:.::. home .::. art .::. writing .::. quotes .::. miscellaneous .::. bio .::. cliques .::.:
:.::. wicca .::. links .::. contact me .::. disclaimer .::. journal .::.:

_____This is going to get a bit long... but if you aren't willing to read a lot to learn what you need to know, you shouldn't be Seeking. Wicca is a serious religion. It is not a weekend thing, or a slumber party game. It isn't something for people who are looking for the next coolest thing to piss off their parents. Wicca has rules just like any other religion. First off, pagan doesn't always equal Wiccan. Witch doesn't always equal Wiccan. Wiccan doesn't always equal witch. Wiccan always equals pagan, since pagan is generally defined as anything outside of the 'Big Three' (Judaism, Islam, and Christianity). Never refer to a male Wiccan as 'warlock', as the word is derived from the Gaelic for "traitor" or "oath-breaker", and it'll most likely make them very cranky. All genders are referred to as Wiccan or witch.

_____I hesitate to use the words 'real Wiccan', but there really are some things that a real Wiccan is not. If someone claims the title of Wiccan, and yet perform 'curses', or profess to worship Satan, they aren't Wiccan. I don't care how often someone says there is, there is no such thing as Satanic Wicca- Wicca has nothing to do with Christian mythology, and therefore nothing to do with Satan. Even LaVey (the founder of the modern religion Satanism) is explicit in the fact that Satanism is a rejection of Wiccan beliefs alongside Christian ones. Likewise, you cannot be a Wiccan and a Christian at the same time. You can be a witch (basically practising magick without having to worship pagan deities) and Christian simultaneously, though. Another big no-no are love spells. Love spells mean that you're forcing someone do something they wouldn't do of their own free will. Know what that's also known as? Slavery. Don't play with love spells, or if you must do something along those lines, do something extremely general, and never, ever, ever concentrate on a certain person. Remember Karma? If you fuck up someone else's life or emotions, it will come back to get you, I promise. So, be careful.

_____Right now, I'll tell you, I don't claim to know everything there is to know about every tradition. I probably don't yet know everything there is to know about my own tradition. There's no way anyone could have knowledge of every one- there are so many families with their own traditions who have nothing published about it, it's impossible. Also, no one way is correct. Traditions are to Wicca (Gardnerian, Dianic, Eclectic, etc), as denominations are to Christianity (Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, etc). Just as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and the rest of the world's religions are not the 'one true religion', neither is Wicca.

_____Some Wiccans (usually the extremely strict who call themself simply 'Traditional Wiccan') demand that you absolutely cannot be Wiccan unless you've been initiated into a certain kind of coven. Personally, I say that's a great big steaming pile of bullshit. But they're entitled to their opinion, just like I am. Most of the Wiccan population agree that whether you're a Solitary, or gather with one other friend, ten friends, or a hundred friends for celebrations and Sabbats- you're Wiccan whichever way you slice that cake. You can self-dedicate and self-initiate (I have a copy of my own self-initiation here on my site), and it means just as much to the Goddess as if The Great Mistress Moonbeam Fairydust Dizzledazzle bestowed it upon you. If you don't agree with someone's opinion, don't worry about it. It's their opinion, just like you have your own. If it seems like the silliest thing you've heard since pigs grew wings, just smile, nod, and if it's driving you crazy, get away from them as soon as humanly possible. Some people will keep on at you just to see you get angry with them, then use your anger as a means to discredit you. Don't let some witchier-than-thou jerk take advantage of you like that, mmkay?

_____The best advice I was ever given when I was a Seeker (beginner student, not yet ready to label themself), was to read everything. Whether it's the most wonderful thing you've ever read, or the most ridiculous assembly of crap deigning to call itself information, read everything you can get your hands on until you know why it's wonderful or awful. Your purpose as a Seeker or beginning Wiccan is not to start casting little spells and make sparklies. Your purpose is simply to gain knowledge. You have plenty of time to learn magick! And when you do start to understand what it's about, write your own. Others' spells/rituals/ceremonies might feel good or work, but when you write your own and put your own energies into them, they feel and work even better. Don't ever put someone down because they're just starting out- you had to start out somewhere, yourself! Help them. Or at least, if you can't help them, don't hinder their Seek. All Wiccans are students always, because we never stop learning.

_____Not everyone is going to agree with me, I can guarantee that. You'll find other pages with other opinions. You'll form your own beliefs and opinions. Just know- no one is completely right, or completely wrong. It's all in your state of mind and tradition of beliefs. Just as within every other religion, you will find your nutballs and zealots. Better chance than not, you'll end up yelled at, put down, and called an idiot by people within your own religion just because they don't agree with you. Be the bigger person and walk away without stooping to their level. Let them look ignorant for their actions.