So, somewhere down the line, you stumbled upon paganism. After some thought, you decided that you wanted to become involved with it. That's all well and good, but where does one start? One doesn't simply 'become' one over night, and for some, it takes quite some time to fully understand what the hub bub is about. For my first official post about Neowicca, I introduce to you a beginner's guide to the craft. Even if some of you are reading this out of curiosity, or just for knowledge purposes, I'm ecstatic that people want to read more about it. Hopefully this will shine some light and stop some of the misunderstandings that surrounds this religion.
1. Wicca and Witchcraft aren't the same thing!
"Wait, what? Witchcraft and Wicca aren't the same thing?" No, it's not. Eventhough wiccans do practice witchcraft, it's not the definition of wicca, but only part of it.
Wicca:
1. Contemporary paganism, nature based religion, warshipping the god and the goddess (or in some cases, whichever gods/goddess' the participation would like)
2. Incorporates the practice of witchcraft
Neowicca:
1. Non traditional wicca, also known as Eclectic Wicca. Because most people can't become wiccan, due to not being initiated into a coven, nor have any wiccan lineage, they often take teachings form other pagan sources. One of those sources are wiccan books that follow the outer court, non oathbound teachings of wicca (Scott Cunningham books).
witchcraft:
1. The art of practices of sorcery and magic
2. Magical influence, witchery (For a quick guide on what witchcraft is and isn't, please refer to my much earlier post: Real Witchcraft).
Now that we've settled what Neowicca is, and what witchcraft is, let's talk about why witchcraft is important to Neowicca. Neowiccans have a deep appreciation for nature, and lets face it, Neowicca and witchcraft goes hand in hand. But why? Well, this is when it gets complicated. Everyone has their own reason why they are attracted to this religion, as well as practice witchcraft. I would hope that the people who dabble, are doing it for the right reasons (although that's not always the case). Most Neowiccans however, practice witchcraft as a form of helping others, along to empower themselves, and others. It has nothing to do with revenge, nor being a unique snowflake.
Now that we've settled what Neowicca is, and what witchcraft is, let's talk about why witchcraft is important to Neowicca. Neowiccans have a deep appreciation for nature, and lets face it, Neowicca and witchcraft goes hand in hand. But why? Well, this is when it gets complicated. Everyone has their own reason why they are attracted to this religion, as well as practice witchcraft. I would hope that the people who dabble, are doing it for the right reasons (although that's not always the case). Most Neowiccans however, practice witchcraft as a form of helping others, along to empower themselves, and others. It has nothing to do with revenge, nor being a unique snowflake.
2. Neowicca Practices
Besides witchcraft, there is a lot to Neowicca. First things first, Neowicca is about studying, not having 'special powers'. A little anti climatic? Well, it's true, everything that most people know about Neowicca is wrong, and the sooner we get over that, the better we'll be off. Next, let's decide if you want to be solitary, or accepted into a coven. Either way, it will still require to study, and to learn about Neowicca/the craft as often as you can. It's almost like doing a bible study, if we want to get technical (only we study our book of shadows, or Neowiccan books).
The reason why we study so much, is because when doing spells or rituals, everything ties in together. If you know which moon phase, day, or even planetary hour to cast a spell, it can have a lot more positive effect on your spell, verses casting them with no direction. As they say, 'knowledge is power' and the more you know in this case, the more informed you are, which means that you can strive for accuracy. I suggest to do a lot of research about Neowiccan holidays, moon phases (moon and month correspondence), days of the week, planetary hours, herbs, etc. Remember, part of Neowicca is working you bum off, and there is no short cuts. It's like what Yoda said, "Do or do not, there is no try."
When working with the craft, one must also know code of ethics, or the wiccan creed. The wiccan rede is like our ten commandments, they help guide us on how to use our knowledge, in a constructive way. The biggest rule, is to harm none. It's self explanatory, but if you want to get down and dirty, it means don't hurt anyone while performing a spell, or ritual. Another rule to keep in mind, is that whatever you send out, comes back to you, three fold. It simply means that if you have negative intent when you perform a spell, then that negativity comes back you times three. However, if you send out positive intent, then that comes back to you times three.
If you want to read more about the wiccan rede I suggest this: Wiccan Rede. For more about the history, I suggest this: Wicca Information.
Last thing, before we move on. Reincarnation. Wiccans don't believe in a Heaven or Hell, but in reincarnation. Reincarnation is basically when someone dies, their soul, or spirit, is reborn, and they live another life, without remembering their other lives (unless past life regression takes place, but I'll explain that later).
3. God and Goddess (and others)
When talking about Neowicca, it's hard to agree on which god or goddess to follow. Mainly Neowiccans follow the horned god, and moon goddess, but there are exceptions. Neowiccans believe in other gods too, which is why some covens will warship Zeus some will warship Diana, and it goes on from there. It really depends on what you want to do. I know people who are atheist, who practice witchcraft and Neowiccan ways, and I know people who warship more than one god. I also know people who choose to warship the Christian god, and his son, Jesus. There are no wrong answers here, but I were you, I would research thoroughly, then go with whichever one seems to fit your belief most.
4. Tools
Because this is a beginners guide, I must mention tools (or at the very least, tell a little about them). Some of them are a no brainer, and some of them you might not use an awful lot. These are just the basic, everyday alter tools. For other tools, you can find them at the store, or in nature, but I'm only going to list the alter tools. I might write another post later, more in depth, about alter tools, and ritual tools.
A brief word about alters. Neowiccans use the same tools as initiated wiccans. Like most things in wicca, your wiccan alter is sacred, and a space for you to express yourself with the craft. It's best to personalize this space, instead of buying a store bought, or copying from other people. With wicca, everything is about personalizing. Also, with your alter, you can decorate it for the seasons, as well as the wiccan holidays. Just don't forget when decorating, alters area sacred space for your craft, and should be treated with respect. Nothing besides wiccan items should be allowed on it, and it should always be well taken care of.
Athame: A ritual knife, used to direct energy (casting circles).
Candles: Are one of the most important tools for when casting spells. The colors represent which type of spell you're casting, and can empower your spells. Using candles to represent directions, or to invoke the god and goddess (or whomever you choose to warship), are placed on your alter.
Chalice: It's usually used for ceremonial drink, an offering to the gods, or holding salt water.
Deities: Statues of a god for your alter. Placing it on your alter makes it a little more sacred, with the statue watching over it.
Pentacle: Offers protection during magical work.
Stones/Crystals: Boosts up a spells power, and can bring earth energy to your alter.
Book of Shadows: Your own sacred text (and something else you need to personalize). It holds your knowledge, your teachings, your spells, everything.
What I have up there are just the basics. If you want a more in depth explanation, then read this: Tools
5. Holidays
I'm just going to list the major holidays, I won't go too much in depth about them. This would need another post (or rather, posts), all it's own. So for now, I'll just list them and their dates.
Samhain (Halloween): October 31st, pagan new year, honoring the dead, cleansing and releasing.
Yule (Christmas): December 21st, rebirth, life triumphs over death.
Bridgid (Imbolic): February 2nd, purification, initiation, dedication.
Eostara (Easter): March 21st, conception, regeneration, new beginnings.
Beltane (May Day): May 1st, passion that fuels life, joy, fertility.
Litha (midsummer): June 21st, transition, and planning.
Lammas (Lughnasadh): August 1st, gratitude, abundance, fruition.
Mabon (Thanksgiving): September 21st, giving thanks, reflection.
And there you have it, an introduction for Neowicca. I'll most likely post a much bigger, longer explanation for each of these topics, and more at a later date. Thank you all who read this monster of a post, I sure hope this was helpful, and insightful. My point with this article, being that there is more to Neowicca than meets the eye. It's been a mysterious religion, but with more books being published about the subject, the rumors are starting to be put to rest, so to speak. I hope to also get others to understand that wicca doesn't mean any harm, nor do we want to convert anyone into evil cults. Neowiccans are simply misunderstood people, who like in most religions, just want people to tolerate their practices, and have a little respect.
Besides witchcraft, there is a lot to Neowicca. First things first, Neowicca is about studying, not having 'special powers'. A little anti climatic? Well, it's true, everything that most people know about Neowicca is wrong, and the sooner we get over that, the better we'll be off. Next, let's decide if you want to be solitary, or accepted into a coven. Either way, it will still require to study, and to learn about Neowicca/the craft as often as you can. It's almost like doing a bible study, if we want to get technical (only we study our book of shadows, or Neowiccan books).
The reason why we study so much, is because when doing spells or rituals, everything ties in together. If you know which moon phase, day, or even planetary hour to cast a spell, it can have a lot more positive effect on your spell, verses casting them with no direction. As they say, 'knowledge is power' and the more you know in this case, the more informed you are, which means that you can strive for accuracy. I suggest to do a lot of research about Neowiccan holidays, moon phases (moon and month correspondence), days of the week, planetary hours, herbs, etc. Remember, part of Neowicca is working you bum off, and there is no short cuts. It's like what Yoda said, "Do or do not, there is no try."
When working with the craft, one must also know code of ethics, or the wiccan creed. The wiccan rede is like our ten commandments, they help guide us on how to use our knowledge, in a constructive way. The biggest rule, is to harm none. It's self explanatory, but if you want to get down and dirty, it means don't hurt anyone while performing a spell, or ritual. Another rule to keep in mind, is that whatever you send out, comes back to you, three fold. It simply means that if you have negative intent when you perform a spell, then that negativity comes back you times three. However, if you send out positive intent, then that comes back to you times three.
If you want to read more about the wiccan rede I suggest this: Wiccan Rede. For more about the history, I suggest this: Wicca Information.
Last thing, before we move on. Reincarnation. Wiccans don't believe in a Heaven or Hell, but in reincarnation. Reincarnation is basically when someone dies, their soul, or spirit, is reborn, and they live another life, without remembering their other lives (unless past life regression takes place, but I'll explain that later).
3. God and Goddess (and others)
When talking about Neowicca, it's hard to agree on which god or goddess to follow. Mainly Neowiccans follow the horned god, and moon goddess, but there are exceptions. Neowiccans believe in other gods too, which is why some covens will warship Zeus some will warship Diana, and it goes on from there. It really depends on what you want to do. I know people who are atheist, who practice witchcraft and Neowiccan ways, and I know people who warship more than one god. I also know people who choose to warship the Christian god, and his son, Jesus. There are no wrong answers here, but I were you, I would research thoroughly, then go with whichever one seems to fit your belief most.
4. Tools
Because this is a beginners guide, I must mention tools (or at the very least, tell a little about them). Some of them are a no brainer, and some of them you might not use an awful lot. These are just the basic, everyday alter tools. For other tools, you can find them at the store, or in nature, but I'm only going to list the alter tools. I might write another post later, more in depth, about alter tools, and ritual tools.
A brief word about alters. Neowiccans use the same tools as initiated wiccans. Like most things in wicca, your wiccan alter is sacred, and a space for you to express yourself with the craft. It's best to personalize this space, instead of buying a store bought, or copying from other people. With wicca, everything is about personalizing. Also, with your alter, you can decorate it for the seasons, as well as the wiccan holidays. Just don't forget when decorating, alters area sacred space for your craft, and should be treated with respect. Nothing besides wiccan items should be allowed on it, and it should always be well taken care of.
Athame: A ritual knife, used to direct energy (casting circles).
Candles: Are one of the most important tools for when casting spells. The colors represent which type of spell you're casting, and can empower your spells. Using candles to represent directions, or to invoke the god and goddess (or whomever you choose to warship), are placed on your alter.
Chalice: It's usually used for ceremonial drink, an offering to the gods, or holding salt water.
Deities: Statues of a god for your alter. Placing it on your alter makes it a little more sacred, with the statue watching over it.
Pentacle: Offers protection during magical work.
Stones/Crystals: Boosts up a spells power, and can bring earth energy to your alter.
Book of Shadows: Your own sacred text (and something else you need to personalize). It holds your knowledge, your teachings, your spells, everything.
What I have up there are just the basics. If you want a more in depth explanation, then read this: Tools
5. Holidays
I'm just going to list the major holidays, I won't go too much in depth about them. This would need another post (or rather, posts), all it's own. So for now, I'll just list them and their dates.
Samhain (Halloween): October 31st, pagan new year, honoring the dead, cleansing and releasing.
Yule (Christmas): December 21st, rebirth, life triumphs over death.
Bridgid (Imbolic): February 2nd, purification, initiation, dedication.
Eostara (Easter): March 21st, conception, regeneration, new beginnings.
Beltane (May Day): May 1st, passion that fuels life, joy, fertility.
Litha (midsummer): June 21st, transition, and planning.
Lammas (Lughnasadh): August 1st, gratitude, abundance, fruition.
Mabon (Thanksgiving): September 21st, giving thanks, reflection.
And there you have it, an introduction for Neowicca. I'll most likely post a much bigger, longer explanation for each of these topics, and more at a later date. Thank you all who read this monster of a post, I sure hope this was helpful, and insightful. My point with this article, being that there is more to Neowicca than meets the eye. It's been a mysterious religion, but with more books being published about the subject, the rumors are starting to be put to rest, so to speak. I hope to also get others to understand that wicca doesn't mean any harm, nor do we want to convert anyone into evil cults. Neowiccans are simply misunderstood people, who like in most religions, just want people to tolerate their practices, and have a little respect.
Good to see a post from you again :) A very nice introduction to Wicca! I'm not a practitioner myself, but it's the only religion I can closely relate to. This year I'm planning on doing a little something special for my best friend on Samhain; she passed away earlier this year, and she was a kemetic wiccan. I was also hoping to mash it up with Dia de los Muertos, another day that she had a great appreciation for. I wish there were more information available about both holidays, as a lot of them have been watered down for the greater public, and even commercialized. Something that's always bothered me is seeing individuals making sugar skull art and crafts, and selling them on etsy. Day of the Dead is a serious religious holiday, and many of the people living in Mexico live in poverty. To make a profit off of their holiday is rather distasteful, especially when you consider the Mexican people sell their crafts as a means of sustenance. I'd rather give my money to an impoverished Mexican family, than some trendy North American kid on etsy. I fear one day that Samhain will be treated in a similar fashion, as something "cute" and "trendy". I can only hope it continues to be treated with the utmost respect.
ReplyDeleteLook forward to reading more from you!
Cheers!
LMP
Glad to see you again! I'm sorry to hear about your friend, but I also find it touching that eventhough you don't practice wicca, you still want to honor her with wiccan practices. I do have an interesting site that I can post here. I was going to wait to write a huge section on holidays, but your situation is a lot more important. Here's the link to Samhain: http://www.angelfire.com/wa3/angelline/samhain.htm
DeleteSadly,I don't know much about Dia de los Muertos. I sure hope that you can at least make use of the link provided. I do understand where you're coming from. While I don't know much about Day of the Dead, I do know that the Mexican people work hard on their crafts, and I wish that things could be different. I also with that with Samhain, which is being more and more about candy, rather it's actual meaning. I do wish to bring back the meaning of it, rather than have it be about the candy. I mean, not everyone has to perform wicca rituals. That's not my intent, however, I wish that the public was more aware of what the true meaning of Samhain is.
Glad to hear from you again, take care! ^-^