Where do you start?

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   lynnechandlerposted 14 years ago

   I have read a lot on the internet and have several books on this subject. My ancestral background is Celtic/Cherokee and I've done a little research in that direction as well.
   
   What I want to know is if you feel strongly led in this direction where do you start?
   
   Meditation? Rituals? What exactly is the best place for a solitary person like myself to start to examine and move further to this form of worship?
   
   I understand if any of you don't want to bring this out on the boards and please if you have an answer of enlightenment feel free to email me.

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      chukra Gposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      realise the emptyness within you first, it is god's touch that missing

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      draconis7posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      First you need to find out which path you want to follow.For the simple fact is that paganism and wicca,or withcraft is not the samething. Even though, theyhave alot of similarities. Then i would suggest a few more things. If you really want more information on this, then please get at me.

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      knottybynatureposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Read, read, read.  I cannot stress this enough.  There are a lot of sources out there, and depending on your likes, I would say that there are a lot of available resources.
      
      Good beginning books:
      
      Real Magick - Amber K
      A Witch Alone - Marian Green
      Wicca - Vivianne Crowley
      Triumph of the Moon - Ronald Hutton (more scholarly)
      Drawing Down the Moon - Margot Adler (more scholarly)
      Dreaming in the Dark - Starhawk (kinda feminist)
      Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner - Scott Cunningham (kind of fluffy)
      The Study of Witchcraft - Deborah Lipp (I would highly recommend this, it touches a bit of everything.)
      
      For online sources, you can always use Google and generally pull up groups in your area for exchanging ideas and fellowship.
      Http://www.witchvox.com is a really good place to start.
      
      Good luck on your spiritual journey.

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         deblippposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Hey, knotty, I just saw this, thank you for the recommendation!

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      mohitmisraposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Do read some of my hubs I am and enlightened poet.

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   M'Lady Grimmposted 14 years ago

   As one who became interested in witchcraft in my early twenties, having passed over thirty years beyond that point, I would tell anyone seeking to embrace it's mysteries to RUN! There was nothing but anguish, misery, poor decisions and risk involved with the people I met who practiced.  All things led like a vortex into deeper, more perverse, more self-depricating and dark things. Ask anyone involved with the practice, and every single one will tell you how they only "practice the GOOD kind" of witchcraft. I found from experience that belief in the darkness never enlightened anyone.

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      atomswifeyposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Well said M'lady!
      I have a cousin who is practicing in witchcraft. And much like you stated here is convinced she is only doing the "good". I fear for her.
      I love my cousin very much, she was my matron of honor at my wedding. And then I find out she has started down this path and I have been hurting inside ever since.

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      Mishaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I take it nowadays you believe in invisible super butcher, right?

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   rmcrayneposted 14 years ago

   Lynnechandler, Do you mean paganism and wicca?  Is a Unitarian Universalist Church an option for you?  You may find pagans and wicca there.  I recall such a family when I went to the small UU when I was stationed here 6-8 yrs ago.  Nice couple with elementary aged children. The church has a very active email discussion group, which I am still a member of.  I could put you in touch...
   
   AW, I know we all worry about family.  Is your cousin young, immature, looking for Goth vs Charmed?  True pagans and wicca are about nature, the earth, and religious tolerance.  Not bad things at all.  They are not Satanic nor of the Occult.  You’re a smart cookie.  Do some research.  If she’s determined toward this path, help her do it right and safely. Tolerance, understanding, acceptance right?
   
   Peace all.

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   lynnechandlerposted 14 years ago

   RM I have looked for a UU here and haven't found one and yes Wicca would be the direction I am leaning.
   
   I grew up and was sprinkled by the Methodist moved on to Catholic when I married and then back to Baptist where I was re-washed just a few years ago.
   
   I don't need to open up and get rid of the the emptiness inside, I am not missing God. He has touched my life in ways that forever changed me in the past. It is the way of the church that has led me in a different direction. I've visited many churches and it never fails to amaze me the way they come off spouting biblical references from one side of their mouth while wanting a hand-out from the other.
   
   Hypocricy is rife in most of them and therefore I started seeking a way to worship just me and Whoever whether it be God or multiple God/Goddess' out there. The Wicca way with its emphasis on nature and the elements calls to me in a way that makes me relaxed and calm while a church spewing the bible at me does not. 
   
   This is way too much info but how I feel so therefore I am seeking a way to get started beyond just reading and understanding the Wicca way. Would one start with meditation or to seek out others in a UU like RM said?

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      smannposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I would suggest reading books by Silver Raven Wolf. She is wonderful and can help one understand more about Wicca and the lifestyle. One does not need to cast spells to be Wiccan one just needs to be open to the world around you and believe in living in harmony with the world and the earth. Any other questions please feel free to ask.

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   DennisBarkerposted 14 years ago

   Lynne, I started with a westernised form of buddhist meditation and that has led me to combining a number of different ideas from pagan and earth traditions along with some japanese reiki and chi gung practice.
   
   I would suggest strongly that you begin with some form of grounding process as part of your daily meditation practice. I have found that to be essential,stay rational and observe what occours inside and outside. There are many things that can be learned by developing concentration and compassion in a balanced way.
   
   It is important to get feedback from people you trust along the way.Stay focussed on earning a living 90% of the time and devote no more than about 10% of the time to your wicca and you should e ok. As with christianity, if the religion takes over, then the results can be damaging. Do not allow yourself to be posessed by any spiritual tradition.Make a choice to be part of it as long as it is serving you or you get some pleasure or benefit from it.

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   FranyaBlueposted 14 years ago

   I used to be wiccan in my teens, for about 5 years. I had a lot of questions in my mind and I had a love of nature. I have to say though, I never really got the answers I was looking for and never felt 'whole' there is also a danger to thinking that you can have what you want simply by increasing your will to have it, it just leads to disappointment. But now I am a Muslim and I can say that I have never felt more at peace with myself.

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   lynnechandlerposted 14 years ago

   Dennis thank you for that answer. I am looking into the meditative side of things as you probably guessed.
   
   I have never become zealotous (probably not a word but I like it) over anything in my life. So no any form of religion will not take the front seat, I just need a little grounding and feel really pulled towards Wicca and its eartly elements.
   
   Those who seek this path to further their own wealth or whatever are following it for the wrong reasons in my understanding.
   
   It is my belief that you should be able to commune with whomever in whatever manner you choose.

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   ralwusposted 14 years ago

   I am of Cherokee and Scottish blood, Ishkagua Jaylee at your service. I choose the Great Creator the Spirit of my ancestors.

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   lynnechandlerposted 14 years ago

   Ralwas, that is awesome. I am just discovering my roots. As I said, Cherokee/Irish on my dad's side of the family and Scot on my mother's.
   
   The mystery and lore of the old religions of these people are holding my attention in readings and renderings I have found. The Cherokee have always held a special place in my heart as that is where I was concieved -- while my parents were on vacation and staying on the reservation in a little T-pee wigwam campground. They say that my ancestors had a hand in my creation and that when I was born I favored my great-great grandmother very much.
   
   Misha you make me laugh. I love it when you join in.

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    lynnechandlerposted 14 years ago

    Oh cool beans. Welcome aboard look forward to seeing more of your posts.
    
    I have several of these books already. Still reading through most of them and just gathering info at this point but have started practicing a little meditation nightly and it really seems to relax me for sleep.

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       knottybynatureposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Meditation is good for a lot of things.  Relaxing is just one of them.  Another is focus.  Like meditative visualization.
       
       Here's an example.  When you get ready to meditate, sit down and imagine a plain, white shoebox.  How long can you hold the image in your mind?  Can you turn it, open it, move it?  Can you envision it in the house in various places?  Without changing the fact that you're meditating on the box or have any stray thought burst through?
       
       In the beginning, it's rather difficult.
       
       The idea is that this kind of focus helps us on many levels.  It keeps the idea we have placed in our minds, even if they're not in the forefront.  It also adds power to this thought.  So things you want to bring into manifestation need to be visualized.  It's much harder to do when there are a lot of things going on in your life, but the rewards can be very satisfying.
       
       Good luck!

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    DIYweddingplannerposted 12 years ago

    You might want to contact my good friend and fellow hubber, Tess45.  She is Wiccan and was the inspiration for my hub about handfasting.  She's very knowlegeable about Wicca and I'm sure would love to talk to you.
    She can also tell you there is a huge difference between practicing witchcraft and being Wiccan, which I think alot of people are confused about.
    Good luck in your journey, from another half Cherokee/half Irish!

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       deblippposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       How nice that there are a few other Wiccans around here.
       
       Witchcraft is a practice, whereas Wicca is a religion. Sort of like, prayer is a practice, but Christianity is a religion.

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    SandyMcCollumposted 12 years ago

    Wow, more Cherokee/Irish people here than I knew! Cherokee on father's side, Irish on mother's side. And yes, there is a huge difference between Witchcraft and Wicca. I don't do spells and I believe in God, but I do like to dabble in secular naturalism, finding God everywhere.

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