Wicca....?

Question

i think it's a really interesting religion and i really want to learn more about it! i just love how it's nature based! but i'm only 14 years old and my parents think it's weird. my question is: how do you become wiccan? reading? what do I have to read? lots of detail would help! thanks!

Answer 1

You become a Wiccan by reading about Wicca (unless you're lucky enough to have someone to teach you) and by living the religion day-to-day. One of the books I'll be recommending will give you the information you need to start doing that. There are also some links in this post that you can refer your parents to, but ultimately if you live under their roof you must live by their rules, and if they forbid you to practice Wicca you'll have to make do with reading books until you're out on your own.

Wicca is a very complex faith which embraces widely varying practices and many different Traditions. The following, however, is what I consider to be "the basics".

Wicca is about 60 years old, with roots in Masonic practices, ceremonial magic, and the Romantic era's ideas of classical religions. Its founder was a British civil servant named Gerald Gardner.

http://www.geraldgardner.com/essays.php

It is in many ways a postmodern faith, embracing religious relativism, and one that resonates powerfully for increasing numbers of people.

The central tenet of the Wiccan religion is the Wiccan Rede: "If you harm none, do what you will." This is a deceptively simple "commandment" which can take a lifetime to contemplate and to master. Many Wiccans also believe in the Law of Threefold Return, sometimes called the Rule of Three: “Whatever you do, for good or ill, will come back upon you three times over.”

Wiccans honor Deity as both male and female, God and Goddess -- or at the very least as Goddess. Many Wiccans believe that the universe is the body of God/dess, and therefore that all things contain Divine energy and that the world itself is sacred. Some Wiccans are polytheists (many God/desses); others are duotheists (God and Goddess, of whom all other Gods and Goddesses are simply aspects); others are monotheists (God and Goddess Themselves are simply aspects of an unknowable Source).

Wiccans generally do not believe that God/dess is separate from the world; therefore, we have no concept of salvation, since God/dess is present to all and always. Many Wiccans believe that God/dess is too big to fit inside one religion -- all religions/spiritual paths are ways of reaching the same goal, and atheism and agnosticism are honorable perspectives on the mystery of life.

Each Wiccan operates as their own priest/ess. We do not have a distinction between clergy and laity. Therefore, each Wiccan is responsible for their own personal development and for forging their own relationship with God/dess. Some Wiccans practice in covens, which are generally initiatory and require a long period of study (traditionally a year and a day) before entering. Others practice in loosely affiliated groups of solitaries, which are Wiccans who practice outside of traditional coven structure. Others simply practice alone.

Wiccans do not usually have churches. We create sacred space as and where needed, by casting "circles" of energy which function as temples. When inside those circles, we invite the spirits of the four Platonic elements (air, fire, water, and earth) to join us, as well as the Goddess and the God (or at minimum the Goddess).

Wiccans have celebrations which are timed to both the solar and lunar calendars. The solar festivals -- held at the solstices, the equinoxes, and four points in between them -- are called sabbats.

http://paganwiccan.about.com/library/basics/blsabbats.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel_of_the_year

The lunar holy days are called esbats, and are held at the full moon each month, and sometimes at the new moon as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esbat

Many Wiccans practice witchcraft, which we see as working with the Divine energy that permeates the world to bring about change. In accordance with the Wiccan Rede, the vast majority of Wiccans will not curse or perform magic to bring harm upon anyone else.

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 (with an excellent book review section):

http://wicca.timerift.net

And the US Army Chaplains Handbook excerpt on Wicca:

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

If you're looking to do some reading, I'd recommend "Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner" by Scott Cunningham (which will give you the information you need to start practicing the faith on a daily basis), and "The Triumph of the Moon" by Ronald Hutton (for history). I advise you to stay away from anything by Silver Ravenwolf, for reasons outlined in the following essay:

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

If you have any further questions, please feel free to email me.

Answer 2

Greetings!

Read all you can about Wicca, Paganism, English History, Classical Mythology, and ask your Parents about their Family Tree-

Wicca, as it exists now-a-days, came into being in the 1940`s, and got really going in the 50`s when England repealed the Law against WitchCraft.

I went through 3 degrees in a Wiccan Coven, and it was very informative to find out what modern people are doing. I am also a Celtic Druid, and Wicca is NOT from the Celtic Culture! It derives more closely from the Anglo-Saxons of Old England, who were enemies of the Celts, Britons, and Welsh.

Read about Arthur and Merlin, who fought the Angles, Jutes, Danes and Saxons-heck, just crack open a History Book, or Google "Mercia", and you will see for yourself.

Have fun!

/!\

Answer 3

1.Scott Cunningham, A guide for th solitary practitioner Once you commit to the path an excellent book is Spirit of the witch. Many of these books can be found extremely cheap on amazon like 3.00 and are packaged discreetly.Also Drawing down the moon.
2. Remember that Wicca incorporates magick but does not center around it. There are also many other pagan religions out there so read as much as you can both on and offline so you can find the right path for you, not just the most popular one.
3.Parents arent usually going to cheer you on but most wont object if you go on more walks or sit in the park,and an added bonus is that these are the best places to be near the divine. No matter what practicing can always be discreet.
4.Don't spend a ton of money on supplies many tools of the craft can be found in your own home. Candles can be found at you local dollar store best choice? You can never go wrong with white. I buy tea-lights at the dollar tree 10 for a dollar. They burn quickly for those of us who cant spend 4 hour staring at a candle, and nobody gets suspicious.
5.Be true to your heart. Wicca is an amazing path for those who dare to walk it. Open your mind and let the god and goddess move you and the rest will follow naturally.
Blessed Be!


ps if you need more information or just someone to talk to please feel free to email me

Answer 4

Hi, I'm very happy that you want to get into wicca and witchcraft.

Here are things you should keep in mind

1.) Wicca and Witchcraft are not the same thing. Not all wiccans are witches and not all witches are wiccan.

2.) If you want to read, just go to the library, please as longt
you NOT read silver ravenwolf, or any wicca and witchcraft for teens books, im sure you'll be just fine.

3.) Practice it in your parents house and educate them, if they say no, practice it anyway, in secret or not, is up to you hun. What you shouldnt do is lie to your parents, this is why nobody would reccomend Silver Ravenwolf. She takes advantage of underage witches,and makes a profit out of it trust me I was one of her victims.

She goes on saying,

"If your parents still won't allow you to practice witchcraft, tell them that we practice angels, because heck everybody likes angels."

This is lying, and everyone knows that lying is wrong, if your parents discover that it's a lie, not only would you lose your trust, they will think wrongly and get suspicious about The Craft, and They won't listen to you when you try and reason with them.

and those who tell you to wait until age 18 to find a teacher or a coven, I agree, your parents might sue these people, and how would that teacher or coven feel when parents of a underage witch file a lawsuit against them.

Oh b y the way, don't lie to those people either.

My 2 cents.

Answer 5

One warning right now, do NOT read Silver Ravenwolf. She spreads too much ignorance among teens who are just starting. Don't worry, you're not alone as a new teen Wiccan, I am as well, and there are many others. I haven't been able to get a hold of any books myself, so I've learned a lot from the internet. Here are some reliable sites that I've found to be very informative:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Cafe/1614/Celtwicc/Wicca/Wicca04.htm
(note that Samhain is pronounced sah-wen)
http://www.holysmoke.org/wicca/wicca_path.html
(note that this site states how to become a witch, not a Wiccan)
http://www.controverscial.com/index.htm
http://www.spiralnature.com/spirituality/paganism/wicca/index.html
http://wicca.timerift.net/
http://www.healingwicca.co.za/wicca_and_witchcraft.htm
Peace be with you as you pursue knowledge. Blessed be my sister.

Answer 6

Just like any religion,it started with one and has branched into a lot of different groups and it can get very confusing. Some that practice are purists-they believe in living good clean lives,treating nature and others with respect. Other forms do this and practice natural magick-rituals with candles and herbs and call themselves witches.It is important to believe and embrace and understand the original teachings and the underlying message and not be carried away by the pagentry.My kid was interested because she saw the rituals and the renaissance clothing of a coven in our neighborhood.To her it was like play acting. I made her read and find out what was truly behind this religion.Your parents may also have seen some of this and have heard derogatory comments by people who do not truly understand this religion.Talk to your parents and see if maybe you can all learn more about it together. At your age,it is important to not only learn about new things,but also to respect your parents wishes.

Answer 7

Most won't accept anyone under 18 unless they have parental consent. Witchvox, witchschool and many books tell about Wicca in general. Also Wicca is a general term coined by the Druids/Celts which means "willow" and dates back BEFORE Christ. As for Gardener, he took the term and gave it a bad name since many in the Wicca community consider him a fraud. Still I find that many (even the so stated Fluffy bunny books) have information to impart. YOU must decide which path and information you wish to follow. Also, may I suggest that you talk to your parents logically about it and ask them to read the information with you. They might surprise you as well as be surprised themselves if they take the time to get to know Wicca and it's branches.

Blessed Be!
Rev. Kaldea

Answer 8

There are many places on the website to help teach you Wicca.

Answer 9

Prariecrow's answer is excellent.

I do advocate waiting until you are 18 before you try to join a group.

Answer 10

If your parents are against it you should wait until you are grown and living on your own. There home, their rules!

The Covens that I am aware of will not accept you at your age without a parents consent.