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I don't see why it would. Can you elaborate on how the process of humans attaching value to things - which is a subjective attribution that doesn't change the properties of said object - would have any impact on efficacy? Aside from the obvious headgame reasons, that is?
When I watch exorcism movies, I kind of find it funny that only in a parody movie, Repossessed, (unless someone can think of another one) did other religions get in on the exorcism too. It's almost like Hollywood thinks Catholics are the only people who banish demons or something.I am sure salt, sage, holy water, garlic, a gold cross or anything other than Jesus Christ have influence or power over evil spirits.
@Kapalika - it seems there's been some sort of miscommunication. I thought you were talking about humans saying "such and such has more value" and that somehow impacting the inherent (objective) properties of an object. A tree is a tree whether some human says it is "worth" $100 or priceless; I fail to see how a tree some human decides is $100 would be less effective in spellcraft than one some human decides is "priceless." But when you're talking about objectively existing rarity as your later example provides, that's a different beast entirely. Such rarity is a fact independent of human valuation processes.
To maybe clarify, I don't see how humans thinking salt is worth $1k a pound versus humans thinking salt is worth 50¢ a pound would impact efficacy. I do see how salt being inherently rare in nature might.
Because if it costs more it's used much less since less people can afford it or afford it much less often. It becomes artificially rare due to the price. I don't think my explanation hinged on why it's rare, just that it being rare at all can sometimes make it more powerful to use.
Still seems pretty head-gamey to me. I suppose another reason I react badly to this line of thinking - aside from the anthropocentrism - is that it encourages some people to spend inordinate sums of money on shams when something else (that costs much less) would serve just as well. Fortunately that sort of sham is relatively rare, but it still happens. I've certainly seen conversations where various occult practitioners get hung up on who has the most expensive whatever tool, which is less a conversation about actual efficacy of the tools than who has the biggest wallet and socioeconomic status. I don't like to see this stuff degenerate into that.
A spirit is the energy of a person. The "breathe" of life and what keeps everything going. When you are around people, depending on how empathetic you, can physicall sense their spirit-their energy. It can be like a light breeze or it could be stuffy or closed in feeling. When you pass away, your energy still exist. It doesnt disapear because you have no body.
In nature (we are part of nature)
"Salt absorbs dirt, grime, and toxins and cleanses your skin's pores deeply.Salt's mineral content helps restore the protective barrier in skin and helps it hold hydration. ... The magnesium in sea salt may also help reduce water retention (i.e., bloating) in the body." -to the Wiki
Many put salt in the corners of their home because salt obsorbs literally bad toxins in the environment. It cleans the energy thereby cleans spirits energies. Its the same energy you experience when around a person. Energy doesnt change just because it has no body.
My mother put salt in corners ofnher home. My grandmother, I think, put salt under the front door, doormat. All to literally obsorb negative energy (spirit) from a person or cleans the spirit so there wont be upset in our home.
Many neopagans use water becauae its part of the earth and we live off the spiritbof the earth. Salt is a huge factor in seawater which is something we need to survive in general.
The supersition or unexplained common connections to things we do is basically biblical. Christians see a person using salt, wearing a upsidedown pentacle, naked, drawing something in the sand, and I kid you not, most christians would call him devil worshiping of some sort.
The usage and purpose of salt in religion isnt supersitious if you understand why our body needs certain things to live. For example, we can live without the bible. No one can love without salt. So it makes sense to correlate our physical survival with that of our spirit becauae they go together. Hence why you have Chakras and people meditate etc.
Its all about energy. Using external means to cleanse energy around you. In this case, energy of people (all nature): spirits.