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In my research to find the actual path of Wicca, it seems that the very basics are... hidden. There seems to be no "Start here". I know that many people on this site will class themselves as practising Wiccans & Pagans but it confuses me on how people actually begin to follow the path.
For example, If you follow any major religion, You adopt its beliefs and practice what it preaches. However, Wiccan and Paganism have no set practices to follow.

"The Wiccan Rede" Though valuable to some extent, does not in modern English, Sum up the basics of Wiccan belief. See here: http://www.wicca.com/celtic/wicca/rede.htm
I myself find some parts of it hard to find its intended meaning as it isn’t clear. Surely if the Old Religion is to mature, We must put aside the old romanticised language and speak in clear English?

I am fully aware that Wicca is a personal belief system centred around nature and balance and that it should never, at any point, be dictated to anyone who chooses to follow. Despite that statement, i am currently under the opinion that Wicca and Paganism need to become a little more organised so that people can freely find its basic fundamental beliefs and incorporate them personally into their lives.
By this i mean, That people should again, get together, discuss what Wicca and Paganism are about and make it known to anyone who wishes to take part, HOW to start on their own path to being connected with the deities.
It is simply not enough to say "You make the rules" Someone is going to have to teach others what the widely accepted rules of conduct and worship are. Without such a thing happening Wicca is sure to divide itself and thus become a major entangled mess.

What are your thoughts to my approach?

How very nice that you were born into it, but it doesnt exactly give an opinion on this subject does it? Not attacking you, just pointing out the obvious.

Part of your post was the question of how one got started into Wicca or Paganism. It was answered, if the person chose not to further elaborate on your ideals for a rule structure, then that's allowed. This shows potential for an interesting discussion but it will not be allowed to become just another reason to argue. Please remain respectful in all posts.

The dominant question in my original post is asking what people thought to my approach of the subject. There is no question mark asking how people come to practice Wicca and Pagan, i merely stated i was confused at how they came to be due to lack of guidance. Fair enough, DJ did answer a small part of the post, but will no elaboration i'm sure you could understand my frustration?
Though i am not going to argue. I just hope if people will take the time to reply to this thread, then they will do so with opinions are contribute substantially.

A teacher came to me over 10 years ago. She helped me to get started on the path.

I have always heard the saying when you are ready a teacher will come to you.

Before she came to me I had studied the religion for a long while. It just felt right.

I am in a coven outside of VR. I had been sworen to secrecy of what goes on in the coven.

Not everyone is chosen to be in a coven...I feel as tho I am a lucky one.

The path has enlighted me. I most likely have not answered your question...but I hope I gave you a tiny insight.

Some times when one is born into the ways of esoteric arts, it comes naturally to them. ~DJjarak~ could have elaborated further, thus explaining his answer.

Though one cannot be "born into Wicca" thus he would have needed to elaborate further as to "what he was born into." A good starting point would be to learn how to cast or prepare a circle of protection. Which could be taught in certain books.

Just remember that "Wicca" is not witchcraft, so please do not confuse the two. As far as the Paganistic ways, one can be born into this, thus I think is what ~DJJarak~ may have been alluding to.

Paganism has been around for along time. The Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Celts, Vikings,etc. were all pagan. Wicca is one of many different paths that is included in the large collection of pagan beliefs.
I tend to follow the Celtic Pagan path, which in turns means I pray to the Gods and Goddess of the Celt. All pagan paths are earth based, most tend to have the same belief in that if you send out negative it will return to you 3 fold.
I think when DJ said he was born into his path, he might have been meaning that his parents also followed the path, hence being born into it. As many Christians are born catholic, baptist, protestant so on so forth, they are born to parents of those faiths and thus never venture from them to look and see if something else might work better for them. I myself was raised with the walls of a church but was never fulfilled with what it taught, through much research and soul searching I found something that not only fed me as i needed but also answered my questions. My children were born into the pagan path, but i also educated them of many other religions so that they could find the path best suited to them, they have both chosen the pagan path.
thank you for you time, my words and my thoughts
shy

Again, you have to be careful about guidance. You need help? Then do the research and find out what works and what doesn't.

I tell people to do a lot of general reading to find what resonates and what doesn't.

I basically have cut my own path, using concepts that work and keeping clear of the spiritual entrapment of one path over another.

Good luck in your search. My advice: search every day of your life to find your own path.

Rules for Wicca? OMG! That's like saying, "I don't have any friends so we got to get together to make rules for making friends." Bad enough about hearing "the book of shadows." It's of course "A book of shadows." There is only one rule for following the path of Wicca. I hope you know what that is. One is enough. It's all you, or anyone, needs.

Still not seeing it?

Wicca is nothing that special to make it organized. Its all about having a "personal" relationship to the gods/goddesses and other beings behind the veil. Lets try not to kill it before its time.

As for Paganism, you don't seem to understand the term. Its a local religion for that region. Its already organized. For that group of local people following it. How can an outsider try to group together all the local religions (pagan gods) into one group without killing each one?

The basics are indeed NOT hidden. At least to the one practicing. They are inside you!

"... Hear the words of the Star Goddess ...your seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless you know the mystery; for if that you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without ..."

To begin this path ... you start within yourself.
It's call: Inner Strength.

The good thing about wicca is that you don't HAVE to meet up with other people to discuss things if you truly don't want to. Sure, there are covens for such that thing but some people like to practice alone, like I do. To me, a coven reminds me too much of when I was christian and was forced to go to a church. I understand to many that their coven helps them but it depends on the wiccan. That's why I love wiccan so much. As long as you obey the wiccan creed, you're practicing wicca. No forcing people to meet up, no forcing people to do a certain type of ritual for say, Mabon which is coming up in 3 days. And even now, the internet is helping. You can meet people, and you can go to sites that offer rituals and then you can take those rituals and make them you own. It's all about making a personal connection to the god and goddess. I understand it would be so much easier just to have a set of rules and that everyone meets up. But that is too restricting. Wicca is about freedom of the soul and connecting with nature. If you so wish to join up with friends, that is fine. But it is also fine to practice as a solitary wiccan.

I hope all this helped. I haven't been that much into wicca for every long but frankly, that is my take on wicca.

I'm astounded. I've been doing this since I was seven..and it seems I've been wrong all along.

Scott Cunningham was right. You can ask 100 different Wiccans the correct way to do something..and get 100 different answers. Wiccan asked what we thought of her approach.

The best answer is - what works for you. For me it was being taught in a structured environment and having things explained to me by people who gathered regularly to talk things over and handle problems together. We called it a "circle" back then, not a coven..and it was magic in itself.

The Teaching rune reads..

"Wiccans are as Wiccans Be..
We shroud our lives in mystery.
Wiccans say not what they do
For Cowens lie, and are untrue.

Wiccans are as Wiccans be - there are no two alike, and their beliefs are just a varied as the people. That's why it's hard to get to a YOU START HERE point unless you are in a tradition like I was.

We shroud our lives in mystery.
Wiccans say not what they do
For Cowens lie, and are untrue. -

Again..much of what we do and know has been kept quiet to protect us from the cowen faiths.

This is why we are called a mystery religion. It's also why Hollywood and fantasy writers make such a good living. Cowens lie - and are untrue. Bluntly..they make things up.

I wish you a lot of luck, Wiccan.

I'll help anyway I can..but remember..I'll be showing you what I was taught. That by no means is to say that anyone here will agree with it. It only shows you the path I have taken and what worked for me.

OB

I completely agree with ob.
Wicca is your own path, what makes you comfortable or how you were raised.
I was a cradle catholic, And to explain to my mother the way the local preist at the time explained it to me.
Every faith, every religon. Is just a different way of learning and excepting that there is a higher being or beings. Because like children in school, the human mind and soul, each one learns differently. Some learn better visually while others learn better with hearing.
Wicca pushes this consept to the extream. While wicca is an organized religon in its own right, there are many different paths to follow, And no one path is right for everyone.
On the subject of witchcraft. Most, but not all, wiccans use witchcraft. They don't have to, but alot of them do.

I use it because I am a natural witch. So are both of my eldest cousins.

Great Sire obonewits is 100% correct!

That's the beauty of the Art. No one dictates and dominates (or brain washes if you will) , forcing you to pick and choose in dieties and rites.
No one will ever say to you, you can't do this or that.
You get to choose at free will and practice as you like.
What other religion gives you that much freedom?

That was the most subterfugic (if there is such a word) answer to the meaning of something I have ever heard. It simply suggests that some Wiccans do not know why they chose the Wiccan path to begin with, that they would rely on their elders for advice on how to attain certain standpoints associated with their craft.

This would go along the lines with the vampire as well, both the Wiccan and the Vampire "practitioners" IE those who simply play the role from those who actually are. Take the term, practice and path for granted before actually knowning what they are getting into in the first place.

Now, I am not claiming to preach that I am alluding to knowing anything about Wicca, but there is something called "common sense" learning skills when the individual that wishes to attain a certain pathway within their lives that they would actually do some research before actually claiming to be something.

Now, you can be a practitioner for years and years on end, but this does not mean that you actually knew the philosophical meaning from day one. Most individual travel blindly down the roads without knowing where to turn to next.

Oi vey.

Suggested reading. Holysmoke.org In Defense of Wiccan. I find this site very informative.

I myself stumbled upon it. I was always interested in something more of the paranormal. something that made more sense to me then the christian religion I was born into. For some reason as I grew up I got frustrated with the christain religion. Almost every christian out there was always telling me the things I was into was wrong and that I should dress and act a certain way. And when I read the bible I found that God and Jesus seem to be very selfish. I know that many of you may not see as I do. That is just how I felt. After many years of trying to find the right term or name for what I believed in, I finally found the wiccan religion. I believe everything has balance. Like the golden rule 'treat people the way you want to be treated' and everything you do will come back on you. So whatever you do, make sure it's worth it. And I see that also that most wiccans are like me in the same way. You just want harmony in everything. You don't critisize other ppl because you urself don't want to critisize and that wiccans give everyone a chance. Most of what I've learned is though studying. Either through the internet or through books. But I myself do not belong to a Coven. Nor have i found a teacher. I do not know of any in my area. But if anyone comes accross this post please feel free to message me if you know of anyone that can mentor me in the wiccan ways or have any comments. I would love to hear them :)

oh and I forgot to add something...I agree to the fact that I wish that the wiccan religion was a bit more organized. From all my studies it does seem that the religion branches off in many different directions. When I try to explain to someone what the religion is, it seems that I have to be very vague and have to explain it in many different beliefs then just one.

I fail to understand the need for organization in something that should be very individual and unique to each person.

I'm not Wiccan...I'm a witch, a pagan, eclectic and not bound by any certain "rule" or "path".

I have made my own path by research and by intuition and instinct.

I need no organizations...because it's inside of me.

People need to start looking within for answers...rather than looking to outer sources.

It IS good to have mentors and books to add to your knowledge on the subject, but at the end of the day, it's what YOU want out of it that matters.

*smiles*

I have studied a little bit about Wicca but have not followed it per se like I would like to..only because I truly do not understand it. When I first got acquainted with it I was with my ex husband who had books. Just like with the Holy Bible it is individual interpretation as to what the book is saying. Meaning that what it means to you it may mean something different to someone else. This does not mean that one is right or one is wrong just that they have perceived what is said differently. That is why it is what is inside you and what it means to you. The same holds true for any religion or faith that you follow.

If you need guidance or have questions then having someone to go to is a good thing but I do not feel that Wicca needs to be an organized religion. If it were then it has lost it's meaning and purpose.

Wow..they do make dummy books for everything! I was curious to see if they actually had a book of Wicca for dummies and sure enough I found one...lol.

here is the web link if anyone is interested:

http://www.dummies.com/store/product/Wicca-and-Witchcraft-For-Dummies.productCd-0764578340.html

Wow. What a question. Something about myself. I have been practicing witchcraft for over 20 years. I follow the sabbat and I do respect the law of nature. I don't follow the "new" Wicca religion, but, by being a witch, that make me a pagan. I perform rituals to honer the God and the Goddess. Now, as to be organized, like the others religion, not a good Idea. Remember, history can repeat itself. And those religions are not ready to accept the loving of others gods and goddess.

The problem with organized religion is that you follow one person's ideas or interpretations. Then of course there are those who exploit others to profit from it.

I feel that religions of all kinds should be something personal and if you want guidance then you should seek someone who can give it to you rather than it being a group event.

There actually is a start to Wicca, but never a finish, as there rites and practices are never ending.
You won't find the facts in books on bookshelves, it's forbidden to reveal that source though the Occults.
The research section of U.S. Library of Congress and other world leading Libraries keep these on file but you can not remove them from the library.
Most are written in ancient Theban or Latin as well.
Anyone advertising teaching Witchcraft is most likely just a money seeker, for real witches are very selective to whom the pass the trade to.

I'm only starting out in my occult as a level one masonery, but I assure you if you really enjoy the Craft, seek out a Master here to help guide you.

It is as ancient as the world is.
working the Art of the Craft is only as strong as your "faith" or "belief" in it. If you buy books and go through the motions of rituals and nothing happens well then you didn't do enough reseach other than just jumping in and had been had for your dollar.
It's not for everyone. Just wanting to be a witch or warlock isn't enough, you have to be born to it.
Some are aware at a very early age they are in fact different.

~Featheredman~ before you tout that you are a Freemason, learn to know that the craft has nothing to do with witchcraft. As well, masons do not "seek out masters."

Claim to be something else when alluding to the esoteric practices and paths, because you will be called out on your claims.

As well, learn before you begin to teach.

This is in response to killbill4u..I was never aware that in order to practice the craft that you had to be "born" into it. I believe it is a religious faith and practice just as any other.

You don't have to be born ito it. Some people just are. I think it would have been nice to be raised in it, but I will never regret being raised in a different religon. Even being a natural witch. My mom raised us catholic. Just like her mother before her. Mainly, it think so we could find ourselves. I enjoyed the searching through different religons and cultures to find an explanation to what I am. In the process I came to a certin understanding and respect of the many different religons out there.

Well the problem and difficulty in answering this is that Wicca and Traditional Witchcraft are not the same thing. Wicca has only been around since the 50s but the words, Wicca for male witch and Wicce for female has been around a long time but what Gardner created has not. Some of it has things from magickal systems blended in so I think one belongs in one of the newer traditions because it fulfills a need and fits with one's philosophical ideals. Most say the rede is sort of inspired by things Aleister Crowley wrote. He and Gardner were friends and Gardner was a nudist so that is why some groups went skyclad as they called it. Traditionalists never do that. Most of these things are actually Neo paganism and if that is what fits I think that is the draw for most no matter of origin. The shoe just fits.

To be born a magickal person doesn't necessarily mean witch as much as having some sort of abilities or understandings that came naturally. Most European witches who are of the traditional types and many don't use the name witch but things like Crafters and Pellars and others do talk about things passed down through family lines but not all say it is necessarily something they are born with but things handed down orally as a tradition. I am not saying the other idea is wrong but I am saying it doesn't necessarily mean you are a witch just means you have a natural ability toward magick and if you do most will be drawn to some sort of society to be with those of similar interest and I think that is part of why we chose our paths.

You need not be born into the craft to be a practitioner...that's just ridiculous. it's a choice, just like any other path choice be it religious or otherwise.

Of course the wiccan religion is disorganised, it has only been around for a short while. Most religions that first start out are unorganised to say the least. This is the common way of things. Over the years, even the most prominent religion can seem disorganised by the untrained eye IE an individual that is not used to said religions ways.

One cannot be born into religion. They can have family that burns the religious dogma into their heads from day one and thus "force" them into said religion, but no... No one is born into religion in general.

By the by ~Featheredman~ it is NOT forbidden to reveal any source(s) through the occults as you had put it. It is choice to reveal anything that seems arcane. As well, what gave you the impression that the Library of Congress would have any "flagged" books on the occult?

I think you may be making this into something far more mysterious then it seems. (I think I said this in another thread once... *Shrugs*)

I guess it's all in the calling? You feel it within.. The Call of the Wild as they call it, eh? *laughs to herself*

I love Mother Nature, and all that she offers.. I for one dislike rituals.. I come up with my own.. *smilez*.. and well, basically, I am messed up to a certain extent.. but I just do what I feel is right.. And I love the elements, and the gentler way of life.. Yeap.. To each his own...

I think the best advice here is Sire obonewits and Sire BillytheJust!

You can choose to follow by yourself or in a group. A group does require some structure though since everyone will have different views and ideals, so in order to set a Rite into action all performing that Rite must at least be in some agreement on the issue or it won't work.
And yes groups have Masters! They don't impose beliefs, they just help in guidance, but they also are the leaders in performing the Rites when done in a group Cast.
They have extreme aquired knowledge and experience in performing Rites, and we learn from them.
Wicca is also Pagan in many/many forms. So Wicca is not new!

its only new because it was finally given a name. It has been around for along time. But most of the time people never actually got together to decide what to call it because it is such a induvidualy followed path

Unless you can back up your agruement with specific dates and details ~Romamarienightwing~, Wicca is a new practive and has been since 1920. But, which path of Wicca are we discussing thelemic wicca, Gardnerian Wicca, Traditional Wicca? Throw us a bone here.

By the by, just because both Gardner and Crowley borrowed some concepts of the Masons, does not mean that the OTO is originally a Masonicly guided philosophy. It is a clandestine Lodge to say the least and is NOT associated with the fraternity by any means.

I say this because Gardnerian Wicca has a 3rd degree ceremony that features a Great Rite which is derived completely from the Gnostic Mass. which only the name has baring toward the fraternity and nothing more.

There are many different paths of paganism and wicca. What fits you best is something you can figure out and run with it after that. Go with what your instincts say. Follow your own path. Mix them if you want its your choice. There is no "standard" way of wicca or paganism. If it says "sueve moi ("follow me" in French from Finding Nemo) then follow it and dont let anywone stop you. The religion you choose shouldnt matter to anyone else because its your religion not theirs.

Yeap.. I agree with you on that, BrianaRose.. It's all in the calling..

*smilez*

It all really depends on the person and which path of Wicca and/or Paganism they take.

There are so many different types of witch. You can't make a set way of finding your path unless you can figure out which path you want to take under the religon.

The best sorces I've found to learn about it is To Ride A Sliver Broomstick by Silver RavenWolf and A Witch's Bible by Janet Farrar

any book by the Farrar's will help you learn more about Wicca and Paganism. They are a husband and wife that traveled the world to help teach those trying to get into Wicca and Paganism. Janet Farrar and Stewart Farrar.

But then again. Those books may not help someone understand the path, they may need a teacher. It's all a matter of the person, what's going on in their life that made them want to look for a new religon, etc.

i have found that you can't start ( per say) wicca is like many religions there are different paths. Personally Wiccan people before you thought just as you did that is where Alexander wiccans and Gardener wiccans come in. Within that there are people that broke off and made they own sects... my advice find one and stick with it, if you read a little bit from everyone you are either going to forge your own path or be VERY confused.

May you be blessed
Bella

All pagans have different opinions in Wicca, because nobody really knows how paganism originated and how it came about, because it dates back thousands of years, and scholers are still trying to solve how paganism was founded, because we have no evidence on how people lived in those days, the only clues we have, is that they were in tune with nature. They were living in tribes where they had to hunt and invent tools, etc, so they where surrounded by nature, and gazing at the stars in the night sky, and make stories and myths.

Its like trying to solve how the Egyptians built the
pyramids, because we have no evidence about what technology was used and how they constructed it, and all we can do is build up a theory.

Modern Wicca has been around since the 50's, and different pagans follow their own paths which they feel is right for them. There is not just one path in paganism, because there are lots of different traditions, deities, gods and goddeses, so there is wide range of paths. In Paganism you have to search for your own path.

Maybe this article will help... *smilez*


PAGANISM

It is widely believed that paganism may be the oldest form of religion on the planet. While it is impossible to pin down the advent of paganism with any degree of certainty, most historians of religion will tell you that paganism began in earnest when human beings had the first inkling of desire to explore the unknown, to determine their divine origins, and to seek spiritual unity. Indeed, paganism has no founder or creator; it has no saints, no leaders (at least of the mortal variety) and no real concrete hierarchy like the majority of other predominant organized religions.


The origins of the work pagan are believed to have come from the Latin words for civilian and village – thus implying that the original pagans were perhaps commoners rather than members of the aristocracy. However, over the course of the pagan faith’s evolution, many have come to associate the humble origins of the word pagan more closely with the pagan’s affinity for nature than with their perceived lowly or humble socio-economic beginnings.


For these afore mentioned reasons, modern pagans feel as though they are following a faith that is as old as the idea of faith itself. This can be a very awe-inspiring concept if you really think about it. And it can make you feel as though you are more closely linked to your ancient ancestors than you ever thought possible. And while the lifestyles of those earliest pagans certainly differed exponentially from the lives of pagans today, practicing pagans work diligently to live the same earth-friendly lives their ancestors strived for.


Unlike most modern faiths, modern pagans do no really undergo formal baptisms or other initiation rituals. Often, they do not attend any organized religious functions of any time; rather, they simply realized that they had a spiritual emptiness in their lives, and turned to the pagan belief-system to fill the void. At its core, the idea of paganism is to live one’s life filled with as much love and joy as possible, to be socially and environmentally responsible, and to express ones true self whenever and however possible.


In the same vein as witchcraft, pagans have a innate belief that they should live their own lives without causing harm to other. Or, really, anything at all. Paganism’s foundation is based upon the idea that all things, from rocks to human beings, have divine spirits (or souls) and that each is just as worthy as the one before it of love and respect. Additionally, most pagan sects do not see things as ‘good and/or evil’ like many other modern religions, but instead believe that all things have their place and that balance is of more importance than sameness or rightness.


J. Roslyn Antle, High Priestess




From: 7witches.com Weekly Newsletter

Perhaps this would be a good place for you to start.

The Teaching Rune

Wiccans are as Wiccans be
We shroud our lives in Mystery.
Wiccans say not what they do
For Cowens lie, and are untrue.

Our ways are private, patient, free
Abiding by the Rule of Three
Our ways we keep within our clan
And mix not with the Cowen, - Man.

The Cowen preach, condemn, decry
And fill our past with fear and lies.
In truth, for us one law lives still:
“An ye harm none, do as ye will.

vvSoulshroudervv writes:::

vvSoulshroudevv
Dybbuk (76)
Posts: 924
The Paths Of Wicca And Paganism.
Posted: 20:07:40 - Sep 20 2009
Times viewed: 149

~Featheredman~ before you tout that you are a Freemason, learn to know that the craft has nothing to do with witchcraft. As well, masons do not "seek out masters."

Claim to be something else when alluding to the esoteric practices and paths, because you will be called out on your claims.

As well, learn before you begin to teach.


Where excatly in that thread by FeatheredMan did you read the word "Freemason"???????
And what is the word "craft" in "Witchcraft" then pertaining too if not the Craft of Witchery??????
There are more crafts then what you choose alone to say exist or not!