books and questions

I'm not a Wiccan. So I'm literally the least qualified to say anything to you about your practice as a Wiccan yourself. What I'm about to say is entirely based on personal bias and what I have observed, so take it with a Carthage load of salt.

That being said? While I have full respect for Wicca and its practicioners, as someone whose path involves exploring a bit of his native country's celtic culture, I know that the New Age founders of Wicca have appropriated a lot of things from different cultures and mischaracterized them.

...Now, don't feel discouraged nor like I'm calling you out. If Wicca resonates with you, by all means, GO FOR IT. My advice is to learn about Wicca practices and origins and all that, so you get initiated. And later when you want some more immersion, don't go heading straight for Gardner or other founders' stuff (or books labelled "for Wiccans" because authors just want to sell you things). Instead, if you find something curious or want to learn more, and you know it comes from X culture, do research on that culture. There are honestly a good handful of free resources online for cultures, especially academic papers on it.

It's not so you start behaving like that culture xD No, it's just so you have better context on the practices and can perform them with a better mindset. And besides, it's not like the opposite doesn't happen. In my path, I did find that the Wheel of the Year doesn't match with the original celtic one in terms of names (Ostara is a Norse goddess, for the most part). But the Wiccan wheel for me has ease of use and showed me that the world did evolve since those times, adding in new concepts and practices rooted in the modern day. Which I just find absolutely interesting.

So really, it's all a matter of respect for other cultures and mindfulness. Otherwise, no need to feel overwhelmed. Take your time, and start where every witch typically starts: the basics :p and work from there.

/r/witchcraft Thread