The role of the teacher in magic

» FaireMaiden - Lessons Well Learned

Greetings to thee, *vbs*... I be the FaireMaiden, and new to this site, {curtsy's deeply}

I was most pleased to read yer recent article on the 'magickal teachers' in our lives, *s*

Alas, having traversed a magickal path for these many years I, too, have encountered those 'teachers' that have left me feeling bereft o' mine own conviction and confidence... nae only in mine abilities, but in the verra purpose o' the quest itself... Like thee, I was left with wondering, 'why am I studying/practicing/doing all this?'

And, like thee, felt a kind o' 'betrayal', at the time, by these 'teachers'... And, again, like thee, also came to a new realization... that these verra ones who so challenge us, who so make us question, who so make us feel uncomfortable, {for their teaching be quite unlike that o' a 'mother's love'-- all-embracing, comforting and welcoming-- and more like that o' the 'taskmaster'-- such as the 'zen master with a stick', as ye put it, *lol*}, be just the ones we so require, tho we 'see' it not... Alas, I came to undertstand that the 'teaching', {the sitting with and sharing time in the presence o' these ones}, be more reminiscent o' a psychological/emotional 'healing' that was taking place, as opposed to the 'seeming' reason mentoring was sought to begin with on my part-- to acquire further Intellectual Knowledge and the perfection o' Technique...

Alas, with great Technique and Knowledge comes great Responsiblity, aye??? And 'tis to this 'Responsibility' that, for me, these particular kinds o' teachers be placed upon our path... In a verra true sense, they be nae teaching us anything a'tall... but rather showing us the 'mirror', as ye so succinctly divined, *s*, thereby forcing us to step off the path o' Technique, and onto the path o' Wisdom... E'er must there be such Balance, aye??? Technique and Knowledge nae tempered by Wisdom be naught but Power run amok... {and I have run into enough o' those, as well, *lol*... indeed, some o' the verra 'teachers' we be speaking o' here were like that... Methinks ye know whereof I speak in this, for as thou hast stated, ye knew ye didna want to 'be like him'}...

Wisdom be the foundation o' Integrity... and if we be still damaged in some way, {emotionally, mentally, psychologically, spiritually-- and, truly, who o' us has nae been hurt by incarnation into this world in some manner???}, it WILL reflect upon {be mirrored in} our magickal doings... It canna help but do so, for the Law o' Cause and Effect makes it so... This 'shadowed' energy, tho hidden from our own eyes, be existent... and in magick, {as well as in all our worldly doings}, will show itself either passively or aggressively... To our great salvation, *vbs*, it be these verra 'teachers' ye speak of, that force us to 'see' what we dinna want to see... that we still have 'inner' work to do on our personal selves... the work o' Purification, the work o' Perfection, the work o' Understanding, the work o' the Soul... In this, then, will all our 'doings', magickal and otherwise, be laden/reflected/mirrored with the inherent, integral 'BEING' that we ARE-- that o' a distributing agent o' Love and Goodwill... {and in this, I include the Art o' Creative Destruction as well}...

For me, in order to come to such 'realization and actualization' as we further on the path, 'tis verily these particular kinds o' teachers that apply the psycho/spiritual 'Trial by Fire' so necessary for all such selfish, arrogant, proud, vain, and manipulative machinations, {unconscious on our part, to be sure}, to be purified and transmuted into Selfless Service, Dignity, Nobleness, and Stewardship...

Thank ye so much for the remembrance, *s*

-- posted by FaireMaiden

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» eibhlin - good points

These are some very good insights into teachers and the learning experience (aka "life") in general.

I think that our beliefs become stronger when we're shaken to the core by things that we trusted in, in the past. By forcing us to more closely examine the bedrock of our beliefs and practices, we emerge stronger in our faith.

Good stuff. Thanks, and blessed be!

Fiona Broome, CE: Spiritual Philosophy

-- posted by eibhlin

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» TaylorE - Re: good points

In response to good points posted by eibhlin:

Hello Eibhlin,

Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed the article. I agree it is good to get your faith shaken up a bit.

-- posted by TaylorE

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» TaylorE - Re: Lessons Well Learned

In response to Lessons Well Learned posted by FaireMaiden:

Hello Fairemaiden,

Well thank you for commenting. You definitely helped illustrate my points in the article with your thoughtful commentary. It's a pleasure to meet you as well.

-- posted by TaylorE

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