Sacred Mists: The Real Deal or a Buncha Snake Oil?

[[Poetic Death]]

I've been thinking of enrolling in this online college that is apparantly very good, but I'm not sure if it's the real deal or if it's just a scam. The link is:
http://workingwitches.com/
Tell me what you think of it. I'd like some other opinions on this before I take the plunge and enroll.

 

[Lady Detarra]

Personally I wouldn't do it just for the fact that you have to pay for it. As far as if its good or not, I couldn't really tell. If you can contact people who have joined I would ask them how they feel about it and if it is worth the money. Hope that helps sweatdrop  

[Jezehbelle]

It seems okay, for being online, but I personally feel that certain things would be better taught in person, such as herbology. Things like that (handling and usage) need supervision from an experienced teacher, not just a lecture.. D:

Some red flags, not necessarily saying it's a scam, but reasons I wouldn't enroll:

- I can't find any information about the instructors: Any of their teaching credentials or otherwise. And I've never really heard anyone refered to as a "Arch Priestess and High Elder". o_O;; Off site, I found this as far as instructors go:

Quote:

Now a Certified Tarot Consultant with over 25 years experience, a Ph.D. in Psychology, Tom enjoys providing occasional readings in addition to writing. Tom is currently involved in designing a Tarot Certification course for the College of the Sacred Mists.

However, that's all the information I can find about this specific instructor.

- A high point or lure of being an ordained High Priest or Priestess. That's cool, I suppose, if you'd like to be an ordained High Priest or Priestess of the Sacred Mists tradition. o_O;

It might be an okay start point, or even beyond a start point, but I hope you could continue your education with an established coven with real teachers. There really is only so much you can get from books or the internet, but a real, GOOD teacher (or several good teachers) would be priceless. You might even stab in the dark and see if there's anything semi-local to you. I live in Bible belt land, and there's a Wiccan college and a plethora of established covens with good to great teachers from 30 minutes to three hours away from me. (The college is both online and with an actual campus where you can touch stuff)

I would do some personal investigating on the matter. Email them and see if you can take a sample course (or something similar, just more details into a simple, first degree class, for example), to see if it's right for you. If they demand a fee first, I'd be wary, but if they don't and they gladly let you see a sample class, then it might not be so bad. o_O;

They have an MSN group for people who aren't currently taking the courses, it seems:
http://groups.msn.com/browse.msnw?catid=272&sortby=2&alphastart=S
You might try joining one of those groups and emailing members privately to get an idea of how they like it and if it's right for you.

I don't know if that helped, but I tried. sweatdrop I would still continue to dig though.  

[iolitefire]

You should also keep in mind that a title doesn't always mean knowledge or wisdom. I've met several "high priestesses/priests" who were internet certified and not very well versed in their field.
I think that if you want to take the ordained route you should do it through real people and not via the internet, that way you can personally see how valid your instructors are. Having a teacher who knows next to nothing about their field of instruction is a bad, bad thing.  

[Tianta]

Havent read any responses but wanted to let you know these guys are AWESOME and extremely helpful! I've already enrolled at the beginning of this month and it's great....Very cheaply priced for the degree courses, and am looking at saving for the more specific courses. The community is amazing and so friendly too. It's an msn group you join after enrollement and everyone os super friendly and talks about some amazing stuff. They're having a seminar later this month with a couple of pretty famous Wiccan authors as well.
I took some time looking over the site before enrolling and I believe it's a great place...It's all up to you though of course....If you want to ask me anything PM me...  

[StrawberryGumiho]

Nope. Money scam.

1. The Ardanes of Wicca forbid charging a fee for training and initiation.

2. You cant be trained and initiated online, nor can you earn the Wiccan degrees online. Wiccan training is done in person with a lineaged teacher or coven.

3. Where is their lineage? They dont have any. Why? Because its an ecclectic Tradition. Meaning what? There is no such thing as ordination, initiation and degrees to Wicca based ecclectic. They arent teaching you Wicca, they are teaching you their made up version of Wicca. Why pay for that?

They arent making you Wiccan, they arent teaching Wicca. They're taking your money for information you can get online for free everywhere.

You want to really be trained and initiated? Be patient and find a coven or lineaged teacher. You wont get it over the internet.  

[iolitefire]

Shimegamis_Rage

Nope. Money scam.

1. The Ardanes of Wicca forbid charging a fee for training and initiation.

2. You cant be trained and initiated online, nor can you earn the Wiccan degrees online. Wiccan training is done in person with a lineaged teacher or coven.

3. Where is their lineage? They dont have any. Why? Because its an ecclectic Tradition. Meaning what? There is no such thing as ordination, initiation and degrees to Wicca based ecclectic. They arent teaching you Wicca, they are teaching you their made up version of Wicca. Why pay for that?

They arent making you Wiccan, they arent teaching Wicca. They're taking your money for information you can get online for free everywhere.

You want to really be trained and initiated? Be patient and find a coven or lineaged teacher. You wont get it over the internet.

Good point, I didn't think of them teaching ecclectic Wicca which they are doing. I have a problem in any case for people charging you for religious learning. Learning about a religion shouldn't cost money, especially since you can get the information elsewhere...probably at the same place where the "teachers" learned. Now, a trade of information or donation isn't unreasonable, but flat out charging is kinda poopy.
In another guild we were talking about what real Wicca is and I find it interesting that a lot of people call themselves Wiccan, yet they don't really heed some of Wicca's principles or gods. Wiccans tend to only worship two gods, the Lord and Lady. When you start adding other gods in it gets really muddy.
I was talking to one guy who said that he worshipped Hekate yet said he was Wiccan. Thing is, most gods don't follow the Wiccan rede which stresses pacisfism and non-violence. Many gods (especially the Greek ones) are violent, sometimes vengeful beings.
I think that what "Wicca" is has kind of spiraled out of control. Most of its not really Wicca, its just eccletic paganism (which isn't bad, thats what I am). Anyway, there's my piece....btw Rage, I love the Anti-Fluff Mafia badge. Its awesome!  

[Jezehbelle]

Most people I know take the Laws as guidelines, not exactilly as laws that will send them to the Christian hell (even a few of the lineage Wiccans I know). -shrugg- If any Wiccan said their real name to someone on a pagan/wiccan forum, or where they're from, they would be breaking the Old Laws.

Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with having a reasonable price on goods and services. Teaching materials cost money and most Wiccans and Pagans have this problem with donating money to a coven or to a teacher. sweatdrop Things cost money. Site upkeep, getting good teachers to write things up and out and indepth do cost, at least in this case -- real teachers, unless everyone brings their own or chips in or does it in someone's home, the teacher pays for everything -- good teachers just stop teaching because they eventually can't afford it for certain classes. sweatdrop  

[StrawberryGumiho]

Jezehbelle

Most people I know take the Laws as guidelines, not exactilly as laws that will send them to the Christian hell (even a few of the lineage Wiccans I know). -shrugg- If any Wiccan said their real name to someone on a pagan/wiccan forum, or where they're from, they would be breaking the Old Laws.

Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with having a reasonable price on goods and services. Teaching materials cost money and most Wiccans and Pagans have this problem with donating money to a coven or to a teacher. sweatdrop Things cost money. Site upkeep, getting good teachers to write things up and out and indepth do cost, at least in this case -- real teachers, unless everyone brings their own or chips in or does it in someone's home, the teacher pays for everything -- good teachers just stop teaching because they eventually can't afford it for certain classes. sweatdrop

Having them pay for supplies is reasonable. Making small donations is reasonable. But their prices, $20 a month plus a $25 registration fee... Is NOT reasonable ESPECIALLY since its not actually Wicca they are teaching.

And I have NEVER met any lineaged teachers or covens that charge for training and initiation. Hence the Trad Wicca doesnt cost money banner campaign being used to inform and warn people of individuals claiming to teach Wicca, train and initiate for a price.

And it still stands that you cant be initiated and trained over the internet.  

[Jezehbelle]

The last time I heard someone bring up the Old Law's "money's = nono" was this woman freaking out because another woman was signing up to take a class at a store was donating $10 to help pay for supplies. sweatdrop It seems like everytime I hear someone bring it up, or a fee or donations or anything, someone says (or screams) how horrible the teacher or whathaveyou is.

x _x; Meant no offense, I felt I should bring up that things do cost money and sometimes, fees come up.

I do agree (as I said earlier), that she (and anyone wanting to be initiated or taught Wicca), should go to a real, hands on place. I know not everyone can go to WitchCamp or knows where to find a teacher nearby, or even know where to find a coven of the same tradition, but it's still important. Sure you can ask questions online, but there really is something to being in person that you can't get online...

(And, I just thought about it, but it's weird that they would have multiple MSN groups if they have a website... An online forum specific to the website would've made it more... uhmm better.. >> )  

[Neko_Bast]

of topic..... I don't really think the "old laws" are all that relevent when Gardner broke them everytime he wanted publilsity......


As for the corse, $45 is a bit much for none personal training that you don't even kown is real. Atlest face to face you can see how people react to questions and how they give the ansers. Persoaly I don't think you should be charged for training, only the supplies you might use, or if there is a book for the corse, the price of the book. (I once wanted to take a classe that required a book I already owned. I didn't end up taking it because they lady was still going to charge me for a book I wan't going to buy.)