I am interested in hearing from individuals who identify themselves as Eclectic practitioners. What exactly makes up your practice from the standpoint of deities, ceremonies, beliefs, etc. and how did you go about forming it? How do you incorporate new things into your practice as it evolves?
Basically, I'm just trying to find out about Eclecticism from first-hand accounts.
Have bought a new deck (Robin Wood) and want to try it out.
Do you use any sort of 'welcome ritual' or meditation to attune yourself to a new magical tool and attune the tool to you? I guess it matters if you have a receptive tool like cards or something you actively works magic with, but well what do you do?
I'm thinking on smudging the deck shortly, though it is fully new. More for the reason to give it my flavor than for cleansing it.
To my knowledge there does not exist a complete Celtic creation myth, but there are some fragments and hints floating around out there in different sources.
Have any of you tried taking those fragments and hints and combined them with UPG and/or myths from non-Celtic cultures to come up with a Celtic creation myth? Know of anyone who has?
I know the term "Warlock" has been given a bad rap over the years... but I've done a little research on Wiki and found out that the term refers to a Male Witch. However, today's views is that a Warlock is an oathbreaker or one who is banished from a Coven.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warlock
I was wondering, is it taboo to refer to oneself as a Warlock or is it permissible?
I'm just curious because in the past I've experienced a lot of the Witch-fluff that's been going around these days... and quite peeved about it.
Just want to know your views on this... Thanks!
I know people often debate the ethics of certain spells. Some are cut and dry. I mean, I know not everyone cares about using morals with their magic at all, but for those of us who do consider the ethical side, most of us can agree that a spell should not interfere with another person's free will, and that a spell should cause no harm. A love spell, for instance, should simply draw love to a person by helping them to meet people that would naturally care for them (and then letting nature take its course), and should not force another person to love them.
However, some things are not quite as simple. Is it wrong to help a person realize the full extent of what they are capable of naturally feeling for you? I mean, let's say that under the right circumstances, if I knew a person, and got to know them well enough, I would be madly in love with them naturally, but things keep getting in the way of me getting to see the true them or something else like that, would it be wrong if they cast a spell to cause circumstances to be right so that I would realize how deeply I could feel for them? Is that interfering with my free will? I suppose perhaps it depends on the wording. It depends on if they ask to make me feel the full extent I am naturally capable of feeling for them (probably wrong), OR if they simply cast a spell to say that if it causes no harm and impedes no good, that the circumstances should be made right, so that I can naturally, and of my own free will, discover how deeply I could feel for them. Thoughts?
What if a person has already loved you, but they have pushed you away and put a wall between you. Is it wrong, in your opinion, to cast a spell to cause them to realize their true feelings for you, if they are suppressing them? I suppose that would be interfering with free will, huh?
Also, another thing I was wondering- what about this. This isn't about love, but rather, about desire. If someone desires you and you want that flame to stay bright, instead of growing dim, is it wrong to cast a spell to keep that flame alive? I mean, if the person feels it naturally, is it controlling them to try magically, to keep the flame alive? Is there some way to word the spell that would not interfere with their free will?
Also, what if any of the above spells could potentially cause harm to a third party (or multiple parties) who are not directly involved in the spell?
Also, I know glamour spells are generally frowned upon, but I don't have a big problem with them personally. What do you think about glamour spells? I know they are not the loftiest of spells, but I don't think it is necessarily worse to ask for beauty, than prosperity. My question is this- is it wrong to make yourself appear differently to others? Is it, in a sense, a lie? What about a spell that merely makes your good traits more easily noticeable? Would it be wrong, however, to make your faults harder to notice? Would it be deceitful? Or does it matter, since it is only appearance, which is mostly perception, anyway? Yet, in some ways, appearance is corporeal, is molded by the flesh, so perhaps it is a lie? What do you think?
I have been a Witch for almost 7 years now and have just taking on my first mentee/student. I have informed her that as she learns, I will be learning from her as well so therefore she does not have to view me as a teacher, but as a student of the Craft studying along with her. I also intend to make the training/studying as fair/equal as possible in which we both contribute.
We both have decided on a non-religious/structured Celtic path, and one that is not Wiccan.
I do want to cover Astrology, Witchcraft (low magick), Spiritual Witchcraft, Hoodoo, and so forth... I will be writing our lesson plan over the summer as well as giving myself a refresher course in a lot of the experiences I intend to endow her with.
I want to give her the training she desires and to aid her in developing her personal gifts/abilities.
I have been trained through the past 7 years by three different teachers, all of them Celtic yet not Wiccan. One of my teachers I still keep in contact with, whereas one of the other two has yet to call me although she has my new number.
I carry certain traditions along with me that they taught me in our short-lived but well-endowed experiences together.
What would be the best way to give my student the best training possible and how to go about not overloading myself?
What does Ritual mean to you? Why is it important to do Ritual? What does Ritual do for you?
What communication differences have you come across, especially as you interact with others within the Pagan community? What helps with them? What failed miserably? Any good stories?
As the years have rolled by me, I've noticed what I see as I disturbing trend in the Pagan community: to marginalize and even belittle people who want to stay in the closet about their religion, their sexuality, etc. Some people are naturally very public about their beliefs and activities (whether those activities are controversial or not). Other people are pretty private about such things and would be even if they were Christian hetero virgins (or whatever else is the desired norm culturally). Yet according to many Pagans every Pagan has some type of obligation to the Pagan Community to be "out" (and preferably very out) about their religious beliefs.
I fall into the private person category. I have no desire (nor need) to wear my religion, my sexuality, or even my taste in music on a badge in my shirt for all to see. It's none of the average stranger's business. Heck, some of it isn't even the average co-worker's or acquaintance's business either.
I'm very tired of extroverted Pagan activists trying to force introverts and people who just prefer not to make their private life and private beliefs public into be "out" for the "good of the Pagan community.". I don't give a damn that they think the world would suddenly be better if such info were public knowledge, I (and others) have every right to parts of our lives private even if that does not futher the needs of an activist plan to "improve" things for the Pagan community.
What do you think on this issue?
My friend and I were discussing the the effectiveness of magick. How do you know if the magick actually worked, or if the event in question or the desired result, happened for other reasons, particularly if the result happens years down the road? I hear people saying magick may work immedieately or it might take weeks, months, even years. If you did a spell for your chronic depression to ease and suddenly felt some relief 4 yrs later, might that be unrelated to the spell? So how do you know when it is the magick?