Training

Subject: Re: Training and stuff
To: zee-list
Date: Mon, 17 Feb 1997 08:33:41 -0800 (PST)
From: Fenwick Rysen

lo eskis i

Quoth Dionysus: > Just out of curiousity, how much training have you various z's had? <snip></snip> > Anyway, how have most of you more "experienced" sorceror-type weirdo chaos > d00d's learned? How do ya feel about training? Training? Let's see, born in 1976, so... Round about 21 years now. As far as strictly magickal training (if we ignore life as magickal), almost three years of bouncing around, spending an average of 2-3 hours a day reading everything I can get my hands on, talking with everyone I can (both IRL and on the Internet Beast) and then actually going out and DOING it instead of becoming an armchair magician who likes the philosophy but is too lazy to do the work.

I've never had any real "teachers" because many of them lock themselves into the student-teacher relationship and refuse to learn themselves. The one teacher I did take (for two months) was one I quickly surpassed in skill, who still insisted that she knew more than I did. This was right before she suffered three consecutive nervous breakdowns that were all directly related to the methods she used. She wouldn't listen to a "student" who knew that unless she stopped pushing herself, her methods were dangerous.

I have never been initiated into any magickal orders (yet) because I have found MOST of them to be more interested in politics, power games, ego stroking, and I'll-believe-in-your-magick-if-you-believe-in-mine than in actually doing anything of practical magickal value.

As far as how I feel about teaching... I advise people to learn from whoever you want, to never be afraid to disagree or abandon a teacher when the time is right, and to be very cautious of the people who step forward too quickly and say "I'll teach you" --- More often those types need you more than you need them.

A magician can also learn a great deal from non-magicians. For instance, a few college-level classes in Sociology, Social Psychology, Comparative Religions, and any Sciences can oftentimes be of more use than an entire bookshelf of texts on labelled "metaphysics/magick".

It is my belief (at this moment) that a magician's training should include ALL aspects of life, not just the metaphysical. Life itself is magickal. Life is the best teacher you could have.

___ o | --Fenwick Rysen / .__|__. | ___ | / |