Becoming Wiccan: 7 Useful Steps to Start You on Your 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 Witchcrafts-R-Us.com and it should be here next week, now how do I cast spells? Thanks so much, Blessed Be!”
This is something I get in email more and more often, and other friends of mine who are openly Wiccan will occasionally get them as well. I’ll see similar messages 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 that we’re familiar with encourage us to convert first, sort out the details later. Wicca, being an experiential religion rather than revealed, 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 it down into a basic step-by-step overview of the process.
Some people think the key to starting Wicca involves running out, buying tools, holding a ritual or casting spells—eventually, yes. Initially, you should take it much slower.
Welcome to Your New Path!
1. Read
Before you even think about converting to Wicca, or before you make any finalized 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; or at least you’re not going to get very far. Wicca is a non-dogmatic religion; rather than telling you what to believe, it throws 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—actively—for at least a year and a day before making any decisions about whether to be Wiccan or not.
My Reading Recommendations

Simply the best fundamental book for beginning Wiccans to day-- better than Cunningham's "Wicca" and way way waaaay better than anything ever penned by Silver RavenWolf.

I absolutely love this book; unlike most other books, it's not all about introducing tools, Gods and rituals. Instead, it takes a both practical and spiritual approach to living your life-- 24/7-- as a Wiccan. if you're tired of reading yet another Wicca 101 book, this will bring you into new territory.
Tell Us About It
How many books have you read on Wicca?
Step 2: Think
Once you really start learning about Wicca, it’s beliefs, it’s tenets, etc., it’s time to consider whether your beliefs are a match. Are your personal beliefs something that can fall within a Wiccan framework?
Wicca is not a dogmatic religion, this is true; 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 of late been putting it, “anything you want it to be.” The problem with saying Wicca is anything is that you’re essentially saying it’s nothing. There are some things that just don’t fit very well under the definition.
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 major rituals, festivals, rites, etc. are centered on Pagan Gods and Goddesses? You could just as easily go ahead and study Witchcraft without becoming Wiccan at all. Or if you believe in Jesus with all your heart as a savior, why do you want to worship him within a religion that teaches there is nothing to be saved from?
The beauty of Wicca is that there are really no mandates—there are no ‘accept this or take a hike’ philosophies. But in being part of an experiential religion, you are accepting responsibility to use logic and reason—which means really considering if your beliefs fit within Wicca, or that if perhaps the one or two things that attracts you to Wicca can be found in another religion that is more in line with your beliefs.
Step 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, for clarification, for 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 not just for health and wellness purposes, but for spiritual development.
Praying Is for Everyone
Step 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 areas in which lessons can be learned from Wicca.
Observe the world around you; the interplay between all living things. Begin to notice the cycles of the seasons, of the moon, of life. You may wish to get into a more regular routine with your meditations and prayers, or start some very simple, informal rites to celebrate Esbats and Sabbats.
At this point, reading and learning shouldn’t necessarily stop, but it’s important to begin some application of those principles. That’s how you start living Wicca.
Some of My Ritual Tools
Step 5: Build
A mistake a lot of people make early on is rushing out to collect tools—but Wicca is not a scavenger hunt. But at this point, when you’ve begun to practice, you may want to begin moving towards more formal practice. You might wish to start collecting altar tools—you don’t need to get them all at once. In fact, it’s a good idea to study a tool and its purpose, then look for it, then begin to use it, doing this one at a time.
A lot of 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 buying it—it may turn out to be something you just don’t need.
It’s also time to start building your ritual. That is, building a more structured approach to your ritual. That doesn’t mean you have to plan ever 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 helps you bypass the state of consciousness in which you’re actively thinking into that state on which you go into ‘autopilot’ so that you can open yourself to the various energies you’re trying to raise.
Start thinking about a standard opening and closing, invocations, casting a circle. Again, it’s not something you need to do all in one night, but every couple of months think about and add another element.
Step 6: Magic
Magic isn’t necessarily the focus of Wicca, but it’s certainly a major component. Eventually you’re going to want to incorporate some into your practice. Someone interested in just learning magic doesn’t have to be Wiccan and should go straight to learning The Craft; however, if Wicca as a religion is what interests you, spend the time familiarizing yourself with the religion first. Once you get to the point at which you’re collecting tools and holding regular rituals, it’s a good time to begin practicing this fascinating and enchanting element. Begin including some minor magical workings in your circle, as well as beginning studies in the arts.
Connect!
Step 7: Network
At some point, it’s good for you to get out in 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, attend classes or open rituals or drumming circles. Doing this can expose you to many new ideas, help you find people to talk to that you can relate to, you might even find a coven that you’d like to join if this is your ultimate goal. Religions are personal journeys, but they’re also meant to be experienced communally to some extent.
This list is by no means the only way to go about becoming Wiccan, but if you’re truly unsure of where to begin or where to go, it’s a good succession that will get you on your way.
Wiccan Liturgy - Charge of the Goddess
This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.
© 2013 Mackenzie Sage Wright
Comments
i know somes about wicca but i have ask for money to pay off some bills i didt get the help i ask tham for,and i have cast some spells but i still geting what ask them for.hoe come thay want help me,what is it that im not doing right can you tell you tell what im not doing right,and i need your hellp. larry
I think that these tips are amazing. Ive been interested in the wicca religion for a few year and om now doing research to see if its really for me and if it is ill definitely be doing the year and a day thing. Thank you again for thes helpful tips!!
Hello! I'm currently new to the wiccan religion, meaning I have just stumbled upon it about a month ago. I'm still in highschool and dependant of my mother and father for most my purchases. Both of them are large believers in god, my father is understanding of my beliefs, but my mother is where I worry. She cares for me deeply and only wants the best for me, which I admire, but sadly her worry for me can lead to her pressing the beliefs of catholicism onto me constantly. She does not know that I Identify as Wiccan, and I worry that if I tell her or that if she has to purchase a Wiccan book/tool for me, she may get angry with me. I don't wish to damage my mother and I's relationship, but at the same time, I want room to "Spread my wings" and express my religious beliefs freely with out pressure from the very woman who birthed me to believe something I don't truly believe in. I'm simply made anxious by my current situation. Should I wait till I am able to move out? Or should I throw caution to the wind and begin my practices in private, away from the eyes of my Catholic mother?
Than you so much for reading!
-L.S.
I am a 14-year-old girl living with a Christian parent. I am very interested in Wicca. But very confused on where to begin. I can't buy books because I'm afraid of what people around me will say about this thought/decision made and the fact I haven't decided it's for me so I don't want my dad to find out. I was just wanting to know where the right place to begin is.
Hi! So I have a question- may sound silly. I grew up as a Christian, no longer adhere to it for a very long time now, like I'm totally committed to becoming Wiccan, since I love everything about it [am doing one year and one day]. All the things I've learned so far are so liberating! Anyway, growing up Christian I was taught to always ask god what is his will before I make any life decisions, and that I would be punished or things wouldn't work out well if I made the wrong choice against his will. I was also taught about predestination and a divine plan. Now that I'm walking this path of becoming wiccan it's a huge obstacle for me as I'm not sure if there is such a concept in wicca? It has always made me very uncertian in my life about how to make decisions, and now I feel like WIcca may have some better answers for me about 'the will of the divine'. How does this work and what are your veiws? When it comes to magick and ethics- does a witch need to consult the will of the divine before doing a spell, or is she free to do any spell, as long as she harms no one? Is there some divine plan that we need to follow/understand or do we just make our own path? Tnx!
Hi I read this page and this looks interesting. I am currently in the research part of the decision. I wanted to ask if you know any good articles or books or even videos about this subject.
Hi sage. I have to get this off my mind! So i am very very interested in Witchcraft. But i tend to get things mixed up. Like the Pentagram. Can you worship it without being Wiccan? Can you own an athame without being Wiccan? Can you still do wiccan rituals without being Wiccan? I have considered being Wiccan, but i dont really believe in some things that Wicca beholds. It confuses me alot. Can i still be wiccan even if i dont believe in some things? I need answers about what the religion actually is and what makes it different from Witchcraft. Blessed be.
I've always been drawn to 'the craft' and wicca- but there's so much info- I seek the truth of it all. Can you recommend books that will help me along the way
I live in a big city, a bad city. I am 34 and need to learn about the gods and goddesses, the moon and its power and many other things, people where i live are NOT approachable, but i need to learn. What do i do? I need someone to learn from.
This is just amazing! Love, love, love this and all of your work!
Yes! This! I will be sharing this in the future, because I tend to get the same questions only referenced toward Norse paganism rather than Wicca. I think what you've written actually could apply to paganism in general.
It sends a red flag up for me every time I hear someone claim they want to be a witch/Wiccan/pagan/whatever, but they have absolutely no idea what it entails. I immediately suspect they're fresh off a great sci-fi show or book that inspired them to practice "the craft", right or wrong. I admire the Wiccan tradition of studying for a year and a day for just that reason.
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