i there n-e 1 out there that can teach me how to be a witch?

[Anonymous]

i really need help  i really wanna train to become a witch if theres anybody please teach me or anything  

[Sewa Yoleme]

First, all the really good witches know that one must use always observe proper English when writing. That means correct capitalization and punctuation, and no chatroom abbreviations, ever.

Second, do you want to be a Witch, or a Wiccan? If the latter, which tradition are you drawn to?

Third, what is it you want to learn? Are you looking for personal/spiritual development? Are you wanting to learn the history? Do you want instruction in magick? If the latter, why? What is your motivation?

I'll bet if you're able to answer those questions, you'll find people who can help you. There are some wise folk around here.

.:. Sewa Yoleme

[Lark]

Hello and welcome to Branwen's.

First of all, could I ask you please not to use netspeak on this board.  We have a number of people from other countries who have difficulty with it, and we also have some members who are dyslexic who find such posts very hard to read.

Now, on to your question...  Do you want to be a Witch, or do you want to learn about Wicca?  There is a difference, and the help we give will reflect that.

Secondly, why do you want to be a Witch?  If you think this is about something like "Charmed" or "Buffy" you are going to be very disappointed.  So tell us a bit about why you want to follow this path and what you know about it.

Assuming you're asking about Wicca, I have some things to tell you.

First of all, do you have any idea what you are asking for? If you don’t even know what Wicca is, how do you know you want me to teach you about it? Did you know that there are people out there who will respond to your request with, “Of course I’ll teach you all of the magic of the Universe, just hop up here on my magical bed.”? Do you stop to think about what the person’s background, training, and level of knowledge is before you latch onto them as a teacher? If you wanted to learn American history instead of Wicca/Witchcraft, you’d certainly want to be sure your teacher knew what they were talking about. Where is the difference?

I’m not intending to put anyone down. Believe me, I remember what it was like taking my first stumbling steps along this path and wishing I had someone to help me. It is much easier today with all of the information available on the Web. What becomes frustrating is the number of people who arrive on a site wanting to be handed all the knowledge and power of the Universe without having to make any effort on their part to work at learning it. Well, I have a surprise for you...it doesn’t work that way. We are a religion with a core belief of personal responsibility. If you aren’t willing to work at the learning process, you are going to go nowhere. I don’t spoon feed my real world students, why should I do so to those clamoring at me on-line. Don’t just come up to someone and say “teach me all about Wicca”. Browse the sites and find information. If something doesn’t make sense to you, THEN ask a specific question and anyone will be willing to help you out.

Before you take someone as a teacher, find out a bit about their background. How old are they? How many years have they been practicing? What Tradition did they train in? How do they see the relationship between the two of you. While age is not a promise of wisdom, I would really look hard at someone in their teens who told me they knew “ALL” about the Craft. Yet I see these people advertising for students all the time.

Something else to consider. Wicca is an EXPERIENTIAL religion. That means that it is different for everyone because everyone sees and feels something in a slightly different manner. It is difficult enough sitting with a student face to face and having both of you understand and agree on what is happening, but really difficult on-line. For instance, if I am teaching how to Ground and Center to my real-world student, I can feel when he is Grounded by the changes in his aura and energy...but try doing that over a computer. Not that it can’t be done, only that it is difficult.

Those who want to be Witches also need to know if they approach a Wiccan, they are asking to learn both a religion and a way of life, not just a bunch of spells and certainly not curses. Along the way you are going to be asked to learn ethics, moral behavior, comparative religions, counseling skills, and many other things which have little to do with the standard image of the Witch. If this isn’t what you are interested in, don’t waste your time or your teacher’s.

Another point to consider, although this is my personal stance and not that of every teacher, in this country it is ILLEGAL for anyone to interfere in the religious upbringing of a minor without the parent’s consent. That means that I, or any other teacher, could go to jail for teaching the Craft to anyone under the age of consent without the knowledge and permission of the parents. At best it might mean a nasty trip to court and lawyer’s fees. At worst it could mean loss of a job, a professional license, or jail time. Do you think it fair to ask that of someone?  

So...tell us a bit about yourself, what you already know, what you would like to know and why.  We may be able to help you start finding out things for yourself while you're looking for the right teacher.

-Lark-

[Anonymous]

First, all the really good witches know that one must use always observe proper English when writing. That means correct capitalization and punctuation, and no chatroom abbreviations, ever.

Some people are dyslexic, and others are just bad at English. Neither are crimes, and proper English has never been a prerequisite of Witchcraft.

I used to be really bad at spelling, but I learned how to spell properly. One thing that never helped my spelling was being told 'You're bad at spelling'. The same applies to grammar.

I know from experience that correcting people just makes you less popular.

[Sewa Yoleme]

Some people are dyslexic, and others are just bad at English. Neither are crimes, and proper English has never been a prerequisite of Witchcraft.

I used to be really bad at spelling, but I learned how to spell properly. One thing that never helped my spelling was being told 'You're bad at spelling'. The same applies to grammar.

What you say is absolutely true, and ordinarily I'd agree with you. But this was "mindfreak's" introductory post, written in pure chatroomese, which other regulars hereabouts have likewise objected to because they have trouble reading them.

There was no "Hello, this is who I am," no respectful reading of others' posts, just a brusque i really need help i really wanna train to become a witch if theres anybody please teach me or anything. And in over a week there has been no further word from her, no acknowledgment of Lark's extremely helpful answer to her question. Frankly, I believe "mindfreak" is a bored teenager who has watched Charmed one too many times, with nothing better to do than post and run.

If she returns and reveals herself to be a sincere seeker, I'll be happy to apologize. Until then, I honestly don't regret being snarky in this case.

.:. Sewa Yoleme

[Anonymous]

Sorry, it wasn't meant to be an attack or anything.

[Sewa Yoleme]

Sorry, it wasn't meant to be an attack or anything.

I certainly didn't see it as one! And as I said, your points are completely valid, and ordinarily...

.:. Sewa Yoleme

[Anonymous]

I agree with sewa Yoleme.  There's no post in the 'welcome' forum page and nothing much on her profile. Maybe her parents have banned her from the net for a few weeks.    Oh well ...... we've got to remember that schools out for summer and kids don't have much to occupy themselves with these days.

[NachtSorcier]

I don't think there's any point in debating it any longer.  That post was her first and probably last.  People, forgive me, "like that" tend to get annoyed when someone corrects them and runs off in a hissy and never looks back.

[Gryphon]

She hasn't been back, let's not beat a dead horse. I am locking this thread but leaving it here because Lark's answer might be of interest to other kids searching for answers.