The Importance of Critical Reading

For my inaugural post, I’m going to cover something - theoretically - unrelated to magic or witchcraft: reading critically.

My background is a mélange of book taught and actual work with mentors and coven mates from multiple traditions and backgrounds. As a solitary practitioner, though, I still come back to my books. As someone who’s been at this for more years than I want to admit to in print, I’ve built up quite a library of books on witchcraft, from beginner basics to more advanced tomes and focused works.

I don’t think anyone can be successful as a book-taught witch without being able to read critically. This is not just for the “real grimoires have missing information to lead the uninitiated astray” game, but because, well, books are written by humans. We make mistakes. And if the book is from a tradition, information may be missing or omitted not to lead anyone into trouble, but because of oaths made to the tradition to protect it’s unique practices.

I would bet money that I’ve made mistakes in this post, on this site, in anything and everything I've ever done, but I don’t do sucker bets.

I highly recommend that, as you read my work or use my tools, you practice your critical reading skills. My flag is firmly planted on the hill that your magical journal is a living document and should be treated as such. Crack open a blank page and take notes as you read. Print out cool things you find online - despite the WayBack Machine, sometimes things do disappear from the internet. Make outlines, especially for lengthier content. Note key terms and their definitions, especially is the term is familiar but the definition isn’t one you’re familiar with. Write down your questions and insights. Leave spaces, link ideas, and fall in love with the process. If you haven’t argued with a text at least once, you may need to be more critical.

To overuse an expression, when it comes to learning your craft, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Being a witch, living a magical life, is a choice to move through the world seeking and celebrating the spark of something more in the mundane. It’s a promise to yourself, to that spark in the world. So, if you have to take a things a page at a time while reading critically, do it. Despite the expression, this isn’t a race at all.