Becoming Wiccan: 7 Useful Steps to Start You on Your Path

A Wiccan of 25 years, Sage likes to put her background as a writer and teacher to use by helping people learn about this NeoPagan path.

How Do I Become Wiccan?

“Dear Sage, I have decided to become Wiccan! Now, can you please tell me—what do we believe? Who are the God and Goddess? Do we have to be vegetarian? Should I wear black clothes? Do I have to get a pentagram? I’m ordering a complete box of ritual tools from Witches-R-Us.com, and it should be here next week. Now, how do I cast spells? Thanks so much—Blessed Be!”

This isn’t an actual email, but it’s the gist of what I (and other Wiccans) will get occasionally. I see similar posts to Wiccans on social media. I have to wonder at that point—if you know nothing about a religion, how do you decide you want to join it?

Then I recall that many Western religions we’re familiar with encourage us to convert first and sort out the details later. Wicca, being an experiential religion rather than a revealed one, can pose a problem for those who are used to being told what to believe and what to do. To help those individuals, I’ve tried to break the process down into a basic step-by-step overview. Some people think that starting on the Wiccan path involves running out, buying tools, holding rituals, and casting spells. Eventually, yes—these things will be involved. Initially, however, you should take it much slower. If you’re thinking about embracing Wicca, start with these seven simple practices. Each is discussed in greater detail below.

Learn First, Decide Later

1. Read

Before you even think about converting to Wicca—and before you make any concrete decisions or declarations—you should spend some time studying. Sorry to report this, but if you don’t like reading or studying, you’re probably not going to like Wicca very much, and you’re unlikely to get very far. Wicca is a non-dogmatic religion—rather than telling you what to believe; it puts the ball in your court and tells you to think critically. This requires knowledge. One book isn’t enough, but five or ten books is a good start. It’s generally recommended you read and study for at least one year and one day before making any decisions about whether to be Wiccan or not.

Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin is simply the best book of fundamentals for beginning Wiccans to date. It’s better than Cunningham’s Wicca (though I like that one too) and leagues better than anything ever penned by Silver RavenWolf (which are entertaining but should be taken with a huge grain of salt). Another book I love is The Circle Within by Dianne Sylvan. Unlike most other books, it’s not all about introducing tools, Gods, and rituals. Instead, it takes an approach that is practical and spiritual to living your life—24/7—as a Wiccan. If you tire of reading Wicca 101 books, this will bring you into new territory.

2. Think

Once you start learning about Wicca—its beliefs, its tenets, etc.—it’s time to consider whether your beliefs are a match. Are your personal beliefs something that fall within a Wiccan framework?

Wicca is not a dogmatic religion, so anyone coming into it looking for a book of scripture or a list of commandments is approaching it from the wrong angle. But Wicca is also not, as some poorer sources have been putting it of late, “anything you want it to be.” The problem with saying Wicca is anything is that you’re essentially saying it’s nothing. Some things just don’t fit very well into the Wiccan worldview.

For example, if you don’t believe in any kind of Gods and you’re just looking to practice magic, then why are you joining a religion in which the significant rituals, festivals, rites, etc. are centered on Pagan Gods and Goddesses? You could easily go ahead and study Witchcraft without becoming Wiccan at all. If you believe in Jesus as a savior with all your heart, why do you want to worship him from within a religion that teaches there is nothing to be saved from?

The beauty of Wicca is that there are no mandates—there are no “accept this or take a hike” philosophies. But, in being part of an experiential religion, you accept the responsibility of using logic and reason. This means considering if your beliefs fit within Wicca, or if, perhaps, the one or two things that attract you to it can be found in another religion that is more aligned with your beliefs.

3. Pray

Once you get to the point at which you know you want to worship as a Wiccan, it’s time to begin worshipping. Start praying to your Gods. Introduce yourself and ask them to reveal themselves to you. Ask for guidance, clarification, and understanding.

Start meditating—for as they say, if prayer is talking to your God, meditation is listening. A daily meditation regime can be very beneficial to your health, wellness, and spiritual development.

4. Observe

Start being aware of life from a Wiccan perspective. Observe the cycles of the seasons and the cycles of the moon. Start acknowledging them in small ways. Think about Wiccan tenets and ethics when you’re faced with choices. Consider your life and find areas in which lessons can be learned from Wicca.

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Observe the world around you. Notice the interplay between all living things. Watch and participate in the cycles of life. You may wish to get into a more routine with your meditations and prayers or start some very simple, informal rites to celebrate the Esbats and Sabbats. At this point, reading and learning shouldn’t necessarily stop, but it’s important to begin some application of principles. That’s how you start living Wicca.

5. Build

A mistake a lot of people make early on is rushing out to collect tools. Keep in mind that Wicca is not a scavenger hunt. At this point, once you’ve begun to practice, you might wish to start collecting altar tools. You don’t need to get them all at once. It’s a good idea to study a tool and its purpose, then look for it, then begin to use it—one step at a time.

Many books will tell you to get this and that, but keep in mind that you won’t need every tool that every book mentions. This is why it’s important to understand a tool’s function before you even worry about acquiring it—it may turn out to be something you don’t need.

It’s also time to start building a more structured approach to your ritual. That doesn’t mean you have to plan every single detail out, but by its very definition, a ritual is a repeated act. It’s the repetition that helps you reach ritual consciousness. It enables you to bypass the state of consciousness in which you’re actively thinking and move into a state in which you go into “autopilot” so that you can open yourself to the various energies you’re trying to raise.

Start thinking about standard opening and closing rituals, invocations, and circle-castings. Again, it’s not something you need to do all in one night, but every couple of months, think about your ritual and add another element.

6. Practice Magic

Magic isn’t necessarily the focus of Wicca, but it’s certainly a common component. Eventually, you’re going to want to incorporate some into your practice. Someone interested in learning magic doesn’t have to be Wiccan and should go straight to learning The Craft. If, however, Wicca as a religion is what interests you, you should spend time to familiarize yourself with it before beginning to practice magic. Once you get to the point at which you’re collecting tools and holding regular rituals, it’s an excellent time to start practicing this fascinating and enchanting element. Begin including some minor magical workings in your circle. You may also want to begin studying the arts.

7. Network

At some point, it’s a good idea to get out into the Pagan community at large. You don’t have to wait until the end to do this, but if you haven’t yet, you should try at this point. Meet with other Wiccans and attend classes, open rituals, and drumming circles. This will expose you to many new ideas and help you find people to talk to and relate to. You might even find a coven that you’d like to join. Religions are personal journeys, but they’re also meant to be experienced communally to some extent.

Wiccan Lithurgy: The Charge of the Goddess

Good Luck!

This list is by no means the only way to go about becoming Wiccan, but if you’re truly unsure of where to begin, these steps will help you on your path.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2013 Mackenzie Sage Wright

Comments

beginnerwitch on August 26, 2020:

i was wondering...

i don't have access to books... so is it ok to read lots and lots of online articles?

jackie on July 08, 2020:

i have been wiccan for a few years and know a good amount of stuff, I dont know here to find a group of people to talk about it with or to help with spells, does anyone know?

Ashley on April 17, 2020:

I've been Wiccan for 17 years and still not interested in performing magic. Please don't think it is necessary or expected of you.

:) Ashley

jerrybaah00@gmail.com on March 30, 2020:

I wanna be a Wiccan

jaden.s8034@stu.sheridan1.org on March 27, 2020:

Hi, i'm 13 and I've been wanting to be a Wiccan for a while now do u have any tips for me to fall in the right dereliction?

goudjo benoit vossah on March 26, 2020:

I am on a visite to my children here in SanANTONIO . give a contact if possible

goudjo benoit vossah on March 24, 2020:

i happen to be a friend my wife cousin where we attend his church i need to join since i read some portion of one or two books though our official language being french I hail from TOGO i am on a visit to my children here in the USA I SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT i do not have much time here Please help me.

Bell on March 19, 2020:

Hey im new and i really love nature and wicca id love to learn thanks!

Piper Staples on February 24, 2020:

Hello I am trying to get into Wicca and find some people that I can talk to along my journey I am a teenager so do u have any teen friendly or chat room spaces for young Wicca practicers

Kitana James on December 30, 2019:

Hi! I’m an atheist, but I am very very interested in being Wicca, but I don’t know if there is a god that I should pray to or worship. Help please!

Celestina on December 29, 2019:

I want to join. Please can u assist me on how to join

Keith on December 28, 2019:

I am not looking to become a wiccan, my wife says that this is her belief, i am a christian, i am open minded and just want to learn more about the wiccan faith, i am not dismissing it, i just enjoy gaining knowledge and want to be able to discuss intelligently the wiccan faith.

Stephen Amoakohene on December 27, 2019:

Please can you show me the way i can also join my email address is jehotalent@gmail.com

Asare Kofi Lawrence on December 26, 2019:

Please i need to practice wicca But i have no one to help me please is someone here to help me i will be happy to get someone here to help me i am from Ghana this is my Email lawasare2018@gmail.com or my whatsapp number +2330548697030 please help me becouse life is had for me now

Kai Linkin on September 15, 2019:

Hello Sage,

Im probably very late to this post, but I need some help. Can you please suggest me ten of the best wicca books for beginners? I've been so interested in wicca for a long time, and thought I might try it. So, beginner wicca books are greatly appreciated.

Tina Marie Hoffman from Murphy, Nc on May 26, 2019:

Back in 2012, my beautiful puppy Harmony gave birth to 5 beautiful and tiny pups. Within 2 hours, they started having seizures! I prayed to the Goddess to give me strengh and power to save these tiny pups.....and it worked! Blessed Be, Sage.

Zakira Hussain on May 18, 2019:

Hello sage ,

I'm an Indian belonging to Islam but I don't find my religion so apt to myself (not insulting it too) Wicca on the other hand ,I've been trying to gather information from everywhere but always failing, I'm really wanting to switch to Wicca and accept all it terms and consequences.Please help me .

Becca on May 15, 2019:

Hello sage my name is Becca I have been interested for a long time and studying Wicca and doing witchcraft I just am not sure where to start or how to get started

Elowen on March 04, 2019:

Hi sage,

So I'm 14, and I've recently been very interested in Wicca and witchcraft. I do know that these two do tend to overlap, and sometimes the lines between the two are blurred. My entire family is a bunch of Catholics and christains, so being interested in this would probably make me the shame of the family. It's why I'm absolutely terrified to tell them I don't believe in what they do, and I haven't form while. Anyway, I'm allowed to be pansexual if I am Wiccan, correct? I wasn't very sure about that, but I absolutely love the idea of this religion, and it sparked my interest. I would love to become Wiccan (even going to do the year and a day), but how do I let my family know this??