Things To Know
Everyone's practice is different. I know that sounds almost painfully trite, but that's the beauty of spirituality, isn't it? That it's a personal journey, always changing and shifting the more you learn, the more you interact with the world.
That said, there are certain skills every aspiring practitioner-- yes, every aspiring practitioner-- needs under their belt. Even if your flavor of occultism is different than mine.
- Skill Number One: Discernment. This is your ability to sift the mundane out from the magical. Every time you are confronted with a problem, your first attempted solution should be a practical one. For example, before you assume that strange sense of dread is the result of a haunting, check your carbon monoxide monitor. Keep your mind open, but do not let skepticism fall by the wayside.
- Skill Number Two: Sourcing. Those reference books you can find in the Spirituality section are fun, but they'll only take you so far. It's much too easy to adopt a practice without knowing where exactly it originates-- and I'm not just talking about cultural appropriation here. Just as an example: I've encountered one too many Wicca practitioners who think that the women victimized by the Salem witch trials were persecuted for being Wiccans, when in reality it's a far more recent religion. Wikipedia is your best friend.
- Skill Number Three: DIY. You don't need to break the bank to gather supplies. A wand can be a stick you found on the ground. An althame can be your trusty pocket knife. A grimoire can be a composition notebook you got for, like, 2 dollars. What matters is not how flashy something is, but the meaning you assign to it.
