wicca for Beginners: Fundamentals of Getting to Know Wicca
There is nothing in life that is more challenging or intimidating that entering into a new religion. Like a child’s first day of school, that child has little idea what to expect and what is expected of them. For those that are beginning the journey to a new faith, a new lifestyle the effect is magnified many times. For those that have decided to adopt a new religion, that religion adopts a great deal of anxiety and excitement. For wiccans, all of the above is complicated by concerns over spiritual issues and fears of condemnation by society.
wicca for beginners: Fundamentals
Wicca for beginners is not an easy thing. Long before actually starting the process individuals will have most likely heard stories that lead to reading books on the subject. This first exposure is critical as it forms the basis for how the new wiccan will interpret what they experience. This has lead to the creation of schools that teach the basics of Wicca for beginners, the fundamentals of magick, spells and Wiccan spiritually and more advanced training up to and including actual ordination as a wiccan priest or priestess.
There is no authoritative body that governs Wicca, so such ordinations, while recognized by law, are not always accepted by all Wiccans. This is much the same as being a Catholic priest and attending a Methodist service, that priest is not recognized as a minister. One of the most well known and long established centers for Wiccan training is the Church and School of Wicca in Hinton, West Virginia. Started by Gavin and Yvonne Frost in 1968, it was the first federally recognized wiccan religion and established the tax exempt status of Wicca as a recognized faith. They teach correspondence courses that are generally accepted by most Wiccans as thorough and valid. the wicca for beginner’s course is one year and one day long and is called the “Essential witchcraft.”
Wicca for Beginners: Getting to Know Wicca
With the advent of the Internet, the volume and diversity of educational opportunities on the subjects of Wicca, paganism, and Magick have grown exponentially. This offers a great deal of opportunity to those who are considering this age old religion for themselves. The most important first step is to get to know Wicca and Wiccans. There are groups that are open to outsiders and the curious and you can Contact them and learn much long before actually meeting them. Through this you will begin to understand Wicca for beginners is really like and what courses are important, how to begin integrating Wicca or Paganism into your life and what the wiccan community offers.
With the free and eclectic nature of Wicca, the path for beginners is much more open than it was in the past. The beginner can start with the knowledge that Wicca is an officially recognized religion and that there is no fixed dogma that must be agreed to. For beginners, Wicca is a “DIY” religion, allowing them to decide for themselves exactly what they believe and how they would like to express that belief.