Witches School?

[Thorferrer]

Does anyone know any background of "witches school .com" ? Are they reputable?

"www.witchschool.com"

[Pan]

I've not done it, myself, but I've heard mixed feelings about it. I guess it just depends on who you are.

[Tammy Sullivan]

for basic lessons etc. witchschool is great

[Faery-Wings]

I signed up at witchscool.com. Mostly to give me some organization in my studies. As with anything I read, I take it as one source of information, one perspective of belief. I am working on the first degree final exam now. if you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

[Rævyn Cigány]

Well, I'm about to take my Final Exam at that school...the lessons are very informative and the excercises are challenging and even fun... I'd say it's pretty credible :)

B*B

Rae )O(

[Thorferrer]

What perspectives does it focus on. Is it history based, hypothetically based, a bit of everything, or does it try and focus on 'teaching' the student spells, potions, ect.?

[fire_Raven]

Half the classes i wanted to take, you had to play for, and i knew half the stuff in the lessons i did take... but the tests annoyed me because they asked questions about things i didn't concider important

[Cinnamon Girl]

Thorferrer, there was a thread on this in New Pagan a while back. Here's the link (and the second post in this thread offers links to more threads on the subject. :) )

http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17857&highlight=witchschool

Hope this helps!

[Faery-Wings]

Fire_Raven, I totally agree about the tests. They drive me nutty sometimes!

[Wyrdsister]

I'm working on my First Degree at Witchschool.com as well. I've enjoyed the course so far, as well has the opportunity to learn about a specific Wiccan tradition (in this case, it's the Correllian Nativist tradition). It's not often you get to learn the specifics of a certain tradition unless you've already committed to it whole-heartedly (e.g. Gardnerian, Alexandrian, etc.).

I agree with the comments about the tests. While the lesson materials are pretty good, the tests are annoying at best, stupid at worst! I'm not crazy about the "multiple-choice" style questions. Do you really want to get a First Degree by multiple choice? I was hoping for something a bit more challenging.

If you want to have a structure to your basic Wiccan studies, then I'd recommend Witchschool.com's FD programme. But keep in mind that you can only do so much through an online education program (especially in spiritual studies).

Just my $4.58 Can! (2 cents US)

Wyrdsister

[MidnightSun]

I took the whole FD program and passed the test. I think that if you are going for learning the basics...it's a great thing to sign up for. :)

[shnen]

heres another one, its free, but they wont give you classes till you've been there for 3 months...

http://www.allwitch.com/classes.html

[AmbivalentMirage]

Now they just need to make a qabbalah school that doesn't cost a bazillion dollars. ;) If this knowledge is so sacred, shouldn't it be FREE?! *stops before he rants* hehe

[Amethyst Rose]

Maybe I'm being paranoid and a little un-trustworthy but.....
this description taken from their website:

"CHANCELLOR AND FIRST PRIEST
Rev. Donald Lewis-Highcorrell, HP

Rev. Donald Lewis-Highcorrell is First Priest and Paramount High Priest of the Correllian Tradition, and at Mabon of Year 0 Aquarius was acclaimed Chancellor of the Tradition as well.

As Chancellor of the Tradition Don is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Tradition, and all matters affecting it.

The Chancellor is empowered to act on behalf of the Tradition's leadership, both severally and as a whole, to ensure the smooth running of the Tradition."

strikes me as being a little cultish. One of the reasons why I believe in Wicca is that there is no high authority figure, no leader of the religion (like say, the Pope)....so this just gives me the willies. This alone turned me off of trying them out.

[Mithrea]

*sigh*

Please don't make me give my standard lecture about the use of the word "cult" :mad:

[Amethyst Rose]

I didn't say it was as cult, just that it struck me as "cultish" as in "blindly-following-one-leader- ish". Perhaps it would have been better if I'd said that?

[Mithrea]

To say that something is "cultish" implies there is something bad in the word "cult" and there is not. Sorry but the MISuse of that word gets me on my soapbox.

[Amethyst Rose]

Okay, sorry.

What I should have said was that the witchschool's extensive hierarchy, ie. having a Chancelor and "First Priest and Paramount High Priest" (as well as First Priestess, and First Elder), who run the ENTIRE Tradition (not just one coven) struck me as being very follow-one-leader-ish, that I do not find suitable to Wicca, as I know it.

Is that better? :D

[Mithrea]

Okay then :)

But a couple of days ago, you posted about wanting to be a part of a tradition. Can you tell me how that is different? Not being a part of any specific tradition myself, I don't see the difference. One person or one small group of people runnig everything seems the same to me. Could you clarify for my edification please? :D

[Amethyst Rose]

That's a good point, but (in my mind, at least), there is a difference in have a High Priest or Priestess running a coven of a few people, than there is having one high holy Chancelor and his priests and elders sitting under him in a council to run an ENTIRE tradition.
In comparison, it's like the rector of an Anglican rectory versus the Pope of the Catholic church (that's not the best example I can come up with, but those are the only two Christian religions I know anything about).
It's like this.... one of the appeals of Wicca to me is that it is not an "organized" religion...in there is not one leader that makes all the rules and everyone must answer to. If I choose to study with a coven, and find I don't like the High Priestess, then I can leave and find another coven. But if I choose to study with a tradition and don't like the high leader of that tradition, there's nothing I can do about it.
Why do I have the feeling that I'm not making any sense? Is it just because it's past my bedtime? :)

[Mithrea]

I guess what I wasn't seeing is how you can say that the lack of organization is what attracted you to Wicca on one hand, and that you feel left out because you aren't a part of a tradition on the other hand because to be a part of a tradition is to be organized. I don't see how that gels but then again, we are allowed to be paradoxes and you don't have to justify your beliefs to me, I'm just making conversation :lol: :D

yeah, past my bedtime too :(

[Amethyst Rose]

Yeah, I get you :). One of the reasons I've been bobbing back and forth between the trad, no-trad thing (I mean, I've been looking into finding a trad for at least 3 years) is because I don't know how I'd be in a more organized structure. I think I make a really good solitary, but it's lonely for me and there's just so much more that I want to know. I won't know if it's for me unless I try it, I guess.
(sorry for veering so off topic from your original question, Thorferrer.)

[Mithrea]

Fair enough ;)


The OT is tooootally my fault. Sorry!

[Thorferrer]

Hey, no problem guys (not trying to be gender specific here :lol ) I do it all the time, plus, since I am so green in all areas of paganism, I just love trying to soak up as much information as I can, even if it is opinions (actually, sometimes especially other's opinions). Thanks everyone for the assistance in pointing me towards some more places to look around in. (I say look around in because I am trying to consciously stay semi-objective, and cautious about what I read and absorb right now.)