| Dealing With Newcomers To The Craft This section is for those of you who are experienced in magick and witchcraft and is a reminder that we who have been involved for a while are the custodians of witchcraft. As such, it is our duty to make sure that those who are serious about learning are given a starting point and correct information, and to weed out those who are only doing it because it is "cool" or the latest thing (I could go on for hours here about the movie "The Craft" and the number of clueless wannabes who don't understand the seriousness of magick as a result, but I won't). To this end, if you are approached by someone who wants to know about different aspects of witchcraft, please, be polite, and don't criticise the person who asks a seemingly "dumb" question (remember, the only "dumb" question is the unasked one). After all, they are relying on you for the right information, and how are they going to find out if they don't ask? OK I know some newbies get very infuriating when they keep going over the same stuff or asking you repeatedly "so how do I do the stuff like in "The Craft"?" but those are the ones you weed out and gently deflect elsewhere...if they are truly meant to be a witch, they will find the information they need when they are ready for it : So whatever the newcomer's path, just remember, we all started somewhere, and it is much better for someone starting out to encounter helpful, smiling faces than grumpy people who can't be bothered giving them the time of day. With regard to giving out spells to newcomers, I have already outlined in a previous section why I won't do this...another consideration is, if they use the spell you gave them, what are the ramifications for YOU? Yes...if you hand out the spell that the newbie asks for to zap someone, YOU will cop some of the karmic kickback from the newbie's working, because YOU were the instrument for the newbie to get the spell in the first place. I believe that if someone is really serious about finding a spell, they will look for it elsewhere...if they are going to do it, I can't stop them, but at least I can minimise the fallout in my direction if I don't give them the rope to hang themselves so to speak. Newbies and Wannabes The correct word for these people is/are "cowans" These are the people who annoy me the most when they pester me for spells (love spells and revenge spells are the most common ones I am asked for), and they are also the reason I will not give spells out Magick in the hands of an inexperienced person with little or no clue about magickal ethics and repercussions is a VERY dangerous thing. I personally studied magick for years before I even attempted my first working, as I did not feel that I had a deep enough grasp of the ethics of magick and the responsibility of working it to attempt it. People who have never studied magick and are not likely to REALLY annoy me when they ask for spells - they usually have no idea what they are actually planning to do when they ask me for a spell to make Mr X fall madly in love with them, or to get Johnny back for winning a place in the school band instead of them...all they can see is the immediate gratification of "fixing" their problem, when in fact they are actually going to create MORE problems by working the magick without knowing what they are actually doing...yes, okay, maybe they WILL make Mr X fall head over heels for them or maybe Johnny will break his arm and they will get to replace him in the school band, but what about the long-term consequences? Karmically speaking, they are playing with fire - who is to say what the long term effects of their magickal attempts will be? A better way to deal with the problem would be to forget about Mr X and try working some magick to bring the right person into their life (soulmate or whatever you like to call it) as this will ensure that nothing is done against the will of another and that the outcome is what is best for all; in the case of little Johnny and the school band, I would suggest that the person would try doing a little self-love type working and maybe something to help them deal with their resentment and all the negative feelings they have toward Johnny: I mean, maybe the reason Johnny was selected in the band is simply because he is a better musician? ;) |