Witchcraft - possible for anyone?

[Anna]

So I've been wondering about that for quite a long time. While beliefs and points of view are everyone's right, what about the more practical aspect of a magical life? Can anyone try their chances in things like fortune telling with various tools, dowsing or casting spells? Will anyone, after shorter or longer practise, feel the vibes of e.g. certain powerful symbols or succeed in any kind of divination? I was just wondering if it's a matter of, let's say, talent. Is it like with writing books - anyone can try and after some practice and hard work the results will be decent, but without being gifted - never exceptional? I'd love to know opinions of experienced fellow group members :)

[Caroline]

I think that anyone can try, but of course, there are some things people are better and worse at than others.

[Little]

Anna wrote: "So I've been wondering about that for quite a long time. While beliefs and points of view are everyone's right, what about the more practical aspect of a magical life? Can anyone try their chances ..."

I'd strongly advise against dowsing or channeling. Divination is risky. Venturing into or contacting others in the spirit world is not to be taken lightly. Be extremely careful about protection. If you are going to do any of the above please read the book I've mentioned in posts to do with the subject (The Siren Call of Hungry Ghosts).

I think some people are more open to, or receptive, to such things, but latently we all are.

Sorry if I sound heavy. :)

Also re witchcraft I think Terry Pratchett's witches are the real deal. Follow Granny's advice and you can't go wrong, although Nanny may lead you astray a bit...

[Ancestral]

I have never had any issues with dowsing, and feel that it can be done by anyone who wishes to train to do so. The British Society of Dowsers is certainly a good place to start if you live in the UK.

I'm unsure of divination: I think there has to be a talent, latent or otherwise. It took me 20 years to find someone to teach me how to use tarot cards, despite years of courses, books, etc., but once it clicked, scrying fell quickly into place, too.

Witchcraft/magic - I'm going to be controversial and say, no, not everyone can do it. Some may spend years in training yet are still not able to achieve results, others seem to do it naturally, and yet there are those who have hidden talents wherein they've never tried anything before, but with training truly blossom.

[Little]

I think it's important to separate pendulum dowsing from regular dowsing. Pendulum dowsing is spirit channeling, while the latter is water divining, ley lines etc? Pendulum dowsing is the technique used by the woman I recently encountered who thinks she is channeling an 'angel' when in fact, it's a nasty.

[Anna]

Hmm, where I live dowsing with a pendulum is mainly associated with divination or looking for water lines, measuring radiation etc., but I guess the tool itself doesn't matter when it comes to just stepping knee deep in troubles. I got a crystal pendulum on a silver chain as a gift and I must admit that it mostly doesn't care about me, heh. Strong reactions appear only when I approach it with e.g. a question that wakes really flaming emotions in me OR when I put the pendulum close to fire or water. Recently I'm looking for an empowered place in nearby forests to get a good "battleground" for fighting my BPD-ed self in order to learn to relax, then perhaps meditate; and I was about to use my pendulum to confirm what I think I sense (eh, how come I just never know whether it's my wishful thinking about being able to sense things or actually sensing them) or just get a direction. What I was taught is that the pendulum is just a point of focus for superego to bring out the answers that we actually possess, just human consciousness is unable to access them. But I don't know, as I said, my pendulum usually doesn't give a rat's ass about me training with it, although I obviously can believe that pendulums can be also used as a tool in spirit channeling, just as many other things as I imagine. Well, if one is talented in a wrong way, they can also stab themselves with a blunt butterknife...

[Little]

I like the way you put it Anna. :):)

Yes, it's only the spirit channeling I'm worried about. I think it's more a New Age thing, not really Pagan or Wicca. I know I sound pathetically neurotic about it now, but the recent incident seriously scared the crap out of me (excuse swearing :)) This woman had been pendulum or crystal dowsing (channeling) for over twenty years, She's held workshops on it, and how to communicate with your 'angels' or 'guides'.

It's not something I've ever been drawn to. The New Age movement slightly annoys me. Also I'm more the 'make my own ritual' kind of person and I'm not keen on finding a 'guide' to tell me what to do!

Now scrying I can understand, as you are not inviting anything in, or asking 'something' a question. You are looking. And looking with your brain functioning at the same time. Your free will is intact.

Also, I think intuition and trusting your senses is the best way to go in dealing with all things. :)

[Anna]

:)
I agree, discovering your ways by yourself works always the best, in any aspects of life actually. Sure, I'd gladly attend a lecture about e.g. runology knowledge or tarot usage just as a pause between reading the books on those subjects, but most of people holding workshops of this kind are just greedy, not really talented morons, preying on naive laymen (to whom such vultures appear as GRAND SUPREME MASTER MAGICIAN OMG GANDALF CAN HIDE). And such workshops around roll exactly the "do what I say, not what I do" way, it's got nothing in common with actual self-research, developing skills or even at least gaining some interesting knowledge in theory.

On the other hand I still feel very, very lost in all this, in Poland it's really hard to find the real deal people, not greedy pretenders, to just get to know them and maybe learn something from those more experienced. I'm lucky that I have a, hm, I'd like to say "a friend", but this good sir is significantly older, yet he absolutely doesn't attempt to be a "guide" (or more like a "master", observing some relations of this kind); well, either way, his areas of interest are a bit different, he's a spiritual healer (a direct translation from Polish would be "bioenergetic therapist", but the Internet says in English it's a spiritual/energy healer, hmm). He works with massage, herbs and oils, he's very good in identifying health troubles by observing changes in human auras and this kind of stuff in which I'm not really interested as I'm not the "helping people" kind. But it was him who got me interested in, so to speak, magic (as aside of healing he's quite decent in reading future etc.) and he's very supportive to me. Actually, inspired by your tale of this woman, channeling a nasty under angelic cover, Little, I talked with this friend about the whole spiritual and angelic matter, and even though I don't really believe in "angels" of any kind while he does, we both agreed that spiritual channeling and generally inviting various spirits close is kind of... reckless. And dangerous if we speak about making use of the angelic creatures or human spirits as my friend knows people doing this as well. But karma isn't a nice one and whatever wrong one does, one will receive back. And I don't really want to think what is to receive if you bend unearthy beings to your will.

All in all, in some kinds of spirits I am ready to believe like trees having theirs (and maybe that is what others call some kind of "angels" while for me or people more druidry-oriented they're, i don't know, some forest spirits). Perhaps one day I'll learn to communicate with them, but even now, knowing not really much, the idea of inviting something able to disguise itself and mislead you after 20 years of practice... no. Just no. It's enough for me that some absurdous fear is troubling me, whenever dusk falls, until very morning, I have a strong impression that I'm being observed and I almost *expect* to see someone/something standing on my yard/balcony. Well, that wouldn't be odd considering the amounts of horror flicks I've enjoyed in my life, but some shy voice back in my head speaks something of the third eye making its first movements, AND this thing I'm almost expecting to see isn't undefined like it usually is with casual night fears. Actually in my head I know exactly how he is looking. And boy, I don't like it.

[Little]

Yes, I've come across that greed factor in 'spiritual development' workshops. I was interested in a shamanic workshop a number of years ago, but found the shaman and his aides to be a bit off putting. The egos had grown too large.:)

Your friend sounds very supportive. I'm greatly relieved to hear that he feels that spirit channeling is reckless too. I have also wondered about the karma for discarnates who bend people to their will. I think it is worse in terms of negative karma due to the purposeful, underhand manipulation. If these spirits are already lost, and unable to pass over, this would just feed their earth bound longings and ultimately make it harder for them.

I feel that trees have spirits too. We all come from blue green algae and bacteria: plants and animals/humans. If animals (humans included) have souls or spirits, why wouldn't plants and trees? Also you can feel it when you plant them, touch them, sit under them and watch them grow. I love each and every tree on our property. The old stringy barks and gums (eucalyptus trees) are strikingly majestic.

Re your concern of being observed, Anna, Sara recommended certain stones that are good for protection, I am sure she can help here too. I find I step more warily in the world now, not with fear, but certainly with my eyes wider open. Also I envisage myself with Monkey's magical staff, so I can knock nasty things on the head if I need to. It's also useful for walking up steep hills :):)