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Magick. Witchcraft. Pentacles. Covens. Rituals. Where do I even start? Good news! Becoming a Wiccan is simple, easy, and fun! There are numerous ways you can get started on your own. Let’s look at how to get started with Wicca.
Research
The first and easiest thing to do is research online. You’re reading here, which is a great start. There are tons of excellent resources available online for free.
To get started, join our community
! After you sign up, you’ll receive our free “Intro to Wicca” guide in your email.
After that, check out some of our guides for beginners:
- Wiccan Beliefs for Beginners
- Basic Altar Setup
- Wiccan Holidays and Their Meanings
- The 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief
- Crystal Magick for Beginners
- An Introduction to Wiccan Herbs
Don’t feel intimidated about what you should or shouldn’t read about. Anything and everything is ok. It’s also fine to not be interested in a subject, or not to understand a subject! Simply follow your interests. It’s perfectly ok to disagree with things you read, or to be confused by them.
Your research is exploratory, so feel free to read whatever you like and analyze it critically. What did you like? What did you dislike? What seems confusing? Just read and learn and explore.
Wicca is not a top-down religion where you’re told what to think. It’s all about self-study and critical thinking. Create a small Wiccan library for yourself at home. It’s traditionally said that one should study Wicca for a year and a day before formally deciding to join the craft. So there’s no such thing as too much reading!
To get started with Wicca, you can do the following things:
- Build your altar
- Start your Book of Shadows
- Explore Wiccan deities
- Celebrate Wiccan symbols
- Connect with other Wiccans and witches
- Celebrate Wiccan holidays (sabbats)
- Visit a local occult store
- Research anything and everything
1. Build your Altar
You can also build an altar and start collecting some Wiccan tools. This will solidify your Wiccan interest within your home and allow you to start performing some rituals or spells if you like. Most altars typically include things like colored candles, incense, smudge sticks, crystals, salt, essential oils, etc.
Since Wicca is all about convening with nature, altars can also include meaningful natural materials you might find outdoors like acorns or shells.
It may seem overwhelming to build a new altar from scratch. A good way to start can be to research altar supplies one at a time. You can study one tool, learn how it’s used, then purchase and start using it in isolation. Then move on to other tools. Alternatively, you could also buy an altar kit which will provide you with several items that you’ll need to get started.
2. Start your Book of Shadows
A Book of Shadows is basically a repository for everything you learn on your Wiccan journey. Record spells you learn, journal your insights, record new rituals you’ve learned, and note down correspondences. Document your experiences in the craft.
A Book of Shadows is a formal reference of your experiences. In time it will become one of the most important Wiccan tools you have. A Book of Shadows is a very personal document, always evolving. It grows with you along your sacred journey, and will be a great reminder of your progress and growth later on. It is a memorial of your unique and personal journey.
I have written two books which can be incredibly helpful if you’re just starting out with Wicca, or you have never made a Book of Shadows before. The first, is a guided, step-by-step workbook on Wicca. It is a step-by-step introduction to Wicca, leading you through all of the different areas of Wiccan beliefs.
Each section introduces a new area, and finishes with a set of questions and exercises to get you thinking about what Wicca means to you and how it fits into your life. This book is available in both eBook and print format, but I recommend the print version so you can write in it directly.
My second book is a guided Book of Shadows. If you’ve never made a Book of Shadows before, this book is for you. It takes you gently through the different secrets you will store in your book, and provides structure and guidance on how to fill it. This book is also available as an eBook and print formats. I highly recommend the print book so you can write in it. However, the eBook may fit your budget a bit better. Do what feels right to you.
3. Explore Wiccan Deities
Wiccans do not believe in an omnipotent God like the Christians, they do believe in many gods and goddesses since it is a polytheistic religion. The gods and goddesses are not inaccessible to Wiccans and it is possible to have direct contact with them as if they were your peers.
Read up on our guide to Wiccan deities to learn more. Explore the different pantheons like Roman, Greek, or Norse and reach out those whose characteristics you like and those you feel can help you in your chosen path.
4. Celebrate Wiccan Symbols
As you learn more about Wicca, you will encounter several significant symbols. As you feel comfortable, you may incorporate these symbols into your daily life and into your ritual practices.
One example is the pentacle. You can find pentacles many places like on necklaces, clothing, and ritual items. The pentacle represents the Wiccan beliefs in the love of nature, the five elements, and the direction. It is complete and continuous.
You can wear a pentacle or incorporate one into your daily life some other way as a way to symbolize your Wiccan faith and protect against negative energy.
SIDE NOTE: the pentacle is often conflated with Satanism (which has its own symbol which is completely different from, but looks similar to, the pentacle). The pentacle has nothing to do with Satanism. It has nothing to do with black magick or evil. It is a symbol of white magick, positivity, and is nothing to be feared.
5. Connect with other Wiccans and witches
Depending on your personal preference, you may want to be a solitary practitioner, or you may wish to formally join a community. In fact, even if you do practice by yourself, you can still find an online community with like-minded people to draw on for support, advice, and experience. Learning from a book only goes so far.
It’s unimaginably helpful to your rituals and spellwork to reach out to more experienced practitioners. Your mental health too will benefit to know that you have others who understand your struggles and concerns. You may even find your mind opened up by speaking to witches all over the world, as they all have different perspectives.
Although your Wiccan practice may be a solo one, it doesn’t hurt to have companions to walk with along the journey. Meet others who are on the same spiritual path you are, who you can relate to, and who share your beliefs.
6. Celebrate Wiccan holidays (sabbats)
You may first want to familiarize yourself with the Wheel of the Year. This central piece of Wicca depicts the eight holidays, or sabbats, which fall on the changing seasons. Wicca itself, and the sabbats in particular, are about connecting with nature. Sabbats are about celebrating the seasons, giving gratitude for nature, and allowing yourself to grow.
Each sabbat has a different symbolism. Ostara, a spring festival, is about rebirth and abundance. Yule, the winter festival, is about introspection. Celebrate any sabbat by yourself (if you’re a solitary practitioner) or with your coven. Each sabbat has different traditions about how it is celebrated. Our guide to Wiccan sabbats and their meanings can be helpful.
7. Visit a local occult store
You will be surprised by the breadth of products available, as well as the depth of knowledge contained within most occult stores. They are a friendly face and a place to find community. They may be able to suggest locals covens or other groups you may be interested in joining.
Occult stores are also great places to ask specific questions. Go there for herbal recommendations, tools you may not have heard of, and other suggestions. Many stores even host rituals and events themselves.
8. Research anything and everything
During your year-and-a-day, you’ll be learning so much! Like all new ventures, the best thing we can do is to always keep learning and growing. As you embark upon each new Wiccan step, try to learn as much as you can about its history, why it’s significant, and how to apply it going forward.
We hope this has been a thorough guide for you on how to get started with Wicca! We are glad you’ve found us, because now you have your very own community of Wiccans. Please join our mailing list to get your free eBook which goes into further detail about Wicca, plus you’ll keep up to date with new articles and other fun stuff!
