Magic 401: Character and Magic

One of the reasons vodou and many of the ATRs require a teacher is because who are you is the foundation of pretty much everything you can do, magically. The magical actions that occur to you to take, the requests you make of your lwa, the relationship you have with them: all are an expression of who you are. Who you are can and will change over the course of your lives.

The question is how quickly. A teacher will tend to accelerate the process of positive change, in addition to providing you with relationship advice to help you have a better relationship with your lwa, who have opinions on that relationship.

If your lwa have ever required coercion, excessive and expensive offerings, and/or repeated asking, they are telling you something about the relationship you have with them. This is in addition to what they’re telling you about whatever you’re asking them to do or what it occurred to you to ask them to do. If the lwa are reluctant, there is something awry in their relationship to you and what you’ve asked them to do.

Much in the same way you can love someone dearly who is petty, vindictive, or has other character flaws, the lwa will love you anyway. They will love you no matter how you act or who you are, but they can see who and what you are. This can and will effect your relationship with them—if your lwa know you ain’t shit (you’re a coward, you’re disloyal, you’re a liar, etc), they might defend you or visit you, and they might do things for you, but they typically aren’t going to volunteer for much. And what they will do is going to be more expensive.

The exception is work that leads to lessons for you, which they will typically enlist your godparents and/or teacher in performing.

This is not to say that being a person whose character is more acceptable to the lwa will always result in their willingness to do more. It is, however, to say that they are more amenable to people who demonstrate, in their relationship to the lwa and willingness to engage in growth, elevation, and healing, that they understand it is a relationship.

People who understand it is a relationship will tend to do what they need to do, to be better for the ones they love.

Part of the job of godparents is to gently and firmly prompt their children to remember that their character, who they are, is incredibly significant. The job is to remind their children that they are loved, that love has a cost, and that their children can be better.

No matter how personally powerful you might be, your character will always be a determining part of the magic you can do.