Sympathetic Magick: Masking

It’s nearly Samhain in the northern hemisphere, and this extraordinary sabbat is my favorite time of the year. I found myself drawn to animal skulls and horned headpieces for this year’s celebration, which led me back to the history of masking itself. The practice of masking dates so far back in time that it’s hard to pinpoint exactly when it began. The first-known mask depiction—of the European Great Horned God—dates from the Paleolithic period and was discovered in a French cave. It was believed that, in order to have a successful hunt, one would use a game mask to think, feel, and act like their prey. Whenever masking has a specific goal, it is considered by many to be a form of sympathetic magick.

Taking on masks can be a great way to align your intentions, focus your mind, and call forth the change you are seeking. It can help you stand up for what you know to be sacred truth, advocate for others, and honor all of those who have come before you. Just like our ancestors who were calling down successful hunts to sustain themselves and their families through the long winter ahead, it is up to us to reclaim our power as Goddesses and protect the cycles of life, death, and rebirth.

Over time, the wisdom of the Crone Goddess became so thoroughly misaligned by patriarchal religion. Today, those who don’t understand or know Her often fear and revile Her out of ignorance. I was born into such a religion and fought it from taking over what I knew to be my true Self from a very, very young age. Life was presented to me in stark black-and-white terms with no room for free-spirited abandon or magick. Yet, I knew that the kernel of truth I felt in my soul was valid and vital to life itself. I learned to spin the thread that would lead me out of the darkness and to the Goddess I had inherited within. I learned to love Her, protect Her, advocate for Her—and, along the way, I became Her in my own life.

Mask up with intention as you celebrate Samhain.The journey is worth it. Are you ready to reclaim, reboot, and rise?