Posts Tagged ‘Bernadette Montana’

Next in out series of interviews is the very prolific author, Judika Illes! In today’s interview, Judika talks about her love of magic, her many books and her diverse background.

Bernadette:
We would love to hear a little bit about your background Judika!  Many of your books deal with magic from many different backgrounds and cultures, so I’d love to hear about your background and influences!

Judika:
Well, I’m from Queens, one of New York City’s outer boroughs, which partially explains my comfort and familiarity with different cultures. Queens is reputedly the most ethnically-diverse place on Earth. I come from a fairly international family—I have relatives all over the place. I was the first person in my family to be born in the United States. I grew up with people from lots of different backgrounds, cultures, religions, and spiritual traditions, so I was raised to be tolerant and not make assumptions about people.
I think that personally I am a fairly good example of an urban magical practitioner. Magical practitioners from major urban centers like New York are constantly learning from each other, trading and sharing information, and evolving new traditions. The traditions I learned at home were mainly Central and Eastern European, but I was also heavily influenced by people who taught me African-American, Latin-American, Caribbean, North African, and East Asian traditions. Other influences on me include the great occult stores that flourished in New York City during my youth, before rising rents drove them out of business—great stores like Samuel Weiser’s Books and Magickal Childe, and all the botanicas and wonderful herb stores like Aphrodisia, which just closed recently. Growing up, there was also an unofficial but strong and distinct local New York style of magic, mainly an amalgamation of Western occultism and Puerto Rican traditions, especially Espiritismo—I’m very much a product of my background.

Bernadette:

Tell us about what inspires you to write Judika.  Your books are great sources of information for anyone interested in metaphysics.  How do you go about compiling and researching all information that needed to complete the books that you write?

Judika:

What inspires me to write is my love for my topics. I am so blessed and privileged to be able to write about subjects I love, like spells and witchcraft, saints and spirits. I enjoy the researching process- that part is fun and I would do it for myself, whether I was published or not.
Writing itself is difficult, but I feel an obligation to my material, to preserve it and also to present it in the clearest possible way, so that readers can share in my passions. I love divination, for instance, and I want other people to love it, too. My motivations aren’t entirely unselfish—I think that there’s greater safety for my community of magical practitioners and fortune-tellers if the greater public really understands what it is that we do. Historically, it has been dangerous to practice these arts, as it still is in some places today. I hope that my writing helps dispel fear and misinformation.
My research derives from a combination of personal exploration, learning from books and learning from other people. By nature, I’m a fairly shy person, but I’m a fearless researcher. I contact perfect strangers, if I perceive that they have information needed for one of my books or if I need someone to teach me something or explain something to me—I’ve made some wonderful friends this way.

Bernadette:

Do you have “other” interests or hobbies?

Judika:

Oh, yeah, lots—although whether I have time to devote to them depends on my writing schedule. I love beading and cooking. I read a lot just for my own pleasure: history, mysteries, comic books, art books. I love music. I like to watch movies. I tend to accumulate stuff- I’m an avid collector, especially of witchcraft-themed items like postcards and dolls. I love traveling. Given the opportunity, I’d do all my own field research, if I could.

Bernadette:

What’s in the future for Judika?  What projects do you have coming up?

Judika:

My next book, The Encyclopedia of Mystics, Saint, and Sages will be published in November 2011. It’s another thousand-page encyclopedia, this one exploring saints, holy people, and miracle-workers from many spiritual traditions. It’s a practical work, similar to my Encyclopedia of Spirits, containing information regarding how to venerate and communicate with a wide variety of saints, as well as information on how to determine which saints are most compatible with you and helpful for your own particular problems and issues. I’m also in the process of updating my website and, hopefully, doing some more teaching. Having spent much of the last ten years alone in a room writing, I really appreciate opportunities for personal contact. I have some new classes in the works that I’m very excited about.

Bernadette:

Is there a book that you would like to write, but haven’t done so yet?

Judika:

I would actually like to write some fiction someday—I have a few novels turning around in my head that haven’t made it onto paper yet. I also have several half-completed books. The Encyclopedia of Spirits was initially going to incorporate saints and angels alongside Pagan spirits but the manuscript grew too big. The easiest way to trim it was to delete these categories with the hope that someday they would have their own books. The Encyclopedia of Mystics, Saints, and Sages will be published in November and hopefully the angels will one day have their own encyclopedia, too.
I began my writing career with a large work on fertility that remains unpublished. That manuscript contains a chapter of magic spells. A publisher rejected the book, but liked that chapter, which evolved into my first published work, Pure Magic: A Complete Course in Spellcasting. I would very much like to eventually publish my fertility book.

Bernadette:

I wanted to let people know about your musical background..can you tell us a little about that?

Judika:

I know that’s something we share, Bernadette! My first true loves were music, magic spells, and divination and they remain so today. Some of my earliest memories involve listening to music on the radio and eventually I became a disc jockey. I started off hosting a blues show, but also did standard rock programs and would sometimes fill in for the country and jazz hosts. My taste is eclectic. As with the magical arts, I love and appreciate many styles of music. I was the first female music director of WRSU-FM, the radio station affiliated with Rutgers University. In terms of the craft of writing, the writers who have influenced me the most are the music journalists of the ‘70s, who wrote with clarity and humor and were not afraid to wear their passions on their respective sleeves. When I was eighteen, my career plans involved these musically-oriented paths, but free-form radio was in its death-throes, as was that sort of music journalism, so I ended up on different paths, although, who knows? Radio has evolved and I may return to it someday. The urge to share music with other people spills out of me on facebook, where I’m constantly posting music news and sharing youtube videos.

Bernadette:

How do you feel about the pagan community today?

Judika:

I try to approach people as individuals, regardless of their background. I think that we are blessed to live in a spiritual renaissance and that we should be ever-vigilant to preserve hard-won liberties. I think that it’s crucial that we cultivate tolerance for each other.

Bernadette:

Any advice for aspiring pagan writers?
Judika:

People are constantly writing to me, telling me what book they think I should write next—sometimes describing these books in great detail. And what I always tell them is that if you can “see” a book that doesn’t yet exist, then maybe you’re meant to be the one that writes it. That’s how I began my career—I perceived a need for a book and I could “see” the book that would fulfill that need. If you can see it, then you can write it. This is a good time for spiritual publishing, so don’t wait. If you have a book in your head, put it down on paper. Just write it— it’s easier to fix or embellish something that already exists, rather than agonize over words in your head. My other word of advice is to consider the format in which you would like to present your work. If you hope to actually publish something in book form—whether in a traditional book or an e-book—then don’t post too much of the actual work on the internet: save it for the book itself.

This interview was such a pleasure to do!  Judika’s books have become the”mainstay” of anyone who is interested in the study of spells and magic.  I refer to her books on a daily basis!

Here are just some of her many books:

http://www.judikaIlles.com

We now continue with our series of interviews with noted author Christopher Penczak!

Bernadette:

Many of the celebrations of the Wheel of the Year were originally created and celebrated by a culture that were no longer a hunter-gatherer society but were an agricultural society.
Many of us today are not following an agricultural lifestyle, though we receive the benefits of such.

Does this cultural change of today’s times warrant today’s pagans to reassess our magical celebrations?

Christopher:

While we’re not involved in an agricultural lifestyle, one could argue in terms of food, we still an agricultural society. Even when you don’t live on a farm, the markers of the season are important touchstones to the cycle of life in the course of a single year. The outer signs, such as the first flowers, the changing of the leaves or the rise and fall in sunlight indicate tides of life force that flow in our world, and its important as magickal people to be in touch with those tides. They influence our health, mood and magick. I think they are particularly important for those of us who are not living on a farm, to keep in touch with the lifetides that feed and support us.

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Lets take a look at today’s card-The World:

We see a woman who is surrounded by a wreath made of Laurel which is a symbol of protection, peace and purification. Her legs are crossed which represents overcoming obstacles (the crossroads). The figures in the four corners of The World card represent the four fixed signs of the zodiac, Leo, Taurus, Scorpio and Aquarius. This is symbolic of all the stars coming into alignment for me. Today, my focus should be on world issues or world events, encounters, and gatherings; travel, change, or physical concerns; organizations, risks, and new opportunities; but also any restrictions, walls, or blocks that I may have.
Eventually I’ll surmount any limitations or obstacles that I may have and come out on top. It’s time to realize what my goals really are and to start to count my blessings.  My obsession (or preoccupation) with the past is hindering my ability to see what is really going on, but no matter how bound you’re feeling now, you can still break free. Things can change for me. Lessons of the past should help me- NOT hinder me, if I have learned my lesson well!

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Let’s take a look at today’s tarot card-The Tower. I am using the Rider-Waite/Smith deck today. There is a tower that is being struck by lightning from above. Flames are shooting out from the top of the tower as well as coming out from it’s windows. There are two people falling down from the tower with a look of fright on their faces. At the very top of this card, there is a crown that looks as if the lightning bolt knocked it off the tower and is in the process of falling down.

How does this card apply to me today? What can I learn from it’s messages?

I look at the bolt of lightning, and I think “ego”. Sometimes ones ego needs to be knocked down a notch or two. Lets look at the fire that is so prevalent in this card. Fire is about transformation and cleansing. When a forest burns down, the growth is cleared away for new growth! What needs to cleared out of your life? What changes do you need to make now, not later?

Maybe your in a relationship that really needs to end now. Is it really fulfilling to you?  Do you find that you or your partner tend to be volatile?  Do you tend to argue all the time?

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INTERVIEW WITH RAVEN DIGITALIS

Bernadette: I am very interested in your tradition-Opus Aima Obscuræ, can you tell me more about it?

Raven: Certainly. We are a group of practitioners who consist of an Inner Circle (training group) and an Outer Circle (public participants). We run an intricate training structure designed to train people to be eventual Priests and Priestesses. We term our training system “disciplined eclectic” and “Eastern Hellenistic Neopaganism.” The definitions of these terms can be found on the OAO Facebook and Myspace profiles. We also perform public and private rituals that average once weekly – quite a large load! We celebrate the Full Moons, New (Dark) Moons and Sabbats, as well as what we call the “Full Suns” and “New (Dark) Suns.” These are the masculine counterparts to the feminine Full and Dark Moons; the Full Sun occurs when the Sun is at his 15-degree astrological apex in any particular sign, while the Dark or New Sun occurs when the Sun transitions zodiac signs. We also host numerous Cottage Craft or Hedgecraft events for the community, along with multicultural celebrations such as the Hindu fesival Diwali (Festival of Lights) and ten days of Ganesh Chaturthi, seeing as we all identify with Hinduism – one of the most longstanding, preserved and developed Pagan traditions in the world!

Bernadette: We spoke before about craft history. Why do you think it’s important that today’s Witches/Pagans understand about our roots?

Raven: believe that it’s vitally important for people to have a realistic and educated understanding of their historical roots. Numerous Christians, to give one example, understand very little about their religious history, including the difference between politics and religion, the evolution of Scripture, and so on, which actually serves to be a damaging and dangerous force. When objective understanding is cultivated, one gains perspective, which I believe is immensely important. For us Witches, it’s easy to accept what we’re told, namely the faerie tales concerning an ancient Age of the Goddess, or Wicca being a preserved Pagan religion of the British Isles, or the existance of “family traditions” before 1950 – these things are idealistic and untrue, but are so tempting to believe. Once a person digs a bit deeper, things come into focus a bit more, and we can more objectively see who we are as magicians and spiritual pathwalkers.

Bernadette: Why do you use the Thoth deck as opposed to any other in your tradition?

Raven: Well, OAO’s structure is based primarily upon the alignments of the Thoth deck because we realize the immense amount of study, art, channeling and brilliancy that went into creating the deck. It took years and years, and was Aleister Crowley and Lady Freda Harris’s artistic/magical magnum opus. I believe that there is no Tarot deck more perfect in the world. Its alignments are so precise that even the most unequipped person can gain accurate insight from even the simplest reading, provided they (at least) first study the small booklet(s) that accompany the deck. The deck is enchanted – quite literally – the cards are living and conscious. I’ve never interacted with a deck like this in all my life. For the longest time I avoided the deck because of its scientific and ceremonial intricacies, but now that I have chosen to delve into them, I realize how non-scary they really are. And once I began to understand simple symbolism’s (nevermind the Qabalistic, elemental and planetary alignments), my readings became clear. What a blessing! Because of these alignments and numerous others, we at OAO use it as our primary foundation for occult mysticism and the orginazation of the Wheel of the Year, as aligned to the zodiac.

Bernadette: You mention having been trained in the Georgian tradition.  Can you tell a little about it?  (I bring this up so that any newbies, who may be reading this, can learn and understand the article, in its entirety)

Raven: Sure! I was trained by Zanoni Silverknife in the Georgian tradition when I was 16 years old. Thank goodness she was there to provide me with accurate and loving training when I was blooming into the magickal arts; I am very grateful for the lessons and for the lifelong friends cultivated as a result! In order to explain Georgian Witchcraft, I think it’s easier for me to recite information found on the main website, www.georgianwicca.com, which is as follows: The Georgian Tradition was founded in 1970 by George (Pat) Patterson, Zanoni Silverknife and Tanith. It began as a small coven in Pat�s home, in Bakersfield, CA. Georgian Wicca is similar to Alexandrian and Gardnerian practice, in that it is an initiatory line and oath-bound. Many of the rituals are similar to those published in various books on what is sometimes called “British Traditional Wicca” (BTW), such as the Farrar’s Eight Sabbats for Witches and The Witches’ Way, as well as the privately distributed version of what was later published as Ed Fitch’s Grimoire of the Shadows. Georgian Wicca, however, is not a recognized member of the BTW, as it lacks an important requirement – initiatory lineage back to one of the BTW covens in England. Therefore, it is considered BTW-derived.

Bernadette: What inspired you to write “Planetary Spells & Rituals: Practicing Dark & Light Magick Aligned with the Cosmic Bodies” and what separates this work from other books on magick? I am reading this new book on my kindle!

Raven: Thanks for your readership! My main inspiration in writing that book was due to many of my readers mentioning to me the fact that I don’t include much hands-on, how-to spells or written rituals in my books (aside from meditations), so I decided to compile this collection. I aimed to include a hefty amount of alignments, and ceremonial rituals, having to do with common (and some uncommon) spellcraft needs. I personally use it as a reference book in my own life, which was another part of its written purpose! In the future, it will be followed with Zodiacal Spells & Rituals.

Bernadette: I love the fact that you also speak of history in this book, “Shadow Magick Compendium: Exploring Darker Aspects of Magickal Spirituality”. Can you explain what the “Shadow” is to you and why it is so important to understand how to work with “the Shadow” or “The Shadow self”?

Raven: The shadow is part of who we are; it’s the balance. I feel that the Craft community and magickal community is starting to reject those “everything is love and light” ideas and are replacing those perceptions with a more balanced view on the world and oneself. We must know our light and dark sides, and those of the world, in order to fully embrace Reality for the profound experience it is – and in order to influence accurate and ethical change through our experience. Witches and magicians help people; it’s our spiritual duty. In order to help others and ourselves, we must recognize all aspects of our personalities and must be able and willing to work with them in other people just the same. There is nothing strictly defined in “dark” and “light,” because the terms are highly interpretive – that’s part of the beauty of life: nothing is entirely “this” or entirely “that.”

Bernadette: In Goth Craft: The Magickal Side of Dark Culture , you speak of the convergence of the two lifestyles, Witch and Goth. I was very much a part of the Goth/Punk/Industrial/Metal scene, growing up in NYC. I saw the melding of these lifestyles early on (the 80′s and the 90′s), in dress, music, make-up and what I call “gender attitude”. How has this scene progressed over these years? I knew many pagans then, who where very much a part of this scene (I am definitely dating myself here!) I used to hang out in the village! I also see that we like a lot of the same music! Oh yea…thank the Gods for that!

Raven: That’s fantastic! I’m glad you could be part of the movement from its “roots.” Always refreshing to hear! Admittedly, I am currently jaded and dissatisfied with the “scene” aspects of those cultures, and am choosing not to fully identify with them – I love the art, but not the common attitude. I think these subcultures should be personal and emotional, artistic experiences rather than ego-based, bitter “scenes,” but it’s really a mixed bag, just like any culture, subculture or counterculture! For now, I’ll just remain on the outskirts of the “scene” and keep focused on my occultism!

Bernadette: What do you see happening in today’s pagan community? What do you think is needed? What would you like to see happen?

Raven: I would like to see a greater focus on the “bigger picture,” and an immediate cease of infighting and superficiality. At the same time, I see people yearning to grow deeper in connection to the cosmos and the earth, and I’m glad to see so many people doing the Great Work around the world, helping guide others to their individual paths. Love is the key!

Bernadette: Do you have any book tours/signing coming up? What’s on the agenda for you? Any upcoming projects?

Raven: No tours or signings as of yet, but that is subject to change! My current project is a book on Empathy and Magick, for which I am incredibly excited. It’s coming to me now, and so I must dedicate myself to catching up with my emails and fan mail (yeah right! Slacker space-cadet here!), and buckling down to write another tome. I hope you like it! Namaste.

MINI BIO:

Raven Digitalis (Missoula, MT) is the author of “Planetary Spells & Rituals,” “Shadow Magick Compendium,” and “Goth Craft”, all on Llewellyn. He is a Neopagan Priest and cofounder of the “disciplined eclectic” or “Eastern Hellenistic” tradition and training coven Opus Aima Obscuræ, and is a radio and club DJ of Gothic and industrial music. Also trained in Georgian Witchcraft and Buddhist philosophy, Raven has been a Witch since 1999 and a Priest since 2003, and an Empath all of his life. Raven holds a degree in anthropology from the University of Montana and is also an animal rights activist, black-and-white photographic artist, Tarot reader, and is the co-owner of Twigs & Brews Herbs, specializing in bath salts, herbal blends, essential oils, soaps, candles and incenses. He has appeared on the cover of newWitch magazine and Spellcraft magazine (Australia) and has been featured on MTV News and CBS PsychicRadio.