Is Wicca the Right Path for Me?

If you decide to pursue Wicca as your spirituality, you’re embarking on a path that’s not in the mainstream and doesn’t have a centralized leadership, structure, sacred text, or set of teachings. Exploring Wicca means jumping into the deep end without many of the usual societal supports. Nobody can truly tell you how to do it, although helpful people might be able to provide some guidance on the way. I realize that’s very uncomfortable sometimes, but nobody ever said spiritual growth is comfortable. If we’re too comfortable, we’re not likely to change. If I told you what to do, I’d be taking that choice and all of the legwork and soul-searching that goes with it away from you. That wouldn’t help you in the long run, because you wouldn’t have had the setbacks and epiphanies that the work of choosing for yourself requires, and you couldn’t be certain that your decision was right if you hadn’t worked through the question personally. It would be wrong for you to hand me that kind of power, and it would be unethical for me to take it from you.

I can hear you thinking very loudly, “Okay, so get off your soapbox and tell me how I choose for myself, then!” There are a lot of things you can try to help you make your decision. Here are a few.

Find Podcasts and Videos

There lots of podcasts and videos about Wicca and Paganism on the web. In general the podcasts seem to lean toward being more informative and the videos lean toward personal opinion, but both can help you learn more and think about your options. YouTube is loaded with videos of people discussing their feelings about Wicca and how they found it. A lot of it is pure navel-gazing, but there is some interesting and thoughtful stuff there, too.

Make Your Own Video or Blog Post

You might want to consider making a video or blog post of your own. Sometimes trying to explain your thought process to someone else—especially on camera, which feels so formal—can help you clarify what you’re thinking to yourself. You don’t ever have to post the video or blog post if you don’t want to.

Talk to Wiccans and Pagans

Find them on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media sites. Check out the Witches’ Voice group and individual listings. Join some email lists (they’re old-school, but a lot of them are still active). If you’re lucky enough to have one of the last few occult bookstores in your area, talk to people there. Respond to Wiccans who post podcasts, blogs, or videos online. Ask people what brought them to Wicca, what they like about it, what they don’t like about it, what books, events, or groups they’d recommend, etc. Try talking to non-Wiccan Pagans, too, such as Druids. It’s possible you’ll find their traditions resonate with you more than Wicca does.

Go to Wiccan or Pagan Events

Check the Witches’ Voice and social media to see if there’s a Pagan Pride Day celebration, open rituals, classes, or other events in your area or that you can attend online. Wiccan and Pagan groups often post open events on social media. In some areas there are also informational email lists where people post upcoming events. Attending this kind of event can give you a feel for what Wiccan ritual and community are like.

Meditate and Dream

Find yourself a quiet spot, light a candle, gaze into the flame, and relax. Ask yourself if you feel Wicca is right for you. You inner self knows a lot! You can also try “setting” a dream. Ask yourself a question as you’re falling asleep, and see if your dreams provide you any insight. If you’re prone to forgetting your dreams, keep a notebook or mini-recorder by your bed and use them to record your dreams right when you wake up, before they fade away.

Try a Ritual on Your Own

Do a ritual  and see how it feels and whether you like it. Full moon rituals tend to be relatively simple for people who haven’t done much ritual before.

Take Your Time

Don’t rush your decision. Take as much time as feels right to you. There’s no hurry. Wicca is here to stay, and it will be here when and if you’re ready.