Helpful tips when researching
This article originally appeared in our May edition of Witch, What?, a newsletter for witches of all experience levels which you can pick up in person at our stores or receive for free with an online order. It includes information like that month's full moon, any Wheel of the Year holidays coming up, what is in bloom that month, and helpful articles like this one! These articles will not appear on our blog until the following month, so if you want to get them right away, make sure to drop by our booth at the 400 Market!
by Kendra Pape-Green
A lot of our customers are new to crystals, witchcraft, or this kind of spiritual sphere in general! The first tip is always to do your own research and reading and learn all you can - there’s always more to learn!
But, when you’re researching into a new topic, it easily gets overwhelming - there’s millions of things to read, and often you’ll get recommended a writer by one person, just to have someone else tell you that writer doesn’t know anything! A third person might just chime in and tell you that said writer is in fact the greatest mind of their generation. It can get contradictory and confusing.
As a wise man once said, “The real word for a group of witches is ‘an argument.’" (GNU Terry Pratchett)
Take every recommendation with a grain of salt - even the ones recommended by Kendra & Jess at Witch Plz. Sure, we think we’re right - but we’re not you! You don’t have to accept everything someone says as the whole truth, after all! You decide what you do and don’t believe. As you start to explore the wide range of spiritual topics, you’ll want to keep that in mind. It’s very easy to accept someone as an authority and believe what they tell you - but it’s far more valuable to listen to them and decide what rings true and what doesn’t.
When you’re picking up a book, you’re listening to someone talk to you. Who is that person? What’s informing their opinions? What’s their experience? What affects how they are looking at this topic?
Take this newsletter for example: It’s written by an LGBTQ+ married woman, who co-runs a witchy business stall at the 400 Market. I’m an eclectic witch, who has practiced for over a decade, and was born and raised in Canada. In a small way, I’m looking at this like a teacher - I’m sharing information hoping to help some of the wonderful people I see in the market every weekend.
Knowing things like this about the writer of whatever you’re reading helps you understand where they’re coming from and what’s informing their opinions. That can help you spot people that might advocate cold reading, fascism, incorrect crystal information, or even just someone who you really disagree on a core subject with - love spells, curses, and charging money for tarot are all things that cause very heated disagreements! You can listen to both sides, but ultimately, you need to decide for yourself what you believe.