Someone on one of the Arrdhu threads asked:

How do you get to be a witch...

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My answer is :-

What do you want to do as a witch? Do you want to be a religious witch, with a relationship with your deities and ancestors, the land and the rivers et al?

Do you want to be a craft witch, with knowledge of herbs and minerals, potions and lotions?

Do you want to add magical working with knowledge of dowsing, divination, manipulation...?

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There is no shortcut to learning the ways of the land and the rivers - find a good map, walk and listen, look and love. Find a person with the local knowledge of your chosen place, talk with them, walk with them, tend gardens with gardeners, make yourself a person the birds trust. Treat the world as your altar, and offer yourself upon it with nothing held back. And there you will find your gods, your ancestors, both inspirational and through blood, your relationship with the wights of the land and the sea and the sky.

Herb knowledge is in books and courses. You don't need to find a witch to teach you, though a good herbalism course does no harm. Plant a garden, or tend that of someone you love and respect, and grow the basics, mail order for anything else.

Divination is an art easier learnt from a teacher, maybe, but there are, again, books and courses. Ask on here, maybe you will find a teacher or fellow learner in your area, a person with whom you can throw ideas out and have good discussions.

And magic? Magic comes, my friend. Whether you sing your spells, or shout them into the earth, carve them onto the stone or wood of your findings, mix them into your herbal baths, it doesn't matter. Some techniques have to be taught, for safety, yes. Trance is better practised in company, with a like-minded and experienced mentor, or at the very least, with a person who can wake you gently, give you salt and water, and write down the things you say either during or after the experience.

All the techniques that have ever existed are probably dealt with in some book, course or website... BUT talk with others before you start on something, discuss it with people, here or elsewhere, let people help out with their own caveats, their own hints and horror stories.

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This site is big, with a huge number of members. Somewhere there are (possibly non-posting, but out there all the same) people who are skilled in whatever it is you need.

Ask.

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Jez

Agree.

I think as well, and you've touched on it, is "observe".

Paying attention to the natural world and to people (yes, I know, part of the natural world but worth pointing out!). I think witchcraft is as much to do with intense observation, paying attention to the things that other people discount or don't think to look at plays a big part too. "Headology" in other words.

I tend to agree!

That's great, Jezreell, really nicely broken down.

Personally, I find that often the plethora of options/choices/paths can be overwhelming.
Focus, I've found, is important.

And also one thing at a time. (!)

Pomona,
"observation" - absolutely couldn't agree more!
I would say it is skill number one.

Being a newcomer to this forums business, I am intrigued. Of course, observe. Not only with eyes, but with all of your senses. This implies the need for stillness. And caution. Fools rush often in where angels fear etc. We sometimes try too hard, protest too loud. Which is a pity. Often the simplest things work best. It seems to me that an awful lot of (no doubt sincere) people appear focused on trying to put the corners back on the wheel, so to speak.

I am sure the word will come to those who are meant to hear it. If they but listen.
That said, I will follow this thread with interest. So far, I'm impressed with the wide variety of forums, and their contributors. Which is nice.

Oh, I agree, absolutely.

For me, observation has always been watching quietly while hidden or unseen. I remember reading about a successful fairground clairvoyant, and she used to say that part of her success was that she could read people when they come in - her favourite example was when someone came into her tent for a reading, heavily made up, skirt up to "here", neckline down to "here" and "attitude" - she didn't need any skills to tell her that she was popular with the men and she'd have to watch out or there'd be a bairn on the way...

Of course I assume she was talking about the ladies...

[quote=Tilia,Oct 25 2006, 08:37 PM]

Focus, I've found, is important.

Agreed

Focus and a clear intent. If you are in two minds about what you want to achieve then the magic will go two ways. You wont get the effect you want.

Pomoma- I do agree. My Grandma used to quote " It is not the one who owns the most who gives the most away & it is not the one who knows the most who has the most to say". By observing people I have found this to be generally -( not always I hasten to add )- true.

Blessings

Serenade

Observation is magical in it's own right... the wonder and suprise that most individuals will display when a person is described, down to their eye colour.... something I find a little sad myself, afterall, we all tend to look at a person in the eyes... is it really such a hard thing to notice a person's eye colour?

Excellent point about observation Pomana.

I've often wondered, just how much divination is reading minute clues about the querent, be it on a conscious or unconscious level. I think that a witch with her salt lick, is prolly very adept a reading between the lines, the subtext is usually far more formative than the face value text.

Q

Thank you for the advice Jez.

It really helped

becca
x

Jez, thank you so much for the advice, it has really helped me clarify things in ,my own mind. I had hoped I was on the right track, but as Im on my own, I wasnt sure. But after reading all you have said, i know I am getting there.

Tree xx

I have learned a lot from these posts, especially concerning where I stand on a personal level. Thanks, everyone, for a very informative discussion.

Johanna