Advanced Practitioners

I took Marcassa's advice and took this out of the forums, to email. Through that I ended up talking to her personally, and I must say she is indeed an amazingly talented woman. I think any or all that get a chance to speak with her, Rilke or even Brysing on a personal level in a civilized manner should jump at the chance.

Those who pass on it, it is their loss not the community's. I'm glad to see Marcassa here, as it is some of what this site desperately needs in order to remain a respected site, instead of being known solely as a meeting place of chaos and disorder.

I think this post is LOOOOOOng overdue. Most of us who have been on this site realize the major reason for the existence of this site is $$$$$ MONEY. People get all excited about magic and want Wands, and spells, and staffs, and whatever they think will allow them to be Magical. And... ya know... I have no problem with that. I know that there are moderators that are working for this site as a job, we all have to make money to live. But...most of the people who come on this site do so because they have questions, issues, want to share info, etc. They are not thinking about money. Because this site allows any age, we are swamped by the young, with all their ideas formed by Harry Potter, Twilight, and all kinds of ideas. That is what makes this site interesting, and frustrating to people who are older, and have some expierence. I found it interestig how touchy some people were, and are about age, and what they considered expierence. There are people on this site who have great gifts to teach, yes, they are older, in the world of modern Wicca, they are called Elders. Don't slam them because they are Elders, and I may add don't take what they say as gospel, ( that is what got the christians in trouble) but give them respect, and listen to what they are saying, weigh it, and give consideration. I am glad to see many Elders coming back to this site, they may not add to the Money aspect of this site, but they will add to the intelligence, common sense, and what I call, institutional knowledge. Thank the Gods they did not give up!!!

Dear Marcassa,

As you may know, I'm fond of your writing and know a bit of your background, so I will open up just a tad and jump in here. I'm well out of my 20's and have practiced, among other things, traditional Wicca alone and in groups.

Yes, I have had lapses in faith and, yes, I've dealt with the issues you mentioned. I sincerely hope that you can find and connect with a few of us here that aren't all hollywood & fluff.

Other than that, what Draggy had to say is far better than I could ever put it.

Welcome, by the way, and I hope you stick around.

My problem is that there are so many different "paths". I don't even know most of the practises of Wicca; although I have read much of Gardner,Sanders, and Valiente, I was trained long before Gardner really formed Wicca. Wicca didn't really become widely spread until the 1960s/70s. My training began in the 1940s! Although my practise is somewhat like Gardner and Sanders, there is a lot less "ritual" in my practise. Also, of course, when I first came into witchcraft it was very secret, most of it against the law! (Skyclad was "indecent exposure" ) So, yes, I am old; and I may be able to give some advice on my "living" experience; but very little on modern witchcraft.

We all have experienced a loss of faith at some point. Those who claim they never have will soon enough. The trick is to getting back into the swing of things so that faith has a chance to grow once more. I find that when it does return it is an experience that was necessary for one to experience. Daily devotions are one of the most effective tools to getting back the faith that you will realize you never lost but just misplaced for an amount of time. Meditation as well will help to clam the mind and body as it reconnects them and to the universal energies.

Casting magic for me is not the fun and games that most like to claim they are doing on the site. I take my magic very seriously and I don't just cast for the heck of it. Protection is one of the main aspects everyone should be practicing. You can never have to much unless what you are casting is drawing more attention to you than you need. Daily magical casting for me are very simple works of energy but are very important in maintaining the health of my home. Not only the health of my family but the state that there surroundings are in. As I cook I "stir in my love" as my great grandmother would say. Simple things like this and how I scrub as I clean/cleanse in a counter clockwise manner to help banish negative energy are the most often used energy workings I do. They effect my home in a way that many describe as a peaceful sanctuary and helps to keep all the daily blahs from taking over. This is what I strive for most with my magic.

Magic or energy workings effect all sorts of people in your life. This is because the energy manipulation that you do in having an effect on everything around you. Especially the people you are most connected with. If you cast a spell that is to help one member of your family it is going to effect the others as well. I find that rarely do these types of things cause issues. More often than not a spell cast to help one results in helping all immediately around the person..

Setting the record straight there are only two people who have a legitimate income coming from this site. They are Pet the administrator and creator of this site and myself because I manage the site store. This site is not the sole income for neither of our households and we are not getting rich off of it either. We are merely compensated for our time and effort to help provide this FREE to be a member website. In all honestly I think those who believe this site is all about money are simply jealous about the idea of this site giving an extra income to a self taught genius computer programmer and a married mother of two children under the age of 12 homemaker. Seriously get off your high horse rike, because over 75% of the orders that come into the store are from nonmembers. It was added to provide a service for those who do not have a local magic store to shop at.

Like I said... I don't care about who makes money from this site, the vast majority of my post was about the group dynamics, and how I was glad to see a few more Elders.

Yet you repeated the word money in saway that had emphasis on the word. In all capital letters with excess money signs in the first part of your post and then again at the end with a capital M. Any intelligent person knows that in advertising and politics you should repeat key words and use emphasis is that they stick in people's minds. In writing it is taught to put your main idea first and then to repeat it again as you conclude your thoughts. Rike you claim to work in politics so you should be well versed in this concept. Honestly you are starting to sound like a troll. Your post seem to repeat and lash out at the site and it's members because they are not at this time what you want them to be.

I apologize for coming off snippy. Perhaps Draggy was right - I should have slept instead of playing in the forums.

Kts, you seem a bit sensitive, as I have said ( now three times) the money is not important, although I do believe and I have had others agree with me that it is a component. My post's main objective was to say that I am glad to see more Elders. I apologize to you if you feel offended. Regarding my contributions... or lack of them, I try to always give my opinions as honestly as I can.

Rike I am not being sensitive about your comment I am down right appalled by your lack of judgment. You wrote me about this site being only a scam to make money weeks before your post in this thread. I told you then what I repeated in here. You are upset about the amount of children spewing false information across the forums of this site but you never once feel that your words are wrong. You said this is the general consensus of the members yet you follow the opinion blindly without knowing the facts. This is the righteous way of someone who considers them self an elder but in reality is only pretending so that they can drive there own agenda. Your actions preach one way but you say another. Any respect I had for you as been lost dear old man. An elder you may be by age but not by wisdom.