Hi (°v°)

I'm new here and I'm currently going through a transisitionary phase. I have many questions that I don't know where else to ask except behind a username and in a seemingly acceptingly atmosphere I have many questions revolving mostly around Wicca. I'll number them.
1)do I need a book of shadows.
2)can my BOS be digital or is that supposed to be physical?
3)do half the spells here apply to me/work?
4)do I need to go to wiccachurch?
5)if someone asks me what my religion is, do I say I'm a witch or wicca or what?
6)it sounds like everything I could possibly want out of a religion, but will people start disliking me for it?
7)general advise?
8)is the pentacle/star thingy the religious representational symbol,or is that something else?
9)is spell craft even nessisary? Id like to do it but I don't know the limitations or what I should do with it besides general goodness.
10)how was your day and what's your favorite non alcoholic drink?
Thank you.

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This thread has been moved to Wicca from Welcome.

Hello and welcome to SoM!

I will do my best to answer some of your questions.

1) Do I need a book of shadows?

A book of shadows is recommended, but not required. Most people like to record their favorite spells, rituals, and other information. But it's usually personal preference.

2) Can my BOS be digital or is that supposed t be physical?

That's entirely up to you. Hand writing information has always helped me remember that information more than typing it and reading it on a screen. Do what works best for you.

3) Do half the spells here apply to me/work?

Depends on the spell, but most likely they will not work. Many spells on here are classified as "fantasy spells" which are only fictional. If you learn what magic really is and how it works, you'll be able to find the legitimate spells much easier.

4)Do I need to go to wicca church ?

I don't think such a place exists. You also don't have to be in a coven to practice Wicca. Many practitionersare Solitary.

5) If someone asks me what my religion is, do I say I'm a witch or wicca or what?

Wicca is a religion. A Witch is someone who practices witchcraft, which is not exclusive to Wicca. But, if someone random were to ask you that, you don't have to tell them anything. You don't have to share what religion you follow with anyone if you don't want to.

6) It sounds like everything I could possibly want out of a religion, but will people start disliking me for it?

Possibly. Depends on where you live. More often than not, people don't care.

7) General advise?

Never stop researching and learning new things. Always cross-reference your sources.

8) Is the pentacle/star thingy the religious representational symbol,or is that something else?

The pentacle in Wicca usually represents the five elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit. So, you could wear it as a religious symbol if you wanted to. Again, personal preference.

9) Is spell craft even necessary? I'd like to do it but I don't know the limitations or what I should do with it besides general goodness.

Before you start casting spells, you should learn the "basics" of magic. Learn what magic can and cannot do. There are many helpful threads about the Basics pinned in the "General Info" forum section.

My knowledge on Wicca is a bit rusty since I haven't been a Wiccan for a while now, but I hope I helped a bit.

I will answer these questions from my own perspective, and with what very limited knowledge I have of Wicca.

1)do I need a book of shadows.

Not necessarily. The purpose of the Book of Shadows is just a journal of your practice, whether it is strictly related to magic or whether it is related to your religious practice.

Since you are asking more specifically about Wicca: If your coven suggests you have one, then I would think it's a good idea to seek guidance from them rather than some stranger online, as I am.

At the very least, it will help you track your progress, keep track of what kind of work you have done when, reference things you have studied, record epiphanies during meditation, or whatever you choose.

2)can my BOS be digital or is that supposed to be physical?

Again, my opinion: It can be whatever you want.
I prefer a physical notebook, since having a computer on during my practices is very distracting. It is easy to jot down notes without disrupting my environment with a glaring screen. There are fewer options to draw my attention, such as web browsers, notifications which may be waiting, vibrations of incoming messages, or what have you, depending on exactly which device is being used.

3)do half the spells here apply to me/work?

A lot of the spells on this site are likely not realistic. The fantasy and trick sections are there for entertainment only, and to draw traffic to this site.

4)do I need to go to wiccachurch?

If you choose to follow Wicca, it may be easier to progress in a coven, where you can share ideas with other Wiccans. These days, however, many Wiccans are solitary practitioners. There are plenty of great suggestions in this section (the Wicca section on SoM) for learning the specifics of the religion.

Since the thread was moved here: If you have chosen Wicca, that is great. If you think you must be Wiccan to use magic or study the occult, that is not the case. Wicca is a specific religion under the umbrella classification of Paganism. Although part of its practices may be related to magic, it is not the only option you have.

5)if someone asks me what my religion is, do I say I'm a witch or wicca or what?

If you choose to follow Wicca, that answer may be up to you. The religion you are following would be Wicca. You could call yourself Wiccan, or a witch if you like, or a Pagan, and probably many other titles besides.

6)it sounds like everything I could possibly want out of a religion, but will people start disliking me for it?

There are people who will absolutely despise you for following a path other than their own choosing. Do not let that get to you. There are far too many people in this world who want nothing more than to control the lives of others according to the decisions they make for their own lives, even when they are deceived into thinking they are not doing so.

Do what you know is right for you.

7)general advise?

I have none at the moment. You have found a good community with a diverse range of members from differing backgrounds, who will answer questions honestly.

8)is the pentacle/star thingy the religious representational symbol,or is that something else?

The pentagram has been used in many cultures throughout history. Wicca uses it for its own reasons, and not being Wiccan, I cannot answer this question thoroughly.

I do know that it is seen as a symbol for protection.

But no: It is not specific to Wicca.

9)is spell craft even nessisary? Id like to do it but I don't know the limitations or what I should do with it besides general goodness.

Casting spells is not a necessity, from what I have heard. There are Wiccans who choose not to cast spells, but only follow the religion and its rites.

10)how was your day and what's your favorite non alcoholic drink?

My day was surprisingly boring. It is the busiest day of the week at my job, but as I am leaving next week, my three replacements are undergoing some intensive training, so I have been asked to stand down from doing all of their work.

My favorite alcoholic drink is not so specific, but I can enjoy a nice whisky, neat.

1)do I need a book of shadows.

you don't really need abything, but if you had one tool, i think a BoS is the best thing. it's a personal notebook of your craft. you would decorate it as you wish and fill it with important information like definitions, spells, rituals, successes, herbs, crystals, and whatever else you find important information for your path. if you want to buy a book on herbalism, a book on crystals, a book on Sabbats, and a book of spells, you could, but you might find you wish to make notes and observations, and/or want all this information in one place. [please note, it doesn't have to be a physical book. these days many pagans have digital BoS so if you want one on your phone or computer you can do that too]

2)can my BOS be digital or is that supposed to be physical?

whatever works for you. personally i like having a physical book, but i know many witches today want a digital copy so do what works for you.

3)do half the spells here apply to me/work?

apply to you? don't know. you might want love spells today but in a year be all about luck spells. regarding how well they work, not all of them do. there are quite a few that were posted by people who either don't know how real magick works, or thought this was a role-playing site and posting spells form books/movies. [avoid the Trick and Fantasy sections for now until you have a better grasp on 'real' and 'fake' spells]

4)do I need to go to wiccachurch?

lol, while there's a plae called 'the first church of wicca' [it's in canada, don't know about anywhere else] there isn't really a 'wicca church'. wiccans have whats known as 'circle'. we cast a sacred circle which then creates a middle ground [so to speak] where we can talk to the Gods. this would be our version of church. its not a building [though if you do join a coven you might go to peoples houses. there's also stores which hold circle and they have either an upstairs or rent a hall but it's not the building, it's the circle casting]

5)if someone asks me what my religion is, do I say I'm a witch or wicca or what?

you say what you feel you should say. if you like the term 'wiccan' you say 'i'm wiccan' if you prefer 'witch' go with witch. if you're not comfortable telling someone, just shrug it off and say either 'not sure', or 'don't see how it matters' or whatever. if you're under the legal age of adulthood, you only need to tell your parents [if you're an adult, or you're talking to anyone else, you don't have to say anything]

6)it sounds like everything I could possibly want out of a
religion, but will people start disliking me for it?

they might. as long as you're happy, that's what counts. i converted when i was in high school, and honestly i haven't had many bad experiences with others about my faith. my family falls somewhere between either 'don't know', 'don't care' or 'i wish this phase would end' [grandparents lol] but they still love me, we just don't talk religion. everyone at my work knows, and my old manager asked for a list of my holidays so she could give me the time off. really the only bad experiences i've had are with devout christians and strangers who don't understand. but i was never physically or emotionally hurt, one time my coven had a circle in the park and a woman threatened to call the cops on us, another time we had it in the woods [public trails] and some teen boys trashed our circle and mocked us [so we did the not so wiccan thing of chase them down and throw rocks at their car] and one youth minister banned us from ever returning to youth club.

7)general advise?

research and reflect before pinning a label to yourself. the first chapter of 'what is Wicca' might sound cool, but chapter two might bring a little dullness, and by chapter three you might realize you should follow a different pagan path. so really focus on the year and a day ceremony before coming out of the broom closet to anyone. take this time getting to know yourself and the path. write a list of your beliefs, as well as what you find 'harmful behaviour' then put the list away for 3-4 months, take it out, read over and revise it as needed, then put it away for another 3-4 months, repeat until the year is up and by that point you should have somewhat solid footing in what you believe. this is also a great time to start getting into daily routines like mediating, or journalling.

8)is the pentacle/star thingy the religious representational symbol,or is that something else?

lol, yes the star thingie is used by witches, but it's not just wiccans who use it, anyone in the pagan umbrella has been known to use the pentacle. it's merely a protection symbol [and represents the elements] it's not evil. you can also use many other symbols depending on your path, there's symbols for the elements as well as the Goddess and the God [most notably the Triple Goddess's moon phase symbol )O( ]

9)is spell craft even necessary? Id like to do it but I don't know the limitations or what I should do with it besides general goodness.

read the pinned threads in the General Info section for more information on spells, but you don't have to cast them. it's like saying 'i want to be a christian because i want to say lots of prayers' it's just one part of the whole. [and not very important in the grand scheme of things] magick is simply a natural, neutral energy witches connect with, charge, and direct on a path to bring a desired change through spellwork. while casting the spell, you give the energy a positive [white] or negative [black] charge. thing is, the world is made up of grey, so there really isn't a '100% good' or '100% evil' spell. you need to reflect and decide if it's right based on your personal beliefs. [and the limits of magick is limited by the law of nature. we are humans, naturally unable to fly, therefore no spell will make us fly. we can use this energy to effect the energy around a situation and create the change we are working towards like making our crush like us, but we cannot make them appear at our door claiming they love us]

10)how was your day and what's your favorite non alcoholic drink?

days just begun, i just woke up about half an hour ago, kettle just boiled so i'm about to have some tea, watch a little youtube, then meditate/stretch and head off to work, so hopefully the day will be aces [sundays are usually slow at work so i'll probably clean] favourite non-alcoholic drink? hmm... i am a big tea drinker, and i drink a lot of water... i'd say Kool-Ade but i'm trying to cut down on my sugar intake. [also, i rarely drink alcohol, too expensive and pointless imo, but there too i go for the sweet stuff, or sour puss]

Your over thinking it. Being Wicca is entirely up to what it means to you and no body here will ever tell you what to do or not to do.

1) Nope, though they are helpful to have because they act basically like a personal journal on magical topics. They are an excellent journal of the things you have learned and experienced, and can be used to reference yourself later if you wanted to remember something you have done before.

2) it can be anywhere you want it. Physical books can be more fun because you can add more than just words to it. you can draw sketches, copy sigils circles and other symbols you have found to be personally significant, you can press examples of herbs and other plants between the pages for reference, and the like.

3)A lot of the spells are rather fluffy, as I am sure many people would attest. Also, as spells rely on personal symbols and understandings, it can be difficult to find a spell that would be 'exact' for you. However many of the spells can be traated as good templates, where you can take them apart to help understand the process behind the spell. Then you can use that to learn how to either adapt a spell to your own style, or to build a new one entirely. Magic is all about doing what is personally significant so you can invest yourself into the process. *as a quick note, some information that would be more trustworthy would be articles on historical information. Such as information about the different gods and histories of the different wiccan branches. Also, rites related to the ways of honoring the deities you connect with also tend to be more reliable as they are usually based on documented historical practice.

4) Nope, technically there isn't such a thing as a wicca 'church'. The path you walk can be solitary if you wish, or if you can join up with a local community or circle, you can do that too. most groups are pretty individual in their way of doing things as well. Some are loose-knit friends who get together once and a while to share ideas. others have a structured practice with weekly or monthly gatherings, formal opening and closing rituals, and the like. So look around, meet people, and see what works for you.

5) Say whatever you want really. You can say you are an cclectic, That you practice wicca, that you are neo-pagan, practice hedonism or Hellenism, or whatever you feel comfortable with saying- even if it is nothing at all. Usually people identify themselves with the specific branch of practice, or by what deities/pantheon they recognise and work through. Or by what historical tradition they follow/mimic.

6) It is possible. Always remember that you are always dealing with people, and every person has their own morals, ideas,understanding, and judgements. In general, society has moved on from most of the stigmas and hatred. but there are still individuals that hold on to their negative views. So, lke anthing else, just use the best judgement you can in guaging who you talk to about the path you choose. if you feel uncomfortable about it, then it is alright to keep your silence. In fact, it is often a mark of wisdom.

7) Take your time, learn things one step at a time. Start with studying before you practice. read, read, read, and read some more. Any book you can get your hands on. Learn about the history and practices of the pathyou choose, the nature of symbolism, meditation, energy working, folktales and lore, and as many other topics as you can that relate to you and your niterests. And remember that this is a journey, not a switch. there are no instant answers or 'magic solutions' to life. It will be a lifelong process of learning, making mistakes, learning more, gaining experiences, forming questions, getting a few answers, having them create even more questions, discovering things that will make you re-evaluate your whole path and maybe even start over from scratch, learn again, and so on. Tr yto not be in a rush to 'have all the answers'.

8)The pentagram/pentacle is both a religious symbol, and also a magical tool. The star is symbolic of the five elements of energy (earth air fire water spirit) being brought together within the one and is the most commonly used symbol as both a talisman for protection, a symbol of one's practice, and also a symbol used within the performing of magical practice. ... I guess in a roundabout, loose sort of way it is comparable to the Christian cross that way. You can use it as a personal symbol of your practice if you want, but it is not a requirement. There are many other symbols to choose from.

9) Working magic is indeed unnecessary. The general consensus is that the purpose behind walking a spiritual path is to grow and better yourself as a person. For some, that includes the working of magic to connect with spiritual entities and guides. For others, it is about studying the different cycles and habits of man and nature, and observing the connections between them then applying those patterns into everyday life. For still others, it might be something as simple as fostering a sense of wonder and awe towards the world.

10) My day has been quite good actually (despite having to be at work on a weekend :-P). And I would say my favorite non-alcoholic liquid treat would be what I affectionately call a 'My Kind-a Mocha!'. Go to any coffee shop (tim hortons, dunkin doughnuts, etc) and have them take a large cup, throw in four shots of espresso, four or five scoops of sugar, then fill it the rest of the way with hot chocolate. Otherwise, my vice of choice is Pepsi. ^_^