Being a Wiccan or Witch is generally not something you are born as or just wake up one morning and decide to become. More often than not, you come across it by accident unless you were raised that way. Many find the philosophies of how Wicca and Witchcraft view nature are the same as the one's they currently hold. They just didn't know there was a specific belief system that shared the same views.

As Silver RavenWolf accurately stated in her book To Ride A Silver Broomstick. "The Charge comes to each of us in a different manner. It is that moment in our lives when we feel the Magick of the Universe for the very first time coursing through us... and we know beyond all real and imagined shadows that this calling to the mysteries is indeed there. That it is truly there, and not a whimsical flight from reality."

If you are one who has seen striking similarities between what you believe and have found here, there are generally accepted ways to increase your awareness and find communion with others who feel the same. The following are the steps I would recommend to any one who wishes to learn more.

Read everything you can get your hands on that will tell you more about the beliefs of Wicca and Witchcraft. Only by learning as much as you can about the basic beliefs and tenets of this path can you decide if the old way's are right for you.

While doing this, you will begin to form associations and hopefully find correspondances within yourself. Note these feelings in a journal or diary. Write down the reasons you think Witchcraft is your path. What does being a Witch mean to you? What do you hope to achieve and learn? What do you fear about following this path? How do you see the Goddess and God? What does the Divine mean to you? Be absolutely honest with yourself here, this is a private book and nobody else will ever read it. This notebook will help you design your dedication/self-initiation ritual and eventually evolve into your Book of Shadows.

There are no right or wrong answers and it is not a test. It is only a way to help you define your understanding of this path.

Most importantly, listen to your inner voice. It is usually very good council and will not lead you astray. If something you read, hear or are told does not feel right, then it usually isn't right for you. If everything still feels right and you are sure Witchcraft is the path for you wish to follow after all this studying, now is the time to perform a dedication ritual.

This ritual should be yours and yours alone. Design it however you want to and in a way that will be most meaningful to you. A dedication ritual means exactly what it sounds like. You are dedicating yourself to the Craft and making the decision to live life in closer harmony and balance with the earth and nature. You are making a commitment to yourself and the Divine.

Mine was on the shore of a remote high cascade mountain lake here in Oregon. The dancing light of the campfire on the trees, a full moon reflecting off the snow pack fed waters of the lake all combined with the energy of surrounding nature. This setting was ideal for me but something completely different might be right for you.

I haven't mentioned anything about spells because you need to complete the first two steps before you even think about working with spells.

Before you begin working with magick, you need to understand what it is, where it comes from and the ethics involved. You will also need to learn and understand the basic structure of rituals, Casting circles, calling quarters, invoking the Goddess and God, raising and directing energy, grounding, centering and closing the circle.

Magick is raising and channeling the energy found in yourself, nature and in the Divine. A Witch combines this energy with their focused efforts. It takes dedication, effort, energy and hard work to achieve a desired result. The main ethical tenet to always remember is the point of the Witches Rede

This is a VERY powerful ritual. I have had great results from this. If done correctly, the presence of the Lady can be strongly felt!
You will need:
Two white candles
A bell
Wine or lunar liquid
Your chalice (or cup)
Spell material if you are doing something afterwards
Cast your circle.
Stand before the altar facing North and say:
This is the time of the full moon, a time of great power for positive manifestation, a time of increasing and gaining.
The tide of Moon-power is strong.
I am of the Goddess.
I stand before You at Your altar, in love and adoration.
Be with me Goddess.
Let me feel your presence here tonight."

Go to the east with the bell.
Ring it once and say:
Hail Selene. Help me feel the Lady's power and presence within my mind.
Go to the South.
Ring the bell once and say:
Hail Cerridwen.
Help me feel the Lady's power and presence within my spirit.

Go to the West.
Ring the bell once and say:
Hail Athene. Help me feel the Lady's power and presence within my emotions. Go back to the North. Ring the bell once and say: Hail Aphrodite.
Help me feel the Lady's power and presence in my body.
You will probably have an amazing wave of feelings come over you. Let them sink into your body and soul. When you are ready, return the bell to the altar, turn to the North, and raise your arms high above your head.
Say:
Hail Goddess! Moon Mother, Lady of Light, Mistress of Magick and Animals.
You are the white light of the Moon upon the Earth, the brillant rays of sun upon life.
You are the beginning and ending, the One who creates and takes away.
Within You, I see myself and all woman.
In this time, You come to me and fill me with your presence.
Communicate with Her now. Tell Her your problems, wishes and anything you wish to tell her.
When you are finished say:
All honor and love to the wonderful Goddess, for She is the power behind all powers,
the Goddess behind all gods,
the Eternal Life behind death.
I see Her loving face within the moon and rejoice.
All Hail Queen of the heavens and the earth, the eternal on of Wisdom!
Raise the chalice to toast her and say:
To Diana and all the Goddesses!
Now is the time for divination, meditation, and spellwork of any kind.
Close the circle when done.

There are many different types of Magick and I will list some of them below, but the best type of Magick is whatever works best for you, whatever you feel comfortable with.

Color Magick

Color Magick. Color has the ability to completely change our moods and emotions. This has been proven and color has been used in schools and doctors offices because it has been shown that people work, learn, and even feel better in rooms of specific colors. Yellow tends to be a cheerful color. When using Color Magick, you must first choose a color that is representative of your goal, such as pink for love or blue for healing. Then you can use color visualization to realize your wishes. Color visualization is a good form to use in Color Magick, especially in healing, but you can also use candle magick or something similar.

Elemental Magick

Elemental Magick is done with the use of the elements of Fire, Water, Air and Earth and it is my personal favorite, mainly because it is what I am good at. Each element has its own aspects and is used in almost all forms of Magick in one way or another. If you study the section on elemental meditation, you will see the form of magick that I enjoy the most.

Symbolic Magick

Symbolic Magick uses symbols to represent your goals. Numbers, photographs, the tarot, Runes, Oghams, Numerology and even candles are used in this type of magick. Anything that can be used to represent what you are doing is okay to use. Making your own symbols and making it to represent what you desire is always a powerful inducement in magick, because it is a part of you.

Talismans and Amulets

These are magickally "charged" items and are representational of whatever magick is being done. Talismans and Amulets are usually worn or carried on the person for protection, love, luck, or for whatever purpose is necessary. This is also a type of symbolic magick. There are many things that can be utilized for this purpose. Many use pendants, rings, an item carried inside a pouch or "mojo",etc, to make an amulet or talisman.

Herbal Magick

Herbs can be used medicinally or magickally, but there is a difference. Medicinally, they can be ingested to aid in healing but not all are used this way. Some herbs are poisonous so take care when using them. Certain herbs can be used but only in a magickal process. This means that they can be used as a talisman or an amulet, in a pouch or dream pillow for for various reasons. You can burn them, use them in a candle, popourri, bath water, etc but you may NOT ingest them. There are hundreds of herbs readily available right at your grocers or health food stores and each one has its own magickal or medicinal value. Be sure to use extreme care and know what you are doing when using herbs.

Candle Magick

One of the oldest as well as easiest forms of magick is Candle Magick . You can burn a candle while meditating to ensure your goal. This is just one of the things that candles are used for. They are present at many rituals and many are used as aromatherapy as well. Check the Grimoire for a spell using Candle magick.

Knot Magick

Knot Magick is also referred to as Cord Magick or Binding Magick. With this kind of magick, you use a rope, cord, string, piece of yarn, ribbon etc to signify the desire. By tying knots in the cord, you declare your desires. You may also tie things into each knot if you need to represent something else. I have seen people tie feathers, hair, pieces of paper, etc into each knot they tie. There is a spell in the Grimoire that uses Cord Magick, which is the same thing.

Crystal or Gem Stone Magick

With Crystal Magick, each stone or gem has its own magickal properties. A stone can be used to enhance a spell or used on its own. It can be worn, carried, used as an amulet, charm etc.

Poppet Magick

Poppet or Representational Magick is similar to "voodoo". It utilizes the figure of the individual that you are working the spell for. This helps in visualizing the need or desire and also the end result. Visualization is an important aspect of magick, one of the most important, in fact. Poppets can be made from almost anything and are sold in many occult shops but the best ones are the ones that you fashion yourself. All you need is bits of cloth and thread or clay and sticks etc or whatever you can make a small figurine out of. Attaching bits of hair, nail clippings, an article of clothing, a personal item, a photograph or even a magazine photo personalizes it for the person and for yourself as well. It can work extremely well for visualization. This is what is called your psychic link if you recall your lessons.

Witchcraft or Wicca is not a cult. We do not proclaim ourselves to be spokespersons for the divine or try to get others to follow us as their leaders.

We do not worship Satan or consort with Demons. Satan is a Christian creation and they can keep him. We do not need a paranoid creation of supreme evil and eternal damnation to scare us into doing the right thing and helping others. We choose to do the right thing and love our brothers and sisters because it IS the right thing and it feels good to do it. I suppose it is a maturity thing.

We do not sacrifice animals or humans because that would violate our basic tenant of "Harm None." Anyone who does and claims to be a Wiccan or a Witch is lying.

We have no need to steal or control the life force of another to achieve mystical or supernatural powers. We draw our energy from within, our personal relationship with the divine and nature.

We do not use the forces of nature or the universe to hex or cast spells on others. Again, "Harm None" is the whole of the law.

Witches have a very strict belief in the Law of Three which states that whatever we send out into our world shall return to us three fold either good or bane. With this in mind, a "True Witch" would hesitate in doing magick to harm or manipulate another because that boomerang we throw will eventually come back to us much larger and harder then when we threw it.

This is not to say that Witches are perfect, we are human too just like everyone else and make mistakes and errors in judgment. Just as there are parents who love and nurture their children, there are parents who abuse their children. As there are many who devote their lives to giving and helping mankind, likewise there are those who devote their lives to taking advantage of and using people for their own gain. Unfortunately the same flaws in human nature applies to witches too.

Most of us continually strive to consider all potential outcomes of our thoughts and actions pausing to seriously consider the consequences before undertaking a ritual, spell or rite that could go astray. It is when we follow the path with the love of the Goddess in our hearts and adhere to the basic tenant of the Reed that our works are beneficial and we achieve harmony and balance with all things.

The heart of Wicca is not something summed up into a few short words and can often take on different meaning to each since the Lord and Lady touch us in different ways. To gain a fuller understanding of the Craft, I urge you visit the other pages on this site as well as following the links to a select group of exceptional Wiccan and Witchcraft sites. Through the wisdom and words set down through the ages, you will find that you are able to understand the basis of our beliefs and how they may apply to you. Your inner voice will also quickly let you know if the intent of what you are reading is for superficial purposes to benefit self instead of working to benefit the whole. Remember to read with your heart, for it is when you see life and the world with your heart and spirit that you truly gain an understanding of what Wicca is.

Blessed Be!

What is Wicca?
Wicca is a contemporary pagan religion with spiritual roots in the Celtic deities, symbols, and seasonal days of celebration. Modern day Wicca is peaceful, harmonious and a nature-based, balanced way of living and thinking.

What are the beliefs?
Wiccans live by the Wiccan Rede (philosophy) An it harm none, do what ye will . The philosophy is a declaration of the freedom to act, along with the necessity of taking responsibility from one's actions.
Wiccans also seek to cultivate a set of 8 virtues, these being:

mirth
reverence
honour
humility
strength
beauty
power
compassion.
The idea of karma and an afterlife is also a belief of Wicca, what we do in this lifetime will be revisited upon us in the next. Wicca beliefs honour the "Elements of Nature", Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Spirit and their associated directions -- North, East, South, West, Center.
Who do Wiccans worship?
Wicca acknowledges a supreme divine power from which the entire universe sprang. The deities of Wicca are embodiments of a life-force manifestation. The divine power is called The All and is a universal male and female energy, the God and Goddess. That polarity creates the cycle that underlies the movements of the stars and the changing seasons, the harmony of the natural world and the evolution within human lives.
Some Wiccans hold the Goddess to be pre-eminent, since she contains and conceives all. The God is the spark of life and inspiration within her, simultaneously her lover and her child. This is reflected in the traditional structure of the coven.

When and what do Wiccans celebrate?
The Wicca calendar contains 13 full moons (Esbats) and 8 Sabbats, or days of power, making 21 Wiccan ritual occasions. Sabbats mark the suns annual cycle and that of life and nature. The other thirteen festivals are Full Moon celebrations called Esbats when Wiccans gather together to honour the Goddess and God. . It is the most important holiday of the Wicca year is Samhain (pronounced sow-in), the Wicca New Year (or Halloween to the rest of us),where it is believed that the veil between the dead and the living is thinnest.

What rituals are practiced?
Wiccans hold ceremonies in their covens, to mark the Sabats, Esabats, dedications or for magickal workings and to unite with the Deities. Rituals have no set guidelines, but always involve the casting of the circle, invoking the elements, the cone/circle dance to raise power and to bring the collective energy of the group into focus. There is chanting, dancing and singing the Witches Rune. Cakes and wine are also eaten.

Do Wiccans cast spells?
Wicca magick has nothing to do with the "supernatural." Magick is simply the art of getting results by directing energy around the earth to a specific positive purpose such as healing. Wiccans invoke the Goddess and God to bless their magick with power.

Magick is a process in which Wiccans work in harmony with universal power (Divine power) as well as personal and Earth energies to improve their lives and lend energy to the Earth. Wiccans don't perform destructive, manipulative or exploitive magick