Culture Blogs

The Continuing Adventures of WitchDoctorJoe

  • Home
    Home This is where you can find all the blog posts throughout the site.
  • Tags
    Tags Displays a list of tags that have been used in the blog.
  • Bloggers
    Bloggers Search for your favorite blogger from this site.
  • Login
    Login Login form

Go Yeshe!

An addendum is something added, a small supplement to the original. This post is a small addendum to the last post on Doing Dangerous Magic. First I'd like to mention how pleasantly surprise I was by how well this piece was accepted. I received a lot of feedback, all of which I viewed as positive. Including validation from a psychiatric nurse who commented on how she sees the sort of "Wand Waving" I mentions on a regular basis. She is one of those who cleans up the mess and undoes the damage done.

In that post I also mentioned that I am a certified administrator, operating a residential facility and providing direct care for developmental disabled. I also mentioned that I am required to attend 40 hours of continuing education to re-certify. And that's where I was yesterday. I spent the entire day of Ostara inside an all day re-certification seminar. Yes, you can say it, "Spiritual coma."

But we did spend some time going over new medication issues, I always perk up for this subject because if I mess it up, I could go to prison or worse, someone could die. So meds should be attended with the utmost respect, caution and concern. We talked about dangerous interactions of medications and the instructor really focused on looking "outside the box."

When we approach the subject of medication we tend to think of the interactions between "the little pills we put in our mouth" type medications. But that's where the danger is, in not being aware of "other" interactions. For example, if you have a client on anti-psychotics like I do, and that client has athletes foot, the podiatrist will prescribe an anti-fungal cream like Lamisil. But Lamisil interacts with anti-psychotics. It tends to increase the level of anti-psychotics in the blood because it doesn't let the body absorb them and so, they tend to work- not so well.

Given that the field of pharmacology evolved from primitive medicinal plant remedies, I think it's safe to say that we share a common ancestor. In fact, a large portion of books on Magic, Witchcraft and Wicca dedicate significant study and practice to the use of plants for magic and medicinal purposes.

So, if you're using herbal and medicinal plant use or recommending them, I only ask that you consider the possibility that even herbal tea is subject to the parameters of portion, concentration and dosage. I have a horrible herbal tea gone wrong story to make my point, but I feel sharing it would be an unnecessary evil.

This is why I admire Yeshe Rabbit. She includes a warning on her blog, The Witch's Garden. I appreciate and admire her because she's being very responsible. Because she knows the danger.

And knowing is half the Magic.

Thank you Lord and Lady for finally giving me an opportunity to paraphrase G.I. Joe! Blessed Be.

Last modified on
Joseph Merlin Nichter holds a Master’s Degree in Human Services Counseling, specializing in Crisis Response and Trauma; a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, specializing in Military Resilience; and an Associate’s Degree in Religion. He is a state licensed Residential Care Administrator, and is a certified Law Enforcement Chaplain. As the first state-recognized Minority Faith Chaplain; Joseph provided religious services and facilitated religious accommodations for a diverse population of faith practitioners, on behalf of the California Department of Corrections, and has also served as an Alternative Religions Program Instructor for the California Department of Mental Health. Joseph has authored two books and a number of articles, published both online and in periodicals such as Modern Witch Magazine, Living Stones Magazine, and Witches & Pagans Magazine.

Comments

Additional information