Tradition and Path are words that get tossed around a lot in the discussion of Paganism and Wicca. Young traditions are sometimes scoffed at as being ‘really just a path’, as if a path is somehow less important than a tradition. There’s the implication that paths are eclectic or made up and thus less authentic or meaningful. But the fact is, Tradition and Path are different, if sometimes related, things. A Tradition is a history, a body of lore, a shared experience, and a shared goal. A Path is each individual’s spiritual journey, which also has history and lore, and their individual experience of that journey.
As a younger witch, I kind of put together that a path was what someone made up and did for themselves, and maybe taught to others, but if those others taught the same things to still others, then maybe there was a new tradition going on. It was the Grandmother Theory of Craft Development, and for certain things it holds true. My idea was that if someone walks their own spiritual journey, their path, and used their knowledge and experience to teach others, then the others who are learning also have a path but the act of sharing the wisdom makes something more than a path.
I was pleased to find that I was not the only person with this way of thinking about tradition. But I got so wrapped up in what tradition was that I forgot that path is ultimately more important. It took me some time to find my path again and to walk it without worrying about whether I was ‘doing it right’. It was a lesson I needed very much: all the traditional lore in the world isn’t going to help you if you’re not doing your own spiritual work.
Less experienced Pagans sometimes think that they need to have a tradition in order to walk a path. While I certainly think there’s value in an established way of doing things and more experienced practitioners helping less experienced ones, not everyone works well in that sort of structure, and in any case, you’ve already got a path. You were born, weren’t you? And you realized you were Pagan at heart? Then you’ve already passed some important milestones!
Tradition is the Gear, the Map, and the Camping Buddies
Think of going on a hiking trip. You’ve got your gear that’s served you well, or maybe someone has given you their gear to use, or maybe you’re new to this hiking thing and just bought fresh gear from the store. You’re not sure if it’s the right gear for you, but you’re gonna use it for now and see if it works. And this gear is stuff like circle castings, quarter calls, meditations, folklore, deities to work with. It’s all the stuff you need to do spiritual work.
Then you’ve got your map. Maybe the map is from the park’s visitor center. Maybe it’s hand-drawn on a piece of paper from someone’s memory of all the times they’ve done this hike, with notes about the best campsites or the best views. In any case, the map tells you where you’re starting and where you hope to end up. Maybe that place is the Otherworld or the Summerland or Enlightenment. It’s the goal you have in doing the spiritual work.
Then you’ve got your camping buddies. Maybe you’re solo so your only companion is the gods, or maybe you’ve just got one, or maybe you’ve got a whole crew of them. Maybe some of them have done this hike before and others are on their first trip. But they’re all gonna do the hike with you. These are your covenmates, your elders, your students.
Path is the Hike Through the Woods
As you hike through the woods, even if you’re marching single-file down the path with your camping buddies, you’re each taking your own steps. You’re looking around and noticing different things. Some people may point out these things to others, and some may just keep their observances to themselves. You may meet up with other people coming from other trails and they might join you. Or you might join them and hike down their trail for a while. Or you might just wander off on your own, with or without a compass, and make your own map as you go and enjoy the experience of being in the woods. But your individual experience is your path, and no path is any more or less valid than another path. There’s no wrong way to walk your path.
Blending the Two Together
Pagan traditions, by and large, are concerned with a certain manner of core practice rather than a certain set of beliefs, so there is room for you to add in things that support your individual path. Your path is customizable even if you’re working within a tradition. You may work within two distinct traditions at the same time, gaining insight and experience from both. Or you may work within one tradition but pull in other eclectic bits to support your individual needs and goals. Or you may be building your own tradition as you go, which you might one day teach to your children or to a less experienced Pagan, but which for now supports you as a practitioner. The overall goal, however, is that you pull together things that support your spiritual journey and then actively use those things as you go through life. Remember, the Craft is most effective when it’s practiced as well as thought about.
If you’re an inexperienced witch, ask yourself if you have anxieties about ‘doing it right’ or if you would like a teacher to help you along or if you’re comfortable learning from books and trial-and-error methods. These may be keys to figuring out if working within a tradition is right for you as you walk your path. If you’re more experienced, ask yourself if there are areas where your tradition doesn’t quite suit you or isn’t serving a spiritual need. These may be keys to figuring out if there are things worth exploring on your own personal path, or if you’ve outgrown the traditional framework you’re working in. But remember, every person has a path to walk that’s theirs and theirs alone, and you’re empowered to walk that path wherever it leads you.