Wiccans: why did you choose Wicca as your religion and way of life?

Question

Wiccans: why did you choose Wicca as your religion and way of life?

Answer 1

What was your inspiration? Nature



How did you discover Wicca? I was in a book store and I happened to pick up a book about it (never heard of it). when I read the first paragraph, I realized that what I already believed had a name.



How did you go about learning? Books...lots of books. Internet, networking with others, and finally a formal distance learning program which has lead me to where I am now: I lead Open Circles on military bases and I'm a Priestess and legally ordained Wiccan minister.



What were the impacts of Wicca on your friends and family? They were all very accepting...for the most part. Even my mom has gone to a Beltane ritual with me and loved it (she's Catholic). My brother and sister have both looked into it a bit, although my brother tends to lean more toward being an atheist.



What was your previous religion? I was 'born' Catholic, didn't practice much for a long time. got back into it for a while before completely abandoning it. I've also been Methodist and atheist.

Answer 2

Ironically, I mysteriously started gettin Azure Green catalogs in the mail when I was in high school. I had no idea where they came from because I didnt request them. After that, m curiosity started to peak and I researched it whenever I could. Being that I lived in a predominant "back woods" christian "hick town" I had to be careful.



A few years ago (after letting it fall by the wayside) I attended my first Pagan Pride Day... not knowing what I was getting myself into, and I fell in love after that. My particular path is not Wiccan, although what I practice is a good mixture of Wiccan, Druidry and a good mix of others. Call me a "hedgewitch" or an "ecclectic"



I grew up southern baptist and dabbled in othe sects of christianity through the years before finding out that being Pagan was the right path for me. My views of life/death and the process of dying as well as many many many of my other beliefs do not conform to those of the christian faith; and I live by "my karma ran over your dogma." lol

Answer 3

I did not like the brainwashing of organized religion. I love the fact that wicca is a nature based religion and you can worship outside with the living plants and animals. Wicca teaches you that you can manifest your own destiny while most organized religions talk about a God we should be afraid of. I have been into Wicca since I was very young and it gives me a great peace of mind.

Answer 4

My best friend and I started reading in fifth/sixth grade. She was Catholic and I just called myself a Christian. What turned me on to it was the whole nature-based thing. And the fact that Wiccans and most Pagan religions are very accepting and all about the whole "power within" thing. This is true of most Pagan groups. I don't and never did believe in hell, and Pagans don't either, so that was also what drew me to Wicca and Buddhism especially (I study both but I'm a dedicated Wiccan.) The impact on my family was....outstanding. At first I was quiet about, barely showing interest, and then my mom AND sister converted just last year (I am not a junior). So that was amazing. Any religion is a good religion as long as you are happy in it, and I'm a happy Wiccan. : ) We are solitaries, not in a coven with each other, and we read MANY books and go to MANY different web sites to learn from different points of view. I suggest doing this if you cannot find a teacher.



I'm sorry my answer was so long. I'll get a thumbs down just for how many words! HAHA



Hope I helped. Good luck on your journey and Blessed Be!!!

Answer 5

Well, I always been attracted to it..always. But when I really noticed was because in Christianity I had so many complaints....(degrading women, advertising, do what I want or go to hell) but in Wicca I had none.

1. My inspiration was sort of my god mother/aunt/friend and everything about it. It was inspiration in itself.

2. I didn't discover Wicca exactly...it just snuck up on meh and WAM...I knew I had to know more.

3. I learned a lot from books and the computer. I didn't want to do spells or start practicing until I knew a lot about.

4. I'm sixteen and my family christian, but I told my mom and she was amazing and helped so so so much. No one else knows, its my own personal region...I personally believe its no ones else business.

5.I was Christian. Something was missing.

If you have any questions or anything at all. Email me at [e-mail]

Good luck!

Answer 6

I'm not wiccan, but I can tell you why I would choose it, if I did. If someone managed to convince me that Christianity is totally wrong, I would choose either wicca or witchcraft, as it is nature-based, but still acknowledges God or gods or some sort of higher power. I have (personally) taken a lot of wiccan beliefs to heart, and see how it all just works together, God and nature.

So, I am a Mormon-type Christian person, but, I have great respect for wicca/witchcraft that sort of thing.

Blessed be!

Answer 7

I started to research different religions to find the one that closely matched my personal beliefs. I read everything I could get my hands on, and I still do. Most of my friends actually knew before I told them, or was going to recommend it to me. My parents were POed, and for some reason my dad thinks I'm an atheist.



Former Christian

Answer 8

I was atheistic and non-religious before I was Wiccan. I became Wiccan because it matched the (at that time recent) experiences of the divine I'd had and because I met Wiccans.



None of my friends or family really cared that I was Wiccan, only that I was happy.

Answer 9

I am not Wiccan but I am a Witch. I really like your question so I will star it for my Wiccan contacts!

Answer 10

my inspiration was my relationship with nature; enjoying the rain, listening to the waves, touching the plants, growing vegetables, caring about bugs (sounds silly i know) i love spiders, and moths, beetles, and crickets.



i discovered wicca through my mum, she explained the basics, and gave me a book.



i learned through reading and watching my mum.



hmm, the impact on my family, we are closer in some ways because of it. on my friends, most are like-minded, those who are not are usually open -minded.



my previous religion was catholicism



i went to catholic school for 10 years, most of my family did. i had a lot of unanswered questions, and felt something was missing. i talked to my mum, and she explained. she gave me a book, i read it over and over. i practiced a little. i continued reading and practicing ( i also read about other religions, not just wicca) , then met other wiccans and had conversations and learned more. i'm still learning. i love the traditions, celebrations, and feeling of connecting. i'm respectful of other peoples beliefs and traditions , i have some catholic family, some southern baptist friends, pagan friends, and an atheist husband. i'm really interested in buddism, and native american customs too. i could go on and on but i have so... ~blessed be~

Answer 11

Just because something works, it does not mean that it is good. If a Wiccan believes that he or she is getting results through incantations done with candles, cards, crystals, or whatever, what would be the reason to give up such influential abilities? After all, don't we desire to be able to have things go our way? Of course we do. This is why Wicca has a following. But, we must ask the question, "what is the source of the power behind the results?"



Now Wiccans will tell you that it is the result of finding the truth of Wiccan principles in a God and Goddess and the manifestations of the deities found in history and in nature. But this does not mean that what they are saying is true. We certainly are not calling Wiccans liars. But what we are saying is that it is possible that we can all be deceived to some degree. If we acknowledge that and we look at our own belief system, then how do we find out if we are being deceived or not? Again, just because someone gets results in a séance doesn't mean that what they've contacted is good. Just because someone who's addicted to drugs and feels good while on them, it does not mean that the drugs are good. Just because someone feels good when they are drinking heavily, it does not mean that what they're doing is right. We should never determine truth by whether or not we feel good or whether or not certain results happen.



Instead, truth is determined by God and he has revealed himself in the Bible. Truth is not dependent on us. It is the result of God's work, not our desires.



http://www.carm.org/religious-movements/wicca/wicca-and-youth



http://www.carm.org/religious-movements/wicca/my-involvement-occult

Answer 12

I was in gym class one day and decided I would become Wiccan because somehow, it kinda sounded right. I'm sure a lot of Wiccans would have a problem with this, thinking that I should've come to Wicca though deep soul-searching instead of just a random thought popping into my head, but oh well.

I've been studying for roughly 5 years now. I think everyday is a learning opportunity.

I haven't come out to anyone in my family except my atheist father (who readily accepts it and is glad to know I've found something that makes me happy; plus, he's still upset about some insults my Baptist mother threw at him, so he's glad I'm not Christian, which is strange....). I do not plan on coming out of the broom closet to the rest of my family, at least not any time soon. Everyone else knows, all of my friends and most of my classmates and probably more than a few strangers since I wear a pentagram often. All my friends are accepting (and I think one might be converting....), and my classmates don't seem to have a problem with it either (heck, maybe I'll meet some fellow Pagans in class!)

I was previously a very devout Christian, and it's strange how rapid a change I went through - in 8th grade I was a fanatic Christian and wouldn't let anyone touch my cross pendent, rosary, or Bible; in 9th grade, I sporadically became Wiccan.

I'm not quite sure I'm entirely Wiccan, anymore. I'm a Goddess-worshiper, certainly, and I do follow many Wiccan tenets. I guess I just feel that I am embarking on my own path right now, and I'm not sure where it'll end up, but I think I'll enjoy the journey ;)

As like with what most others said, sorry this was so long! Blessed Be! <3

Answer 13

My inspiration was that i could live a life worth something, that i could help and connect with things and it wasn't so uptight! I discovered Wicca after my mom told me that my biological father was one, out of curiosity i did some research, it appealed to me greatly. I looked at reliable internet sources, talked to a Wiccan online, read a couple of books and even did some note taking. My family doesnt exactly know, nor do my friends, some of my friends would take it as a joke but i know my family wouldn't mind. Well for an extremly short period of time i was Christian i guesss, though i knew nothing about it at the time, and than i was withouy religion.

Blessed be!

Answer 14

I started out as a Christian. For a few years before I became Wiccan, I really questioned my beliefs. Like, if women are necessary for life to begin, are capable of doing and thinking things by themselves, and are equally important as men, then where is the female aspect? Why are the women in the Bible under the men? There were also a lot of fallacies that I couldn't wrap my head around, and I was a mess. I was confused out of my wits, yet I knew there was a deity out there, and when I started learning about Wicca, things just.. fell into place. I don't hold the goddess over the god, or vice versa.



I started learning by looking it up while on the computers at school, and later, books given to me by my boyfriend. None of my family knows, and only a few friends know about, and those I've told don't care or are themselves Wiccan.

:)

Answer 15

For me it was the end of a long spiritual quest. I was raised in the Christian church from a very young age I just didn't buy it. too many contradictions, hypocrisy, and restrictions. I knew the truth is we are NOT here to suffer be judged, threatened with some made up scary place if we didn't follow the rules" then there is the hypocrisy they preach and preach about God loves everyone we accept u as u r BS I was always judged told I was wrong to be who I was etc....If u spoke ur mind u immediately r attacked....yeah that's true spirituality WRONG!



So I left that lie circus and set out on a search for MY true path I went from Buddha to Kabbalah, eventually landing on Wicca instantly I felt like I was home!



I am a dedicated faithful practitioner, of my life as a Celtic Witch all areas of my life have transformed into the dream of my childhood!



Congratulations on choosing this amazing path!



Blessed Be My Sister

Answer 16

It was invented not in the 40's, but the 50's. It's based, however, on ancient traditions. I prefer eclectic wicca because I can incorperate traditions from both my european heritage and my native american heritage, both of which are very old. I don't think it matters when it was ivnvented. All religions were, at some point.

Answer 17

inspiration? the old Gods. I was already raised polytheist to begin with, and had no idea that my belief and practices were considered "pagan" or "heathen". I believed that witchcraft and magic exists and that it comes from spirits/Gods/nature, so I it was pretty easy for me to quickly accept Wiccan ideas. I read various books on Wicca, I picked up one silver ravenwolf book and I threw it away after a week, I then picked up books on hardcore witchcraft (not Wicca), and books on "old school Wicca" like Gerald Gardner, Doreen Valiente etc.



PLEASE, stay away from Silver Ravenwolf, Fiona Horne, Laurie Cabot, D.J. Conway, Scott CUnningham's "solitary practitioner".

Answer 18

I was a Christian minister but realized that Christianity was a lie, and so became atheist. But atheism left me unfulfilled; I had thrown out my spirituality with that false religion. Wicca allowed me to reclaim my spirituality without checking my brain at the door. The lack of dogma, the reverence of nature, the acknowledgment of the divine feminine, the sanctity and interconnectedness of all things, the equality of all beings regardless of gender or species or strata; all of these things led to me Wicca. Or rather, led me to understand that I had always been Wiccan, even if I didn't have a name for that.



Oh, and Keith is correct; any religion which has beautiful women dancing naked around a bonfire while wielding flashing swords is probably going to do pretty well for itself. At least, it beats the hell out of Wednesday night bingo.

Answer 19

I found ou in a project about the salem witch trials, I was in it for the magic at first. I left for a while then came back to it and actually learned it was so much more than magic but awhole new experience, my friends don't care because I don't try to talk to them about it so they don't join as a fad.

Answer 20

I was wondering if they ever teach the following in your Wiccan classes?



Isaiah 47:8 ) Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children:



9 But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments.



10 For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me.

11 Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know.



12 Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail.



13 Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.

14 Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it.

15 ¶ Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast laboured, even thy merchants, from thy youth: they shall wander every one to his quarter; none shall save thee.

Answer 21

naked ladies