I’ve been asked numerous questions along my path as a Pagan, but probably the most common question is “How did you know that this path was for you?”. Now to put it all on one page of this website might be asking a little too much, but I will try my best.
In terms of being under the umbrella term ‘Pagan’, I think there are a couple of main ideas or concepts that one must believe in or follow. Number one is a belief in and/or understanding of cycles; the cycles of seasons, of life and death, of karma, etc. I think that all Pagans, no matter what branch of the tree, would have a belief in cycles of some description. In the Judeo-Christian belief system, there is life, then there is death, and that?s where it ends. You are not reborn or reincarnated. Additionally, the Judeo-Christian belief systems take very little interest in seasonal cycles or anything of that sort, which I think a lot of Pagans take a lot of interest in.
The other thing I would say defines a Pagan is a belief in more than one deity, or a belief in a Goddess as opposed to a God. Monotheism is pretty exclusive to the Judeo-Christian belief systems, and it’s quite often (although very generally) said that any religion that believes in more than the Christian God is a Pagan religion. This would include Hinduism and Buddhism, going by this definition (although I don’t know how many Hindus or Buddhists would agree with being called ‘Pagan’).
The final main defining feature, in my eyes, is an interest in the Occult or magick of some description. I don’t know many Pagans who don’t have an interest in casting circle, or practising witchcraft, or are at least interested in the paranormal or history of magick.
It’s difficult to write a checklist for Paganism alone, since there are so many sub-branches of Paganism that all have their own beliefs, so if I were to write a checklist for Wicca, where my study for the last 5-6 years has been, I would probably be inclusive of the following:
- A reverence for more than one deity, and normally a male and a female deity;
- A reverence for nature, and a belief that all in nature holds spirit;
- A belief in equality between the sexes;
- A reverence for the body – the body is a temple, not a vessel;
- An interest and belief in magickal forces and energy;
- A belief in the ability to utilise such energy for bettering ourselves and those around us.
This list is far from exhaustive (and at 11pm, I’m hardly awake enough to write a conclusive list), but those are definitely some of the things I would personally say are definitive to Wicca in particular. If you answered ‘Yes’ to more than 2 of those points, you might find some interest in looking into Wicca a little more.
For a long time I have wondered if I’m the only person who actually thought about this and I finally realized that I’m not. Somebody out there actually knows whats its all about. I guess you would call me Christian.. but I don’t really believe in that stuff. I think that there is sometimes more to it than God and the Earth. I have been interested in Astrology and Witchcraft for about a year and I kinda want to know what its all about. I am fascinated by magic, spells, and halloween, but there is more to that than I know. I want to be a Wiccan. I feel like that when I think about it, somebody is telling me that it’s true but I’m not sure if I’m just going crazy or not. I hope that I really am.
Rachel, I feel the same as you! I was raised Christian, but over the course of my life I’ve seen and experienced things that made me think there was much more to a spiritual journey than what Christianity alone could offer. I wish you all the best. Blessed Be
Im in the same boat. Since i was little, my mother has told that i am a witch (wiccan) And for the longest time i believed i was. I have had some very scary and unexplainable things happen to me. All of my beliefs were kinda destroyed when i met my fiance. He is christian and believes that any ind of magik is black magik. Mind you, he has had scarier unexplainable things happen to him. doesn’t matter what you use it for. I have tried accepting god. And i can never do it fully. And i have explained to him, that wiccan is in my blood line. And he doesnt believe in it. He says that religions do not run in blood lines. So i let it go. Recently, i tried accepting god again, (about two months ago roughly) And i just CANT accept him fully. Its like something is holding me back. Nothing evil (i understand that me not being able to accept god sounds evil lol) I just cant do it. So, now im beginning my journey to find out HOW i am wiccan, and why my mom thinks i am. but just wanted to let you know that your not alone in how you feel =)
Hello, I am a 17 year old girl who is overly curious with religions and spirituality. I have come to research Wicca because nothing else seems to fit my perspective on things. This has helped quite a bit because it stated that you don’t need to follow it completely. Thank you for you have helped me get a little closer to figuring out the mystery of myself.
Glad I could help, Jenna
i feel vibrations off people an im seeing shadows out my side veiw or brushing against me on time i left my house and tthis guy i was seeing said something kept turning up the radio
Are you looking for help with this situation? I’m trying to read between the lines of your comment.
hey umm im new here but i wanted to know if i was a wiccan bcuz dis one dude who told me he is a wiccan i told him my story about wen i ws little i kept see =ing myself on the outside of my body i mean realy i saw myself outside my body three times. 1.) i saw myself on the outside of my body when i was wit my aunt and mother but thewy didnt see anything and i wasnt in front of a mirror or anything. 2.) i saw myself outside my body wen i was slepp in a position and wen i woke up dat next morning i was in da same position i saw myself in wen i was sleep. 3) i saw myself outside my body wen i got into a fight with dis boy on the bus but i saw myself fighting on the bus from the outside me and my two big cuz. Its been bothering me for years andf im 14 id think it was really personal until i told someone who actually beleived me the rest thought i was crazii the boy told me dat my spirit went from the outside of my body and i saw myself from my spirits point of view but not fom the mirror. he said i can do it again but didnt tell me how. i looked up wiccan nd to see if i was one but couldnt find anything. i need help plz help me im clueless on who i am and feel really lost on the inside. plz help me plz !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OK, so while it’s really hard to understand your question because of the spelling and grammar you’ve used, I’m taking it that you’ve had quite a few out-of-body experiences. This doesn’t make you Wiccan. Wicca is a religion, and therefore a choice; it is something you choose to follow. Unfortunately, some of the experiences we have, however, cannot be chosen, and you seem quite distressed.
What I can tell you is that these experiences, whilst they might be unpleasant, are completely normal. There’s nothing wrong with you. If you don’t wish to have them anymore, I could probably only suggest doing a simple protection ritual – what I do is visualise a protective “bubble” of white light surrounding me. I don’t know if this will help because I’ve never experienced an OBE, but if you need something else, please let me know and I’ll do some research for you.
this website gave me nothing that i need to know about wiccan religion
Cody – how about offering some suggestions about what you would like to know about it? I’d be happy to try and answer your question/s to the best of my knowledge.
i’m happy to see that i can relate to some of the things you mention here!
my family is christian but recently i’ve felt that is not for me, like i don’t fit.
so i’m happy to see that my interests and thoughts aren’t just crazy, maybe just maybe this is where i fit ^^
when i was a kid i used to grab some soil and put it in a bag or a small box and pretend it was magic dust, i also wondered where did the christmas tree tradition came from, because it had nothing to do with the christian story of christmas.
and my obsession for the paranormal has grown over the years, it all started when i read a book about gnomes and fairies that i borrowed from a friend, it thrilled me
<3
i've been doing some research about magick for some time now, but haven't learned much, cross your fingers, wish me luck, let's see if this is the place for me :T
happy holidays! ^^
I love your website! I’ve found it very informative and extremely helpful! I have been drawn to Wicca for years but had always had unanswered questions which had always left me a little unsure. I have found many of those answers today from your website! I think that I will finally be able to step out of minor solitary practices and start seeking out other Wiccans in my area. Thank you! Your website is now bookmarked and will be referenced regularly!
I am very confussed about if Wicca is right for me or not. Im from a very small town in the bible belt so finding someone that thinks like me is hard. i have younger friends that look towards me for help but i cant even help myself.I’ve spent awhile trying to find older people that could teach me about things cause reading this online doesnt help. i was woundering if you could send me some websites that helped you or names of books that i could try to find? thank you.
i am new to wicca. I used t be luthrin but i js couldnt focus on the thought that one man created this whole world. I love nature and earth……..and i was eco goth at one point (I know ts not a religion) but then my mom told me about wicca. I have many questions but a few are…….
1.are there any rules that i have to fallow?
2.do i have to be in a coven or could i just be with 1 or 2 other peope?
3.what are the most important things i need to know?
I already found my name and animal
Hey, I think I need some good advice from a true Wiccan, I am having difficult and long lasting struggle with deciding if this path is right for me. I am so into Wicca and I even started a pre-Book of Shadows journal, following the instructions of a book I bought a while ago. I did the dedication ritual it included and read at least 10 chapters but one of the things the book stressed is to gauge whether or not you are rushing into the craft on an impulse. By now I no longer can tell if I am right for this, I really want to be Wiccan but I grew up in an asthiest household so I don’t know if I can begin to believe in the goddess as I want to. I’m 17 and I feel so confused about this, do you have any advice? I just need someone to point me in the right direction. My meditations haven’t unveiled anything and I just don’t know what to do anymore.
Sorry, the wrong website url was included in my last post here’s the real one.
I’ve had a couple of friends who are Wiccan tell me I would be a powerful witch if I chose to follow the Wiccan path because of my clairvoyance and psychic abilities. My fiance is Christian and both of our families are but I don’t feel like I belong. He has almost the same “powers” as me but says Wiccan is evil (I don’t believe this at all). I always feel a pull towards it but am afraid to delve further into it. Any advice on if I should practice or just not since my fiance feels it’s bad? I believe this is really holding me back in my religious journey.
Hi. I’ve always been very interested in magick, it is something that always attracts me. I’ve been reading a bit about Wicca and I’m trying to determine if this is the path for me. Certain things sometimes indicate that it is the path for me, like, eg. I love standing in the moonlight, I can almost feel the energy, the light washing over me. I once mentioned to my husband that in was like bathing in the moonlight. I also love my plants. But I don’t know if this is something normal or not, does everyone feel that pull towards the moonlight? Or is it a sign? I’ve read your article above and it has given me some insight but if you could direct me to a site with some info, I’d be really grateful. Also, email me anytime
i really do believe in wicca have any of you looked up caulbearers?only so many babies are born with meaning born with the veil over the baby’s while coming out of the birth canal many callbearers have special gifts predicting stuff,communication with the dead,phyic powers look it up cuz im one of those babies born with a veil over my face im still trying to figure out whay symbol a caulbearer wears
truely i believe some of you were born with caul idont believe in witches,werewolves,vampires, but i do believe in karma ask your parents about the caul
Hello!
It was a beautifully written article,very informative, and it struck a chord in me.
I was raised a christian (though not by very religious parents), and I’m finding it very hard to teach myself wicca. I am 15 years old, and therefore have very little means at my disposal. My parents are in no way against it, but neither do they know anything about it. I have no one to guide me, and though I try and fumble along by buying books and the like, I’m unable to really comprehend what I’m doing with no mentor to help me.
PLease help!