Over the weekend, a good friend of mine shared an article on whether or not practicing witches should share their spells and craft with others. (To be Silent by Adrian Monogue & To Keep Silent by Phoenix LeFae).
I was struck by this idea, that when I researched it was everywhere. Do not talk about or share your spells. Keep them secret or else their power will decrease.
Having been a solitary most of my life (for the past 25 years) I have to say that this bothers me because even today, though witchcraft is more accepted and it isn't as hard to find others, it is still hard to find a teacher. And I know what people will say, the teacher will arrive when the student is ready. But if all this secrecy is keeping people's tongues tied, how on earth can people learn anything? And I cannot tell you how many times I have been "told" that if I didn't learn it from a person and not a book it isn't as valuable and I'm not as skilled. No JOKE. You know that attitude is there.
Of course there is such a thing as oversharing, but there is a GREAT need for teachers who are willing to reach out to not just those who are looking to pay (which there are few who have the funds for some of the weekend sessions I've seen advertised, holy cow, I don't have that kind of cash), but also to those who are searchers and looking for guidance. How can we learn, if we don't share our knowledge?
And what about the many books that you can get? I cannot help but feel that even though secrecy is considered important, that the hundreds of books on witchcraft and spells that you can find is a direct flaunt in that direction. It doesn't decrease the strength of a spell if over a thousand people are using the same spell with their own personal intentions. And why should it? A circle is cast, a energy is raised, the spell is cast and set with the energy raised and with our intent is sent out into the world. We can resend that energy and intention from a new moon to a full moon, but why would it dissipate if you share what your intention and spellwork is to other people you know? What if in sharing that you are taking someone else to a new level of understanding about energy work?
I cannot grasp this idea that if we share what spell we did, our hopes and dreams around it, that it will dissipate and be less powerful that it originally intended to be. It's already out in the world and getting battered around in the direction it was sent. Perhaps you were in financial straight and you did a money or luck spell. All of the factors around your financials issues may ease, but other people are influencing it just as much if you don't share what you did than if you do. That is the nature of living in a world where we are all connected by energy and all influencing each other. Secrecy ignores that reality. Ignores the fact that we are all connected at a basic level and influence each other in a nonstop manner on a basic energy level.
So really, my problem with this idea of secrecy is three fold:
1) There is a need for people to step up and be teachers and encourage mutual learning.
2) I honestly do not believe that sharing spellwork that you did will dissipate a spell any more than you waking up the next day in a shitty mood and actively doing something that will mess up your plans.
3) Secrecy can lead to unhealthy cult and ego behaviors. It's kind of like how I do not care if someone wants to be in a polygamist relationship, but the family should be open to the world and not closed off hiding as those types of closed off behaviors naturally draws abusers of all sorts, the power trips.
Do with it what you will, but I just feel that secrecy is unhealthy and can block yourself from learning and others from learning from you.
I was struck by this idea, that when I researched it was everywhere. Do not talk about or share your spells. Keep them secret or else their power will decrease.
Having been a solitary most of my life (for the past 25 years) I have to say that this bothers me because even today, though witchcraft is more accepted and it isn't as hard to find others, it is still hard to find a teacher. And I know what people will say, the teacher will arrive when the student is ready. But if all this secrecy is keeping people's tongues tied, how on earth can people learn anything? And I cannot tell you how many times I have been "told" that if I didn't learn it from a person and not a book it isn't as valuable and I'm not as skilled. No JOKE. You know that attitude is there.
Of course there is such a thing as oversharing, but there is a GREAT need for teachers who are willing to reach out to not just those who are looking to pay (which there are few who have the funds for some of the weekend sessions I've seen advertised, holy cow, I don't have that kind of cash), but also to those who are searchers and looking for guidance. How can we learn, if we don't share our knowledge?
And what about the many books that you can get? I cannot help but feel that even though secrecy is considered important, that the hundreds of books on witchcraft and spells that you can find is a direct flaunt in that direction. It doesn't decrease the strength of a spell if over a thousand people are using the same spell with their own personal intentions. And why should it? A circle is cast, a energy is raised, the spell is cast and set with the energy raised and with our intent is sent out into the world. We can resend that energy and intention from a new moon to a full moon, but why would it dissipate if you share what your intention and spellwork is to other people you know? What if in sharing that you are taking someone else to a new level of understanding about energy work?
I cannot grasp this idea that if we share what spell we did, our hopes and dreams around it, that it will dissipate and be less powerful that it originally intended to be. It's already out in the world and getting battered around in the direction it was sent. Perhaps you were in financial straight and you did a money or luck spell. All of the factors around your financials issues may ease, but other people are influencing it just as much if you don't share what you did than if you do. That is the nature of living in a world where we are all connected by energy and all influencing each other. Secrecy ignores that reality. Ignores the fact that we are all connected at a basic level and influence each other in a nonstop manner on a basic energy level.
So really, my problem with this idea of secrecy is three fold:
1) There is a need for people to step up and be teachers and encourage mutual learning.
2) I honestly do not believe that sharing spellwork that you did will dissipate a spell any more than you waking up the next day in a shitty mood and actively doing something that will mess up your plans.
3) Secrecy can lead to unhealthy cult and ego behaviors. It's kind of like how I do not care if someone wants to be in a polygamist relationship, but the family should be open to the world and not closed off hiding as those types of closed off behaviors naturally draws abusers of all sorts, the power trips.
Do with it what you will, but I just feel that secrecy is unhealthy and can block yourself from learning and others from learning from you.
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