Some Questions

Hey, I have some questions.

1. Is it okay that I don't follow Wicca or Paganism but I still do the magic/witchcraft part?

2. Is it okay that I try to only use magic/witchcraft for the better good?

3. Is it okay that I've never cast a spell nor have done a proper ritual? (I'm 19 and have been studying for a little under a year)

4. Is it okay that I'm nervous about telling people I know about this?

5. Is it okay that I don't personally know anyone else who does anything magic/witchcraft related?

6. Is it okay that this is something that's been interesting me since I was a kid (particularly things involving demons, spirits, legends, folklore, etc.)?

7. Is it normal to be able to pick up on things days, weeks, months, sometimes even years before they happen?

8. Do I sound crazy? (be honest with me about this one)

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You do not need to follow a specific path to do the whole magick thing. Some people are Christians but they still do witchcraft, some don't follow a religion but still do it as well. How you incorporate magick in your life is your business and your decision, not anyone else's. People might have opinions and try to tell you " it's wrong ; it's right " but in the end it's up to your judgement what you cast and don't cast.

It's great that you actually study magickfirst instead of jumping in to spells and rituals like many people. Take your time and learn slowly and then get to the practical side of it. Take your time, people study for months, years before they even cast. Some do not cast at all.

Just an advice, be careful who you share this with. Even thoughmany people won't judge you nor look at you all crazy, some sadly will. A lot of people don't really know what magick is all about, they only know what the media/movies show them, sadly. You also do not need to know anyone related to this whole magickal world for you to practice. It's more than okay to not know anyone. When I first started I didn't knew anyone personally that also was into magick, with time I made good friends and we grew together.

Being interested is good, because it keeps that hunger for knowledge inside you instead of fading away. So of course, it's perfectly fine. As for picking up things, many people have small visions or " feelings " that will tell them something. You should research more on that, if it interests you because it is something you can make it grow.

You do not sound crazy at all, believe me. Having questions is perfectly fine and I wouldn't judge you for having any kind of questions. Ask to know.

This thread has been moved to General Info from Misc Topics.

Thank you, it's good to have these questions answered. Not to mention the relief knowing I'm not going crazy.

Agiel is correct.

Magic and religion are not necessarily connected. There are many atheist practitioners, and practitioners from many religions. Some magic traditions are directly connected to a religion, and vice versa. However, one does not necessarily exist in association with the other.

As for your second question, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. That said, some traditions teach their adherents not to attempt affecting their external world at all, but only to improve themselves, calling personal enlightenment (or their own version, however they name it) the ultimate goal of magic. I do not think that strictly, but I also believe that improving one's self can make the world seem a better place, and better enable a person to improve their circumstances in a meaningful way.

Having never cast a spell is not a big deal. You've missed out on the experience of Brysing, but his posts were a treat. He was in his 80s, taught witchcraft when he was roughly ten years old, and had never cast a spell in his life. I wish he had posted some resources, as his recommendation of finding a personal mentor (especially in the tradition he was taught) is ever more difficult, leaving little to rely upon for many people. But I digress. Magic is not spells. Magic is change in accordance with will, to take the shortest route of an explanation. Spells are a sort of ritual which a person can create as a method to try to affect change in a magical manner.

A lot of people do misunderstand the terms associated -- especially those who think in terms of dichotomy surrounding their personal beliefs. There is a maxim I have read scattered around the Internet, which some attach to Wicca, and some have not (a brief search did not give a definite answer) is, "To Know, To Dare, To Will, To Keep Silent." These are wise words.

It is perfectly fine not to know any other practitioners, though just remember you always have the option of finding others, if you choose. You're attending university. There are probably groups which already meet, whether they announce or list their meetings. At the very least, people tend to veer towards pagan beliefs in their teens even as a rebellious phase. For some, it is a life change. Some aren't serious, and sometimes you'll find groups of the misinformed pontificating about things they insist are true. Just be careful when you do seek the company of others. Being totally solitary, you're free. You can read any author, watch any video, and not feel obligated to follow one teacher's opinions.

It is absolutely normal to be interested in witchcraft, diverse spirituality, the paranormal, and more. It is just some people's beliefs which they try to force on others which limit these interests, by calling them otherwise than perfectly normal, and acceptable to research.

Question seven: It is not typical, at least that a lot of people don't seem to mention it. But you may be experiencing some sort of precognition. That said, more people may experience the same, but be so convinced to reject their experiences, that they lose touch with that aspect of themselves.

Finally, no. You do not sound crazy, at all.

Thank you for your help. Once again, it’s good to know I’m not going crazy. As for my college, well it’s an all music school and it’s insainly small (off the top of my head I’d guess there’s no more then 5,000 students). So as you could guess, we don’t really have any clubs run by the school. A lot of students are in bands or performance groups and usually just put up flyers if they need something like a new bad/group member or their trying to sell some old equipment. There is a energy healing and spiritual center/store around the corner from my dorm building though. I usually stop by there for one on one tips and advice or if I need to get something.

ooh, i love answering questions like this! [sorry if it's a few days old, i just really like when people post lists of questions like this]

1. Is it okay that I don't follow Wicca or Paganism but I still do the magic/witchcraft part?

perfectly fine. witchcraft is simply a craft with no real spirituality attached to it. you can add layers of belief to it like the Sabbats [holidays] or praying to a particular deity or several, but that's not what witchcraft is. at its core, witchcraft is studying plants and the world around us, living in balance with the natural change and flow.

2. Is it okay that I try to only use magic/witchcraft for the better good?

your craft, your choice. it's nice to know you have a moral code in place guiding your choices. you don't have to curse people, nor is cursing wrong/evil, it's all a matter of perception. if you have taken the time to reflect on the issue and are comfortable casting a spell to effect the situation, you did the right thing whatever the outcome.

3. Is it okay that I've never cast a spell nor have done a proper ritual? (I'm 19 and have been studying for a little under a year)

again, nothing wrong with that. you've mentioned your path isn't really 'wicca' or 'paganism' but more a magick/witchcraft path, and you don't need rituals or spells to be a witch. there was a member who believed in magick as a natural energy, but he did not believe in spells. i would suggest researching the holidays most pagans celebrate and see if you could incorporate them in some way into your path [back to the old user, he didn't cast a circle on Samhain and conjure the dead to his table, instead, he said he spend the evening remembering the loved ones who died. no spells or rituals, just a glass of brandy and memories] on a personal note, i didn't cast my first spell until i was almost 2 years in, i contemplated and started preparing a spell a number of times before then, but at some point during casting i concluded i didn't really need a spell and stopped. i've been practicing almost 15 years, excluding cleansing/protections i could probably tell you every spell i've ever cast because i cast very few actual spells. my spells are more adding energy to what i'm doing [kitchen magick] or a simple candle spell. to me, spells don't make or break my path.

4. Is it okay that I'm nervous about telling people I know about this?

absolutely. i haven't met a person yet who isn't nervous about telling their loved ones. [the closest to not being nervous would be my cousin who was raised pagan and told her parents she was athiest, but they have a very close, open relationship, and even then she said she knew it would be a bit of a bummer for her mom who wanted a witchy daughter] but i will also say the majority of the time, you've worked yourself up for nothing. i suggest preparing a little to explain the cliff notes of your beliefs to people [you will be saying 'there's no devil in the craft' a lot] maybe type up a little point by point fact sheet on your path, and ask them to listen, and when you're done, they can ask questions. keeping calm can help the situation. on a personal note, when i told my mom i was nervous but i took a deep breath and told her. she was in bed watching tv eating chips, i told her, and she said 'k, just don't be sacrificing virgins in the back yard.' it was shocking that she didn't really care [years later i asked and she figured it was just a phase she shouldn't get too worried about, but the older i got she saw it was the right path for me] when i got older i decided i should tell my grandparents and other family members, only for my mom to tell me they already knew, she told them years ago. point is, unless your family goes around ranting about how it's Jesus or nothing, you shouldn't get too worked up. pick your time and the person. if you know your 90 year old grandparents wouldn't understand and it would hurt them, do you really need to tell them? your best friend/lover/close family is a different matter, just think before you act, and you should be fine.

5. Is it okay that I don't personally know anyone else who does anything magic/witchcraft related?

again, totally fine. when i converted i didn't think there was a single other witch in the town. one day this girl in my class walked over and said she saw me reading Wicca for Life and thought i could use some books and handed me a bag of 10-12 books on witchcraft. she also told me about an occult shop 20 minutes away i could get more books from [my town had a by-law no one could sell occult merchandise] a little bit later i was talking with my friends about my new path and they both fell in love with it and also choose to convert, i also found out my best friend had been Wiccan for years but he never said anything. 15 years later and most of my best friends have converted to some pagan path. one of my oldest friends converted to Wicca and a few years later met her now husband who was also Wiccan. small world. where i live now i don't really know of any pagans, though i do know some spiritual people who are open to paganism. most pagans i regularly interact with are online. if you want to meet more, you could go to witchvox.com to see if there's any local pagan shops or covens in your area, as well as Pagan Pride Day celebrations or consider going to a pagan con if there's one close by.

6. Is it okay that this is something that's been interesting me since I was a kid (particularly things involving demons, spirits, legends, folklore, etc.)?

again, yes. some people are born with the intuition they should be on a different path, some is just childhood curiosity, whatever it is, it's normal to like stuff like that growing up, and i know plenty of pagans who have said the same thing, that they were interested in various supernatural/magickal things as a kid.

7. Is it normal to be able to pick up on things days, weeks, months, sometimes even years before they happen?

pick up as in have a vision, a dream or a feeling? i wouldn't say it's common, but it is a thing. some form of clairvoyance. you can work on strengthening this skill.

8. Do I sound crazy? (be honest with me about this one)

no, not crazy, confused, nervous, seeking validation, but not crazy. far from crazy. i'm crazy, i'm friends with crazy, you're not crazy.

Hello madi3220!
Allow me to answer your questions one by one:

1. Is it okay that I don't follow Wicca or Paganism but I still do the magic/witchcraft part?

A: It is entirely upon you whether you want to entirely become a part of the wicca tradition. If you are just curious about some parts of the tradition and only want to learn those parts, it's totally fine. There is no reason to worry about that.

2. Is it okay that I try to only use magic/witchcraft for the better good?

A: Again, this entirely depends upon you. The energy you send out is what you receive back multiplied.

3. Is it okay that I've never cast a spell nor have done a proper ritual? (I'm 19 and have been studying for a little under a year)

A: It is totally okay. The more knowledge you get, the less mistakes you make. It's better to be fully equipped with knowledge on what you are about to do before actually doing it.

4. Is it okay that I'm nervous about telling people I know about this?

A: Once again, the answer to this question lies within you.

5. Is it okay that I don't personally know anyone else who does anything magic/witchcraft related?

6. Is it okay that this is something that's been interesting me since I was a kid (particularly things involving demons, spirits, legends, folklore, etc.)?

A: Of course!. Who dosen't like these legends and stories?! But remember when it comes to real life, EVERYTHING HAS A PRICE.

Also you are not at all crazy! that is why we all are here for you. We all went through this phase. this is natural. So do not worry.

I guess you got the right answers, but I want to spend my time and don't know how so I will answer as well. :)

1) Yes. This is totally up to you since you're not obligated yo follow any specific type of thing.

2) Of course, the bad part wouldn't mind as well.

3) I did a spell a night and it worked, didn't study much (I didn't even know how to cast it). Because I am a natural born Witch. I even did curses which have worked without studying anything about them. Sometimes rituals are just not needed.

4) Of course it's okay, hahah, why it shouldn't be? Don't push yourself on this, do whatever you want. :) Although be careful...

5) That's not necessary. It is fine. :)

6) This thing intrested me from little as well. You chose your life path before birth afterall.

7) I am not sure what do you mean.

8) No..trust me, this is nothing in relationship to how crazy people can be around Magick (yes I'm talking about me)...