The Word "Muggle:" To Say or Not to Say? by Raven Digitalis

Over the last few years, there has been a fair amount of controversy in the Pagan community regarding the use of the word Muggle. I enjoy J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series as much as any other real-life  Witch; the series has Pagan elements and occult hints aplenty if one pays close attention; particularly in reference to Hermeticism and alchemy!

Rowling uses the word Muggle to refer to those who do not practice (and specifically shun) magick. In truth, Pagans and magicians have referred to 'non-magick folk' for some time, most often identifying them with the words Mundane, Cowan, Normie or Sleeper.

The main discrepancy on using the term Muggle is that the word is insulting or discriminatory. I disagree, finding the term to be much more polite than the former nouns. Personally, if I find myself using the word, and I do from time to time, I never intend for it to come across as derogatory; rather, I use it as a necessary reference. This does not imply that anyone who follows a non-Pagan path are less spiritually advanced, as this would be an ignorant and uneducated assumption! The reality of spiritual advancement is a case-by-case situation, regardless of peoples' titles or the paths they claim.

We are all on varying stages of spiritual development. Therefore, deciding who is and who is not on a  path of actual advancement is a shaky line to be drawn. I am not the first to point out the fact that there many Muggles (in this case referring to those who are relatively unaware spiritually) involved in the Wiccan and otherwise Neopagan movement; they're just not as quick to identify it!

Unfortunately, some are much too eager to drop the word Muggle in everyday conversation. To those unfamiliar with the Craft, it can easily sound like an egotistical judgment. In truth, the word should not be used nonchalantly; it places a strict division between spiritual and non-spiritual individuals. I have found it best to use the word when interacting with a tight-knit group of friends or peers, who understand the usage and intention of the word. Using the word Muggle around those who we don't know as well can give a bad name to real Witches, and invite a perception of fantasy being connected to our lifestyles and practices.

As Witches, we seek unity and understanding between ourselves and those different. Otherwise, what's the point of spirituality altogether? The least we can strive for is simple acceptance in the world we live. I believe we've earned it by now.

Raven Digitalis (Missoula, Montana; age 24) is a Neopagan Priest of the "disciplined eclectic" shadow magick tradition Opus Aima Obscuræ, and is a radio and club DJ of Gothic, EBM, and industrial music. He is also the author of Goth Craft: The Magickal Side of Dark Culture (Llewellyn, 2007) and the forthcoming Shadow Magick Compendium (Llewellyn, 2008). With his Priestess Estha, Raven holds community gatherings, Tarot readings, and a variety of ritual services. From their home, the two also operate the metaphysical business Twigs and Brews, specializing in magickal and medicinal bath salts, herbal blends, essential oils, and incenses. Raven holds a degree in anthropology from the University of Montana and is also an animal rights activist and black-and-white photographic artist. Check him out at: www.ravendigitalis.com and www.myspace.com/oakraven

Comments

[MoonMorgan]

Another problem with using the term is that people won't take you seriously as a witch because using the term muggle implies that you think you are a witch like Harry Potter.

[Sage]

I agree with MoonMorgan- people may not take us seriously, but if we're in a coffeeshop and discussing esoteric topics, people who are clueless might just blow us off. The term does come in handy if we mean "everyone around us who has no clue what the heck we're talking about". It's more popular than Cowan, and it gives us a free excuse to change the topic to the Harry Potter series if someone overhears and we didn't want them to. It is a bit derogatory in my opionion- but keep in mind I also think terms are only insulting if someone takes offense to it and it's not a word -designed- to be insulting (ex: racial slurs). That's about as far as I see any word meaning "non-magickally-inclined person" going. I accept non-magickal people. I just think sometimes words can come in convenient as long as they're not built to hurt people.

[becca]

I agree, I think the term shouldn't be used, but not because of a bad rep- I think the term promotes negative energy even if you don't mean it to be, because it's widly known as a negative term. I myself would be uncomfterble using it. (although spiritually I'm unsure of the path I'm on myself anyway). deciding who is or is not on a path is wrong, because forcing your belief on another is wrong, and also, forcing your beliefs on another is proselytizing, and I read in gwinevere's book, that wiccans believe in letting others find the path thats best for them.

also, the wiccan reeds number one law is harm none, and if you call someone muggle, it's derrogatory, plus it's segregation! aren't wiccans segregated enough to know how it feels to segregate another, and not get respect another?

while you may not be using that term to be thought of as derrogatory, if you say that to anyone who has read the harry potter books, and don't explain to them why you said it, they're probably going to take it as an insult, and you'd be breaking the wiccan rede's main law, which is harm none.

also, I don't see why calling someone a muggle is necessary. They just don't have the same religious beliefs as you. They're just on a different path. Do they need to be classified? Is it necessary to classify them? can you not tell the difference if you don't?

I don't mean this as an offence to anyone, and I apologize if I made it seem so. I am not trying to hurt anyone, just prove my point.

[becca]

I think what I'm trying to say is that if you do use that word, your gonna need to be really responsible with it. I just read over what I wrote, and i realized that the word could be useful.

if the word is misused it can be hurtful to others and can cause segregation- using words like that is dangerous ground to tread on