Why did you become a witch, Pagan, or Wiccan?

[Adrianus]

There can be all kinds of reasons that bring people to Witchcraft, Paganism, or Wicca. At one time or another, I have heard the following listed reasons and I wonder how prevalent each one may be in the general Pagan community.

After you vote, I encourage you to explain your response by posting additional comments:

The Question is: Why did you become a witch, Pagan, or Wiccan?

[Nocturna]

Hmmm. I kind of wish that this poll allowed for multiple answers, because I can relate to at least three of the options, and I'm not certain which was most important.

I checked that I wanted an earth-centered religion, because as long as I can remember I always had an odd sense of being in a holy space when I was in a wooded area or even a quiet city park. The thought of ritually celebrating the cycle of the seasons was beautiful to me. But I was also attracted to the option to worship female divinities as well as male gods. Intellectual attraction wasn’t primarily what drew me in, but it was important when I was trying to decide whether I wanted to actually practice or not. Finally, one that wasn’t on your list was an attraction to world mythology, the power of wisdom expressed through symbolism and story.

[PandoraHealer]

yha- multiple choice would have been great.
I found Paganism and witchcraft in middle school- when it was just a fad. and honestly- i figured i'd out grow it- that was the 'my friend was- and showed me' option

then I started reading about it- and GROWING FREAKIN' UP!!- and realized how much MORE there is to this path and totally fell in love. (this would have been my 2nd choice- for 'i read about it and agreed')

I love my path and am still learning and always will- I started Wiccan, then changed a bit and now i'm pretty eclectic.

L-O-V-E --- love it!!

BB_PH

[Willow Rosette]

I chose other. I really dont think I became anything cause it is more like comming back to who I really am. I cant point a finger at what triggered it cause although I wasnt raised with it I feel like it has always been inside of me.

[River]

Why, for the fun of it.

[Teresa]

I was born this way. I ran from who I was during a brief period of time, but there came a point where I had to come to terms and move forward.

[Cassie]

I was born this way. I ran from who I was during a brief period of time, but there came a point where I had to come to terms and move forward.
That sums it up pretty well for me too.
I didn't really become a witch or a pagan, I always was. But it was only in my teens that I began to read about it and realise I wasn't alone; and from then on I was able to build my knowlege and express more what was always there.

[cheddarsox]

I'm another one of those who was "doing what they believed" and then stumbled across others doing it and believing it too!

I guess I was born pagan, but took awhile to find my spiritual family.

Once I got over my fear of life in general, and really started embracing what it is to be alive and human, I felt a kinship to the aspects of humanity that cause people to practice their religions. I did some reading and felt "wow, I understand why they did that. I KNOW that feeling." and it was incredible, because I had felt like an alien in my faith of origin.

Maybe alien is the wrong word. I felt disabled. Like, whatever "sense" they had that allowed them to authentically live that faith, I didn't have. And the things I did authentically believe, they thought were wack. Then, I started dancing, in the style in which I was able, and bam...came across a bunch of people who said..I know that dance! we do it too.

and here I am.

[Whitewolf]

I have always been interested in other religions. I was raised [Reform] Jewish and my parents weren't really religous so at first I started getting into Native American culture. I love earth centered religions so it was what sparked my interest to first learning about Wicca. I decided that it wasn't for me but I still felt connected to paganism. I eventually got into Shamanism. I consider myself a polytheist ecclectic pagan with leanings towards Shamanism/animism. I finally feel like I've found the right path for me.

[Astara Seague]

It was only natural for me.. I always was part of nature, I always felt whole out of doors, my Grandmother had taught me alot when I was younger..kitchen and green witchcraft, but never called it witchcraft..then I wondered into a shop once and talked to the lady who ran it and the rest is history

[RoseKitten]

Since paganism isn't a religion, but an umbrella term for a bunch of religions, I'm pagan by default. I am *not* one of the "big three" and therefor am pagan. I do study magic, and I love nature, so that gives me direction for my studies.

[CheshireEyes]

i just always liked saying, "bippity, boppity, boo"... :hahugh:

[Skylah]

I chose other. There are certain things I've always believed in including reincarnation. I had too many questions that upset those around me. I always thought that I was alone in my beliefs, and hadn't even heard of Paganism till my early 20's. I can't even begin to describe the amazing feelings that washed over me when I learned that I was not alone in my beliefs, and had the opportuniy to learn and to meet others of like mind.

[aislinnedanawhitefir]

I voted 'I read about it and agreed with what I read. I felt an intellectual / theological attraction." because it seemed to be the best fit, but it's not the sole reason, and there is a little more to the story (as in, why I read about it). Soooo... here's my story:
At the age of 12 I started not believing everything I heard in church... I started thinking for myself! Well, Christianity didn't suit me any longer, I didn't agree with most of there theology. I dubbed myself and Athiest and moved on. I was pretty happy that way for a while, but eventually I felt a void.

Being a country girl, I have always held a strong attraction to nature, and I've always felt a connection to the moon. Even when I was a little girl I would stare at the moon when I was sad, or when I was lonely, or when I prayed( I never knew why, but now I do :hahugh: ).

Well in 8th grade one of my friends came to school talking about his BOS and that he was a witch, and a Wiccan, and I was interested, and I'll admit it, the whole magic thing was a big attraction for me! Well, I started reading about it, and it seemed to fit(and that my friends hadn't done much research either, but his work was done lol, and he no longer claims to be pagan of any sort)... but then after a while, I realized it wasn't as good of a fit as I thought. So I began researching religions, and I now consider myself an eclectic pagan, although I'm starting to learn about Druidry, which has interested me for a while... I don't know where it will lead, but thats ok, after all it's about the journey, not the destination!!!

[airmist]

I checked being fond of "Mother Nature" and finding a path from there. I was raised very old fashioned strict RC by my father who remains that today. But he has a fascination with nature that he passed on. Some of my fond memories of my father are of his telling me weather stories, planting trees, flowers, and pointing out the clouds, etc. I found places (in the woods when young and in the mountains in my 20's) which became necessary to my prayer. As my christian beliefs faded, the places I found wherever I was remained necessary to my spiritual peace, even though I didn't understand what was happening until closer to my 30's. From there I learned of pagan beliefs and began following my own path. Today I am a pantheist but working on my connection to other spiritual beings.

[Snapdragon]

I'm certainly in synch with those who expressed the wish that this had been a multiple-choice answer, rather than a singular one. As I recall the time that I was drawn to Wicca, there were a number of things that intersected. A lot of it had to do with the imagery and aura of the Craft--you might almost say it put a spell on me. :-)

A religion with the sacred feminine at the center, one that offers the transformative hope that is magic, and one that is affirmative of human embodiment and nature...all these things play into why Wicca was and remains the religion of my strong leaning.

[Autumn-Forest]

I grew up with a Christian influence, but my parents didn't make me goto church, it was just so we all wouldn't goto "hell". But when I was thirteen, I knew there was something more than this Christian stuff, that I didn't even believe a bit! I knew no man could ever weild such a beautiful place, especially one that punishes you to a life in eternal damnation if you screw up in your life.

I felt such a deep connection to the Earth Mother and I started to look into it with the internet since it was the only thing I had. I came up with witchcraft on my search, I found Wicca as well. I found witchcraft more appealing because Wicca, to me at the time, had similar things as Christianity and I wanted to explore other aspects than bowing down to the divine. So I looked deeper into it, and I became a witch, secertly for a while. Now I understand more of what Wicca is and I am a leader of a small coven that gets together. Though I still practice ecceltic witchcraft, I derive my divine spiritual connection to the Native American belief, as Goddess, God and Great Spirit.

I can't imagine being anything but a witch/Pagan, it has helped me so much in enriching my life with many beautiful people, an apperciation of nature and the practice of magick.

be well,
Autumn-Forest

[October]

I put that I read about it and agreed. It all started when I was about 10. My mum and I were messing around on the internet looking at lots of weird stuff, back in the "all magic is black magic" days. We found some pretty cool stuff that explained everything to us. But then mum went back to her old beliefs (never having actually planned to change; just researching, really) until just recently; and I ran with the pagan thing. My foundation was in Wicca, but I started leaning more toward Celtic paganism. I think I stuck with it almost half of my life because I am ravenously fascinated by history, controversy, general occult principles (the word "occult" itself meaning "hidden"), nature, and the unexplainable.

Also, a word about parental guidance: while my mum was on her previous path until a few years ago, she has always been fantastically open-minded and accepting. From Day 1 she took an interest in what I was studying and always encouraged me to find my path. She never discredited anything I've ever said and openly encouraged discussion and further study. And now she's actually asked me to teach her some of what I've learned over the past ten years!

[Zephyrstorm]

In my own case... I've always believed most of what I believe today, but a friend came along and helped me put a name to it.

My mother would be seriously offended if I ever told her that she did witchcraft, but she did - she just thinks of it as being part of how you clean the house/cook for the family and other such things. Even so, she taught me a lot about the magic of the home and the spirits of the land.

[Circe3]

It felt right. All my life I felt I was being taught the wrong thing. I was always very into crystals and certain animals. I'd astral with my best friend and play with the wind when i was little. Then I started researching religions and it clicked.

[Zoey]

I was brought up in a "independent fundamentalist" Christian family. I put that in quotes because they just aren't like other fundies I've meet. My family taught me to question. Just turned out I didn't like their answers. I became pretty non-religious and spouted my own ideals of what I felt was going on. Then someone gave me a stone...

In other words, I never really went looking for it in the conventional sense. I'm not a great reader of lore or studier of magic. I'm on an adventure of sorts, one that I'll be on forever.

[Raven Mystic]

My family was a traditional witchcraft family, although my mother did not approve. Thus I learnt most of my training from my aunt. She was willing to tell me although she had not been active since she was a teenager. Nevertheless, she has a strong memory and my grandmother provided her with a good foundation.

Strangely, I began to learn Wicca several years ago and it is very different. I was very surprised that some principles my aunt said were fundamental to the witchcraft tradition are missing in Wicca, replaced with who-knowns-what. So, my experience in Wicca came to an end whenh I begain to think it was too removed from the family tradition. My aunt tells me that my grandmother hated Gardner, and called him "the nude gardener" in indignation as she felt nudity was alien to witchcraft. She thought he was , well, unbelievable. Nevertheless, she felt he had the right to practice.

In any event, I do feel comfortable in my practice, which is magic centred. And I have the full support of my husband who has gained an appreciation of the old magical arts .

[David19]

My family was a traditional witchcraft family, although my mother did not approve. Thus I learnt most of my training from my aunt. She was willing to tell me although she had not been active since she was a teenager. Nevertheless, she has a strong memory and my grandmother provided her with a good foundation.

Strangely, I began to learn Wicca several years ago and it is very different. I was very surprised that some principles my aunt said were fundamental to the witchcraft tradition are missing in Wicca, replaced with who-knowns-what. So, my experience in Wicca came to an end whenh I begain to think it was too removed from the family tradition. My aunt tells me that my grandmother hated Gardner, and called him "the nude gardener" in indignation as she felt nudity was alien to witchcraft. She thought he was , well, unbelievable. Nevertheless, she felt he had the right to practice.

In any event, I do feel comfortable in my practice, which is magic centred. And I have the full support of my husband who has gained an appreciation of the old magical arts .

Interesting, is your witchcraft tradition related at all to any of the practices of Cochrane witchcraft (Clan of Tubal Cain, 1734 tradition, etc), as that's traditional witchcraft as well.

[oonagh sidhe]

actually, i didn't decide to become pagan...i just kinda found out that i am.

[TheWomanMonster]

Iz cus I wants to masterz teh dark majjix and takes over teh worldz!

[Sage Rainsong]

I always felt a deep love for witchcraft and other mystical things. It was just a natural progession for me.

[Raven Mystic]

I know of Cochrane from the Internet. However, I am not very familiar with him or his traditions. I believe if my grandmother followed a particular magister, my aunt would have well known about it. I do recall my aunt mentioning several names but I never heard the name Cochrane from her. So I believe there is no connection.

My grandmother was a very strong person and was highly gifted in the 'higher arts'. I recall reading in a forum, perhaps this one, that some believe Cochrane was a disturbed individual, given to improper use of drugs. My grandmother was an herbalist and I know she would have resented a person in authority misusing drugs. She was a very sharp judge of character and would have been very aware of his mental limitations. Thus so, I think it is very unlikely she would have respected a person with such fundamental character problems. Of course, all this assumes that what I read about Cochrane is correct.

[David19]

I know of Cochrane from the Internet. However, I am not very familiar with him or his traditions. I believe if my grandmother followed a particular magister, my aunt would have well known about it. I do recall my aunt mentioning several names but I never heard the name Cochrane from her. So I believe there is no connection.

My grandmother was a very strong person and was highly gifted in the 'higher arts'. I recall reading in a forum, perhaps this one, that some believe Cochrane was a disturbed individual, given to improper use of drugs. My grandmother was an herbalist and I know she would have resented a person in authority misusing drugs. She was a very sharp judge of character and would have been very aware of his mental limitations. Thus so, I think it is very unlikely she would have respected a person with such fundamental character problems. Of course, all this assumes that what I read about Cochrane is correct.

Thanks for the info :), if you don't mind me asking, is your tradition a family tradition of witchcraft (I know there rare but I've been told by respectable people they do exist).

About Cochrane, I know some people think he was "disturbed", and he did use drugs, but so did and do a lot of traditional societies for mystical purposes. I have a great respect for him and his tradition, in fact, I'd like to get back into learning more about Cochrane witchcraft (I've let my studies go a bit in that area due to uni and other stuff).

I'm not sure if he was at all "disturbed", I think towards the end of his life he may have been a bit from what I've read (he died in what in all likelihood was a suicide by taking a lethal overdose, but I think he was feeling guilty about cheating on his wife, I believe that's what I've heard anyway).

I think the Pagan community lost a great man when Cochrane died (and for some reason, not many Pagans seem that interested in him, and are more interested in people like Gardner or Italian witchcraft).

I think Cochrane and traditions derived from him are very interesting (and other forms of traditioanal witchcraft, like Andrew Chumbley's Sabbatic Craft (not sure if you've heard of him?)).

Anyway, if you want to know more info, I believe Lolair has a class on the different paths of witchcraft here in the Circle of Teaching (http://www.mysticwicks.com/forumdisplay.php?f=390), which, IMO, has a lot of great info and good links.

Thanks again for the info :).

[TomasFlannabhra]

My heritage (Scot-Irish) is what really brought me to my current beliefs. I've always had love and pride for who I am. I studied Wicca for a while as I liked the little Celtic elements it contained but wanted a religion that was more authentically and traditionally Irish. A couple years ago I discovered reconstructionism and finally came home...it was exactly what I was looking for.

[Tullip Troll]

I became pagan after many years of trying everything, only to realize I wasn't looking for a religion but a way of Life.

To this day I do not like religions ,even if they are pagan.

[Raven Mystic]

...is your tradition a family tradition of witchcraft (I know there rare but I've been told by respectable people they do exist).

Until rather recently, no one in a family tradition EVER referred to the Old Ways as "witchcraft." I now have cousins that are doing this and it points to a different use of the word. My aunt and grandmother disliked the term and never used it. They would deny being witches or having anything to do with witchcraft. No one of the Old Ways used the term. Why use a negative word popularized only by the Christians, a word designed to help in our own destruction?

Today is different. The term "witchcraft" is commonly used. In that light, yes, there is no other way to describe the spirituality, rituals, and magic found in my family.

A point I wish to make: I believe Trad Witchcraft is as not as rare as you may think. My nephews, nieces, and quite a number of cousins are practicing the Old Ways. Some in part, others in a widen manner. That's only my family. I seem to be the only one not reluctant to speak about it. Some families have oaths, so I have read. Obviously, we do not. Also don't forget that few traditionalists trust Wiccans or any Trad Craft outsider with personal information. Traditional Witchcraft is a personal religion.

About Cochrane, ... he did use drugs, but so did and do a lot of traditional societies for mystical purposes.

My family informed told me that there are two ways of practicing the Old Ways. The practical kind and the mystical kind. The practical kind used magic in the world here and now with the Cunning Fire learned and mastered. A very few take a different road, that of the mystical kind. They use the Cunning Fire but delve further and explore the mystical world beyond this life by going through the veil of reality and into a higher levels. These folk may use drugs to help them on their journey. Today this is called shamanism. My grandmother did not like this, so it is not part of our family tradition.

Andrew Chumbley's Sabbatic Craft (not sure if you've heard of him?)).

No. I have not.

...Lolair has a class on the different paths of witchcraft .

Yes, I've read some of the course. I was glad to see he does not automatically dismiss Trad Witchcraft as non-existent, as so many Wiccans do. (I do not mean to imply the writer is a Wiccan.)


However, I view British Traditional paths a bit differently.


> First, I can't see how any Traditional Witchcraft path could ever be called Neo-Pagan.


> Secondly, I think Hereditary Witchcraft is strictly a new term. Of course, I could be wrong. First, a definition: A seeker is a non-family member accepted for training by a magister or knowledgeable person.

Now, I was taught that a family tradition built from a seeker is the same as one that had been taught Trad Witchcraft from a family member. In my opinion, to make a distinction between the two is discriminatory, which is a violation of a basic principle in Traditional Witchcraft- that all things, spirits, and beings are equal to one another. To label is to encourage division. We try not to do that in this case.


Thus, "Hereditary Witchcraft" in my mind is part of Traditional Witchcraft, and not separate from it. The practices can be the same. There is no difference between the two except for parentage. Also, many "Hereditary" practitioners call the spirituality Traditional Witchcraft or British Traditional Witchcraft or Irish Traditional Witchcraft. I think it is all the same.


> Third, I completely disagree that old family traditions, "Hereditary Traditions", were to be kept only within a direct family line. I happen to know several old Fam Trads that I am told have always accepted "seekers" for training. I think this is the "norm." In my own family, I remember seeing several seekers over the years at my grandmother's house. Several of my cousin's and a nephew train seekers today. Individual families may not, but I think it is because of other reasons, perhaps it is too inconvenient, they dislike teaching, or they never found a potential student they liked and trusted.


> Four, he seems to imply that "Hereditary Traditions" had ritual/magic practices that were static from one generation to the next. To an extent, this would be true as students always try to emulate their teachers and children their parents. But I think this is also a bit too "iffy" to assume this was always so.


Trad Witchcraft is a personal religion. While certain beliefs, practices, and magical methods are passed down, they are all individualised from one person in one generation to another person in another generation. Each generation must select what to keep, what to alter, and what to throw out. In addition, exchanging ideas, practices, and magical technique with others inside and outside of one's family has always been very commonly done. Or so I think. Just some passing thoughts gathered from what I have been told and have come to assume. I do not presume to be an authority.

[SylverStar]

I put for intellectual reasons because I ran across it and it seemed to match my views more than anything I had ever heard of.

But I was looking for something else besides Christianity...so I think there was rebellion there too...specially since I was a teen.

[BFD_Zayl]

other... it just suits me, and I feel perfect with paganism. i found it after many years of distress, i went from one religion to the other, nothing felt right, then I found Necromancy, and i'm going to stay.

[Sacredsin]

There can be all kinds of reasons that bring people to Witchcraft, Paganism, or Wicca. At one time or another, I have heard the following listed reasons and I wonder how prevalent each one may be in the general Pagan community.

After you vote, I encourage you to explain your response by posting additional comments:

The Question is: Why did you become a witch, Pagan, or Wiccan?

I was introduced to Witchcraft and Paganism in my sophomore year by my friend Alicia. We had many conversations about Witchcraft and Paganism, and after a while I decided that those paths were right for me. I've been learning and growing ever since. This is the path that I was always searching for, but was too afraid to delve into until I met Alicia. :)

[Miaerowyn Elennulda]

I guess I was really destined to be a witch since I was very young, I grew up in a Baptist based family and in the second grade, I met a friend who said she was a witch. Well, obviously at that age, being a witch seems very appealing. ;) Then in the third to 5th grade, my best friend there was involved with other people who claimed that they were witches, so obviously, the attraction to it ensued. Then in the 8th grade, I finally met someone who truly practice witchcraft/wicca/paganism... a general earth/magick based religion, and I read some books borrowed from her and have changed to a pagan path since.
Of course I've learned a lot since, and have made my own decisions on how I feel about certain things, and it's been wonderful. I have always felt a connection to the Earth, and becoming a witch just fit with my beliefs and views of the world.:)

[Crysiira]

I've been entranced with witch stories my whole life. I suppose it was a childhood yearning to exert some control over my surroundings. In high school, I went through a time when I was very depressed and self-destructive. I was also going through a very spiritually rough time, and I do believe the two were related. I was frusterated with my Christian upbringing and the fact that they could never answer the questions I had. I lashed out and started going in the opposite direction, looking up things like dark magic and Satanism. It was stupid, though; just a way to rebel.

Then I came across Wicca. That changed my whole "just to rebel" attitude. This was something that echoed inside me, like it was there all along just waiting to be found. This was something that felt true to me, more true than going to church ever had. That was perfunctory, something I had to do. Wicca was something I WANTED to be a part of. Studying it dragged me out of my depression, gave me new hope.

I'm no longer Wiccan, I consider myself a Green Kitchen Witch. Why? Because as I grew up, I matured, and looked for something that matched my new thoughts on the world. Wicca no longer fit, but this time it was easy to find something that did. It was there all along.

[Blossom]

I think that using logic and adopting positivism as the guiding principle in making decisions in your life is real dumb. I lived my life like that for a long time and it was like a flat featureless wasteland. Life is a lot more complicated than can be delt with in this way. So I think every person eventually asks him or herself, "How can I be spiritual and live a life that is free?" If you grow up with religion you are spiritual in a kind of weak fashion and you are not free. Religion is all about control. Not really your own control of yourself but other peoples control of you. This is why I think we find lots of people adopting magick lifestyles. When initially reading about these things I repeatedly encoutered guidances I had already been doing for years. Since practicing I've directly seen my own invisible hand giving little pushes to probability. I'm a chaos magician now because it's one more tool to help me get what I want. Asking the question, "Is there anything to it?", is the wrong question to ask. Better questions to ask are, "What do I want? How do I get it? How have others created results and what did they do to get them?"

[Doodlebug]

I voted for Other. I became Wiccan/Pagan because I could no longer believe in Christianity and because I have always believed in magick. Some other reasons were because I have always felt a strong attraction to mother nature and wanted an earth-based religion, I wanted a non-legalistic religion, and because Wicca is just so attractive to me.

[Blossom]

Aaaaa, Your jesus picture is making my face melt off.

[Mesektet]

I have to throw down "other" as a vote. My reasoning is simple and desperate.

But this is shit just happens.

I'll be screaming that till the appointed time.

[Greybird]

Other. I was a pagan for quite some time before I read a book about paganism and said, "Oh, that's what it's called."

[Zhr Morgana]

I was always attracted to the idea of Witchcraft since I was a child...attracted and yet repelled at the same time because I'd read that witches were supposedly associated with the Devil, and having been a believer of Christ and all that back then, the idea of that scared me.

Well, I grew up and fell into my first adult relationship (which completely soured after several years), and around 2000 I found that I had an intense need to find myself on a spiritual level. So I looked around and attended various churches, I read the Bible, and for a while it seemed to help...until I started asking questions that the Bible couldn't answer. I realized there was a lot of things in the Bible and in Christianity itself that I couldn't relate to and I didn't feel part of it, even though I was baptized Catholic as a baby and my family were all churchgoers and believers. I needed to find a place where I belonged, so I started looking elsewhere. I went online and started reading up on Buddhism for a while, and somewhere along the line I stumbled along a website on Wicca and Witchcraft. I was floored...WOW this sort of thing does exist, and the devil has nothing to do with it! It was all so different than what I'd known from childhood, and it was everything I was searching for. So I started from there and here I am now, five years later...very much a solitary eclectic, but my path is starting to become more well rounded to where I am now confident enough to call myself a Wild Witch, and to not hide it from anyone who asks. I do feel like I'm part of something great.

[Avanti]

Good Question.

I only knew about witchcraft through Charmed and The Craft when I was in highschool. Didn't take it seriously or really believed in it. At the time though, I had developed an interest in parapsychology and astrology, and palmistry. A friend then told me about Wicca being a religion, and I did some research and I was amazed. It seemed to be a very well thought out, valid religion, and it wasn't about satan worship etc.

I was drawn to various facets of paganism/witchcraft. First of all, I like the fact there is no emphasis on death and the life after that. With christianity, it seemed it was all about how to live in order to get into heaven, and hence what not to do in order to anger God. Witchcraft is more about exploring the physical world we live in now. Working with the marvelous energies of nature that surrounds us. It is about everything we can do, and about living this life to the full.

Secondly, the idea of multiple gods made perfect sense to me. It was also appealing in that your relationship with the gods were more...personal, and familiar. I didn't feel that the christians I knew had that type of relationship with God, because it seemed they only feared him and respected him as a protector. Not really someone you could talk to every now and then and learn things from.

Thirdly, I loved the fact that you choose your own path and beliefs. There is no bible to adhere to if you don't want to.

Finally, it is very much a path which encourages the development of the self. Not only about how one should live morally etc, but also about gaining new knowledge through constant research, and enhancing a persons psychic abilities. It's not just about worshipping the gods, but also about discovering new abilities in yourself, and opening your eyes to new realms (astral etc), beings, etc.



That's it I guess!

[Myrr]

I didn't join an Earth centric religion. I've always believed what I believe I just happen to meet up with others who believe the same things. I was quite surprised.

[Green]

It was always in my veins, it just took being around other pagans to make me realize, OMG, this is who I am!

[ModernKnight]

Other: The gods spoke to me and I listened.

[wolf]

I knew from about the time that I was thirteen that I was not Catholic, and much to my mother's horror announced this to her. I wasn't entirely sure at that point what I was, but over time I learned more and more about magick and shamanism.

I had my first deck of divination cards in Fourth Grade (Gypsy Witch Playing Card Deck) and my first RWS tarot by the time I was in 9th grade. One of my favorite toys was the "Kreskin ESP Game" which included Rhine cards and a basic pendulum set.

At least some of it is the fault of a little pink spell-booklet I got at a supermarket checkout called Everyday Witchcraft. I also read Sybil Leek's Diary of a Witch and a spellbook of hers around the same time. I'd always been fascinated by tales of ghosts, haunts, and the paranormal, so it was a fairly straightforward transition.

[Khatt]

I grew up within a family who practised witchcraft so I was comfortable with it as I was surrounded by it. It was all very natural and I hope my son and any future children will feel the same.

I am very lucky as my partner is also a practising witch and has a very similar belief system to myself. We hold all our Sabbat and Esbat rituals together unless for some reason we are apart then we work alone.

[SSanf]

"Why did you become a witch, Pagan, or Wiccan?"

There was a choice??? Why didn't someone tell me!

[Chaos Hawk]

For me, I sat down and meditated for a great deal of time. I then wrote down everything that rang true to me. From there I went to the library and checked out lots of books on all sorts of different faiths. I then picked the ones I felt most drawn to. After that I researched how they were actually practiced. None that I had looked up really fit me especially when I looked at how they expressed their faith. Then, one day, I got handed a book to hold for someone. It was all about the Celts and their faith. It was like a light when on. This was it, this was everything that I had written down on my own. Then, when I sought out the practices, I was entranced. That was well over a decade ago, and I am still growing in faith. I am raising my children on the pagan path as well.

[Sethserpenthus]

I joined up because I thought it was FUN and I have fun practicing it. No spiritual depth at the start, that grew out of the fact that... well, yeah, I just thought it was fun and cool and awesome. And no, I'm not ashamed of this and not ashamed to admit this.

Actually that's a main reason people join a lot of religions... like Holiness Churches. It's just fun! No problem with that.

[Voyager]

From a very young age I did not have religion. In my late forties, I decided to try being Catholic. This did not work for me. My husband was going thru a very hard time. It was October, and my local newspaper did an article on local witches. They also happened to be Wiccans. In their article, they explained that they did not believe in the devil, they did not kill animals for sacrifice, but they were Wiccans that did use spellwork. In the article, they gave a few spells. I used one for my husband, and it worked. I told my daughter, and she got a few books for me on Wicca and Spellwork . I bought more and more books and read and read. I also looked at different forums on the web. People on these forums helped me along with suggestions and answered many questions. Wicca just fit me. I practice solitary so it took me over two years before I felt I was truly committed and ready for my initiation. I am so happy with this path I chose, and it's been eight years now.

[DragonDawn]

I said Other

My family was never very religious. I knew pretty much from the get go that Christianity wasn't for me. I never felt comfortable with all of it.

I became aware of witchcraft when I was a teenager in Jr. High School. The friends I was with at the time introduced me to it. Afterwards they left and went back to Christianity. It felt comfortable to me so I stayed.

[Storm_Wolfe]

I became a Pagan because I have always thought of myself as a magickal being ever since I was young. So although I was born into Baptist, I never believed in their "form" of christianity.

[Khepri]

I went for the Intellectual/Theological attraction option, which is sort of it, but not quite. In a way I was probably always a Pagan but didn't know it.

As a kid it was almost a case of being Christian or Not; I didn't really know there was much in the weay of religions, and certainly not the range that I now know there are. I sang the hymns at school, I even went to Sunday School for a year, but I knew pretty early on that I was more of a Not than a Christian.

So I figured I must be an atheist. I held with that for quite a while, until I realised that I wasn't quite an atheist either. I wasn't sure that there was no God, but I wasn't entirely sure that there was, either...

... so maybe I'm agnostic, I thought (discovering yet more shades of grey). Yeah, that must be it. So for years, I'm secure in my uncertainty.

But thing is, all the time, I'm pretty sure there is something. I'm just not sure what. A few years ago, I discovered Paganism, and actually found out what it meant (rather than being a synonym for Satanism, which was all I'd heard it used as).

Now I may not know exactly what I believe in, but at least I know what it's called. :P

[thought_on_a_wind]

Felt it for the longest time... didn't agree with the church (always believed in magick) felt different things calling me... realized that the world isn't flat, and that there are multiple dimensions... and I had a friend introduce me to the concept I was naturally following. Also, living deep within the woods around a natural vortex helped too... (love being out of doors, love the mountains, love the woods... love it all [the most fantastic gift free of charge])

[Izrail]

I was sort of a weird kid. I always felt drawn to the supernatural and to Nature. This did not bode well for a child born to a Fundamentalist who didn't want her kids playing outside because they'd get hurt and dirty. But it was part of who I was and that could never change. I can't really define any particular moment at which I "became a Witch," just sort of a slow process during which I learned to put the pieces of who I was and what made sense to me together. It didn't so much feel like I was entering into anything new as it just felt like I was finally free to be who I was. When I was a kid I was just weird. Now that I have a name to assign to all the things I was thinking and feeling growing up, I'm just me. Sort of hard to explain, I guess.

--Izrail

[Amilee]

I was christian right up until I was about 12 or 13. I was in choir and I attended Sunday school every sunday. I loved it! It was so much fun! But, I was always attracted to the magical, mysterious, and natural so, I guess when I developed my phobia of the wind I spent a lot of my time in the library.

When that happened I discovered the books about paganism and the supernatural and as I read more I agreed more with it.

I like to say I was born Pagan and I have no hatred towards Christanity what so ever. This is how I`ve always been.:spinnysmi

[HedwigHarfang]

There is nothing exclusive about Wiccanism, it is a revival of a tradition that goes back thousands of years and is a storehouse of immense lore and knowledge that our ancestors put to great effect. I am a confirmed Christian, Michael is a practicing Jew but we both share an interest in spirit and magick that goes beyond the bounds of formal, established religion. Indeed, many Christian communities in rural England border on the pagan in their expressions of mysticism, obeisance to pre-Christian agricultural traditions and their respect for Nature and what we should take from her and what we should give back to her.

Without being rude or meaning to offend, Gardner merely resurrected pagan ideas that had been lost and we both feel that there will come a day when Christianity will be able to learn from Wicca and vice versa. St Francis of Assisi for example continued the pagan love of nature and animals, and there are modern-day Christians who know in their hearts that Nature is a force to be loved, cherished and respected rather than ignored, marginalised and denigrated in search of an elusive "progress" that has ripped apart families and communities in this country and others.

Even if people come to Wicca out of rebellion against something, it is good that they choose a loving and nurturing faith rather than something destructive/nihilistic to themselves and others. Although neither of us wish to "rebel" against the established traditions that we grew up with, we are sure that in our lifetimes - and M is nearly 70! - there will be a renaissance and a renewed awareness of nature-worship alongside a rapprochement with Islam, Christianity and Judaism, acknowledging our common respect for the individual and the communities in which we live. M has long government experience (for which he needed the protection only magick could give him!) and wants to soon be back in office and able to share these values with others in our country.

[Kaija]

I always tended to question the religion I was taught. (Roman Catholic family).. I spent alot of time outside, and used to spend entire days inside a hollow tree.. leaving offerings.. I didn't really know what I was doing.. I just did what felt right.. when my Pagan uncle married into the family I learned just enough to see that his beliefs were more similar to mine than mine were to my mother's .. I didn't focus on it until much later though..

[Avongara]

My husband and I decided to become Wiccan because of our past experiences with the Christian church and the fact that our love of nature is such a huge part of our lives.
We both have had some (more than three) really bad experiences with church. Between the closes mindedness, hypocritical, meddling, and the fact that the church tries to run the lives of others....we decided that Christianity was not for us.
We like the fact that we can see the work of the Goddess. We she her in everything....
Yeah I know that Christians can say the same thing for God. But the connection we have to the Goddess is so much stronger than any belief that was crammed down our throats.
So we began to floow a new path...and could not be happier or more at peace!

[Mits_Giotix]

Well, I was raised as an orthodox christian since I live in greece wich has some kind of tradition in christianity :/.
Back when I was 17 I started questioning my faith,and decided to search other religions in order to find the,ah, proper one for me. So after a 3-year search I choose wicca....

[Lupabitch]

For me, paganism just fit into the rest of my life. I've been talking to the spirits outside since I was a kid, I've always been attracted to Nature, and Wolf, my primary totem, came to me when I was still a toddler (though I had no idea what was going on with any of this). Additionally, the concepts of animism and pantheism, as well as polytheism, make sense to me. So discovering paganism as a teenager was basically finding terms for what I already believed, learning more, and finding people with similar beliefs and practices. (Plus I will admit to being delighted when I discovered that magic is, indeed, real.)

[RoseRhythm]

Well, growing up I always loved to spend time outside. I wasn't raised with any religion really - I was told I was Christian but didn't really know what that meant. Anywho...now here is the embarrassing part...I watched that really awful movie "The Craft" when I was 12 or so. No, I didn't think I could do any of those things in the movie but it inspired me to pick up a book on Wicca the next time I was in the bookstore and voila here I am now.

[Lupabitch]

Heh--for all the complaints about that movie, I do think it was integral to a lot of peoples' introductions to paganism ;)

[Nyctale]

Yeah I was just another weird child who thought it was cool :mmm:

[darkchild]

I had to vote "other".

I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness from birth, but I felt the pull to paganism from a very early age. Rebellion had nothing to do with it, as I was VERY young.

I spent my youth trying to deny it for the sake of my family and the religion that I had been raised in, but finally, I had to face facts.

Christianity has no meaning for me.

So, I started down my path at the ripe old age of 36. :)

[Evinmeer]

Because I wanted to learn magick, which imo is the art of manipulating energy.

[The Amityville Ghost]

I don't know how to explain it. One day my best friend said to me, "Guess what? I woke up this morning and I realized I'm gay." And I said, "Guess what? I woke up this morning and realized I'm a pagan."

Then he asked me if I had any moonshine.

[Theres]

I don't know how to explain it. One day my best friend said to me, "Guess what? I woke up this morning and I realized I'm gay." And I said, "Guess what? I woke up this morning and realized I'm a pagan."

Then he asked me if I had any moonshine.
well... did you?

[Theres]

"I was attracted to Wicca because I primarily wanted a Goddess- or female-centered religion."
who said Wicca is a goddess - or female - centered religion?

[The Amityville Ghost]

well... did you?

Nope, sure didn't. But I did have access to a bottle of Wild Turkey. Granted, we weren't old enough to drink it legally yet...

[ravenmyst]

was raised in a hippy home, with access to all sorts of reading material, but no structured religious education. many friends attempted to babtize me but it doesnt stick, absolutely adore woods/ocean, and love history/archealogy/anthropology, so ancient religions are a draw. not a ritualist, but I have an affinity with a goddess or three, and am incorporating Buddhism in my life. what that makes me religiously speaking I do not know, but I have been on the path of whatever since I had cognizant thought

[Shrelana]

my attraction to Wicca has been that I needed a religion that was less patriarchal with Christianity. I'd read several things in the Bible (New and Old Testament) that I felt were not something I could follow and be true to myself. Most of my friends are pagan (is it capatilized when talking about the rel? or does it matter?)...Several things I'd read by Scott Cunningham, Silver Ravenwolf, Starhawk, and several other authors really made a lot of sense to me and made me feel like I was finally coming home...I struggle with things like "is it Christmas? is it wrong of me to say 'waiting until christmas? would it be wrong of me to sing along w/ Christmas carols or what?" I feel that there are many aspects of the Christian religion that are beautiful, but the religion as a whole, I cannot follow...It's just something that I felt was a great thing, but it wasn't me...and now, I've been accepting that Wicca is a valid religion for me, I can follow what religion feels right for me, not what is pushed on me...and that is a very liberating feeling

[Meadhbh]

I grew up within a Traditional Witchcraft (non-Wiccan) family, so it's what I know. The funny things was I didn't really know what it was till I was older. Then I found out that things I was used to didn't happen in every one's family. But wjen I started to think about it, it was like hey this isn't an every day kind of thing.

[PrincessKLS]

Partially out of rebellion but I've found happiness in it, so I stay a pagan.

[Solya]

I was raised Roman Catholic... was the only one out of the family who bothered to read the Bible at all, so I quickly came up with questions nobody could really respond adequately to. I always felt something was missing from it... something I couldn't quite put my finger on until I found paganism... then I realised that I missed the individualistic sense, the ability to worship and believe as I saw fit... and I switched. :smile:

[Lady Aeris]

((other)) this was like asking me why im female.. or a lesbian.. haha though not offensively, of course... Im in no way wiccan or labelled a pagan~ but i am a witch.. always have been.

[Faelon_Moon_Hawk]

There can be all kinds of reasons that bring people to Witchcraft, Paganism, or Wicca. At one time or another, I have heard the following listed reasons and I wonder how prevalent each one may be in the general Pagan community.

After you vote, I encourage you to explain your response by posting additional comments:

The Question is: Why did you become a witch, Pagan, or Wiccan?

I voted for "I read about it..." however, I also have an attraction to Nature and eath centered paths...so it's a combination of the two choices.

[WildThing]

I felt drawn to paganism, that's the simplest answer I can give. Something inside me was pulling me towards it, tugging me, fanning the fires of my curiousity.
And after I checked it out, I discovered that it held pretty much everything I believed in already but never had a name for or could accurately put into words...and my heart said;
"This is where you belong."

Now I know this sounds sooo typical lol, and beautiful..and yeah, it is, it really is. But at the time I was frightened outta my wits.
I'd already had the precognitive dreams which just *happen* to run in both sides of my family --and no, we're not a family of witches, most of them are christian...oddly enough..which explains why I was frightened, eh?
To suddenly feel such a connection with something that was so much bigger and profound than I was...was scary, especially when my whole life witches and other pagan-y types were all evil, horrible, bad things. That was what I was taught. But the more I read, the more I got past my fears and the stuff I was taught which I found to be incorrect.

And when I told my parents, initially it wasn't a pleasant reaction, but after I explained they were *mostly* cool with it.

[BlueSage]

"I read about it and agreed with what I read. I felt an intellectual / theological attraction." just about sums it up. i had been inadvertently studying' while i was a child yet learned the name of it as i grew older.

[CheshireEyes]

Other. 'nuff said...:hahugh:

[patch]

I had been into theology since I was eleven or so. But never thought religion was for me.

Then, when I was 14....I just changed. I don't know how or why, but I did.
I suddenly realised I was a polytheist and that I actually wanted to be religious. This sudden realisation happened in the space of an hour at my grandmas tai-chi class for the over 60's.:T

For a little while I just did research and followed an eclectic path. I did not have a special relationship with any deities.
Then, I found traditional witchcraft. I fell in love with it, it was such an inspiring path. I practiced trad witchcraft for quite a while, still without any relationship with deity.
I WANTED to have a relationship with deity, somebody I could honour; so I just...asked.
It was poseidon that stepped forward, but I ignored it for a long while. Because at the same time I felt I was being drawn to a whole new path. Thinking back, I think I always knew trad witchcraft was not for me. I had always been drawn to hellenismos, but at the time I never thought it'd work out for me.
Only several months ago did I finally give in and become a hellenic polytheist. Traditional witchcraft is an amazing path which I love, but it isn't for me.
As soon as I changed paths, things just snowballed. I suddenly got all the fulfillment I ever wanted. I haven't looked back and I wont :)

The end...or is it? *dun dun dun*

/long post.

[Pink_sheep]

When I started reading into paganism, there was just a huge YES! to everything I read - I'm still not sure what my path is (or if I even have one!) but the more I read into things, the more I seem to be getting an idea of which way I should be going.

[RuneCast]

:The Question is: Why did you become a witch, Pagan, or Wiccan?

The God, The Goddess and Earth, Air, Fire and Water revealed Their Presences to me. As that happened I became a pagan. After it happened being a pagan was my only acceptable option. And that could not have been more all-right.

[Halstrom]

I became Pagan because I wasn't feeling satisfied with Christianity. I had realized that I wasn't Christian long before I read my first book on Wicca. Though slowly I began to realize that I wasn't Wicca either. And I turned towards Reconstructionism, which actually suits me much better.

[Marcel]

I'm rebelling against all patriarchial religions :smile:

[Shanti]

I didn't become anything.
I have always been who I am and always followed me, not others.

[LibraMoon]

why ? well because it makes sense to me.

[Jeremy Westenn]

Before, I played video games in my spare time. Now I cast spells, save the world, and slay vampires.

- Westenn

[Eve]

I was raised as Catholic, yet as I grew older I started to question what I was being taught. It came to a head when I went for my confirmation and we were picking our Saint names, and the priest upon hearing my name told me that I should be ashamed for being named after the temptress that caused mankind to fall from grace. Even at 12, I had enough confidence to stand up to him and say that in my view Eve was the one that saved humankind from being like mere animals in a garden, she was courageous and independent and I did not feel ashamed at all.

Then over years, I started to read more and more about other religions and spiritual paths. While I respected other religions, they did not have that freedom of thought and belief I was seeking.. and as I learnt more and more about paganism something just clicked, it simply felt right.

[Amaya-chan]

I was raised Catholic and I went to a Catholic school for 5 years and then I went to public school where I learned that life has many theories and then I learned of wiccans and pagans and I first was afraid due to my religion and I thought it was a straight path to hell. Then I started doing things slowly and after meditating and tuning into my 6th sense I guess I became very into this. I then met Susan my best friend and we both believe in the same thing and we can share everything about the religion and I like what I believe in more then the Catholic religion.

[LadyCelt]

I stopped denying who and what I was. No other way to explain it or reason really.

[Anchoresque]

The voices told me to.

[Deinarious]

The voices told me to.

WTF? That sounds like something I'd say.

...

But seriously, I declared myself pagan in 2006, when I first started college. Mainly because it made sense, I wanted to use the power inside me, and because I wanted to piss off my overly conservative Nazarene Christian mother. Most of my mother's friends think I'm a heathen, my brother thinks I'm in a cult that worships UFOs (then again, he's not Christian either, he's a Buddhist.), my mother denies it, and the cat looks at me funny.

In reality, I always was a pagan. I believed in the Greek gods and goddesses until my mother brainwashed me after 9/11 into believing in Jesus. Still wondering how she did it. Actually thought of becoming Christian on my own when I thought I was bound by the powers above. But I have now been informed that they can't do that unless I ask them to, and neither can anyone else.

Yep, true binding is impossible unless consented. But that's not the subject.

...

Wait, what is the subject? I forget. Should I be taking notes?

[HorseCrow]

I primarily felt a strong attraction to Mother Nature and longed to join an earth-centered religion, but also grew up more or less pagan, so it felt very natural :)

[Lykathea]

I did not realize that being pagan was taboo / odd until I got into an argument in 6th grade about whether YHVH or Gaia came first.

[Selba]

Like Nocturna, multiple answers would have been better. I actually voted for I just wanted to learn magick and bypassed the relgion part because when I first started practicing I was six maybe seven. My cousin had medicine cards and from those I tried learning about different forms of spirituality.

I started off dabbling with gypsy witchcraft, so at the time there wasn't a religious aspect to it for me, it was all magical. Even though I read, I doubt at that age I really understood the potential religious part of things.

From gypsy witchcraft I went to Wicca because "I was attracted to Wicca because I primarily wanted a Goddess- or female-centered religion." and the fact that "I primarily felt a strong attraction to Mother Nature and longed to join an earth-centered religion. " At that point, I did gravitate to a more conventional religious view of my spirituality, but now I'm questioning what I am exactly and I have found that I'm back at my wild stage from my childhood even though it's almost 15 years later.

[Amanda Mitchell]

I was introduced to to it in high school, and even though I was raised Christian and while I still lived with my parents (up until recently) I had to kinda put my interest in Paganism aside, I always felt "a pull" towards it.

[Invidosa]

I feel that a few different events came together to put me on the path. I had always been interested in paganism (i was raised catholic, and knew from an early age it was not right for me) Then when I turned 19 I got a new job, and got to be close friends with a pagan woman, (we are still friends to this day) she never took on "teaching" me in any traditional way, in fact she was rather reluctant to talk about her faith at first. But just being close friends with her and taking to her I realized that paganism included all of these ideas that I already believed, but had no real cohesive umbrella to put them under. The rest is history!

[Manyx]

I originally grew up in a christian home my entire life. But as I grew older I started to realize something wasn't right. I'm not knocking Christianity it has its valid points. But I came to understand that it didn't work for me and that i had a hard time understanding a lot of the dogma. And along with that Dogma i couldn't stand that the church pushed it so hard. So I began my search and found Wicca and i've never been happier.

[silvermoon]

There were a few of the responses that I thought were relevant. But the primary one was that I read :reading: about witchcraft/wicca/paganism (whatever label you like to use) and felt a strong affinity to the beliefs, values and practices. Especially the rede of do what you will but harm none and the entwining of nature within the practice and everyday life. The beliefs just made sense and struck a chord within me that christianity had not. I went to a christian secondary school where chapel was attended once a week and divinity (R.I or R.E) was a part of the curriculum. It never really fit well with me and at times seemed hypocritical and condescending. It was preached down to us while we were supposed to look up for guidance and instruction. So I was looking for something that fit me like a glove where I could look and believe within instead of looking (and relying on) without or others.

[Louisvillian]

Mainly, because I read about it and agreed with much of it.
The more I read about the various non-recon neopagan religions, I found that I agreed more and more with Wicca's ethical principles and theological ambiguity. After I found out about the concept of Solitary practise of Wicca, I decided that it was the right thing for me.
Gradually, I came to agree more with conventional Wiccan theology and I came to better understand Wiccan mythology and ethics. And here I am today.

Being that I grew up in an atheist/agnostic household, I don't understand the whole idea of "rebelling" against Christianity or what have you to become neopagan. It seems remarkably childish and insincere.

[MoonBreath]

i choose the i agreed with what i read option, although there were others that would've fit as well. For me, i had always been pagan, i just didn't, when i was younger, know that my beliefs had a name they could congregate underneath. I had never felt completely comfortable in the Lutheran church i was brought up in, it didn't fulfill me spiritually. I had always been more attracted to the goddesses of mythology, and had pretty much always seen Diety as "She", as opposed to "He". But hey, that's just me! Arn't my rhyming skills divine? :lol: I remember buying my first "pagany" type book when i was out shopping with my mom and sister. I bought Starhawk's The Spiral Dance at Barnes and Nobles, and hoped that they wouldn't ask me what i got! lol! The chapter she wrote on The Goddess gave me chills, and i didn't finish reading the book straight through after that. I guess its no surprise that i'm a pretty much soley Goddess oriented soft polytheistic pagan, is it? hehe:smile:

[Phacia]

I chose the "agree with what I read" option, though it was more than that for me. In part, I've always felt like a religion based around nature was a better fit for me. I was also drawn in because of the worship of a Goddess AND a God. Both, and their relationship, are extremely important to me, and I can't imagine being a part of a religion that didn't worship both a male and a female deity.

Those qualities, plus all the "flashy" aspects, made it "just too cool" for me in the beginning. :)

[NFC]

I chose other because there wasn't an option that fits where I am in my life. I am mainly Christian, but I think there are other things out there, more to "it", things that may be missed, ignored or left out of Christianity. Now I will also say that I was having my doubts in my Christian faith until I came to this site. I would like to tell the kind people on this site that many of you, with your acceptance of others and their varying life choices, and kind words you give eachother demonstrate many of the behaviors that Christians are supposed to have but so seldom do. You guys have helped to restore my faith and I find the uplifting of my spirit here, not at church. And I find that I believe many things talked about here are of great benefit, like grounding and sheilding, and I feel, for me that this fits into "lifestyle" not religion.

I hope this has not offended anyone. I truely mean this post as a sincere complement to so many of you. And I hope no one will feel repelled by me knowing that my beliefs lean more to the Christian side. I read the post thread on "Fear of Christians" and I can relate to it too. I was raised with a strict Christian up bringing and found many people have no tolerance for someone who doesn't totally follow their path, or who may question things in their path. I have not felt a part of that group for years. I feel the need to continue to learn and grow and I get that here. So please understand that I am not the typical Christian you will meet.

ADDED LATER
I should also tell you all that I feel the wiccan rules for how to treat people "clicked" with me. I am finding that after a lifetime of trying to behave Christianly but falling short, I can follow, with much life changing sucess, the wiccan lifestyle. I really feel I am growing and becoming more of the person I have always felt I should be, and that I am living life with more integrety.

[Karri Morgan]

read about it and agreed with what I read. I felt an intellectual / theological attraction.


I think this one was the most accurate, although I also had an aqaintance that was a Wiccan. Although I must admit, what really caught my eye in the beginning, was candle magic, and stone-magick, because I used to believe in that even before I read more about Wicca, paganism and other stuff. The need for a goddess came were there before I began reading more about paganism, but I only reached out after reading about it.

BTW

Good answer NFC! I have certain predjujices (oh, the spelling!) against christians, but I liked your reasons for your belief, and think that the way you describe it, one can be a christian yet believe in Wiccan values and exercises.

[~*Dark Solace*~]

I chose other on the poll because what was listed to choose from really didnt fit my reasoning. I'm new at wiccan and I have a friend helping me out. But the reason I changed from christianity to become wiccan is i know a few things about it and hope to learn more, and i was losing my faith in christianity.

[morganza]

I decided to become a witch because I was sick of traditional religion and this 'spoke' to me in a way that I could understand with ease as opposed to other religions which seem to be very secretive!

[Skylar]

I was born into Christianity, and I will agree that the Bible is a good book. But ever since I was 7'ish, I knew that it wasn't for me. It wasn't something that I felt strongly about. For a while I had thought of myself as an atheist. Then, later on down the line I was expressing my views to a new friend of mine, and that is where I learned about Paganism. Started reading a few books, and realised that it was who I was without knowing it. . . Funny how things work.

[iceskater12]

Well, when I was little I had to be dragged inside for dinner, and dragged inside again when it was dark, then I had to be dragged off the roof because I liked the moon.

When I wasn't doing that, I was reading under the covers about fairies, dragons, religions, countrys, the past, just about anything they wrote books about.

When doing normal activities I was a cat, I could hiss, meow, and purr like a real cat, sometimes people would mistake me for having a cat in the room. I was always connected with all animals.

In pre-school I had a hippie type of guy as a teacher, who taught me about living in harmony with leaves (and I assume the earth around me). Then in kindergarden my teacher came down with an illness, and I left little things at the base of the maple tree because I thought it would help her get better (she did get better). Then I actually went to Catholic school, and I asked what other people considered obnoxious questions such as "how come Jesus can't have blonde hair, or green?" "How come god banished Satan to hell if he's the good guy?" and most important now that I realize it "Why is god a he if he's just up above us, how do we know?". I had trouble being Catholic because before I was adopted I didn't have a dad, so I couldn't form a connection, and I didn't want him, since he was gone (to the sky) like my biological father (who isn't dead but still not around)

So I looked into Buddhism first, but I eventually found this, and I could relate to everyone so well, and the librarian and one of the book stockers at Barnes and Noble are Pagan. Correllation and Diana is what they practiced. So I chose Correllation, and began down a new path.

Now it's a month later, and a day after my first Esbat I was able to celebrate, very moving and powerful, I'm still stunned. I'm still reading (got 2 new ones today) and I'm reading posts of others, and articles as well.

[Ladybug1258]

I did a lot of reading from about fourth grade onward (and if you know how old I am, you'll know that's been quite a while!) about pagan religions, Druidry, & witchcraft and felt a very strong pull towards this path I've chosen of witchcraft. It seemed based on the philosophies of what I felt within myself as the truths to live by. I've been drawing myself further in every day, every year every decade that has passed since then. Never looked back because I already know where I've been and didn't like it, so I'm always moving forward because that's where I need to be.

[LadyTavington]

I didn't have the family background, being they are Church of England. However, I have a very wonderful Aunt, Caroline, who I always looked up to, and found all that she did, fascinating. When I was about 15 or so, she asked me if I wanted to know more about her Path. I said yes. Finally, after having been stuck in the dreary confines of the CoE, I had found the Path that spoke to me. That brought me to life, so to speak. I thank her every day for that.:crown:

[battah]

Ever since I was little, I have always been drawn to how magical mother earth felt to me, so I think it was destined to be.

[Kern]

1) Belief in duality/balance.
2) Belief in a spirit realm that isn't Abrahamic in structure.
3) Belief in animism-that all things have a spirit essence.
4) Belief in magick/spells.
5) Belief in reincarnation.