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| Author: Posted: Nov. 17, 2002 | This Page Viewed: 3,838,281 |
Question of the Week: 50 - 7/16/2001 What's Your Magickal Focus? What is YOUR magickal specialty? Herbalism? Healing Magick? Directing Energies? Invoking the Nature Spirits? How did you come to choose/decide to develop this area of expertise? How long did you have to practice and study before you felt reasonably proficient in your magickal focal-work area? Did you have a natural talent for this to begin with or did you decide to study this particular area of magick for another reason? What advice for developing skills or expertise would give to someone who is considering entering into your particular magickal focus-work area? What are the 'neglected' areas of magickal Work-you know, the not so glamorous service-oriented stuff that is really needed, but for some reason or another, not too many Pagans are motivated to develop or are interested in studying? |
| Reponses: There are 33 responses posted to this question. | Reverse Sort |
| My Focus? I'd Have To Say Dragons, Witch Was Hard For Me... | Jul 16th. at 5:43:20 pm EDT |
| Sam (Ruckersville, Virginia US) | Age: 18 - Email |
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my focus? I'd have to say dragons, witch was hard for me since I have only found one book on dragons and I don't think thats enough I have to do most of the study myself through shamanistic tecniques. witch is a hard thing for me to do as my mind has a mind of it's own so to speak. and then I only have that one book to connect those exsperances with. Dragons had always been a major part of my life when someone introdued me to the craft my reaction was "you mean dragons are real?" anyone who knows me knows the love of dragons I harbor. and some inssist I have a dragon within me or a dragonic mannor. so my focus is working with dragons and thier kin witch I have found a challangeing and rewarding exspearance. |
| Merry Meet! I Tend To Generalize, Not Wanting To Focus Too Much... | Jul 16th. at 4:00:38 pm EDT |
| Rowan Ameth (Kutztown, Pennsylvania US) | Age: 16 - Email |
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Merry meet! I tend to generalize, not wanting to focus too much on one aspect, but I suppose I tend to lean towards energy focussing... I used to teach a little underground class on energy manipulation at my school, but it was shut down by the Dean of Students... I've noticed that I find it easy for me to focus energies and direct them. I don't know if it's normal or not, but I can drop down into a state of mind in which I can sense other energies (auras, spirits, etc.)... Well, anyway, that's my Magickal Focus... Bright Blessings, -Rowan |
| Magickal Specialty? That's A Question I've Asked Myself Many Times. I Can't... | Jul 16th. at 3:38:12 pm EDT |
| Asta (Kailua-Kona, Hawaii US) | Age: 15 - Email |
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Magickal specialty? That's a question I've asked myself many times. I can't work that much magick with candles and herds and such, because I'm still living at home and its easy and less conspicuous to pray. I wandered around for a few moons, wringing my hands over what my special area was, until I suddenly realized that it was right under my nose: poetry! I have a natural gift with words and rhapsbody, and had been using it in my craft from the very beginning. All of the spells I write have rhyme to them, so they are easy to remember, and I can put more power into one of my little 'jingles' than some friends of mine can put into whole, elaborate rituals with all the traditional tools. Whenever we get together for Sabbats, they always pick me to do the guided meditation because my words 'sound pretty and hypnotic'. My quarter calls usually sound the most melodic and rehearsed, even though I make them up as I go along. The only problem with this talent is that very few books talk about utilizing rhyme as a form of magick. You have to weed it out from topics on creativity, actual spells themselves, and a scattering of music magick. In a way, I suppose this is a good thing, because as a very young seeker, I've been forced to look away from books and other written material. I've seen so many people become dependent on text for inspiration and will come to believe anything in print. The lack of information on poetry magick has given me the freedom and independence that I need (esp. since I'm a teenager and don't have a car yet). |
| My Interest/study Of Paganism And Witchcraft As A Religion Is My... | Jul 16th. at 9:55:29 am EDT |
| Ciarrai (Somewhere in Somerset County, New Jersey US) | Age: 34 - Email |
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My interest/study of Paganism and Witchcraft as a religion is my true and primary focus. I want to learn as much about the religious aspects as I can before I explore specific areas of expertise. Although I must admit that I am very interested in astrology, herbalism and candle magick. And I just learned yesterday, to my surprise, runes. I wasn't quite "getting" the concept of runes so I sort of of dismissed it at first. I anticipated a very manic Monday morning due to some very negative co-workers, some nasty gossip about me, and I wanted to be able to "deal w/ it" without getting all "Cancer-like" -- the hypersensitity, etc. I went through all of the books I have been studying, and I came to the chapters on runes, and I said to myself, "self, this makes the most sense right now." I drew a negativity rune on paper with black ink, and then immediately applied white ink over it while focusing on wiping out the negative energy. It worked; better than I ever would have expected! I did the very best that I could, but I'm sure with more study and practice that I could do even better next time. PS: My year and a day of "serious" study will be next March 17, 2002, although I have been "dabbling" in research since about 1995. |
| I Realize Most People Never Get Past The Basics Of Witchcraft, But... | Jul 16th. at 9:48:00 am EDT |
| Minerva Waters (Downers Grove, Illinois US) | Age: 26 - Email |
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I realize most people never get past the basics of Witchcraft, but i find that a person can only keep going over them so many times before it's time for something new. After a few years of practice, it seemed appropriate to start expanding my studies and see what else was out there. At that time there wasn't any 'World Wide Web' or (as far as i knew) other Pagans near me, nor had any books encountered ever mentioned specializing in a particular area, but it seemed a natural progression. I soon started coming across books about natural magick. I especially enjoyed reading the chapters about the magick uses of water and began trying things out (and found them a excellent fit). Since i've always been fascinated by the ocean and its wonders, it just seemed natural to specialize in sea magick. I also realize a lot of people claim there's no such thing as a 'natural Witch' but when you pick an off-beat speciality, you have to have a natural feel for it. Unlike those who specialize in, say, herbalism, i don't have a wide variety of books to read for correspondences and magickal ideas. In many cases, i've had to make do with a chapter from this book, a paragraph or two from that one, and figure the rest on my own. I've spent literally years working out corrrespondences for shells, for types of water, for the winds, etc. through my own trial and error. It's only these past couple of years that the sea magick section of my bookshelves has included some full books on the subject that i've found; oddly enough, most of my correspondences agree with those in the books. Getting my tool collection together has been even more challenging since most of the things i use (such as fish hooks, fishing net, glass floats, etc.) aren't considered magickal tools by most other people, so they aren't items i can pop over to Witches R Us or the Witch'n'Save and pick up. I've gotten most of my tools from arts & crafts stores, antique shoppes, even the local sporting goods store. For a specialty like this, you have to keep your eyes open for anything useful, and make good use of it once you've found it. Since i've recently noticed there are others who also specialize in sea magick drifting onto the 'Net, i've founded the Association of Sea Witches to expedite networking (our web site currently lists subject-appropriate books and links), and i've been gradually converting some of the results of my studies into articles and essays and posting them to my web site (http://www.lunarshadows.net). One of these days all these articles will turn into an actual book on the subject. So, if this is an area of interest for you, come on over and say hello. |
| My Magical Focus Is Tarot. I Collect Decks, Work With Them In... | Jul 16th. at 9:34:05 am EDT |
| Bethy (Staten Island, New York US) | Age: 34 - Email |
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My magical focus is Tarot. I collect decks, work with them in all sorts of meditations and in ceremonies. Cards decorate my altar. I use various cards from different decks for spells, prayers, any time I feel the need to focus, I can always find the appropriate image. My favorite decks are the Matthew's Arthurian Hallowquest deck, the Druid Animal Oracle (which, though not technically tarot, is a beautiful deck) and the Morgan Greer Tarot deck. hugs and bright blessings, |
| Hello, Since I've Only Started Studying Two Years Ago, I've Been Focusing... | Jul 16th. at 8:58:23 am EDT |
| Artemis Moonshadow (Kfar Saba, Israel) | Age: 16 - Email |
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Hello, since I've only started studying two years ago, I've been focusing maonly on energy workings, you know, using my own life force and borrowing energys from the Elements to do things. Through out these two years I've been on a continuos soul-search. I've discovered that The Darkness apeals to me, now before you go all "The darkness is evil and pagans have nohing to do with it" you couldn't be more wrong. The Dark is when our senses are most attuned and in my mind most powerful. I've been searching for information about Chaos Magic and Elemental Magic which is what I really want to do in my Magical life. Lots of Pagans seem to believe that Wicca and Paganism have nothing to do with Darkness, that's not true, if you look inside your self and try to commuicate with your spirit you'll see it's darker than you thought. I've discovered that my Spirit is a Panther, black, a predator, a night lurker (yes I know very melodramatic) Paganism, I think, is one of the spiritual paths that can host the balance of Light and Dark exellently. Don't fear Chaos or Darkness, they're just order within a disorder. Blessed Be Rememer this: Carpe Noctem |
| Hm, My Focus? My Focus Is On Knowing My Goal And Finding... | Jul 16th. at 8:57:49 am EDT |
| Di (Mankato, Minnesota US) | Age: 25 - Email |
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Hm, my focus? My focus is on knowing my goal and finding what works. The reason I began practicing witchcraft was because I was at a dead end in my life and I had exhausted absolutely all the other avenues I knew of for solutions to my problems. Witchcraft was my last resort, and to my surprise, it worked -- both by opening my mind to other non-magickal avenues for solutions to things that troubled me, and by showing me in ways that I could not miss that magick works. I still feel hesitant to commit to any one form of practice or another. Folk magick has its place, as does ceremonial magick. I dislike the sniping of "my magick is better!" from some community practitioners on both sides of the candlestick, so I rarely discuss my preferences such as they are. I perform magick primarily for practical concerns in my life such as money and health, so that I can concentrate my every day life on my spiritual needs; as I understand it, I'm much the opposite of a lot of other Pagans. Most consider magick part of their spiritual life, so that it takes care of their everyday life. Perhaps there's no real separation. |
| Hi!; Magical Focus? Well, As An Occult Supplies Dealer, Before Retiring, Having... | Jul 15th. at 11:17:33 pm EDT |
| Tarostar (Toronto, Ontario CA) | Age: 59 - Email |
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Hi!; Magical focus? Well, as an occult supplies dealer, before retiring, having to have extensive knowledge in all Witchcraft related fields and Paganisms, I would say, bringing the occult out of the darkness. By showing there are no "devils and demons" behind every black candle, but there being a MIND, or group of MINDS working the warp and woof of metaphysical Time and Space. My emphasis has been on training practical occultists to become potent wizards and wizardesses in the field of those traditional "Black Arts". I consider the hearts-and-flowers-bunny-huggers a lost cause and leave them to things like Starwood. |
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