How do you become Wicca?

Question

I'm thinking of becoming Wicca and I'm looking into what that means and everything about the religion. but is there anything you have to do to be able to call yourself a Wicca? or do you just start believing in Wicca?

Answer 1

The religion is Wicca and Wiccan is a person who practices.

I apologize for the ignorant close minded who have answered prior to me.

First I have a couple of questions for you to really ponder.
1. Why do you want to practice witchcraft (Wicca)?
2. What lead you to this path?
3. What do you expect to gain from it?

If your answer to ANY of these questions is "power", forget it.

READ!!! Find out which denomination you would prefer. You may find your answer in, Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft. Wicca is a Federally recognized religion! You do not have to be born to it, very few are seeing that Wicca is only a little over 50 years old. Witchcraft goes back centuries before Jesus.

I would not bother with any type of initiation or gathering of ritual tools until you find which path you are going to follow. My particular path essentially needs only a Staff, Dirk (athame) and a Keek-Stane (or crystal ball). Other tools can be acquired as needed.

I am Pecti-Witan (aka Hedge Witch, not Wiccan) a "solitary" practitioner of "the Old Religion", and have been for many, many years. Being a "Witch" (or Wiccan) is nothing like what is portrayed in movies or on Television. There is nothing flashy about it. we are fairly simple people with "abilities" that everyone has, ours are just honed and utilized. Lots of research and practice. There is a lot to learn when you are dealing with herbal, mineral and candle magick.
I read tarot cards, rune stones and utilize a number of other tools for divination but would NEVER charge anyone for anything I do! Besides, I do not do "readings" or "cast spells" for others on demand. That sounds more like a con game to me!
Now as for what I did to start, well, it seemed to come naturally to me, (my mother was a witch and my great grandmother was the daughter of a Comanche medicine man) and I believe this is not my first life (nor the last) as a witch. I have always had a deep respect for nature and have an innate ability to communicate with animals. When I was very young my parents encouraged me to learn about all religions, so I did. And I encourage you to do the same to find your true path. Books are an excellent source, providing you get the right ones, there are some I would avoid (Ravenwolf). I prefer Scott Cunningham. If you can connect with other practitioners that would also be a good way to learn. One question you must ask yourself is are you looking for the structured system of a Coven or would you prefer the life as a "Solitary"? Buckland has some very good books outlining both. But my favorite book is still "Wicca, a Guide for the Solitary Practitoner". It is a good place to start (or affirm).
As you have probably noticed, you also have to have a thick skin, because even in this "advanced" civilization there are still those who believe we worship the devil (LMAO), and would rather turn a blind eye to the world around them. Some will even admit that they think we should be burned at the stake! Ignorance knows no bounds.
If you are very young, expect ridicule and really stupid requests to do "Magic" like they do on TV or in movies. It is not going to make you cool. Expect people to tell you that you are going to Hell. You will probably lose friends. Just being honest with you.
I hope you find the answers you were looking for.
BB
)O(

Answer 2

http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usfl&c=white&id=1938
http://www.mdpagans.com/wiccaisnot.html
www.wicca.timerift.net
http://paganwiccan.about.com/




Wicca: a Guide for the Solitary Pracitioner by Scott Cunningham.

A Witchs 10 commandments Marian Singer


The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft - Ronald Hutton

Witchcraft Today - Gerald B. Gardner.


Witchdom of the True - Edred Thorsson

Wicca: the Old Religion in the New Milennium - Vivianne Crowley

Advanced Wiccan Spirituality - Kevin Saunders

The Elements of Ritual: Air, Fire, Water & Earth in the Wiccan Circle - Deborah Lipp

Witch Crafting: A Spiritual Guide to Making Magic - by Phyllis W. Curott

Positive Magic - Marion Weinstein

The Circle Within: Creating a Wiccan Spiritual Tradition - Dianne Sylvan

Book of Shadows - Phyllis Curott

The Second Circle - Venecia Rauls

The Heart of Wicca: Wise Words from a Crone on the Path - Ellen Cannon Reed

Evolutionary Witchcraft - T. Thorn Coyle

The Wiccan Path: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner - Rae Beth

21st Century Wicca - Jennifer Hunter

Witchcraft: A Concise Guide - Isaac Bonewits

Way of Four - Deborah Lipp

Answer 3

Read, read and read some more.

There are two ways to go. You can either find a coven to join, or you can be a Wiccan dedicant - Solitary, which means you practice alone.

I am currently solitary, but was once part of a coven. It didn't work for me, but it may for you.

Scott Cunninghams books are brilliant for solitary practice. Avoid $ilver Ravenfraud until you are well versed in Wicca and Witchcraft, or just steer clear altogether!

The main thing to remember is that it takes time. Don't expect to learn everything at once, and don't listen to people who tell you it must be done this way or that way, because it doesn't.

Question everything you read, as some of it may not fit with you. Even if you feel you are not getting anywhere, it probably means you need to slow down.

Don't feel that you have to do a spell or ritual everyday, or even every week. You can honour the Gods in your own way, lighting a candle, planting things in your garden, burying a stone as thanks to them. Simple things can be just as powerful and meaningful.

Try not to get too bogged down with the meanings and correspondances, or with the different traditions. Take it one step at a time.

BB
)O(

Answer 4

Well - Wicca itself is a label for a group of beliefs first assembled in the 1950's by Gardner.

Wiccans believe in the male and female of the Divine - and that these two halves together make the All. The unkownable creator. The God and Goddess are the parts we can know.

To become Wiccan you must dedicate yourself to the religion. Most say you should at least dedicate yourself as a seeker for a year and a day before throwing yourself full force into Wicca.

This is to make sure that you really want to be part of this religion. Making a commiment is not a thing to be taken lightly.

So say you have to join a coven in order to be truly Wiccan. I don't buy into this. You have to be willing to practice their beliefs - celebrate the Sabbats (there are eight) and all the full moons. You don't have to practice magic to be Wiccan. You need to follow the reed and take responsibility for your actions and accept the consequences for every spell and action you do.

In Wicca - the way to practice this religion is to spend time in mediation with the deities and to spend time in nature - which is the Creator's gift to us. It is a personal relationship with the deities that is important. You do not need to believe in a pantheon - such as all the Roman or Greek gods. But you do need to accept the God and Goddess of the Wiccan beliefs. Many put emphasis on the Goddess only now-a-days.

But really, in the original belief system, both the God and Goddess were equal and both were important.

Answer 5

wicca is a beautiful religion. though i don't follow it myself i am pagan.
the only other religion that i know of personally that is as peaceful is buddhism. (another beautiful religion)

i agree with some others here, the best thing to do is read, read, and then read some more. there is probably a pagan or occult shop near you (i love the Internet, but i'm a hands on kind of person), they will be able to help you alot.
there will be stuff posted about various groups that are meeting, and if there are any classes being given.

i'm a solitary practitioner, and i have been for a lot of years. i know several wiccans, and if you like being part of a group then that is probably for you. i've joined in a few celebrations from time to time and it was great!

feel free to e-mail me, and i will help you if i can.
bb

Answer 6

The first step is deciding if Wicca is right for you, which I'm guessing you've already done.

If not, here are four good links to get you started.

A relatively objective (non-Wiccan) set of articles on what Wiccans do and believe:

http://www.religioustolerance.org/witchcra.htm

Another useful article:

http://www.religionfacts.com/neopaganism/paths/wicca.htm

A good site by Wiccans:

http://wicca.timerift.net

And the US Army Chaplains Handbook excerpt on Wicca:

http://www.religioustolerance.org/wic_usbk.htm

The second step (part one) is starting to practice Wicca -- to live the religion, including (if you choose) the practice of witchcraft. I highly recommend the book "Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner" by Scott Cunningham as a good beginner's book, since it contains pretty much everything you need to get started.

I advise you to stay away from anything by Silver Ravenwolf, for reasons outlined in the following essay:

http://wicca.timerift.net/ravenwolf.shtml

The second step (part two) is to start reading! You'll find yourself doing this a lot in Wicca; it's a religion where the learning process never ends. The Wicca for the Rest of Us site has a pretty good book review section:

http://wicca.timerift.net/books.shtml

and is a good site about Wicca in general.

Perform both parts of step two for at least a year. Ready? ;-) The third step, if you desire it, is a formal self-dedication to the path of Wicca, usually consisting of a ritual in which you state your intentions and your dedication to the path before the Gods and whoever else you have invited to be with you on this special occasion.

Another valuable undertaking is to network with other Wiccans in your area. I highly recommend the Witches of the World section at Witchvox:

http://www.witchvox.com/xvn.html

Just use the pull-down menus on the left to find individuals, groups, shops, and events in your area.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to email me. Best of luck to you on your path!

Answer 7

May I suggest that you do have a computer so use it. The internet is a great resource!
I do not suggest that you do spell workings at this time because you may not know how it works and things may go haywire. These are my own personal experiences. I also DONT suggest any books by Silver Ravenwolf she teaches nonsense! If you are to read on the subject I do suggest books my Raven Grimassi or Scott Cunningham. You are lucky to have this advice because when I was learning I did not have this advice and had to un-learn a lot of the so called by me, “truthful teachings” and re-learn a lot, this all took about half a year to realize that it was BS so umm, best of luck to you and your journey.

BB
)O(

Answer 8

Go to Home Depot and take a class on making Wicca chairs.

Good luck!

Answer 9

I wouldn't worry about labels.

I follow some of their beliefs (bcuz it has great rules to live your life by), but i definately wouldn't say i am wiccan, I live my life around the beliefs they have.

But i'm a mix of everything! You can be a mix of everything if you want 2, make it something that works for you!!

This answers going to get so many - god bless you - turn to jesus crap!

Answer 10

Hang in there and try this question another time. There are lots of good people who are pagans that will answer your question, it's just been a rough couple of days in here...