wicca for beginners – Wicca Now – Everything You Need To Know About Wicca

Hello, and welcome to WiccaNow. On this journey of discovery of Wicca for beginners, we'll give you some tips and guidelines for becoming Wiccan. We for sure don’t proclaim to know everything about Wicca or becoming Wiccan, but let’s start learning together. If you’re here, you must have discovered something about Wicca that interests you or pulls you in. Same here! If you're interested in reading some more about the basics of Wicca and Witchcraft, check out these posts on the Wiccan Rede, some interesting Celtic myths and secrets that have inspired some Wiccan traditions, a post about the Wiccan Gods and Goddesses and what constitutes a Wiccan coven. My interest was piqued when I talked to my mom a while ago, and she mentioned something about how her dad had been interested in Paganism and Wicca. I was super surprised, we lived in different countries so I don’t know that much about him but the few times we met I absolutely would have never guessed that he was interested in anything remotely spiritual. Maybe that’s showing my naivety, as I said, I didn’t really know him that well so who am I to theorise on what he might have liked or disliked. The fact that this seemingly conservative and mundane man was harbouring a love for the god and goddess made me infinitely more interested in learning about it myself and that’s the start of my journey into learning about and becoming a Wiccan. Becoming Wiccan doesn't need to feel daunting! It should be a joy and a pleasure. Becoming Wiccan - where to start So now that you’ve decided that you would like to learn more about becoming Wiccan, how do you go about it? My first impulse was to read everything I could get my hands on. I’m an avid reader so this worked well for me. A book I really found helpful was Wicca for Beginners: Fundamentals of Philosophy & Practice by Thea Sabin. Another one I liked was Wicca; A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham, although this one is rather outdated now. One of the most interesting things about Wiccan religion, and something that drew me to it strongly, is that there are not really any mandates when it comes to what you have to do. No one is going to come and tell you that you have to worship a particular god or goddess or that you have to follow a strict set of rules. There are a couple of commonly reference deities that you might like to know about though, I wrote a post about the commonly worshipped Wiccan deities here. No one will send you packing if you have a different idea to the one that everyone else holds as true and correct. In saying this, if you aren't a solitary practitioner, you will want to choose a coven which matches your ideals because some are very regimented in how they do things. To do this, you might want to decide what type of witch you are first as this influences what sort of coven you might like to join. Every coven is different, try and find one that suits you! Wicca allows you to have a logical thought process about what you want and no one will judge you if at some point you decide that although you thought Wicca was for you, maybe it actually isn’t. You are allowed to reason with yourself and decide what you believe and why you believe it and you are most certainly not punished for this process like you might be in other religions. Blind faith is not required here, yay! For a person like me who likes to reason with herself and considers herself a relatively logical person, this is perfect. When you decide if this religion is for you or not, listen to what your head and your heart tell you. Remember that both these parts of you have valid points and you should listen to both. If you don’t think it feels right for you, even though you’re logical brain is telling you it is, trust yourself and give yourself more time to think about it. The same goes the other way, if your heart is telling you it’s right, but your head is telling you it isn’t, give it more time. The joy here is nobody is pushing to convert you or pressuring you to do anything you feel isn’t right for you! Read, read and then read some more! There are always more interesting things to read on your journey to becoming Wiccan. Don't be overwhelmed though, I love to read so this is a good method for me. Maybe you want to watch youtube videos instead or have a face to face conversation with a fellow practitioner. The next step to becoming Wiccan by yourself Once you’ve merged your head and your heart, and have decided you want to proceed with your journey, sit down with yourself and have an inner conversation. Try and connect with a god or goddess that you feel drawn to. While you don’t always have to worship a particular deity, I found it really useful when I was starting out to have a goddess who I could pray to as my go-to. When I started out this was the triple goddess as the idea of youth, vitality and wisdom was something I thought was a good place to start. You can choose to worship the triple goddess and the horned god as many Wiccan do, or you can choose a completely different deity. The beauty here is that you can decide who you believe in and want to spend your energy worshipping. Many people feel connected to the moon and her cycles. Why not start out worshipping a moon goddess like Diana? If you are having trouble deciding who you believe is best for you, keep a journal with your thoughts in it. Write down all the reasons you think this journey is for you and note your emotional responses to some of the things that you’re reading up about. I have always loved the Norse Gods, particularly Odin and Frigg but also the Greek Goddess Artemis. Isis and Osiris have also always spoken to me. This is an old Greek statue of the Goddess Artemis, a wonderful goddess to learn more about if you are thinking of becoming Wiccan. The great thing is that I didn’t have to choose one god or goddess in particular. For me, all of them are part of the divine and by worshipping a different deity when I feel the need for it ends up worshipping the great divine. I’m not slighting anyone by picking and choosing depending on who I feel connected to at the time. Remember that there is absolutely no wrong answer here. All deities lead to the Divine Spirit, which is ultimately who we are all praying to. How to start Praying, Worshipping or Meditating Once you have chosen your Goddess or God or both or many, start a conversation with them. Think of this as a way of introducing yourself and starting a relationship with them. There is no prescribed amount you have to do this, maybe you need some clarity on something? Ask the Crone to guide you. Need strength to face an obstacle? Check-in with Artemis and ask to borrow some of her bravery. I find that meditation helps me a lot, I had started doing this a little anyway but I find that it really calms my mind and brings me closer to the goddess. While praying is an active conversation where you are doing the talking, meditation is more like a conversation where you are opening to listening to what the goddess might be saying to you. https://youtu.be/5GSeWdjyr1c A guide to meditation which might be helpful. The Wheel of the Year As an aspiring Wiccan, study the wheel of the year and learn all the important Sabbat dates so that you are able to participate in rituals at the most important times of the year. If you are a solitary practitioner like I am, you’ll feel great knowing that your rituals and energy are combining with the energies of thousands of other Wiccans on those important days in order to celebrate together. Make sure that you really take the time to observe and participate in these Sabbats, it’s a way of being a community and staying strong together. Thinking about becoming Wiccan? Learn the wheel of the year so you always have a celebration to look forward to. What are the basic beliefs of Wicca? The Tenets of Wicca Respecting the tenets of Wicca is important. These tenets are something to live your life by even if you aren’t sure you are Wiccan yet. The central tenet is "do no harm" and everything else is open to your own interpretation. Most Wiccans are all about moderation, tolerance, the balance of life, respecting nature, sex-positivity, understanding that the genders are completely equal, being responsible for your own life and actions and taking care of your physical, mental and emotional health. All great stuff if you ask me! Appreciate and respect the world in all it's natural glory, this is an important part of becoming Wiccan. What are Wiccan Rules? Learning about the Threefold Law Most (but not all) Wiccans believe strongly in the Threefold Law. The idea behind this is that whatever you do and whatever kind of energy you project outwards will be returned to you 3 times over. This law applies to both good and bad things. So if you do a good deed, it’ll come back to you 3x and if you do something negative or mean you will get the same in return but 3x over. Understanding that any negativity you project outwards will come back to you is a good way to remember to try to be positive and to appreciate all the good things that you have. Try and keep in mind that the universe is completely balanced and is neutral, there is no such thing as inherently good or evil, just a balanced universe which will be good to you if you are good to it. Plant the seed of a good deed and it will blossom into a flowering abundance of good energy in return Design a Self-Dedication Ritual When you feel comfortable with your decision to start living a Wiccan life, when you’ve had your conversations with the goddess or god and you feel ready, design a ritual in order to dedicate yourself to the Wiccan way. Again, there is no right or wrong here. Remember that being a Wiccan is all about being in balance with the earth and with nature. You are choosing to respect the divine and live a life that follows the Wiccan Rede of “An’ ye harm none, do what ye will”. Your ritual can be anything you want it to be. I know being this broad maybe isn’t that helpful, but remember that everyone is very different and what worked for me might not be something you feel any connection too. Because of the inherent connection to nature, many Wiccans feel it can be really great to be outside to do this. Many people choose to perform their rituals with the New Moon as this signals new beginnings and the start of a new cycle. Some people believe that they should wait a year and a day before performing their ritual but this is really up to you. Just remember that this ritual is all about making you feel connected to your new way of life. Start your journey to becoming Wiccan with the rising of the new moon. Bath in the hope, faith, and optimism of this new beginning. As part of your self-dedication ritual, you might decide that you would like to change your name to something you feel suits your new way of life better. This is absolutely not necessary but I have found that many people enjoy being able to choose a name they feel suits them more. This is a great time to do that. For this dedication ritual, just remember that the details aren’t actually important. If you read about some rituals and feel they aren’t right for you that’s totally ok. You can make your own, borrow parts from something you’ve read or follow another person's dedication to the tee. Ask your Goddess and God to guide you if you feel like it. The main thing to remember in all of this is that your desire to commit to the Wiccan way of life is the most important thing! Your self-dedication ritual might include going away for a weekend and sitting in nature with a campfire. There is something really special about how it feels to be outside with nature next to a blazing fire and I feel it brings me closer to my goddess. What is a Book of Shadows? How to start your Book of Shadows Once you have decided on how you would like to dedicate yourself to the Wiccan way, write down your planned self-dedication ritual in a journal. This can be your first entry into your Book of Shadows. This book will form a roadmap of your journey into this life. Record all the things you learn and notice. Write down any prayers you are saying or any spells you attempt. I treated myself to a really special and beautiful journal so that I got pleasure every time I looked at it. This made me want to carefully and beautifully fill my Book of Shadows. This, in turn, made me more aware of what I was doing and I appreciated it more. This book is where you will keep everything you learn in your practise and is very important and personal. If you enjoy drawing you can illustrate your Book of Shadows yourself. Living the Wiccan Way Now that you’ve dedicated yourself to becoming Wiccan, really start observing your natural surroundings and the cycles of life. You may have already been doing this and your readings might have prompted this also. Start paying attention to the moon and her cycles. Do they have an effect on you? How does your energy feel during the full moon? Does the waning moon make you feel less creative and more like drawing inwards? Does spring energise you and make you feel alive? Being a Wiccan is all about being in tune and in harmony with nature. We recognise that we all live in partnership with the earth and need to appreciate her. Learn all about the lunar cycles, this is one of the simplest ways to feel connected to nature, you can always look to the night sky and know what part of life's cycle you are in at that particular point. At the end of the day, or in my opinion anyway, if you feel drawn to the world of Wicca and feel like you are part of it, that’s all you need in order to become Wiccan. Being Wiccan is based in practice. If you practise and learn and want to be part of this world then you are. The intent in your head and heart are all you need, from there you can learn everything else you need in order to continue to progress down your new found pathway. Embrace your love of nature on your way to becoming Wiccan. So my loves, I hope this has helped you a little on your journey to becoming Wiccan. I’ll leave you with a daily morning prayer. I like to say it every morning as a calm and gentle way to start my day "May this day be blessed with giftsLessons, understanding and friendsMay my energy be a gift to all I meetLet me be centered, healing and openMay I face the day with couragekindness, insight and compassionMay my spirit and body, honor this daySo Mote it Be" Peace and love to you my darlings, until next time, Blessed Be, Amaria xoxo Shop Our Favourite Resources for Becoming Wiccan Wicca for Beginners by Dora Mcgregor is a good resource to learn about the basics. Learn about beliefs, candle magic, crystals, and herbal rituals. This book was also written in 2019 so is a bit more current than many resources out there. Click to buy https://amzn.to/37D4cMT Embrace your true self, find your inner power and build your magical craft. This book covers all the bases and is a great place to start learning. Shop the book here https://amzn.to/3280r0I This magical book will teach you all the best ways to treat yourself magically. What's not to love? Shop here https://amzn.to/37CjSQF