I had mentioned in my last blog post that would be pulling one rune a week to learn more about them.My first rune was Perthro, Peorth.A rune of mystery and change.Which was the perfect rune to begin with, I was starting out learning and studying the mysteries of these runes.It was a beginning for me, a beginning full of mystery.
Whether you want a teacher of magic, marketing, or anything else, here are seven helpful hints:
1) When a teacher has a site, consider the following. If the site’s graphics speak to your heart, the offerings sound perfect, the sales pitch is passionate, and the testimonials rock, that is great. I hope it describes my site! But it is not enough. The truth is in the pudding: Is there content on the site, such as a blog that helps you achieve your goals? If not, the classes may be just as empty.
2) “$3000 worth of services for only $200!” might represent a great buy. Or it can mislead. What’s the point in spending even $10 on a lot of stuff, if all of it is garbage?
Esther Williams gave me my first swimming lesson. I didn't know who she was at the time, but my parents told the story often as I grew older. My mother was a movie star, too - she was at Paramount and Miss Williams was at MGM. They were only a year apart in age, so they had a lot in common and became friends.
The techniques for finding a teacher—at least initially—are similar to those for finding other Pagans or Wiccans in your area. Check out my post on finding other Pagans to begin your search. But before you try to actually connect with a teacher, it helps to answer some or all of the following questions for yourself.
Questions to Ask Before Your Search
What do you want to learn? Are you interested in learning about Wicca or Paganism in general or a specific tradition or path? It’s helpful to do a little research to see what traditions appeal to you, or, putting the egg before the chicken, to see if any of the traditions taught in your area resonate with you. Or are you interested in studying a specific deity or pantheon, a magical system, or a skill, such as herbalism?
What is your goal in taking the class or working with the teacher? Are you hoping just to gain some knowledge, or do you want to train toward membership in a specific path?
Are you looking to join a coven or circle, or do you want to practice solitary? Are you willing to practice solitary for a while if you can’t find the right group, or practice with a group for a while if you can’t learn what you need to while practicing solo?
How far are you willing to travel and how often? If you don’t have your own transportation, is there public transportation available?
What are the qualities you’d like the teacher to have? Are you willing to work with a teacher who doesn’t fit your preferred profile if he or she is the only one available or is the only one teaching what you want to learn?
How much can you afford to pay for classes if the teacher charges? Many people charge for classes, but some traditions forbid charging for teaching.
How much time can you devote to your learning? Can you meet the requirements of the particular classes or teachers you’re considering?
Are you willing to take online courses if you can’t find a teacher in your area? If so, does online coursework suit your learning style?
Erin Lale
Fellow faculty at Harvard Divinity School posted an open letter to Wolpe in response to his article. It's available on this page, below the call for p...
Erin Lale
Here's another response. The Wild Hunt has a roundup of numerous responses on its site, but it carried this one as a separate article. It is an accoun...
Erin Lale
Here's another response. This one is by a scholar of paganism. It's unfortunately a Facebook post so this link goes to Facebook. She posted the text o...
Erin Lale
Here's another link to a pagan response to the Atlantic article. I would have included this one in my story too if I had seen it before I published it...
Janet Boyer
I love the idea of green burials! I first heard of Recompose right before it launched. I wish there were more here on the East Coast; that's how I'd l...