'Witchcraft 201' or 'Advanced Fluff'?
Hello community! I've not introduced myself formally - if I post you'll get to know me that way.
I've been out of practice for sixth months, and the little experience I had before that was almost entirely straight-from-the-book. I've read a few more books since then, and I have a few questions I'd prefer to address before I restart my practical work. I'd be glad for all advice, as I'd like to know whether I'm thinking 'Witchcraft 201' or 'Advanced Fluff'.
All the circles I cast in my past experience were based on standard Neo-Wicca practice (the only 'tradition' I have any experience of): cleansing and focusing my energy, invoking/inviting the elements, marking the circle with a dagger, unwinding the opposite way, grounding afterwards - this sufficed and succeeded for all my previous magical work, lunar meditations etc. Now, with a bit more independent thinking done, and I'd like to change my practice.
In the past, I only ever cast a circle/cast a spell/meditated indoors for convenience and privacy, as I favoured sky-clad with ritual jewellery. After months of thought, however, I am drawn to the outdoors for magic more than ever, and to a more personalised practice.
I feel uncomfortable with the Wiccan elemental-correspondence use on a few levels. I use few symbolic representations in my spell work, my favoured format being a petition with an offering - along with my own focus and will, of course. I forage for most of my material, locally available herbs, tree material and the like. As such, I'd like my magic to reflect the environment from which it is derived. I'm familiar with the idea of altering the directions to suit your location, but I feel a little... uneasy about calling Fire energies in my location (hemmed in by rivers and marshes, fairly north geographically and thus cold and wet). Still, I'd feel equally uneasy calling on the elements with one of them omitted; I respect the Western concept of the four elements in balance.
I know from experience the need for a circle to be protected, so my idea for replacing the elementals in circle casting is to become more acquainted with the nature and spirits of the local land in which I intend to work and call upon the protective elements indigenous to the area.
I ask for your two cents: should I work on moving away from the traditional four elements completely, or learn to adapt the elements?
I've been out of practice for sixth months, and the little experience I had before that was almost entirely straight-from-the-book. I've read a few more books since then, and I have a few questions I'd prefer to address before I restart my practical work. I'd be glad for all advice, as I'd like to know whether I'm thinking 'Witchcraft 201' or 'Advanced Fluff'.
All the circles I cast in my past experience were based on standard Neo-Wicca practice (the only 'tradition' I have any experience of): cleansing and focusing my energy, invoking/inviting the elements, marking the circle with a dagger, unwinding the opposite way, grounding afterwards - this sufficed and succeeded for all my previous magical work, lunar meditations etc. Now, with a bit more independent thinking done, and I'd like to change my practice.
In the past, I only ever cast a circle/cast a spell/meditated indoors for convenience and privacy, as I favoured sky-clad with ritual jewellery. After months of thought, however, I am drawn to the outdoors for magic more than ever, and to a more personalised practice.
I feel uncomfortable with the Wiccan elemental-correspondence use on a few levels. I use few symbolic representations in my spell work, my favoured format being a petition with an offering - along with my own focus and will, of course. I forage for most of my material, locally available herbs, tree material and the like. As such, I'd like my magic to reflect the environment from which it is derived. I'm familiar with the idea of altering the directions to suit your location, but I feel a little... uneasy about calling Fire energies in my location (hemmed in by rivers and marshes, fairly north geographically and thus cold and wet). Still, I'd feel equally uneasy calling on the elements with one of them omitted; I respect the Western concept of the four elements in balance.
I know from experience the need for a circle to be protected, so my idea for replacing the elementals in circle casting is to become more acquainted with the nature and spirits of the local land in which I intend to work and call upon the protective elements indigenous to the area.
I ask for your two cents: should I work on moving away from the traditional four elements completely, or learn to adapt the elements?