98 lines
6.4 KiB
Plaintext
98 lines
6.4 KiB
Plaintext
Lessons The Books Haven't Spoken Of
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By Joseph Teller
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Before I begin, for those who don't really know me well, I wish to
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preface this short piece by explaining that I am NOT a teacher, as many
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like to claim of themselves. I am a student who likes to share what is
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learned. The world has too many 'authorities' who are such purely for
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reasons of perceived power or financial gain within the craft - I have no
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wish for such falsities to rule and destroy me as it ultimately does those
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who fall pray to its lure.
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The following are lessons learned in circle or outside it from my own
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personal experience and those shared with me by others I have been close
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to, plain and simple. Take them as such and value them as you wish. They
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are not numbered to show importance, only to organize my thoughts in some
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format.
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1) Within A Circle Trust is an absolute Necessity. If you attend a
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ritual be SURE you trust those involved. Many feel this, in todays
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society to be archaic. It has always proved out when I have tried
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to work with unknown people, those I was unsure of or who were in
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some way unsure of me, failure, disaster or heated debate resulting
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in dissent has always been the end point. Know a person before you
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are willing to enter sacred space with them.
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2) Never spellcast too soon. Magic should not be a first resort. The
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use of non-magical means should be applied when possible and
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convient. Overuse of magic, like anything else, becomes a crutch
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that can unbalance your life.
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3) Prophecy is a two-edged sword. Remember this, wether you read Tarot,
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I-Ching, Runes or whatever other means of divination or personal
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analysis. Be prepared to have the reading to go in directions you
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do not expect and be prepared for them NOT to be in a way you will
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like. Remember the Lesson of Cassandra (in Greek Mythology) that
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sometimes you can change the future and sometimes you cannot, and
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only time will tell which is which. If you cannot deal with the
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possibility of your personal wants or expectations being wrong, then
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you should not be consulting a means of divination. I have seen even
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long-time craft-folk who forget this lesson in the heat of emotion.
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4) There is not a magical answer behind everything. I have known some
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folks who became so obsessed in their personal paranoia of some
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form of 'magical attack' or 'magical influence' that such became
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their excuse for everything that occured around them, even when very
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simple non-magical answers existed to explain what had occured. The
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number of magical practitioners at present is VERY small, and most
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have a range of influence that doesn't extend far on their own. The
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gathering of hateful or vindictive emotional energy to achieve a
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magical attack on another is not done easily or quickly, and tends
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to harm the attacker more often then the target. Look with logic on
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a situation.
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5) Diversify. Don't depend on or look into only a single philosophy or
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magical application - a specialist is usually someone who is refusing
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to grow beyond boundries they have set for themselves.
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6) A single Teacher Is NOT enough. You will spend a lifetime as a real
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student, even if others one day declare you a teacher, leader or
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High Priestess. Gather from many to find what your lifepath is. Do
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not let anyone tell you there is ONLY one true belief system, one
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true Divinity, one way to approach a situation or one teacher to
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follow.
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7) In the End you ARE Solitary. All Magickal workers are eventually
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forced to depend upon their own company, seperated from the many
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communities and groups by distance, time or belief. You will probably
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spend more time solitary then in a group. Be prepared to face this
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when it happens. The Pagan Community is too small to be everywhere
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for everyone or to even always help its own (though trying to do so
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is a goal I feel vital to expand the community). You must become
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sufficiently balanced and grounded to deal with being alone and to
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practice your beliefs alone, especially in times of hardship and
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adversity.
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8) Don't be too fast to assume the role of a teacher, or to assume that
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a student cannot teach you something in return. Can you really
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explain what you believe and do within your belief coherantly? Does
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the person to be taught really want to learn it all and are they
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sincere, or are they mearly curious or on a 'power trip'? Learning
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to know when someone is ready to learn is one of the hardest lessons
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you must learn if you purposely teach. Don't give a hand gernade to
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a three year old and expect positive results.
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9) Not all paths and philosophies are desireable. There are many that
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are self-destructive, purely self-indulgent or a combination of both.
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If a path cannot teach you some form of inner peace with yourself
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and what you are doing in life, or is devoted to manipulating others
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to achieve your personal benefits, then it is a 'dead-end path', one
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that is a cul-de-sac on the path of growth.
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10) Don't do what feels uncomfortable. If performing a ritual, using a
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magic form, reciting a chant/prayer or performing an activity feels
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personally painful, uncomfortable or 'wrong' then it is not for you
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to be involved with it at that time. Listen to the inner voice of
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your spirit and follow its lead. Intuition is a powerful gift, don't
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waste it by always opposing it.
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11) You will have to take chances. Magic doesn't work on its own, and
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positive karma won't help you if you fight it when it seeks to
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restore balance around you. It is not enough to cast a prosperity
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spell and then sit home and wait for a letter in the mail from Ed
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MacMahn with a check in it! You must take non-magical action to help
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things along. Cast a spell for a new job? Sure, but then don't turn
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down a chance to read job listings, mail resumes or attend an
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interview! Working to heal a sick spouse? ok, but make sure they
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are getting medical advice, enough to eat, attention, care, therapy,
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etc. to help the magic on its way!
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