So You Are Thinking Of Becoming A Witch?
What is a Witch?
A Witch is a person who by study, meditation, and practice, have learned the use of oils & herbs, can read signs of nature, can listen to their inner voice, and knows that being a Witch is above all what past judgements have said. A Witch refuses to subject themselves to being what society tells them they 'should be'. Furthermore, a Witch loves her/his God and Goddess, seeks knowledge in the Craft, and wears the name "Witch" with pride when all others judge us. A Witch is kind, compassionate, and loves nature and all that surrounds her/him.
Remember: Those who cast judgement knows nothing of the Craft, only what has been told to them. Do not cast down upon what others say, for we would only be like them in their walk.
Lessons To Be Learned
SO you might want to be a Witch. Now you are asking yourself, "What do I do? Where do I go from here and how do I start?" If you are interested in Witchcraft, and wish to know where you should start, or if you are seeking out to find out what Witches do to see if it is truly the right path for you here are some easy guidelines to read and follow:
First; Get some books and study, study, STUDY! Wicca is not like some of these newer religions, because Wicca is one of the first religions and has many pasts, present, and future facts that should be looked over. Plus, the religion has many more aspects then doing things and praising the Goddess and God, theres ethics, tenets, history, and the practice (if you choose), which also needs to be studied. Second; A few of the basic things to learn are the differences between the practices of Witchcraft and the religion of Wicca. During the second phase of any religious decision, you need to decide whether to plan to practice through prayer and ritual, ot to remain completly secretive if you choose to. Some people decide they are better off not practicing, maybe common ritual doesn't please you. One other thing, if you were attracted to Witchcraft and Wicca for Magick and spells, thats fine, but if over a period of a year or so you become disinterested in it, it's most likely because you do not have a commitment to what it REALLY IS ABOUT and what it can really do for you rather then fooling around with simple Magick. Magick is great, but it's not what makes up the real religion. Third; Start writing! Now is the time to get a notebook, journal, or diary with lots and lots of pages. Write about your thoughts on Witchcraft; how you feel about it and how you perceive it. Maybe copy down a spell or two that you have found that works for you! This is soon going to be the start of your own Book of Shadows. You can make up your own name for your book, but tradition has it called The Book Of Shadows, because it was kept in the shadows during the Burning Times. Your Book of Shadows will have spells, rituals, Sabbats, poems, anything that is YOURS that you want to keep having to do with the Craft. Fourth; Once you have studied up on the Sabbats, the Wiccan religion and the practices of Witchcraft you need to decide if it is REALLY something you want to commit to as a practice and a religion. Remember, do not be fooled by the drama of spellcraft, I'll admit, that is what attracted me to it for the first time, and then one morning I woke up and saw the real meaning behind The Craft. The Craft means the worship of the Gods and Goddesses, peace, strength, spirituality, and a sense of well being. The fourth step for practitioners may be to pick something in your life, look up a spell from a Book of Shadows, and rewrite it to help you learn how to write spells. This will mean something to you because it will be YOUR spell! There is a mass of knowledge in books and writings, but your own mind is the only one that can decipher this knowledge and meaning. Next, perform the spell or rite, and have fun with it, but acknowledge the presense of the God and Godess through your workings. Fifth; Self Dedication- Now take the time to percieve your rituals and spell castings. Make a ritual to TRULY dedicate yourself to the life of the God and the Goddess. You must also dedicate yourself to the Craft at this time. Your ritual should include all elements, your altar belongings, and your thoughts and energies. Sixth; Now start to enjoy your life as a Witch. Wrap the God and Goddess around you and feel their energy cloak you. Get yourself familiar with everything, shop at Metaphysic stores, read books, look up homepages on the internet that are Wiccan/Pagan or The Craft. You are probably getting good at writing your own spells now, keep practicing! Start to take time to celebrate the Sabbats, decorate your altar and your home to match the Sabbats. Meditate. This is good for your soul and mind. Finally, when you have stayed with the Craft for a year or so, you might make the choice to join a coven. Research where you live and look online for people like you in your area. The best site on the web for this is www.witchesvox.com You may decide to stay solitary. More and more Witches in todays religion are becoming solitary in their practice. Both ways have their plus' and minus'.
