This isn't a Wicca or magick FAQ per se. Visitors of this site (and lurkers on the newsgroup alt.magick where I hang out) sometimes email me with their questions and situations. The recurrent questions and themes are presented here. To keep confidentiality, and to suit a general audience, the questions and answers are all edited versions; they're not taken directly from the emails.
If you have a question that appears on this page, but feel your situation is not covered by the answer provided, feel free to email me and I will take into account your specific circumstances.
The topics thus far are: being born a Witch; finding a teacher and networking; be my teacher; getting started practicing Wicca and magick; creating an altar; choosing a magickal name; breaking a spell you've cast; breaking a curse; and convincing non-practitioners that magick is real. More will be added if/when new questions become frequently asked.
There is no such thing as having "witch" in your blood. It's not a genetic trait. No one is "born" a Witch, just as no one is "born" a Christian, or "born" an architect. Wicca is a religion, and magick is a skill.
A minority of Pagans have been born into Pagan families, or have had relatives who practiced Witchcraft - just as someone may be born into a Christian family or have a relative who is Christian. This however is not a prerequisite to membership of the religion.
Anyone who believes in Wicca's religious tenets, and is willing to dedicate themselves to study, practice, and living Wicca can become a Wiccan. Everyone can (and from a certain perspective, does) practice magick.
For many reasons, finding the right teacher can be difficult. Wicca isn't an organized religion and its members don't proselytize. Your search for a teacher may require research and patience. This article from the Witches' Voice website gives advice on what qualities to look for in a teacher: Teachers, Good & Bad.
Regularly visit your local occult shops. They often have information about Pagan organizations and covens. Sometimes the shop owners themselves hold classes. They will also have info on upcoming festivals and public events where you can meet others.
The internet is a great tool for networking. There are many Wiccan websites that offer networking sections. These can be found simply by typing "Wiccan networking", "Pagan networking", or "web weaving" into a search engine. The best site I have seen for networking is The Witches' Voice. The Witches' Voice has many listings, broken down by country, U.S. state, and city.
In the meantime, continue to study and practice. Eventually, an appropriate teacher will find their way into your life. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.
The Yellow Pages usually list magick supply shops under categories such as "Metaphysical", "New Age", or "Occult". Via the internet, the quickest way to find listings of local shops is to go to The Witches' Voice Local Shops index, and select your state or country. Witches' Voice listings aren't complete, so you may want to check the Yellow Pages to make sure you don't miss out on a great store. If there are none close to you, there are always online stores.
While that's a great compliment, personal teaching requires unlimited patience and lots of time that I currently don't have. You can teach yourself magick (see question #4). Also, I feel that if you were to learn magick directly from a teacher, it would best be done with someone in person as opposed to a stranger over the internet, so that the teacher can demonstrate techniques, and be readily available to you (see question #2). However, I don't mind answering specific questions.
Study. Don't just read; make it an active process by studying the information presented. Take notes, highlight or underline essential passages, collect information from a variety of authors (and websites) and do comparisons. Believe me, I know there is an overwhelming amount of information out there, some of it conflicting. Take it slow - you don't need to, and can't, learn everything all at once. There is a Recommended Books section and a Recommended Sites section on this website.
Ask specific questions - of yourself, others, and the books you read. Don't take things for granted; question why things are done in specific ways and why certain associations are made. Ask questions about the things that are difficult to understand. Try to figure stuff out on your own through study and contemplation, but don't be afraid to ask others for their opinions and help if you need it.
Practice consistently. Doing the work is essential to truly understand Wicca and magick. Form a daily practice of magickal work, meditation, and divination practice. Experiment with different magickal techniques and ritual forms. Try out the exercises and rituals given in books. Celebrate all the Sabbats and Esbats.
Keep a record of your daily practice, any rituals and spells you perform, unusual experiences that occur, things you have found to be of interest, and subjects you would like to know more about.
Spend time with nature. Take a walk, lie in the grass, watch the sunset, go to the park, go to the zoo, decorate your home with plants and flowers. Wicca is an earth-based religion.
There is not necessarily a "right" way of setting up an altar in Wicca. Ask ten Wiccans what's on their altars, you'll get thirteen different answers. If you're not following a specific tradition, you have the luxury of figuring out for yourself what works for you. There is a general structure to follow, but there is much room for creativity and individuality.
On a Wiccan altar, there are symbols that represent each element, the God, and the Goddess. This can be accomplished a number of ways.
The magickal tools represent the elements. Candle and wand for Fire, incense and dagger for Air, chalice for Water, and pentacle for Earth. In addition to the tools, some like to include things from nature that represent the elements. Some possibilities are: a red stone or lava rock for Fire; a feather or flowers for Air; a seashell or bowl of water for Water; a pine cone or herbs for Earth.
There are many options for representing the deities as well. Statues, pictures, things from nature such as a round stone pierced with a hole for the Goddess and a pine cone for the God, candles such as silver for the Goddess and gold for the God.
The incense and dagger are placed on the east side of the altar, candle and wand on the south side, chalice on the west side, pentacle on the north side. The left side is for tools sacred to the Goddess (chalice, bell, pentacle, cauldron) and the right is for tools sacred to the God (incense, dagger, candle, wand).
Also, one can put on an altar seasonal decorations for Sabbats, lunar decorations for Esbats, divination tools such as a Tarot deck or runes, and any other magickal tools one may wish to use.
The altar cloth really can be made of whatever material you like and color or pattern you like. Plain colored cloths seem to work the best for most occasions. Black is a popular choice. You could use colors that correspond to your interests or specialties in the Craft, such as a green cloth if you work a lot with herbs, or purple for religion and spirituality. Patterned cloths are nice for Sabbats.
The altar itself is usually either round to represent the Goddess, or square, symbolic of the four elements. For indoor altars, a coffee table, small dresser, desk, or nightstand can be used. Outdoor altars could perhaps be a tree stump or a large, flat rock.
The altar stands in the middle of the circle, and is set to face either north for the Goddess and the Earth, or east, the place of fresh beginnings, where the Sun and Moon rise.
This isn't meant to be an all-encompassing list of altar items used to represent the elements and deities. Rather this is to give you an idea of the structure and creativeness involved, and to spark up your imagination. If some of these ideas don't appeal to you, look for items by taking a walk in a natural environment, or even your own home. Chances are you will stumble across something that speaks to you, that "tells" you it is meant to be a part of your altar. You can also check out the Fire, Water, Air, and Earth correspondences on this site for more ideas on what can be used.
The process of choosing a magickal name varies from person to person (like so many things in magick). A magickal name should either describe your present strengths or interests, or reflect qualities you would like to grow into. Some also choose a name based on numerology. Some Wiccans take two magickal names, a public name and a private name. The public name is the name you go by among fellow practitioners. The private name is a name known only to you and the Lord and Lady, only used in sacred space.
Some choose names related to their patron deities (please don't name yourself directly after a deity). Some choose names from old legends, folklore, or history. Other possibilities include animals, herbs, flowers, the elements, or gemstones.
Research the names that have caught your eye thoroughly. Learn as much as you can about the name's origin and symbolism. This will help you decide if the name is right for you. Be mindful of how the name sounds, what negative connotations it may possess, and whether it lends strength to you or whether it detracts from who you want to be.
Some feel that adding numerology into the mix helps to "attune" the name to you. I personally don't believe this, however, at the time I chose my magickal Wiccan names, numerology was presented as a necessary step, and it certainly hasn't hurt. This step certainly does add to the length of time and work you put into finding a name, and perhaps due to that it will be more valued. I want to emphasize though that the Gods will not strike you down with lightning if you choose not to do this.
To decide on a name based on numerology, add up all the numbers in your date of birth, and continue to add until it is reduced to a single digit. For example, say you were born January 1, 1970: 1 + 1 + 1 + 9 + 7 + 0 = 19. Then 1 + 9 = 10. Then 1 + 0 = 1. This final single number is called your Birth number. Your goal would then be to find a name that numerologically matches your Birth number. This is done using the Pythagorean system of equating the letters of the English alphabet with the first nine numbers:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I |
| J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R |
| S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
Say you researched and like the name Amber. Under the Pythagorean system, A = 1, M = 4, B = 2, E = 5, R = 9. Therefore "Amber" would be 1 + 4 + 2 + 5 + 9 = 21 = 3. Sorry, it doesn't match your Birth number. Using this example (Birth number 1, name number 3), you need to add a "7" to the name to make it match your Birth number. So you could experiment with modifications to the name such as adding a "G", "P", or "Y" to it. This, though, usually ends up mangling the name beyond all recognition, in which case it would be best to just try another name.
Oh, and please read this before you start selecting a name: Lady Pixie Moondrip's Guide to Craft Names. A funny guide on avoiding the pretentious clichés that are rife among Wiccan magickal names.
Here are a couple methods:
You will need a piece of string about thirteen inches long, a cauldron, and a black candle. Place the candle inside the cauldron. Take the string and slowly tie three knots in the center. While you tie the knots, meditate on the spell you cast, recalling the actions you did and words you spoke. Focus on why you cast the spell and why it is no longer needed or wanted. Pour all the energy from that spell into the knots. Now light the candle. Pass the knots through the flame until they light and burn away. The spell is broken when the knots are burnt away. Bury what is left of the string. Please, use common sense, be careful and don't do this in a windy environment.
For this method, you will need a cauldron and a large black candle that is at least the height of the cauldron. Melt some wax into the bottom of the cauldron so the candle won't fall over. Place the candle inside the cauldron. Fill the cauldron about halfway with water, so that the candle extends above the cauldron. Now meditate on the spell you cast. Recall the ritual actions; recall the words you used. Focus on why you cast the spell and why it is no longer needed or wanted. Now light the candle. Visualize the energy from the spell you're breaking as forming before you into a large ball of light. Then visualize the energy moving toward the candle and being absorbed into its flame. All the power of that spell now is contained in the candle's flame. When the candle burns down enough to touch the water, the flame will go out and the spell will be broken. Dig a hole in the earth, and pour in the rest of the water. Bury the candle.
It's very difficult to determine if someone has cursed you unless they openly tell you so or you find physical evidence of it. However, whether someone has is not the crux of the issue. What matters is whether you are allowing a curse to work on yourself.
The power of a curse doesn't come from external sources. We curse ourselves, through self-defeating thoughts, feelings, and behavior. By telling ourselves we don't deserve pleasurable things, we're powerless in bad situations, we have bad luck nonstop, etc. Those negative feelings manifest into our actions and we end up sabotaging happy situations and creating unhappy ones. Most of the time, we're not aware when we're doing this.
Exploring those self-defeating feelings within ourselves brings to light how a curse was successful. Deal with those feelings and you will be rid of the curse. Then it won't make any difference if someone tries to curse you. Curses "work" through belief in them.
It is human nature to blame someone else for our misfortune, rather than to see what actions we took that may have led us to the place we are. It is easier to believe someone or something "out there" is causing our trials and tribulations. This, however, is not taking responsibility for your own actions and attitudes; it's deciding that someone else has control over your life.
If you feel you are cursed, the best magickal thing to do is regularly practice a grounding or centering exercise. There is a grounding exercise from my BOS. The LBRP (Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram) is highly recommended for those with a ceremonial bent.
Here is a visualization spell to wash away negativity, when you feel you're just having a run of bad luck. Draw yourself a hot bath. Burn a purification incense such as lavender, chamomile, or sandalwood. Light a white candle and turn off the lights. Get into the bath, and just lay there, relaxing your body for a while. When you feel fully relaxed, visualize the negative energy as a black, sticky film covering your body. Visualize the hot water slowly evaporating the film into the air. As it leaves your body, it moves towards the candle flame, where it is burned away. When all the film has left your body, drain the tub while staying in it. After doing this, take a short shower. Imagine that the water pouring down on you is pure white light, showering you with positive energy.
Nope. It doesn't matter to me whether non-practitioners think magick is real, and I'm not here to perform magic tricks.
Most people when asking this question have a distorted image of magick in their heads from Hollywood or role-playing games. They want to see a specific manipulation of external reality (e.g. say this rhyme three times and all the light bulbs in your home will burst).
The knowledge that magick is real comes only from consistent, disciplined practice.