![\"Within The Circle\" - original painting by Laura Tempest Zakroff](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/654\/2016\/03\/web-withinthecircle-296x300.jpg\")
When I was much younger and finding my way on the path, I felt that surely that there were secrets to be uncovered, protected by the initiated and handed out to the worthy. \u00a0That if I found the right mystery,\u00a0tradition, or gatekeeper, all the knowledge would be revealed. \u00a0Also, somewhat related to those secrets, I would experience real anxiety thinking about the burning of the library in Alexandria, or the knowledge lost with the countless possible cunning folk killed during centuries of witchhunts.<\/p>\n
Now? I believe that there are no secrets, only revelations. That isn\u2019t to say there aren\u2019t any mysteries and that all of the answers are out there in plain sight\u2026but rather we learn things as we\u2019re ready to receive them\u2026and that no one person or path has all of the answers. And that knowledge is never really lost \u2013 it always finds its way out again.<\/p>\n
Growing up, we tend to think of our parents as infallible, and that they must know all of the things. But as we become adults ourselves, we realize that they are human, just like us. \u00a0That means they can be equally wrong as they are right, depending upon their experiences and choices.<\/p>\n
The same is true regarding an \u201celder\u201d of any path or tradition \u2013 they are not all-knowing or always-right. \u00a0But it is important \u00a0\u2013 with both ones\u2019 parents as with elders \u2013 to give respect where it is deserved. And a true elder (as with a good parent) fosters relationships that allow respect to flow in both directions.<\/p>\n
What does that mean and look like?<\/p>\n
In both dance and Witchcraft classes, I often talk about the stages of growth I\u2019ve identified below:<\/p>\n
-the neophyte\/beginner:<\/i><\/b> eager to learn everything, freely admits they know nothing<\/p>\n
-the acolyte\/beginner-mediate:<\/i><\/b> staunchly dedicated to what they\u2019re learning, full of fervor for their new-found passion, and quite vocal about everyone\/thing else being wrong<\/p>\n
-the practitioner\/intermediate<\/i><\/b>: a swinging pendulum of confidence and insecurity \u2013 trying to prove they know things while secretly worried they will be found out for not knowing.<\/p>\n
-the elder\/advanced:<\/i><\/b> has forgotten more things than they count, are still avid learners open to new ideas, and aren\u2019t afraid to say they don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n
I have been blessed to have worked with several wonderful mentors along my path up until this point, and what sets those individuals aside from other would-be instructors\/teachers\/elders is that they were (and are) just as willing to seek advice from me as I am from them. \u00a0Even though they are recognized masters of their respective fields, and have been practicing for decades \u2013 they are not closed to hearing about other experiences and perspectives. \u00a0They also find that their own paths are more fulfilled in seeking answers outside of themselves and what they know. \u00a0The biggest secret that is not a secret is \u2013 the more we learn, the more we are open to grow and share, the more we can understand what makes, connects, and expands us. \u00a0And that power doesn\u2019t come from hiding, gate-keeping, or taking from others, but from mastering of oneself \u2013 spiritually, mentally, physically.<\/p>\n
So for all of you seeking the secrets, the answers are waiting within you, poised for the right time and place to be revealed. \u00a0It won\u2019t happen all at once, nor from one source, but if you seek, you shall find. Or sometimes, the best revelations aren\u2019t the ones you think you are looking for. \u00a0Look at your journey as nonstop, and that as you go along your path, you pick up tools that help you uncover more clues, maps, and possibilities. \u00a0It\u2019s essentially a choose-your-own-adventure book that has infinite possibilities \u2013 all unique to YOU!<\/p>\n
Most importantly, anyone who tells you that they are the keepers of the secrets and that you must submit to them to discover them \u2013 well, they\u2019re essentially telling you they don\u2019t know any. \u00a0A person who lauds \u201cdon\u2019t you know who I am?\u201d over anyone else hasn\u2019t reached the elder stage. \u00a0They\u2019re more concerned with what they know and what power they can hold over others.<\/p>\n
And so this is the point where the concepts of secrets and age find a twisted mutual root.\u00a0Every relationship must start from a place of equal footing and understanding, in order for respect to take root. \u00a0Respect comes from active, healthy growth that is constantly renewed \u2013 not a ribbon or crown that sits upon a dusty pile of books or long-ago deeds. Laurels can become stagnant, and youthfulness is not to be discounted for a mere lack of apparent years. Wisdom comes not strictly from the numbers of years, but by how well you have experienced those years and choose to share them with others. A true mentor or guide understands this dynamic \u2013 and knows you both will grow from what you experience together.<\/p>\n
Lastly, the wise Witch knows that in order to uncover the secrets within, one must be able to listen, to be kind, and to be bold.<\/p>\n
(This is another relevant post from the original blog archive, posted initially on 4\/28\/15)<\/i><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I believe that there are no secrets, only revelations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2676,"featured_media":25,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,13,14],"tags":[5,3,6,7,4],"class_list":["post-23","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-modernpractice","category-myth-and-folklore","category-tradition","tag-mystery","tag-occult","tag-secrets","tag-witch","tag-witchcraft"],"yoast_head":"\n