Must you be initiated?

I am performing my own "dedication" ritual tonight at midnight. :)

I am doing it for myself, and nobody else. It will help me formally bond to my new religion, and put the past behind me.

I have not had an initiation, but I am a solitary witch, and I am not able to get out of the house as much as I would like. I am hoping my kidneys get better, and that will change.

For now, the dedication is the best I can do, but I am happy with it. The Gods know my heart, and know I am serious about my dedication. That is what's important to me. :)

Initiation really does a number of things. First, it makes you an official member of that particular group. If you are going to study a particular path that requires initiation, such as Gardnerian, than you would need to participate in that initiation. The second thing it does is connect you to the egregore of that that group or order. This allows you to tap into the energy of the group and to connect to thought forms or god forms that the group has pumped energy into since its creation. This can be of great benefit in your practice. The third thing that initiation does, if done properly, is open you up to the higher levels of spiritual awakening. This in my opinion is the most important part of initiation. This connection to the higher levels, whether you call it spirit, the higher self, or what ever, is a huge boost to your work.

Now, is it possible to practice magic and follow a set of beliefs without initiation? Absolutely. Obviously you would not want to claim to be a member of a tradition that requires initiation. I have met many very competent witches and magicians who were not initiated, and many who were initiated that were useless. If initiation is taken, but the work on yourself is not done, then the initiation is a waste of time. But if you are not initiated, yet you work hard and study, practice daily and train yourself, you can be successful in magical practices.

Wicca is a very broad category. No one can really say that you are not a true wiccan because that definition is going to vary almost from person to person. Yes, some people can be harsh, but that is their shortcoming. In the end, what matters is does it work for you? If it does, great! If it doesn't, change it.

As always, just my thoughts.

This has been mentioned by the other comments certain traditions do require that you be initiated by the priest/ess of the coven. However in Wicca we are our own priest/ess, also how else could witches away from civilization have been initiated.

Merry Meet,

Scott Cunningham made a good point "If a witch can only be initiated by another witch, why initiated the first?"

In my opinion being from a line of witches or being in a coven doesn't make you a witch just as going to church doesn't make you Christian. It's what you do with your knowledge, how you live your life, that makes you one. I know plenty of solitaries, and since my coven disbanded I usually go to public coven meetings in my area when I have the chance. Though, to study certain types, like BTW, you need to be initiated because they don't tend to teach non members.

So no, you do not need to be initiated into a coven, however, one should do a dedication ceremony to the Lord and Lady. Also, the concept of a "true Wiccan" is one that has been debated for a while. A "true Wiccan" to me is someone who lives their path and follows the Rede to the best of their understanding. Some have claimed only "True Wiccans" are vegans who meditate for hours, don't drink, smoke, do drugs, and work in some type of conservation effort like Greenpeace. For some, that's attainable. For me, I compost, I try to eat a balanced diet, I've adopted all my animals. Point is you should reflect on what it means to be a "true Wiccan" from your view. Joining a coven is fine for some, but think of it like this, in three generation of Wiccans, will your grandchild be asked for his paperwork to prove he's Wiccan?

Blessed Be.

I like that Tadishi. I agree completely!

Ha, typo, I meant "who initiated the first witch" not why. Silly me. Sorry if any confusion.

But we're not talking about Witches here, we're talking about Wiccans. And we do know who initiated the first Wiccans, it was Gerald Gardner.

1 . Must you be initiated to be a 'true' Wiccan?'

The answer to that is that it depends. In British Traditional Wicca which includes such Traditions as Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Central Valley Wicca, Kingstone, etc the answer is that one has to be properly initiated by a lineaged High Priestess in order to be considered Wiccan. You might find the article at http://www.spellsofmagic.com/read_posts.html?post=609224 helpful in understanding this point of view.

However, as I said in that article, it is my opinion that the term "Wiccan" has meant something other than British Traditional Wicca for so long that we can no longer confine it to British Traditional Wicca and the beliefs and practices of that Tradition.

So in my opinion (And some other practicioners of British Traditional Wicca will disagree) One no longer has to be initiated in order to claim the tile of Wiccan.

But as a caveat here, some books will talk about self-initiation. In my opinion this is a very inaccurate term. You cannot initiate yourself. Initiation requires someone to initiate you and a specific group to be initiated into. What the books are actually talking about and what is a far more accurate term, is a self-dedication where you make certain promises that you are pledging yourself to Wiccan practices.

2. Is it OK to learn from books?

I believe that it is. However, it is a good idea to realize that there are a lot of bad books out there on Wicca from very unreliable authors. So it pays to check with other knowledgeable Wiccans you encounter as to whether a book you're considering is a good book or not.

3. Are Solitary Wiccans equal to those that have been initiated?

As I already mentioned, the answer to this depends largely on who you ask. But the fact of the matter is that these days there are more Solitary Wiccans out there than there are practicing in covens. I would view a Solitary Wiccan as a legitimate path. And I would not question their right to follow it. Some Solitary Wiccans I do consider to be easily the equal of any initiated Wiccan that I know. However, there are a lot of Solitary Wiccans out there who read the good parts of a book or two and have very poor understanding of what it means to be Wiccan, nor do they want to learn any better even when assistance is offered. I would have a hard time accepting such as that as equal to someone who has dedicated time and work to achieve the kind of knowledge expected of an initiate.

If so what would you even do if you don't go to public places or join a coven around your area because maybe you just don't know anyone that is Wiccan? Maybe someone is very shy and has a hard time going to any kind of public functions, big or small. Or is it honestly okay to learn from books, and be a solitary. Are Solitary Wiccans just as equal as Wiccans that have been initiated in a local coven? Is initiation even required at all? I've also heard people do self initiation by themselves when being a solitary, is this just as right as being initiated by a high priestess? I would love to hear what all of you have to say about all these questions

I have had many conversations with (traditional) Wiccans about initiation, and most would agree that a Solitary may very well live the Wiccan way of life,honour the Horned God, and the Goddess, but they can never know the real ceremonies and rituals of Wicca; because some of these are so secret that only the real initiate can take part.Elder Wiccans I have met have allowed me to witness one or two rituals; but not the secret ones!

Being a solitary witch myself, I really wish there were more people close to me that I could rely on for help. Sadly, most people I know are either Christian or Atheist. So, I'm forced to do everything on my own.

My nephew is Wiccan, but he lives over 1,000 miles away from me, and I never see him. He has helped me online with some things, but that's the only help I have received. I have no one living close to me that is Wiccan. Plus, I am disabled, and can't get out as much as I used to.

I wish all the people like me could get together to teach one another. :)