Serious answers from pagans and wiccans only please?

Question

First of all I was raised in baptist family, For as long as I can remember I have always felt a certain longing ..something inside that wont let me go .I have always felt drawn to learn and get involved in wicca and paganism, its hard for me to explain but its way to deep and far beyond just curiosity. What i do know of both makes sense and feels right .After all these years I have decided that it is what needs to be persued in my life .My questions are . Has any others felt this way ?Naturually drawn? also...What books can I purchase to learn the ways?Maybe some websites that go in depth ?Please only serious answers only .

Answer 1

I totally understand where you are coming from. Ever since I was little I was always thumbing through books on Pagan Mythology. I always wished that this was a real religion since I was told by my Episcopalian parents that it wasn't real that it had been proved wrong since Jesus came and converted the heathens.

Still I longed for answers. As I grew older and started to doubt Christianity, I started to regain interest in the Old Ways. This interest blossomed into a study of Wicca which is a reclaiming of those old Pagan practices with a practical viewpoint. Its scientifically and spiritually sound.


There are several books on Wicca and Paganism that you might enjoy.

Wicca: The Old Religion in the New Age by Vivienne Crowley
Wicca for Life: The Way of the Craft from Birth to Summerland by Raymond Buckland
The COmplete Book Of Witchcraft by Raymond Buckland
Earth Power by SCott Cunningham
Earth, Air, Fire, Water by Scott Cunningham
Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practicioner by Scott Cunningham
Living Wicca: A further Guide for the Solitary Witch by Scott Cunningham
Wicca for Men by AJ Drew (Good for Women too)
Making Magick by Edain McCoy
The Witches Bible by Janet and Stewart Ferrar


Here are some good websites

http://www.cog.org/
http://www.workingwitches.com/wicca/enroll.htm
http://www.witchschool.com/
http://www.paganpride.org/
http://www.witchvox.com/
http://www.cuups.org/content2/
http://www.religioustolerance.org/witchcra.htm

Answer 2

I also was drawn to learning more about Paganism and Wicca because they felt more right to me than what my current religion was. If you are interested as well, I'd suggest reading as much as you can since there are many different routes one can take guided by many different opinions.

Several authors I would recommend for a wide spectrum of reading, in no particular order, are:
Scott Cunningham
D. J. Conway
Patricia Telesco
Margot Adler
Silver Ravenwolf
Raymond Buckland
Ted Andrews
Migene Gonzalez-Wippler
Sandra Kynes

http://www.witchvox.com is THE site for Wiccans and other Pagans on the internet. It has everything.

Answer 3

You are completely normal, so don't worry about that. Almost every pagan has, at some point in his or her life, felt just like you, save for those who grew up in traditionally pagan families.

Since you don't know what it is exactly that attracts you to the pagan path, you will have to spend some time searching, and your local Barnes and Nobles is the best place for that, or any large bookseller with a new age/pagan section. Bear in mind, of course, that you will read many things you do not agree with. Trust your intuition and look at books and authors that speak to YOU. Many people will mention Scott Cunningham, and while he only practices WIcca, his books are excellent starting points for anyone who is unfamiliar with paganism in general. I would suggest you start with him, and then follow your heart and study what comes naturally to you.

Eventually, you'll find exactly what it is that's pulling you in this direction, but until you do, learn everything you can. Knowledge is the most powerful magick there is.

Answer 4

It is normal to have internal conflicts when you are considering going against what you were taught when growing up. However, a calling no matter to what source of faith is still a calling.
Scott Cuningham is a great source to learn about natural elemental magick. Also, there are plenty of sites on the web that gives basic introductions into Wicca.
Explore all options though before you say that it is for you. There are many different religions within the world that many people do not know much about. I am a Heathen, a follower of the old Norse traditions. I too thought that Wicca was for me before I found what I was truly being called too.
Nonetheless, Wicca is a good place to start because it is a natural Earth based belief system, which is the foundation for most other old beliefs either less practiced for forgotten.

Answer 5

I see that the majority of the answers here mention excellent authors, and excellent websites :) So instead I'll tell you what I did when I found myself in your shoes :) I was 13, and had just read Mists of Avalon and just knew deep down into my soul, that while the book was fiction, the Goddess was real, and alive. From there the first book offically on the subject I read was Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler - it gives an excellent (if not a little dated now) descriptions of the many different paths that Witches have. I'm also going to toot Witchvox.com 's horn - it is a wonderful resource of articles AND one of The best ways to see if there is anyone else in your area you can talk to, or perhaps even shop listings or group event listings.

Also, keep track of your dreams :) Sometimes a name will come to you that if you google it - you'll find it relates to something in your new found path - Good Luck!

Answer 6

When I left Christianity behind to follow my "longing", I felt such a complete feeling of peace. I knew then that the path I chose was right for me. I started reading Wicca by Scott Cunningham and then moved onto Living Wicca. There are many other good resources out there. I also found others in my area who are Pagan/Wiccan to talk with. Brightest blessings!

Answer 7

I've been drawn to paganism and earthbased religion for some time now. I've read about wicca and that doesn't quite seem to fit. I'm not sure where to go from there. I am deeply interested in the goddess. Christian religion just doesn't do it for me. I have read, off and on, a great book by Starhawk called 'The Earth Path'. Check out www.llewellyn.com. It will be a good resource for finding books. There are also article that you can read. Best of luck on your path.

Answer 8

Hello, I have been Wicca for many years. I believe the instinctive calling is the longing to return to that which you were once involved in, maybe not even in this life. Paganism is a deep seated feeling a knowing of nature and its influence on you. My name on witchvoc is zapira and I have had a lot of people ask me about why they feel the way they do. I feel the answer is you feel because you are.

Answer 9

That is probably the reason most of us choose Wicca. You are not alone in that feeling. If you are serious about learning about Wicca I would suggest first and foremost reading Scott Cunningham's "The Truth about Witchcraft Today". If you are still interested then I would suggest either Scott Cunningham's "Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner" and/or Silver Ravenwolf's "To Ride a Silver Broomstick". If you are still interested feel free to contact me for additional beginner titles. Included below is a link to Llewellyn Books. They are a publishing company that deals in a lot of very good Wiccan and Pagan books.

Merry Met and Blessed Be )O(

Answer 10

Yes all the religious experiences I have had in the Baptist, Methodist, Brethren, Catholic and Buddhist faiths have left me flat. I am forming my own belief system right now and it has a lot of Pagan elements in it. I have been told to read the book 'Idiots Guide to Wicca' for starters. I have just recently realized that my viewpoint and theirs is similar but I know nothing about them except they seem peaceful and loving. I was also told to look at the website below. Good luck on your search.