Newbie

Hello everyone! I'm new to this forum, and wicca for that matter. I'm having trouble finding anyone to connect with...none of my friends are wiccan and I'm still nervous to go to any kind of local gathering. I've been reading a lot of books and web pages about this religion, but I'm afraid that I don't know enough for my interest to be taken seriously. Anyone looking for someone to mentor unofficially? haha

[norseman]

Dizzeebean, here is something I put together some years back which has been a help to others in your position

Something inside you is telling you that you want to explore wicca.. You immediately want to do something about it but don’t know what.

So, here is Grandad Norsey’s guide to starting out in wicca.

It's SO YOU FEEL DRAWN TO WICCA ?
a fair generalisation that all pagan paths are “green” and accented to the Earth. Tree Huggers all ! If you are not drawn to Nature, you might want to think about that.

Ok, lets make the assumption that you are one of Nature’s Children and you have a place in nature that uplifts you. Doesn’t have to be somewhere grand and glorious, just somewhere special to you.
You should now start to learn all about your place – the flora and fauna, the weather patterns, the geology, the rivers and streams, the wheel of the seasons, the people who went before [ I’ve been doing that for over 35 years and still only scratched the surface but then I am a fanatic ! ]. What you are aiming for is a sense of belonging, a sense that you are part of it, a sense that your place has imprinted on you, a sense that this is your Land !

Next step. Declare yourself in your Land. Make a promise to protect it. You can make this as simple as you like or you could make a simple altar [ flat piece of rock ] and dedicate to Mother Earth. Start making a record of your experiences and what you have learned – your BOS.

And there you are, Wicca 101. More ? Wicca 102 ?
This requires a certain level of practice in meditation – lets assume you have this.
Now start regular meditations in your place. Stick with it, it may take some time, but eventually you will start to notice things you missed before. Not suggesting that you do this but I did overnight vigils in my place which is a small offshoot of one of the Yorkshire Dales. One of the things you might see is the nocturnal life of the place. If you do this often enough, you will be accepted as a part of the place by these nocturnal visitors. If this happens, then you have really cracked it.

103 ?
It would be a very rare place indeed that has not been home to mankind before. In your meditations, start to focus on the people who went before you. Try to get a sense of them – who were they ? what did they do ? Depending on your sensitivity, you may also get a sense of the Nature Spirits in your place. You may sense energies around you.

I think that is enough to give you a sense that wicca is for you or not, as the case might be. No “spells”, no rituals, no rede. Just you firmly established as part of the Land. Where you take this is now up to you. Good Luck on your journey !

I agree with what norseman said about being connected to Nature - though with time you will find that you have more of a connection to some things than others- with some it's trees, some it's rocks/crystals, some it's water....you will find your own "element" if you will....You just need to experiment and you will "feel" what you connect most with....

As for the "tools of the trade" - myself, I don't put as much stock in having all that stuff - candles of every colour, every crystal you can think of, wands, a besom, etc....Sometimes I find that it actually hinders the work more than helps it! The only things I really find indispensable (for myself personally) are my athame, and using herbs. Again, it just takes time, and trying out different things, until you discover what you feel most comfortable with, and what works best for you.

Keeping a book of shadows is helpful, too....that way you can record any spells you have done - what you used, what you said, etc....and then you can refer back to it later to see what worked, and what didn't!

There are so many paths and branches of Wicca/Paganism/Witchcraft to explore! That to me is part of the joy of it - the constant learning & discovery - finding your own strengths, powers and connections. Enjoy the journey Feel free to PM me any time!

Great thread! Norseman is onto something there.
Dizzeebean, Im a noob too and looking for other noobs to connect with. Friend me?

I don't know anything about this art, but I'd be interested to learn

[Belle]

I was going to start a similar thread, glad someone beat me to it and I love the thoughts from norseman - beautifully written.

And thanks sesheta for dispelling the myth about buying every coloured candle under the sun, I do have a question: what is athame?

Where do you start with a book of spells???

So much to journey into. So exciting.

Thank you

[norseman]

Athame - ceremonial knife. I use a Swiss Army knife - much more practical and useful

First page of your BOS - a statement and pledge of your Intent, an oath if you like. Nothing formal, just a piece of your soul A promise to yourself.

BOS - look here http://www.sacred-texts.com/bos/index.htm

ooppss....sorry - yes, the athame is a ceremonial knife

My own Book of Shadows has a bit of everything so far (though I don't use it overly much, lol!)
I have some basic thoughts, statements, etc....Some correspondences (meaning/uses of different herbs, plants, etc.)
I have also written some spells in there that I (and my best friend/sister Witch) have done, along with a note on whether it worked, how long it took, warning for what it ended up creating!! (sometimes a spell will create the outcome you asked for, but definitely NOT in the way you expected or would have wanted - fair warning...)

One of the big lessons (at least for me) is intent - being sure that what you are doing/asking for, etc is done and worded with the correct, and accurate, intentions....Otherwise a spell will either not work at all, or it opens the door to chaos that you didn't want, lol!

Some people also feel more comfortable being part of a coven, while others (like myself) feel much more comfortable being a "solitary" (other than my best friend!) Again, it's simply a matter of "testing the waters" and finding what feels most comfortable for you personally

[Jenny Crow]

Originally Posted by sesheta

ooppss....sorry - yes, the athame is a ceremonial knife
Some people also feel more comfortable being part of a coven, while others (like myself) feel much more comfortable being a "solitary" (other than my best friend!) Again, it's simply a matter of "testing the waters" and finding what feels most comfortable for you personally

The big thing with covens is finding the right one, hopefully where there is very little infighting and everyone gets along well.

Jenny Crow

[Belle]

Originally Posted by Jenny Crow

The big thing with covens is finding the right one, hopefully where there is very little infighting and everyone gets along well.

Jenny Crow

Yes, I was sort of wondering about no infighting!

This is a very newbie q but how do you go about finding one?

How do you find a mentor / teacher?