Pagan Blog Project Wk 1: A is for Anger

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With the holidays just recently wrapping up, I haven't any doubts that stress levels have been high even for people with lives that are, overall, normal and without any of the excessive amounts of crapola that still so many others have to deal with.  I'm definitely no stranger to stress building to such a level that anger becomes the end result.  This is something that I'm working on bringing under control.

But we, for the most part, are always hearing about the dangers of anger and for very good reason, of course.  Anger is a very powerful weapon and it's a weapon that's abused more often than it's put to good use.  I mean, come on, that is pretty much part of the theme of the Star Wars movies, yes?

"Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering."

All true. Anger is an emotion that can get out of control if we let it and it is certainly not an emotion that I would recommend holding onto.

However, anger can be a powerful motivator IF IF IF IF used properly.  If there are things in your life that desperately need changed, anger can be the power punch you need to fight back against the things that are going wrong.  For instance: if you're stuck in an abusive relationship, anger can help you have the courage to stand up, refuse to take it anymore, and to get the hell out.  It can help you, depending on the situation, to stand up to your abuser, and refuse to take their bullying anymore.

Please understand, however, that certain cases are unwise for using your anger for direct confrontation.  If your abuser, for instance, is someone who beats you or does other physical things or you haven't any doubt that he/she WOULD enact out physical violence of some sort, your anger is best suited to motivate you just to get the fuck out as a physical confrontation runs the risk of it not ending well for you.  BELIEVE ME, I am not recommending that anyone take any route that leads to physical violence.

Getting to the more Pagan aspects, anger is a way powerful way to raise your energy for spellwork for things like justice spells.

One of the entries I made for last year's Pagan Blog Project was B is for Breaking Out the Bitchcraft in which I talked about the use of harsher magick for things like justice spells or appropriately used curses or hexes such as what Dorothy Morrison talks about in her book "Utterly Wicked: Curses, Hexes, and Other Unsavory Notions".

One thing that Morrison spoke about in that book that has stuck with me is that when/if you come to the conclusion (after, of course, trying to solve the problem on a more mundane level -- remember, using a bazooka on a mosquito is just silly) that breaking out the bitchcraft is necessary, you HAVE to get to a level of utterly and direly PISSED OFF.  If you're having to work some harsh magick to protect yourself, to seek justice against someone trying to cause you harm or whatever, you CAN'T be shy about it.

As previously mentioned in my entry from last year, there is a terrible amount of hotheads in the overall Pagan community who about have an apoplexy at the very idea of doing any magick that isn't in the "Love and Light" category.  But, I'm sorry (not really), if someone is trying to cause you harm, "Love and Light" isn't gonna cut it.

If someone is coming at you with a knife, "Love and Light" and warm, fuzzy feelings is not going to stop that person from shanking you.  Fighting like hell, however, just might.

Image by Aeonsend on DeviantArt

In the 1st chapter of her book, Dorothy Morrison writes, "If a serial killer were holding a gun to your head, a knife to your neck, or was delightedly slicing off bits of your flesh, would you be the least bit concerned about his well-being?  Would you really give a rat's ass if he was happy? Secure in his own skin?  That he would somehow manage to get out of the situation safely and without personal, physical or psychological damage? Of course not! The rules would be damned, and all you'd care about would be getting away and seeing to it that he was too incapacitated to hurt you or anyone else ever again."

Damn skippy!  And, of course, if anyone were in that situation, anger would be an immensely useful tool to overcome your fear to fight back by any means necessary so long as you don't let your anger blind you.  As anyone with self defense experience knows, trying to strike out of anger has a high likelihood of getting your ass kicked.  But if you use it to put the power behind your strikes rather than control them, you have a higher chance of coming out of the fight victorious.


Anger is tricky.  Trying to bring it to heel can often times be like trying to grasp a wet bar of soap.  If you keep your determination to keep your control of it, your anger can be the fuel that kicks you in the ass to strive for a positive change in your life instead of constantly being made life's bitch.

This is where I am at right now.  For far too long I've not been in control of my own life.  I've not been able to be prepared for when things tumble down the shitter and it's cost me and my children dearly.  And it's not like I've WANTED things to be like this.  My life has felt like I'm standing on an oil slick on a gymnasium floor.  I've fallen down so many times despite trying to get to more stable ground.  And for the past several months, I've been flat on my back like a gorram turtle and life has grabbed me by the ankle and dragged me around like a rag doll.  To say that I'm sick of this shit would be a massive understatement!

So now I'm pissed!  I'm furious!  I'm sick of my life being so beyond my control!  I'm fucking sick of not being able to withstand the trials that life throws at me!  It has brought me to a place that I don't want to be, but it is still an opportunity.  Where I'm at right now, I have the opportunity to finally be able to stand up, throw down some figurative sand in this oily glop, walk to solid ground and stay on my feet.  I now have the opportunity to take my life back for myself and my children!  I'm so pissed that I've finally said "Enough of this shit!" and have begun to formulate plans and set goals.  I'm at a place where I know I can get this shit done and I can't wait to start checking these items off my list so my life can be one of self-sufficiency for the sake of my children as well as myself.

So, if your life is not what you want it to be for whatever reason, don't just wallow in your discontent and hopelessness.  Those feelings are understandable, but get mad, dammit!  Get mad and start finding a way to change your life!  Where there is a will, there is a way, and a will fueled by anger because you're sick of the shit is going to be a helluva strong will to contend with indeed!