Magic and Mental Illness
Alright, time to strap yourselves in..... this is a topic that might get a bit messy here. I've had this topic come up in discussion numerous times as of late, to the point that it needs addressing. I have actually rewritten this blog post numerous times, as I keep coming across more instances that make this a more nuanced topic, and thus affected my views.
WARNING: The below post contains sensitive material that might offend one's sensibilities, occasional profanity, and a heaping dose of sarcasm in places. Reader discretion is advised.
There is still a stigma surrounding mental illness, and the Pagan community is not exempt from this. Yes, we are still much more open to the proverbial 'other' than many other communities out there. However, I have personally seen many people in our community use mental illness as a slur against someone they didn't like, or profess not to want to be in circle with someone who suffers from mental illness.
Now, before you all get your panties in a bunch, I am all for magicians having their own autonomy; we have the freedom to work with (or not work with) whomever we wish. However, I worry about those who discount people wholesale just because of a label or diagnosis. To me it is like discounting a class of people just because of a physical disability. As someone who has been diagnosed with several autoimmune disorders, I know I am a HELL of a lot more than my diagnosis.
As a High Priestess, I think we need to deal with these things on a case by case situation. Just as we would (read: should) make reasonable accommodation to someone who could not stand for an entire ritual, we should also make reasonable accommodations to those who come to us asking for help with an accommodation for mental illness or being non-neurotypical. For example, a few of my students are on the autism spectrum. As such, I have been asked to make the reasonable accommodation of explaining processes a bit more thoroughly than I would for those not on the spectrum, as there is a disconnect in executive functioning. I have absolutely no issue doing this!
In another instance, I had a young member of one of my groups confide in me that she was schizophrenic, and she asked that she not participate in any workings involving summoning spirits, as she wouldn't be able to differentiate between what was occurring in the working and what was a part of her illness. I was very impressed with the foresight and self-awareness this person had in their early twenties. Again, I had no issue accommodating this sort of request. In a degree-based study system, for example, if this person would have come to me with this request, I would gladly have excused them from any lesson workings that involved spirit work, and come up with a substitute.
One of the main things that is needed for this to work, obviously, is an environment of trust between elder and community member. The examples above were able to occur, and work out successfully, because I was fortunate enough to have earned these members' trust and provide a safe space for them to disclose this information and ask for accommodation. This is a huge responsibility that we have as elders, and one that cannot be taken for granted. May say they want 'perfect love and perfect trust' in circle with their fellow members, but don't realize how much work it takes to earn and maintain trust. Yes, we are all human and obviously make mistakes. But as elders we need to cultivate this trust in our groups and lead through example.
The road goes both ways though. Just as we as elders need to cultivate an environment of safety and trust, we also need our members to have self-awareness and take responsibility for themselves, their actions, and what is best for them. We cannot hope to accommodate someone if we don't know what the issue is to begin with. We also cannot be expected to fix all of someone's problems for them. We can provide the safe environment for our members to express what they need, but we cannot take the steps for them. We can offer suggestions but cannot do the work for them.
This idea of personal responsibility is key here. You have a class of Degree One dedicants that are dyslexic and have ADHD? Perhaps having them self-study out of a book and then testing them out of it isn't the best thing. But neither is doing the work for them. At some point, teacher and student have to meet in the middle. We as elders cannot always do everything FOR our students. We are failing them if we do. We can and must teach them to help themselves, so they become the magical practitioners they want to become.
Which brings me to the big question: what is a REASONABLE accommodation? To start, let me use physical accommodations. A reasonable accommodation would be to provide chairs at a ritual for those who would not be able to stand the entire time. An unreasonable accommodation would be to invite yourself to a five mile rock climbing excursion in the wilderness and ask to be carried because you can't traverse the trails. On a mental illness spectrum, a reasonable request would be to ask to tweak teaching to fit one's learning capacities, such as explaining things a different way, or adapting from book learning to lecture-based teaching or video-based teaching for someone who is dyslexic. An unreasonable request would include insisting on veto powers to prevent any topics that they don't like from being discussed (rather than asking to be excused from the discussion) - this prevents the rest of the group from growing through working with different topics. I have personally had this happen in groups; in one group, topics such as left-hand workings and even rune work were off-topic. Another unreasonable request would be to regularly turn group meetings into therapy sessions. While many of us coven leaders are certified in various fields, and some work in the mental health field, we are not equipped to be a full time therapist, nor is the rest of the coven.
Another touchy subject is whether to take medication for mental (or physical) illness, for fear of limiting one's magical abilities. I have encountered several instances, both online and in person, of people who refused to take medication they were prescribed because they didn't want to lose their ability to sense things, even though it might negatively affect them to do so. While I am not a medical professional, I can provide my own experiences on the matter, in dealing with my medications that treat my autoimmune disorders. Have they dampened my ability to sense things? Sadly, yes. I used to see and hear spirits physically, like they were standing right in front of me, before I became sick and was prescribed my (albeit small) cocktail of prescriptions. However, I can actually function, hold down a job, and be independent. Without those three little daily pills (and some vitamin supplements), I would be in so much pain I wouldn't be able to get out of bed most days, and for that I am grateful. It was a trade-off. It is something each individual has to make.
Having said that, there is responsibility that one takes on in refusing to take one's pills. It doesn't just affect you, especially if you choose to try and join a group. It affects your friends, your family, and your coven-mates. This is especially true if you are prescribed medication for a mental illness where your view of reality is affected, or if you are prescribed mood stabilizers. Rowan doesn't need you flipping out because she wore the same color as you to the meeting - she isn't out to get you. It's just coincidence. Simmer down. And not everything that flashes in your mind is gospel truth vision from the Gods that the coven needs to act on RIGHT NOW, Luna. What you are saying now contradicts what you said you saw yesterday. Learn some discernment and get thy feet back on the ground, STAT.
Ultimately, I think coven leaders should give those with ANY illness that would cause us to deviate from the normal way of teaching or working a chance, but we should do so with our feet on the ground. Like with dealing with those with physical limitations, we need to make REASONABLE accommodations for our students, and we need to be able to expect our students to meet us half way. Our students need to be self-aware of what is best for them, and how their actions affect those around them. If they choose to act in a manner that is harmful to us as leaders and our covens, we have some difficult conversations and decisions to make. We can start with baby steps to help them become more self-sufficient, but at some point the time for coddling will need to end - and accountability will need to start. Healthy, clearly defined expectations and boundaries are key.