Wicca and Those With Special Needs

My mentor, who also happens to be my surrogate grandmother, recently gave me a gift of the book A Witch's Book of Answers by Eileen Holland and Cerelia. This extremely valuable text answers many common questions related to the Craft, and in fact is another piece of the inspiration behind this blog. The material within was compiled from an online forum moderated by the two authors. One of the most intriguing questions and answers was whether r not there was one illness or disorder that seemed to plague high numbers of those who practice the Craft and the answer was fibromyalgia.

For those who are unaware, fibromyalgia is a neuromuscular condition which is caused when the protective myelin sheaths which are on nerve cells has worn away causing overstimulation and extreme pain. I do in fact know a witch with Fibromyalgia. My grandma. I have a neuromuscular disorder as well, cerebral palsy. My muscles are randomly incorrectly stimulated, which causes muscle spasms.

This revelation led me to wonder whether or not these excess stimulations and our sensitivity to them might explain our sensitivity to magick and our ability to use it. Same for those with pain, or keen sensory perception due to the loss of function in one or more senses. Could these setbacks really be gifts in disguise? Often, a person with an illness or disability will compensate for their shortcomings by excelling on other levels. Ex: an autistic child may struggle in the classroom but be very talented as an athlete. Could the God and Goddess have blessed us with an awareness of our magick to help us find something we CAN excel at?

I think the answer is undoubtedly yes. Another explanation which can be applied here is the retained imagination principle. Young children have extremely active imaginations. These imaginations come in very handy when living with a chronic illness and disability, providing us with hope, amusement and escape. Many of us who have faced these things retain this open mindedness and a unique awareness of the true power of the mind into adulthood. This combination of skill and awareness allows us to be open minded and accept magick in all its forms.

But not all Witches are disabled. There are also other types of pain such as emotional pain which can necessitate this need to cope and this open minded attitude toward means of personal power and escape can manifest as magick. After all, our magick is the result of powerful will and focused thought, the same things that allow us to play Let's Pretend.

If my conclusions are correct, as I suspect they are, then I am for the first time grateful for my disability. The gifts that I have been blessed with by the God and Goddess are truly worth all the additional struggles. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Blessed be.

Misha Coplon