Hello.
Sorry, ops: didn't mean to shout so loud, but I wasn't certain anyone was still around to hear me.
I posted an intro on the regular forums, but I thought I should go into a little more detail here. I see some exWitchers listed here (*waves into the dark room*) so if you can here me,
howdy,
Gutentag, wie gehts,
ohaio gazaimasu,
and ciao.
Maybe even
bonjour, Jean-Luc (*Hemlock bows*) and G'day, mate.
I'm and ex-occultist of the ceremonialist type. I started with Israel Regardie's Golden Dawn curiculum and after several yearsof mastering it on my own, became a sort of eclectic, although an eclectic ritual magician is not the same as an eclectic Wiccan ( as though all eclectic Wiccans were alike!)
I also ran around with and corresponded with a number of Wiccans of different traditions, so I know a great deal about Wicca. Though not an initiate, I was invited to several specific rituals which are usually closed to outsiders because of my general occult knowledge which kind of made me "in," anyway. And also the big festivals. So I can speak of Wicca.
After working on a long ritual called the Abra-Melin for several months, things were not right in my life. The goal of the ritual is 'union' with one's Holy Guardian Angel. The closer I got to the "holy," the 'phonier' it seemed.
I must add, for those who don't already know me, that I had given my life to Jesus Christ before ever I got involved in the occult. I was committing spiritual adultery. Buyt I had also "tasted" the real presence of God, and its accompanying Holiness, so I knew the Real and could not be fully taken in by the counterfeit.
One night I had an encounter with my real guardian angel, and let me tell you, your real guardian angel points to Christ, not to himself. Eventually I'll tell you all about it; those of you from exWitch know the testimony from a thread there.
In time I got it sorted out and was led to a church which believed in supernatural encounters and preaching the Word of God in power. I got discipled and eventually got to the point that I could help others.
And I have seen more "power" in God's Holy Spirit than in all my occult practices.