Understanding Superstition

“I say I am stronger than fear.” - Malala Yousafzai, Activist and 2014 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

A common accusation thrown at us who practice magick and believe in occult phenomena is that we’re superstitious. There are problems, and in some cases irony, with this accusation. An etymology of the word ‘superstition’ can help.

In his book Triumph of the Moon, the historian Ronald Hutton points out that the Latin source of the word ‘superstition’ is superstitio. Hutton explains that superstitio means having an excessive fear of the supernatural. 

There’s a difference between belief, including having some fear of something, and having an excessive fear of that thing. In fact, having a belief and a fear of something may be a reasonable response. For example, recently, not far from where I live, there were massive wildfires. If my home was in the path of one, it’s reasonable to expect that I would be afraid. 

Fear isn’t bad because it tells us there’s danger and risk. A fear response helps us avoid hazardous situations and increases the odds of living to see another day. 

However, excessive fear can do the opposite. For example, excessive fear can result in panic. When we panic, our rational mind shuts down, and we make poor choices. Also, excessive fear can cause one to live in a constant state of fear that can cause both mental and physical harm. Finally, one can have an excessive fear of something that’s not, in most cases, dangerous. We see this with phobias. 

What superstition does NOT mean is simply having a belief in the supernatural or the occult. 

It’s ironic when a theist, especially a Christian who believes in the literalism of the Bible, accuses us of being superstitious because we believe in the supernatural. They do as well, the only difference being that their understanding of the supernatural isn’t the same as ours. As the saying goes, it’s the pot calling the kettle black.

What we, as magick users and Pagans, cannot do is let ourselves develop an excessive fear of the supernatural. I’ve learned of magick users who constantly perform cleansing rituals such as the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram (LRP) or worry that they might be cursed. Such fearful practices and beliefs can quickly become excessive.

Understand the supernatural and the occult. Respect its power. But do not let respect degrade into an excessive fear. Don’t be superstitious.