Learning: Styles and Methods

There is a LOT of information out there. And I mean A LOT. You can spend your entire lifetime learning about just one path in Paganism and still never know it all, let alone learning about all of them! And at some point, you have to stop reading and start doing. So let’s talk about the different ways you can learn things.

The first way, of course, is reading. There are libraries, book stores, and the internet. Oh boy is there the internet. This kind of learning is especially good when it comes to information that you need to refer back to, such as the properties of herbs and the meaning of animal spirit guides. It’s also really good for learning the theories of magic (of which there are many), finding a community, sharing common experiences, and gaining inspiration. But one should never take reading at face value – it should always be tested against something else, such as personal experience or your intuition. Don’t just BELIEVE that the ritual connects you to the goddess and that it is experienced a certain way, but try doing it. Experiment, shake things up a bit. What you read is a great starting point, but that’s what it should be: a starting point to build your own archive of information about.

The next way is personal experience. This is where you learn by doing, often times by trial and error. Using this method alone could require centuries to gain a good understanding of things, especially considering that trial and error is so much a part of personal experience. But personal experience really comes into play when you’re verifying information you read or intuit. This also includes observation and mentorship as well, because you’re able to use your own senses to perceive what is going on around you. So while you may not personally draw down the goddess, you may watch a ritual wherein somebody else does, and that will give you information you can learn from. You’re having personal experiences all the time and it’s easy to make them all informative and learning experiences.

The final way I want to discuss is your intuition. We all receive information from our intuition, third eye, instinct, guides, or guts. However you decide to call them. This includes meditating and praying on questions, subjects, or experiences.  I HIGHLY recommend using this method of learning things because it allows you to gain a special insight into how things are going to work for you as an individual and in what areas you should be concentrating. Of course, what you intuit should be tested against personal experience, and, optionally, research as well. This can give you a lot of sudden insights and unique understandings of things and create a closer relationship with whatever Divine Source you might believe in.

Let’s use a real life example!

I’m a belly dancer, and about 10 years ago cowrie shells became a very common accessory in belly dance costuming, especially tribal style. Cowrie shells look amazing and really add an aesthetic of tribal nobility to an outfit. They’re still very popular among dancers and I still wear them frequently. They’re absolutely beautiful. I wanted to learn more about them, so I started gathering information.

First, I looked them up in books and on the internet and I learned that cowrie shells were used by many tribal cultures as a form of currency, which makes sense, since belly dancers frequently use coins in their costuming. It’s only natural that other forms of currency would likewise end up in the costuming. In addition to being currency, they’re also connected to the divine feminine through their appearance as labia, and belly dance is, in modern western society, considered a very empowering dance for both women and men, but especially for women in regards to reclaiming their bodies and their femininity.

Grabbing some cowrie shells, I went into a meditative state and “felt” the energy around them. They were like beautiful meadow flowers from the sea – joyous, beautiful, echoing of the ancient wonders of the sea and myriad of lifeforms in it, precious, and they just felt so good to hold onto. Their energy felt good to me and I love having them around. They seem calming and exude nobility. I also felt the echoes of the divine feminine through them and could understand why tribal cultures would consider them so valuable for their beauty.

Lastly, I tested it against my personal experience. Wearing them made me FEEL empowered. I stood up straighter, I looked people in the eyes more often, my energy was more open and spacious, and I was happier to meet my fellow man. I felt like I could really own my personal power without having to be aggressive or in your face about it. It was a comfortable and comforting feeling. And they were beautiful. When I wear my shells out, I always get compliments on them. I feel empowered, divine, beautiful, and immensely capable. It may be the increased confidence or it could be some primal echo of long ago, but I also seem more respected and acknowledged than my usual foxy-invisible self.

So, altogether, I learned that cowrie shells were very powerful, beautiful, and had strong connections to feminine energy. The currency part of their history seems to be as a result of these qualities, not necessarily inherent to the shells themselves, and their migration into belly dance seems rather like happenstance, but I’m glad for it. I love having these shells around and they make me feel really great. I used the knowledge that I gained from my research, personal experience, and my intuition to learn about the role cowrie shells played in my life and in my experience, and now I can share that information with you. Of course, you shouldn’t take my word for it, but instead, you should find some cowrie shells and do your own assessment of things. But now you have a jumping off point from which to explore. 😉