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Do you consider yourself: |
Beginner |
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24% |
[ 8 ] |
Intermediate |
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27% |
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Advanced |
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12% |
[ 4 ] |
I don't consider myself anything...I just am! |
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36% |
[ 12 ] |
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Total Votes : 33 |
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MidnightLetter Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 7:17 am
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Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:06 pm
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Sanguina Cruenta Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 10:30 am
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Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 8:30 am
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Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 12:53 pm
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 9:05 am
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 10:01 am
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 10:35 am
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There is no universal scale or ranking system for magic. It's difficult to put quantitative definitions on something that in and of itself is qualitative. I don't think you can measure advancement in years, honestly. I've been practicing magic for almost 2 decades now, and a variety of pagan paths for almost the same amount of time. This does not automatically make me "advanced".
People are not binary. We are not either 'on' or 'off'. It is possible to be many things, simultaneously. In many ways, I am a beginner and an expert: Sometimes I am the Magician, sometimes the High Priestess - other times I am still the Fool.
It may well be someone has an experience or a set of experiences early on that moves them well past a novice's level in a short amount of time. It may also be that someone who has practiced for years may be so comfortable with the entry-level magic they perform that they never choose to move forward from that point. Time is not always a factor in experience.
Adding to this is the idea that we can learn everything from a book. Many of the post important lessons for magic are found in simply experiencing life, in trying new things, in observing life in action - and in learning from our mistakes.
People get stuck at "intermediate", I think, because they are unwilling to be "unsafe" - something entry-level texts and teachings on magic constantly emphasize. While I agree that one needs to practice and get a solid foundation of skills to begin working magic on, I also disagree, in that the constant repetition of "OMG magic is teh dangar" has added an unnescessary level of fear to the proceedings. One should respect the forces they work with - but fearing it will only make the learning curve sharper.
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 2:10 pm
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 4:36 pm
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Sanguina Cruenta Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 5:03 pm
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Sanguina Cruenta Sam Oaken Willow 17 I've been practicing for 4 or 5 years and I consider myself intermediate. It's so hard to find books for my level, I am about to go crazy!!! There are barely any books for Beginners witchcraft, if we're honest. Because it goes off on stuff about "sabbats" and "gods" and never actually tells you anything about witchcraft. Pet peeve. wink Agreed. I've never actually found anything useful when it comes to books and witchcraft. Even the "spell books" are useless since they're just a bunch of fluff and rarely anything useful.
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 5:34 pm
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oOGarrettOo Sanguina Cruenta Sam Oaken Willow 17 I've been practicing for 4 or 5 years and I consider myself intermediate. It's so hard to find books for my level, I am about to go crazy!!! There are barely any books for Beginners witchcraft, if we're honest. Because it goes off on stuff about "sabbats" and "gods" and never actually tells you anything about witchcraft. Pet peeve. wink Agreed. I've never actually found anything useful when it comes to books and witchcraft. Even the "spell books" are useless since they're just a bunch of fluff and rarely anything useful.
Adding to that are the authors who use the term "witch" or "witchcraft", when they really mean 'neo-pagan' or 'neo-pagan religion'...Laurie Cabot comes to mind. Her books are nominally about witchcraft, but when you get into them they're all holidays and deities and rituals, as Sanguina said.
Cabot really gets my goat because she has actually said (on film, no less) that 'Wicca' is a colloquial term used by people who are AFRAID to use the term Witchcraft.
I really have no use for people who purposely muddy the waters.
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Sanguina Cruenta Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 10:26 pm
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Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2010 12:45 am
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Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2010 1:11 am
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