Teachers and Truth

It is time to speak about ethics, truth, and the obligation of a teacher to his/her students. I participate in an online forum in the tribe.net community called, “the Elders of the 7 New Tribes” tribe. It is a wonderful place in which we exchange knowledge, information, wisdom and most importantly our Spiritual Essences. In this lively discourse we are most importantly concerned with our mission, which is to become the “Elders” of new tribal and clan entities dedicated to evolution and ascension.

One of our most recent discussions was based on the question, “does a Shaman lie?” The departure point of this discourse was the disconnection between the teachings of Carlos Casteneda, his life and eventual death. Many people have considered it to be their duty to work as hard as they can to discredit CC and his writings. I wont engage in that discussion here but would instead prefer to examine the flow of communication between student and teacher. Most importantly are validity and veracity. Validity is the easier of the two. Validity being defined as, “The state of being valid, authentic or genuine. With valid being defined (in turn) as. “well grounded or justifiable, pertinent, acceptable, proper or correct. Related to the current topic, or presented within context, relevant.”

More to the nature of the relationship between student and teacher is the concept of veracity. Veracity is defined as, “the quality of being true, honest or accurate.” That is also the very definition of “Teacher”. In it usage a teacher is one who is true, honest and/or accurate. That has been the central theme of my pedagogy in it's application to my students. Lao Tzu stated in “The Hua Hu Cheng”, “Today I speak in this fashion, tomorrow in another, but always the Integral Way is beyond words and beyond mind.” This is the modus of my instruction. I said (on tribe.net), “I teach Magi. I have a student on the Path of the Wizard now. In my instruction of him, I speak in this fashion today, tomorrow in another; yet I never tell him an untruth.” Those of you who are my students reading this now know this well. Some of you have been frustrated by it but, I believe all of you will acknowledge the accuracy of that statement.

But this is not always true of those who offer instruction and drape the mantel of Teacher upon their shoulders. My friend (also on tribe) Vikki said, “When I was just finding my path, in my impressionable teen years, my local hang out was an occult book store. I met a guy there who helped me a lot and showed me that my path was in front of me. I realized that my feelings and instincts were real and that I was not the only one who felt them. After several years, this man began to ask favours of me, which slowly became of a more personal nature. I won’t (can’t?) go into detail here but that was a very dark time for me. I felt trapped and afraid and eventually I had to leave the city I loved to escape him.”

This was not the experience of just Vikki, many people have had relationships with these sort of individuals. As a result many people abandon the Path and the world is much poorer for it.

My tribe friend Jason responded to Vikki, by saying, “Vikki; it is somewhat sad that you had that experience and it is powerful that, over time, you found the silver lining, but would it not have been better to have had a genuine teacher who was in their integrity to have started you out in "a good way"? If 3 or 4 had been available you would have had a better chance of getting one who was connected to Spirit, ALWAYS!”

Following up on Jason’s contribution to the discussion, my friend Shine Cassandra added, “If a teacher has good intentions upon setting out, they should (IMHO) put whatever checks and balances into place they think would be effective in making sure that if they ever spiral out of control or 'disconnect' to a place where they are not allowing themselves to be cognizant of harm they are causing, they will get a wake-up call from others- even if it is just in the way of all your group/students leaving you. Or adding Ethics along with basic material and making sure (even as common sense and obvious it may seem) reviewing them every once in a while, or at least applying them to circumstances. Then if you step out of your own boundaries that you teach, then they can call ya on it. And speaking of leaving, (IMHO) a leader/teacher should refrain from being vindictive, bitter, or harsh about or to those who wish to leave- no matter how much it stings. The door should be open at all times. If a leader/teacher feels like too much swishing back and forth goes on at that door, then the best thing to do is monitor/counsel who comes in it in the first place, rather then shutting it down on those who enter it. I find Isaac Bonewits occult to cult test tool is very interesting for he points out that if a leader/teacher exhibits too many of the traits listed, it is definetly unhealthy, but if none or too little of the traits are found, then there might be no cohesive structure or group identity. As for the original subject that was to be for this thread.

I am a Witch, and I give that part of myself wings by participating in Gardnerian witchcraft (among others) and I have had to contend with the idea that ol uncle Gardner's oral history did'nt quite jel with actual personal accounts, or lack thereof as to his official story. What was it they say... if someone wanted to see a document or scroll or to give credence to whatever, he would disappear into his study and imerge with 'an ancient document dripping with wet ink'.

So a) very likely he added a lot of his own written material to whatever may have existed in writing or the heads of some folkloric cunning folk b) Gardnerian Witchcraft is too synchronistic with other paths to all be bunk- plus he was a student or observer of many Mystery and occult paths, including in the far east c) given that the preist/esses practising it are ethical and effective, it functions as a Mystery Tradition, an esoteric system to gather together like-minded individuals, and a path of spiritual evolution.”


Bonewits’ method/tool is a wonderful resource and I recommend it to anyone seeking to meter the qualities of organizations and individuals that they wish to learn from or study with. It can be accessed online at the following: http://www.celticcrow.com/bonew.html

The tool is based upon a review of the following areas:
Internal control
Wisdom claimed
Wisdom credited
Dogma
Recruiting
Front Groups
Wealth
Political Power
Sexual Manipulation
Censorship
Dropout Control
Violence
Paranoia
Grimness
Surrender of Will
Hypocrisy

These are the danger signals that all seekers should be cognizant of and on the alert for in their selection of teachers and organizations. There are palpable dangers on this Path. They are; loss of sanity, peril to the soul, and death. These dangers must be considered at all times. A charlatan or impostor will “pooh pooh” the risks and tell you “trust me and don’t worry”. Such advice is the greatest source of risk the seeker can touch.

Dr. F. Israel Regardie said (in his opus work “The Tree of Life”), “A bad poet or a bad musician is but a reproach to his particular art, and his name soon perishes from the memory of his people. A charlatan or an impostor magician, however, imperils the whole world, casting a heavy veil on the translucent light of the spirit which it was his principal duty to bring to the sons of men.” This danger is amplified by orders of magnitude by the charlatan or impostor teacher of Magi. This individual creates the impostor and or charlatan magicians who don’t even know that they are impostors or charlatans!

There is no greater prayer for a teacher to pray than the supplication of Thoth to the Masters of the Halls of Amenti (from the Emerald Tablets);

O, great master, let me be a teacher of men, leading then onward and upward until they, too, are lights among men; freed from the veil of the night that surrounds them, flaming with light that shall shine among men.

I have prayed this prayer many times. I carry it in my heart at all times and dedicate my life to its fulfillment. If anyone you encounter offering to be your teacher or guide does not offer up his prayer and dedication to this ideal; get another teacher.