By jenett, on November 20th, 2010
One of the most potent ideas in magic and ritual is creating what we want to have happen in our minds, so that we can focus and direct our energy into making it happen. (This is just as true when we’re talking about practical goals as magical ones, of course.)
Meditation is a huge and broad subject, far too big to go into much detail in this format: I highly recommend getting a copy of Diana Paxson’s Trance-Portation and working through it. That said, there are some skills you can start with that will give you a really good foundation for whatever work or path you find yourself on later.
The most basic of these is visualisation – only, not just images, but other kinds of responses. As I talk about in the “Ways you learn” article, people will have different preferences. The same is true with things like visualisation – some people will find it very easy to create an image, a sound, a smell, or a texture, but very hard to create others in their mind. As with so many other things I’ve discussed, you do want to work to build your skills in all the areas – not just the ones where you’re strongest – because it will give you so many more options down the road.
Continue reading Visualisation and meditation
By jenett, on November 7th, 2010
These first books are intended to give you a solid introduction in much greater depth than any website can do, and to cover a wide range of ideas and aspects of practice.
I suggest people new to Paganism begin by first figuring out a path (in general terms) they’re interested in, and then looking for books that focus on the topics below. This is easiest for religious witchcraft in various forms, for a variety of reasons
My suggestions:
- A good overview of common practices and approaches (which should include a general introduction to basic concepts, core ethical guidelines, a variety of practices, etc.)
- A book to help you develop skills and ongoing daily/regular practices in more depth.
- A deeper discussion of ritual theory and practice.
- At least one book about ethics in a Pagan context.
- A book that helps you learn more about the larger Pagan community and its history.
- At least one book about divination theory and practice.
That’s six books to start with: if you have limited resources (either time or money) right now, start with the first one and work your way down, reading a book in each of the first four categories before you go further. Between them, these will give you a solid foundation for whatever further learning makes sense to you. Below, find some suggestions (and there will be more to come.)
Continue reading Introductory Books
By jenett, on October 27th, 2010
I mentioned already that people use the term Wicca in a wide variety of ways. On one hand, it makes some things easier (you can share a general idea of the broad foundation of what you do fast.) On the other hand, it makes a lot of things much harder – because people use the term Wicca to cover everything from an initiatory priesthood tradition focusing on specific religious mysteries to “Well, I work only by myself, like celebrating Samhain and Beltane, but I don’t really believe in the Gods and I rarely do magic”.
It’s not that one of these is categorically better than the other – one may be great for a specific person. But rather, when we use the same word to refer to a wide range of things, it can get hard to figure out how to find people who share what we do – or who can help answer our specific questions.
Continue reading Different uses of the same word
By jenett, on October 22nd, 2010
Sometimes, Pagan religions – and especially religious witchcraft ones – are very confusing to people coming from other religions, especially Christianity. Many of the priorities and assumptions seem very different.
There’s a good reasons for that: often they are! Here are a few things you might want to notice as you start looking at various Pagan paths.
Continue reading Setting aside assumptions from other religions
By jenett, on October 22nd, 2010
Not sure which paths to start looking at first? Below are a variety of different (fairly general) paths, along with a list of qualities or interests. If several things in a list seem to fit you, it might be worth checking that path out in more detail.
Please note: these are very general, and some things may apply to you, while others won’t. Likewise, some things will apply to specific groups in a path, and some won’t. There will probably be additions as I think of them, but you’re welcome to contact me (link in the menu) and share some others if you like.
They’re ordered in the way that flowed best: placement in the list doesn’t depend on what I think about the path, or which ones are ‘better’. They all have their good points.
Continue reading Where to start
By jenett, on October 14th, 2010
People sometimes find the origin of Wicca both fascinating and complicated. This page begins with some historical context, and then goes into looking at some common ideas and practices.
Continue reading An introduction to Wicca
By jenett, on October 14th, 2010
Before we go too much further, it might be helpful to cover some common terms you may come across in discussions of Paganism. (Links to other pages with more discussion on specific areas – deities, magic, etc – are at the bottom, too.)
Continue reading A few useful terms
By jenett, on October 14th, 2010
Just as there are some things Pagans often have in common, there are some things we don’t reliably share. Some of these may surprise you!
Continue reading Things Pagans don’t always have in common
By jenett, on October 14th, 2010
As I’ve said, Pagan paths don’t always have a lot in common. Here are a few things that we do commonly share (though not every path or Pagan will agree with this.)
Continue reading Things Pagans (Often) Have In Common
By jenett, on October 14th, 2010
Pagans are all sorts of people. The Pagans I know are librarians and engineers, counselors and researchers, tech geeks and artists, writers and teachers, staying at home with their kids or working in retail, working in state jobs and for large corporations, and pretty much everything else you can imagine. Like other religions, our ethics and personal commitments shape these choices – but people come to a wide range of answers that suit them. We also come in all shapes, colors, and genders.
You may not notice us: A lot of the Pagan community is hard to spot unless you’re looking for it – we don’t generally have churches you can drive by, or lots of big obvious public events. But we’re around – even in the Bible belt, even in rural communities and small towns, and across much of the world.
Paganism isn’t like what’s on TV. (or in Harry Potter, or in movies.) Those things may borrow some lore and ideas from Pagan practices – but they also need to tell a good story. Much of what we, as Pagans do, is a lot more matter of fact. We’re people who get up in the morning, who go to work, or take care of a home, or work on a passion or interest. We have families and friends and hobbies and other interests.
There are many different Pagan paths. Paganism is a broad term for a whole group of religions that don’t always have a whole lot in common with each other. (My “What is Paganism” essay goes into this in a lot more detail.) What we do have are some common interests and common approaches.
Many Pagans are glad to talk about what they do and believe – as long as people are thoughtful and respect the fact it’s a personal subject.
Many Pagans are very aware of other religions. In part, that’s because many of us were raised in other religious traditions. Some Pagan groups even require members to learn the basics of other religions to make sure that they wouldn’t rather be in one of those.
Magic doesn’t come with fireworks: As you’ll see in the further descriptions of these pages, a lot of what we call magic is actually a form of psychology and self-development. Even when it isn’t, it’s a lot more about changing our immediate environment than it is sending up fireworks or doing anything flashy.
Some Pagan paths are very structured. Others aren’t. Likewise, some paths have hundreds or thousands of members. Some may be limited to a single small group – or even an individual. The best way to know what an individual Pagan cares about or does is to ask that person.
Pagans are human: And like all humans, some of us have bad days. Some people will be great, amazing people who do wonderful things for the world around them. Some won’t. (And like all religions, we do have the occasional predator or abuser, and a share of people who claim skills and experience they don’t have.) In this site, you’ll find some ways to help you sort out whether someone knows what they’re talking about.
[last edited October 28, 2011]
|
|
Got a question? If you've got a question about learning about Paganism, Wicca, or religious witchcraft that I haven't covered yet, feel free to drop me a note via the contact form.
I'll do my best (time/energy/knowledge allowing) to write up an answer. (And I'll email you a link when it's up.)
|
