Path: typhoon.sonic.net!not-for-mail Newsgroups: alt.pagan,alt.religion.wicca,alt.religion.pagan,alt.magick.tyagi,alt.witchcraft,alt.traditional.witchcraft Subject: Finding Good Teachers References: <3e5a61c3@news.victoria.tc.ca> <9f2e8542.0303021111.470389d2@posting.google.com> From: lorax666 Reply-To: spam@luckymojo.com User-Agent: nn/6.6.0 Lines: 53 Message-ID: Date: Mon, 03 Mar 2003 03:46:19 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 208.201.242.18 X-Complaints-To: abuse@sonic.net X-Trace: typhoon.sonic.net 1046663179 208.201.242.18 (Sun, 02 Mar 2003 19:46:19 PST) NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 02 Mar 2003 19:46:19 PST Xref: typhoon.sonic.net alt.pagan:341721 alt.religion.wicca:661845 alt.magick.tyagi:38150 alt.witchcraft:61630 alt.traditional.witchcraft:148859 50030302 VII NULATIX!! c9429854@cc.newcastle.edu.au (Frosita): > ...where does one find a good teacher. start local and private. don't draw attention to yourself, preferrably investigate with a friend. meet prospective instructors over coffee or juice and talk about what you want to learn and what it is that the teacher says they are doing and how they are qualified. tell them that you're interested in checking them out and finding out what their lineage or authority is. without mentioning that person's name, describe their supposed background and how they presented their authority to you in some forum like alt.religion.wicca.moderated or alt.pagan, or whatever, and see if it gets any red flags. determine your next step based on your own interests and those of your friend(s). another route to do this if you have disposable income is to subscribe to Pagan periodicals like Circle Network News and Green Egg (if it's still around) and Sage Woman and others of this type, as well as finding basic texts in FAQs (like bard's!) online before involving yourself with any seriousness of time and energy. consider contact with local CUUPs (Unitarian Pagans) or COG representatives. initially attend public events to get a feel for the level of social interaction you're likely to be involving yourself with if you pursue studies. have a few informal meetings at the dwelling of the teacher (if they are fearful of you, let this be a lesson!). see how they react to thing that *you* share about what you know, how they treat your wisdom, etc. proceed cautiously and don't rush anything. if they treat it like a Rush Offer Limited Time Only, avoid them like the plague. > I learn't today that you can send your soul into the > spirit world by burning a lock of hair, not a common spell I've ever heard. > but I had to figure that out and I don't know how > fictous it is. folk magic groups (witchcraft, hoodoo, etc.) would be good ones for test that one out on. if you can provide sources as to where you get these kinds of bits of information, then that will be helpful to those who answer your inquiries. blessed be! lorax666