The Doing-It-Wrong Culture
& The Craft
Instagram, TikTok, and the like have been a great way to stay in touch with your community throughout this Coronovirus Global Pandemic. If you’re like me, it’s allowed you to expand and strengthen your community and relationships. But, you must remember it’s full of haters and dictators, too. That said, as mentioned before, it’s also full of love and teachers. You have to decide which one you are and if you’ll make space for the other.
For every post where practioners of the Craft say “you’re doing it wrong” there’s at least one if not more with, “here’s what I do, maybe it’ll work for you, too” post. I tend to be attracted to the latter and try my best to model it as well. The former however seems counter to all that Witchcraft offers those on its path.
That said, we all get in a mood sometimes and it’s easy to hit that button and bomb a missive into the ether of the Internet. So perhaps we need to ask ourselves – this is something I tried to get teach my children: T.H.I.N.K. Before You Speak (or post, as the case may be).
Let’s look closely at those parameters again:
T – is it True?
H – is it Helpful?
I – is it Inspiring?
N – is it Necessary?
K – is it Kind?
If what you’re about to put out into the world as a constructive criticism is a knee jerk, maybe take a breath and run it through a filter. And I don’t mean the Moon filter, but rather, check whether it supports the T.H.I.N.K. frame work. Because otherwise, edicts of “you’re doing it wrong” will fall flat and maybe even get you your own cancel hashtag.
In regards to being a witch and practicing, I believe, and most witches I know do as well, that inclusion is the key to determining if you’re walking a legit path. Do we want to exclude hate and oppression? You betcha! Do we want to include as many people into the world of magical practice? Without a doubt! Prostelyzing is not a core tenet of Witchcraft, which in itself may open the door to these Negative Nancies. But how we leverage inclusivity is just as important as not being exclusive in our creeds. Ranting “you’re doing it wrong, you need to do it like me!” isn’t very inclusive. Refer back to T.H.I.N.K.
Honestly, if someone is doing something that you don’t find authentic, walk away. The Universe will teach that person in due time. And we all started somewhere. As someone who has spent most of her life in the broom closet, huzzah for photos of Tarot spreads, tiktok quick spells for the New Moon, and notifications of the Cosmic Weather. How wonderful that people can be so open with their Craft. Unless someone is being hurt physically, emotionally, mentally, or financially, calling out someone who practices the Craft differently than you do amounts to being a bully, mean girl, and a general judgie mcjudgy pants.
Witches have been judged for too long. Acceptance, leading by example, and minding our own path seems way more like being a Witch, than what the stereotypes would have anyone believe. Don’t understand why someone is practicing a certain way? How about opening up a dialogue and ask questions. Your questions and their answers may teach both of you something.
Here’s hoping teaching with love takes the lead.
I love this Runa. Well said.
Thank you, Cory! Appreciate you taking time to join this conversation.
Love this so much! As someone venturing out of my broom closet…I’m learning a lot about the lay of the land – especially on the ‘gram. So happy to have found your content and this post really rings true for me. 💚🌱
Well Met, Leah Marie! Welcome to my little cottage in the forest of the internet. So glad you’re here and my words brought you goodness.
I think I must be lucky because I haven’t come across any “you’re doing it wrong” posts. I have, however, come across a handful of posts in the last week or two on tiktok where the person is genuinely putting forward something that is potentially harmful or *actually* wrong. But I didn’t have the energy to explain that “fairies” are not abducting thousands of people across the US every year, OR if you feel like you are being followed you absolutely should not ignore that gut instinct.
Those two things in particular have really upset me because I can feel the potential harm they could do to someone who is easily led.
But on the whole, one of the many attractions of the craft is that it’s more about intention and YOU than the ‘right way’. And in that way it *can* be so diverse and accessible.
Example, if you can’t burn incense in your rented apartment, you can spritz. If you can’t get 9 light blue candles, you can use a white one. There were witches who only ever used what was to hand, what they could grow themselves or easily aquire. Capitalism creeps into everything and we really need to check ourselves with our craft when it becomes more about buying a specific crystal instead of using a piece of quartz you found in your own land.
I’ll get down off my soap box now🤣
Yes, that is pure wisdom there, Richael. You are the most important part of the Craft.
But also, especially with tarot on tiktok, the amount of “intuitive readers” trying to convince people that the 9 of sword is “good actually, love and light baby” is mind boggelling.
I hear you.