New to Wicca and troubled

Hello
I'm not Wiccan, it just doesn't seem to "work" for me, if you will. I don't know, it's just not something I personally connect with. That being said, I really see how/why other people do. My boyfriend's sister is Wiccan and she really got me interested in checking it out. So I got my hands on a copy of "To Ride a Silver Broomstick." I know Norseman said stay away from Raven Silverwolf lol but I personally found the book fascinating! There were so many things I didn't know. It was all very fascinating and enlightening for me.

Anyways, I'm telling you this because:
1) You might try and take a look at the book, or one of the others people have suggested. My big advice on getting books is the library. You can stay at the library as long as you like and read whatever you like.

2) Even though I didn't end up becoming Wiccan, I still had to hide the book. My parents are really strong Christians. They mean the best, but I know for sure they would freak out if they knew I was reading that. So I empathize.

But anywaysss, that's just my little tid bit. The best of luck to you in trying to find your path and your light.

Originally Posted by Neth Rana

So I got my hands on a copy of "To Ride a Silver Broomstick." I know Norseman said stay away from Raven Silverwolf lol but I personally found the book fascinating! There were so many things I didn't know. It was all very fascinating and enlightening for me.

IMO most people get involved in things like Wicca because they get a kick out of the unconventional and forbidden. It is part of asserting one individualism, in itself a spiritually suspect aim.

I believe that all which is really useful can be obtained without the fanciful stuff. Golden Angel's 'Witches kitchen' and 'Witches herb garden' use the word 'Witches' as a marketing ploy and all that knowledge will be available without it.

I don't think it is good advice to a young person to involve themselves in activities which they have to hide from other people, rather show alternate paths which can be taken, e.g. herbology, naturopathy, and generally accepted mental/energetic healing technologies.

[norseman]

Going back to what I said about wicca being "a new branch on a very old tree", there is a real need to be clear as to what you think wicca actually is.
Gerald Gardner founded what he called New Witchcraft in the 1950's and it was based on, I suppose, Old Witchcraft - the origins of that go wandering back to the Neolithic and the tribal shaman of the Hunter-Gatherers in Europe. Just consider the word "Witchcraft" a little. It really ought to be written Witch Craft - the Craft of the Witch, the tools of the trade as it were. Witch, the word, comes along with the christian church as a word used to denigrate and persecute. The "old" name was Cunning or Wise Folk.

So, Gardner was a member of the New Forest Coven in England, an Old Witchcraft coven AND he was an ordained christian priest of an obscure branch of the Celtic Church - a very mystic branch, much given to animism. So, this gives you several clues to Gardner. He took a core of Craft and added rituals and initiatory rites from his coven experience plus his experiences in the Celtic church plus influences from the Closed Orders such as the Masonic Orders, Druidry and similar. His purpose was to open up the "faith" to a wider appeal by adding mysticism and exclusivity.
His new faith found fertile ground in the US and has flourished there. Much less so in the UK where most are solitaries and/or followers of the "old order". [The Druid connection comes from his friend and fellow Celtic priest, Ross Nichol who founded the largest British Order of Druids. Together, they established the Festival Calender based on the Farmer's Almanac ]
In the past, there has been much disagreement over "who is real and who is not" but it's all trivial to be honest because "new" or "old", there is still a core of Craft.

Books that I would recommend and have found useful myself are; Scott cunningham - Wicca for the solitary practioner (the text that brought me to this path) and living Wicca. I have also found " to ride a silver broomstick" by ravenwolf to be of great help, she is very readable and shows the various paths within Wicca. These books are cheap on amazon. I understand how you feel my parents although are what I like to call 'cultural christains' frown upon any belief that is not christainty even Judaism and Islam is 'weird and wrong' in their eyes. To get my hands on my books is I use my boyfriends amazon account and have them delivered to his house as his parents don't care, from there they are easy to hide, but you should decide if and when you are going to tell them, they love you you are their child and I doubt that prejudice will keep them from not speaking to you forever. I plan to tell mine when I have moved out, but that's my choice :p.

Goodluck and blessed be.

X