I’m not a big fan of Witch School. And their stock with me fell even further this morning when I found out about this: WitchSchool.com World’s Largest Witch School for Sale.
That’s right, Witch School is for sale to the highest bidder, be it responsible pagans or a Christian evangelical group. And the winner gets access to the private information of every Witch School student, as well as the right to award degrees in one of the flavours of Correllian Wicca. Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
This, of course, is another in a long line of fun and exciting happenings at Witch School. There was the split between leaders that has lead to competing traditions (more about that at The Wild Hunt: Correllian Crack-Up). And there is the proposed Sci-Fi channel series (more here). And, of course, the expose by Nonfluffypagans.
I have to say I was annoyed to find out about this from sources other then Witch School itself. I am not pleased with the idea of someone else having access to my private information, and I have written to [email protected] asking to have my account closed and my information deleted. (I haven’t used my account in years, but it is the principal of the thing; I don’t want an unknown entity having my email address and name.)
Of course, access to private information isn’t the only issue. There is also the cheapening of Wiccan teaching, which, admittedly, Witch School was doing anyway before this auction. The ability to hand out degrees is not something that should be offered for sale on eBay. The graceful and proper thing to do would be to shut down the school and sell the proprietary software without the Wiccan content. Hopefully Ed Hubbard will wake up and realize that what he is doing will likely damage the Wiccan community in the long run.
You can read more about this at The Wild Hunt – Wanna Buy Witch School?.
I'm a mom, wife, needleworker, knitter, wannabe writer, and most of all a spiritual seeker. I'm not sure yet what I believe, but I sure as heck know what I don't believe.
Ok here is somethign i dont get. So many of you hate witchschool right? so whats the diffrence if its sold of not. Get off your soap box and get a life. All I ever see bad about witchschool is they charge to pay for their workers. People bad mouth them about what they do, Im saprised your all not happy its being sold.
I really don’t care about it being sold. What I care about is my personal information being sold without my consent. And I also care that the ability to hand out degrees in a Wiccan tradition is being sold to someone who may not be Wiccan or may not be otherwise qualified.
And, my soap box is my blog. Blogs are all about expressing one’s opinion.
Witchschool can only give out a degree in correlianizm as long as its affiliated with a brach of the church. After the sale there is not mandate that they can still give out a degree if the correllians decide against it. And the info on witchschool never seemed that personal to me. well maby geting some extra spam will be anoying but not like identity theft is an issue.
There are still places in the U.S. where a person can lose their job, house, and kids for being a public witch. There are many places where being outed will get public harrassment, tires slashed, windows broken… and cops who look the other way and refuse to attempt to find the criminals.
The school is not, at this point, associated with the church, so their degrees are “certificates that a person has studied the religion,” not ordinations or ranks within that religion.
Ok i understand those concernes but I dought anyone will spend that kind of money to just annoy pagans. At least i hope not, if someone has that much money and time to blow thats kinda sad.
But you always talk about the wicca community but I never see anything of that. All i ever see on websites is this group attacking that and everyone trying to stay out of the lite. If no one ever comes forward then pagans will always get shfted by the communities they live in and the government that is saposed to protect them.
Im not saying witchschool is without problems being so closely associated with a single branch of wicca, but they are trying. Maby the new owners will be able to turn the school back to the origanal ideal of witchschool. to teach metaphysic and all forms of wicca. Also most people dont know that witchschool has tryed to have other groups write about their beliefes but everyone resuses. Why? becuse witchschool charges some of their student to cover their cose and to live. They have no other jobs but to try and further witchschool. People have to live. Heck they have a 24-7 programer/tech support system now adays. that cost a pretty penny. Anyway everyone is assuming the worst. It could get better. Or maby people could i dont know talk with witchschool staff about what they feel is wrong insted of just spouting it off to everyone but them. That way witchschool to help the community? from what i have seen everytime witchschool contacts any of their major opposers to ask about their complaints they refuse to answer.
I haven’t had any problems with witchschool at all. It’s actually one of the only schools online that you can take a course for free, even if it is a beginners course! There isn’t a school that teachs about wicca in general and there never will be because too many traditions are competing to see who will get the most followers. Even one of the so called “eclectic” schools I’ve tried myself can’t face every challenge there is to teaching wicca without a traditions values. Because of that there never will be a witch school that will satisfy everyone and stop all the complaining.
Basically my point of veiw is, if you think they are doing such a horrible job, You do it. I got fed up with all of the schools, most claiming to be free and turning out not to be, and started some classes with what I know and believe me what they are doing is NOT anywhere near an easy task. They are doing the best they can with what they have. I say horah for them because it’s such a challenge to do what they do.
Got a problem with how they run things, you start up a school and see what happens.