How to Become a Wiccan/Witch

I answer a LOT of questions regarding people's interest in becoming a Wiccan or Witch, so instead of constantly repeating myself at nauseum...I'll post here what I post to these questioners, just to make it easier, not only on me, but to those who are curious and want to go further.

I've placed the information in the form of "Steps". Perhaps this would be easier to understand rather than just babbling, lol.

Step 1: First and foremost you need to decide which one you want to be, a Witch or a Wiccan. The two systems are distinctly different from each other (see The Wiccan FAQ and The General Witch's FAQ for more information on the differences). You can by all means be both, but you don't have to be one in order to be the other. There are plenty of people who are happily practicing solely Wicca or Witchcraft.

Step 2: The next thing you need to do is think: why do you want to be a Witch/Wiccan? What do you hope to gain from the practice? What do you hope to accomplish? What draws you to it?

***VITAL*** Do Not move ahead before doing this step!!!*** 

This step is designed in such a way as to make you really THINK about why you want to practice. If you want to practice simply because you want "power" then either practice is not right for you. Wicca and Witchcraft are not about gaining powers because there are no "Powers" to begin with.
Wicca is ALL about building an maintaining a relationship with the Gods (not spells and magic, and certainly not about "nature worship". Witchcraft is about taking a sole responsibility for your life and the goals you want to make and achieve. It can also help you to help others. You can do this through various means, not just spells. I urge any seeker to really focus all your attention on this one step. By skipping it, shows you're not serious about your pursuit, and are looking for trivial reasons to practice.

Step 3: Read, read, read, read, READ!!!! Anything and everything you can get your hands on. Even the so called "Crappy" books by bad authors, as everything has some tiny hidden treasure out there. Form your own opinion. Don't be a sheep following everyone else's opinions.

Good books to start with:
"Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner" by Scott Cunningham
"Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner" by Scott Cunningham
"The Complete Idiots Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft" by Katherine Gleason and Denise Zimmerman
(More recommendations on sideboard)

**For those NOT looking to become Wiccan:** Don't worry if many of the books contain materials on the Wiccan religion because many of the books out there are geared towards the religion...however much useful information on the practice of Witchcraft is contained within, just disregard the Wiccan material if you feel Wicca is not for you.

It is very important that you study before you begin ANY type of practice (this includes spell work). One must learn the basics of things before jumping into advanced practices. It would be like trying to bake a wedding cake with no clue how to bake even a simple one. Don't be in such a rush to begin the advanced steps. They'll still be there later, patient study is they way.

Step 4: Study some more. Learn about different practices, divination, deities, traditions, herbs, etc... I recommend seeking out a reputable teacher in your area. Person to person learning can be a great asset and you can ask questions directly and not have to wait hours or even days for a response. Try www.witchvox.com to find someone in your area. (NOTE: If you are under 18, it is MANDATORY to have your parents permission FIRST. No reputable teacher or coven will accept anyone under 18 (sometimes older). It's not that they're trying to be mean, it's about maintaining integrity, and safety for both the teacher/coven and student).

****Also, one should not forget the most powerful and knowledgable teacher of all...Nature herself. Go outside at least a few times a week and connect with her, be it sitting under a tree, sitting by a lake or river, walking in a field, whatever. Get outside and learn straight from the source. You will never be given wrong information from her.

Step 5: Practice. Begin to practice what you have studied. Trial and error are great ways of learning. Don't forget to record.

Step 6: Declare. When you feel you have gained enough knowledge to comfortably carry on a conversation regarding your practices, and feel adept enough to answer any possible questions raised about your practices and beliefs, you can comfortably call yourself Wiccan or a Witch.

The practice of Witchcraft is a lifelong practice and study process. Do not think that you can do these steps in one weekend and you are a certified Witch. These steps (at minimum) should take about a year to complete, but you can take as long as you want. Don't let people fool you by saying it only takes 366 days to complete. This "366" day format applies only to those who are in a coven and going through standard initiation processes. You can by all means study for the minimum period, but the longer you study and the more you learn, the better you will become. And this is just to ensure you learn and understand the basics. As well, you should not skip any of the steps, as you are only hurting yourself if you do.


~~**I'm going to add a few extra questions to this list of steps. I have had this questionnaire in my own personal Book of Shadows, however I have omitted some of the questions and I do not believe them to be of use in regards to questioning if one is truly ready for the path ahead. Please be as honest with these questions because there are no right or wrong answers and you have no one to answer to but yourself.

Personal Test

1) What are your real, deep reasons for wanting to practice Paganism? (I'll include Wicca and Witchcraft here because many who are using this list would be pursuing these particular paths)

2) Can you dicipline yourself to follow through on plans and goals?

3) Have you balanced your life mentally, physically and spiritually?

4) What changes can you make to achieve this balance?

5) Do you fear the unknown? The Non-Physical? Why?

6) Have you faced and accepted responsibility for what has happened in your life or are you still laying blame on others, such as parents, teachers, companions, etc...? (I'll include previous negative religious experiences here as well)

7) Do you believe in a "Supreme Power" that created everything in the universe, yet you feel uncomfortable with the accepted orthodox explanations?

8) Do you have trouble with patience when your desires are not met immediately?

9) If someone tells you something in confidence, can you keep the secret?

10) Are you ready to take responsibility for your actions or will you find the nearest person to blame for your mistakes?

Yeah some of these questions sound rough, but they cause you to be brutually honest with yourself, and by questioning yourself can you thoroughly examine what's within and thus make adjustments in your life accordingly.
(Source of this "test" is unknown to me, if anyone knows the author, please feel free to message me and I will give credit where credit is due)


***It should be noted here that the ethics of a Witch are dependant on the individual and are not universal, for example, not all Witches adhere to the Wiccan Rede as not all Witches are Wiccan, as well not all Witches adhere to the Threefold Law (that what's sent out returns times three). If you really want to be a Witch it would do one good that after learning all you can, to not spout out that all Witches follow these rules. I for one do not follow either the Rede or the Threefold Law and become quite irritated when someone says all Witches must remember the Threefold Law and Rede. It's ok if someone wants to state that all Wiccans adhere to these rules because that is somewhat true, but DO NOT state that this is truth for all Witches because it's not. One should not speak on behalf of all Witches because each Witch's path is unique to the individual practitioner...no one knows how he or she practices and therefore CANNOT speak for them.

All this being said and done, good luck on your path
Ma'iingan