Read everything you can online. Keep in mind most of it is probably screwy or a little off. Never pay for spells or anything that says they can teach you magic. Any pagan websites people list are probably decent so you can start there. (including witchvox.com if no one has mentioned it before).
However, people first looking into Wicca tend to get caught up in the crap. For this reason i recommend taking a free online course. Keep researching and reading what you can, but use a course (usually takes about a year and a day, and you can find really good ones that you dont have to pay for) as a structured system to build on. You'll learn what wiccans want you to learn, but you'll be able to do it in a year instead of the many years it takes most wiccans/pagans to gather all the information and figure it out. I would recommend( http://www.classes.witchschool.com/cours鈥?/a> ). Take the Correllian Wicca First Degree class. It'll be a good way to start learning about wicca and if you are interested in it. If you decide you dont like wicca or the class, you can always stop talking it. However, if you want a mentor or be able to meet other people learning about wicca just like you are they have a social networking site (www.witchschool.com) full of people curious about wicca as well as experienced practitioners.
Witchschool also has TUNS of free classes on different subjects you can take (chakras, runes, divination, dreams, wands, athames, etc).
Here are a few other good sites you can try:
http://www.geocities.com/~firesilk/ltabl鈥?/a>
www.ozwicca.com (email her for the lessons.... carol@ozwicca.com)
PS. Technically your question should say ';I am thinking of becoming Wiccan. Any advice or knowledge about becoming Wiccan and their practices?';I am thinking of becoming Wicca any advice or knowledge about becoming wiccan and there practices ?
Ummm I'm not trying to be a smart a$$ but how can you practice a ';religion'; that you obviously don't know anything about?I am thinking of becoming Wicca any advice or knowledge about becoming wiccan and there practices ?
Some common pagan beliefs (not all pagan religions believe these): reincarnation * karma * harming none * multiple deities (male and female) * a reverence for life and nature * celebrating the cycle of life and the year with holidays and full moons *
Things pagans don鈥檛 believe in: the devil * hell * a savior * a deity that condemns someone for eternity for not believing in him
1) Ignore the fundies saying you鈥檒l go to hell and are opening yourself up to demons. They don鈥檛 believe in either.
2) Get the book: Wicca, a Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham (Amazon.com used books is a great resource)
3) Avoid Silver Ravenwolf, DJ Conway and most Llewellyn books
4) Do NOT pay for lessons over the internet. You can鈥檛 ask for references. Do NOT give out personal information to anyone over the internet. Get a PO Box.
5) www.witchvox.com http://wicca.timerift.net
6) Learn and keep learning about various paths in paganism.
7) get the book: ';Drawing Down the Moon'; by Margo Adler (an older book that's a little dated, especially concerning Asatru but a good resource) - it gives an overview on a lot of pagan traditions. Might help you narrow things down.
8) I probably won't be able to help you beyond basics. I haven't been Wiccan in over 15 years.
Pagan Holidays (in some traditions)
Samhain/Halloween, November Eve/October 31st
Yule/Winter Solstice, December 20 鈥?22nd
Imbolc/Candlemas, February 2nd
Ostara/Spring Equinox, March 20 鈥?23
Beltane/Walpurgis Eve/May Eve, April 30th
Litha/Summer Solstice, June 20 鈥?23rd
Lughnassad/Lammas/August Eve, August 1st
Mabon/Fall Equinox, September 20 鈥?23rd
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at http://tinyurl.com/AmyBlackthorn
Spells can work for anyone. Magic is a system, not a religion. It's also not good or bad. It's how you choose to use it.
I know magic works because I've been doing it for years. Wicca is just one of many faiths that embrace Magic. But Wiccans and Witches aren't
the only ones who use magic.
You can be both a Wiccan and a witch, these two words are not the same. None of these words has anything to do with devil worship.
One of the biggest sore points among Wiccans is the improper usage of the terms ';Wiccan'; and ';Witch';. Too many people use the terms interchangeably,
presuming that they both mean the same thing. They do not.
Wiccan
Wicca is just one of many faiths that embrace Magic. Wicca is a religion, and someone who follows that religion is called a Wiccan. Sometimes it
can be difficult to accurately define Wicca, and not all Wiccans will define themselves the same way. Observing the 8 Wiccan Sabbats, honoring the
Gods and/or Goddesses, creating sacred space for rituals, to name a few. Many traditional Wiccans also feel that belonging to a coven is also a
requirement and that those who practice their religion as a solitary, should not refer to themselves as Wiccan. Personally, I'm still not sure on
that point. Typical Wiccans also practice magick, and therefore are also witches. You cannot be a ';natural Wiccan'; any more than you could be a
';natural Christian';.
Witch
The practice of witchcraft is not associated with any religion, therefore you can be a witch and yet also be a member of any number of
religions (or none). Using the natural energies within yourself, along with the energies of herbs, stones or other elements to make changes
around you is considered witchcraft. Though the skills and gifts that are part of witchcraft can be inherited from parents or grandparents,
you aren't automatically a witch just because your grandmother may have been one. The use of magick takes practice, experience and learning.
On a side note, a male witch is called a witch, not a warlock.
Pagan
While I'm explaining terminology, I thought I would throw in ';Pagan'; as well. Paganism refers to a variety of non-Christian/Jewish/ Islamic
religions that are usually polytheistic and are often nature-based. Wicca is only one Pagan religion, but there are others such as Santeria,
Asatru, or Shamanism. Many people do not necessarily identify with a specific religion, and just use the broad term ';Pagan'; to define their
spiritual path. Pagan religions are distinct and separate from each other, and it should not be assumed that they are just different names for
the same faith.
Suggested Reading List
Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham
Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham
Complete Book of Incense, Oils and Brews by Scott Cunningham
Book of Shadows: A Modern Woman鈥檚 Journey into the Wisdom of Witchcraft and the Magic of the Goddess by Phyllis Curott
Green Witchcraft by Aoumiel (Ann Moura)
True Magick by Amber K
Inner Temple of Witchcraft: Magick, Meditation and Psychic Development by Christopher Penczak
Heart of Wicca: Wise Words from a Crone on the Path by Ellen Cannon Reed
The Spiral Dance by Starhawk
Natural Magic by Marian Green
Wheel of the Year: Living the Magical Life by Pauline Campanelli
The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan
Witchcraft by Ronald Hutton
AmysGreenDreams.etsy.com
pagan.meetup.com
wicca.meetup.com
witches.meetup.com
azuregreen.com
abaxion.com
ecauldron.net
paganwiccan.about.com
witchvox.com
wicca.timerift.net
Christians becoming Wiccan
http://www.wicca-spirituality.com/christ鈥?/a>
Read as much information as you can that is not a personal opinion. religioustolerance.org is a great place to learn and to get many websites to learn more. Wicca is a nature based religion that follows the same lines of pre christian religion.
i would suggest reading ';Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft'; (available pretty cheap on half.com) and pretty much any book by Scott Cunningham at least to start out with.
also, if you have any questions you may direct them here: circleofthemoonhill@comcast.net
I know the High Prestess very well and she would be more than happy to help you where she can, Just tell her I sent you.
I advise you to learn more about Wicca before deciding to become Wiccan. It's a religion and there is no point in deciding to become a religion before you know what it's about.
A good website is wicca.timerift.net.
The Wicca follow a henotheistic religion, which recognises its own specific gods, while not denying the existence of gods and goddesses from other pantheons. Wicca itself is a 'hard polytheistic' religion, meaning that Wicca see their deities as specific individual beings. The gods of Wicca are known as the Horned God and Great Mother, these are outer court references meant to be used as place holders for the real names of their gods until the Seeker is initiated and taught those names.
The Wicca were brought to public attention by Gerald Gardner around the 1930's, although the exact date is open for discussion, also open for discussion is whether Gardner founded the Wicca entirely or whether it was an already existing group which he merely re-introduced and re-invented, either way he is considered the founding father of the Wicca. Gardner brought together paganism with influences from many sources including the rituals and teachings of Freemasonry and Golden Dawn resulting in a unique orthopraxic religion. The Wicca embrace their early pagan roots in history, the history of pagan faiths and the gods who they followed and worshipped, the religion of the Wicca also introduces eastern philosophy into it's primarily western path, along with this possibly one of the Wicca's best known features, that of religious witchcraft.
Wicca is an initiate only mystery tradition, or more precisely a priesthood, where one can trace their lineage back to the New Forest lines. Initiation is the only way into the Wicca, and is carried out by a Wicca coven, initiation into a coven requires formal training after which initiation and a system of degrees is followed. Wicca follows a strong set of doctrines, one who takes on the name 'Wicca' is also taking on these doctrines as well as practices of the Wicca, the title of 'Wicca' implies more than that you are a member of the Wicca, but also that you have worked long and hard to earn that title. Seekers are those who wish to become members of the Wicca, but have yet to find a Wicca coven. Wicca covens can be hard to find let alone become a member of, often those who are without a coven continue to study Wicca and surrounding subjects while seeking a Wicca coven to join. Often Wicca is described as 'Traditional Wicca' or 'BTW: British Traditional Wicca' - different from Neo-wicca which is a belief system based on the outer-court teachings of Wicca, but which many people call Wicca.
Although Wicca is heavily influenced or based upon witchcraft it is not the main belief behind Wicca, the terms 'Wicca' and 'witch' are not interchangeable. The practice of witchcraft fits well with the Wicca way of prayer and ritual, which often involves a highly personal relationship with the divine, the witchcraft of Wicca also works well with how Wicca views the universe as working, however it should be noted that witchcraft can be practiced by many religions as well as by Atheists and Agnostics. Wicca is not dogmatic, much of the morality and ethics of Wicca are in fact determined by the individuals take on a given situation. Often followers of Wicca will incorporate utilitarianism, which means that an act is carried out for the greater good or elements of their own morality rather then seek to find suitable behavior based on Wicca doctrine.
You need to remember that as Wicca is oath-bound anything you read will be outer-court so finding reliable information is difficult - the more you learn the easier it is to find information that is more likely to be valid and reliable. Paganism is also a huge classification for various different beliefs and religions, so it depends on what sort of thing you're looking into, also do you want ot look into related subjects such as say golden dawn, which would also give you a bit of a better footing when studying Wicca.
General rules of thumb are to avoid the likes of Ravewolf and Horne (I'm guessing you'd figure that one out for yourself), past that it is more difficult. It's good to go for information and sources form those who are Wicca (BTW) with confirmed lineage, but you then have people like Buckland and Cunningham where their is lineage so they are Wicca, but their work is very much neo-wicca rather than Wicca - Neo-wicca being a system based on outer-court teachings, but who are not themselves Wicca. You've got some good book suggestions; Fararrs, Murry, Valiente, Crowley, Gardner himself of course (the difference between his work and the sort of books on 'Wicca' you get today is so vast). ';The Spiral Dance,'; by Starhawk as very much a pagan book however be warned she is very much second wave feminist, ';Triumph of the Moon'; by Ronald Hutton, boring as sin and some arguments about his sources but an important book.
Web sites;
http://amberandjet.org - Amber %26amp; Jet
http://www.wcc.on.ca - Wiccan Church of Canada
http://janus.spawnfar.net - Janus Gate
http://www.cog.org - Covenant of the Goddess
http://www.tangledmoon.org - Tangled Moon Coven
http://beaufort.bravepages.com/index.htm鈥?/a> - Beaufort House
http://www.asiya.org - Asiya's Shadows
http://www.sacred-texts.com/index.htm - Internet Sacred Text Online
http://www.paganfed.org - Pagan Federation
http://www.thewica.co.uk - The Wica
Yahoo! only allows for 10 links - add http:// in front.
newt.00me.com/notgard.html - Gardnerian or not
www.geocities.com/astraeaaradia - Myriad of Enchantments
www.the-cauldron.org.uk - The Cauldron
You need to understand, although some would like to argue otherwise, a person can't be Wicca without initiation into British Traditional Witchcraft (BTW). Wicca is an initiate only mystery tradition, it has no laypeople, only priests and priestesses which requires initiation, making them activly part of Wicca rather than followers. There's lineage back to Gerald Gardner or the New Forest coven, it's an oral tradition so teachings and guidance are passed from teacher to student. As it's oath bound beliefs, practices, doctrines, mysteries and even gods are known only to Wicca, what you read or hear from others is 'outer-court' teachings, basics and placeholders for students until initiation. For example with outer-court teachings the gods are known as the Horned God and Great Mother, these are place holders for the real names of gods that are taught when initiated, these are 'inner-court' teachings. Some say they're Wicca without initiation due to missinformation, for example if a book says 'If you want to be Wicca, you are Wicca', it gives permission to take the title regardless. Often people won't study further, or refuse to accept they're not Wicca, why would they if they've gotten what they want? But then, how's Wicca defined if people say they're Wicca even if they don't follow Wicca? I could say I'm a donkey, but no matter how much I want it by definition I'm not a donkey, nor will other donkey's recognise I'm a donkey, same goes for Wicca. Definitions can't be changed to suit one person, words would loose meaning. Calling oneself Wicca spreads ignorance and disrespect, however this also helps as it makes study harder so covens can tell who's serious, teachers then guide students through missinformation. Initiation isn't elitism, it's so teachings aren't misinterpreted and faith isn't diluted.
Wicca always requires study, there's never a time when you know everything, initiatially there's missinformation, but there comes a time when you can tell the difference between fact and fiction. Wicca is a very diverse religion, it's henotheistic, hard polytheistic, orthopraxic with influences from Freemasonry and Golden Dawn, it has influences from early pagan history, includes both eastern and western philosophy, and features religious witchcraft. You always have many subjects to study, not just sources specifically about Wicca but various aspects of Wicca like higher and lower magics, herb lore, divination, general occult, and witchcraft from other religions or those not religion specific. It's a lot of study and practice, but it should be something you enjoy, never a chore, you can always study and practice alone and then when you are ready look for others to work with. If you've a local pagan community go to meet-up's, you can find people via Witchvox witchvox.com some people give courses or run study groups or you can just hang out with like-minded people. Wicca don't advertise themselves, if they did they'd have hundreds harrassing them, but they do tend to linger. Being within the community people get to know you, see how you're developing, and so when you're ready a teacher can find you. A word of warning, there are many people who claim to be Wicca, there are perverts and fundamentalist groups, so be very careful. Study will help and trust your gut, also within the community others will watch your back.
Why the hell do you want to be a witch!?
Make sure you fit the prerequisites:
You're 15 or younger
Your large suburban home isn't 'hardcore' enough
You're sick and tired of your parents yelling at you to take out the trash
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