Traditions: Teaching groups or brainwashing?

Why is it important to select a tradition? What benefit do they give? Well, several. Now, to be clear, I am not stating that you need to find a lodge, coven or other organization to join although these can be of immense help with your growth and magical practice. That is something we can discuss in the future if there is an interest. I am speaking of finding a tradition. That is, a set of guidelines for practice of magical works. Think of the tradition as elementary school. That is where we all learned to read, do math, and countless other things. A tradition is much like that. It provides you a blueprint of how to do magical work and a structure to start achieving results.

Another thing that a tradition does is to assist in your magical work, even if you are doing a solitary work. As people work with a particular deity or path of magical practice it takes on a life and energy of its own. This energy can be tapped into by someone who is initiated (self-initiated or formally initiated) into the tradition. Once that connection is made, you can draw upon that energy to assist in your work. A tradition that is 20 years old (or 30, or 50, or 100) is not going to have the “juice” that a tradition that such as the Egyptians, which has had energy put into it for thousands of years.

Now, just to be clear, there is no one ultimate or perfect tradition. That being said, there are some that do not provide you the things that you need. If a tradition does not give you the foundations you need to grow spiritually, you should seek out one that will. Unfortunately, there are many these days that have little more than a disorganized collection of psudomagical information that provide little direction. It is definitely a buyer-be-ware world out there for beginning magical students.

Many traditions have oaths of secrecy. Others no not. If this is something that is important to you, you should find out about them. Often it is not to be exclusive, but to protect the privacy of its members. Some draw from a vast number of sources. Others draw from only one. You should be able to ask questions of the tradition and find out if it is the right tradition for you or not. If it is not, seek another. 

One thing I would like to address is the concept that a tradition is going to make you do what it says. As a member of several traditions I can safely say that this is false. A tradition will teach you how it does magical works. When you participate in a group working in that tradition you will be expected to do it the way that you are taught. But no tradition can dictate what you do in your personal practice. Even in a very regimented study program like the one that I am a member of you are expected to learn the basics. This is equivalent to learning how to read in elementary school. Once you learn that, you take that information and make it uniquely yours. 

So, where should you start? Well, I suggest you begin with your interests. Is there a particular mythology or point in history that interests you? That makes a good starting point. Do some research and look into the magical practices of that culture or time period. Look at several different sources because, like many cultures that have faded in time, often their records are lost as well if there ever were any. Check out everything you can find and do not just assume that the information you found is correct. Look into the culture of the time. Does your source sound like it would have been taught in that time?

This brings up the topic of reconstructionism. Many traditions are called “reconstruction” traditions. This means that someone has taken available information on a tradition that no longer exists and built a tradition on what they believe the tradition did. There is nothing wrong with this. In fact, I would estimate that probably 80-90% of all traditions today are to a greater or lesser extent reconstructions. This does not invalidate them. However, if someone is telling you that “This is without a doubt the way that the ancient Greeks (Celts, Egyptians, etc.) did it!” they are probably blowing smoke your way. Their tradition and practice may be ok, but their dishonesty calls their motives into question. 

 

One place to look for a tradition is your ancestry, both your genetic and your spiritual. Contrary to popular belief, every religious tradition has a magical one associated with it, even if it is not accepted by the majority of those practicing their faith. Look into that practice. Explore it. If you are descended from immigrants from another country, look to the magical and spiritual traditions of that country. Now, nothing says you have to limit yourself to that, but if it is a tradition that you have been raised in take a moment and see if it can be developed as a magical tradition. 

Once you have an idea where you want to be, give it a try. Study and work with it. This means doing more than reading. Actually get out and do things with it. Try the practices out. Give it an honest effort. If you don’t, you will never get anywhere with it. A tradition, or any practice for that matter, does you no good if you do not put it to use. This is the one point that I have seen the most people fail at. They select something that they want to do, but then never do it. If you are not working the system how do you expect the system to work for you?

But what if you get into it and you find that the tradition is not for you? Well, you can always change to a different one. There is no rule that says you have to stay with only one thing forever. In fact, most good traditions, after the basics are learned, encourage you to go out and explore, learn new things, and grow spiritually. Remember that no tradition, system or teacher can give you the keys to everything. They all just help you find them for yourself. So, if you feel that you are not being led in the way that is right for you, find another way. 

Now, there is one thing that is important to note. This has been addressed by many authors and is the source of some confusion. You must not stop your spiritual development once it starts. This is one of the reasons that some traditions are secretive and very selective in their admissions process. Stopping your spiritual development can have serious problems. Things such as depression, anxiety and other serious mental illnesses have been brought on by stopping the process of evolution once it has been started. That does not mean that you have to stick with the same tradition, but once you start there is no going back. We can not go back into ignorance of the things we have learned.