the annals of history, that is what "witches" did, and it's what they still do.
Why would I receive criticism, when the facts are so plain regarding what witchcraft is, and when it is plain what I believe and what I do? Allow me to lift the veil from this shallow mystery for you.
To begin with, I'm a writer, and all writers, no matter what they write, draw scorn and criticism from the witless. But there's more. In the modern "occult" subculture, cliques form, just as in any other grouping of people. Like it or not, a few people have made quite a lot of money writing their books on "witchcraft" and "paganism". They've gained little followings for themselves, and their egos have responded accordingly. In a predictable reaction to whatever lack of self-esteem they must labor under, they want to believe that they have some "ancient traditions" that they protect, or they want to believe that they have the "real deal" that others don't have. They want others to believe that they are the great Magisters, the great masters, the powerful and potentially dangerous "witches" or "mages".
In reality, they want to protect the markets they dominate, and they want to maintain their little personal fiefdoms. A new writer, such as myself, won't ever really be welcome in such a paranoid and immature world; though I never intended to become "competition" to anyone, that is what I was perceived as being.
Added to these realities that would be a stumbling block to any new writer, there is an element of nationalism and discrimination- though of British Isles heritage, the fact that I didn't happen to be born in England has led some English occultists to write my work off quite without even reading it. Such a narrow-minded and hateful philosophy characterizes many people who pass for "authorities" in the field that I write in. But bonds of blood are stronger than anything, and the fact that I live outside of Britain has never been an obstacle to me in meeting the spiritual powers that my grandmothers and grandfathers knew there, and here. When I visited England and Ireland, aside from bonding with the land there ritually, I carried back with me sacred soil and stones, and so now, my spiritual and physical connection is complete.
The layers of politics, back-biting, and stupidity that I have encountered as a modern writer on occult topics has been quite an eye-opener for me. Groundless and unproven charges of plagiarism have been hurled at me in a failed attempt to discredit me. I suppose its always been this way, though, considering the drama and stupidity that surrounded the interactions of the occultists of the last century. I understand that I've angered quite a few people, though upon investigation, I've really only angered a few pathetic yet loud individuals, cowards who sit behind computer screens and glut their impotence on the internet, and who are able to make it seem much worse than it is.
And let's face it- the fact that I am alive and well is already death to their great claims: if they were the great "sorcerers" they claimed to be, I'd be dead by now.
When I was a younger man, I angered a lot of Wiccans and fluff-bunnies who were claiming to have "Great Grandmother" family traditions that went back to "pre-christian times". I debunked them; demanded to see evidence, and gained a lot of scorn from these liars. These individuals have the great honor of being the first people, way back in 1999-2000, to form "we hate Robin Artisson" clubs online. They were not destined to be the last.
Later on, when my writings gained more steam, I drew the scorn of more well-entrenched writers and "occult celebrities", partly from my own naive foolishness and partly from their own character flaws, which include the intolerable "grade school" tendency to gossip, spread lies, and believe nonsensical things about other people without verifying it for themselves. I would have hoped for more intelligence from so-called "occultists" who set themselves up as guardians of wisdom-traditions and occult learning. But Fate has taught me an important lesson, and I have learned it well. If people will really become hateful or closed-off from someone just because they "heard" that this person made so-and-so angry, who is a friend of so-and-so, then they need to go back to kindergarten and start over.
I call out now, as I always have, to those "occultists" in America and in England, who think that they corner the market on Witchcraft and Sorcery: when you are done making baseless attacks against me, a person you don't even know, and against others, and when you are done proving to the rest of the world how illegitimate you really are, please, show us the grand secrets and "witch traditions" that you possess that are so much more authentic and legitimate than what I have learned and shared. I think we all know that you don't have any.
Don't fall back on your Mason lodges; I too, am a Mason, and while Masonry is a craft, it isn't "witchcraft". Don't fall back on that old lady from whatever tiny village you claim had some great "occult tradition". Dr. Hutton has already shown, in most cases, that your "lore" was invented by someone with a Latin-English dictionary, who didn't actually know how to write Latin. And before you ask, no, the Psalms from the Bible that you chant with lit candles are also not what I mean by "witchcraft". When you wish to become brave and make a real case both against me, and FOR whatever it is that you claim to have stored away, I'll be available. In the meantime, curse you for allowing your egos and your need for drama to divide and destroy the non-Wiccan occult community, which once had the potential to help many people to find a better, more authentic and mature magical practice.
My professional occult goal is simple: to help people to understand the realities of Witchcraft and Sorcery, and (hopefully) to attract mature, stable people who may have that certain personal quality, that personal eccentricity which allows them to still believe in sorcery and witchcraft in the modern day, and to not fear it. Those people can (I believe) gain a lot of spiritual ground and gain a lot of personal understanding from the practice of modern Witchcraft. They can also help themselves and others in extraordinary ways. They are the audience I seek. I create books and sell them at very little profit to myself. I'm not in this for money or great worldwide recognition. I'm in this because I know that these arts have helped me, and I believe they can help others.
So I will pursue that goal for the rest of my life. Those great occultists whom I respect also respect me and return my friendship, and this is a great honor to me. But the truth is simpler: even if they didn't like me, all would be well. I do not need the approval of anyone but my family and the spiritual powers with whom I work. When I am long dead, my writings will survive me, and my real judges will be those who are not even born yet.
