I hope that lesson #1 and #2 have proven to be helpful in understanding yourself better. The following lesson #3, is different then the last two. Lesson #3, is looking at your personal beliefs before starting on this path, and answering questions that might come up in everyday life. There is also a brief question about the diety or dieites that you have an interest in. All this can help you understand yourself, has you have found in the previous lessons. Good luck and keep up the good work.

1a. It is often helpful to examine our feelings and attitudes toward a topic that we are interested in. What is your feeling about Wicca and or Shamanism?

1b. Examine your impressions, preconceptions, biases, etc. How have your reactions changed regarding it throughout your life?

2. Examine your present beliefs in reincarnation. Do you have any past-life memories?

3. Which dieties are most important to you?

4. Find all the information that you can on your dieties you find most important to you, and write a maximum of 5 paragraphs per diety, telling about him or her and what he/she/they were the gods/goddesses of, and any other information that would be helpful.

5. One Saturday morning you see a program for children, on tv, which depicts a Witch as a worshipper of the Christian Devil. What would you do?

6a. Your Mother/Father happens to find your Book of Shadows. She immediatly assumes you worship the devil (satan). What are you going to tell her?

6b. Your Best Friend happens to find your Book of Shadows. He/She immediatly assumes you worship the devil (satan). What are you going to tell him/her?

6c. Your Boy/Girl Friend happens to find your Book of Shadows. He/She immediatly assumes you worship the devil (satan). What are you going to tell him/her?

6d. Your Grandmother/Grandfather happens to find your Book of Shadows. He/She immediatly assumes you worship the devil (satan). What are you going to tell him/her?

6e. Your Sister/Brother happens to find your Book of Shadows. He/She immediatly assumes you worship the devil (satan). What are you going to tell him/her?

7. What are your real, deep reasons for wanting to practice?

8. Can you discipline yourself to follow through on plans and goals?

9. Have you balanced your life mentally, physically, and Spiritually?

10. What changes can you make to achieve this balance?

11. Do you fear the unknown? The non-physical? Why?

12. Have you had psychic experiences? Hunches or other gut feelings that led you to make the right decision even though the visible facts may not have supported that decision?

13. How sympathetic are you toward others? Too much? Too little?

14. Can you temper advice to fit another's religious belief if that belief is different from yours? Can you avoid giving advice?

15. Are you used by "friends" who arrive feeling depressed and leave feeling wonderful, while you end up being down and/or exhausted?

16. Have you faced and accepted responsibility for what has happened in your life, or are you still laying blame on others, such as parents, teachers, companions, etc.?

17. Have you let go of the past, or do you still talk emotionally about old hurts?

18. Do you use the victim role, helplessness, illness, or guilt to manipulate and control others? Be brutally honest on this point.

19. Do you have trouble with patience when your desires are not met immediately?

20. What effect does a sunset have on you in a moment of calmness> The sight of moonlight on fresh snow? When you see beautiful nature scenes, does something within you yearn to express itself, yet you cannot find adequate words?

21. Do you believe in a Supreme Power that created everything in the universe, yet feel uncomfortable with the accepted orthodox explanations?

22. Do the phases of the moon affect your moods? Cause bouts of nervousness or lethargy?

23. Do certain seasons of the year appeal to you more than others?

24. Do you have precognitive dreams? Sometimes these are clear immediately, other times cloaked in symbology that can be interpreted only at a later date.

25. Have you had a severe illness, life threatening surgery, great personal loss, or near-death experience that caused you to change your opinion on the spiritual?

26. Do you have an affinity with animals? Can you communicate with them in some way?

27. Do you consider yourself liberal, moderate, or conservative when assessing and accepting new ideas?

28. Is it important to you to attain/maintain a certain social position, or do you value privacy and personal expression above what others think of your lifestyle?

29. Can you keep silent about your personal life, beliefs, and actions, or do you rush to share them with anyone who will listen?

30. If someone tells you something in confidence, can you keep the secret?

31. Can you be happy spending time by yourself, or do you feel the need to be surrounded by others?

Once you have answered all these questions, e-mail your response to the group, or if you rather directly to me. If you are not already a member of the Wicca & Shamansim Study Group, you will have to complete Lesson 1, 2 as well as Lesson 3, before joining. Submit both completed lessons to me and I will add you to the Group List.

To view a demo of this lesson click here.