I was wondering - is it natural or learned ? Wisdomatic Emotions from Within' ? Powerful ? Learn me the just and let me feed you thy soul.
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Los Angeles
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Magick is like cooking...you can learn to cook alone...but you learn very specific steps when you have a teacher to guide you. Because just like cooking, magick can burn you if you don't know what you're doing.
What happens when someone tries things without proper training or understanding...oh they can invite entities that don't leave...you can lose your mind...things like that. -
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look at yourself in the mirror....say three times, I am a witch....and believe yourself.
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I've worked on my own, and I have me a teacher...I must say it's alot more fun when you have a teacher. Mmmwwwaaahhhaaaaahhaaaaaa!!!!
Honestly, I don't ever remember not being a witch, I've been this way beyond this life, that's fer sure. When I was a toddler, I skryed my bedroom mirror, tried to climb in "with my friends", temper tantrums for me as a little girl was messing with the electricity in the house :::snicker snicker:::, I still do that, but I control it now : ).
Mirror Mirror on the wall, whose the bitchiest witch of all??? Heee heeee heeeeeee.
~kisses to all~ -
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I tend to agree.... like everything else it's DNA... genetically passed down through the generations but can skip a generation or two.
I mean... sure people can learn anything. But the ones who are *really* gifted are born that way.
Kind of wondering if my great great grandfather had horns growing out of his head too. ;)
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IMO ~ we are ALL born this way ~ some families have just had an easier time of it!
I also don't believe in the 'skipping a generation' theory ~ but that children often rebel against their parents (for whatever reasons), even in 'unconscious' ways & 'turn it off' ~ then the next generation of children rebel again & turm it back on, athough when all of this is done unconsiously, it's a messy & incomplete process ~ which can have it's own advantages!
love all-ways,
mem -
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Hmmm.... I read an article once in Omni magazine about statistics involving poltergeists. The article points out that in just about every instance of poltergeist there was at least one teenager in the family.
The article suggested that teenagers have strong inherent telepathic abilities and brought on the strange occurances of the poltergeist subconciously. Could be something like that, I suppose. -
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teenagers are going through much 'transition', physically, psychically, mentally, psychologically, socially, etc. & are often 'rebellious' (often for 'good reason') ~ like attracts like :)
love all-ways,
mem -
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This is the maximum depth. Additional responses will not be threaded.I have always felt that i had that spark of something. Ever since i was a child,i just kind of knew. Not knowing who I could talk to about it. I have a college friend that just this last year come to me and told me she was looking and learning about wiccon and the way of the witch. This made me almost come out of my own skin with joy. For i felt like i could show her what i had learned and we could learn and grow together. So for me doing this on my own for so long. I could say it is so much better in a group of sorts. But there is still things i do alone.
Speek of it like you still believe.... -
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I full on wept when a friend confided in me that her family had a 'tradition' of being witches & what her mom told her as a child that pertained to that ~ my family had no such 'tradition' ~ but I *knew* the things she was telling me already, just had never heard a 'human voice' speak them out loud....
love all-ways,
mem
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There is a combo of natural with learning. Think of a natural artist who takes lessons to improve his skills. However in the case with witches, you want to learn in order to avoid disasters. Otherwise..it's path of constant learning...
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I just wanted to share this with you all because I am starting to become more and more involved in Pegan or Wicca or what ever you want to call it.
As a child I was usually very aware of others emotions. I could see into people eyes and it was like I could read them like a book. Some were more open than others, some had barriers or even things I could feel that were not of a good nature.
I have had about 3 encounters with spirits all them I will carry with me throughout my life.
After I got married and suffered quite a bit of emotional abuse I seemed to have lost this capability. But now I have been divorced for about 5 years and after 4 years of healing and finding myself I have been exploring my spirituality a lot more and hope that I will be able to have this connection once again.
I am very excited about this new lease on life. I want to be able to add more positive energy to this world, to surround myself with enlightened people and to be able to practice what I preach.
My you love and be loved! -
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Oh yes Diana, that empathy has been with me too throughout my life. That feeling what others feel. Sometimes it was a horrible gift for me to possess...until I understood what it was, and how to work with it. Now when I feel the barriers, I try to slowly remove them, when I feel the not so good nature ones, I try and balance the negative with the positive.
I like my new outlook on empathy, instead of me getting tangled up in others emotions, I now try and balance them. -
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I think Dark...that's a valid point. Some gifts can be confusing if one doesn't have any concrete ways to utilize those gifts. And though some folks are truly born with natural gifts, it is always wise to get soem type of training.
The main reason for training has to do with personal psychology and avoidance of potential problems. For instance, not knowing how to get rid of unwanted entities that get conjured up during rituals. Also, the ego gets overly inflated when introduced to power it doesn't completely comprehend.
Basic tips on becoming a witch: (remenber this is not written in stone)
1. Training the mind to listen (meditation) - helps you develop you intuition and listen to your inner voice
2. learning to become objective - it creates proper balance
3. do comparative reading - gives you options and tools to work with
4. learn basic meditation, especially grounding and energy raising
5. develop basic intuitive abilities which will come in handy in doing divination for spell casting
6. learn ritual basics - important to learn how to create sacred and safe ritual space to pretend unwanted entities or psychic attack
7. develop a network - people will offer ideas and information that will help you expand
8. when in doubt ask a lot of questions. better to prevent a problem then to cure one
Also, it takes time to develop certain skills. So be extra patient and don't compare yourself to others. Comparison is the best way to destroy your patience and desires. Everyone is different and not everyone has the same skills or talents. Look for your own unique skills. Witches are compabale of doing different things. Not every witch can see spirits, cast good spells, teach..etc. There are various types of specialties, so don't worry if you're not very psychic or good with herbs. Be patience and kind with yourself whenever you're learning or developing a new skill.
Types of specialities witches possess:
1. Psychic abilities (can range from - tarot reading, clarivoyant, clairaudient, telepathic, psychometrist, palm reader, numerologist, astrologist, tea reader..to name a few skills)
2. healers (reiki, herbal, massage, pranic healing..etc)
3. midwife
4. teachers
5. high priestess (ritual facilitator - seriously that is what they do, don't get stuck on fancy titles, it'll go to your head)
6. spell casters (no everyone is good as casting spells. Remember spell casting is like cooking not everyone can cook even with a recipe book)
7 Animal healer/worker - great with animals
8 herbalist
9 nature guardian - my word for being a nature lover who works with nature as much as possible
Plus other areas that currently escape me...but other can add.
There are:
Kitchen Witch: It practices by home and hearth, mainly dealing with practical sides of the religion, magick, the elements and the earth.
Ceremonial Witchcraft: Mainly use ceremonial magick (obviously) in their practices. They commonly use Qabbalistic magick or Egyptian magick in their rituals.
Satanic Witch: This deosn't exist. Why? Witches don't believe in Satan remember.
Celtic Wicca: Goes by the elements, the Ancient Ones and nature. They are usually healers or respect them highly. They work with plants, stones, flowers, trees, the elemental people, the gnomes and the fairies.
Eclectic Witch: Doesn't follow a particular religion or tradition. They study and learn from many different systems and use what works best for them.
British Traditional Witch: A mix of Celtic and Gardenarian beliefs. They train through a degree process and the covens are usually co-ed.
Alexandrian Tradition: They are said to be modified Gardenarian.
Gardenarian Tradition: Follow a structured root in ceremony and practice. They aren't as much vocal as others and have a fairly foundational set of customs.
Dianic Tradition: Includes a lot of different traditions in one. Their prime focus now-a-days is the Goddess. It is the more feminist side of 'The Craft'.
Pictish Witchcraft: It's originally from Scotland and is a solitary form of The Craft. It is more magickal in nature than it is in religion.
Hereditary Witch: Someone who has been taught the 'Old Religion' through the generations of their family.
Caledonii Tradition: Also known as the Hecatine Tradition, it's the denomination of The Craft with a Scottish origin.
Pow-Wow: Comes from South Central Pennsylvania and is a system based on a 400 year old Elite German magick. They concentrate on simple faith healing.
Solitary Witch: This is one who practices alone, without a cover etc.. following any tradition.
Strega Witches: Originally coming from Italy are the known to be the smallest group in the US. It is said their craft is wise and beautiful.
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I was getting ready to go to work....but this topic deserves a little information, Here goes:
Becoming a Witch
These steps will take at least two years if you do them correctly.
STEP ONE - discovering your path Read and study. Read everything you can get your hands on. You need to read anything that will tell you more about the beliefs of witchcraft, magazines, books and web pages. While studying there are other forms of the craft that help. (nature) For example you could go hiking or go camping. Sunbathe, moonbathe, watch animals etc. This step should take you at least 2 months.
STEP TWO - defining your path In a notebook, folder or journal start writing down some reasons why the craft is for you. What does being a witch mean to you? What do you hope to achieve? How do you visualize the God and Goddess? What does the Divine mean to you? Be honest. This notebook will become your book of shadows.
STEP THREE - Exploring magic Magic is simply raising and channeling energy that is found in yourself, nature and the divine. Before you begin working with magic you need to understand what it is. You also need to know the basic structure of a ritual, casting circles, calling quarters, invoking the God/dess, raising and directing energy, grounding and centering and closing the circle. Know the moon phases. Learn to feel how the moon effects your body. Keep records of all you have learned in your book of shadows. This step will probably take you about another couple of months.
STEP FOUR - learning to focus Now you should start working on meditation and visualization exercises to increase your concentration. Learn to be calm. You can start out by meditating at least 3 times a week for about five minutes. You should do this for at least a month. Remember to keep a record in your book of shadows.
STEP FIVE - working with magic Now you can begin some basic spell work. Start with a full moon ritual or a new moon ritual. Every witch should write her own spells.
STEP SIX - self dedication After you have been studying for at least five or six months on meditating and working with magic it is time to perform a self dedication ritual. Design it however you want. A self dedication ritual means you are dedicating yourself to the craft.
STEP SEVEN - the year between dedication and initiation You can initiate yourself when you feel you are ready. The year you spend between your self dedication and your initiation you should spend celebrating the Sabbats, meditation, practicing your spellwork and studying. Use this time to learn about different forms of divination, such as Tarot or Runes, and different forms of healing, such as herbalism. Make sure you are recording in your book of shadows.
STEP EIGHT - Networking You should spend a solitary year study after self dedication before a witch considers joining a coven or a circle. This gives you a full year to celebrate the cycle of Sabbats.
STEP NINE - Initiation An initiation should be something that's meaningful to you. The ritual should be written only by you. A coven initiation is a means of bonding a group together. Initiation into the craft should always be a solitary ritual.
You still have to learn and practice. If you truly want to be a witch be prepared to spend the rest of your life studying and learning about this religion.
I'll create a thread on the topic later for easy access...
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