Tips and Resources for Beginning Pagans, Wiccans, and Witches
How do I become Wiccan/Witch/Pagan is a common question in the pagan community, and despite the fact that there are literally hundreds of internet resources and books accessible, the new pagan seems to be more perplexed than ever. On precisely this subject, I get emails every day. So I made the decision to compile all of my recommendations in one spot to make it easier for you and for myself. Here are some resources to get you started in Wicca, witchcraft, and paganism, including introductory witchcraft literature, pagan books, Wicca materials, and easy pagan path-finding steps.
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For Beginners: Wicca, Witchcraft, & Paganism
- Books and online sources for reading and research
- Keeping a Record: A grimoire, or Book of Shadows, is a notebook or journal.
- Move outside.
- Practice: Sabbat celebrations, meditation, moon rituals, and divination
- Altar Setup: inexpensive and free suggestions, tools, etc.
1. Read & Study
You may be sick of hearing it, but there's a reason why it's always drilled into people's brains when they first start off. Wicca, witchcraft, and paganism are distinct (though occasionally merged) spiritual approaches, thus you must read to distinguish between them in terms of the fundamentals. A FaceBook group or real coven will almost always tell you that you haven't done enough prior research if you ask them what the distinctions between Wicca, Witchcraft, and Paganism are. There is information available. I swear. Go to Google. Your friend is it. You have a limitless number of free materials at your disposal. I didn't have access to the internet when I first started. I had books from secondhand shops. I also have the motivation and determination to train and pave my own way. For the new pagan, the internet makes everything SO easy!
Beginner Wicca Books
- Scott Cunningham: Wicca, A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, Living Wicca, Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, Earth Power, Wicca in the Kitchen, Etc. (Literally anything by Scott Cunningham is great for Wicca beginners!)
- Raymond Buckland: Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft, Practical Candleburning Rituals
Beginner Witchcraft Books:
- Marian Green: A Witch Alone
- Arin Murphy-Hiscock: The Green Witch, The House Witch, and the Witch’s Book of Self-Care (Murphy-Hiscock’s books are great for beginners in witchcraft who are looking for a path that isn’t religion-specific)
- Ellen Dugan: Cottage Witchery, Garden Witchery, Natural Witchery
- Christopher Penczak: The Inner Temple of Witchcraft, The Outer Temple of Witchcraft, Instant Magick, The Witch’s Shield
- Juliet Diaz: Witchery, Embrace the Witch Within
- Ambrosia Hawthorn: The Spell Book for New Witches
- Edain McCoy: A Witch’s Guide to Faery Folk, If You Want to be a Witch
- Laurie Cabot: Power of the Witch, Laurie Cabot’s Book of Shadows
- Otherworldly Oracle: Modern Witchcraft: A Beginner’s No-Nonsense Guide to the Craft (yes, I wrote this e-book)
- Judika Illes: The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells, Encyclopedia of Spirits, Encyclopedia of Mystics, Saints, and Sages
Beginner Pagan Books:
- Pagan Portals: The Awen Alone – Walking the Path of the Solitary Druid, Dancing with Nemetona, The Dagda, The Morrigan
- Joyce & River Higginbotham: Paganism: An Introduction to Earth Centered Religions
- Morgain Daimler: Irish Paganism
- Trevor Greenfield: Paganism 101
- Frank MacEowen: The Mist-Filled Path
- Galina Krasskova: A Modern Guide to Heathenry
- Patricia M. Lafayllve: A Practical Heathen’s Guide to Asatru
- DJ Conway: By Oak, Ash, & Thorn and Celtic Magic
Free Pagan and Witchy Websites for Beginners
- allorahrayne.com
- witchoflupinehollow.com
- spiritnest.com
- sarahfawnempey.com/
- patheos.com/library/pagan
- sacred-texts.com
- otherworldlyoracle.com (shameless plug)
- magicalrecipesonline.com/
- pinterest.com
Beginner Witch, Wiccan, Pagan Topics to Study
In the headline above, I used the word "study" to refer to reading, writing it down, and practicing what you have learned. I usually advise folks to study the following subjects:
- moon phases and magical associations
- the Wheel of the Year and sabbats
- the four elements
- witchcraft and pagan history: ancient pagan cultures like the Celts, Norse/Germanic tribes, Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, Slavs, etc. Witch Trials in the Medieval Ages, Salem Witch Trials, famous witches, etc.
- gods and goddesses: Rhiannon, Hecate, Anubis, The Morrigan, Cernunnos, Thoth, Anubis, Freya, Odin, Aphrodite etc.
- Magical protection: cleansing, warding, banishing, binding and reversals
- ancestors
- candle magic
- divination: tarot, runes, oracle cards, pendulum use, mirror scrying, etc.
- mythology
- Fairies, elementals and genius loci
- crystals: crystal magick, healing, etc.
- Dreams: lucid dreaming, astral projection, astral travel
- herbs: magical and medicinal use
2. Keep a Record
You need to read and study, but you also need to keep a journal. This means that your spiritual journal can be kept in a cheap spiral notebook, a lovely journal, a composition book, or whatever else you choose (a.k.a. grimoire or Book of Shadows). Your spiritual path, as well as fundamental magical information, spells, sabbats, and other things, are all recorded in the Book of Shadows, or grimoire. You can make it as orderly and thorough as you wish. Or, if you're like me, you can just jot down ideas as they come to you and refer to your grimoire later. I know it's not the most efficient method, but hey, I'm a Sagittarius. Do whatever suits you best. But make a note of it! This will give you a chronological account of your journey as well as the ability to review your notes. Some people prefer keeping their documents in a three-ring binder with page protectors since it is more streamlined and convenient.
3. Get Outside
Mother Earth is emphasized in the majority of pagan paths. We learn about nature, create shrines to honor it, and devise ceremonies that incorporate it. Time to venture outside... in nature! As often as you can, get outside—it will help you find your new direction. Take strolls through the park or the neighborhood. Sit on your balcony and have coffee in the morning. Go for a walk while you're at work. In your spare time? Step outside. Go outside when you're stressed. Simply going outside and taking everything in with all of your senses can teach you so much. Keep an eye out for various insects and animals. Where are the moon and sun? Do you notice any distinctive bushes, flowers, or trees? Do you notice the wind rustling the trees? Birds? How do you feel? Keep track of any important things that happen outside. These circumstances are occasionally messages from the universe.
4. Practice
Without practice and actually doing something, you'll never become an expert at it. right? Witchcraft, Wicca, and Paganism all operate in the same manner. Many people are reluctant to actually give it a try but would like to read, study, and write about it. Test it out. Wicca and Paganism are nothing to be afraid of, even though a new spiritual path or religion can be scary at first. They are highly active spiritual pathways, so getting up off the sofa and putting what you've learned into practice can bring you more rewards!
Beginner Pagan & Wiccan Rituals to Try:
- A simple candle spell
- Make a protection spell bag
- Make a magical herb-infused oil
- Set up an altar to honor a new god or goddess
- Divination like tarot, oracle, runes, scrying
- Give offerings to your new god or goddess
- Cleansing herbal bath on the New or Waning Moon
- Plan and start a new tradition on the next Sabbat
Helpful Magical Tools for the Beginner Pagan
To begin with, tools are there to assist you in focusing and amplifying your energy. Some practitioners will claim that you hold all the power and that the instruments have no power. Because I am an animist and I think that objects like herbs, crystals, animals, etc. have their own awareness and can channel their power to become stronger when they are used in magic or rituals, I won't tell you that. Having said that, you are not required to possess ANY tools. The universe and your inner force are both abundant! Remember that you can locate the most of these at the dollar or grocery store or in your backyard, woodland, or on the beach!
- Candles: votives, tapers, bell candles, tealights, etc. (white is an all-purpose color that can be substituted for any other color)
- Chalice: literally like a wine cup or stemmed champaigne glass works great, if you don’t want to splurge on an expensive one!
- Jars and bottles: save your old spaghetti sauce and pickle jars. Clean them and re-use them to store your herbs and curios. PLUS learn how to do jar spells.
- Athame: I used an old wood-handle kitchen knife for YEARS. Doesn’t need to be fancy.
- Bowls and Baskets: to hold offerings on your altar or to use when you harvest herbs and other natural items (Dollar Store and thrift stores or what you have on hand); bowls can also hold water and salt (to represent elements water and earth for Wicca)
- Stones & Crystals: lots of people love crystals and stones but you don’t need to buy all the sparklies to use them in your magick or on your altar – simply use a river stone, a piece of coral from the beach, or a rock from some place you feel drawn to!
- Herbs: grow your own easily in a sunny windowsill or in your own garden (all you need is a bag of soil and some seeds…truly) or buy from the grocery store (your kitchen spice cabinet is FULL of magical ingredients!)
- Incense & Incense Burner: find sticks or cones and burners at a local store for cheap (5 Below, Health Food Stores, etc.)
- Other Natural Items (FREE): feathers, branches, flowers, shark’s teeth, bones, roots, seashells, pinecones, acorns, seed pods, etc.
5. Set Up Your Altar
Most of the items on your altar can be found in nature or purchased for cheap... or even made! You don't need a huge table or cabinet; a shelf on your bookshelf will do, as will a portion of your kitchen counter. If you live with someone who doesn't understand or condone your pagan path, you can always start a "portable altar." This shrine is maintained in a box beneath the bed or in the closet and can be removed whenever you feel comfortable, such as when you go to the nearby park. There won't be any inquiries because it won't be on display for everyone to see. Additionally, you get the benefit of taking it with you on trips (depending on the size of it).
I advise deciding what your altar should do for you. Are you paying homage to a particular god or goddess? Your forebears? Is it merely the cosmos or the earth, per se? Do you wish to completely eliminate the god/goddess concept and only use it for magical effects? Determine what you want the altar for (this can always change over time, too). Then include elements in it that serve your purposes. the four elements represented by objects (water, salt, stones, seashells, feathers, candles, incense, etc). Perhaps a picture of the deity you worship. Or a statue if you want to go all out. Is it only used for meditation or for magic? You can decorate your altar with candles, jars, bottles, mirrors, and other items. In other words, you can literally put anything on it! Nobody is denying it to you. The wonderful aspect of paganism is that.
It’s a Learning Process!
Again, this is practice; none of it needs to be flawless! Even the most seasoned witch or pagan still makes mistakes, and you are a beginning. We are after all human. The important thing is to own your error and make an effort to grow from it in order to avoid repeating it. But even if you succeed, the world or your god or goddess will most likely send you a message to prompt you to work more harder the next time! Any real witch will tell you that practicing witchcraft and practicing paganism are lifelong pursuits that call for a lifetime of self-education and tenacity. Ask individuals who have been practicing paganism for more than fifty years, and I can assure you they are still growing! Run screaming away from anyone in the pagan community who acts like they have all the answers. Take your time as you follow your own route.
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