Witchcraft and 'The Secret' - The Law of Attraction

Witchcraft and 'The Secret' - The Law of Attraction

Author: Khalell Zen Paraldan
Posted: May 20th. 2007

Recently, I have encountered many Pagans who have spoke a great deal regarding how the televised documentary and companion book The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne, affected their approach to witchcraft. I too have personally found ways of applying the idea of the Law of Attraction, as it is called, into both my daily life as well as my magical endeavors.

About a month ago I was going through some hard financial times and asked my patron deity to help me with new insight to fix the situation. I went to a local bookstore and felt guided to once again browse the occult section. To my surprise, my eye caught the cover of a small book with a large white "S" on the cover. From the feel of the graphics and iconography, I assumed The Secret was yet another text discussing the theories behind the DaVinci Code.

I opened the book and discovered something amazing: The Law of Attraction. Here in my hands was a book of philosophers and motivational speakers as well as scientists, physicians, and well-known authors talking about how to live magically!

What is The Secret?


For those not familiar with the concept, let me explain what it is that we are discussing. In 2006, Rhonda Byrne, an Australian native who runs the production company Prime Time Productions, worked together with a panel of contemporary philosophers, authors, public speakers, physicians, and scientists to produce a televised inspiration program called The Secret. Consequently, the contributors to the documentary have been featured on television shows such as Larry King Live and Oprah.

In this program, she revealed how a book had come to her as a gift when things were going sour for both the company and in her personal life back in 2004. This book called The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles published in 1910 outlined a new way of thinking about one�s connection to wealth and finances � from the point of view of applied positive thinking! It inspired her through references outlined in the text to research the concept of the Law of Attraction. This quest helped her discover that this concept was found in the writings of many authors and significant people throughout history, including Plato, DaVinci, and even Einstein. Under different names and language, all of these great men were discussing the same thing. She felt compelled to share with the world.

As a modern Pagan, I was fascinated to see that through The Secret someone spoke of the Emerald Tablet, Hermetic sciences, and magical thinking to the public in a well produced and marketed form without any stigma of magical lifestyle attached. Here was a group of people from various walks of life discussing and elaborating on things that I have come to understand for years through my own magical training. The true power to manifest desire and create your reality was coming into every household!

As Above so Below, As Within So Without

It is common among magical thinkers to conceptualize the idea that any thought you create, with intention and focus, will manifest. Through prayer, ritual, spellwork, and other devices we of the Craft try to maintain our lives in comfort and happiness. What we sometimes lack as a magical community is a true understanding of how to master that process, especially in a world where we have conscious and unconscious fears of persecution, negation, and hostility. Since all thoughts in one way or another manifest, we bring our own sorrows and magical failures just as we bring about our successful changes and manifestations. When the Law of Attraction was labeled and identified for me in the way presented both in the film and book, it unlocked some pathways of thinking I had not considered before in my 15 years of magical living. Since then I have seen an exponential increase in the way I manifest.

I have great joy and happiness that major philosophers, motivational speakers and authors such as Bob Proctor, Lisa Nichols, Jack Canfield (the author of Chicken Soup for the Soul), John Gray (the author of Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus), John Assaraf, James Ray and Joe Vitale, explain how they have created lives of phenomenal success utilizing the Law of Attraction in an easy to understand format.

There was great surprise in finding that non-Pagan minded individuals have been teaching the fundamental concepts that my own magical endeavors are based upon for years; for the record there are some metaphysical specialists present as well who contributed to the project.

The Secret and Divinity

One issue that has come up in discussions about applying the reorganized ideas of The Secret to Paganism that I find fascinating is the subject of Deity. At no time is there any apparent religious doctrine presented to the viewer that alienates. Many of the speakers encapsulate the multitude of faiths by stating that the Law of Attraction and its process is governed by the nature of the Universe. They leave it up to the viewer to decide on how to relate to that cosmic power, and in this I take pleasure that as a Wiccan I can be grateful everyday for how the Law of Attraction proves the love of the God and Goddess in my life.

Using the Secret in Magick

Taking the steps in mind, as a magical practitioner, one must clearly state and visualize what the desire is. Draw a picture, make a vision board via collage, paint your goal, offer in prayer. Most Witches and Magicians do this already, but for the beginning student of the Craft this can be a difficult first step to master. In the process outlined in The Secret, this is the Ask step. Do not focus on how it will come, only on the end result. Say it out loud if necessary. Think of this as placing an order in a catalog.

The next course of action to take would be Believe. For us Pagans, this is performed through ritual, more direct visualization, spellwork whether in-group or solitary, and journaling the experience. This step also for us implies praising and acknowledging the God and Goddess as well as any other spiritual forces that were called upon to help with the manifestation.

The final piece of the process is what they call the step of Receive. Here we know that the request was received in the Astral and we are waiting for the manifestation to occur physically. Many occult authors have emphasized time and time again to picture and state your manifestation as already present or being experienced in the current moment. This crystallizes for your inner-self and unconscious mind the verification of power.

So next time you are doing a ritual to achieve something that seems almost out of your reach, remember to Ask, Believe, Receive and the Universe will respond in kind: Your Wish is My Command!

Rather you are Wiccan, Teutonic, Druid, Kabbalist, Thelemite, or any other magical worker-Remember this: Think positive, intend love and happiness, avoid negative thought patterns and the wellspring of creation will move to bring it back to you in whatever form you truly wish. You not only can have anything you want, but you can also help heal the World with this knowledge.

Our duty, as Pagans, is to give back to the World that nurtures and protects us.

To discover the wonder of this documentary, visit http://www.thesecret.tv