[ARTICLE] Pacts 101

WHAT IS A PACT?

A pact is defined as an agreement between two parts. Why is not called just an agreement, then? Because an agreement is, at its core, a dialectic, meanwhile a pact goes further. Is not just understanding, but both parts have a compromise to hold their ends of the bargain.

Is not always the case? Yes. And a contract is a written pact where consequences are laid upon both parts.

WHY TO MAKE A PACT

Improvement. Anyone who signs a contract expect to win something from it, even if it is a place to live for a few months.

Now, while talking about pacts with spirits, the same principle applies. You get something out of it. Protection. Education. Maybe material needs.

In all cases, a marriage with a spirit IS a pact.

WHEN TO MAKE A PACT

I think there three keys to know if it is okay to make a pact. A- this spirit has already helped you repeatedly, so you can trust they can deliver the results you seek. B- you know and agree with their agenda, there is an overlap in goals. C- you like them. This doesn’t only applies to spiritual marriages, mind you. Sometimes you’ll discover that for any given reason you don’t like what this spirit is willing to do. For example, trying to bruteforce their way into things while you would rather be more cunning and subtle.

I’ve read at least one book that advises to start a magickal practice with a pact. I say fuck that. Gods, angels and demons aren’t cuddly plushy toys that give us comfort. Even the nicest of them have terrible, ruthless sides. Sometimes you’ll only see that if you try to hurt them, sometimes you’ll see it no matter what, but trust me, this are ancient, powerful beings, they can crush us like bugs. Fortunately, they usually have better things to do.

BEFORE YOU CONSIDER MAKING A PACT

Please, PLEASE, do shadow work. The more I speak with people, the more I come to the conclusion that mostly everyone has at least one traumatic memory. Looks like all of us had been, at some point in our lives, entirely powerless to do anything. It casts a long shadow that follow us into the present. It affects our lives. Shadow work will help you understand it and if you can’t get over it, at least you can cope with it in a healthy way.

This is information you’ll need to make a pact. To set your own limits. To be safe. And if in doubt, just put more limits than not. Like “I will work on your agenda, Spirit So and So, but I won’t kill animals for you, no matter what”. As a simple example that everyone can understand.

BEFORE YOU GO

If you’ve done shadow work and observed everything else said here, then the only other thing you need is a clear way to communicate with them. You’ll have to hold your end, of course, but if you’re really into it, then you should be able to do so. And it is not all that weird, since many spirits can act as teachers.

I’ll cover the mechanics of pacts in a future tutorial.

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This is good stuff @ReyCuervo

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