wiccans: is this true?

Question

i read on a site that you NEED a teacher...so far i'm a self-taught novice in a small town where i can't just go around saying "i'm wiccan" and expect to be accepted with open arms. It also said that since we NEED a teacher the teacher will find you instead of you finding them...that reallly confused me...but...is it true?
)O(
blessed be!

Answer 1

That is old school thought. Read Any thing by Scott c
Cunningham or Raymond Buckland and they address this.
SD

Edit: Ignore that one kid
Ghostwolf said it right, read, read read. It is more difficult learning without a teacher, but for the solitary books, websites and on line friends are our teachers.

It is suggested that you should read everything you can get your hands on the good and the bad, but I stay away from certain authors myself but that is a personal choice.

Now there are certain things that make one Wiccan so it is important you study to know what Wicca is. Many who just start calling themselves Wiccan are just pagan with their own belief which is valid too but if you want to learn Wicca there are good books out there.

Answer 2

There are many Solitary Practitioners out there. I am one of them. It is certainly much much easier to have a teacher. This is not an easy path and trying to do it on your own makes it that much harder, but it can be done. Sorry, I should let you know that I'm not Wiccan per se, but I am a practicing Pagan and have been for many years. Read, read and read some more. Find on line groups, there are many great ones out there that are willing and eager to help young novices out. If you can or if the right one finds you, definitely get a teacher. I guess you could say that I have had many teacher along the way, but I've never had just one to teach me the path. If you look there is always someone willing to help and having access to the Internet is a great blessing. Hope this helps.
BRIGHT BLESSINGS TO YOU.

Answer 3

you assume that the teacher would be human?

of course a teacher is not needed at all,self exploration into belief and practice takes time and patience.

of course,being new to the beliefs and practices can be overwhelming.there are so many different ways to do things.many different opinions on how to cast a circle,call quarters,or even something as simple as grounding. In that way a teacher or mentor can help you find what works for you.

but who says that your teacher cant be the goddess herself?Couple her guidance with your journey to know more about and feel connected to her earth and everything on it,and you have more than any formal teacher could ever give you.

and what about familiars?through pathworking,assuming you can,could you not meet a familiar to help you on your path as a fellow wiccan?

that asside,if you decide to follow the guidance of an educated wiccan,be them priest or priestess or neither,you cant expect to be accepted with open arms in a small town.
but if there are other pagans and wiccans in your area you could decide to join a meetup group to discuss the path,or start a group.
That is what i did,after years of searching,i found the path and sought the help of friends who had been on the path for many years.
I am a solitary wiccan,and i can say that i am a wiccan because that is the path I have devoted my life to.That is where my heart belongs,and its where i feel best.

Dont let someone tell you that your not something because someone didnt teach you to be that.

you are and will be what you feel you will be.

if you have any questions,feel free to email me or IM me.
)O(
peace
and
blessed be

-jess

Answer 4

I've been a solitary practitioner for over 10 years now, and when I was just starting, I worried all the time about finding a teacher. I live in South Dakota and there just isn't any out here? So I read and read and practiced and practiced and got to know the Goddess, and I learned about divination, and crystals, and herbs, and reiki, and so on... Guess what? The goddess and nature and myself were probably the best teachers I could have possibly had. But had you said that to me when I was 18, I still would have wanted a "real" teacher!

Answer 5

No, you would be welcomed with open arms. It does help to have a coven or an elder to teach you. Because they know more about the faith/ path. Of course you are wiccan, you are just solitary. There are many wiccans that prefer to practice alone. I prefer a coven myself. When I first contacted the coven they were happy to have me come and see if it would be something that was right for me. I got lonely on my own and I wanted to see if everything I had studied was really the same in a coven. They did have their own ways of doing things ( more traditional, in my opinion) and I loved it. Maybe because I came from a Catholic back round. So I searched for the right fit for me. I would also say searching out a coven is better than them searching you out. I feel this is a better way because they each practice different kinds of the craft. Maybe one is Celtic, Egyptian, Strega, or shamanistic Native American. This is your path and no one should tell you how to walk it. If you want a coven you should look for the right one. Waiting would leave me a bit too vulnerable.

Answer 6

It's been said before, there's NO rule that says the teacher HAS to be a human. You can learn as much as you need from books or you can even go the original way that the FIRST Witch went. Let God and Goddess teach you themselves. They have imparted more knowledge and wisdom than the BEST teachers could have ever hoped to. So, for now just follow your heart and read and meditate with Goddess and god and it'll come to you in time.

Brightest Blessings,
Raji the Green Witch

Answer 7

I always saw it as a personal journey. There really isnt a "right" or "wrong" way to go about your journey. Some have teachers, some dont. If you want good info about wicca, I would suggest poking around on amazon, reading some of the reviews on books, and order your books through there. I would have suggested going to your local bookstore, but you said you live in a small town and you doubt this would be accepted, so they may not have a good selection, if any.

Answer 8

Traditional Wicca requires a teacher. However, the teacher is from the coven you are planning to enter, and the training is free. Some Traditionalists believe that this is the only way to practice real Wicca...that other approaches should more accurately be called something else.

Eclectic Wicca is the Wicca practiced by those who are self-taught, generally from books. Eclectics are included in popular definitions of Wicca. Personally, I think its important for us Eclectics to understand how we differ from Traditionalists (and what Traditional information simply isn't available to us), and there is certainly a point when Eclectic practices should be called something other than Wicca, but there are also plenty of perfectly legitimate Eclectic approaches to Wicca as well.

In neither case are you _ever_ required to pay a teacher for training.

Answer 9

there are some very dogmatic wiccans out there. some traditions require an apprenticeship, but you can learn the religion without one. if you ever come across a coven, then you can decide if you want to go thru their initiation process. the covens i know of don't have a formal teaching process, and will invite new members in without making them go thru a novice program.

sometimes, the teacher that answers your call is a book.

Answer 10

There are alot of "wiccan" or pagans that practice a ritual that have never had a teacher........

There are formal wiccan covens...that have a specific ritual...and yes if you want to join one of the communities , it would be as a novice.

There are several online.. how to be a wiccan sites.

There is even a Wicca for dummies book.