I’m working on a project (which you will soon hear about),so I’ve been doing some research to see what’s available about Wicca and Witchcraft, on the Internet. Back when I started, there was no Internet. We did have BBS’s, and Pagan networks, but that’s all ancient history at this point.
The Internet has opened up the ability for anyone to publish information about any subject, including Witchcraft. That’s a good thing, since it allows me to publish my thoughts to those who are interested. The problem is, anyone, including those who don’t really have an understanding of what they are publishing, can also do the same.
As part of my research, I just watched a video by someone claiming to have been practicing for ten years. I won’t say who, since I don’t know her, but right up front, she glommed the Wiccan Rede, and the Three-fold Law together, and claimed they were one thing, the Wiccan Rede.
They are not. The Rede states “’An it harm none, do what thou wilt.” And the Three-fold Law states that any energy you put out to the Universe will return three-fold to you. These are separate and distinct concepts. They are often used together as a basic form of ethical code, but they are not the same thing.
This brings me to the point of my blog this week.
While the Internet makes finding information extremely easy, because of all the less than accurate information out there, it makes finding the facts harder. When I started, there were literally a handful of books on the subject, so they tended to have accurate information. Anyone today, can put up a web page, or a video.
In your search for accurate information on Wicca/Witchcraft,it is up to you, to determine the validity of the information you find. There are now thousands of resources out on the Internet for Wicca. Which can youbelieve?
I could say, “Believe only these resources”, but there are so many available, that I can’t know them all. If I start listing reputable resources, I’m sure to miss many. So it’s up to you, to decide the validity of what you find on the Internet. That’s really hard, when you’re first starting out. You simply don’t know, what you don’t know.
That is one of the reasons I started Witchcraft Academy. I wanted to put out valid, accurate information, that I have tested and worked with for years. I know it’s good information, because I’ve used it. The problem is, I can’t be all things, to all people, and even if I could, it takes time for me to write blogs, and produce videos. Not to mention the time it takes to create and produce a course.
Since I can’t give you everything you want and need right now, that means you are going to have to search for it in other places. How do you tell the valid information from the inaccurate? Unfortunately, the biggest part of that answer, is experience. There is no shortcut for gaining experience. It simply takes time.
With experience, you learn what works, and what is bullshit.With experience, you can very quickly determine good material from bad. You can tell within seconds, usually, if a video is worth watching, or just someone blowing smoke.
What do you do before you gain experience?
The noise floor is extremely high. There is far more useless noise on the internet, than actual, useful information. How do you tell the difference? Well, you may remember Yoda telling Luke, and his father, to “search your feelings”. That’s good advice. When you read something about Wicca, how does the information feel? When you watch a video on Wicca, does the person come across as knowledgeable?
You can tell a lot about the information you get, by how it feels to you. Does it make sense? Does something resonate deep within you? The most confusing part is when you are first starting out, and everyone tells you different ways to do the same thing. Which is right?
Search your feelings. Which way makes the most sense to you?Try it, and see if it works. Whether it works or not, you have learned something valuable. You’ve either learned how to do something, or you’ve learned how not to do something. My last post was on failure. When you are first starting out, you are going to fail, a lot. It’s part of the process. Don’t be afraid of failure.
Learning what works for you, is part of Doing The Work. It’s the first step along your Path. You are going to read a lot of crap, and watch people without a clue, try to explain concepts they simply don’t understand. If you’re lucky, you will find a few resources that you can trust. Once you have those, you will have a way to compare accurate, valuable information from the overabundance of fluff.
It has always been my intent to become one of those few resources that you can trust. I do my best to make sure that everything I put out, is of the highest quality, and is immediately usable by you. Building up a repository of valuable information takes time, whether it’s you trying to learn, or me trying to teach.
It takes time.
Wicca/Witchcraft is not something you learn in a day, or a week, or even a year. The serious student will spend the rest of their life learning. Of course, that’s true of anything worth pursuing. If it will change your life for the better, you will be learning new ways to use it, the rest of your life. Don’t be in a hurry to become a “Master” Witch. It doesn’t happen that way. Becoming a Master at anything takes time and dedication.
You have the rest of your life to master Wicca. The fact that you want to, speaks volumes about the person you already are. This is not the Path for everyone. It is the hard road, the Path less traveled. Those who walk it to its destination, are special individuals. Learning how to tell good information from bad, is simply the first test along the Path.
Let me know what you think. Is the information I’m providing valuable? Are you unsure about a resource, and want some guidance?
Let me know in the comments below.
