How Do You Get Most of Your Information?

[MystickalMe]

Since I was raised in a VERY strict Christian family (Lutheran and Catholic) I am used to the laid how religion form, someone telling me what to believe and how to do it. That isn't for me, I'd rather venture out on my own, and learn at my pace and study and practice at my pace (which is why I found this board!)

I am curious how most of you get your information! After searching the local library for books and finding NOTHING, I am a bit discouraged...

[LacyRoze]

I had to vote "other" because there wasn't an "all of the above" choice,lol. I read everything I can get my hands on and most of my books come from Books-A-Million. I find them to have a great selection. I find info here and have come across websites that have helped me greatly..:thumbsup:

[alesay]

I agree... I voted other because it's all of the above as well. Reading is a must... and i actually thought it would suck, not much of an avid reader. But reading anything i can get my hands on. Also, by word of mouth. People will tell you great books they read... Those are interesting. If it wasn't for a friend i wouldn't be a die hard for everything Celtic :D And also, i have a teacher. Which came to me... (Like all teachers are supposed to) So i learn a lot from her... But mostly the others... MW, Books books and more books, and word of mouth! :D

[Ari]

I voted "other" - a combination of in-person teaching, books, trial and error in personal practice and group work, and involvement in RL and online discussion groups. I would suggest that you don't rely on the internet too much as an information source, or if you don't have any other options at the present time at least be aware that what's available online is extremely limited compared to what's available in print. Wiccan publications (and culture generally) have gone through some massive changes even in the last 15 years; a lot of the really good stuff was published prior to 1980 and has very different content and flavour to the vast majority of what's coming out now and being posted on people's "educational" websites. The information side of the Pagan web, for the most part, also lacks a lot of the depth of its print counterpart, especially when it comes to things like the history of Wicca and its philosophical influences.

[IvyWitch]

I get really zonky staying on the 'net for too long, so most of my information comes from books. That, and I don't really *find* a lot of useful stuff out there unless it's on a specific subject like Tarot.

[Faeawyn]

all of the above :)

[Aedrais]

I found most of my stuff on the internet- well, I started out with learning the basics through books, but then I went on to learning more specific things online (including from MW). I compare different sources, see what overlaps most often, figure out what I think the truth is from there. The nice thing with the internet, I find, is you can find more diverse (or more obscure) things online than from books, especially if you're just getting books from the Library. Online you can look up specific topics, herbs, stones, sabbats, whatever your looking for. And with so many different people and websites, you can get a far wider perspective, opposed to a single author's ideas.

[Fairywolf]

I read a lot. Not only in books but also on the web and pagan based magizenes (sp?) and news letters. It also helps that my boyfriend is pagan and we discuss lots of different issues and help each other figure things out. Since we each follow different paths we teach each other things that the other wouldn't have thought to look up or didn't know that they would be interested in.

[RubyRose]

I'd tick all four choices if I could.

I get my information from here (asking questions and so forth), books, internet sites, and ofcourse my own personal preference and thoughts on how things should be done.

Bendithion,
RubyRose

[Faery-Wings]

I voted other as well- All of the above would be my choice.
Books are awesome and considering I seem to have them all over the place, I feel like I can't get enough. By "comapring notes" with what I have read and other opinions I read here, I can really make up my own mind Ion what I feel is right, for me. Alos through discusssion, I am forced to put my thoughts and feelings into words which can also be a learning experience.
I would say that I find the least amount of info on the net, since so much of it is ripped off from some other place. However, I have found some really good, informative and *original* websites.

Lastly- by practicing-that teaches me the most important lesson, IMO. That thsi is real, that there is a connection between me and the Mother, that energy exists and I can use it.

[Shanti]

All of the above and more!

[phoenix1010]

I get most of my info from books. Sometimes if I have conflicting info or if something is not clear I come to these boards. I have also gotten alot of my book suggestions from these boards.

Tamara :seehearsp

[Sylvan]

Another All of the above people here. :) Mainly though, I ask questions on the boards when stuff I've found elsewhere just doesn't sound right...

[MystickalMe]

Thank you all for replying!!

[Veritas]

All of the above, + a lot of the information contributations are in the form of gnosis (not the christian form....)

[Nighthawk]

Many ways... books, internet, more books, there are path threads here and a teaching classes thing here as well... beliefnet has info witchvox has info, shaman's cave has info... ask questions and read and write things down. You will end up finding it very fun to find things out.

[djmixon]

All of the above. . .

[FairyMoon]

All of the above plus my own heart. You have to guide yourself sometimes if you have no examples. ;)

[Tullip Troll]

all of the above using a fine BS filter.

MheraPai

[DragonDawn]

Internet mainly. I'm not really in a position yet to have books of my own, i'm still waiting to come out of the broom closet.
i found some turst worthy sites and of course here is one of them :D
I also frequented alot of other message board sites but i like MW the best so I've stuck with it.

[Starbaby]

I would say all of the above also. My husband bought me a bunch of books for Christmas and the birthday, and I am an Internet Junkie, so that gives me one more excuse to go online. lol

[grnpuffer]

I got my information/training from
*About a dozen of the best and most experienced teachers I could find
*Training others
*The long and bumpy road of experimentation, verification, exploration and application.

not so much from books and never from the internet (as my core training was pre-internet)

Ari had a good point- about the quality of information from popular sources (internet/popular books). Making things commercial/multimedia/fun isn't necessarily a good thing especially when it comes to building foundations. Ari is right that there are classic sources that are rich and useful, but I'm willing to guess that there are fewer and fewer people who know about them or would have the necessary foundation to make use of them.

[PAGANFILES]

I voted "other" - a combination of in-person teaching, books, trial and error in personal practice and group work, and involvement in RL and online discussion groups. I would suggest that you don't rely on the internet too much as an information source, or if you don't have any other options at the present time at least be aware that what's available online is extremely limited compared to what's available in print. Wiccan publications (and culture generally) have gone through some massive changes even in the last 15 years; a lot of the really good stuff was published prior to 1980 and has very different content and flavour to the vast majority of what's coming out now and being posted on people's "educational" websites. The information side of the Pagan web, for the most part, also lacks a lot of the depth of its print counterpart, especially when it comes to things like the history of Wicca and its philosophical influences.


Out of curiousity, did you ever view the Paganfiles archives back in the late 90s and early 2000.

Terry

[Dorchadas Síofra]

Since I was raised in a VERY strict Christian family (Lutheran and Catholic) I am used to the laid how religion form, someone telling me what to believe and how to do it. That isn't for me, I'd rather venture out on my own, and learn at my pace and study and practice at my pace (which is why I found this board!)

I am curious how most of you get your information! After searching the local library for books and finding NOTHING, I am a bit discouraged...

I was raised Lutheran as well. First I surfed just online (how I found this site :) ) then i went to bookstores with titles recommended at MW and checked out all the libraries in my area online. I voted other because I use all of the above. I read everything I can to know what's out there, though some is really fluff.. and I also use MW a lot, mostly I read and not comment.

[WickedBttrfly]

I read everything I can find, but you have to be careful. Some of it is straight shullbit.

[Ari]

Out of curiousity, did you ever view the Paganfiles archives back in the late 90s and early 2000.

No, I was on the Pagan 'net in the late 90s but I've never heard of it before. I take it from your username that this is/was your website? What was on it?

[NivekDrgnMage]

I have to agree with most here, books, websites, classes, and talking to others of different paths.

BB

[Shugo]

all of the above, I read books whenever I can, but as I rarely seem to have money these days I end up getting a lot of info from Mysticwicks.

[PAGANFILES]

No, I was on the Pagan 'net in the late 90s but I've never heard of it before. I take it from your username that this is/was your website? What was on it?

About 7000 text files on Pagan subjects. Check through the threads and you'll see posts were I copied and pasted some of my old html index pages.

Terry

[The High Queen of Faerie]

books for me :)

[loe]

Books but sometimes the internet.

[Willowbane]

Most of my information comes through reading. . . I love to read. Of course, I don't really have a choice, because I am in a small Christian town and there are no Pagans (at least visible ones) here. I order most of my books online, as the local library doesn't carry anything useful to the path. I like to surf the web, but more for networking than for information purposes. Every web site offers conflicting views, and reading them all at once confuses me! lol.

I also am part of several "online learning" groups. Witchschool, the Circle of Stars, and several Yahoo and MSN groups that offer online learning in a structured environment. They aren't for everybody, but I love them.

[HorseCrow]

Book, books and more books. Plus some surfing and forums.

[ShinningStar_13]

Mystick Wicks of course! Oh yeah, and Books, books, and...more books! Though the first bit of info I came across was when I was surfing the web doing research. :nyah:

[AuroraSilvermist]

I voted books, because the poll asked where do you get MOST of your information. That's where most of my information comes from, but I also use the Web and MW.

I ALWAYS take what I read as a starting point for forming my own opinions, and never take anything as "gospel," unless it's a hardened fact. That's what's so wonderful about paganism; we're allowed to form our own opinions and follow our own inner voice.