Lately, (I have given this much thought) I have wanted to study Wicca, or in other words, the study of witchcraft. Is there any possible way for me to do this without it becoming my religion? I don't want to be super serious about it, but I find the study of herbal remedies, the moon phases, and conjured 'magi ck' quite fascinating.
I suggest starting with a good book before moving any further. "The Book of Runes" by Ralph Blum and "The Rites and Rituals of Traditional Witchcraft" by Tony Steele to name a few.
Wicca and Witchcraft are NOT necessarily the same. Lots of Wiccans do not practice Witchcraft and many Witches and Craft practitioners are not Wiccan.
Wicca was developed by Gerald Gardiner and made public in the 1940s.
Witchcraft is as old as humanity.
Wicca *is* a religion. You can be a Wiccan without practicing magic, and you can practice magic without being Wiccan. Nothing will happen, though. Magic isn't real.
I think you may be a bit confused regarding the religion of Wicca. Although Wicca is a religion, it is mainly for people who are seeking a new way of life. In fact, some vicunas don't practice witchcraft at all. When I was first introduced to the occult I immediately though about becoming Wicca; but then I found out that you don't need to become a Wicca to do witchcraft. Wicca is a religion founded in the 1960s - most of the famous and powerful occultists were born and lived much before that time period; Alister Crowley, Maters, and Franz Bardon to name a few.
There's lots of books that would help you, just search for Occult or New Age books and you'll get LOTS of books that would help you. There's a book that I HIGHLY recommend, in fact it is so powerful and easy that it's well known to serious occults as well as the common "armchair" magicians. You can find it free on line, in PDF format; it's called New Avatar Power. Sadly, it's very hard to buy in book format. Here's the PDF link though:
http://www.mediafire.com/?wzjjzntyw2z
Here's a good forum site, but be warned that it's for "advanced" magicians; but you can find lots of info on the occult (in fact, it's one of the most informative occult sites on the Internet).
http://www.evocationmagic.com
Edit: A person above me recommended a book called "The Book of Runes"; I have that book...but you can find many more runes books that are better - Ralph Blum's books aren't anywhere as good as Thorsson's.
The occult has made my life rich and joyful, I hope it will do the same for you too.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me; always happy to help!
I respect your sincerity, and if we could sit down and talk I suspect we would at least agree that each of us has a spiritual nature within us that yearns for something greater than ourselves. Centuries ago, a great philosopher called this a "God-shaped vacuum" we each have within us.
But where did this vacuum in our hearts come from? The Bible says that God put it there?and the reason He did was so that we would seek Him and come to know Him in a personal way. You and I have a soul that yearns for God; as the Bible says, God "has also set eternity in the hearts of men" (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
But the Bible tells us something else very important. It tells us there is a barrier between us and God?a barrier we cannot overcome on our own. The reason is because this barrier that separates us from God was caused by our sin. Our greatest need is to have our sins forgiven, and this is something no amount of meditation or similar practice can overcome.
Only God can erase this barrier?and this is why Jesus Christ came into the world. He was God in human flesh, sent from heaven to save us from our sins. Don't be deceived by paths that promise to unite you with God but don't deal with your sins. Instead, by faith commit your life to Jesus Christ and trust Him alone for your salvation. Only then will you discover the joy and peace you are seeking.
First of all, to clear things up, witchcraft is not the same thing as Wicca. Wicca is a pagan religion that centers around a God and Goddess and celebrates the cycle of the seasons. Witchcraft, despite popular misconception, is not a religion but is a craft available to anyone of any faith.
Herbal remedies aren't necessarily witchcraft... herbalism is a scientific healing art and you can take classes to train to be an herbalist and herbal healer. Herbs can be USDA in magi ck and a know edge of herbalism is helpful for witches.
Moon phases... again, not magical, but certainly helpful for some types of witchcraft.
-Scarlet
What you want is Witchcraft or folk magic. Generally speaking, Wicca includes a religious element, although the posters on this site could argue endlessly over just what that means.
That said, despite the claims that Wiccans don't practice Witchcraft, almost every beginner book on Wicca is 80% Witchcraft practice, so there is information there. I've found that some of the best material for practicing the Craft isn't in the "Occult" section of the bookstore. The key factor is making the connection from microcosm to macrocosm. IE. When I read in a Lesley Bremess book that a particular herb is good for, say, the throat, I can extrapolate that it will be good for helping in speech and communication.
Almanacs are your friend, and not just the ones with big shiny pentagrams on the cover.
"I have wanted to study Wicca, or in other words, the study of witchcraft."
No Wicca is not, in other words, witchcraft. Wicca and witchcraft are 2 different things
"Is there any possible way for me to do this without it becoming my religion?"
There is no way to become a member of the religion named Wicca without Wicca becoming your religion.
"I don't want to be super serious about it, but I find the study of herbal remedies, the moon phases, and conjured 'magi ck' quite fascinating."
If you want to study herbalism and the moon go right ahead, but one must take magi ck seriously if one plans on practicing it. You certainly wouldn't say "I plan on trying to perform open heart surgery but I don't plan on being super serious about studying medicine" would you?
Its the only way to learn, and as a Wiccan who's been practicing for 20 some years, I'm still learning.
Just because you want to learn, and open your mind to new experience and information, doesn't mean you have to embrace the religion..it just means your open minded enough to want to know more.
Good for you!
A lot of Pol think "witchcraft" and automatically think evil and devil worship...and that just isn't the case.
Were ordinary people who chose to see beyond the boundaries of Christianity and embrace the Goddess...its a beautiful religion, full of old knowledge and empowerment, not to mention it helps to encourage your untapped potential.
I myself, study herbal medicine, its a fascinating and helpful skill to learn.
Good luck on your journey, and the Brightest of Blessings to you and yours!
I can relate to your question very much. When I first started out on my magical path, I was drawn to herbs and oils more than anything else. I was perfectly happy with my religion at the time, yet all the books I found focused more on Wicca than witchcraft.
All the books I'm about to mention can be found on amazon.com for a very low price; sometimes less than half the retail price! Its hard to find them at a regular bookstore, though.
This book was the first I ever found that focused on magic rather than Wicca; I still use it as a reference today: Natural Magick by Sally Dubats. To this day, it is one of my favorite beginner books. It has herbal info, stone/crystal info, and it gives the basics on divination and candle work.
Grimoire for the Green Witch by Ann Moura is another great reference book. It has all of the information Natural Magick has, plus planetary,mediation's, info on vigils, and a lot more. To be honest, if you can only get one book, this gives the most bang for your buck. Also, there is a good chance you could find it at a regular bookstore.
Once you've become comfortable with herbs, this book can help you make and develop recipes: The Complete Book of Incense, Oils, and Brews by Scott Cunningham. I wish he didn't get preachy ever once in awhile about how magic should be used, but once you get passed that, he's got great magical recipes.
Anyone of those books is a great start for someone who wants to learn more about witchcraft.
If you ever want to look into an on line community that focuses on witchcraft but not Wicca, here's one:
To officially become a witch/Wiccan, most believe that one has to study the religion for at least a year and one day. So, if you study/do spells/follow the ways of the Old for a year and one day, and decide you don't like it, so be it! Move on and find something that works for YOU. But, if you study for a year and one day to find that you felt as if you've "come home" then you can officially become one with a ritual you can do either by yourself, or with the help of other Wiccans.
Witchcraft is indeed SO so fascinating. I love being caught up in all of the magical ways of the universe, the way it works, and its people. For me, it truly feels like I have found what has been missing in my life for so long: comfort, acceptance, and the sense of peace in myself and the world around me.
Feel free to email me if you have any questions or if you would like further advice
Wicca is a religion-- it is service to our Gods and the way we live our lives.
If you are interested in Witchcraft, herbal remedies, moon phases, etc... you do not need to be Wiccan.
In fact, none of that stuff in itself is Wiccan-- all that stuff Prue-dates Wicca. It's been part of many religions and many cultures, not exclusively Wiccan.
You should probably stop worrying about Wicca since you are not looking for religion because that's what Wicca is, first and foremost.
Study of Witchcraft/Wicca?
