Teachers

RO posted something about teachers wanting to be taken care of in the pagan community. Fuck them. If they got into spirituality to be paid by adoring acolytes then frankly they have little of value to teach. Do you know what my teacher has ever asked of me? He's ask me to do the freaking work and to lend a hand on occasion to others that they may have the opportunity to do the freaking work. Period. That is it. I've given a lot more than that but that isn't the point. He's never asked for it nor does he expect it.

Do you know what he gets for all his prior learning, time, effort, spiritual, emotional and other support he gives? He gets grief, heartache, pain-in-the-ass students, some laughter, a few tears, loses a few dollars, gains a ton of experience, a nifty white robe, the occasional good bottle of scotch, some friendships and maybe a gentle smile from a spirit just before it kicks his ass.

And there are bastards out there that think they deserve to be paid and adored? Right.

Anyone that does this work for others wants thanked. That is both human nature and well-deserved. If you try to help out and succeed or fail, you want to be given a bit more than silence. Nothing wrong with that.

I say this as his chief major pain the ass student. I've agreed with him, followed him willingly, followed him hesitantly, followed him while telling him he's f---ing it up, teased him, advised him (as he is actually able to ask for and accept advice from his students), pleaded with him and told him he is flat out wrong (and not in a nice way). And you know what? He just keeps moving on.

Why? Because he freakin teaches and doesn't whine that someone isn't sending him checks.

He's flat out told me that we aren't friends. He is my mentor. Period. I'm good with that. Every freaking thing I know about the occult came from him. Even the other things I've learned from Lon Milo DuQuette, Sam Webster and Jason Miller would not have been learned if not for him.

That sort of debt is not repayable except through aiding others. (One of the reasons I write this blog is to pay that debt. Though I could do so for the next thousand years and not cover it.)  Yet still I chew his ass from time to time. Such is the life of a teacher. You want the job? Have fun with that.

That being said, there are other teachers. They teach slices of technique, philosophy, skill sets, share personal experiences, on occasion write books and the like. These I try to support when I can. I've bought both of ROs books even though I've only read the first one. I've bought Jason's books four times and he's only written two and likley sold a half dozen more for him. These people are valuable.

There are still other teachers. They go by a different name. Assholes. One can learn a lot from the negative if you have the balls to do so. These people are valuable too in a certain cow pasture sort of way.

So that is my diatribe on teachers. Hold me back, I think I just channeled RO.