#chaoticwanderings

[thepaganstudygrouppage]

Personal opinions! When it comes to divination, what is your favourite way and what is a particularly memorable message you have received?

Personally? Tarot or stichomancy. The most memorable message I ever received had to be when I used Pride and Prejudice to read for others, and every person received a different quote but whenever I read for myself I got the following quote over and over again:

“Pleased with the preference of one, and offended by the neglect of the other, on the very beginning of our acquaintance, I have courted prepossession and ignorance, and driven reason away, where either were concerned. Till this moment I never knew myself.“

The last sentence always hit me hard.

~Wanderings

Throwing the bones or using similar casting sets (I have a brief tag for it here).  What stands out to me was less the message itself, although it was helpful, so much as how much easier it is for me to connect with a system using objects that I already have connections with, like tiny childhood toys or my mother’s teeth.  For someone who gets as impatient as I learning whole new systems of symbols or images, and who likes being able to hold and fidget with things, it’s fucking brilliant.

- mountain hound

[thepaganstudygrouppage]

I have adhd and keep forgetting to practice and I'm worried that I'm not "faithful" enough or something just bc my disability makes it hard to remember and dedicate a lot of time to it? Would my goddess understand?

Most deities are VERY understanding about this kind of thing. Just do the best that you can and set aside time for them when you’re able to. I wouldn’t worry too much about this :)

~Wanderings

[thepaganstudygrouppage]

Hello, I recently saw on your blog that you had said to someone "Wicca is centered around the idea of gods and goddess" regarding to their question. So I was just wondering if you could help me out, I personally don't believe gods and goddess are in a "Human form" and they're more of a force of energy if you will? Is that okay? I'm still fairly new to Wicca so before I got far I figured I would ask just in case it's wrong of me.

This is one common paradigm regarding deities and is perfectly acceptable. The key point is that the god and goddess, whether in humanoid form or energy, are a part of your practice since they’re central to Wicca.

~Wanderings

[thepaganstudygrouppage]

Do you have any advice for a college student who wants to start a pagan pride club at their campus?

Sure! Your first step will probably be to visit your school’s office of Student Life (or whatever equivalent they call it) and acquire the proper paperwork for the club. They’ll explain everything you need to create the club.

You’ll need to find a teacher who is willing to be your advisor. Depending on their schedule, they may be very active in the club or you might never see them. Either way, most colleges require an advisor. You may also have to show proof of interest in the club, usually with student signatures. 

Once you actually get the club approved you’ll want to take care of filling leadership positions (President, VP, Treasurer, Secretary), especially if your club is going to take part in any kind of fundraising or activism. Fundraising is especially important, because if you plan on doing any fun activities you’ll either be paying out of pocket or using club funds. I know at my college clubs aren’t given funding by the school, only official organizations.

Organization is the biggest thing. Having a plan for each meeting, strong communication between officers, and creating a safe environment for the students. And don’t forget to have fun! Look up interesting icebreakers for each meeting and really give everyone a chance to get to know each other. 

A word of caution: Predatory behavior in Pagan circles isn’t uncommon. Predators see these circles of often young people searching for guidance as easy targets. Keep an eye out for this kind of behavior and nip it in the bud. Make sure the students know that the club is a safe space and if a member is being predatory toward them they can come to you, your advisor, or public safety.

Best of luck to you!

~Wanderings

[thepaganstudygrouppage]

My sister loves baking, and I love witchcraft, and I've recently discovered that you can do both at the same time?!??? do you have any idea where i could find some witchy recipes?

I strongly recommend you give the kitchen witchcraft tags both on our blog and in the general tumblr tags a look, I think you’ll find a lot of amazing things that will pique your interest!

~Wanderings

before asking | faq+tags | resource blog

[thepaganstudygrouppage]

Hi, lately I haven't been feeling like I am in my body. There will be times when I will be talking and I 'go out' of my body and I will be 'watching' myself talk (I will think 'why am I saying that' or something else when I'm out of my body) and then kinda go back into my body. It's kinda like I am observing myself. I also then don't feel like something is real and will zone out and think 'what is real'. It's hard to explain but it is happening a lot and I don't do drugs/alcohol. Thank you!

You sound like you might be dissociating. Here is a link that will help you understand dissociation better, but keep in mind that everyone dissociates from time to time, and occasional dissociation does not automatically mean you have a disorder. If it is a reoccurring theme and causes problems for you then you should see a mental health care professional.

~Wanderings

before asking | faq+tags | resource blog

[thepaganstudygrouppage]

is it possible to have had a familiar who came and went before you ever truly started getting into magic and even knew what a familiar was? because ive always had interest in anything even remotely similar to magic but am just starting to really learn about it now but i had a cat who i had most of my life and was very close and dear to me and i'm just wondering if this was a thing? also what do you do after a familiar dies? i'd feel terrible trying to have a new one after that.

Personally, I don’t really think so. Familiars aren’t just animals you feel deeply connected to, they are animals that aid you in your magical practices. They help you with magic. If your cat never did this, they couldn’t have been your familiar. However, there’s always a possibility that they could have been, had you gotten into magic sooner or they had lived longer. 

Familiars aren’t nearly as common as people make them out to be. Many magic users will never have a familiar let alone more than one (I’m not saying it’s not possible, however - some magical practitioners have had multiple familiars!)

Perhaps by the time someone encountered a new familiar they would be ready to move on from the last *shrug*. Your millage may vary, as always!

~Wanderings

[thepaganstudygrouppage]

Is there a way to curse/hex someone halfway across the world? There's this stalker online who keeps bothering my friend and I, we can't block or ban him. And we don't know his real name or have a real picture of him so I can't do any of the traditional curses. Could you offer advice?

Do you have his url? A lot of people have a deep personal connection with their url, not to mention all the energy they’ve tied to it with their interactions with other people. A url can definitely work!

You really should try to block him though, even if you have to block his IP or contact the website and report him. People like that are not safe, no matter how far away from you they are.

~Wanderings