Rose Ariadne's Chitchcraft Blog

Dear Friends,

It occurs to me that many of you might have found me because you are new to Wicca and want to learn more about it or you’re considering adopting it as your faith and you have questions. Keeping this in mind, I would like to take a few steps back and talk to the “beginners” who might just now be starting out in their discoveries.

You might find that different people approach Wicca in different ways. While there are some basic beliefs that most of us follow, it’s also important to remember that Wicca is actually a very personal form of religion and therefore can differ from person to person.

You may have already thought at some point that going to church every Sunday doesn’t necessarily make you a Christian the same way that simply eating Kosher food doesn’t automatically make you Jewish. Similarly, going through an initiation ritual doesn’t make you Wiccan. Of course, there’s a lot more to it.

It’s very important that you believe in what you’re doing and that you have faith in it. If you don’t, then you’re simply going through the actions and the lack of conviction will make the actions meaningless. This is important to remember later on when you are performing rituals or spells. You can use all of the right candle colors, herbs, oils, and stones but these are just “things” if you don’t go into it with some conviction.

Choosing to go down this path is an important decision and you should take it seriously. It helps to keep a journal and to write down your reactions, thoughts, and feelings about things that you read or learn. Think about why you think Witchcraft is right for you. Consider your fears as well as your aspirations. These are your private thoughts so not only is it okay to be honest, but it’s also necessary. There are no right or wrong answers or feelings.

Once you have decided that this is indeed the path that you want to go down then you usually perform a Dedication ritual. This is up to you to design and implement and you should do it in a way that is significant to you. In effect, you are committing yourself to the Craft and deciding to live your life in balance with the elements and with nature.

Some people believe that Witchcraft is a way to control the elements to their advantage. This is not the case. Instead, it’s about working with the elements and trying to achieve a balance with them, as well as within yourself using your own energy. The Witch’s Rede is “An it harm none” and this is important to remember. It’s kind of like the Golden Rule.

You may choose to practice on your own or you might want to join a coven in order to practice with other like-minded people. Most covens require that you “train”, more or less, for a year and one day before they will admit you. You can also count on covens being fairly selective. You might find that the coven isn’t right for you and if you decide on this then it’s okay to look elsewhere. You never have to stay someplace that isn’t comfortable for you.

When it comes to rituals and spells, you will find that while some things are pretty set in stone, others aren’t. For instance, candle colors have certain meanings as well as herbs and essential oils. They usually have more than one meaning and can be used in a variety of spells and rituals. However, the words that you chant or meditate on and the order that you use the items can vary and should be personal to you.

I know some witches that like using gems and other stones. Even though there are some that I use from time to time, I have to admit that sometimes I have difficulty remembering what each stone is and it’s not always effective for me to use them. I feel a much greater energy from candles and aromas so I like to use herbs and oils more.

With children in the house, I also find that sometimes convenience rules over the preferred times of conducting rituals. I would love to be able to set aside a couple of hours in the evening, especially on certain days of the moon’s cycle, to perform specific rituals but it can be difficult when you have children to care for so I have to improvise and sometimes perform them earlier or later than what I would like to. Learning to adapt is important.

Lastly, you want to make sure that you read and learn as much as possible. There are lots of good books and websites out there that can provide you with lots of great information. The more knowledge you have, the more likely you are to make good, informed decisions.

I will leave you with a word of caution, though. If you come across something that you’re not comfortable with then you might want to do additional research on the topic. While there is a lot of good information out there, there are also some inaccuracies as well.

I wish you well on your spiritual path and hope that you find the answers that you seek.

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”

Posted by Rose Comments 4

4 Comments

  1. Karen says

    I would like to know how to convince people I am not a devil whorshoper. I have been told I am evil even thinking about witchcraft. I try to explain but they won’t listen oh well I know better so I’ll it at that. I know I have specil power they don;t understand If you can help please do thank you. Karen

    November 19th, 2010 | #
  2. Rick shook says

    this book will help you learn to not only deal with christians but it also give you a broader view on religon it self.Its called Pagens&christians the personalspiritual experience
    By Gus DiZerega,PHD I thinks it very well writen and would be of help to anyone no matter your religon altough it was mainly written for Pagans.I found my copy at Barnes and Noble book store Its brought me much deeper into my own spiritual path.

    November 21st, 2010 | #
  3. Marie-Christine says

    Thank you for this open letter to all of us, it’s nice to sometimes get back to what basics are really are, and it’s what you do with this letter to thoses who’s still quite searching their paths.
    I agree with you when you’ve said that it is personnal also, because it’s with what we are the most confortable with the belief, the essential foundation to the craft.
    For myself I’ve found mine and the best of it, it’s I’ve found you at first, my best teacher and I’m thankful for this, dear Rose.
    Brightest Blessings

    November 21st, 2010 | #
  4. gail says

    rose thank you for the information i was able to show my husbands family & hopefully convince them i am not evil just have different beliefs than they do, my husband has always been accepting however as we chose to allow our children to chose their own beliefs his family is very upset as they believe the only real faith is one with traditional “church”

    November 25th, 2010 | #

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