How does one become a witch?
Many contemporary writers on witchcraft state that a person who cannot find another witch to perform a rite of initiation can perform a self-initiation rite. There are a number of books which give examples of self-initiation rites.
Other take a more traditional view and insist that one must be properly initiated by a witch, either alone or in a coven. Every coven has its own inititaion ritual. Some involve ritual flagellation and nudity. Some do not. Some are elaborate; others are simple. There is no set pattern, save that in all cases the person initiated dedicates himself or herself to the service of the Goddess and to the true use of the Craft.
It is traditional that no coven recruits members. Nevertheless, a number of prominent witches do give lectures and courses on witchecraft which, quite obviously, have the effect of recruitment. It is traditional for a witch or a coven to be approached by the would-be witch and asked for inititation and, if the coven is in agreement or the witch agrees, for that initiation to take place approximately a year and a day from the time of the request, or when the would-be witch is twenty-one, if that is later. This wait is to ensure that the request was not frivolous and also to give time to study the would-be witch's attitute. Witches take initiation very seriously. The act of initiation is, indeed, less the giving of an entrance permit to an exclusive club than act of recognition. One might say that only those who are witches already area initiated as witches.
Many people practise the Craft or part of it outside the boundaries or Wicca, for spell-power is not exclusive to witches. Some of these feel that a total commitment to Wicca is too heavy a burden. They also fear that, once their powers are increased by constant practice and by learning and studying with others, they may not be strong enough to resist the temptation to misuse them. They also cannot help being somewhat put off by all the anti-Wicca propaganda they have heard, and wonder what they might be getting into.
Much of Wiccan practice remains secret. In the past this was to protect witches from torture and death. Nowadays many witches feel that there are some matters of the craft which should not be allowed to fall into the hands of irresponsible or malicious people. Though a number of Books of Shadows have been published, it si noticeable that they do not provide anything like full information. Moreover, the vast majority of books on Wicca today deal almost entirely with Wiccan symbolism and rituals; they do not instruct their readers in the actual work of witches as spell-casters. The unfortunate consequence is that many people fail to understand that many witches feel the work to be just as important as the rituals, if not more so.
The would-be witch must learn the skills of the Craft and discover for what particular skills he or she has most aptitude. Worship without work is a car without a driver; it will not make the journey. Fortunately, however, the rituals themselves do provide the participant with power and make effective use of the power possible. It is when the would-be witch has discovered his or her power and has made good use of it that initiation becomes a possibility. Here I must mephasize the phrase "good use". The work done must have been done according to the witch's law which, while offering the freedom of "Do what you will", also presents the duty of acting always in love and of harming no one.
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