Fake Witches? Options

a blog that ive been reading said that those who claims to be a witch but just read witchcraft books are fake.. he said that real witches are witches who has spirit mentors etc. and people who just learn witchcraft through books etc are nothing but fake witches. what do you think of this accusation?

by the way, this is the blog

http://filipinosorcery.blogspot.com/

This post has been edited by Edunpanna: Jun 3 2007, 10:34 PM

As a magician you will grow and find your own way, regardless of previous experiences of those before you. There is one thing that is always certain, originality is more powerful. I agree that the old folklores are helpful, but there is a time when you need to step out of the old and into the new. But some of the new is crap and should be shot O_O but you have to make that choice on your own and figure out what works for you.

As a magician you will grow and find your own way, regardless of previous experiences of those before you. There is one thing that is always certain, originality is more powerful. I agree that the old folklores are helpful, but there is a time when you need to step out of the old and into the new. But some of the new is crap and should be shot O_O but you have to make that choice on your own and figure out what works for you.

Well, your first statement is something that I can agree with, as I think that all practitioners probably would, although I might prefer to term it that you will "eventually" find your own way. However, IMO this does not negate the need to develop and knowledge and understanding of the practices of those that went before. If you wanted to be a scientist of some kind then before you got set loose in the world you would be expected to spend several years in higher education building a foundation by learning about the work of your predecessors, the assumption being that once this learning is complete you are then a position to go and innovate your own approaches and techniques - to build upon what they have done. I see no reason why it should be any different with magic and I think that if you take an holistic look at the grade systems of the various magical orders you will see this principle borne out. Of course, there is always room for the genius to come along and do something amazing and new without this foundation, but in reality such people are rare.

The second statement, that the new is always more powerful, is something that I am forced to dispute. The word "always" is very absolute! This is not because of my own opinions, which are ambivalent, but simply based on my observations of others. There are two points, which are linked:

a) Certainly in the UK there are many pagan groups, particularly Trad Crafters (the Cochranite lot), who seem to be utterly obsessed with the notion of historical continuity. For them the need to demonstrate that what they are doing really is "Olde Wytch Magic" appears to be the dominant motivation. I would postulate that it is precisely this investment in their practices as being genuinely old which give those practices their power. I think the same could be said with regards to a lot of Neo-Pagan approaches (and lets face it, the neo-pagans outnumber the magicians by a long way these days) and that brings me on to the second point.

b) For some people, particularly newcomers, the idea that the rite being performed is tried and tested is a key factor in allowing them to invest belief in it, which in turn contributes towards the rite's success. We certainly get a lot more people coming in to the shop asking for some mythological tome of C16th witchery than we do asking for something completely new that was made up last week (that is normally the request from the people who have been knocking around a while and become jaded). Many people simply do not have the confidence (presumably because they have no training or knowledge of that which has gone before) to sit down and create something from scratch. They want old things, and the older the better. So for them, the new is definitely not more powerful. They have no faith in it!

Like I say, my own feelings are ambivalent. Sometimes I will dive into an old tome and pull something out of that, sometimes I will create something fresh (it usually depends on context). Still, I just wanted to point out that the notion that new approaches are always more powerful is subjective. It might be true for you, but that does not make it true for everyone.

Edit: syntax

This post has been edited by J*S: Jun 4 2007, 08:45 AM

They want old things, and the older the better. So for them, the new is definitely not more powerful. They have no faith in it!

Preaching to the choir here with the old things, but I don't particularly take stock in using something of someone else's to work 100% with me, even using something old and using it is in fact making it brand "new" because its your energy and its your personal touch behind it, its your magick, its your soul, its your life, and it is your voice. This is what makes it better, not some symbol that you can barely remember or grasp the meaning behind because the majority of it's explanation has been lost through the ages. The magicians of old are just like these new people making shit up on the fly and testing it. Onces perfected it can absolute, you just have to watch what you are doing and take note. There is no need to be afraid of change because the world spins regardless. I just want to get the point across to those new to the craft that you shouldn't fly out and buy the newest and shiniest book, nor should you flip through a book that you barely understand and try to do it their way. This is something that you will have to learn on your own, find what works. In the end newer is always better because you are new, and what worked for someone else wont 100% of the time work for you. What is yours, what is truly yours is always more powerful and no old book no matter how impressive can make up for originality. This is why you must have faith in yourself. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/witch.gif)

Besides without the proper herbal code training you might think that your love potion may actually require the foot of an Englishman.

But is refreshing to know that someone actually likes the old things as much as I do... or most likely more than me.

J*S you get major love points I wish we were friends IRL ^^