If he has taught before, you should check on his reputation in the pagan community in the area. If there seems to be a lot of red flags it could be one of two things either it's true OR there is a major (or minor) witch war brewing and lots of mud is being flung. Either way you should proceed with caution. Is it one person who is doing the most finger pointing? What you find might point to them having issues with the person that has nothing to do with teaching or something could be there. At this point it's time to dig deeper. (Some places it's hard to find other pagans of any kind but please try.)

If she hasn't taught before does he have a sincere love of learning. Is he patient and not prone to jumping to conclusions or radically changing viewpoints on an almost daily basis? Does she seem honest or do you catch her lying on a regular basis? Is he willing to admit he doesn't know everything? Does she have his life in order? By this I mean does he take responsibility for his life. If everything that goes wrong in his life is because someone case a spell on him then you are better off studying on your own. Or to the other extreme does she take the blame for everything, even things that no one could control. Does he abuse a chemical substance? I don't mean a drink now and then, I mean do they obviously have a problem? You want balance and responsibility in a teacher.

Things you do and do not want in a teacher:

You do not want a teacher who thinks that they should be the only teacher you ever have. No one knows everything and you can learn from the most surpassing sources. You do not want a teacher who tells you that you can never get information from anyone but him and approved sources. I will admit I suggest my students not read certain authors until they have the basics down but they are not forbidden to read anything on the grounds it might confuse them. If you are going to be studying in a group make sure it's OK to discuss things magical /Pagan/fill in what tradition or path you are following here with other members of the group when the teacher isn't present. Gather all the knowledge that you can, from wherever you can, and from whomever you can. While it may not blend in with the tradition you are following it will enable you to question and any teacher worth his or her salt will appreciate questions.

Anyone who demands "the Great Rite" or sexual favors in return for teaching should be avoided like the plague. I am not going to claim that all so called pagans are good people. There is slime, some are even charming slime, out there in the community. Some of them even know their stuff very well but that doesn't mean you should put up with anything and everything they want. Remember be wary

The same should be said for those who charge an exorbitant amount to teach you. I am not going to say that teachers should charge nothing at all. Some believe that if you charge nothing then people will not value it at all. (Some have students do physical work for the same reason.) But those who charge an arm and a leg well you might want to be wary of are they teaching cause they love to or are they teaching cause it's a way to make a quick buck. There are plenty of teachers out there who teach for the love of teaching not for what they get from a student. Reasonable expenses in my opinion include: paying rent,.if it's a larger group and the teacher has to rent a space for the classes to be held, supplies, etc. As a student though your teacher isn't a lending library or shouldn't be. It will be your responsibility to buy books and your personal magical tools/supplies.

Watch out for other types of abusers as well. If your teacher is starting to make you feel like less then nothing, get away form that person. Remember you are not less then the one teaching you. It just means he has knowledge you don't currently have. I have been leaning my path for over a decade. I sure don't know everything. I have studied with someone with less experience then I have overall and who is a heck of a lot younger then I am BUT who knew what I needed to know backwards and forwards and in positions I have still discovering. Remember some have more experience in some areas and others have more experience in other areas. A teacher should be helping you to develop what talents you do have, not trying to hinder those abilities. Guess what? You might also teach your teacher a few things just because you see things differently then he or she does. Does the teacher try to control aspects of your life outside your studies. Are you supposed to clean his house, work in her business for free and hand-fast whom she says. (Don't laugh all three have happened.) All I can say in that instance is run. Does she threaten physically, emotionally, or magically? Do he attempt or succeed with physical abuse on students or other people?

Does the teacher actively seek students? This also might be a warning sign. Some questions you might ask include. How long have you been on this path? What teachers have you had. Self-taught isn't a bad thing by far. I myself have only had very brief times of human teaching. But then again if she says she has been on the path 5 years and she learned everything she knows at the feet of her honored teacher, Scott Cunningham, she probably isn't on the up and up. What is their tradition. If it hasn't got a name ask why? If He admits that it's because this is how he has come to feel after years of study and he hasn't named it then he is being honest. If the says it's a million year old tradition that's been handed down from father to son and it can be yours for 499.99 you might have a bit of a problem.

Make sure your teacher is responsible. If you are to meet for a lesson then is the teacher there. (The same goes for the student. A good teacher demands as much responsibility from herself as she demands from her students and vice versa.) Unforeseen things do happen but is it consistent or not? I know "pagan time" is trendy right now but wasting anyone's time is definitely rude. Promptness is a virtue when it comes to teaching and studying.

All teachers are human. None are flawless. So you are not going to find perfection. Just be as careful looking for a teacher and try to find a good one. Watch out for the power mongers and the abusers and good luck in your search. Do not be afraid to question anything (and everything) your teachers tell you. I would even suggest you question the things you read here.