(no subject)
22 September 2019 07:35![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
haptalaonA major thing all the big traditions get wrong is, I think, the idea thst attaining a certain grade of magic qualifies you to teach, lead, or guide ritual. Teaching classes and mentoring individuals; running a group, both the loud charismatic stuff and the difficult, patient community-building; and crafting ritual experiences which are meaningful, educational, otherworldly, with the right mood for the occasion. These are all different, difficult skillsets, and being an experienced or advanced mage does not grant any special skills in those areas, alas.
I do get the fundamental idea that the senior mage is most likely to have things to teach - although this is less true nowadays, where traditional year and a day material is trivial to find on your own. And is more likely to have the respect and network of relationship to help him lead - although this is by no means guaranteed, because he's also had more time to make enemies. And maybe her spirit relationship truly are deeper, but it doesn't mean she's able to facilitate those relationships well for others.
A more deeper problem is that then, we don't have any "mysticism" paths or titles equivalent to something like High Priest, which recognises the seniority of a person but not as a teacher or leader. The only way we have of establishing ourselves as Wayfinders of our craft is...teaching, leading ritual, founding groups. We don't have equivalents to, say, a monk or a holy man or similar devotional specialists, who are recognised community wide but who are primarily solitary and reflective.
I really wish we could decouple the two. I've always thought that a term like "receptionist" should be applied to the group leader, rather than Queen of the Witches or The Man In Black or The High Priestess, a fancy name with prestige. Receptionists handle admin, book the hall, answer the telephone, reply to emails, contact participants, and cover when their bosses have failed to do their job. I think this is a very good description of the fundamentals of group-running, and a humble term like "receptionist" ensures the right people apply for it
I do get the fundamental idea that the senior mage is most likely to have things to teach - although this is less true nowadays, where traditional year and a day material is trivial to find on your own. And is more likely to have the respect and network of relationship to help him lead - although this is by no means guaranteed, because he's also had more time to make enemies. And maybe her spirit relationship truly are deeper, but it doesn't mean she's able to facilitate those relationships well for others.
A more deeper problem is that then, we don't have any "mysticism" paths or titles equivalent to something like High Priest, which recognises the seniority of a person but not as a teacher or leader. The only way we have of establishing ourselves as Wayfinders of our craft is...teaching, leading ritual, founding groups. We don't have equivalents to, say, a monk or a holy man or similar devotional specialists, who are recognised community wide but who are primarily solitary and reflective.
I really wish we could decouple the two. I've always thought that a term like "receptionist" should be applied to the group leader, rather than Queen of the Witches or The Man In Black or The High Priestess, a fancy name with prestige. Receptionists handle admin, book the hall, answer the telephone, reply to emails, contact participants, and cover when their bosses have failed to do their job. I think this is a very good description of the fundamentals of group-running, and a humble term like "receptionist" ensures the right people apply for it
