Wicca 101

Wicca 101 – So you want to be Wiccan?

There are several different Paths/Traditions of being Wiccan. How do you know what path/tradition is for you? Who do you know are your Dieties? Where do you start?

Let’s start with the very basics.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Wicca as “a religion influenced by pre-Christian beliefs and practices of Western Europe that affirms the existence of supernatural power (as magic) and of both male and female deities who inhere in nature and that emphasizes ritual observance of seasonal and life cycles.”

Vague isn’t it?

There are many different definitions of Wicca. Generally, however, Wicca is defined as a Neo-Pagan, nature-based, duotheistic religion that practices the worship of a God and Goddess that are generically the Triple Goddess and Horned God, also called the Lord and Lady. Wicca is loosely governed by the Wiccan Rede, and the phrase “Harm ye none, Do as ye will” and the concept of the three-fold law of what you do will come back on you three-fold.

There are many different Paths, or Traditions, of Wicca. Choosing a path that works for you is a sometimes long, or occasionally immediete, decision. It will be based on who you are, what you believe, and what fits you best.

As a Wiccan, there are many different dieties that can be worshipped, across a multitude of Pantheons. Choosing your diety can be something that is done based of f your own ethnic heritage, off of what you are naturally drawn, to, and off of who you find fits your personality and lifestyle most appropriatly. It’s truly based off of who speaks to you. Many Wiccans choose from the Pan-Celtic Dieties, as they are closely tied into Nature as Mother Earth and Father Sky. It’s again, something that a new Wiccan will want to research and explore.

Starting can often be an awkward feeling for new Wiccans. There is, of course, the fear of the unknown, and the balking at perhaps believing that magick, and the Divine, are real. If a new Wiccan is looking for guidence, often the local Pagan Communites have open classes through various groups/churches and Covens. There are also a multitude of online resources, and online groups that can help steer a new Wiccan in the right direction. Be careful though! Not everything you read on the internet is true, so finding a mentor is usually the best thing to do. Don’t be shy! Check out the reputations of the local groups, and see if anything close to you will be able to work out.