Playing witch?

[Carla]

I'm not sure how to word what I want to ask here, but how do you know whether you're playing witch or practising witchcraft? For example, YouTube is full videos of kids showing off their Book of Shadows, and you think, oh how cute. But actually, when you take away a lot of the prescribed content (book blessings and so on), my own books and journals are a lot like theirs, with fewer butterfly stickers ha ha. This makes me think, well...what am I doing here? Does this mean anything? I read loads of books, I burn lots of candles, I have boxes full of trinkets, and of course tarot cards. How do I know what I'm doing is real, and not some phase I'm going through? I find so much I don't buy into, can't believe, don't want to believe...and other stuff that resonates so strongly with me it's like a big fat A-HA.

I'm to the point now where I'm not even sure what all this that I'm taking in and that I'm doing is creating in me. Am I growing? Or am I accumulating stuff and whiling away some idle hours with books? Is this real? Or is it just a 'thing'?

You know what I mean?

 

[Chronata]

I think it all comes down to intent...
Do you feel like you are just playing...or are you serious about your rituals and desires?

Remember that you can be serious about your craft, but still keep a sense of humor about it as well.
And even if this is just a phase for you, phases are an important step on finding our authentic path.

My thought is, don't worry so much about trying to define it.
If it works for you, then it works for you.

If it's not working, then think of this as a step in the right direction to discovering what does and does not work for you.

 

[ncharge]

I think it is definitely based on your desire to learn more and to perfect your skills. If you feel like you are challenging yourself in the Craft and you strive to learn more, you are definitely a real witch.

 

[Milfoil]

I'm not sure how to word what I want to ask here, but how do you know whether you're playing witch or practising witchcraft? For example, YouTube is full videos of kids showing off their Book of Shadows, and you think, oh how cute. But actually, when you take away a lot of the prescribed content (book blessings and so on), my own books and journals are a lot like theirs, with fewer butterfly stickers ha ha. This makes me think, well...what am I doing here? Does this mean anything? I read loads of books, I burn lots of candles, I have boxes full of trinkets, and of course tarot cards. How do I know what I'm doing is real, and not some phase I'm going through? I find so much I don't buy into, can't believe, don't want to believe...and other stuff that resonates so strongly with me it's like a big fat A-HA.

I'm to the point now where I'm not even sure what all this that I'm taking in and that I'm doing is creating in me. Am I growing? Or am I accumulating stuff and whiling away some idle hours with books? Is this real? Or is it just a 'thing'?

You know what I mean?

I asked something similar several moons ago and a wonderful friend helped me to think about this in a similar way to many other life experiences.

When we go to primary school (1st grade) we are mostly playing and learning while we play. Lots of stimulation, games, fun things and activity. It doesn't mean that the learning is not in earnest but simply that it's the best way for young people to learn. It's the way our brain works.

Then we move up to senior school and here we learn more academic things but mixed in with learning about relationships, we form clubs, want to mix with others and need to be accepted. Again, it isn't that high school is playing at learning but the foundations, basics or boring stuff has to be stuffed in there somehow.

Most leave it here, a few do a higher education course related to a specific area or through work but for the most part everyone knows the basics and it forms the foundation of our society (we all know pretty much the same stuff so we can relate to oneanother).

A few go on to University and even fewer to Masters or PhD level. At this point they have moved on beyond the norm, stretching themselves in new and deeper directions. What they did to get there isn't playing at it but was very necessary.

What I'm trying to say is that all the steps along the way are necessary. One can't be baptised into the Catholic church and be a cardinal the day after, it takes time and when young teenagers are enjoying showing us their rituals and spell books, its where they need to be right now. Whether they will progress any further is up to them. Some will, some won't.

Your path is valid for as long as it continues to support you. When you come to a crossroads and know deep down that the choice ahead does not include witchcraft, then a new path must be chosen. I am pretty sure that you no longer play with the Fisher Price toys you had as a kid and so somewhere along the line you may find that you don't need all the paraphernalia but the authenticity of your path will have transcended what you are doing now. Sounds like you have already reached that crossroads.

 

[greatdane]

Made sense to me, Milfoil

I think your post was most well-put and succinct.

I re-evaluate from time to time whatever path I'm on. Sometimes adapting, adding or subtracting. I feel what works and what doesn't for me no matter what type of philosophy or mindset. Like you said, people and things can change, which I think is a good thing, otherwise, how do we progress? Some will just take whatever path they're on and continue to study and improve, some may add other ideas, some may discard. It's all so subjective.

 

[Anna]

It sounds to me as though you've reached the point where you are beginning to see through those things which are illusions. You will find even more stuff you can't believe in.... perhaps even stuff which you've believed very firmly in the past. It's all part of what happens when Witch awakens within us.

I remember feeling as you do.

 

[Le Fanu]

My attitude is that we never know where our journey is going to take us and that - anyway - it's the journey, not the arrival, that matters. But we learn something on the way - but on the overall scale of things, nothing whatsoever matters. I truly believe this. Nothing at all. But we blunder on, learning, forgetting, deluding ourselves, feeling enriched, feeling that we know better who we really are and then having everything shattered all over again.

Nothing matters but small discoveries along the way are a small pleasure.

 

[Mi-Shell]

Carla,
That is, how experiential and experimental learning works.

The fact, that you also have doubts shows, that you are also seriously reflecting, which is crucial.

 

[DownwardSpiral]

I think it all comes down to intent...
Do you feel like you are just playing...or are you serious about your rituals and desires?

This was the first thing that came to my mind. How serious are you about what your doing? Is this an occasional thing or is this part of your everyday routine?

 

[vee]

My big lately is just to do things without requiring certainty of them. For example, do I think that I'm actually seeing truth when I read Tarot cards? Who knows, who cares. I like reading them, it rings true to me, it gives me meaning. This is who I am right now.

It's not that I don't reflect on what the religious rituals I do mean to me, it's just that ultimately, I do them because I do them, you know? Doubt is uncomfortable sometimes, but certainty is just stagnancy.

I think everything we are going through is "just a phase" because if it's not, it means we stop growing! I used to be embarrassed when I looked back and saw the things that I used to believe or do, but now I just embrace them as neccesary steps on the path to becoming me now--which is just another step on the path to whoever I'm going to be in the future. This is where the rejection of certainty is useful. If you don't require that what you believe now to be 100% right for you always, you're more willing to let yourself change and you can direct that change in a more positive way.