Why can't there just be a traditional way to Wicca?

Question

Like use this candle for this. This color. Say this. Etc..etc...
I mean I'll all for "finding yourself" and "making it your own"...but at times...I just wish I had help and not my own intuition.

Can't you just be taught the craft without making it all totally up by yourself?

Answer 1

Well there is, contrary to what many popular authors may say there is. Gardnerian and Alexandrian are probobly the most traditional of Wiccan traditions. I was trained in an Alexandrian Coven myself. The basic of the religion itself are pretty much the same in all tradition, as for the beliefs etc, though different groups and traditions may use different pantheons etc. The Equinox Tradition, my tradition, it very similar to Alexandrian, only we use the Egyptian Pantheon as the forms of the God and Goddess we revere, and we are a little more ceremonial.

As for the correspondences, for the most part they are the same in most traditions. A few (somewhat cheesey) authors and traditions have made changes to the original correspondences, to make them fit where they think they should, but I disagree with them usually. Though Wicca is a very open and spiritual religion, this does not always mean that people should just make up everything themselves. It is somewhat wrong to do so, and I tend to think it messes up ritual etc when people do change things to ways they think it should be. Candle colors etc have specific correspondences for a reason, it is what has worked for a very long time. Most of these correspondeces used in modern Wicca, witchcraft, and magick, all mostly come from the works of Alesiter Crowley and Israel Regarde, who put in a great deal of time into researching them.

Now, you can be taught, and there are a lot of good places to learn, including some very good groups out there. I have been teaching for over 10 years. As a good suggestion, check out the book Becoming the Circle, by Lord AmonRaHa, which I should have out sometime later this year. It is lessons written for solitary practitioners from a very traditional standpoint. If you are looking for a group, of course witchvox is always good:
http://www.witchvox.com

Now, as far as groups, I think you should have a copy of this. It is a document I wrote for people who are looking into groups and teachers, to help them decide if the group or teacher is decent, and worth learning from. There are a LOT of bad groups out there, just making stuff up, read 2 books and call themselves a High Priest(ess), or have other, much worse agendas for running a group. You can find this document at :
http://www.theequinox.org/groupteacherevaluation.pdf

Finally, you can always feel free to ask me questions when you are unsure of something. I am here to help anytime you need it (providing I am online). You can message me through Yahoo messenger or email me if you do not want to ask in the forum here. I may at some point in the future start offering online lesson in the basics without initiation, the beginning stuff I teach my dedicant students before they reach first degree, but I will not do online initiations (cheesey) and I cannot teach people who are not part of the in person group the stuff from the first degree and above. So anyway, you do have help, and yes, there are traditional ways of doing things. If you ever need to ask me, feel free, I am happy to help.

Answer 2

Are you taking a Wiccan course, if so then you should be being told or shown what to do. The High Priestess and Priest of one group I belonged to had a complete course that they taught from. They gave us copies and everything.

What you have to learn is that although you maybe told use this color candle for say healing which many will tell you is blue, I use green. This is why you are also supposed to keep a journal or a Book of Shadows. The different colors of candles are supposed to elicit certain reactions from the user, but not every one thinks the same. This is why you have to "own" your own magick!

You can email me if you have any more questions. My email addy is in my profile.

Brightest blessings,

Answer 3

There IS a traditional way. It's called Gardnerian Wicca. (And/or Alexandrian Wicca, if you feel like pursuing the acorn a little further from the tree.)

And assuming you can find a teacher or group to instruct you, you can certainly have correspondences etc. laid out for you in the style that that individual or group considers fitting. We don't ALL make it up as we go along, you know.

Answer 4

If you're "making it up" you're doing it wrong.

Likewise, if you're blindly following a book, you are also doing it wrong.

It's not the color of the candle that's important. It's what that color triggers within you. If that color doesn't mean to you what a book says, it doesn't do a thing.

BTW, there IS a traditional way to Wicca, but it's not published. It's passed from teacher to student within covens that call themselves things like Gardnerian or Alexandrian.

Answer 5

I also <3 Witchvox. It's a very good site. By "traditional Wicca" you probably mean Gardenerian (sp?), it was the first.

Answer 6

There are many different Wiccan traditions. What you need to do is find a teaching coven in your area. Each uses a specific set of correspondences. I think that is what you are searching for - correct me if I'm wrong.

Answer 7

To reach the universal power one only needs to light the candle within them to find truth.

Answer 8

One of the aspects I love most about Wicca, Paganism, Witchcraft is that one can taylor it to fit their own spirituality and needs.

When it becomes more controlled it becomes 'ORGANIZED RELIGION' EWWWW YUKKK, I can't even stand to type those words.

Answer 9

You have to join a specific tradition to be told certains are for certain reasons.

I personally don't like someone else telling me that's the only way to something.

not Wiccan

Answer 10

wicca is similar to buddha and tao, you need close attunment to your inner self, wicca would not be wicca if it had hymnals, class instructions and someone else telling not guideing. you can find mentors, but that too is pretty intensive towards your own talents.