Steps to becoming a 'Witch'...

[Melody]

...Becoming a 'Witch'

These steps will take at least two years if you do them
correctly.

STEP ONE - discovering your path... Read and study. Read everything you can get
your hands on. You need to read anything that will tell you more about the
beliefs of witchcraft, magazines, books and web pages. While studying there are
other forms of the craft that help. (nature) For example you could go hiking or
go camping. Sunbathe, moonbathe, watch animals etc. This step should take you at
least 2 months.

STEP TWO - defining your path... In a notebook, folder or journal start writing
down some reasons why the craft is for you. What does being a witch mean to you?
What do you hope to achieve? How do you visualize the God and Goddess? What does
the Divine mean to you? Be honest. This notebook will become your book of
shadows.

STEP THREE - Exploring magic... Magic is simply raising and channeling energy
that is found in yourself, nature and the divine. Before you begin working with
magic you need to understand what it is. You also need to know the basic
structure of a ritual, casting circles, calling quarters, invoking the God/dess,
raising and directing energy, grounding and centering and closing the circle.
Know the moon phases. Learn to feel how the moon effects your body. Keep records
of all you have learned in your book of shadows. This step will probably take
you about another couple of months.

STEP FOUR - learning to focus... Now you should start working on meditation and
visualization exercises to increase your concentration. Learn to be calm. You
can start out by meditating at least 3 times a week for about five minutes. You
should do this for at least a month. Remember to keep a record in your book of
shadows.

STEP FIVE - working with magic... Now you can begin some basic spell work. Start
with a full moon ritual or a new moon ritual. Every witch should write her own
spells.

STEP SIX - self dedication... After you have been studying for at least five or
six months on meditating and working with magic it is time to perform a self
dedication ritual. Design it however you want. A self dedication ritual means
you are dedicating yourself to the craft.

STEP SEVEN - the year between dedication and initiation...You can initiate
yourself when you feel you are ready. The year you spend between your self
dedication and your initiation you should spend celebrating the Sabbats,
meditation, practicing your spellwork and studying. Use this time to learn about
different forms of divination, such as Tarot or Runes, and different forms of
healing, such as herbalism. Make sure you are recording in your book of shadows.

STEP EIGHT - Networking... You should spend a solitary year study after self
dedication before a witch considers joining a coven or a circle. This gives you
a full year to celebrate the cycle of Sabbats.

STEP NINE - Initiation... An initiation should be something that's meaningful to
you. The ritual should be written only by you. A coven initiation is a means of
bonding a group together. Initiation into the craft should always be a solitary
ritual. You still have to learn and practice. If you truly want to be a witch be
prepared to spend the rest of your life studying and learning about this religion.

I got these steps from ...

www.angelfire.com/realm2/amethystbt/becomeawitch.html

[Calibri]

That's fantastic AM! Thank you for that! Now I have some guidance! Blessed be!

[vermindaspirit]

2 years to become a witch, more like a life time!....Step one has a good idea about reading about the craft, but you will find that's everyones definition of being a 'witch' will be different, my advice would be to take more notice of nature, notice the different seasons, the different phases of the moon, where it rises , where it sets, all in conjunction with the season of the year, also the sun, does it rise and set at exactly the same spot on each equinox?.....Notice what plants and trees bud first, the fruit it yields, when mushrooms poke their heads up for the first time....Find out what herbs grow in the wild and what you can use them for, and what trees can help with magical and medicinal properties.....

Take notice to how you feel and why you feel the way you do...Keep a diary to recall your dreams, divination readings etc....The first thing you will need to do above anything else and that is to master meditation...Do this as often as you can, it can be quite difficult at first but in time you can master it and have great pictures and path workings in your mind.....I would say that this was more important that dealing with magic, once you can master this then you can go onto workings, but not until you are 100 % sure you want to do it, don't be rushed into anything.....

There is no law that says that you must join a coven, our ancestors and i mean our real old ones going back thousands of years would not have been in a coven, they may have had gatherings but as far as i know a coven is a 21st century invention.....

There is no rush to follow your path and certainly no time limit to do it in, iv been on my path for about 15 years now and i would say that i am still a novice, i am still learning and discovering things everyday....By all means read, and read what you can, different paths and different religions, explore it all, and question it all, in time your heart and your instincts will let you know what you need to know.....

Being on this path is a life commitment and a way of life, for many it is a fad thanks to the TV programmes like charmed and Buffy, magic has been given a new sexy image and there are too many people out there that start messing around with things they really have no understanding about....All i can say to you all is take your time, you cant put a time limit on it, it will evolve as you do and what you need to know will be revealed to you and at the right time.....V..xx...

[Calibri]

You are the master Verminda! :-)

[vermindaspirit]

Guys, i found this today and it made me think of you and this post..... ;D

Whenever possible, hold the rites in forests, seashores, mountain tops, desert plains, or near tranquil lakes or rivers, for these places are sacred. If this is not possible, a garden or inner chamber will suffice, if it is prepared in advance with fumes, flowers, and ornamentation.

Seek out wisdom in books, rare manuscripts, and cryptic poems if you wish, but more importantly, seek wisdom in the simple stone, fragile herb, in the cries of birds, and in the howls of the wild. Listen to the whisperings of the wind and rain and the roar of the water if you would discover true magick, for it is here that the Old Ones preserve the secrets of the ages.
Books contain words-trees contain wisdom and energy that books never dreamed of.True wisdom and magick comes from the living, and in the circle of life. Ever remember that the Old Ways are constantly revealing themselves to us. Therefore be as the river willow that bends and sways with the wind. That which remains changeless shall outlive its spirit, but that which evolves and grows shall shine for centuries.


There can never be a monopoly on wisdom. Therefore, share what you will of our ways with others who seek them, but hide mystic lore from the eyes of those who would destroy, for to do otherwise increases their destructive abilities.


Mock not the ways and beliefs of others, for how can you really know if yours is truly of greater wisdom or power.


Always ensure that your actions and words are honorable, for all that you do shall return to you three-fold good or bane. Remember that you are a direct representative of your religion, as you are, they will remember you and your's by.
Be weary of those who would dominate and deceive you, who would control and manipulate your workings and reverences. True reverence for the God and Goddess occurs from within. Look with suspicion on any who would twist your worship and beliefs for their own gain and glory. Welcome, though, any who worship with love and caring in their hearts.


Honor ALL living things, for we are all of the bird, the bee, the cat, and the fish. Destroy not life- Unless it is to preserve your own or the ones you love-no exceptions.
...And this is the Nature of our Ways.


Source: www.angelfire.com/realm2/amethystbt/natureofourways.html

[seleena]

Wonderful words everyone. I agree with Verminda. This is a lifetime learning. Two years - I wish. I still consider myself at step one. It is fancinating and there is so much to learn. I also agree with the meditation. Do it all the time. You will feel good. Even a couple seconds here and there helps. Relaxation and visualization are wonderful tools. Can you smell the flowers blooming in Feb? That is visualization. It is a wonderful too. Use it constantly. Start with relaxation techniques, then meditation, then move up to visualization. These tools are good for us witchy folk and for anyone wanting to get in touch with themselves.

[Calibri]

Beautiful thoughts Verminda. I definitely will be out in my woods on my mountain top! That's for sure! I am arachnophobic, so now when I see spiders in the woods (mostly daddy long legs) I just imagine they are really little fairies going about their business! LOL

[Bear the Mystic (and cuddly)]

Speaking of faeries, I was reading Sylvia Browne's book "Secrets & Mysteries of the World" last night and one of the things she mentioned was that on a trip to Ireland, she was witness to a faerie on the side of the road. Her husband at the time was of Irish descent and was like "I told you so" since he'd always talked about the faeries and little folk, etc.

[Wulfcwen]

Like anything in life you never stop learning.
All the steps mentioned tend to merge together as you read more and define your path you are working with all the other steps as well.
Your path starts off with set limits and eventually evolves with time as you learn more and grow so your path grows with you.
It is a life long process that never ends. The steps help to clarify things and give focus.

I have always been aware of faeries or little people as my mother's people came from Southern Ireland and believed in them. So my ecclectic path includes faeries as well. I have seen a faerie a long time ago but told no one as I would be considered more than a little odd or crazy.

[seleena]

We would never think of you as odd or crazy. You see faeries, I see auras. When I tell people they have colours around them, I use to get very strange looks. LOL

[angeleyes]

utterly fantastic learning spot i think i'm going to really enjoy learning about being a witch from this board
i have been trying to learn for 6 months now and i have only learnt some but i'm learning tons here Thanks you guys


Aud