The Beauty of Being Eclectic -- There is no *One True Way* to be Wiccan

The notion of *one true way*, or OTW as I like to call it for short, is not embraced by Wicca thankfully.  The wonderful thing about following an eclectic path is that no one can tell you that what you do is wrong. Others may wholeheartedly disagree with your choices and practices but the beauty of it is, they can choose to do something different and neither is wrong -- just different. So, unless a person is part of a coven that has a defined tradition, there are no hard and fast rules regarding being a Wiccan.  There are some basic tenants that are part of Wicca that everyone who self identifies will embrace in some form, but after that, the practices are wide and varied.

Widely embraced Wiccan concepts:

• You believe in a God and Goddess - they may be specific or abstract
• You revere nature
• You believe in Harm None
• You celebrate the Esbats/cycles of the moon, notably the Full Moon
• You celebrate the seasons with the Wheel of the Year -- the 8 Celtic festivals
• You don't believe in the Devil or Hell
• You believe in Summerland rather than Heaven
• You believe in some form of reincarnation
• You practice Spellcraft/Witchcraft (optional -- some Wiccans do, some don't)

Common squabble points:

Harm None means you cannot eat meat or hunt. FALSE. While some Wiccans will stand by this statement, there are others who do not.  This is one of those things that each individual Wiccan makes a decision on based on their background, personal filters and conscience. It doesn't make anyone more right or wrong than any other. Just an instance of different strokes for different folks. Now I will say that killing something purely for the sake of magick, as in sacrificing, is ethically wrong and I think most Wiccans will agree on this point, vegans, vegetarians, carnivores and ominvores alike. 

Harm None means you cannot practice magickal self defense. FALSE. Everyone, Wiccan or not, has the right to protect themselves. The difference of opinion is HOW to protect themselves. Some will practice shielding, some will repel the negativity back to the perpetrator, while others will go on the offensive and push back forcefully. This again is up to the personal ethics of the individual Wiccan. Therefore, how this is handled is widely varied and not an OTW canned response.

Magick and Spellcraft must be done by the phases of the Moon.  FALSE. While it is beneficial to take advantage of the energies of the Moon phases to boost the power of your spellcraft, you don't have to put off doing a spell simply because the Moon phase is not appropriate.  As an analogy, you wouldn't wait for the doctor's office to open on Monday if you gashed yourself and was bleeding profusely on a Saturday afternoon -- you would take care of the issue at the time of need. Performing spells and magick is no different. By all means perform spellcraft in the time of need. You can always do another booster spell to reinforce your magick when the appropriate Moon phase comes along. There is no need to hang in crisis simply because the Moon isn't synchronized with your time of need.

You must do a Year and a Day before you can be a Wiccan or do spellcraft. FALSE. Generally, a year and a day is a requirement by covens when taking in new members. The year and a day gives the coven and potential initiate a chance to get to know each other before making a more permanent bond through initiation and membership. This also gives newcomers to Wicca a chance to experience a full Wheel of the Year and determine whether they really feel drawn to take up Wicca as a permanent lifestyle and spirituality. As for when to begin spellcraft, that depends on the individual Wiccan and whether they are solitary or working with a coven. A coven may have timelines set out in their training as to when spellcrafting is introduced to initiates. However, an eclectic solitary may take up spellcrafting at any time they feel ready to do so. In fact, it is perfectly acceptable to be a spiritual Wiccan without even practicing spellcraft.

These are just a few of the questions and misconceptions I see floating about. I will address others as they come to mind. If there is an issue you would like to have addressed, please let me know in the comments.

Bright Blessings and Blessed Be,

Rayven Michaels