P is for Possession

For the Pagan Blog Project!

 

Possession. The word conjures up images of crucifixes, floating beds, tortured screams and James Woods pretending to be Max von Sydow.

In the neopagan and magical community, possession is a topic which is either dismissed outright or  a subject considered so vast that you really need to specify what type you're talking about.

When the topic is dismissed, there's not much you can do but shrug. The reasons people may disbelieve in the phenomenon vary. They maybe of the opinion that possession is really a form of mental illness - a disassociative disorder usually - or just the play-acting of someone seeking attention. Other times the reason behind the dismissal is that possession may seen as solely as something relating to demons, and if the person in question has had bad experiences with Christianity they may associates the word 'possession' with oppressive behaviour. And of course there's always the people who believe the spirit world is Disneyland, and as such negative entities could never exist, therefore neither can possession.

The topic is clearly a pretty big one to break down.

So perhaps the first thing we must do is distinguish between positive and negative possessions. Positive forms of possession are those that are voluntary, generally in a religious context, and tend to end in a timely manner. Being ridden by the lwa in Voudou would be an example of this form, or being possessed by the Holy Spirit in Pentecostal Christianity or by the deceased in Spiritualism. Negative possessions, then, are those that not desired and serve to harm the person being possessed.

In the modern neopagan community, possession is now more likely to be encountered as a result of African diaspora religions becoming more visible. At the same time, while Wiccan groups have always had the 'Drawing Down' ritual, it seems more pagan groups are also incorporating actual deity possession into their rituals. All of these rituals are considered controlled (when done properly anyway) and beneficial to the ritual group at large.

Much possession seems to be culturally or religiously specific. Voudou, as a common example, is a religion in which possession is commonplace. Consequently it has a formula for dealing with the act that results in no harm befalling the ritual participants. Outside of a Voudou ritual, you rarely hear of lwa possession occurring. Voluntary possession, then, can be characterised as occurring within a ritual framework. The possessed do not just start acting up in the middle of dinner.

This is one of the main points in which involuntary possession differs - outbursts by a demon or unwanted spirit can occur at any time.

The other point, of course, is that involuntary possession is harmful. In cases of possession by the dead or by demonic entities, the victim very often is driven to harm their own bodies, or even to suicidal behaviour.

A pause to consider the demonic: as was mentioned earlier, a number of neopagans seem uncomfortable with the word 'demon.' This seems to be because the word is associated with the Devil, a figure many pagans are quick to deny. "There's no devil in the Craft," is a common claim, and indeed there is no Supreme Evil Overlord in Wiccan practice or indeed even in many other pagan faiths. However, unless a person is naive or in denial, most everyone can agree that there are in fact negative entities out there. People with a background in Ceremonial Magick tend to just go with 'demons' or sometimes 'qlippoth' and the former is good enough for me. Hey, if it quacks like a duck...

So. Involuntary possession - whether by the dead, spirits or demons - is not a desirable state. Thus the rites and rituals of exorcism exist. While the Catholic exorcism may be the most famous thanks Hollywood, all religions have ways of kicking nasty entities out of people.

There is some argument over whether anyone can be possessed, either voluntarily or no. Generally negative possessions are said to be the result of curses of the breaking of taboos, while positive ones are simply the result of either something innate in the person, or divine intervention. If one does tend to be a good host for gods, I would heartily recommend finding a group that has experience with such.

If a person honestly thinks they are being possessed by a negative entity, they too should seek magical help. Symptoms of possession traditionally include insomnia,fever, roaming, compulsively eating repellent substances, anorexia, 'repulsive stench' (which I assume means more than just, "oh god, I had milk and I'm lactose intolerant!"), foaming spit, rigidity of muscles and freezing up, superhuman strength, coprolalia, and 360 degree cranial rotation. Okay, not that last one. Anyway, these are serious symptoms no matter what may be the cause, and medical help should obviously be sought. In fact, do that first, THEN call your local magical lodge.

Although we've been using the term 'involuntary possession' thus far, there are some who hold that no possession can occur unless the possessed somehow allows it to occur. This on one level makes sense, as otherwise wouldn't gods be taking over the bodies of humans just for shits and giggles at this point? On the other hand, in the case of the demonic, this can feel a little like blaming the victim. But if the theory is incorrect, does this mean negative entities are closer to humanity somehow? Are they stronger than gods... or just way less polite?

No easy answers. This is a topic that neopagans will, no doubt, expand upon in the years to come as more faiths cross paths and grow and form new traditions.

In the meantime, don't eat the pea soup.


Resources:
Monsters by John Michael Greer
How About Demons? Possession and Exorcism in the Modern World by Felicitas D. Goodman
Drawing Down the Spirits: The Traditions and Techniques of Spirit Possession by Kenaz Filan and Raven Kaldera
Psychic Self Defense by Dion Fortune