Mr CoffeeBean said:
havent been working in a group, havent been intrested in it, could be i never found a group that seems to be anything to wate time on...
How does this qualify you to give advice?
Avoid hierarchyial (cant spell that word ok..) groups
While this kind of group would not be my cup of tea, there are many very successful groups that operate in a structured way.
If the aim of the group/circle/coven is to teach, then it is likely that there will have to be a hierarchy in place. Students advance based on how much they learn, and their ability. The entire Western Mystery Tradition is based upon this model, and it's foolish to dismiss such a proven system out of hand.
I know many people who have worked through such traditions and have clearly become powerful, well-adjusted, magical workers. It works.
There's a lot to be said for a system that is geared towards exposing the neophyte to magical practices in a guided and methodical fashion. It's not the way for everyone, but I think it's preferable to learning things on your own. And it's safer.
That's positing the notion that the group you are entering is ethical and about their business.
There are ways to suss this out: what is the group's reputation? Who were the initiators of the leaders of the group? Try some simple divination, and see what it suggests.
There are many kinds of groups. Some are for peers, who are on the same level, there are groups that meet just for festivals and only indulge in low-level workings which are mainly celebratory, and then there's the hard-core magical groups.
It all depends on what you want.
i would go fo rsome sort af anarchistic modell for a group.
I would approach such a group with the most caution. "Anarchistic" is often a by-word for shiftless, lazy, unprepared and unfocused behaviour -- all very dangerous elements if you are involved in serious magical practice. I'm all for experimentation, fun, and play in magical rituals, but only if the participants actually know what they are doing.
I would go for a rather small group, its easier to avoid someone taking control then. theres nothing wrong with a bunch of small groups working together...
Why are you so worried about control? A serious magical working requires focused intent, first and foremost. A small group of people who are familiar with one another's habits does work the best, but it still requires consultation, agreement and knowledge to get it to work properly. In a small system you can rotate the roles of the participants, but often it is best if someone leads.
It doesn't have to result in overbearing leaders, and that is the kind of group I would avoid like the plague. Yet, if you are too sensitive to the notion of always being in command then you will not get on with any group.
Proper group work requires everyone to work as a team. If someone wants to insist on their individuality and importance during the work, then it's likely to fail.
Stay away from groups doing drugs... there just a bunch of fucking hippies...
Sorry, I don't agree. It depends on what you refer to as "drugs", and how they are used. As well as the experience of the group members and the aim of the working. Your blanket statement is unhelpful and vague.
Ecstatic states are very common in ritual practice, and they can be achieved in a variety of ways, including drumming, dancing, chanting, etc. Drugs are not necessarily outlawed - but, if it's mentioned the first time you meet the group then that's not a good sign.
i would also dont trust groups who use sex in their rituals... its too easy to turn into abuse.
Again, it depends. I know people who have trained as Tantric practitioners, and sexual practices are a part of the process.
It depends on the group. Of course, if the leaders start making sexual demands on the members of the group then people should seriously question the reasons behind it.
and dogmatism should be avoided.
Why? What's wrong with a bit of dogmatism? It gives the neophytes something to kick against. Often, part of the process is learning the rules, and resenting them, so you can learn how to ignore them. Most people grow in this fashion. Most teachers judge how their students are advancing by how they rebel, and why.
Many teachers can be very unbending and hard on their students at the beginning, and there are very good reasons for this. Later, as the students learns and improves, the relationship between teacher and students changes. Or at least, it should. And the teacher learns from the student too.
thats the reasons i havent found a group i trust yet...
I can see why.
But how about groups that only exist in cyberspace?
Don't get me started on the obvious problems with this model... especially for people with no experience.
arent this thing were on here almost like a group? No group rituals maybe but all of this discussion?
Sure, you can learn a great deal here, but unless you are putting it into practice in some fashion, either alone or with others, then it's just an intellectual exercise. |
