Welcome to Gaia! ::

It's ok about the Speak'n'Spell. I hope you can see its worth as teaching and practicing a magical skill/craft on its own. Spell craft is very different from simple energy manipulation, and sometimes you can think you know one and thus can do both but it doesn't work. But thats a digression from this thread.

I practice magic for many reasons. Each reason is worth several different paragraphs so I'm just going to list the points here and elaborate as I continue. Power, psychic abilities, spiritual development, self improvement, connection with deities, knowledge and insight, development of a school of philosophy, ascension.

Yes. I admit it. I seek power in magic. Magic is a powerful tool and it is one that can be abused. The power I seek is to be able to cause changes in my life in some way shape or form. I have done this many times successfully. I have used this power to gain employment, housing, healing, owed money, and for a successful test market/launch day of my business. This power also allows me to help my friends and family and others if they ask for advice.

This power also helps in psychic abilities and development. In some ways developed psychic abilities and strengths can be considered powers as many people don't take the time to develop the skills we are all naturally born with. Every one has some natural psychic talent, many just tune it out as they grow up as "childish fantasies" (this is why children are more apt to see fairies and spirits than adults in some ways).

Psychic abilities and development gets into spiritual development. Through developing my psychic abilities I will be better able to communicate with spirits and develop a stronger sense of the spiritual nature of things. This can also allow me to better commune with the Gods I worship as well as a deeper understanding as to the nature of the element of "spirit".

Through this all I also wish to use magic to help me work on self improvement. In this I mean accepting all parts of myself and being better able to deal with them. Yes I can use magic for this. The art of transmutation is a magical practice and if I can transmute one lets say emotional energetic state into another emotional and energetic state I can then deal with situations much better and easier. This is something I have worked on and developed through the therapy I am in to help me deal with and maintain my mental illnesses and relationships.

Through this I will gain self knowledge which is key in developing spiritual power. Its also key in being able to ascend, which I will address in a little bit. This self knowledge also makes me better able to serve the Gods and be the best person that I can be.

I will not only gain self knowledge but also knowledge of the cosmos and the nature of reality. I will gain the ability to see the truths within the myths of the past and the present. I will also be able to gain knowledge of the spiritual realms and of the diagram of the cosmos.

In gaining this knowledge and insight I will be able to develop a cohesive unique philosophical school. In this I mean a school of wisdom and insight. This includes the nature of magic and the nature of deities and spirits and the cosmos in general. This school of philosophy will include the philosophy and concepts of ascension and hopefully provide other seekers guides to experience the mysteries of the universe.

Ascension is the other thing I hope to gain out of using magic and working magical rituals and practices for both spiritual goals and daily life goals. Ascension is moving of the entire spirit from having to experience life on the physical vibrational plane and be able to exist on another spiritual plane as guides and the like. Through the use of those eventually ascend to the level of deities.

So yeah. This is why I practice and study magic. Any questions?

For some people a chant and rhyme repeated to help focus and direct their energy is all they need. Other people need the tools to help focus the energy. This is why no two witches or magicians or whatever magical title you want to claim will ever be able to have the same practice or even do the same spell in exactly the same way. This is also why I think its essential we try to learn from one another about how others practice. Maybe we try something their way and we succeed and discuss the success and maybe we fail and discuss the failure or maybe we dont try at all. I feel we all have something to offer each other if we only listen.

That's where the wisdom part came in. I'm not entirely selfish in my actions but I'm not going to deny that I am ultimately in it for myself. Can I serve my communities and my families in doing so? yes. That is the priestess part of my calling, but even in the end it still fills in goals I personally have towards spiritual development.

Being a priestess is a calling I admit. It is something I can't deny any more. People are asking me for guidance and teaching in spiritual development. The Gods have been pulling me in this direction for a while. Can I deny what I have been basically beaten over the head about doing?

However there is power and authority in that position. I feel that as a priestess I can through guiding others also guide myself in deeper spiritual development. I will provide those who come to me with guidance yes, from personal experience and the like, but I will also do the work with them and thus be able to grow at the same time.

You made a point about a teacher vs a guide. I find that the best teachers are the ones that can provide exercises for you to do that they have used themselves, giving you directions, but allowing you to have your personal experiences with those exercises. The context may give you an idea of what they (your teacher) had gained from the exercise, but they shouldn't expect you to have the exact same experience, similar yes but not the same. This is the type of teacher I strive to be.

Wisdom comes from applying knowledge. basically it comes through experience. These can be failures and successes and often times I have found that failures are the best teachers. Wisdom can also come at a price. I have found that wisdom of the nature of the underworlds often require a sacrifice of the self.