The rating system is only meant for spells and articles that are grammatically correct. When I was an Editor, we were told never to rank grammatically correct spells as one star, but to mark them as spam. A lot of people don't realize that is the point of the rating system, and if we are to utilize it, we need to get people to rate it correctly and realize what it is in reality.
The other thing we need to do is have a big enough sign in the main forum for newbies to see, or even be directed to, that will help familiarize them with SoM's systems. Actually talking to newbies about this, and helping them discern what spells can and can't be real, is what is going to help them in the long run, should they choose to stay and/or actually learn from the spells posted here.
Concerning the discernment of real and fake spells isn't something we can just tell them is right or wrong, we have to get them to critically think about why they are right or wrong in such a way that they can forge an understanding on their own. This brings into question the ranking/reputation system and another flaw in the usage of it; the difference between Fluffy and Beginner members. Not many people actually know the difference, including Knowledgeable members who are able to rank others; especially those members, as they are the ones who can "fix" it.
Fluffy
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A member who claims physically impossible feats
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A member who refuses to learn from their mistakes
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A problematic member, such as bullies or spammers
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A member who is far too immature (this is a huge factor that gets missed)
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A member who uses the site for role play, whether or not they think what they are doing is reality.
Beginner
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A member who is new and has not yet understood the difference between reality and fantasy.
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A member who may have years of experience, but does not understand what they are doing and offers flawed advice to others.
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A member who can learn to accept the difference between fantasy and reality once it is pointed out.
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A member who is not role playing.
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A member who may be misguided in what they have learned, but is willing to "unlearn" for the sake of learning proper.
Pausing the earlier thought, we also need to explain the difference between Beginner and Novice, as well as Novice and Knowledgeable. I'm leaving the Adept rank out of this explanation as the only real difference between Knowledgeable and Adept is that Adepts are supposed to have decades of experience as well as a showing of helping others understand occultism.
Novice
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A member who is new, but has a firm grasp of what is real and what is not.
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A member who has years of experience and understands what they are doing.
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A member who is mature enough to give correct advice on matters they understand.
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A member who specializes in one area, but not others and cannot offer advice outside of their own realm of practice.
Knowledgeable
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A member who has years of experience in their own path.
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A member who may not practice all of what they know, but understands matters outside of their own practices and beliefs.
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A member who can discern falsehoods and be mature in dealing with them.
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A member who aids the community in such a way that they help others understand occult subjects.
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A member who is capable of a proper judgment of character in others as they have the capability of reflecting that in others' profile reputations within SoM.
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A member who can aptly discuss subjects (as again, ranks are given by what people see of others).
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A member who is a part of the community and actively guides newbies.
This is what the system was meant to be, though it is not always how it is treated. It has been abused by many, and enough so to the point where it is recognized by the entire community. However, there are extremists on both ends of the spectrum that inflate it to be what it is not; those who have been abused by it, those who think they've been abused by it for not understanding the system, those who believe the ranking system is a measure of their worth, and those who are actually abusing the system (whether they understand or know it or not).
The abuse that happens is when people treat the reputation ranks as means to their own goals (like those who try to become friends with "higher ups" for the sake of getting a better rank, or those who rank others inaptly for the sake of their friends or viewed "enemies"), or when people misunderstand what the ranks are supposed to mean. Many Knowledgeable and newer members fall prey to quick and inept judgment, often mistaking Beginners for Fluffies because this community has a certain way of thinking that has become ingrained in the cycle of social interaction. It's a perpetual movement and one that needs to break if we are ever to grow as a whole community, not just our little cliques often spite other cliques in bad blood.
One way to combat this catch 22 situation is to take a step back and look at things for what they are: facts, opinions, differing beliefs, and understanding that we do not know everything and that everyone is always learning. I may be considered a Knowledgeable member, but there is still much I have to learn and I'm only just beginning to acknowledge that my beliefs are not a building block for others' beliefs.
I was taught that there is a cosmological model for existence that is inclusive of all religions, beliefs, and practices that do not attempt to break the laws of physics. I understand it to be the physical plane, the etheric plane, and at least the astral plane, with the subtle (nonphysical) planes housing the realms that are pertinent to each belief. I understand the etheric plane to be adjacent to the physical, and thus the energy is denser, harder to consciously work with if one hasn't been consciously exposed to doing so before, and that it is almost always directly tied to something physical. This is where animism thrives in the sense that everything physical has a subtle counterpart as the belief is that physical reality is manifested from the subtle planes. The astral plane is not so directly tied to the physical, and thus is easier for many to work with is it is considered a "higher" plane and one more attuned to consciousness and subconsciousness. Because of not being directly tied to the physical plane, the energy is not as dense is where I believe most people practice their magic in manifesting their desires (physical actions [including mental] are reflected etherically and astrally in such a way that the chance begins in the astral plane, which in turn changes etheric energy, which then changes physical energy; because the physical plane is the densest form of energy, it is not changed directly by our minds, but by creating and setting up situations and subtle "changes" that manifest a path of action.
This system of order and chaos works for me, and I've often used it as a first exposure to newbies in understanding how magic works. However, I've discussed this at length with others who are more seasoned in what they do than newbies are, who have nothing to do with my system, that are just fine with their practices and beliefs and challenge my own; for while I can see how their beliefs and practices fit in my own paradigm, they've ignored it entirely and are still successful at what they do with their understandings of things.
This drives home the point that while a paradigm may work extremely well, and for many at that, things that have become set in stone for me are not universal. Once we all understand that nothing is truly universal, we can begin to help others understand that, and offer guidance in such a way that helps them grow on their own. I once had an art teacher named Mr. Saunders (bless that man), who refused to tell me my art was done right or wrong, and even wen to lengths to teach me that just because a technique works, does not mean it is the only technique, nor is it right for everyone. We should not be judged on our capability to imitate others, but by our capability to grow from more than what we were before in such a way that we can enjoy.
Systems and order is meant to help communities and mentalities grow, though as is severely evident, they are not used that way by the people who enforce them or by the people who are affected by them. Do you know what to do when you can't beat the system? You do something about it; you make it work for you, as was meant to be. This requires change on a grand scale, and can be intimidating, but it all starts with a small spark; a spark that is each of us as individuals. Kindle that spark of critical thought and individuality in others, and they grow in desire to continue kindling that spark in others around them. Then, before you know it, there's a flash fire that erupts and destroys the overgrowth of what is no longer needed. I use this metaphor as it is appropriate for the goal and name of this coven; Natural Magick. Everything has natural order, and if you're awake and smart enough to realize that, you can utilize it.
So for every current member and new member that reads this, I leave you with a choice. Do you let the dust and downtrodden path overtake you as you become set in the ways of those before and around you? Or do you want to change that which you see is not working for you; for all, in order to salvage the present and the future of yourself and others in developing yourselves to be greater than the sum of your parts?
