Pitfall #1: 'I Read it
in this Book...'
One of the first
important things to learn is to not believe everything you
read. Just because
it's in print doesn't necessarily mean it's true. Be a
critical reader. Don't
even believe me, I'm just one person and I make lots of
mistakes, too. Get
opposing opinions and figure out what You believe. Goddess,
if you only saw how
many times I've stared horrified at my monitor at a beginner
website with all the
wrong information. Please be a critical reader.
Pitfall #2:
Overenthusiasm
Enthusiasm is great...
it's wonderful! Enjoy this time of awareness, of
excitement and the
golden aura of everything! But also be careful of
overenthusiasm. While
it is possible you were Wiccan in your last lifetime, it
is very unlikely that
you've been a Witch since the beginning of time or that
your cat was indeed an
attendant in a Temple to Isis. You grandmother probably
didn't initiate you at
age 5, and you probably didn't inherit all the knowledge
of your now Wiccan
ancestors. I'm not trying to step on your beliefs or hurt
your feelings, but
please be reasonable. There are over 6 Billion people on this
planet, and very few
Witches in the last few centuries; what makes you think you
are a reincarnated
Witch? Like I said, it is quite possible, but it's not the
point. Whether you
were or weren't has no bearing on who you are now. You will
never again be the
person you are RIGHT NOW; what better person can you be? As
the saying goes: 'What
you cannot find within, you will never find without'.
Another issue to be
aware of is being really excited about Wicca. This is
wonderful, and I'm
glad you feel proud of your decision to study Wicca. But
daring people to
disagree with you so you can tell them What Wicca Really Is is
not the way to go. In
fact, this is barely disguised prosthletizing, and this is
something we just
don't do. You will need to learn to depend on yourself, and
sometimes others will
just never understand. That's their right, and it's not
your job to try and
change their mind. The Christian standing in front of you
never burned anyone at
the stake and probably never will. They're not out to get
you, and if they
wanted to be Wiccan, they would be. Remember that the
Witchcraft of the
Burning Times is not the Wicca of today. Don't tell people
what the Wiccan way is
really about - show them by your own wisdom and maturity.
Pitfall #3: 'Wicca is
as Wicca does'
Wicca has nothing to
do with Tarot Cards, Séances, Dowsing, Pendulums, Psychic
Fairs, and especially
Ouija boards. A new moon ritual does not involve calling
up Fluffy or Uncle Bob
from the grave. I don't know any Wiccans who use Ouija
boards and frankly the
things concern me. I've never attended or heard of
a 'Wiccan Séance'.
That being said, there
are things here that Wiccans may like to do. I use the
Tarot to advise me
when I need perspective in my life. I do free readings for
those who need it. I
sometimes use a pendulum; I am learning about Runes. I may
learn other forms of
Divination in future. I don't charge money for Tarot
readings if the person
needs it, and you probably won't find me exhibiting at
any psychic fairs.
None of these things have
anything to do with Wicca. If you dream of something
that comes to pass,
it's not because you're Wiccan; it's because you are a
sensitive human being.
Smelling snow on the wind and celebrating the return of
spring - this is
Wicca. Sensing vibrations through a pendulum - this is not
Wicca. This is
something a Wiccan person may, or may not, have interest in.
Wicca is a set of
beliefs and a way of living; it is not fortune telling or the
tools thereof.
Pitfall #4: Degrees
and Titles
Dedicant, Initiate,
2nd Degree, High Priestess... how do I get these titles?
Actually, unless you
are part of an established tradition, don't count on the
titles themselves
meaning much. I was dedicated as a solitary by an eclectic
coven 3 months after I
heard of Wicca and dedicant I have ever remained (as of
this writing). Oh, if
I wanted I could initiate myself as a solitary; hell, I
could initiate myself
a 3rd degree Master of Bubblegum Wicca if I really felt
like it. But that
would get me nothing and nowhere, fast. As a solitary, a
Dedication is a good
place to start. You can do it by yourself, and you never
need be initiated.
Remember, it is the Gods alone who initiate. I've seen
'covens' of three
people where the '3rd Degree High Priestess' was chosen
because she had been
studying for a few more months. This degree is meaningless
and you are doing
yourself, and the Craft, a disservice by using it. In the
absence of an
'official' system of degrees, a title is only as good as it's
wearer. You can call
yourself a High Priestess until you are blue in the face,
it still doesn't mean
squat unless you actually are. Generally, it takes a year
or two of hard work to
earn initiation. 2nd Degree is much harder and may never
be reached. 3rd Degree
– good luck. My advice, as always, is to be yourself.
Don't claim to be
something you are not, because others will know. Be proud of
who you really are.
Pitfall #5: Spells
Spells are cool.
Spells involve cool words and candles and powers and energy,
and you can make
things happen.
This is true; spells
do involve all these things and more. But be aware that
spells are generally a
last-resort 'I don't know how to deal with this' action.
It's not that spells
are bad or wrong; it's just you don't have to tinker with
every aspect of life.
In my 3 years of studying Wicca, I've done maybe 10 spells
maximum, and none of
them recently. Why? I don't need to right now. I have four
walls and a roof, I
eat, I work, I have transportation and I can pay my bills. I
have family, friends
and health. None of my friends are in any immediate need
that I know of. I am
truly a blessed person. If I have a financial crisis I will
get another job. If I
have a health crisis I will see a doctor. If my car breaks
down I will take it to
a mechanic. If I decide I have been single long enough I
will go out and meet
people. If, however, the car is unreparable, I will really
have a problem and
then may consider a spell. And the spell will not come from a
book or a website or a
friend. I will do whatever is meaningful for me at the
time. Whether I chant,
meditate, or dance around a big green candle doesn't
matter worth a damn. It
doesn't really matter whether I do it at new moon or
full moon or
midmorning or the hour of Saturn while Mercury is in the right
house and the moon
isn't void of course. It doesn't matter if I call the
elements or the
watchtowers or the elementals. It doesn't really matter if I
call Mercury or
Hecate. It doesn't matter if I do it robed, disrobed or painted
yellow and purple
polkadots. It doesn't matter if I do it standing on my head.
It doesn't matter if I
do it in English or Japanese or pig latin. No spell has
power. You are the
power, and you must respond to need when need arises. How
could someone else's
'spells' express the meaning of your situation? Writing
your own rituals and
doing your own magick makes far more sense.
Pitfall #6: Coming Out
of the Closet
Now, you're studying
Wicca, you've picked up a Ravenwolf or a Cunningham and
visited the 'Voice.
You're doing rituals and actually starting to get the hang
of this. What now?
Tell the world!! ... Whoa there, hold on! Think about this.
The closet is there
for a reason; let's look at this for a minute.
In Africa, today, now,
in the next few hours, someone may be brutally murdered
because they were
accused of Witchcraft. Whether or not they are or aren't
doesn't matter. Just
an accusation. This culture exists a mere plane ride away.
In America, today,
now, in the next few hours, someone may lose their children
because a social
worker was misinformed. Children have been taken from their
parents because a
'child welfare' worker believed they will be sacrificed at
Samhain. This culture
exists next door to your neighborhood.
In Canada, today, now,
in the next few hours, someone may be forced into a
mental institution for
practicing Wicca. Some institutions believe that
practicing modern
Witchcraft is a sign of mental distress or social
maladjustment. This
has happened in my hometown.
In North America,
today and now, someone is losing a job for being Pagan;
someone is losing a
friend. Someone is polishing a gun and muttering about the
'baby killers'.
Someone is holding community action meetings to deal with the
'Wiccan threat'.
As you now begin to
feel that cold sinking feeling near your gut, do you begin
to see why there is a
closet to be 'in'? This is frightening, absolutely. But is
is also one of the
first lessons Wicca has to teach us: 'To Know, to Dare, to
Will, to be Silent'.
If you choose to come out of the closet, things in your
life will change, and
perhaps not the way you intend. Are you prepared for this?
I say these things
because I care, and I want you to understand what this is
about. I know people
who have been harassed by students and teachers at school.
I get hate mail. I
follow the news. Is this something you feel prepared to
handle?
Now for the good news:
on the whole, on a daily basis, my experience has led me
to understand that
it's not usually that bad. Most of my friends have been
wonderfully
supportive. Professors have never given me a hard time. Employers
have been very
tolerant. I've had religious friends- Christian and Muslim and
Buddhist, none of
which had any interest in Wicca, but who were very tolerant.
Keep in mind that
there are various degrees of 'out'. At what point do you
become out: Buying a
book in the local store, telling family, telling friends,
wearing a pentacle,
telling co-workers, telling employers, writing to a
newspaper, dancing
naked down main street, leading a national campaign for
Witches Rights? Where
does 'out' start? One lesson Paganism has to teach us is
how not to box
yourself in with labels. What is the difference between an 'out'
Wiccan and an 'in'
one? Which one suits you best?
Pitfall #7: Balancing
Facts and Emotions
Is it important to
know what element goes in what corner? Yes. Is it important
to know why, the
historical basis and significance cross-referenced by culture?
Probably not at the
beginner level. Facts are important, but emotions are, too.
Study the basics, they
are vital. But leave lots and lots and lots of room for
personal expression.
Wicca is a learning process, and a lot of that learning
will be about
yourself. It's all about balance. If you find you are more worried
about candle colors
and places than you are about celebrating, then perhaps it
is time for a
readjustment.
Pitfall #8: Making a
Website
(hehe... let's just
try to ignore the fact that I'm writing this for, and you're
reading this from, my
personal Wiccan website. Let's also try to forget that I
started this site 'before
I was ready' a mere year and a half after I first
picked up a book. Hey,
I told you I've made most of these mistakes at least
once. ;)
Anyways, we know
you're excited about finding Wicca, and you want to tell the
world about this
wonderful discovery you've made. But please, PLEASE sit down
and think about this
first. Is there anything you can tell the world about Wicca
that hasn't already
been said a hundred times (or more)? And if so, does it
warrant an entire
website to say it? If not, instead of creating an entire
website by yourself,
why not write a page to say what you have to say and
publish it to a larger
website? You will reach a much wider audience while not
having to go through
the 'We don't Worship the Devil' routine. Believe me, both
you and every other
beginner already knows this, otherwise you wouldn't be
studying Wicca, right?
Non-seekers also know this by the time they get to your
site. Offering up
'What Wicca is' as a main page only causes visitors to skip
what they already
know, and possibly your entire site. There are many quality
websites, Ezines and
magazines/newsletters that will publish your article; you
should be able to find
them easily at a search engine. If you truly do have to
create a site, please
at least read these guidelines first.
1. Please don't use
the same gold spinning Pentacle that everyone else uses.
Thank you. :)
2. Do NOT use other
people's pages without permission!!! No matter how large or
small the site, no
matter how known or unknown the author! I've seen said yellow
spinning Pentacle used
as a background for a Witches Voice page done in yellow
text. When I told them
(and generally someone will), we both agreed it was the
most hideous thing
we'd ever seen. Not only did this person steal the page and
the graphic, but even
the code was ripped from the Voice. Please be respectful
and tasteful.
3. Don't put the 'We
Don't Worship the Devil' info on your main page. If it has
to be there, please
just link to it. Don't make me and other people have to read
this stuff which we so
obviously know. Write for Wiccans, or write for non-
