Pagan Journeys > Paths and Traditions

Wiccan Initiation and Degrees

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Ghost Wolf:

--- Quote from: BronwynWolf on February 03, 2012, 08:59:29 PM ---Just to further muddy the waters.... be sure you know which "BTW" a person is speaking of. There are British Traditional Wiccans AND British Traditional WITCHES...with coven rolls older than Gardner (He claimed to have been initiated by one, but there is no way of telling if it really existed.)

--- End quote ---

I'm sure it did. Sybil Leek was a member of the Old Forest Coven that initiated Gardner, and I've heard of others.

Ghost Wolf:
I'll add to DS's points that there is oath bound material that can't be gotten from Wicca 101 books. I am a dedicant in the same tradition as DS for those of you who are new here and are not familiar. I began in 1973 as a Solitary, and there are many things I have not been able to discover after all these years.

FairyQueen:
I have a hard time wrapping my brain around dedications, initiations, degrees etc. I personally don't feel like spirituality or religion is something you should be bound to by anyone other than yourself. What if 10 or so years down the road you have a different religious "awakening" and realize what you've dedicated yourself to is no longer what you wish to follow? To me, being dedicated or initiated, just leads to feeling obligated to continue - even if you've grown. It seems like a carry over from other faiths where the number of people in your "flock" made you a better religious leader and not how you lead.

I'm not Wiccan though so disregard what I say if you want to...
 

Rovay:
@FairyQueen, I see what you mean there, but religion isn't like profession, isn't like favorite color or fashion style, even isn't like love. When you find your true religion, you just never let it go.

People ask me "so, you made an oath, can you ever stop doing that, can you leave?" and I say "No. And even if I could, I never would."

Oh, but I do agree that there will be some that go for things just for the flock. In my opinion that is why initiation into such covens as and such should probably be limited to people who pass some psychological tests - because age usually isn't good enough of characteristic to make sure someone is serious. If there was a psychological test of sorts, you could see how good the person knows himself and by that, judge if he is ready for commitment like this.
Because how can someone get ready to know the world, if he doesn't know himself before that?

dragonspring:
What makes you think that passing a sort of psychological test isn't part of the requirements for initiation?

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