{"id":12157,"date":"2016-02-01T01:10:59","date_gmt":"2016-02-01T06:10:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/content\/?p=12763"},"modified":"2016-01-28T19:18:38","modified_gmt":"2016-01-29T00:18:38","slug":"tink-about-it-27","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2016\/02\/01\/tink-about-it-27\/","title":{"rendered":"Tink About It"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spoon-fed Witchcraft<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I have always been interested in witchcraft, spirituality and related stuff. Since my teens I read lots of books, magazines and later on websites. When I wanted to actively start experiencing it, it was quite a struggle. It was hard to find good info and even, how could I know which info was good? There weren\u2019t many books available in my local library about these kinds of subjects. One of the first books I read was \u2018Book of Shadows\u2019 by Phyllis Curott. It was a personal account of how the author discovered her path, but could also be used to try out things for yourself. Both sides of the book appealed to me very much. I started to experiment with exercises and experiments she described. And I started to look for people that did the same. That wasn\u2019t easy at all! I knew they had to be there, but I couldn\u2019t really find anyone\u2026 Around that time I got internet access and the first word I put into a search engine was \u2018heks\u2019 (Dutch for \u2018witch\u2019). The second was \u2018witch\u2019. Wow\u2026 a whole new perspective opened for me! Step by step I got a bit further with my search for information and kindred spirits. It took quite some time and energy, but it was very much worth it. The way towards my goals was equally important as the goal itself. I learned to find my way all by myself by experimenting, making mistakes, improvising, even by bluffing. Trial and error. When I was really stuck I met people that could help me to take the next step. The universe provides! I travelled quite a lot to pub moots, workshops and meetings to find the right people. Yes, I found info and people, but the search keeps on going. The search and the goal are both rewarding. I wouldn\u2019t want to have done it any other way! <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Nowadays I come across a lot of seekers on the pagan path that want all the answers straight away and they want it NOW. I try to tell them the above story and give them some pointers to take the next step, as others did for me. But that\u2019s not always appreciated\u2026 Unfortunately a lot of people don\u2019t want to invest time and energy to find their own way. So many people already walked the path, so why invent the wheel again? Just tell them the outcome, clearly define the shortest way. I call it \u2018spoon-fed witchcraft\u2019 as they want to be handed instant information a.s.a.p.! It is such a pity, they don\u2019t know what they are missing out on. Of course there are teachers that jump in this demand and offer fitting courses. You get all the answers and how-to-do\u2019s ready-made, no need to think for yourself. Follow this course online, pay this amount and become an instant witch! Yes, I\u2019m exaggerating a bit, but not as much as you\u2019d think unfortunately. But hey, everyone does this in their own way, so maybe I\u2019m just old-fashioned or a nagger. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a> The explanation could be that <\/span>everything<\/i><\/span> has to be quick and instant nowadays. Everyone is always in a hurry and doesn\u2019t have time for things that take\u2026 time. Perhaps the internet is to blame, or the social media? I don\u2019t know and you know what, I don\u2019t really mind. I\u2019m not that interested in blaming anyone but ourselves. Yes, myself too, I\u2019m not holier-than-thou. It\u2019s so much easier to get something ready-made, it can be a bit addictive even! Still, it\u2019s no surprise that a completely different movement is gaining ground: mindfulness, taking things slowly, taking time to think and decide what is good for you\u2026
\nI\u2019m not against internet and social media, on the contrary. It has brought me a lot too! I\u2019m quite addicted to it to a certain point to be honest. I just use the internet in different ways. Sometimes I want an immediate answer. \u2018Damn, where do I know this actor from?\u2019 -> take laptop, phone or tablet, check IMDB and \u2018ha, that\u2019s it!\u2019. Sometimes I even need an immediate question in an urgent situation. Man, am I glad to have the internet at hand in those cases! Nevertheless, there\u2019s a risk in using the internet, especially when we are not talking about facts. Because you read something on Facebook, it\u2019s not automatically true! That might be obvious, but also not everything you read on any other website is always true. It\u2019s very healthy and smart to always question things you read and the sources.
\nBack to witchcraft. All of the above is true there too. Know your sources and don\u2019t believe everything you read. Think for yourself. Absolutely nothing wrong with using the internet, as I said it makes life a lot easier sometimes. When I need something for a ritual or for my altar, the possibilities are endless. This applies to materials, but also to information. When I have an idea for a ritual, I always search for information on how others do it, tips and tricks so to speak. I also ask others personally, look in books, my own notes and diaries, etc. I use all of those as a tool for research and inspiration, but I still write my own rituals. I look into the right time (moon phase for example) and place to do the ritual and shop or search specifically for things I need. Again, I put quite some time and energy into this because it\u2019s worth it to me. Sure, sometimes I do an instant ritual and that\u2019s not necessarily bad or worse, it doesn\u2019t have to be. My point is that some witches want an instant spell, take one from the internet and blindly do exactly what is says. That can be a nice experiment, I did that too in the beginning. Still I always wanted to know the source the thoughts behind the ritual, why some materials or actions are chosen. I never blindly followed or believed something or someone. Okay, that made me a pain in the ass for some teachers, haha! I still needed to find the balance between listening to my elders and teachers of the craft on one side, and questioning things and thinking for myself on the other. That too went by trial and error\u2026 and I don\u2019t regret much of it.
\nIs there a lesson in all of this? That depends on you. Read it as my personal rant (\u2018cause oh yes, it is!), that\u2019s okay too. Still I invite you to think about it and see if you agree or not. Ponder a bit about it. Do not take my word for it, challenge me the way I challenged others\u2026 All I want to say is: take your time, do some research, ask questions, find answers instead of demanding them from others. It\u2019s okay to make mistakes, or better yet: it\u2019s necessary! Witchcraft is a path of experiencing: doing , making mistakes and learning from it. Don\u2019t say: \u2018but I don\u2019t know how, I\u2019m just a beginner, you tell me!\u2019. Make an effort and think for yourself. Believe in yourself and your intuition. Go for it and don\u2019t settle for anything less than you deserve. And yes, you can!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Blessings<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Spoon-fed Witchcraft I have always been interested in witchcraft, spirituality and related stuff. Since my teens I read lots of books, magazines and later on websites. When I wanted to actively start experiencing it, it was quite a struggle. It was hard to find good info and even, how could I know which info was good? There weren\u2019t many books available in my local library about these kinds of subjects. One of the first books I read was \u2018Book of Shadows\u2019 by Phyllis Curott. It was a personal account of how the author discovered her path, but could also be used to try out things for yourself. Both sides of the book appealed to me very much. I started to experiment with exercises and experiments she described. And I started to look for people that did the same. That wasn\u2019t easy at all! I knew they had to be there, but I couldn\u2019t really find anyone\u2026 Around that time I got internet access and the first word I put into a search engine was \u2018heks\u2019 (Dutch for \u2018witch\u2019). The second was \u2018witch\u2019. Wow\u2026 a whole new perspective opened for me! Step by step I got a bit further with my search for information and kindred spirits. It took quite some time and energy, but it was very much worth it. The way towards my goals was equally important as the goal itself. I learned to find my way all by myself by experimenting, making mistakes, improvising, even by bluffing. Trial and error. When I was really stuck I met people that could help me to take the next step. The universe provides! I travelled quite a lot to pub moots, workshops and meetings to find the right people. Yes, I found info and people, but the search keeps on going. The search and the goal are both rewarding. I wouldn\u2019t want to have done it any other way! Nowadays I come across a lot of seekers on the pagan path that want all the answers straight away and they want it NOW. I try to tell them the above story and give them some pointers to take the next step, as others did for me. But that\u2019s not always appreciated\u2026 Unfortunately a lot of people don\u2019t want to invest time and energy to find their own way. So many people already walked the path, so why invent the wheel again? Just tell them the outcome, clearly define the shortest way. I call it \u2018spoon-fed witchcraft\u2019 as they want to be handed instant information a.s.a.p.! It is such a pity, they don\u2019t know what they are missing out on. Of course there are teachers that jump in this demand and offer fitting courses. You get all the answers and how-to-do\u2019s ready-made, no need to think for yourself. Follow this course online, pay this amount and become an instant witch! Yes, I\u2019m exaggerating a bit, but not as much as you\u2019d think unfortunately. But hey, everyone does this in their own way, so maybe I\u2019m just old-fashioned or a nagger. The explanation could be that everything has to be quick and instant nowadays. Everyone is always in a hurry and doesn\u2019t have time for things that take\u2026 time. Perhaps the internet is to blame, or the social media? I don\u2019t know and you know what, I don\u2019t really mind. I\u2019m not that interested in blaming anyone but ourselves. Yes, myself too, I\u2019m not holier-than-thou. It\u2019s so much easier to get something ready-made, it can be a bit addictive even! Still, it\u2019s no surprise that a completely different movement is gaining ground: mindfulness, taking things slowly, taking time to think and decide what is good for you\u2026 I\u2019m not against internet and social media, on the contrary. It has brought me a lot too! I\u2019m quite addicted to it to a certain point to be honest. I just use the internet in different ways. Sometimes I want an immediate answer. \u2018Damn, where do I know this actor from?\u2019 -> take laptop, phone or tablet, check IMDB and \u2018ha, that\u2019s it!\u2019. Sometimes I even need an immediate question in an urgent situation. Man, am I glad to have the internet at hand in those cases! Nevertheless, there\u2019s a risk in using the internet, especially when we are not talking about facts. Because you read something on Facebook, it\u2019s not automatically true! That might be obvious, but also not everything you read on any other website is always true. It\u2019s very healthy and smart to always question things you read and the sources. Back to witchcraft. All of the above is true there too. Know your sources and don\u2019t believe everything you read. Think for yourself. Absolutely nothing wrong with using the internet, as I said it makes life a lot easier sometimes. When I need something for a ritual or for my altar, the possibilities are endless. This applies to materials, but also to information. When I have an idea for a ritual, I always search for information on how others do it, tips and tricks so to speak. I also ask others personally, look in books, my own notes and diaries, etc. I use all of those as a tool for research and inspiration, but I still write my own rituals. I look into the right time (moon phase for example) and place to do the ritual and shop or search specifically for things I need. Again, I put quite some time and energy into this because it\u2019s worth it to me. Sure, sometimes I do an instant ritual and that\u2019s not necessarily bad or worse, it doesn\u2019t have to be. My point is that some witches want an instant spell, take one from the internet and blindly do exactly what is says. That can be a nice experiment, I did that too in the beginning. Still I always wanted to know the source the thoughts behind the ritual, why some materials or actions are chosen. I never blindly followed or believed something or someone. Okay, that made me a pain in the ass for some teachers, haha! I still needed to find the balance between listening to my elders and teachers of the craft on one side, and questioning things and thinking for myself on the other. That too went by trial and error\u2026 and I don\u2019t regret much of it. Is there a lesson in all of this? That depends on you. Read it as my personal rant (\u2018cause oh yes, it is!), that\u2019s okay too. Still I invite you to think about it and see if you agree or not. Ponder a bit about it. Do not take my word for it, challenge me the way I challenged others\u2026 All I want to say is: take your time, do some research, ask questions, find answers instead of demanding them from others. It\u2019s okay to make mistakes, or better yet: it\u2019s necessary! Witchcraft is a path of experiencing: doing , making mistakes and learning from it. Don\u2019t say: \u2018but I don\u2019t know how, I\u2019m just a beginner, you tell me!\u2019. Make an effort and think for yourself. Believe in yourself and your intuition. Go for it and don\u2019t settle for anything less than you deserve. And yes, you can! Blessings<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":195,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12157","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12157","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/195"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12157"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12157\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11577,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12157\/revisions\/11577"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12157"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12157"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12157"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}