GETTING STARTED IN WICCA
by Gaia
Unfortunately, too few people realize that this is NOT a fad or a game or a Hollywood thing, nor is it a way to get all the goodies in life. It’s a Spiritual Path, and requires sincerity, discipline, persistence, and hard *work*. First, You need to know that there are better and worse resources, authors and teachers — there is a lot of what many of us call “witchcrap” out there, so choose carefully. I have listed what most experienced High Priests and Priestesses consider (some of) the best resources and authors, below. You will notice that some popular names are conspicuously *missing* — and that is for good reasons. (For example, there are some major problems with Silver Ravewolf so her material is NOT included) — Please don’t let the long list of resources intimidate or discourage you – -Use it as a “Wish List” for some time to come…
INTRODUCTORY & REFERENCE:
_The Truth About Witchcraft Today by Scott Cunningham
_Wicca: Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott cunningham
_Living Wicca by Scott cunningham
_Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft by Rosemary Guiley
GENERAL WICCA RESOURCES:
_”Eight Sabbat for Witches” By Janet and Stewart Farrar
_”What Witches Do” By Janet and Stewart Farrar
_”Witches Bible Compleat” By Janet and Stewart Farrar (this is a compilation of the two previous books)
_Complete Book of Witchcraft_” by Ray Buckland
_”Wiccan Magick: Inner Teachings of the Craft” by Raven Grimassi
_”Wiccan Mysteries: Ancient Origins and Teachings” by Grimassi
_”The Spiral Dance” by Starhawk
_”Witchcrafting” Phyllis Curott
_”Covencraft” by Amber K
RESOURCES ON GODS & GODDESSES:
_”The White Goddess” by Robert Graves
_”The God of the Witches” by Janet and Stewart Farrar
_”The Witches’ Goddess” by Janet and Stewart Farrar
_”Book of Goddesses and Heroines” by Patricia Monaghan
_”The Hebrew Goddess” by Raphael Patai
_”His Story” by Nicholas Mann
_”Mysteries of the Dark Moon” by Demetra George
RESOURCES ON RITUAL:
_”The Goddess Celebrates” by Diane Stein
_”Eight Sabbats for Witches” by Janet and Stewart Farrar
_”What Witches Do” by the Farrars
_”Witches Bible Complete” by Farrars (combination of previous two)
ON THE WHEEL OF THE YEAR – SABBATS:
_”The Wheel of the Year” by Pauline Campanelli
_ “Ancient Ways” by Pauline Campanelli
_”Eight Sabbats for Witches” by the Farrars
_Yule, _Candlemas, _Ostara, _Beltane, _Litha, _Samhain, various authors
PERIODICALS-MAGAZINES:
_Sagewoman
_The Beltane Papers
_Green Egg
_ Green Man
PAGAN / WICCAN FICTION:
I’m including the following Fiction books because they’re great fun and you’ll learn a LOT from them:
_”The Mists of Avalon” by Marion Zimmer Bradley
_”The Goat-Foot God” by Dion Fortune
_”Moon Magic” — sequel to Sea Priestess by Dion Fortune
_”Sea Priestess” by Dion Fortune
_”The Fifth Sacred Thing” by Starhawk
_”The Heart of the Fire” by Kerridwen Fallingstar
_”Skinny Legs and All” and _”Cowgirls Don’t Get the Blues”, by Tom Robbins
ESPECIALLY FOR MALES:
Books:
-“The Flowering Rod” by Kenny Klein
-“His Story” by Nicholas Mann
Magazine:
-“Green Man”
FOR FEMALES:
– “The Politics of Women’s Spirituality” Crist and Spretnak, ed.
– “Motherwit” by Diane Mariechild
– “WomanSpirit”
MAGAZINE:
– “Sagewoman”
* * * * *
BEGINNING PRACTICES:
I would *not* encourage you to attempt much spellcasting just yet:
That takes focus, discipline, energy, knowledge; and you’re just beginning to acquire those. But you can certainly be practicing the basic skills that are absolutely necessary to do successful spellcraft: Centering, Grounding, Energy Work, Psychic Cleansing and
Shielding, Imaginal skills like Visualization (but with ALL the senses), creating sacred space, and Meditation.
These are basic, essential skills for ALL metaphysical, magickal or spiritual work. You should be practicing these basic skills *every* day; and if you are a healer or tend to be empathic (feel the emotions of those around you) you will need to practice them several times a day, just to stay sane! {rueful grin}.
On MEDITATION & IMAGINAL SKILLS (Visualization, etc):
_”The Centering Book” and “The Second Centering Book”
_”What We May Be” by Pierro Ferrucci
_”Motherwit” by Diane Mariechild
_Llewellyn’s Book on Psychic Defense”
ONLINE RESOURCES:
_ www.witchvox.com – current events & info about Pagans; resource
referrals
_ www.CoG.WEB.org – CoG, Covenant of the Goddess, an international, legally recognized organization of Wiccan covens, clergy &
solitaries, with local councils in many cities; does information and education, advocacy, referrals, credentials Elders & Clergy, sponsors festivals like “Merry Meet,” and much more.
_ www.Reclaiming.org – (Starhawk’s Group)
_ www.circlesanctuary.org – Pagan sanctuary, working farm and organization, does education, information, education, resource and referrals, publishes “Circle News” and hosts PSG (Pagan Spirit Gathering)
Festival every year; also sponsors “Lady Liberty League”, a Pagan organization that offers support and assistance to anyone suffering religious persecution.
ON PRACTICE:
When you’ve done some study and are familiar / experienced with the basic exercises, you can begin celebrating the Full moon Esbat (“Esbat” is the term for the Lunar holidays, while “Sabbat” is the term for the seasonal holidays) every month. Full Moon is the monthly energetic “high tide”, and it’s good to be aware of and use the ambient energy, rather than letting it degenerate into nervous tension, as so many do (that’s one reason why police and hospital personnel will tell you that Full Moons are very crazy times!).
Your Esbat can be very simple: lighting a candle and perhaps some incense, Centering, Grounding, and basic visualizations or meditations on the God and Goddess, would be good to start with.
If you have or can create — a favorite picture or image of the God and/or Goddess, you could use that to meditate and focus upon.
Another possibility would be to find or create a “mandala” — a spiritual image or pattern, to focus and meditate upon.
You could, for example, try to learn about a new God and/or Goddess each month, and focus upon that Deity in your Esbat. (This is just a suggestion, do what works for you, ok) —
[Btw, a word about that idea, “do what works for you”:
There are many Wiccan newbies who like to advocate a very “loose”, self-determined approach. That is ok in *some* things, like which God and Goddess to study; but it is NOT ok in other things, like how to do magick. There are some “rules” or guidelines that exist to save you major headaches and problems, so do pay attention to the suggestions you’re given, ok?]
One of the most widespread practices at Esbats is “Drawing Down the Moon” and reciting the “Charge of the Goddess”, usually done by the High Priestess in a coven, but you could certainly read it, or better yet — study and memorize it yourself, and recite it. It’s a beautful, poetic statment of what the Goddess means to Wiccans, and a wonderful invocation to the Lady.
(I think there’s a copy in the “Files” Section; if not, i’ll upload one).
Get the basic idea?
CELEBRATING SABBATS and THE WHEEL OF THE YEAR:
You could also begin planning a simple Sabbat (“Sabbats” are the eight major seasonal holidays) for yourself. Do some studying up on the meaning, symbolism and myths associated with the next Sabbat:
Yule – December 19-23
Imbolc – Candlemas – Feb 2
Ostara – Spring Equinox – March 19-23
Beltaine – May Eve – April 30
Litha – Summer Solstice – June 19-23
Lughnassadh – Lammas – August 2
Mabon – Autumn Equinox – Sept 19-23
Samhain (pronounced ‘Sow’ [rhymes with “cow”] ‘en’ ) Hallows-Oct 31 Together, these are called “The Wheel of the Year” because they make a “neverending circle” or “Wheel” of constant renewal.
So think about the themes, symbolism, mythology associated with the next Sabbat, and what you learn from all your study, and decide how you could most appropriately, yet simply, celebrate it, for yourself.
Do this with each of the Sabbats — they come approximately six weeks apart, so you have a good month to study and plan for each one.
ON MAGICK AND SPELLCRAFT:
When you’re reading to begin studying spellcrafting and magick, these are (some of) the best resources:
ON MAGICK – BEGINNING:
_”True Magick” by Amber K
_”Positive Magick” by Marion Weinstein
_”Magical Rites From the Crystal WEll” by Ed Fitch
_”Spell Crafts”, “Magickal Herbalism”, “Food Magick”, and many
others by Scott Cunningham
– “Wiccan Magick: Inner Teachings of the Craft”, by RAven Grimassi
ON MAGICK – FOR FUN:
_”Bud,Blossom and Leaf -Magickal Herb Gardening” by Dorothy Morrison
_”PLayful Magick” by Janina Renee
ON MAGICK – MORE ADVANCED:
_ “Modern Magick” Donald Michael Kraig
_ Anything by Israel Regardie
ON SCIENCE AND MAGICK — HOW MAGICK WORKS:
_”God and the New Physics” by Paul Davies
_”The Holographic Universe” by Michael Talbot
_”In Search of Schrodinger’s Cat: Quantum Physics and Reality” by John Gribbin
_”Mysticism and the New Physics” by Michael Talbot
_”Synchronicity: Bridge between Matter & Mind” by F. David Peat
_”The Tao of Physics” by Fritjof Capra