Newbie Questions

The following statements are my personal opinion. Lash out if you want, but an opinion is just that. No one else is responsible for these words except me.

What is Wicca all about?
Wicca is an Earth loving religion that personifies deity into two entities, one feminine and one masculine. Just with the cycles of the Earth, the deities are born, they live, and die to show that they are immortal and their cycles untouched by time.

How do I become Wiccan?
Ok, Wicca isn’t a club, or a cult. You can learn about the religion, but honestly, I would check your reasoning for why Wiccan is drawing your attention, and what you hope to get out of it. Anyway, to learn the Wiccan ways, you can read, talk to friends, join groups, etc., but the best way to learn about an Earth worshipping religion is to rejoin nature. Take time out of your day to enjoy it. The way to experience religion, at least this one, is to go for it on your own. No book, no people telling you what to think, just you and the Divine.

There’s so much to learn. Where do I start?
See last answer (lol).

What does Wicca say about… insert topic here…?
If you ask 3 witches about the same topic, their answers may be the same, as we are all open to a lot of alternative ways of thinking and living. However, if you get different answers, that is also expected because not every Wiccan sees the world in the same light. We may not eat the same things, wear the same clothes, so why expect us to see eye-to-eye on every issue?

When do I get to do spells?
My opinion here, but I say once you have a firm grip on not only the separation between magic (sci-fi, charmed, Criss angel, etc.) and magick, as well as the ethics behind magick and your own morality, I say start with protection, healing and prosperity spells (not the same as $$). That will teach you and let you see how magick can help you when used knowledgably. However, that doesn’t exclude you from meditation, divination, or consecration (man I feel like a preacher, all the rhyming haha). I say start with the “good” spells and meditative means mostly because you have to crawl before you can walk. Your karma isn’t worth a guy who will drool over you, or getting someone back for calling you names. Study those different methods, but don’t focus on just “higher magick”. Start low and grow to it.

How to I find other people to discuss it with?
There are a lot of websites dedicated to uniting people via the internet such as Meetup.com which host Wiccan groups (for solitaries too!), and I love WitchVox. I will post a list of good websites later. Another idea would be to, again, go to friends or family or a new person that you may not know and ask. If they are impolite, move on, yet most Wiccans will be happy to help. They won’t search for you, though; you have to search for them.

If I join a coven do I have to stay with it forever?
No. That implies a sort of pact you make to the coven that binds you to them. That is not what a Wiccan coven will do. If you find that the Wiccan path doesn’t suit you anymore, just be courteous and say goodbye at least. It is common knowledge that people’s minds change on issues over time. Why should your perspective on your beliefs be any different (not the beliefs themselves necessarily)? There are many paths that people are allowed to walk on to find their one solution, and Wicca is just a small piece of it. That’s why researching other paths is so important.

Do I have to practice Wicca to be a true Wiccan or is belief enough?
I’m not sure what you mean here…. Do you mean if practicing magick is essential to being a true Wiccan? Ok. Let me say this, if there was a true “Wiccan”, that would have to be the same as all other religions, and you would be ostracized by all if you don’t follow the “true” path. The only truth that is true is what you feel is true. That deals a lot in perception. To answer your question, no. Magick is any action intended to bring about change. Wiccan is the religion. Two different things that can stand on their own, but some decide to use them both. All you need for any religion is your belief, not just Wicca.

Where do I find reliable sources?
I will be making a list of a lot of good sites to go to, as well as books I have and hope to get soon. As far as reliability, your research will judge that. I can send you right now to a page that I say is reliable, but it may not be to you. Do your own research, and use the tools you find as inspiration. Reliability for religion is based on how well it matches up to contradicting arguments, as well as a person’s beliefs are on what suits them. Try posing a Pro and Con argument to each issue you find. If it is valid, then it can hold its own in an argument against it.

What is the difference between a witch and a Wiccan?
There are many many kinds of witches, and a Wiccan Witch is just one of them. A Wiccan can be Wiccan and not a Witch, and a Witch can be a witch and not Wiccan. A witch is someone who practices Witchcraft, and it is not mandatory for Wiccans, as only the belief is necessary.

How do you feel about Wicca and witchcraft?
I have practiced it for almost half of my life, so it is a huge part of me. I have always been Pagan, but I have been Wiccan for 9 years. I feel that nature is a part of me, something I can never walk away from, or take for granted. Witchcraft is still somewhat new to me but it feels second nature to me.

Wait for Part 2!!

Click here to go to Yahoo Answers, where I got all the newbie questions from. (Bored at work)

Love and Light,
Ivy