Some are drawn to the Craft just because they want to be interesting, special, and unique. Well, you are that already! It might be hidden from others or even yourself; it may be that you’ve never expressed the authentic person you are. But there is absolutely someone unique and fascinating in there. Don’t cover it up with Witch trappings unless that is exactly who you are.
Some people come to the Craft because, frankly, they’re lazy. They assume that they can have whatever they want with the flick of a wand or a muttered spell. They’ve been reading and taking Harry Potter too seriously, or they’ve seen too many fantasy movies. They don’t realize that magick is work, sometimes more work than getting stuff the old-fashioned way.
Another uglier reason that some are attracted to the Craft is that they want power. Not just self-empowerment (which is certainly a virtue in the Craft) but power over others, as in control and manipulation. As in “I can make you do my will, serve me, love me. I can use the robes and dramatic props—and maybe even magick itself—and be the master!” Not only is that selfish and unethical, it’s just stupid. Why? Because whatever energy you send out to the world comes back to you. If you send out nasty, arrogant stuff, you have just attacked yourself. It will come back.
Choice Vs. Blunder
Have you explored other paths? If you choose Wicca, let it be an informed choice.
Almost every religion has within it great truths and wonderful people. All can be paths to the Divine if followed wisely, lovingly, and diligently. But any religion can also be misused, as an instrument of prejudice, hate, fear, and violence. Look at the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Holocaust, and the religious wars between Catholics and Protestants, Sunni and Shiite Muslims, and so on.
The challenge is not only to find a spiritual path, but to find the heart of that religion and let it guide all your actions.
Why not explore other paths? Your cultural heritage gives you a place to start. Are your ancestors from Ireland, Lithuania, Japan, Polynesia, Spain, or Brazil? All had, and have, their own ancient religious traditions.
Have you ever looked at Shinto, Druidry, Taoism, Candomblé, Unitarianism, Sufism, Asatru, the Mayan faith, liberal Catholicism, the Society of Friends, Church of Antioch, or Zen Buddhism? How can you choose a spiritual path if you know nothing about all the choices that are out there?
Most of you have the privilege of living in a land with religious freedom. In some nations, it is actually illegal to practice certain faiths. You are lucky. So use your freedom to learn and explore!
Religion is all about reconnecting with the divine source of all things, and you can either find your path by trusting yourself or by trusting someone else. The world is full of people who claim to have the truth; it is revealed in a holy book, spoken by a prophet, or channeled through a preacher. Of course, all these spokespeople for God disagree with one another about the truth, but each declares that there is only one path to God—and that religion is a one-size-fits-all garment that can be obtained only through that particular person.
Wiccans believe differently. We say that we cannot know the whole truth about God, the universe, and everything. Religions are only maps to help us get closer to Deity, and it’s okay to choose your own route. There is not one true path; there are many paths to the same goal.
Even Jesus said, “In my father’s house are many mansions.” So perhaps the Baptists, Lutherans, and Catholics share the Christian fraternity house in the next life, but you can bet there’s a temple for the Buddhists, a mosque for the Muslims, and a cozy little cottage in the forest nearby for us Witches.
You may decide that no single religion holds everything you need in your spiritual journey. You may discover you love parts of Judaism, Taoism, Christianity, Zen Buddhism, and six other things. That’s fine, as long as your blended path helps you to play well with others, become a better person, and connect with Deity.
The only difficulty is that you may not be able to find a spiritual community that precisely reflects your beliefs. But that’s okay. Find an open-minded religious community that is accepting of your core beliefs, and hang out with them. Not every church is hung up on dogma—for instance, the Unitarians, Unity Church, Quakers, and most Pagan circles.
As you create your own spiritual path and practices, listen to your inner bell, “the inner sense of truth, the inner reality, the inner knowing which exists deep within all of us.”[1] You are the only one who can hear that bell; you are the only person who knows what spiritual path is right for you.
Challenges
The Risks
Let’s say for the moment that you feel irresistibly drawn to Wicca, and you are determined to become part of it. You have a right to know what risks are involved. (More on this in chapter 13, “The Witch in the World.”)
God may be loving and open-minded, but of course that doesn’t mean human beings are. Probably the greatest real risk is that somebody is going to find out you’re a Witch, take offense, and try to do something nasty to you. This could include:
Spreading lies about you
Firing you from your job
Trying to get your children taken away from you
Vandalizing your home or property
Evicting you from your apartment
Driving you out of town
Assaulting or murdering you
These are worst-case scenarios, and they are becoming less and less likely as we educate people about Wicca and the Pagan faiths. But they’re still possible. People get hurt or even killed for being different. Of course, people also get hurt or killed
