I see on experienced profiles that they seem to have figured out their path in magick. Is it possible to not be labeled and just practice types of spells and crafts that you seem good at, even if they come from completely different branches?
Yes, it is possible not to be labeled as a practitioner of a particular path. I call myself 'eclectic', which means I take aspects of a variety of paths and practices- however similar or not, to make up my own path.
However, whether you decide to follow a path or not will come in its own time. In the meantime, just continue to how it suits yourself.
starting out, i was on the wiccan path, from there i broadened my beliefs. you don't have to be a witch to practice witchcraft you know. the one good [and slightly bad] thing about the occult is, you can choose what you believe, and you can do what you feel is morally correct in your eyes. the only 'rule' we have is As It Harm None, Do What Though Wilt, after all. as it was said, before, unless you wish to specialize in something, say healing, and you learn a couple curses, while there's nothing wrong with it, it's just a strange shift.
I think it's important to find something that means something to you in particular. But that would mean it may not be one particular path. Do whatever feels right, because it's your life and you need to live it how you see fit. Don't limit yourself, go in the direction you want to go. For example, my girlfriend is Buddhist, but she is still open minded and accepts other paths into her life. I have no particular religion or special area because I want to stay away from limits to help me see the broader truth. But that doesn't stop me from doing practices from multiple other cultures and religions because they feel right for me. In my opinion, a path is personal to you, it doesn't have to be specified by a label. Good luck finding your way.
Finding your path is a very personal thing. It may take a while to find where you're the most comfortable in. Labels are not really necessary but it does give it a name so people can identify it. My personal follows gets into path working because of it's nature of connecting the dots and running into every system in one fashion or another. So it requires research into that system. Best way to find your path is to research and go with what you connect with and don't be afraid to broadened the horizon.
Your "path" i think is a very general term. For many, it does have a label, like Shamanism or etc, but for others, like me, it's just the path of study I choose to follow. Mine's definitely not set in stone, I'm studying a broad range of things, but it's something I set for myself.
Like someone else said above, I'm Eclectic. I take things from everything and mush it into my own path. I pretty much do what you said, I take practices I seem good at and work at those. I think that's your own path, even if without a name.
And don't forget, especially when you're still learning (aren't we always?) that your path is always shifting. It's not concrete or set into stone, it's just a plan and goal to help you continue your studies, since magick is such a broad range of topics
You know it really is hard to know exactly what your path in spiritualism may be. You may just be interested in all sorts of paths or religions. I know i concider my self a spiritual pagan. Because i am very spiritual, espically when it comes to earth or nature and spirits. I am also a psychic medium. I tend to work with spiritual energies a lot.
But i also like to learn all types of magick rather its paganism and hinduism. Which are my two current views i like to learn about. I am also into celtic and norse mytholgoy.. :)
Like many other things in life, it is only important if you believe it is. Path can mean different things to different individuals. To some it is what they are focusing on in their studies, and for others it may be what they do with the things they have learned. If your taking bits and pieces from different branches, most would say your eclectic.
The most important thing is that you do what feels right to you. If you want a label give yourself one. If not, then don't lol. The most wonderful thing about life is that we have free will. In the grand scheme of things your the one who decides what you do.
Finding your path is something that connects you to a certain branch of magic or a certain pantheon can determine a path as well.
I have switched my path more times then i can count for better or worse. I have spent some time over the years trying to connect to a certain god/goddess, i tried different pantheons and different branches of paganism and wicca. I Tried following the Egyptian or "Kemetic" Wicca, i tried working with the Norse pantheon and Norse mythology and faith. i tried the Celtic/welsh pantheon as well as a few other gods and goddesses here and there. With each pantheon, i tried come of the customs of each and i worked them into what i was doing. Nothing felt right for me, no matter who i went to. I once prayed to Odin (and i am not saying Odin is a bad god or anything) For protection for me and my family, and that night my boyfriend got into a car crash. I changed what i called myself so many times, from Eclectic Solitary wiccan, to pagan, to Neo-Pagan, To Agnostic, Agnostic witch, To Atheist, i even called myself an Atheist witch for a bit, because i felt no connection to anything and i felt lost. I just could not find my path and i kept straying from the ones that at first felt right, but turned out not to be. Now i know what i am about to say next tugs at the strings of some people and they do not agree with it, but please respect my opinion and what my path currently is. Wicca is a religion and witchcraft is more of a craft that anyone can do. I started feeling the call again. I heard God, Jesus, the call of the "God". I started attending church again, i started reading the bible and learning so much more each day. I started praying so much more then i ever did and i started to feel a connection that i longed so much for over the past few years. I am proud to say that my path right now is that of a Christian Witch. I use my god, my holy trinity in my workings and my path. I pray to god and when i need the advice of a woman figure, i pray to mother Mary or even a saint. I use the workings of Jesus and god in my life to help other people and myself. I connect to nature and everything around me that god has given me. I see the symbol of the pentagram a symbol of the five points representing the five wounds of Jesus, and being a symbol of protection towards demons and evil (the original meaning for it by medieval Christians).And i know that the bible says "Thou shall not suffer a witch to live" but i feel that verse has been corrupted by man, just as many things over time have been. The king James version of the bible were that verse is seen, came about during the times were we as people feared evil and deemed anyone as a witch. I think it was mere convince to change it around.
Anyway, it may be important to some people for which path they follow, but it may not be to everyone. I personally, find it important to know what path i am on, because it helps me mold what i do though the things that are in my path.
