Wiccan initiation?

[LadyLivorMortis]

I don't think this has been covered here or if it has I haven't seen it.
I joined a group on facebook (-///-) and someone in it said that you ARE NOT a wiccan unless you've been initiated by a high priestess. Then I searched for wiccan initiations and there were actually lots of people who say you need to be initiated.
I had never heard that before...anyone care to enlighten me?  

[Violet Song jat Shariff]

LadyLivorMortis

I don't think this has been covered here or if it has I haven't seen it.
I joined a group on facebook (-///-) and someone in it said that you ARE NOT a wiccan unless you've been initiated by a high priestess. Then I searched for wiccan initiations and there were actually lots of people who say you need to be initiated.
I had never heard that before...anyone care to enlighten me?

Yes. To be considered a Wiccan by the Wiccan community one must be initiated into a coven that can trace its initiatory lineage back to Gerald Gardner. Initiation is how one is accepted into a coven, and once accepted, one learns the oath-bound materials and rituals that define the Wiccan practice as Wiccan.

Initiation works in a cross-gender fashion; since you are a female, you would be initiated by a High Priest. A male would be initiated by a High Priestess.  

[doistu]

The common, and MISTAKEN, concept of wicca thrown out these days is actually a form of neo-paganism as it doesn't follow the traditions of the witch-cult first created by Gerald Gardener in the '50's.

I used to take on the title wiccan until i learned this but since have found it to be incorrect and not a path I would choose to folllow. and thats just fine hehe
xx  

[Starlock]

It depends on who you ask, really. It's sort of a controversial subject. Some will say it's a must, some will say that it isn't. As far as the general pattern goes, you could really divide Wicca out into at least two types. The more traditional, Gardnerian forms DO require initiation. The more mainstream forms do not.  

[LadyLivorMortis]

Aaah okay okay...
Thank you everybody  

[too2sweet]

A few other threads you may want to check out...

Solitary or Coven
Do "Wiccans" have the right to be called Wiccans?
Traditional and Innovative Trends in Witchcraft  

[Aryain Flames]

i have found many sources that say you must be initiated, however, if u practice as a solitary, preforming a self-dedication and initiation is acceptable.  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Aryain Flames

i have found many sources that say you must be initiated, however, if u practice as a solitary, preforming a self-dedication and initiation is acceptable.

Those sources were misinformed. You cannot self-initiate - to any group or religion. Apparently Cunningham regretted using the term in his books. He meant well, but *shrug* You cannot self-initiate as a Wiccan.

You can dedicate yourself to your gods and your path, but not to Wicca, as it's not a religion you can access on your own.  

[Aryain Flames]

really. thats actually very interesting to me. every book i have read states that u must only be initiated if you are joining a coven.  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Aryain Flames

really. thats actually very interesting to me. every book i have read states that u must only be initiated if you are joining a coven.

I realise that books hold more authority than "some chick I met on the internet", but yeah, it's true wink Wicca is orthopraxic - it's defined by how you practise rather than what you believe. The rituals are only available within lineaged coven environments, and thus, you can only be "of the Wica" if you have been initiated.  

[wicca_for_life14]

i think that you can initiate yourself if you are a solitary. wiccan is more of an unorganized religon and you should belive whatever you think is right. i belive that initiation is more for introducing yourself to the gods. some people cant find a coven or dont have enough friends to start one.  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

wicca_for_life14

i think that you can initiate yourself if you are a solitary. wiccan is more of an unorganized religon and you should belive whatever you think is right. i belive that initiation is more for introducing yourself to the gods. some people cant find a coven or dont have enough friends to start one.

Initiation isn't a way of introducing yourself to the gods. If you are a solitary practitioner of Neo-Wicca, you would NOT want to bind yourself to anything upon introducing yourself! It wouldn't even be a dedication if you were simply MEETING your deities!!

You cannot self-initiate. The concept makes no sense.

Wicca is not un-organised. It is very organised. Quite particularly in fact. To the point where you can check anyone's claim to be Wiccan by asking for the names of their HP and HPS and asking for a vouch on Amber and Jet. There's no leader of Wicca, and no set text, but it's still organised within the coven.  

[wicca_for_life14]

Sanguina-chan

wicca_for_life14

i think that you can initiate yourself if you are a solitary. wiccan is more of an unorganized religon and you should belive whatever you think is right. i belive that initiation is more for introducing yourself to the gods. some people cant find a coven or dont have enough friends to start one.

Initiation isn't a way of introducing yourself to the gods. If you are a solitary practitioner of Neo-Wicca, you would NOT want to bind yourself to anything upon introducing yourself! It wouldn't even be a dedication if you were simply MEETING your deities!!

You cannot self-initiate. The concept makes no sense.

Wicca is not un-organised. It is very organised. Quite particularly in fact. To the point where you can check anyone's claim to be Wiccan by asking for the names of their HP and HPS and asking for a vouch on Amber and Jet. There's no leader of Wicca, and no set text, but it's still organised within the coven.

hmmm wow you are very close minded you cant even accept anything other than what you belive. im saying it less organized for me at least because there is no set day i do a spell or no sort of church or meeting i attend. i said i belive that inituation is introducing yourself and how dare you undermind what i belive in. there is no reason for you to get so *bleep* angry. you might think you know everything but you really dont. talk2hand  

[Violet Song jat Shariff]

wicca_for_life14

hmmm wow you are very close minded you cant even accept anything other than what you belive.

How dare you.
She's not close minded. She is stating facts.
If stating facts to you means someone is close-minded then you're in for a very hard life, child.
It isn't even what she believes; it's the way the religion is designed and structured.

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im saying it less organized for me at least because there is no set day i do a spell or no sort of church or meeting i attend.

So you have no coven to meet with?
How odd!
And you do realize that Wicca is about far more than just casting spells right?

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i said i belive that inituation is introducing yourself and how dare you undermind what i belive in.

Why do you feel your beliefs are above correction or being true?
In this case it doesn't matter what you believe; your beliefs do not dictate the meanings of words thankfully.
Self-initiation is a contradiction.
Initiation is going through specific rites in order to be accepted into a group. Without a group, there is no initiation to be had.

Quote:

there is no reason for you to get so *bleep* angry.

LOLIRONY.
Sanguina-chan is not angry.
If you want angry I will show you angry.

Quote:

you might think you know everything but you really dont. talk2hand

Sure as Hel knows more than you do though.
Tell us, from where do you draw your authority on Wicca from?
If you're going to be so bold as to tell someone else that they don't know anything, then you had better be able to show and prove what makes you so much more knowledgeable than someone else.  

[Starlock]

wicca_for_life14, understand that Sanguina and UV speak truth from the perspective of more traditional forms of Wicca; they're talking about a specific subsection of what the word "Wicca" is used to describe which is truer to its original conception by big G. You, like the vast majority, use the term Wicca to apply to a much broader range than simply those directly derived from big G, so what they say doesn't make any sense to you. It's easy to become confused with this sort of miscommunication. Do try not to loose your cool. You don't have to share their controversial perspective that lineaged forms of Wicca are the one-and-only true forms of Wicca; most don't. Listen to them though, to get an idea of Wicca was in its more original forms. It's somewhat interesting and has a character distinct from the more mainstream varieties of Wicca. wink