Hello everyone. I am a brand new member even though I have been in this website for a long time. The reason I joint if finally because I am almost confident that I have powers but I am not sure how to use them properly, which really irritates me. I can make things happen sometimes but not all the time. I knew this since I was a little girl and now I really want to learn and able to utilize my powers. I am asking for any kind of advise. I kind devote my time full time for this but I want to learn enough so I can use my powers. I am very certain I have it. Please let me know if you have any advise for me or anything I can do to make myself better. Thank you in advance.
Can you explain further what you believe is happening because of you? Mind you, claiming "supernatural" powers can be seen as role-playing on the site.
I won't bring up the potential "role playing/ make believe" as everyone knows this site is for real witches only, we don't tolerate people that say "I'm the reincarnation of Hecate" or "I have vanquished Lucifer" etc. However if you simply do not know the proper terms to refer to magical practice as we all were similar to that when we first began our own magical practices going from an untapped witch to a practicing witch, awakening that spark we had within ourselves. Then I would say if you are a beginner witch stick to your energy work, your basic practices , centering, grounding, visualization, energy manipulation, energy sensing, These things are all going to be really useful and make up like the foundation of your magical practice. Anything on top of that is really a bonus. Herbs , crystals , and other items like candles are tools we can add into our practice but they aren’t a necessity for it. You make can find some articles to get you started if you believe this applies to you.
Starting Out: http://www.spellsofmagic.com/read_post.html?post=71692
The Basics Expanded: http://www.spellsofmagic.com/read_post.html?post=483942
Visualization: http://www.spellsofmagic.com/read_post.html?post=526472
Centering + Grounding: http://www.spellsofmagic.com/read_posts.html?post=829288
How to write a spell: http://www.spellsofmagic.com/read_post.html?post=829629
Troubleshooting Spells: http://www.spellsofmagic.com/read_post.html?post=846276
Indeed the term 'powers' has lots of connotations these days, and many of them are influenced by or inspired from the various branches of our entertainment industry. So referring to one's magical leanings as powers tends to carry associations and assumptions colored in an.... un-favorable light.
But, what term does a person use when exploring something that is unfamiliar and new, when they do not have the experience or knowledge of others to draw from? The instinct is always to adapt terms from what is familiar. If there is no good word for something that is not even really understood, we rely by necessity on what is familiar, and if not entirely accurate at least analogous to what is being experienced. That is just how language and communication works. If you can't describe what a thing -is-, you go to the next best thing. What it is -like-.
So, long introduction short, while yes I agree the choice of description is inaccurate, don't feel bad or embarrassed about it (or about being corrected). It is good fuel for learning.
To be a bit more constructive; A person's connection to magic , spirituality, ... or anything in general really, has little to do with actions or (in the case of magic) abilities. Magic isn't a list of effects a person can generate, and by proxy a list of things they can't. It is a skill and a practice which anyone can learn about and develop if they so choose. The only pre-requisite to learning and practicing magic is having the desire to do so.
Magic is a practice of engaging mindfulness, using intent, and bringing your attention towards the subtle influences around us. As you mature into a practice you often become a wearer of many hats. Historian, psychologist, philosopher, scientist, ... chemical engineer (Think herbs their chemicals and interactions), studier of religion, spiritualist, and many other things which depend on where your practice takes you. The core of it all being Self discovery and personal growth.
Some of these things come easier for some people. Some of these things come harder for others. Not because of some sort of for-granted 'gift' or 'power' you somehow just have. But by your attitudes and predisposition. People all have their own ways of observing and understanding the world. Some have difficulty recognizing anything which can not be seen or touched. They are predisposed to relying on physical proofs and experiences, and so those become the basis they learn from. Others might see wonder and excitement in the intangible, finding they are pre-disposed to the emotional connections between cause and effect.
This colors what they might choose to believe or dis-believe. What experiences they choose to accept or reject. Just as some people are good with memory and numbers might have an easier time learning math, but might have no interest in the intricacies and symbolism of language and so would have difficulty in learning about poetry. It doesn't mean a person has math 'powers'. It just means their interests favor it. Just as it doesn't mean he -can't- learn about poetry, just that it might take more effort and a different angle of understanding. Perhaps learning to enjoy poetry through the patterns of rhyme, or the cadence of syllables, or otherwise turning poetry into something familiar. Patterns and formulas.
To finally get to my (characteristically) long and meandering point; If you feel like you have a connection or predisposition towards magic, you can explore it by exploring yourself. Observe your interests and preferences. If you feel a calling or interest in learning what magic is, where it comes from, and how such practices (and maybe the religion and history around them) might teach you new things, then there might be a reason for it. You might have an attitude of exploration and wonder that leans you towards such things. If so, follow it. Ask questions. Find books. Learn, and see where that learning takes you.
Heh, like usual I have an adage that rings apropos. The original phrase of the axiom is "Many are called. Few are chosen." ... But in my experiences I have come to re-coin it into something that I think is a bit more accurate;
