Hindu Wicca : A Natural Synergy – Part 2

Part 2 – The Magical Side of Hinduism

Many of the practices of Wicca and witchcraft have come, either directly or indirectly, from the esoteric side of the Hindu religion. While most are aware of the general forms of temple worship in Hinduism there is another, more magical, side to the ancient religion of Sanatana Dharma and from it come many philosophies and practices that are common in modern religious witchcraft. Magic itself has its roots in ancient India where the techniques of the guru have been passed on from generation to generation through the rite of initiation, just as in Traditional Wicca, and the ideas of the sages have spread outward from the subcontinent and become hidden within the old ways of Europe.

Hindu philosophies within the Old Religions

Some may be surprised just how much of Wicca is actually Hinduism. While many of these ideas are universal, appearing in many religions and cultures, there is strong evidence that the birthplace of civilization is also the birthplace of science, medicine, philosophy and religion. The Old Ways of Europe were once, and still are, the old and current ways of India.

Reverence for Nature – god is believed to be immanent in all of creation, therefore reverence and respect for nature is likened to worship of god. The tenet of ahimsa, which is described below, also plays a role in this.

Reincarnation – Hindus and Wiccans booth believe that the soul persists after death and is reborn in another body to continue the learning process. How and why this happens varies between the two philosophies but a direct link is easy enough to establish.

The Elements – just as in Wicca, Hinduism puts forth the concept that the universe consists of the four elements of earth, air, fire and water. This is an important concept in the science Ayurveda, which we will discuss later.

Energy and Chakras – the belief in types and actions of different energies is present various forms in many cultures. In Wicca and Hinduism there is a belief that the body produces certain energies that can have effects on the body, and in Wicca the universe through magic, for good or ill. It is believed that the body has various centers, in Hinduism called chakras, that harbor these energies and influence how they flow. A discussion on chakras is beyond the scope of this post, however, it is enough to say that the concept of chakras has been lifted directly from Hinduism and implanted into Wiccan philosophy. It is the basis for all energy work and by direct association, with spell craft.

Ahimsa – literally translated as “the avoidance of violence” ahimsa is a core belief in Hinduism and coincides with “An it harm none, do what thou wilt”. It is taken one step further in that it applies to all living beings. This belief is the reason that many Hindus are strict vegetarians. The significance of this doctrine when applied to living ones life appeals to all despite what religion they practice.

The Dual Nature of the Divine – Wicca has a paired god and goddess and so too does Hinduism. Many of the gods of the Hindu pantheon are paired together as husband and wife and sometimes they have children. For Shiva there is Parvati and their son is Ganesha. Krishna has Rada. There are even androgynous aspects of certain gods that are both male and female. The God and Goddess are found in Hinduism just as in Wicca.

The Wheel of the Year and Hindu Feativals

There are striking similarities in the timing of both Wiccan and Hindu holidays. As a matter of fact, a strong correlation can be made between the holidays and festivals of most religions to the point where a common source or idea links them. While the specific dates and timings of these varies to a certain degree, like other religious festivals, those of Hinduism and Wicca are closely related. For example, there are holidays celebrating the solstice and equinoxes in both religions. While agricultural and cultural festivals do deviate to a large degree, for obvious reasons, those associated with celestial events are closely related and equally honored. Many of the Hindu festivals coincide with full or new moons in a way that can be linked to the significance Wicca places on these monthly occurrences. Many of the festivals celebrate a seasons arrival or are dedicated specifically to the sun god, Surya, although the Hindus do not celebrate the winter solstice. If you do some research into Hindu festivals you will find that many correspond to Wiccan sabbats but since space is limited here I will not give a comprehensive list. Seek these out and you will certainly find them.

Pradosham and the Esbat

Just as the Goddess is worshiped according to the phases of the moon so too is Lord Shiva honored. While a direct link is not as easy to establish as in other cases, a more detailed study will reveal there is more that is the same between the two than is different. It occurs on the thirteenth day of the fortnight of each month, close to the full and new moons. In Hindu belief there is an auspicious period one and a half hours before and after sunrise in which Shiva is worshiped. This is one of those “between” times, a time between worlds, outside of space and time. In Wicca this is especially significant. Hindu puja is usually performed daily at sunrise and sunset. The esoteric significance of this stands out in both religions. Pradosham is performed and attended for a variety of reasons including prosperity, the release of bad karma and a request for moksha, or the release from the cycle of death and rebirth. Associating these activities with the purpose of ritual in Wicca provides a direct link to their relation.

Ayurveda

Ayurveda is the Indian practice of natural and holistic medicine. The practice has existed for thousands of years and can be traced to the earliest civilizations on the Indian subcontinent. It is a practice based on balancing the elements within the body, those of air, fire and a combination of earth and water. These elements within the body are called doshas and each individual has a particular dosha, either pitta, vata, or kapha. The art of ayurveda seeks to balance these principles in an individual through diet and herbal treatments. It is akin to the old European practice of the cunning man and likewise it is not unlike the Wiccan practices of herbalism and healing.

Tantra, Mantra and Yantra

Tantra, by simple definition, is a specific set of teachings. In esoteric language it is the knowledge of the occult workings of the Hindu religion. In Hinduism specifically, it is most associated with Shaktiism, the worship of the female energy principle, and the worship of the dark goddess Kali. While some of the tantric teachings are on the edge of moral and comfortable bounds for those of the Wicca there is, nonetheless, a rich body of useful information and techniques to be found within. One of the most interesting aspects is when the ritual uses a form of magic circle for its practice in creating energy and releasing ones inherent power within. While there is some sexual techniques involved in tantric practice these are designed for releasing ones internal power and not as a debasing form of goddess worship.

Mantra

Tantric practice also involves the use of magic in the form of mantras. A mantra is a chant using specific words spoken rhythmically in the Sanskrit language. The cadence of the words is important and most mantras are passed on by a guru to give the proper rhythm. Mantras are always preceded by the word “Om” believed by Hindus to be the sound of creation.

Om, as a word of power – It is worth special mention here to note that Om is essentially a word of power. It is the sound of manifestation and as such can be used in magic to enact the will just as it was during the creation of the universe. When chanted Om has a powerful reverberation that can be felt and its power sensed. During magic, Om can be continuously chanted, slowly and draw out with breath from the solar plexus, as a form of building power either after or during spell actions. As you chant and perform the actions see yourself weaving the web of the universe with the sound as your thread.

A mantra can not always be literally translated with grammatical accuracy as only certain key words are used to convey the meaning of the stanza. I will give two examples here and explain the actual words and then the meaning of the mantra. These two mantras are the primary mantras chanted in the Hindu religion. The first is the Mrityujaya mantra, which is at first glance merely a hymn to Lord Shiva but there is deeper meaning and other uses for it.

Om tryambukan yajamahe,
sagundem pushti vardhanam,
urva rukamiva bandhandnan,
mrityor mukshi amamrita.

“O praise to the Three-Eyed One, who increases prosperity, who has a sweet fragrance, who frees the world from all disease and death, liberate me, as the cucumber is easily severed from the vine. O Shiva, grant me immortality”

Many meanings and uses can be derived from the words. It can be used for healing, both physical and spiritual, as a means to spiritual enlightenment and as a general chant for prosperity.

The next is the Gayatri Mantra.

Om buhr, bhurvir, swaha,
tat savatir varenyem,
bhargo de vasya di mahee,
dee yo yo nah prachodeyat.

“We meditate on the worshipable power and glory of Him who has created the earth, the nether world and the heavens and who directs our understanding. May we attain that excellent glory of Savitar the god, so may he stimulate our prayers.”

This mantra is designed to stimulate spiritual understanding and its repetition will bring one closer to god and grant them esoteric wisdom. Chanting this mantra will give one knowledge and understanding of the universe and its workings and help one to know intimately the world that compose it. The first line of this mantra is what is referred to as “The Great Utterance”. It is repeated many times thought the hymns of the Vedas and is, in a loose literal translation, an acknowledgement of the earth, the heavens and the underworld. This line alone is useful in ritual during circle casting to create a space between the worlds. Chant it as you are casting or at the beginning or end of your circle creation.

As you can see, mantras are not just mindless repetitions made by the Hindu priest but are filled with surface and deeper meanings that can benefit the practitioner of witchcraft if properly studied and understood.

Yantra

A yantra is a geometric representation of deity used for meditation or, in Hinduism, for direct worship. The yantras of specific gods are worshiped just as their murta, statues that are the icons of the gods and goddesses. For the purposes of Wicca and witchcraft a yantra can be used as a meditative aid, a gateway to the otherworld, an aid to spell craft or as a representation of the cosmos. Three yantra will be discussed here; the yantras of Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha and the Shri Yantra.

The Yantra of Lord Shiva

I’m sure everyone who reads this will recognize this particular symbol and probably be surprised that it existed in India, quite possibly, long before it did in Europe. While the origin of the symbol is open to debate it is easy enough to hypothesize that it, just as the gods and philosophies of India, was transfered westward as civilization spread from the Indian subcontinent. It is also fascinating to consider the links between this symbol as associated with the Horned God of Wicca and its direct connection to the horned god of India, Pashupati, who was in all likelihood a proto-form of Shiva. One could use this yantra just as their pentacle in Wicca, as an altar tool for consecrating tools and working spells. Use it just as you would in Wicca.

The Yantra of Lord Ganesha

Again we see that another esoteric symbol prevalent in western occultism appears to have originated with the Hindus. The six pointed star is symbolic of the elements and a familiar sight to those interested in alchemy and elemental magic. It is also symbolic of the Jewish faith and used in Kabala, something that prompts inquiry but will not be discussed. Here it is used to represent Lord Ganesha who is, among others, The Lord of Obstacles and, as I explained in Part 1, The Lord of the Gates. A large number of deductions can be made from this but I will give one example from which much wisdom can be gained: understanding and control of the basic elements of the cosmos can give one power and allow them to understand and interact with the universe in many different ways. Meditate upon this while focusing on the mantra and new pathways of understanding will open up for you.

The Shri Yantra

The Shri Yantra is the symbol of the Mother Goddess and Shakti, the universal female principle and energy. It is also a model of the entire cosmos, the lines of the yantra representing the connections of all things to all things. The dot in the center is called the bindu and is the point of focus in meditation. Think of it as the axis of the entire universe and all worlds. For those using it for the purposes of witchcraft, consider the bindu to be the Axis Mundi, Yygdrassil or the Pole Star. This yantra has a variety of uses for the witch, the most obvious being its original purpose of representing the goddess or her energy and as a model of the cosmos. It can be used in any and all spells as a way to send spell energy on its intended path, along the connecting lines. It could also be drawn on the ground, the circle being cast around it, considering the esoteric meanings of the bindu as described above. The possibilities are endless.

As you can see, the yantras are powerful symbols that can be most useful to the witch. I suggest purchasing the yantras in the form of bras plates, available for sale online and at many temples. In terms of form it is a tool not unlike the pentacle, especially Lord Shiva’s yantra, that can be placed easily upon the altar for multiple purposes. Study the yantras and experiment with them and soon you may find them as indispensable as I do.

Putting It All Together

It should be obvious now, even with the small amount of information I have provided, that Hinduism holds many mysteries and useful teachings. I believe it would benefit every witch to take on a deep study of Hinduism, if only for academic purposes. Even if you do not practice any of its religious elements you will find much that will make you a better witch. It has for me.