Wicca

Wiccan Basic Training

I very much appreciated the down to earth and practical approach taken by this instructor. Ritual was placed in a proper context. It serves many purposes, like focusing the mind and heart. But ritual alone is not the essence, and he covered that very well.

Many of the exercises and practices covered in this course were very familiar to me as I have been a solitary practitioner most of my life. Practical experience has shown me that tools and rituals are not enough. Sometimes they are even completely unnecessary. It is the heart, mind and energy we focus that creates.

I was especially appreciative of the fact that he stressed not opening the doors to unwanted guests, such as may be invited through the use of ouija boards. I have personally experienced that type of visitation and it taught me early on that we must be careful and respectful about what and how we practice.

Too many people are attracted to wicca because it is out of the mainstream and has some shock value. These people are not true wiccans and give the rest of us a bad name. Playing with power and energy is not only foolish it is dangerous. Spellwork has a real attraction for those who wish to feed their egos; power for those who otherwise feel powerless.

Many people I have met who professed to be wiccan played at spellwork. Some were successful. The question I have always felt about it is what is the motivation? It is very tempting to manipulate energy, and with some innate ability and practice it is very possible. But I am very leery of encouraging anyone to play at this. And play is what many seem to try to do. In many ways it is like handing a sharp razor to a child.

Thankfully, many just bungle through and don’t actually do anything. But for those with innate ability dabbling can be very dangerous. My daughter is a natural witch, who has amazing abilities. Like most young people she gets a rush from being able to do something most people can’t. I have worked hard to counsel her on the dangers of playing with power. Thankfully she is very responsible.

Those with natural talent need the guidance of someone more experienced while they develop their abilities. And always it must be stressed that they do it with thoughtfulness and conscience. Do what you will and harm none may seem like a simple enough idea, but many do not equate helping or healing with harm. The bottom line is that whenever we meddle with another beings life in any way there is a potential for harm. Spell or energy work that is directed at anyone else can be potentially harmful and should never be done without their knowledge and permission. I was very happy to see that covered in this course. Too many books on wicca hold out spellwork as a lure for obtaining power and never speak to the importance of the responsibility that goes with attaining that power.

As a solitary practitioner my practices have always been solely for my own communion with the God and Goddess. It has kept me honest, because there is no audience. While there is comfort in worshiping within a group it is also easy to be led by the group. And as with any group endeavor the energy raised depends on the group. Most of us started life in a congregation of our parents choosing. Many of us did not find spiritual food at that table. Similarly wiccan and pagan groups may suffer from the same type of problems as in any organized religion - people just going through the motions or worse, power plays.

While we must each of us find a path that works for us, I would hope that no one fear the solitary path. It may be harder to work without the support of a group. But the work will be as honest as that sole practitioner can make it. There is no pressure to conform or to perform rites without personally felt meaning. Best of all, the inner voice never needs to shout, it only needs to whisper.

All in all, I think this course was excellent. It provided a great overview for someone just starting out and it was a good review for those already on the path.

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