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Magic and Merchants -- A New RPG? Board Game?

To: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.religion.orisha,alt.lucky.w,alt.magick.folk,alt.paranormal.spells.hexes.magic,alt.magick
From: dreadcomber 
Subject: Magic and Merchants -- A New RPG? Board Game? (was ...)
Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2001 09:02:51 GMT

50010724 VI! om Hail Satan!

Joel Birocco:
>> Why teach people to remain ignorant, why not teach them to be 
>> original and creative magicians? 

indeed. a great idea.

>> The idea of a "spell kit" is anathema to me, though I accept that 
>> it may not be to you. ..a "spell kit" fosters a continuance of 
>> unoriginality and ignorance. 

no, it fosters a structured direction and a set of instructions for
the purpose of getting a job DONE rather than being an entire course
or seminar on the workings of hoodoo (which is offered for free on
the Lucky Mojo website for those with cyber-eyes to see).

>> Your customers may have asked you to provide spell kits, 
>> but is this a good enough reason to do so? 

who *else* is going to do it? you?

>> Surely it is the duty of what we laughingly call "an evolved 
>> person" to wean such people off their erroneous views about 
>> magic and the casting of spells, 

what erroneous views do you mean?

>> and not to pander to their ignorant demands. "Fast food" is 
>> perhaps an apt comparison  for spell kits -- cheap ingredients 
>> sold at a premium price with "appetizing" hype. 

it's a packaging convenience and a support for the inexperienced.

>> The views you express in this post will not wash, you are justifying
>> and rationalizing what to me are ethically reprehensible and dubious
>> views on the nature of magick solely to defend yourself from an attack
>> on your business morals. 

ethically reprehensible? that presumes your assessment is accurate.
she's got her own perspective on the universe. since she doesn't
agree with you, she's doing something reprehensible? 

your review takes no account of the community for whom miss cathy
is providing. you suggest that she stop making what is a fabulous
gift to a goodly number of very grateful clients and customers.

your suggestion, I presume, is that miss cathy should leave them
to the inferior supply houses and try to propagandize against
their heretical reliance on commodified magical goods? I'd oppose
that option, but I LIKE the idea of having more magical and
religious goods available for public purchase. I'd like to see 
them advertized on conventional television and available in Seven-
Elevens (voodoo dolls have reached this level but only in farcical 
forms)? I want to see more occultism, mysticism and ecology.

>> Yes, you are selling shit, there are no two ways about it. 
>> People love shit, shit sells. 

I don't notice this. the Mongolian Temple Incense moves more slowly
than the other incenses, I'd say, and this is a direct result of
the cow dung portion of its content. I agree that miss cathy is selling
shit, and that shit sells, at times, especially to those who regard
it as something of value, but what business is it of yours whether
she provides someone Mongolian Temple Incense, for which you obviously
have no use, and is thereafter provided fair compensation?

re alt.paranormal.spells.hexes.magic:
>> But don't come here and try to justify it. ....

discussion about the commodification of spiritual and magical goods
is a legitimate topic for the forum as I see it, though like when
the org-religious get into huffs about their rules and regulations,
it can get old to hear again and again about the "evils of doing
'X' with ritual tool 'Y'" (selling it, using it for nasty spells,
playing games with it, masturbating with it, burning it, etc.)"
many of us have heard this several times before and are amused.

luckyhoodoo@aol.com (LuckyHoodoo):
> ...the spell kits sold by Lucky Mojo are quite genuine and that 
> they are primarily meant for people who know what the hell they 
> are doing in the first place.  

no, spell kits are for people who aren't that familiar with 
the genre of spellcasting or for those who have an interest in
convenient packaging composites or trust miss cathy's judgment
about the spell which she suggests for the condition.

> Not only that but it is cheaper to buy a spell kit from Cat 
> than to buy the individual items one at a time.   

same price, but it comes conveniently assembled and with 
instructions.

> ...a certain company's version of a "voodoo spell kit" includes a voodoo 
> doll from indio, a few pins, one fifty-cent offeratory candle, and 
> 1 dram of condition oil. All this is sold at $50!!!  

separately I'd expect the materials to come to around $20-$25
depending on the complexity and composition of the doll. 
packaging costs might increase it (e.g. in a box or whatever).
I remember some cardboard box voodoo doll kits I saw in 
New Orleans that were expensive but interesting. their boxes
were somewhat elaborately constructed to resemble coffins.
they were pretty, inspiring even.

> Even though the items themselves cost under $10!!!   

lots of dolls are more expensive than that. some are pretty large
and peculiar. I gather also that one may purchase them pre-stuffed
with personal items (hair, nails, etc.) and dressed if one likes.

> Not to mention that this has nothing whatsoever to do with "Voodoo". 

it doesn't? isn't what you're talking about a voodoo doll? that's
pretty standard New Orleans voodoo, isn't it? I've been collecting
poppets and dollbabies for a few years and find the popularity of 
them to be at once amusing and fascinating. if it isn't something
called 'voodoo' that these "voodoo" dolls I'm talking about are part 
of, then what would you call it? hoodoo? ritual dolls are world-wide 
as far as I know, but I think the subject was hoodoo supplies 
otherwise, and voodoo dolls as part of an example.

> ...if a person contacts her without any experience magic wise, 
> that Cat would not recomend a spell kit. 

dunno, spell kits aren't in general that difficult, and can be very
supportive for someone new to conjure.

> She might steer the person toward a mojo or something of that nature 

some of the spell kits *are* the construction of a mojo. most of them
don't seem that elaborate, though certain basics (which are often
provided as instructions on paper) are helpful -- such as sunrise 
direction, moon phase coordination, colour symbolism, and conventional 
working tools (brown paper, mineral and herb uses, offertory candles, etc.).

> but not "force" them to perform something they don't feel 
> comfortable doing.  

yup. I'd know. miss cathy will sometimes recommend that people with
particular circumstances just work with some items from around their
house, or from their local area, rather than buying something from 
Lucky Mojo. she provides them with much information that is available
in writing and yet some prefer to learn directly from a human being 
rather than reading on a computer or in a book. so they call, and 
she is very generous with her time, as I see it. I've benefitted from
their curiosity because I often get to hear what she tells them. :>
 
blessed beast!

dreadcomber
-- 
emailed replies may be posted  -----   "sa avidya ya vimuktaye"   ----- 
"that which liberates is ignorance"  http://www.luckymojo.com/nagasiva.html
    hoodoo catalogue: send postal address to catalogues@luckymojo.com

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