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The Wanton Witch

Science and Magic

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This was written June 2006 and presented at the An Fáinne meeting with a discussion afterwards

Science and Magic

Too many people science and magic seem to be world apart from each other. They could be considered to be opposing takes on the worlds we live in esp. as science has been used to try and debunk magic by many.

I would disagree with this and say that they owe a lot to each other and that we could not have one with out the other.

There was a time when all science was magical and all knowledge was hoarded and passed on with much secrecy, from the parent to child, master to apprentice, magician to adept. Too keep the knowledge of certain crafts with in the craft there were lineages either with in families which can be seen in names such as baker, cooper, smith the trade and the family becoming synonymous with their craft, to the records that were kept in guild houses tracing back the journey of apprentice to master craftsman and under who’s sponsorship and teachings, a different sort of lineage.

This then eventually became as we know it today in the realms of academics and of engineering and medicine, where were you taught and under whom did you do your training and researches. The same ways of vouching and accreditation applies.

There are as ever those who figure things out them selves and debark on the process of trail and error for there are some things that occur to people to test and seek and to see what will or could happen, this curiosity and experimentation has served both magic and science well.

From the person who first discovered striking flint and iron pyrite together to make sparks and create fire, to the person what learned to speak to the fire and the fire elementals, to the person who smelted the first metals to the application of gas and oil fired heating each of these processes had something in common the magical moment of inspiration and imagination that allowed the person to view how things might be done differently or the magical moment they fell on their rear ends and discovered something by accident.

There are schools of science that simply would not exist without the magical or pseudoscience that begat or fostered them. We would not have astronomy with out astrology, chemistry with out alchemy, pharmacology with out herbalism and even psychology with out the head logy of shamans, kenning people, wise ones, druids, witches and medicine women and men.

Even the methodology of experimentation and substitution used in science, of how one carries out an experiment from the listing of tools and ingredients needed, how they are gathered and prepared, the instructions on how to, the what to expect and the conclusion that can be draw afterwards can be found in magical texts from the key of Solomon to grimoires and texts on herbs and simples.

It is the literacy of the many that has moved science forward so much over the last 150 years. The publishing of findings and the open sharing of science that enabled many minds to puzzle out and build upon each other’s knowledge and take discoveries once step further. To the extent reading science text was fashionable and everyone marveled at them and learned.

So much knowledge became less secret and most children now learn the principles of magnets and have how the solar system spins explained to them.

Is magic going through the same process?
Has science now developed from magic and come full circle to give us the tools develop magic in a similar revolution?
The quiet type where things which were magical and fantastical and that only odd people believed in like the earth being round are gaining common creditability were as before hand they were dismissed completely.

How many house holds have oil burners and incense in them, crystals and dream catchers? How many people believe and practice reiki? How many people are seeking out alternative treatments and holistic therapies?

With the many books and writings that are out there will we see more people? Taking up magic or what was perceived as magical practices and making them work for themselves in their lives? how tuned in will we all be when we all or the majority believe in energy workings as much as we believe in magnets and magnetic fields?

As science gains ground and more is learned about energy and particle and wave physics the more it is being seen that everything in the universe is connected and the only difference can be the energy patterns and how they vibrate and react.

This universal communality was considered to be one of the core teachings of alchemy and it has come around again.
Also the seven hermetic principles are being rediscovered by physicists and they are surprised to see how they apply esp.

The Principle of Vibration which embodies the truth that motion is manifest in everything in the Universe, that nothing rests, and everything moves, vibrates, and circles.

The Principle of Rhythm which embodies the truth that in everything there is manifested a measured motion, a to and fro; a flow and inflow; a swing backward and forward, in short, a pendulum-like movement.

The Principle of Polarity which embodies the truth that everything is dual, everything has two poles, and everything has its pair of opposites

The Principle of Cause and Effect which explains that there is a cause for every effect, and an effect for every cause

These 4 alone have scientist wondering about how they are seeing all this in the fundamental building blocks of the universe and that these principles are supposedly over two millennia old and the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus There has been a lot of speculation on the origins of the Kybalion it certainly makes for interesting reading.

So how does science impact on your magical views and magical workings?
If how we view the world and the universe from how we are thought which is for the most part through the tools of understanding that have been developed on a scientific bases (from primary school level we are taught 2 +2 = 4 and to accept it and not ask why or what if it didn’t) how unhinged do we have to let our rational minds become before we can accept things that science has not found ways to explain or measure yet?

I do mean yet for it was the engineer and physicist Lord Kelvin (of the Kelvin scale of temperature), that declared in the 1900 that “X-rays are a hoax.” As they were immeasurable and had no useful applications and we all know how that turned out.

Do we as magical practitioners use magic to bridge the gaps in our science or science to back up our magic or restrict and shape it and can this cause conflicts and blocks with in ourselves limiting what maybe possible ?

Many of the things that were considered magical have been as the human stores of common knowledge expand simply seen as matter of fact.
But of then science can explain the how of things but not the why.

Could it be that we should look again at the world around use with the awe and appreciation of a child who makes paper clips dance to their command with the magic of a magnet, is that less of an act of will and the application of secret knowledge ?

And if we are aiming to live a magical life we should see the magic in science, the science in magic and aim for the middle path between the two for we need both.

The Wanton Witch

You are invited to a book launch…

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The book launch for A Practical guide to Irish Spirituality will be held on the 14th of December, 10.30am – 1pm in The Irish Writer’s Center.
There will be a talk from the Author, a drinks reception and a signing.

A perfect chance to pick up a copy and have it dedicated as present for someone this coming Christmas/Yule/Winter Solstice.

For further enquirers contact: WolfpackPublishers@gmail.com +353 (0)71 9634754

Very much looking forward to this, see you there.

Activism and Agitation

Shameful lack of urgency on abortion persists

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Shameful lack of urgency on abortion persists.

LARA FISCHER

OPINION : The response to the Savita case tells us women’s lives don’t merit speedy action

Five weeks have passed since Savita Halappanavar’s tragic death in an Irish hospital. While much has been written on the circumstances, not much has been said about the messages conveyed by the story to the women of Ireland, and the further contextualisation of those messages in the wider debate on women’s reproductive rights.

The last five weeks have witnessed not, as should be expected in a civilised country, decisive action to protect women’s lives, but a continuation of the shameful 20-year tradition of political inaction that has prevailed in Ireland at least since the X case.

The Government did not see fit to introduce emergency hospital guidelines, motions or legislation, or support the efforts of others in introducing such measures. Instead, it announced that it would not be “rushed” into action, and allowed itself two weeks to read the expert group’s report – all of this despite the death of a woman, and despite the testimony of several maternity hospital masters highlighting the need for legal clarity to save women’s lives.

Now that the findings of the expert group have been made public, our leaders have promised to decide on future action by Christmas, two months after Savita’s death What are Irish women to take from this tardiness and utter lack of urgency? The message seems clear: women’s lives don’t merit speedy action, as they are expendable.

Equally, the messages from some mainstream media have been unsettling and disturbing. After the story emerged, current affairs and political chat shows thrashed out issues ranging from the legal framework needed to save women’s lives to the practicalities doct- ors face in their daily work.

While such questions require medical, political or legal expertise, it is inconceivable such expertise should not be set alongside the first-hand knowledge of women who have found, or might find, themselves in positions similar to Savita Halappanavar’s.

Women of reproductive age were largely absent as experts in these debates, as were women who have had terminations, or who were denied them. Again, the message was clear: your first-hand knowledge of being pregnant, of having terminations, of being refused terminations, of enduring complications during pregnancy, of your right to health and life, are of little relevance to this debate.

This sidelining of women as experts can be read as part of the more general exclusion of women from news media, as shown in research conducted by the national women’s council and by the Global Media Monitoring Project.

It can also be read as an indicator of entrenched assumptions about women’s epistemological status, as women are frequently dismissed as experts, even on topics that only they have first-hand experience of.

The history of philosophy is littered with examples of the denigration of women’s reasoning capacities. Outgrowths of this delegitimising of women as authoritative knowers persist, and what philosopher Miranda Fricker calls “epistemic injustice” perhaps most aptly captures the marginalisation of women immediately affected by this debate on abortion.

She argues that members of historically disadvantaged groups experience “testimonial injustice”, ie injustice due to lack of recognition of people as believable sources of knowledge due to prejudices against them. From this initial wrong, other injustices usually follow.

In this instance, the exclusion of women directly affected by the issue of abortion results in distorted public debate on the issue. Moreover, it limits women’s ability to influence political discourse, and hence our capacity to influence decisions that will – or will not – be taken about our lives, our health, our bodies.

We need to be able to change the messages we’ve been receiving from Government and some media, and to influence the debate. Hence, we have to be included as authoritative knowers in discussions concerning us.

Never again should our knowledge of what is best for us be undermined and denigrated – not in a report recommending multiple, more “expert” overseers before the granting of a termination; nor in media debates on our lives and wellbeing; and certainly not in a hospital while pleading for medical treatment.

Uncategorized

“Referendum inevitable…” the 8th needs to be repealed.

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http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/1130/1224327302965.html

Doctors for Choice: A founder member of the Doctors for Choice group has said she believes another referendum is inevitable to allow even a limited form of abortion in Ireland.

Dr Mary Favier told a public meeting in Cobh, Co Cork, that the expert group’s report on abortion was to be welcomed.

However, Dr Favier pointed out that the expert group looked at only a very narrow section of the current law and she believed a referendum to change the Constitution was necessary.

“I think inevitably we are going to have to look at repealing the 1983 amendment, which was always a very faulty insertion into the Irish Constitution,” said Dr Favier.

“Until it is repealed, we will not be able to legislate in any circumstances to protect women who have been raped or who are pregnant as the result of incest,” she told Cork’s 96FM.

It is becoming more and more clear that to safe guard the health, life and equality of women in Ireland we need to remove the 8th amendment.

8th banner

“We should not pretend that limited measures, ensure true equality for all members of this republic.” Alan Shatter’s speech in the Dáil on Claire Daly’s most recent bill to legislate for X.

Chants of “Repeal the 8th” rang out outside the Dáil last Wednesday as people gathered in the cold to listen to the debate, it rang out every time a politician said that hands were tied due to the constitution.

For the last few years I have steadfastly said we did not need another referendum on abortion in this country, that we as a nation twice have voted no to not legislating for the X case.

I was wrong, any legislation is subservient to the constitution and can not conflict with our Constitution, so yes we do need a referendum. One to repeal the 8th amendment.

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Review shows maternal deaths under-reported – irishhealth.com

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Review shows maternal deaths under-reported – irishhealth.com.

Review shows maternal deaths under-reported

[Posted: Fri 23/11/2012 by Niall Hunter, Editor www.irishhealth.com]

Ireland’s maternal mortality rate is twice as high as has been previously reported, new figures show.

The first report from the recently-established Maternal Death Enquiry – MDE Ireland system shows that our maternal death rate is 8 per 100,000 births, compared with 4 per 100,000 reported by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The MDE Ireland report, which uses wider criteria for defining maternal death than that used by the CSO, found that in the years 2009 to 2011 inclusive, 25 mothers who attended maternity hospitals with their pregnancies died.

The Irish report adopted the more comprehensive British classification system for determining maternal death, and collated detailed data on mortality from hospitals. It classified two of the deaths in the period as being due to suicide.

In the wake of the death of Savita Halappanavar, assurances have been made by health authorities and the medical profession that Ireland has one of the lowest maternal death rates in the world. However, the new report shows that while our maternal death rate is still relatively low by international standards, it is higher than has been previously reported in official statistics.

According to the report, seen by irishhealth.com, six of the 25 deaths were classified as direct maternal deaths, 13 as indirect maternal deaths, while the remaining six were attributed to ‘coincidental cause’. Forty per cent of the deaths recorded were in women not born in Ireland.

It says of the 25 deaths MDE Ireland recorded between 2009 and 2011 inclusive, among the six direct maternal deaths, three were due to pulmonary embolism, one from amniotic fluid embolism, one due to uterine rupture and one due to multi-organ failure secondary to the HELLP syndrome, a life-threatening pregnancy complication related to pre-eclampsia.

The report says of the 13 indirect maternal deaths recorded during the period, five were due to heart disease, two due to suicide, two were due to swine flu, two due to epilepsy, one due to serious lung disease and one due to an oesophageal bleed.

Of the six ‘coincidental’ deaths, two were due to metastatic cancer, one due to a road traffic accident, one due to lymphoma and two due to substance abuse.

The MDE Ireland system, set up in 2009 and run by leading medical and midwifery experts, is linked to the Confidential Maternal Death Inquiry system for England and Wales. This system is regarded as the ‘gold standard’ for confidential maternal death inquiry.

MDE Ireland classifies maternal deaths under the criteria of:

* ‘Maternal’ deaths of women while pregnant or within 42 days of the end of pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy.

* ‘Direct’ deaths resulting from obstetric complications of pregnancy, from ‘interventions, omissions, incorrect treatment or from a chain of events resulting from any of the above’.

* ‘Indirect’ deaths resulting from a previous existing disease, or a disease developing during pregnancy and which was not due to obstetric causes, but where the disease was aggravated by the physical effects of the pregnancy.

* ‘Coincidental’ maternal deaths, from unrelated causes which happen to occur in pregnancy or the during or just after childbirth.

* ‘Late’ deaths occurring between 42 days and one year after abortion, miscarriage or delivery that are the result of direct or indirect maternal causes.

Figures used by the CSO for maternal deaths rely on the cause of death as recorded on the coroner’s death certificate alone, which experts believe limits the definition of a maternal death and has led to under-reporting of the true rate.

The most recent CSO figures recorded only one maternal death in 2010 and three in 2009.

The MDE Ireland report says its aim is to investigate why some women die during or shortly after pregnancy, and to learn how such tragedies can be avoided in the future.

The new figures mean our maternal mortality rate is on the same level as that of France, it is still less than that of the UK and the US, but is higher than that of Sweden and Norway.

Referring to the significant number of maternal deaths in Ireland among women born outside the country, the report says the issue of how these women engage with our maternity services needs to be dealt with, and highlighted the importance of the availability of interpretive services.

A particular concern, the report says, is the issue of engagement with maternity services by non-national patients getting alternative medical advice from outside the country.

The MDE Ireland report says there was reluctance in some hospitals to share maternal death data due to concerns over data protection, potential litigation and anticipated review of cases by other agencies.

It says pregnant women with pre-existing medical and mental health disorders should have risk assessment on booking into a maternity hospital, and they should be afforded high priority when referred for assessment by doctors in other medical disciplines.

The report recommends that a question on pregnancy status at time of death, similar to that on the medical death cert, should be included on the coroner’s death cert.

Activism and Agitation

“Why I Voted No” and honest answer from a TD.

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http://www.broadsheet.ie/2012/11/29/why-i-voted-no/

Sean Kenny, Labour TD for Dublin North East.

Lisa Powell writes;

I re-e-mailed my TDs re: legislation this morning, this was one response:

Hello Lisa,

You might be aware that Labour TDs including myself, did not support Clare Daly’s billon the X case last night. As your TD, I want to explain why I voted No.

In order to succeed in getting legislation for the X case, I, as a legislator, have to work with the reality of the political games that are being played in order to get X case legislation passed into law.

Fine Gael, Labour’s coalition partners would not support Clare Daly’s bill. I believe that Labour Ministers suggested to them that they should support it. But they did not wish to do so – they want to wait to debate the Expert Group Report which has been published recently. This is because Fine Gael and Labour agreed on the Expert Group process a year ago.

Fine Gael now want to see that through. It is clear on reading the Expert Group
report that the Expert Group believes legislation for the X case and regulations for doctors, is the way forward on this matter.

Fine Gael are a very conservative political party. They do not really want legislation. Labour will have to force them to support legislation.

It is very, very difficult getting them to move on this – but it is working previously, for example, Enda Kenny has said he will not be rushed. But earlier this week he said he would move swiftly.

The really conservative Fine Gael TDs and Ministers are now speaking out in the media about their opposition. They are doing that because they know that Labour is influencing Fine Gael and that they will have to support legislation. They are trying to re-assure their anti-choice voters.

All of that going on in Fine Gael is down to Labour Party TDs and Ministers pushing Fine Gael on this.

As part of that, if Labour, their coalition partner, were to antagonise Fine Gael by supporting Clare Daly’s Bill and breaking with the Expert Group route, Fine Gael will not trust Labour and then there never will be any legislation because Fine Gael will not support it.

I also would like you to consider the way in which Dáil seats are divided up in this Dáil. Each seat in the Dáil is worth one vote.

Labour have 37 seats in the Dáil.
Fine Gael have 74 seats in the Dáil.

Fianna Fáil have 19 seats.
Sinn Féin have 14 seats.
Independents have 20 seats.
ULA have 4 seats.
The Ceann Comhairle has one vote – this vote is cast only in the event
of a tie.
If Fine Gael seats (ie, votes) are left out of the equation, there are not enough TDs who will support legislating for the X case. A number of the FF and Independent TDs are very pro-life – some will vote against legislating and others will simply not show up to vote at all.

Just 27 votes supported Clare Daly’s Bill last night. Even if all the Labour TDs had supported it, it still would have failed to pass.

In other words, for X case legislation to be passed without question in the Dáil, Fine Gael AND Labour are needed to support X case legislation when it comes down to a vote on in the Dáil because they have the most seats, and therefore, the most votes.

Fine Gael control Dáil Éirean and Labour supporting legislation alone will not get that legislation voted through.

Fine Gael are required.Over the next couple of weeks, there will be a debate on the Expert Group report. After that, the Government will decide what steps to take. I
am confident that there will be legislation on the X case and that it will happen within the next two or three months.

Yours sincerely,

Sean Kenny TD