Devin Hunter - 8 July

Dedication &
Acknowledgments

T his book is dedicated first and foremost to my divine allies Diana, Dianus, and Aradia. Everywhere they go inspiration and power follows and without my continued relationship to them this project would have never happened.

To the ancestors of the craft. I stand on your shoulders, not in your footsteps. Your sacrifices and work shall never die, but will live forever in the teachings you shared. I honor you.

To the witches not yet born. This is the book I wish Id had. May you find your power within the pages.

To Storm and Chas, my beloved partners. Your magic and support has changed the way I look at the world and what I believe I am capable of. This book was planted in the rich soil of our love and grown by your encouragement.

To my beloved Sacred Fires community. I have learned so much about power by watching and emulating you. You are my tribe, my heart, my community, and my hope for the future.

To Heather Killen, the biggest supporter of my work as a teacher and priest. You are truly an irrepressible force of nature and many years ago you showed me how to become one myself. You are the essence of beauty and power.

To Lisa Dawn, who has become one of my best friends and closest confidants. You have been the mirror and sounding board for so many tests in my life, especially those related to power. I wouldnt have made it here without you. Thank you for years of unconditional love and support.

To my father, Frank, who helped me understand that I was weird and that it was okay. You introduced me to the craft and because of that I have been able to create the life I wanted to live. I will always love and cherish you.

To Christopher Penczak, who has always fanned the flames of my work. Be it as a teacher, friend, or brother, you have encouraged me to become the witch I am capable of being. Without your support over the years I never would have had the guts to finally do this. I am forever in your debt. Finally, this book has made it to the world.

Lastly, to the amazing Eddy Gutirrez. Although you are no longer with us in the physical I feel your spirit with me daily. You predicted accurately how this book would end up just before your death so I think that earns you a spot up front! I miss you, babe. You were the wickedest one of us all. You are my invisible light.

Joy and woe are woven fine,

A clothing for the soul divine,

Under every grief and pine,

Runs a joy with silken twine.

It is right it should be so,

We were made for joy and woe,

And when this we rightly know,

Through the world we safely go.

William Blake

Foreword
by christopher penczak

P ower is a word we dont hear too often these days in the witchcraft world. Many consider it a dirty word, something we like to sweep under the rug. Witchcraft has nothing to do with power, we tell others and sometimes tell ourselves. Witchcraft is about peace. Witchcraft is about love. Witchcraft is about nature. Yes, to all of those things, but witchcraft is also about power, and to lose sight of that important fact undermines all missions about peace, love, and nature. Power denotes a sense of control, and often erroneously conjures the images of power over others, rather than power with and the deeper meanings of self-control and self-discipline. But power is the fuel for the engine to make change. Without power, there is no magic. Without power, there is no healing. Without power, there is no life. Life feeds life, and vital power is the fuel that makes the wheels within wheels turn. Many people really do come to the craft, or at least magic, seeking power, but as a remedy for their own sense of powerlessness. They are seeking power over oth ers and their life. Some learn that first you must have power within yourself. Others dont. And its the behavior of those others that have caused us to shy away from the word power .

Many in the current generation of the craft have spent so much time and energy, so much personal power, in convincing everyone else and themselves that we are just like everyone else, harmless and normal, that we have begun to believe it. Spells are easily explained to the uninterested or fearful neighbor as another form of prayer. Visions are explained through the lens of hypnosis, dream therapy, and Jungian psychology. Potions and incense can be related to aromatherapy and holistic health. All potentially true, yet all very safe and sterile. Potions go beyond herbal chemistry and tap into a deep primal magic of our green allies. Visions are really contact with transdimensional realities beyond the bounds of our ordinary perceptions that are just as real as the world we see here. And spells are not just prayers. They might have a component of devotion, but the fuel of the spell is powerbe it personal life force, the power of nature, the power of a deity, or the flowing power of the starry heavens. But to say this can look crazy to our well-meaning family, friends, and neighbors.