Category Archives: Reader Question

How do I Switch Religions?

Posted by Sanna in Paganism, Reader Question, Resources and tagged with , ,

Hello, I have been doing alot of studying, and I feel that becoming a Wiccan is the right path for me. My question is that since I was raised as a catholic, how can I “switch” religions? Do I have to do something to change to become a Wiccan?

You do indeed!

Wicca is an initiatory religion. If you are interested in becoming a Wiccan, you do have to track down a legitimate Wiccan coven from a legitimate Wiccan tradition. These traditions include Gardnerian, Alexandrian and Central Valley among others. Once you find a coven into which you feel you fit well, and they decide to take you on as a student, eventually you will be initiated into the coven.

Here are some links to help you out in searching for a coven:
Amber and Jet
New Wiccan Church
We also focus on finding a group or coven in our answer to this question.

Finding a Wiccan coven that you mesh with well can take a long time, and you may have to travel some way to meet with them. I know Wiccans and students of Wicca who drive or take a train for hours to meet with their coven for each Sabbat. And of course Wicca isn’t for everyone; it’s a pretty small Pagan religion, and you may end up pursuing either another specific Pagan religion or a form of eclectic Pagan witchcraft, as many people do.

If it turns out Wicca isn’t the right religion for you – and many people do decide against pursuing Wicca for one reason or another – other Pagan religions may have particular initiation or dedication rites for you to perform, either to bring you into the religion or into a specific group. If you end up studying as a solitary (possibly eclectic) Pagan, you may wish, once you are certain, to perform some sort of dedication ritual for yourself. As you are leaving another religion that does have a form of dedication itself, you may wish to renounce that dedication also, either as a part of the same ritual or as a separate ritual.

How you perform your dedication is up to you; you may want to follow a basic dedication ritual from a book or you may want to write your own. It could just be a simple statement, or involve a ritual rebirth. You may choose  a special day to perform it, such as a holiday or particular phase of the moon, or a day that is special to you personally.

Some ideas if this is the way you choose to go:

* Wrap yourself in dark cloth, spend some time in contemplation, and unwrap yourself

* Light a candle signifying your old life, snuff it, then light a new candle for your new life (or light the new candle with the old one)

* Go to a body of water such as a lake or ocean and immerse yourself entirely

* Draw or create a line from a ribbon, stick etc. and step over it from your old life to your new life

Of course, you don’t need to perform a dedication. It’s a personal choice. If you feel in yourself that this is what and who you are now, a dedication may be unnecessary. Many forms of religious witchcraft and eclectic Paganism do encourage it, but if you’re not interested or consider it a bit redundant, and it’s not a part of the specific religion you follow, you don’t have to perform one.

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As a bit of a discussion point, readers, if you have been initiated into a group or religion, or performed a dedication for yourself, what did you do (if you can tell us) and do you have any extra ideas for those who are considering a dedication themselves?

What Am I

Posted by Sephira in Paganism, Reader Question and tagged with , , , , ,

It took me a while to figure out what the lines between Trad Wicca, Eclectic Wicca and Eclectic Paganism were. Knowing when you’re no longer a solitary eclectic Wiccan but a Gaelic Polytheist (or any other distinct form of paganism) would be helpful to newcomers, I’m sure.

Making it more widely known that Wicca is a religion that cannot be eclectic (simply because of the level of structure the religion has and the way it is taught and practised) and how wildly different forms of Eclectic Neo-Paganism can be (both from one another and from Wicca) are things we feel strongly about and will touch on.

That point where you realise you’re no longer an eclectic but following a specific Pagan religion is a pretty great one, and it would be a good subject to focus on. Thinking about it now, not sure how we’ll go about it, but it’s important so we’ll definitely put some thought into it and get a couple of things written on that topic. Thank you very much for your ideas! We appreciate them!

Finding a Group or Coven

Posted by Sephira in Paganism, Reader Question and tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

I am currently trying to find a group with whom to interact and study in Charlotte, NC area and am having difficulty doing so. Could you help me?

The first (and probably most important) question you need to ask yourself, is “What exactly are you looking to study?” Because there are different resources that might be better than others, depending on what you are looking for. Without knowing any specifics, I’m going to gear my response towards Wicca and Eclectic Neo-Pagan Paths. If you are looking for something else, please reply and let me know, so I can provide those resources as well.

My first suggestion would be to check out the WitchVox site. They provide a place for various groups and organizations advertise, and it is divided up by city/state (there are drop down lists on the left side of the page). You can go to the North Carolina page, to see what is over in the Charlotte area. Which just looking at the page, seems that there are at least some good choices in your area.

The other thing to remember as well, is that sometimes you might have to travel a bit to find the right group, so if there isn’t something that fits in your local area, and it is something that you really feel strongly about, it might not hurt to widen your search a bit. I know people who travel several hours one way to meet with their covens, and others who fly across country. Clearly that’s not something that we all can afford to do (time or money-wise), but it’s something to consider.

From there it can take a bit of detective work, because even though something might say “traditional” or “Wicca”, etc… in many cases what that particular group defines that as can really vary, so you really have to ask a lot of questions, especially if being in a lineaged coven is important to you. If you are just looking for an eclectic group then, it’s just a matter of checking out profiles and finding one that seems to suit what you are looking for, and then contacting them for more information.

Groups that are open to new members should be willing to at least discuss basic information (even if the majority of their practices are oath-bound). If someone seems annoyed that you are asking questions, or they get defensive or evasive, then it’s probably a good idea to run quickly in the opposite direction. Listen to your own instincts – if something doesn’t seem right, the it probably isn’t.

If you are looking for a Traditional Wiccan coven, your next resource would be the Amber and Jet Yahoo list. While they have discontinued their “official” seekers list, it is still the best place to get more information on if a particular coven is properly lineaged. Not only that but their archives contain a wealth of information on Wicca, and if you have any questions on anything you can always ask, as there are a lot of wonderful members (consisting of both Elders, Seekers and other Initiates) who are more than willing to help.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask! 🙂