The past week has brought to my attention just how many people feel that they can rush through the foundations and basics and still consider themselves competent magicians.
I understand that we live in a world where faster equates to better, but there are some thing that just can’t be rushed or faked and when it comes to magick going fast can create a recipe for disaster, or at least someone who doesn’t have a clue.
Why is there such a rush? When I started you were in pre-initiate for at least a year and you were constantly reading, being questioned, reading more, practicing, being tested, ad nauseum. We never would have imagined telling our instructors that we did a year’s worth of learning in less time, they would have put us to the flames, proverbially speaking. We took pride in being able to last through the entire program (at least half dropped out by the mid-year mark). It taught you patience, something that was important to understand and appreciate as some rituals took days or months, not minutes or hours to complete. It gave you the ability to delve deeply into areas that were of great interest as well as giving you time to grasp concepts that were more difficult. All in all, it gave me the time I needed to find myself as well.
When I became a Daemonolator I had to go through pre-initiate training all over again because I changed traditions, and although my background shared many core concepts of magick, working with Daemons within a tradition was new to me. I never felt like I should have been given a pass because I had already been practicing for 30 years. I learned something new, even from areas that I had thought I had already mastered. This was repeated when I entered seminary. I was a Priestess in my old path but this was a new road and I learned a lot in the 2 years that I was in the program. In truth I think the seminary program was more challenging the second time around and I honestly believe I am a better HP because of this.
When it comes right down to it, you should always be a student even when you are a teacher. This ensures that you don’t become stagnant and jaded, which would be a terrible thing in both your magickal and mundane lived.
So take your time when there are lessons to be learned, you are only shortchanging yourself in the longrun.
Totally agree. I was 2nd Degree Wiccan in a Coven and was working towards my 3rd when I then delved more into my love and family tradition of Folk Magic and walked away. I’m constantly learning and am in no rush to complete assignments. Are some things slightly transferable well yes. But others are new to me, and others I’ve been practicing one way but am now incorporating Steph’s way, which involves relearning and then finding ways to combine everything into a way of worship / ritual that works for me. I feel like the never ending student. It’s not a bad feeling but I admit to study headaches which require lots of cups of tea. I fully expect to use up the entire year and a day and have accepted the notion that there may be assignments that I’ve handed in that will need to be resubmitted after marking. To me this is a life choice and I know the Demonic Divine are supporting me no matter the length of my journey and the bumps that may come.
I’ve been a total newbie for seven years!! I’m only now starting to scratch below the surface.