I get where you are coming from @RavenConspiracy. I think the guidance is important. I have learned a lot of my craft from an Elder witch and some of her family who pass their craft down within their line.. even my ex who was born into brujeria and is a born-witch, she never looked online or read in books since she was mostly mentored and trained by that elder woman (not saying internet or books is a bad thing and hopefully that's not what anyone takes back from my comment but it's more like I can see what Alys and RavenConspiracy mean)... she once told me that a lot of young new-age/eclectic folks rely solely on the internet or the community social circles on places like Tumblr e.g. those popularized DIY spell posts I see.. or even solely from old or modern published books. From that woman's perspective, she told me learning that way is very limited and different from being formally trained or mentored.RavenConspiracy wrote:You *can* find sources, but reliable authors are the best ones to find if you're studying tradcraft. All reliable internet sources I've found also recommend books, or they source their information. Straight up internet sources, you're going to find a lot of wishful thinking. It's certainly possible to do, but it's slower, guidance is poorer.
edit: Also in my experience, people tend to believe everything they read on the internet without looking for reputable sources. While not every author is a good one, you can usually find witches who'll recommend good ones.
I personally love to just get a ton of magick books at my local library. If I really honestly like a book and feel it will contribute and make a difference, I will go out of my way to buy it.
There's also a lot of knowledge that can be passed down within a book of shadows but I guess in that context I am talking about /within a coven/ that follows trad witchcraft. Which I'm sure very few on here are actually a part of..but that kind of knowledge you can't find in any books or on the internet.