Thought Provoking Questions - open for discussion

[too2sweet]

The following came from the Yahoo group Wicca for the Rest of Us , they gave permission for it to be passed along so here it is. Feel free to post your answer and discuss. You can answer all or pick and choose - whatever you want. Remember to keep it friendly!

* Who first worked out the correspondences? Were they made up or discovered? How do you know what lists of correspondences to trust?

* Has anyone else noticed that magick seems to work for fluffy witches too?

* Sooner or later all the pagan deities were made up by man, right? I mean, each deity is just our way of identifying with a certain energy force of the universe, like Venus for love, right? So what's stopping us from making up new deities?

* Does that make fantasy religions as valid as real ones? For example, can people actually summon orc gods from Lord of the Rings? (I knew a guy who claimed to worship "Grom" once) Or are gods as Pratchett describes them... Feeders on beliefs who get stronger with the amount of followers they have?

* What does 'quintessence' mean?

* Are some spells more effective than others, or is it the intent and power the witch puts into it that only counts? If the former, how do you know which ones are effective and which ones are drivel?

* If I wanted to cast a blessing spell, I’m sure I could find hundreds of herbs listed as to be good for blessing spells. How on earth do I know which ones to use?

* For those of us who believe that it's the witch, not the tool that holds power... Does that mean that there's no more magick in an ancient Celtic ritual dagger (my history's fuzzy there so I don’t know if those even existed) than there is in a modern kitchen knife? None at all?

* Does that mean that the ogham and runes are no more 'magickal' than, say, elvish or any other made up fantasy language?

* Is it possible that magick is a natural resource... Like oil or gold? Could there be less magick today than there was, say, two thousand years ago?

* Is it as prey to the second law of thermodynamics as everything else? In which case, should we even be using it?

* If everything's balanced, does that mean that sending 'good' energy somewhere takes it away from somewhere else? Is it possible a prosperity spell for me, takes prosperity away from someone else?

* When a hand-made, leather-bound book with parchment type pages feels more magickal than a spiral notebook, is it really because we're just being silly and subject to glamour, or is it maybe the fact that a hand-made leather-bound parchment-type-paper book is made of natural materials and not in a factory that makes a difference?

* Surely some ritual methods are more powerful than others? Surely using blood in a ritual is going to be pretty powerful, effective and binding? Is there some sort of scale to know what is really more powerful? Or is it really all up to the power we ourselves hold? Is coca cola and a plastic lighter really just as acceptable to use as wine and matches?

* Why do many of us laugh and think it silly when some people call themselves wizards, mages, sorcerers or similar? I mean, isn't the word "witch" kind of just the one that happened to gain popularity randomly?

* With so many different kinds of witches and magick users, shouldn't we begin to allow other terms to be used? Or is 'wizard' doomed to always be associated with Gandalf?  

[Dragoness Arleeana]

Who first worked out the correspondences? Were they made up or discovered? How do you know what lists of correspondences to trust?

I think that perhaps it was more of a logical thing. Fire is south (down) maybe because most believed there to be some sort of Hell beneath the earth. Earth is North (up) maybe because of mountains that towered high above everything else. Perhaps there was water to the west when people first started making correspondences. Then air was left. I don't know what air could have been, maybe it was the only thing left so that's the direction they gave it? Maybe different gods told people different things? Who knows?

Has anyone else noticed that magick seems to work for fluffy witches too?

It might work for them, and that's fine. If you want to use magic for personal gain, then by all means, go about your business. It when you start claiming a religion that you know nothing about just for the fun of it and its shock value when you become a fluff. Don't say you practice a religion when you're breaking all of its rules.

Sooner or later all the pagan deities were made up by man, right? I mean, each deity is just our way of identifying with a certain energy force of the universe, like Venus for love, right? So what's stopping us from making up new deities?

Who says they were made up? Most religions believe that the gods actually exist and arn't just representations.

Does that make fantasy religions as valid as real ones? For example, can people actually summon orc gods from Lord of the Rings? (I knew a guy who claimed to worship "Grom" once) Or are gods as Pratchett describes them... Feeders on beliefs who get stronger with the amount of followers they have?

I do believe that if enough people start following a god the Unmanifest will bring it into creation. I don't think gods become stronger with the more followers they have, but their voice does spread further that way.

What does 'quintessence' mean?

No clue! I think it sounds cool, but I've no clue what it means (so I don't use it, and I've never heard it used religiously). I think it might mean something along the lines of "in harmony".

Are some spells more effective than others, or is it the intent and power the witch puts into it that only counts? If the former, how do you know which ones are effective and which ones are drivel?

I think that there are certain things that you must do to access the power within yourself, that is what ritual is for, but that the power comes from within yourself. It's the mood that makes the magic I think, and these things are what put you into that mood and state of mind.

If I wanted to cast a blessing spell, I’m sure I could find hundreds of herbs listed as to be good for blessing spells. How on earth do I know which ones to use?

Think about the actually physical and medical properties of an herb. If physical properties or herbal properties make sense for correspondences then you should be fine. If you want to get more into the magical area of it find an herbal almanac written by an herbalist that isn't pagan. They'll give the history of what it used to be used for, so it's the best bet you have.

For those of us who believe that it's the witch, not the tool that holds power... Does that mean that there's no more magick in an ancient Celtic ritual dagger (my history's fuzzy there so I don’t know if those even existed) than there is in a modern kitchen knife? None at all?

Again, it's the mood thing I think. It also deals with symbolism.

Does that mean that the ogham and runes are no more 'magickal' than, say, elvish or any other made up fantasy language?

All languages are "made up". Just because they arn't used commonly doesn't mean they arn't a language. You can speak fluently in elvish, it's not just a code. It IS a language, even if people don't use it on a day to day basis. The symbols don't make the runes magical, you do. You learn and know the runes, so when you ask a question the runes will give you the best answer they can using what is provided on them.

Is it possible that magick is a natural resource... Like oil or gold? Could there be less magick today than there was, say, two thousand years ago?

It's a possibility, unless you believe in the Unmanifest. The Unmanifest IS magic and all magic returns to it. Perhaps it is a slowly decreasing supply, that would explain many things, but then again, there's no way to find out.

Is it as prey to the second law of thermodynamics as everything else? In which case, should we even be using it?

Don't know what that is, so I can't really answer. Sorry, not a science person.

If everything's balanced, does that mean that sending 'good' energy somewhere takes it away from somewhere else? Is it possible a prosperity spell for me, takes prosperity away from someone else?

It might not take it from someone, but it might give it to someone else, but in return that would mean you would recieve bad luck eventually as well. It's a karma thing.

When a hand-made, leather-bound book with parchment type pages feels more magickal than a spiral notebook, is it really because we're just being silly and subject to glamour, or is it maybe the fact that a hand-made leather-bound parchment-type-paper book is made of natural materials and not in a factory that makes a difference?

If it's hand-made it's going to feel more magical. Whenever you do something for yourself or make something for yourself it's always much more gratifying than just buying it or having someone else do it. The idea that such things were used when witchcraft was far more common is also an appealing thought to the human psyche.

Surely some ritual methods are more powerful than others? Surely using blood in a ritual is going to be pretty powerful, effective and binding? Is there some sort of scale to know what is really more powerful? Or is it really all up to the power we ourselves hold? Is coca cola and a plastic lighter really just as acceptable to use as wine and matches?

Again, symbolism, mood and the power within yourself.

Why do many of us laugh and think it silly when some people call themselves wizards, mages, sorcerers or similar? I mean, isn't the word "witch" kind of just the one that happened to gain popularity randomly?

We laugh because most people who call themselves these thing have taken their practices right from a D&D game. The word wizard is laughed at because it is usually a referal to an elder male witch. A sorcerer/sorceress are usually people who manipulate others, but it isn't laughed at all that much. Made is laughed at because in every story and mythos it refers to fire throwing, lighting hurling, shape-changing fiction characters. Warlock is laughed at because there are people who actually know what that means historically. It is a title used to refer to witches who have broken their Oaths.

With so many different kinds of witches and magick users, shouldn't we begin to allow other terms to be used? Or is 'wizard' doomed to always be associated with Gandalf?

There are PLENTY of new words coming into use, such a Wittan, Wiccan, Seeker, Dedicant, Initiate, Elder, High Priestess, High Priest and etc. Most of those terms, when laughed at, are being used in the wrong context, such as calling someone within the Wiccan religion a mage. There ar religions and paths out there that DO use them, but most people use them incorrectly.  

[PhoenixMoonStar]

too2sweet

Who first worked out the correspondences? Were they made up or discovered? How do you know what lists of correspondences to trust?

I assume you mean all the correspondences, like hourly, planetary, color, and so forth. Most of them I believe are based on folklore, for lack of a better term. Planetary, for example, were more than likely worked out by ancient astrologers, who attributed everything to the movement of the heavens. To these people, the planets were more than planets, but Gods or Godly influences. If Mercury went retrograde, it was a big thing, watching a heavenly body travel backwards. Each planet was named for a deity, and therefore assumed to carry that deity's influence. Mercury (again) was about communication for he was the messenger of the gods. Kinda like AIM, only more reliable.

Days of the week are also named for deities, but those are mostly (not all) Norse in nature. Again, they carry with them the essence of the deity they are named for.

Hourly, and colors... I'm not exactly sure, but I'm betting hourly ties back to the astrologers. Almost anything dealing with time was probably their doing. They were superstitious and believed everything was controlled by a deity.

Now, as for the Element/directions... One set of those actually comes from the Druids. It was how they viewed their world. Mountains rose to their North, Water lay to their west, the sun rose in their east, and the South was hot (hey, Africa and the Sahara lay that way)... so they felt it only natural.

I'll see if I can't dig up the essay link on that, and post it in here.

too2sweet

Has anyone else noticed that magick seems to work for fluffy witches too?

I don't remember reading or hearing anything about why it wouldn't. My understanding it that magick is all around us. What Christians call miracles, witches call results. What Christains call prayer circles, witches call working magick. Magick works for anyone... it's just not all of them tend to call it what it is.

too2sweet

Sooner or later all the pagan deities were made up by man, right? I mean, each deity is just our way of identifying with a certain energy force of the universe, like Venus for love, right? So what's stopping us from making up new deities?

Perhaps the names given to them, and the images to represent them are thought of as "made up". I prefer to think that deity reveals itself in whatever form is most acceptable to the people it is dealing with. For instance, would a white god be more acceptable to people who are not white, or would they perhaps be more accepting of a deity who looks more like them? Why would the Chinese, for example, have a deity who was European? Wouldn't it be more natural for their deity to appear Chinese? And so, wouldn't it make more sense for that deity to have a Chinese name?

"Water" is still water no matter if you call it 'water' or 'agua' or 'aqua' or 'вода" or '水'. You will still get water.

If deity feels that a form is no longer acceptable to the people being dealt with, I believe the image will change to fit the mental expectations of the people. So, I suppose new deities can be 'created' while old ones are 'destroyed' but do you think we're really responsible for that, or is it all an illusion we're allowed?

too2sweet

Does that make fantasy religions as valid as real ones? For example, can people actually summon orc gods from Lord of the Rings? (I knew a guy who claimed to worship "Grom" once) Or are gods as Pratchett describes them... Feeders on beliefs who get stronger with the amount of followers they have?

Again, if that's the image that works for them, who's to tell them it is incorrect? It's not so much that gods become stronger with more followers, it's that the image they take on becomes easier for them to work with if there are more people who accept it. So, in a way, it may look like they become stronger, but it's always the same energy behind the mask.

too2sweet

What does 'quintessence' mean?

According to Dictionary.com:
–noun
1. the pure and concentrated essence of a substance.
2. the most perfect embodiment of something.
3. (in ancient and medieval philosophy) the fifth essence or element, ether, supposed to be the constituent matter of the heavenly bodies, the others being air, fire, earth, and water.

In our terms, that's the Spirit. The top point of the pentacle, so to speak.

too2sweet

Are some spells more effective than others, or is it the intent and power the witch puts into it that only counts? If the former, how do you know which ones are effective and which ones are drivel?

I think it's a combination of factors. Personally, I believe the universe comes with a safe guard. If you try to do something with magick that would wreck the fabric of time and space... that safeguard goes into effect and kills the spell. Hence why some spells, even those preformed correctly, and with proper intent and power behind them, fizzle. We've probably all had them.. everything was perfect.. there was no reason it shouldn't have worked.. yet it fizzled. Universal safe code. Something, somewhere, would have been so horribly effected that... it wasn't allowed. Now, I do believe that the intent, and the energy put into it is a large factor. I also believe the proper focusing of energy is a factor. Unleash 5 tons of magick pressure randomly... you might get a small breeze. Unleash 5 tons of magick pressure that's focused... you've got a hurricane. (best example I could come up with.) You.. get the point. Untrained magick users more than likely are unfocused, while those who have trained, are more focused. Maybe a better example is... stand three feet from a deck, with a piece of paper on it. Blow on that paper. Note your results. Now, blow on that paper through a straw. Any difference?

too2sweet

If I wanted to cast a blessing spell, I’m sure I could find hundreds of herbs listed as to be good for blessing spells. How on earth do I know which ones to use?

I'll agree with Leeana in this question. However, I'll add that, sometimes a list of herbs is given, because maybe not all of them are something you personally can get your hands on. Maybe some are native to South America, and you live in London. Maybe at the time the list was written, a specific herb was abundant, and thus cheap, while now it's $25 a half oz. Maybe they included all the herbs ever known, and some of them do not exist anymore. And.. my favorite... some people have better connections to certain herbs. Sure, you could use lilac, but maybe you have a stronger connection to Rosemary, thus, when using Rosemary, it's easier for you to work with the energies of the herb. It's also about choice.

too2sweet

For those of us who believe that it's the witch, not the tool that holds power... Does that mean that there's no more magick in an ancient Celtic ritual dagger (my history's fuzzy there so I don’t know if those even existed) than there is in a modern kitchen knife? None at all?

Yes... and no. Tools are like training wheels. You use them to help you, and once you move past the need for the crutch, you don't use them. Again, it's about how you connect. If you believe the Celtic Dagger has more power in it because it's ancient, then you're more likely to accept it as a crutch than a kitchen knife. It's part of the reason they warn against using mundane items as ritual items, and using ritual items as mundane items. You -can- use the kitchen knife... but don't use it in the kitchen again, because it is easier to mentally separate items into "magickal" and "non-magickal" and thus connect to those energies. Now, not everyone is like that. Some people can work just fine without a crutch, and others can easily separate the item into different functions. It's a guideline.

Now, for the no part. Coming from a spiritual and energy standpoint, items can store energies. That's what... I forget the term for it... but when someone can hold an object and tell you about the owner of the object. There's an imprint left behind. If a dagger is used for centuries by someone who does magick (passed down from person to person) then it's not that difficult to assume that energy has been stored, and thus gives it a more natural feel when using it once again for magick.

too2sweet

Does that mean that the ogham and runes are no more 'magickal' than, say, elvish or any other made up fantasy language?

Given that Tolkien is supposed to have based his Elvish off ancient Celtic... that's a poor question. It makes Elvish a form of Gaelic dialect. Ever study languages? You'll learn why certain languages are called "Romance Languages". It's not just because they all 'sound pretty'. They all stem from the same language. They have a base language as their origins. So, Technically, Elvish has Gaelic as a base language, making it a form of that language. Therefore, it's not entirely a 'fake' language.

too2sweet

Is it possible that magick is a natural resource... Like oil or gold? Could there be less magick today than there was, say, two thousand years ago?

It's a theory bantered about more times than not. Magick was more accessible back in 'the day' and now, it's a rare commodity. If that were true though, Witches would be wise to conserve it and not waste it. Rather than using it for frivolous things like good grades and lust spells, they'd be focusing on world peace and cleaner environments. I see no such concern. But then, I suppose the same can be said about the concern for other natural resources.

Think about this... when we are kids, we often times see things others don't. Ever heard of 'imaginary friends'? What if they weren't? What if, what children see, are fairies, and spirits, and totem animals? What if it is their spirit guide? Adults teach kids not to see these things. We're forced to block them out, to put up mental barriers to that, because we're told it isn't real, and doesn't exist. What if it does? Perhaps the barriers we put up block more than the visions. Perhaps we cut off the magickal world completely. Re-establishing that link can be difficult, and maybe never fully functional, therefore, we never again have full access to the magick.

too2sweet

Is it as prey to the second law of thermodynamics as everything else? In which case, should we even be using it?

Nani? Does magick fall prey to the second law? For everyone out there who doesn't know what that is, I quote "expression of the universal law of increasing entropy, stating that the entropy of an isolated system which is not in equilibrium will tend to increase over time, approaching a maximum value at equilibrium. In simple terms, the second law is an expression of the fact that over time, ignoring the effects of self-gravity, differences in temperature, pressure, and density tend to even out in a physical system that is isolated from the outside world. Entropy is a measure of how far along this evening-out process has progressed."

I believe that is asking, if Magick is cut off from the world, will it regain it's former potency? Given that I don't fully understand the law, I don't know if I interpreted that correctly. So I would rather refrain from answering.

too2sweet

If everything's balanced, does that mean that sending 'good' energy somewhere takes it away from somewhere else? Is it possible a prosperity spell for me, takes prosperity away from someone else?

This is another theory I've seen more than once. If you do a rain spell, does that mean the resulting rain you get is actually taken from somewhere that might have needed it more? I think this is where the line "Harm to none and help to all" or some form thereof comes into play. Most people tag something in like that as a fail-safe. Basically, if what I'm asking for is going to adversely affect someone else, then don't let the spell take effect.

If you step outside those boundaries, then I think you have Karma to deal with.

too2sweet

When a hand-made, leather-bound book with parchment type pages feels more magickal than a spiral notebook, is it really because we're just being silly and subject to glamour, or is it maybe the fact that a hand-made leather-bound parchment-type-paper book is made of natural materials and not in a factory that makes a difference?

Again, see my response to the kitchen knife. It's not much different. It's a tool, and if the spiral feels more mundane than the leather bound hand-made version, then you probably won't connect to it. Personally, I use a three ring binder for easy edits, and I print everything off, hole punch it, and add it. It makes it easier for me to adjust the font size, and read by candle light. Especially as I get older. If I find something it too hard to read, I enlarge the font, reprint, re-punch, and remove the offending page, and replace it with the new one. This also helps if I find more information about something later, I can add it in behind the section, rather than 40 pages down the road. Hand-written books are nice, but never were practical for me. Learning isn't linear.

too2sweet

Surely some ritual methods are more powerful than others? Surely using blood in a ritual is going to be pretty powerful, effective and binding? Is there some sort of scale to know what is really more powerful? Or is it really all up to the power we ourselves hold? Is coca cola and a plastic lighter really just as acceptable to use as wine and matches?

Blood is life energy.. so yeah, it's going to be powerful. If you have a piece of someone's hair, it's a part of them. Skin.. a part of them... But both of these have been exposed to outside forces like wind, rain, dirt, sweat, spit from other people... think of all the crap floating around in the atmosphere. Germs! Blood is supposed to be the most untainted. (well, if you don't count the crap floating in our blood.) But yeah, I think it's all about the symbolism. If you can connect with coke and a lighter more than matches and wine, then why not? Personally, for medical reasons, I can't have wine. Period. So if I'm not allowed to have a substitute, then what the hell am I supposed to do? Drink it and die? I doubt the gods want that.

too2sweet

Why do many of us laugh and think it silly when some people call themselves wizards, mages, sorcerers or similar? I mean, isn't the word "witch" kind of just the one that happened to gain popularity randomly?

I think it has to do with their delivery, and if they seem to fully understand the meaning of the terms. The only word I find conflict with is "warlock" which wasn't something directly mentioned. Historically, it stems from the Old English wǣrloga, meaning oath-breaker, wǣr meaning pledge, and loga meaning liar. There's also some that translate it more as wær meaning truth, solemn promise, vow, faith... and leogan meaning to lie. I think, rather than the terms themselves being the cause for a laugh, it's the lack of understanding on the part of the person using them.

too2sweet

With so many different kinds of witches and magick users, shouldn't we begin to allow other terms to be used? Or is 'wizard' doomed to always be associated with Gandalf?

I think again, it is to be determined by the person using the words, and the knowledge or lack there of of the term they chose. Personally, if a respected Witch that I knew -knew- what the terms meant started calling himself a wizard, it wouldn't phase me. It's a label, and well... we all know how I feel about damn labels. razz



Good topic BTW. I'm probably going to cut/paste this to Blessed Be as well. I see it got more responses there.  

[Siegfried Kiefter]

Who first worked out the correspondences? Were they made up or discovered? How do you know what lists of correspondences to trust?
Trust what you want to trust.

Has anyone else noticed that magick seems to work for fluffy witches too?
I believe that magic works for all wiccans (or whatever you prefer to call yourself)

Sooner or later all the pagan deities were made up by man, right? I mean, each deity is just our way of identifying with a certain energy force of the universe, like Venus for love, right? So what's stopping us from making up new deities?
Nothing. When it comes to dieties, believe what makes sense to you.

Does that make fantasy religions as valid as real ones? For example, can people actually summon orc gods from Lord of the Rings? (I knew a guy who claimed to worship "Grom" once) Or are gods as Pratchett describes them... Feeders on beliefs who get stronger with the amount of followers they have?
No religion is more valid than another. As for the nature of dieties, believe what you will.

What does 'quintessence' mean?
I have no clue, to be honest.

Are some spells more effective than others, or is it the intent and power the witch puts into it that only counts? If the former, how do you know which ones are effective and which ones are drivel?
You have no way to know how well a spell worked.

If I wanted to cast a blessing spell, I’m sure I could find hundreds of herbs listed as to be good for blessing spells. How on earth do I know which ones to use?
Use what makes sense to use.

For those of us who believe that it's the witch, not the tool that holds power... Does that mean that there's no more magick in an ancient Celtic ritual dagger (my history's fuzzy there so I don’t know if those even existed) than there is in a modern kitchen knife? None at all?
For some the tool is the power, for others it's the wiccan.

Does that mean that the ogham and runes are no more 'magickal' than, say, elvish or any other made up fantasy language?
Depends on the rune and whether or not you use tools.

Is it possible that magick is a natural resource... Like oil or gold? Could there be less magick today than there was, say, two thousand years ago?
Maybe, I don't know.

Is it as prey to the second law of thermodynamics as everything else? In which case, should we even be using it?
I have no clue.

If everything's balanced, does that mean that sending 'good' energy somewhere takes it away from somewhere else? Is it possible a prosperity spell for me, takes prosperity away from someone else?
It is technically possible.

When a hand-made, leather-bound book with parchment type pages feels more magickal than a spiral notebook, is it really because we're just being silly and subject to glamour, or is it maybe the fact that a hand-made leather-bound parchment-type-paper book is made of natural materials and not in a factory that makes a difference?
Whatever feels more magical to you is more magical to you.

Surely some ritual methods are more powerful than others? Surely using blood in a ritual is going to be pretty powerful, effective and binding? Is there some sort of scale to know what is really more powerful? Or is it really all up to the power we ourselves hold? Is coca cola and a plastic lighter really just as acceptable to use as wine and matches?
Depends on the wiccan and the goal.

Why do many of us laugh and think it silly when some people call themselves wizards, mages, sorcerers or similar? I mean, isn't the word "witch" kind of just the one that happened to gain popularity randomly?
People laugh because it sounds rediculous.

With so many different kinds of witches and magick users, shouldn't we begin to allow other terms to be used? Or is 'wizard' doomed to always be associated with Gandalf?
Use whatever term you will.  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Holy cats, that's a lot of questions! Wheeee!

* Who first worked out the correspondences? Were they made up or discovered? How do you know what lists of correspondences to trust?

I think they were based on logical thought, and what worked for the person who made them up. I find correspondences interesting, and worth considering, but of course in the end if it doesn't work for you you shouldn't use it. I don't use many correspondences myself. Colours, though, as an example, do have a psychological effects. Pastels are calming. Someone who suggested baby blue was good for a spell involving a high amount of emotion or strength would get laughed off, for example. Aromatherapy can work in similar ways: citrus scents are invigorating, lavender is relaxing. When you get into stuff like what day you do things on or what planet something is associated with is when I start to raise an eyebrow.

* Has anyone else noticed that magick seems to work for fluffy witches too?

Not really, no. If they understand how magic works, they're not so much a fluffy witch as a fluffy Wiccan or Pagan. Most of them will say "omg I need a spell plz help!" which I find ludicrous. They have a tendency to think that what you say is important or that you really NEED all those "ingredients". Many of them don't seem to get the whole "energy, focus, will" thing that's necessary for successful magic.

* Sooner or later all the pagan deities were made up by man, right? I mean, each deity is just our way of identifying with a certain energy force of the universe, like Venus for love, right? So what's stopping us from making up new deities?

No, I don't think Pagan deities were made up by man. Sorry, hard polytheist wink Venus is far, far more than just "love". She's a complex deity.

* Does that make fantasy religions as valid as real ones? For example, can people actually summon orc gods from Lord of the Rings? (I knew a guy who claimed to worship "Grom" once) Or are gods as Pratchett describes them... Feeders on beliefs who get stronger with the amount of followers they have?

Pratchett is a clever man and his ideas are rather more valid than many in fantasy or things of this type. His small gods hypothesis is an interesting one and may indeed be close to the way things work. But I don't believe fantasy deities are real. If they were, then Azathoth would be real and frankly I would rather things like those Lovecraft imagined did not exist. Anyone who thinks they can worship those and be cool is an idiot, really. It's not like you'd survive. You'd just be eaten first.

* What does 'quintessence' mean?

Quintessence is spirit. "Quint" is five, so it refers to a fifth element. It also refers to the perfect embodiment or epitome of something.

* Are some spells more effective than others, or is it the intent and power the witch puts into it that only counts? If the former, how do you know which ones are effective and which ones are drivel?

Ones that say you HAVE to do something tend to be written by someone without much of a clue. However, in the end every spell is as effective as any other. But a spell is more powerful if you write it yourself because you'll be using everything you want and discarding what doesn't work for you. Not every spell will work as well for every witch.

* If I wanted to cast a blessing spell, I’m sure I could find hundreds of herbs listed as to be good for blessing spells. How on earth do I know which ones to use?

*shrug* I don't work with herbs. Nor do I do "blessing spells". If I want a blessing I ask it from the gods; if I want to cleanse or charge something I do it in a hands-on way, without casting a spell.

* For those of us who believe that it's the witch, not the tool that holds power... Does that mean that there's no more magick in an ancient Celtic ritual dagger (my history's fuzzy there so I don’t know if those even existed) than there is in a modern kitchen knife? None at all?

Of course there is. That dagger has been used for ritual purpose and infused with power for a long time. It has been a holy tool for a long time. A kitchen knife is capable of holding the same amount of power, but it doesn't automatically hold that degree of energy. You have to charge it and use it for an amount of time for that to work. There's also the psychological aspect: a kitchen knife might not say "athame" or "ritual knife" in your brain, and if it doesn't, it's not going to hold the same amount of power. Technically there's no difference between the two, but in practice there will be.

* Does that mean that the ogham and runes are no more 'magickal' than, say, elvish or any other made up fantasy language?

Now, I know Sweet understands the Runes, but to those that don't: the Runes are not just letters. They're not simply an alphabet. They are symbols of particular energies, very strong ones that compose the universe in a particular way. They should not be used carelessly or without real understanding. I don't know Ogham or how those symbols work, so I can't say whether Runes and Ogham work in the same way. But you can't invent a fantasy language and expect those energies to automatically be there, no.

* Is it possible that magick is a natural resource... Like oil or gold? Could there be less magick today than there was, say, two thousand years ago?
Nothing is ever created or destroyed; technically there's always the same amount of energy. Unless some of it radiates out into space or something. So I don't think there's any less.

* Is it as prey to the second law of thermodynamics as everything else? In which case, should we even be using it?

Things increase in entropy? Are we a closed system? I'm not a physicist, myself, so I can't comment in any real way. I think it doesn't matter how entropic energy is.... we can still use it.

* If everything's balanced, does that mean that sending 'good' energy somewhere takes it away from somewhere else? Is it possible a prosperity spell for me, takes prosperity away from someone else?

There's only so much money. If you win lotto, someone else isn't going to win that week. If you get that job, someone else can't get that job. So yes. If money comes your way, someone else is losing out on that money. Welcome to capitalism. However, I don't believe in "good" energy so I don't think there's a limited supply of, say, good luck and bad luck.

* When a hand-made, leather-bound book with parchment type pages feels more magickal than a spiral notebook, is it really because we're just being silly and subject to glamour, or is it maybe the fact that a hand-made leather-bound parchment-type-paper book is made of natural materials and not in a factory that makes a difference?

Intent matters when you're crafting an object. If you're making something with the intent of it being a special volume, a grimoire or something of that nature, it's not so much what you're making it with that matters, but that in the making, you intend it to be used for that sort of purpose. You mean it to be special, and that counts. That's going to make it feel special. In addition, yes, there's a psychological aspect to this. And that psychological aspect is important. Books have always been valuable, special, because for the longest time they were very rare. Now they're very common. But a very good grimoire is not only rare but very expensive. You're going to hunt long for a damn good grimoire and you're going to shell out a lot to possess it. That alone will make you cherish the book. It's not "silly". It's natural. A spiral-bound notebook, no matter how special, is never going to hold the natural power for us as one of these. (C'mon, admit it. Your breath just caught in your throat.)

* Surely some ritual methods are more powerful than others? Surely using blood in a ritual is going to be pretty powerful, effective and binding? Is there some sort of scale to know what is really more powerful? Or is it really all up to the power we ourselves hold? Is coca cola and a plastic lighter really just as acceptable to use as wine and matches?

Again, much of it is psychological. It's all about meanings, what things mean to you personally. Having said that, there are certain things that are naturally more powerful than others. I do believe that blood is more powerful and binding. The shedding of blood both raises and releases energy. Runes, too, are particularly powerful in magic.

* Why do many of us laugh and think it silly when some people call themselves wizards, mages, sorcerers or similar? I mean, isn't the word "witch" kind of just the one that happened to gain popularity randomly?
"Mage" is a word commonly used in role-playing games, so it suggests the individual isn't taking things seriously. Having said that, it's a rank in the Church of Satan and it's a word sometimes used by Ceremonial Magicians. Wizards work in different sorts of ways, ways that aren't particularly relevant nowadays. Plus the word calls to mind Oberon Zell's Grey School, which... frankly.... Zell seems to have gone a bit mad. Sorcerer kind of implies that someone thinks they have far more power than others, which in itself is a "the empty vessel makes the greatest sound" sort of deal. Now, a ceremonial magician isn't a witch, and the use of that term in that situation would be a bit odd. It's more about understanding yourself and your own magical style, really.

* With so many different kinds of witches and magick users, shouldn't we begin to allow other terms to be used? Or is 'wizard' doomed to always be associated with Gandalf?

There are two basic magic styles: high magic and low magic. High magic is associated with Ceremonial Magicians, low magic with witchcraft. (Interestingly, many Wiccans, who are more likely to use high magic, prefer the term "witch" to "magician". Given the link to the natural world and the theism in their practice, I can understand their use of the word in that way.) I really don't see the point with muddling the issue with other terms.