Hipster Witch

[RoseRed92]

"How did the Hipster get burned? ...He drank his caramel macchiato before it was cool!"

My problem is that I think about what is going through others' heads far too much. I am concerned about how others see me, what I look like, the impression I make, what others say about me when I am not in the room. This vanity of mine is probably a layer of my personality protecting my insecurities, but at the moment being so concerned about "what others will think" is really interfering with my spiritual journey.

How, you ask?
Every time I begin to meditate to find a spirit guide or to search the pantheons for a patron, I begin to worry. "What if a dragon or a wolf shows up? Is it me trying to get a 'cool' guide? Am I being drawn to them for real, or am I just looking to be able to have a powerful companion? But what if it really IS a 'cool' guide calling me? If I am convinced that it can't be something powerful or mysterious, then I might miss my guide altogether!"

Same with deciding on a Craft Name. Every time I begin to search, I think, "Oh, no, 'Willow' is SO cliche." But... "Willow" has always called to me. Am I just being too much of a Hipster? Any advice? Meditations?

[ladybloodie]

clear your mind , its to busy . to fully see

[Obsidian]

Hi red rose, I know that feeling. I think you do have a point; our perceptions, beliefs etc are shaped by our experiences and our constructed realities so it is likely that that choices we make are influenced by pop culture, legends, stereotypes and the like.

If there is something that you like such as the name Willow I think you should go for it. Maybe you heard about it through pop culture but that is no reason to discard it if it resonates with you. I don't think anyone would suggest that you chose a name, spirit guide or whatever that you don't connect with only to avoid being mainstream.

The only thing I can suggest is lots of research. For every magical thing that I know about from pop culture I'm sure there's at least another 10 that I don't now about. Maybe if you research broadly into all things spiritual and supernatural you will be able to make more informed choices. Even if you come back to a 'cliche' choice, I think you will be able to make it more confidently because you can say that you've looked into it and you know specifically why you've chosen to identify with that thing.

As for worrying about what others think of you, I like this quote from Scott Cunningham on the matter: Religious freedom is just that- freedom of religion, freedom from oppressive religions, and the freedom from discussing your faith.

[RoseRed92]

Thank you so much for the advice. What you said about something "resonating" with me really helps. I just need to let my intuition have more say than my rattling brain. Thank you.

[Echo_of_shadows]

I think Willow is a lovely name. There are plenty of popular Craft names that could be considered cliche. There are a lot of Merlins and Morgan le Fays in the community and I bet they feel empowered by their names. Heck, we can consider my name kind of cliche. I've seen a few other members on here with shadow used in their screen name.
If you feel good using Willow, go ahead and use it. If you're unsure, you can add another word to it. Maybe you could be Green Willow, Laughing Willow, Tall Willow, Light Willow, etc.
As for animal guides, you may get an animal you wanted, or you could end up working with one you least expected. I thought that I'd end up with some sort of cat since I love cats so much. My animal guide is a raven, an animal I would've never considered. But even the "uncool" can surprise you.
Let me ask you this: are you feeling pressured to find a deity or spirit guide to work with? If you're telling yourself that you have to have a specific aspect of the divine to worship, or a "cool, powerful" spirit to work with, you may be unnecessarily stressing yourself out, and that's creating your worries, and in turn, hindering your progress in finding answers.
Keep this in mind: you don't have to anything. If you don't have a specific name to call the Lady in the circle, that's okay. There's nothing wrong in calling Her "My Lady," or just "Goddess." Call Her what you are comfortable calling Her, and maybe some day She will give a specific to call Her by. If you don't have an animal spirit to work with, that's okay too. Not having one doesn't make you any less of a witch. Heck, I've been a witch for about a decade, and I didn't have a spirit animal until a couple of weeks ago. I wasn't really looking for one. I made a passing comment about one before meditating to visit with a god, and He sent me home with one.
My advice to you is to just relax. It can be hard to deal with insecurities, but it can be done one day at a time. No matter what anyone may think of your spirituality, at the end of the journey, it's just you and the divine. May your path be filled with light.