Moving away from Wicca...

[Iris]

Has anyone else noticed this trend amongst pagans...namely, that a lot of pagans start out from having an interest in Wicca and then progress to non-Wiccan paths? Why do you guys think this is? Is it to do with the volume of available information on Wicca as opposed to other types of paganism (the first book I ever had was "Wicca: a guide for the solitary practitioner"...go figure). Is it just that people are perhaps uneasy at first about experimenting outside of clear guidelines (the rede etc)?

Personally I started out being mainly interested in Wicca but have lately been investigating all kinds of different paths. I still follow the rede and think I probably always will, but I have ceased to call myself Wiccan, and I'm now looking into other ways of doing ritual etc (that whole "I call on the guardians of the watchtowers... :lol: just isn't me...)

Thoughts, people? :)

[Faery-Wings]

I know that I started out studying the Wiccan Path. I think that this because of the amount of information readiily available out there is a big draw. There is also a comfort level in it, knowing that is more well know, and more accepted than some of the others. Also as a newbie, I think it is a bit disconcerting and difficult to be able to create a path completely your own, or follow one less known. Additionally, I think on the surface, Wicca has a lot to offer and has a lot of philosophies that people will say, "Wow that is how Ifeel." But as they delve deeper into their studies, more comes out that they perhaps disagree with, and then have the confidence to shed what they dislike. After a while, these people realize that they are no loger practicing Wicca, but rather a religion of thier own.

Of course, this is referring maining to those who end up on an Eclectic path, rather than one who ends up in Druidry, or as a Reacon, or Heathen.

[*Cerridwen*]

definitely, most of the informatioon out there is geared towards Wicca, if you look more closely there is information on many other paths but, I agree that most people possibly start off with Wicca...

[misschief]

i think in my case, it's just because we (meaning the people i know personally), are growing up... and for us, wicca was umm... fluffy. not saying it's fluffy period. but for us it was... as we grow and mature, we leave wicca behind us and go to other paths that are more practical for us.

[~*Ginger*~]

I think that we all have a desire to reach the place where we feel comfortable, knowing that we can be the best we can be.
That our heart, mind and feet lead us to that place, and it seems normal to me, that there are many paths that we walk upon that lead us to that place.

[mothwench]

Is it to do with the volume of availbale information on Wicca as opposed to other types of paganism
:uhhuhuh: yes.

Is it just that people are perhaps uneasy at first about experimenting outside of clear guidelines (the rede etc)?
:noway: no.

(of course i can only speak for myself, but i think that's pretty much the reason.)

[Morr]

i started out in Wicca..
I was a Celtic Wiccan for about 5 years... then I moved up & on to Celtic Reconstructionism.
I guess things just change.

[Lai]

I've noticed that too.. and it also happens to hold true for me. I had no idea this stuff was out there until my best friend became obsessed with Wicca and told all of us all about it. I was wary, and never really became Wiccan because it seemed like a hype rather than religion, but it was thanks to Wicca that I've found out that there's more out here than I can imagine.

[Fideal]

I was Wiccan for about three months before I realized I didn't believe most of it, and moved towards tradional folk witchcraft path. Soon afterwards, I learned about Irish Celtic Reconstruction and just jumped right into it, because it was just...me.

I think people start out Wiccan even if they don't really believe in it because its the easiest to get information on. Once a person learns about other paths, they realize if what they believe isn't right for them, and move on.

[-Sky-]

That's so true!I started with Wicca and I am still wiccan,I think I will always have the main wiccan beliefs in me.It's that when I started I was mainly just wiccan,now I started exploring other traditions too.

~Anna

[{Tigress}]

For me it was the first Pagan religion I was introduced to. I met Wiccan friends, so naturally, when I decided Paganism was for me, I switched to Wicca. Then, as I grew spiritually, I also grew in confidence and realized that it was okay to form my own set of beliefs. I still "think Wiccan" in many ways, and still respect a lot of what I learned, but my Path has led me to knew and different Truths now.

[Gede]

MM!~
Wicca is the most accessible and dare I say 'mainstream' tradition of Paganism, and therefore it is often the door to the world of Magick, so to speak. It does offer a sense of comfort in that its central tenet expresses that we are individuals with a will of our own, but should work to bring no harm to others and ourself, which immediately allows an individual to feel justified in feeling an affinity with a religion that is popularly associated with Satanists.

I identified as Wiccan for the first year or two, much like everyone else here, and then I realised that I wasn't following Wicca and yet I knew that I'm Pagan. I think it's mainly because newbies aren't entirely sure of what it is to be Wiccan and think that the term is simply a broad and open term relating to anything remotely Magickal or Witchy, therefore they adopt it with great enthusiasm. But that's not to say that everyone who is Wiccan will drop it to find something more, there are many that are truly spiritually aware in that system.

Namaste, Gede...

[CleftOfLight]

I was never interested in Wicca,I read about wicca after the fact.I guess people move on from wicca because its kinda blah,and a little bit cheesy.but if it helps you out then use it by all means.

[CleftOfLight]

another resonwhy I think people move on from wicca is beause theres no magick there,or barely any.And its a hint of paganism.So naturally if you are interestedin magick or paganism you will move on to something less lacking.

[Nephthys]

I personally never gave myself a name such as 'wiccan' or anything. But I did however start out with learning about Wicca. At first it seemed like it was completely right for me, but later on I learned that it wasn't. I've found things that I don't quite agree with.

I think people start with calling themselves Wiccan and then move on because Wicca is quite well know at the moment. If you want to know something about it you can easily find information.

[Iris]

Ah no...scary Frank rabbit avatar thing...*hides from creepy pic*

Ahem. My posts are so profound. :D

:lol:

[AterCorax]

"Wicca is something you grow out of."

Joke, but I've found it to be true for quite a few people, including myself.

-Ater

[Leander]

Whoa - what's the probability of this thread having more incredible timing...not much I think. I started out in Wicca, but I am looking for another path. I'm not quite sure why, but I have an incling that it is because of the sheer amount of stuff there is about it. I always like finding out things, but not all at once...I like a challenge in finding out things. Has anyone got a suggestion for a different path for me?

[{Tigress}]

Whoa - what's the probability of this thread having more incredible timing...not much I think. I started out in Wicca, but I am looking for another path. I'm not quite sure why, but I have an incling that it is because of the sheer amount of stuff there is about it. I always like finding out things, but not all at once...I like a challenge in finding out things. Has anyone got a suggestion for a different path for me?

You need to figure out what you like and don't like about Wicca, make a list, and then if you still want help with ideas for new paths, make a new thread with your list and get suggestions from other members. With an infinite number of Paths available to you, it's impossible to make suggestions without knowing what you're interested in or where you feel you're being pulled. You wanted a challange... you've got one already. :)

[*GrumpButt*]

I started out as Wiccan. But as I got to reading the reede and all that stuff. I was way turned off lol.
I just don't feel comfy following something like that.
I really don't follow any path I just kinda pick and choose for what I need at the time.
I do believe in the Goddess, and my matron is Bast. But beyond that, I just find what I need as I go along lol. Don't get me wrong, I do have a set of beliefs, and a set of my own rules and ways. But if I am doing something for the first time, say a new ritual/spell, I look up and take what I think would be the most comfy for me. Or just make it up as I go along kinda. ^..^

[Iris]

Whoa - what's the probability of this thread having more incredible timing...not much I think. I started out in Wicca, but I am looking for another path. I'm not quite sure why, but I have an incling that it is because of the sheer amount of stuff there is about it. I always like finding out things, but not all at once...I like a challenge in finding out things. Has anyone got a suggestion for a different path for me?

Hey Leander! You're in a similar position to me I guess...the Wiccan method of doing things just doesn't sit right anymore, so I'm kinda searching for an alternative. Anyway, this page on Witchvox (http://www.witchvox.com/xtrads.html) might be a good resource for you. It has info about all kinds of different traditions.

Happy seeking! :)

[bshore]

I tend to keep circling arround Wicca, mostly because of the ammount of info. Wicca seems kind of cheesy sometimes, especially looking at some of the pictures in the Farrar and Adler books, but I do identify with the basic principles of their teachings: mother and father as Godhead, respect nature, do magic if you want.

I find that once I get into a fixed ideology, like the rede and Charge of the Goddess, I get turned off. Kinda like in the movie Dogma, I think it's better to have ideas that strict beliefs.

[Moonstoned]

Well Iris, you probably know this about me already as I have pm'd you too many times lol!

I started with Wicca, got very interested with the Chaos magicians as I am very 'pro' using whatever speaks to the individual in magic. Chaos doesn't use one belief system but borrows what it needs each time. So, if we are talking magic, I'm happy about Chaos.

However, that's all well and good for magic, but it didn't speak to me spiritually. I have looked and read and now find that druidry is apparently my 'home'. I am now learning and think that it is where I belong. What is saying to me is what I believed all these years without having a name for it. I find my house and my life is full of the imagery of druidry, unknown to me (!) and I am very excited at the moment. As I posted in another thread, and as a friend told me, if you sit and listen, you will often hear the clues that have been evading you when you were busy with the day to day stuff. So, I'm a happy bunny! :reading:

[Strawberry Bounce]

I started out studying Wicca & really thought I would commit to that path. Gradually, I moved on. It was the first non Christian religion I learned about, & I dived right in without really evaluatiing what I believed. I needed a label.

[Sephiroth]

i started out studying many different pagan beliefs but i started out as a celtic-wicca and then like six months later i moved on to druidism. :fprtyman4 :fpipesmok :fpeace: :boquet:

[Ben Trismegistus]

I think the deal is that there's a lack of good role models in the Wiccan community at large. A lot of people come to Wicca first because it's the most well known and most accessible neopagan path. Then, once in the Wiccan community, they tend to find nothing but bad books and flaky people, and after a while get turned off by what they perceive Wicca to be.

I came to Wicca differently than most -- I met a community of intelligent, talented, interesting people who helped bring me to the Path, rather than having an interest in Wicca and having to seek out either a community or information. There's a lot more chaff out there than wheat, and therefore it's easy for a seeker to become easily disillusioned with Wicca and search for something they consider to be either more "serious" or more "established".

[Blair]

I think part of it is the availability of info about Wicca. But I also think that it's important stepping stone for many unfamiliar with paganism in general. It opens up other choices that aren't always evident when someone is outside the pagan community. Also some people need a structured environment when they learn something new and I think Wicca has that structure. And of course, you don't know if you like something til you try :)

I truly practiced and believed in Wicca for a few years. It was an important part of my life. I was in a bad point in my life and I needed the guidance it offered, but I didn't just jump at the first religion that fit my problems. I treated it as a serious decision. But as I started to transition from high school to college, my beliefs changed and I found I didn't hold the same exact beliefs. I no longer follow the rede and I don't cast circles. But Wicca was important that it gave me what I needed when I needed it and opened up other possibilities to me.

And to Leander: You might wanna try an eclectic path. You would most likely find endless research to keep you occupied. There are so many paths out there and the beauty of eclectism is you can take what you want and disgard what you don't agree with.

[kaosxmage]

I broke into the pagan paths as a young punk member of LaVey's Satanic Church, then found my way to wicca from there ...I've discovered I'm not the only one who did this, but one of few willing to admit it. I didn't care for the total humanist movement in satanism, and to be honest, it was a rebellious thing. Wicca offered more spirituality and mystery so it was good, for a while. I was quickly disenchanted with the duotheism, the rede, and overall disney feel of it. But it was there and available ...so I played around with it, until I started to stumble on other paths. I abandoned wicca many years ago, and have since been an explorer of many paths, but to be honest, I've crafted my own cosmology and belief structure, and I walk a path without a name. I suppose I could give props to wicca for my first real step on the right track.

Much love, :heybaby:
--Kaos

[Sekhmet Soul30]

Like I said in another topic I started practicing paganism through Wicca but then after going through my teen years as a Wiccan I found out that my mother hated Wicca and Witchcraft, which blew my mind away, and so I had to go searching for a way to practice my beliefs. I fell into Celtic for awhile and then moved onto Kemetic and for a few months I was Hellenistic. Now I'm back to Kemetic but I'm practicing Tameran Wicca, which allows me to worship the Egyptian Gods but still have my Wicca.

Of course the beauty of the religion is that it looks just like Kemetic and sounds like Kemetic but your also practicing Wicca. Sometimes having a stupid mother helps greatly.

[kagekarasu]

It's definitely the amount of books written on Wicca as well as so many other Wicca infused witchcraft books. I sadly rarely find a book that does have strong Wicca underlying themes in it, and I know this isn't how witchcraft is as books before the rise of Wicca didn't have all this, people just jumped on the band wagon.

Being someone who didn't start with Wicca or has never been Wiccan, it's hard to be of another path, especially when you're trying to learn all you can and find people to connect with and since most start their spiritual journey in their teenage years when they are trying to figure out where they fit in, I can understand running to Wicca. Luckily for me, I have a whole lot of tradition from all sides that I had been taught early on, so it was easier for me not to do the same as others and I also received a great amount of knowledge of non Wiccan influenced witchcraft so that when I do read something that is, I can filter it out, and take the yummy goodness, if any.

[Twig]

I think it's the "times" we grow up in. Waaay back in the early `70s the logical alternative to christianity was satanism, being A.Z. Levay and the Church of Satan was the "in" thing of the time. The alternative to THAT was Jenne Dixons style and the things only taught at communes... not an alternative to a 15 year old at the time.

With the rise of the internet the Wiccan Path has had the "best press" amongest all Paths I think. As such it, because of the, shall I say, non-confrontational aspects in regards to established religion it presents, is approached first by those seeking higher knowledge.

Some are content with what they find through The Mother. Others, seek a different teacher.

If this sounds condesending, it's not. I'm just very tired and need some sleep.

Night All!

Peace,
Twig

[Micheál]

In my experience, those that "grow out" of Wicca, never pursued it Traditionally. I think also, a lot of people get involved with it because of what they think it is, and it turns out, what they were practising, definitely was not. Mainly, I see those that are drawn to certain Gods, and cultures, move away from it when they realise its other influences, and that it's not the religion of "their ancestors."

A lot of the books written about it are absolutely terrible, and the ones that aren't are supposed to be a stepping stones, until you're properly trained. Many are able to make fulfilling, workable paths with outercourt information, and "doing their own thing", but on a wider scale, that info simply is not complete, which could also add to people's frustration with it. In my opinion, Wicca isn't "cheesy" at all, and I guarantee those that have said so, have never pursued it Traditionally. Those that have, and never made it, tend to slag it for some reason. Kind of like those people that were never able to make it in the military, and go onto take extreme stances against the government.

[Twinkle]

In my experience, those that "grow out" of Wicca, never pursued it Traditionally. I think also, a lot of people get involved with it because of what they think it is, and it turns out, what they were practising, definitely was not.


*Raises hand*

Yep...that was me in a nutshell.

[Sekhmet Soul30]

I'm going to agree with Micheál on the point of the books. Their all horrible and if you do find a book that you like, and buy it, then you usually wish that you hadn't. I have yet to find any books on Tameran Wicca because hardly anyone rights about it. Their more into the mainstream stuff.

One downside, I believe with Wicca, is that if you ever go to one there is always some Christian Minister outside trying to save your stupid soul. Personally as long as my soul is still inside my body then I'm fine. I've never been to one but it looks like one big circus. Of course let's not talk about Stonehenge. Archologists believe that it might of been a place where people were burned after death.

Yet Wiccan will say that this is where they celebrated the Sabbaths. Okay, what's wrong with this picture. If there's proof that people were burned here after death why would I want to go and celebrate the Sabbaths on the same ground that dead people were burned. Wiccans sometimes make me sick and they gobble up whatever books are out there.

How about doing some of this stuff on your own, without the books. I'll admit that I buy the books, once every three years, and have read a couple of good ones. However the rest are trash, written by moronic people that claim to be a Wiccan for this many years without having to show proof. That's why the books will be trash, the authors will be trash, and those that think that this is the path to spiritual awareness really need to take a good look at themselves and wonder if their turning into a village idiot.

Sorry if I might be turning this into a debate, I just get really ticked off about Wicca books and their authors.

[TuathaSidhe]

For me the more I looked into it the more I was put off by it. Im sure there are those who take it seriously, but so so many people use it as their "go to" religion without really thinking it through. Personally I tried to do that love light harm none bit, and I know thats not what its all about, but most Wiccans, that ive met anyways, find it horrific that I would ever possibly want to put a curse on someone, lol.

What bugs me about the books is that I almost can't ever pick up a book on witchcraft without it having wicca influences.

[Sekhmet Soul30]

Yep, that's what I'm getting. Whatever happened to a book on just witchcraft without the Wicca. I guess it will never happen.

[Death the Kid]

I moved away from Wicca because it could not answer the questions I had in a satisfactory manner. Questions like: Why do we suffer? What causes suffering? Can suffering end without having to die? There were answers, of course, but they didn't really satisfy me. I also found that I didn't really believe in Wiccan theism, being a budding atheist at the time. I also found it didn't jive with the science that I know and love.

I later found my way into Zen Buddhism and this satisfied all of my questions, yet I still wasn't done with Witchcraft (as divorced from Wicca). Zen offered me everything I needed emotionally and intellectually; yet even it is not a complete system. It's not meant to be. I find myself walking in the shoes of a Soto Zen practitioner and wearing the hat of a Witch. I don't mix the two paths, but they do inform one another.

[herbal_legends]

Zen offered me everything I needed emotionally and intellectually; yet even it is not a complete system. It's not meant to be. I find myself walking in the shoes of a Soto Zen practitioner and wearing the hat of a Witch. I don't mix the two paths, but they do inform one another.

I feel the same way about Taoism and Witchcraft :thumbsup:

[Sekhmet Soul30]

I think that some people move away from Wicca because it's been commercialize. Look at Salem, which is another subject that I won't touch.

[RoseKitten]

Yep, that's what I'm getting. Whatever happened to a book on just witchcraft without the Wicca. I guess it will never happen.

If you'd like, I'll look in my archives and see if I can find some decent titles for you. It may take me a few days or so, since I'm currently in a state of chaos. :lol:

As for moving away from Wicca...

I found it, initially, as a pre-teen. What I found then, isn't what I would even consider Wicca now. It was light, fluffy, and at some points just stupid. What I have found now, it calls to my soul, and it moves me in ways I didn't think possible, and I'm only just starting to scratch the surface of it.

[Sekhmet Soul30]

Thanks, I need to get away from the fluff.

[RoseKitten]

Thanks, I need to get away from the fluff.

No worries.

What is it that you're looking for though? Witchcraft is a rather varied subject. What is it that you want to know? Feel free to PM me, I'd be happy to help you out until I can point out some books for you.

[Sekhmet Soul30]

No worries.

What is it that you're looking for though? Witchcraft is a rather varied subject. What is it that you want to know? Feel free to PM me, I'd be happy to help you out until I can point out some books for you.

Looking forward to reading them and sorry about taking so long to reply. I'm still Tameran Wicca but I'm starting to lean towards Traditional Witchcraft. However before I claim to be Traditional I'm going to ask a ton of questions, read a ton of books that other Traditionals recommend, and live the life. Wicca, I believe, is a great starting point and if you've really been at it for several years but find that it no longer fits you then I think that you should be able to move on.

I'll keep you updated on how this is going. Oh and I'm not changing the title under my name until I'm ready, which might be a year or so.

[Zai]

I remember I started as a solitary Wiccan. . . okay, except it wasn't really Wicca I was practicing. Until about two years ago, I totally misunderstood the religion. I got the idea that Wicca was all about magic(k), love, and light, and oh, there might be a God and Goddess somewhere in there. Because of my living situation, I could rarely practice magic, found it rather dull anyway, and I didn't believe in deities then. So I didn't see the point of Wicca.

I blame it on the crappy books. Wicca for the Rest of Us was an eye-opener for me, but by then it was too late. :(

I did find the Norse pantheon through a couple of Wiccan sites and a book on it at the same time. I started researching Asatru, had a fallout with the Norse pantheon (*cough*), and now I'm a tentative Kemetic. Huzzah? No idea how I ended up here.



However before I claim to be Traditional I'm going to ask a ton of questions, read a ton of books that other Traditionals recommend, and live the life.


I'm the same way with Kemeticism. :) Feels good to know I'm not alone in this. Good luck!

[Sekhmet Soul30]

I remember I started as a solitary Wiccan. . . okay, except it wasn't really Wicca I was practicing. Until about two years ago, I totally misunderstood the religion. I got the idea that Wicca was all about magic(k), love, and light, and oh, there might be a God and Goddess somewhere in there. Because of my living situation, I could rarely practice magic, found it rather dull anyway, and I didn't believe in deities then. So I didn't see the point of Wicca.

I blame it on the crappy books. Wicca for the Rest of Us was an eye-opener for me, but by then it was too late. :(

I did find the Norse pantheon through a couple of Wiccan sites and a book on it at the same time. I started researching Asatru, had a fallout with the Norse pantheon (*cough*), and now I'm a tentative Kemetic. Huzzah? No idea how I ended up here.



I'm the same way with Kemeticism. :) Feels good to know I'm not alone in this. Good luck!

Thanks.

[Ameniatha]

Hmmmm... interesting question this. I have been a practising Pagan for 15 years now, and I can honestly say I have moved away from Wicca..

For the first 10 years or so I did call myself Wiccan, and practised it too, but as time has passed, I changed. I noticed that it was not important for me to do spells etc. I still ascribe to the tenets and philosophy of Wicca.. but..

I have to say that I am leaning more and more to becoming a Middle-pather... one that values the darkness of being Pagan as well as the light of being Wiccan. I was never really convinced that Wiccans were "white-witches" there is imho no such thing.. and magick is not black or white, but grey and so on..

I have a deep rooted interest in Satanism(proper) not the Laveyan one.. :| I don't believe in props.. and as I have studied this I have found that there are quite a few things that are comparible between Wicca and Satanism (proper) which are quite interesting..

But being a middle pather is quite satisfying actually. I have made peace with having to make spiritual sacrifices in order to grow - if that even makes sense. I feel that that is the direction the Goddess wants me to move into, so I am open to new experiences and learning as I go.. :)

[Kern]

Ive moved away from Wicca, because like others, I thought it was one thing and felt connected to some of the things I thought wicca was. I mean no offense to anyone who wishes to call themselves wiccan, but I no longer see it as a generic path like neo paganism. I view Wicca as BTW(Alexandrian/Gardnerian). Calling oneself Catholic but not being born or converting to it, doesn't make it so and having similarities does not make it so either. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck, but if walks like a human and talks like a human but dressed like a duck, its still a human. But this is just my opinion.
I tried for years to force my beliefs to what I believed Wicca was, but the more I learned, the more I realized, my beliefs & practices and "Wicca", were never going to be the same. And I realized no matter how I practiced or believed, if it wasn't Wiccan, it wasn't Wiccan, no matter how much I said it was. The beliefs and practices of Wicca, just are not my belief's. I have no "religion/path", any longer. I do however have similar beliefs with different paths.

[Annyka]

When I first started exploring my spirituality I knew my beliefs were not Christian so started to explore. All the information I found that had anything to do with what I believed seems to point to Wicca, so I claimed the name and explored the religion. It was only after my researching skills evolved (and perhaps more information came available) that I explored other pagan paths, and realised that what I believed (and practiced) was not really Wicca at all (which also explained why I didn't feel comfortable with calling myself Wiccan all along).

[StarlitNox]

I don't think I ever really started out as a Wiccan, but I did start my research there. I just couldn't follow something that came out of nowhere in the 60s, which is what my research made it seem like. However, I suspect people who don't take Wicca seriously was the source of my information there, but yeah. Since then, I've moved onto not worrying about the label of my path, but the fact it's built on personal experience and no less, no more.

[NCPilot]

I actually started out as Seax Wicca, but Buckland got the whole Wodan relationship with Freyja wrong (Wodan and Freyja were not husband and wife), so I started to read the history and the lore of Heanthenry. I did stray away from Wicca for awhile, but if I am honest with myself, there are some parts of Wicca that I still like, and I am more drawn towards the pentacle than the Hammer. So I don't really know where I stand right now, but I'm always willing to learn and evolve.

[sol_mas]

I later found my way into Zen Buddhism and this satisfied all of my questions, yet I still wasn't done with Witchcraft (as divorced from Wicca). Zen offered me everything I needed emotionally and intellectually; yet even it is not a complete system. It's not meant to be. I find myself walking in the shoes of a Soto Zen practitioner and wearing the hat of a Witch. I don't mix the two paths, but they do inform one another.

Nice to see other Zen-folk around this forum.

When I first left Christianity, I looked and found Wicca. Like others I think I wanted it to fit when it really didn't, at least for me. It did, however, help open my eyes to other belief systems and give me hope that I would eventually find something that felt more comfortable - for that I'll always appreciate it. I found my connection with the Goddess there.

I too moved into Zen Buddhism, but my faith in the Goddess has remained strong. Its hard to explain, but I think the author of the quoted post does a good job of it (although at times I admit I do blend them).

-sm

[Y Ladi Wen]

I think for alot of people Wicca is just a starting point. Way back when I first stumbled upon this path about 15 years ago I knew that this was the path for me. But with time it took the back seat to other interests. Now I find my self coming full circle and embracing it once again.

[taijiya]

Wicca, in all its various permutations, still seems to be the easiest form of paganism for the seeker to discover; but as those seekers discover more about themselves, and about what else exists beneath the wide umbrella of paganism in general, many of them will gravitate away from wicca and toward more specialized spiritualities that better suit them. I was trad wiccan (Gardnerian) off and on for quite a while, but it was a bad fit from the start, and I eventually moved on. It happens. It means you're growing.

[Katefox]

Wicca's the easiest to find information on. The easiest to find books and websites seem to be Wicca-focused. I was never a Wiccan, but I remember when I started looking for information on magic and Paganism, Wicca, and Wicca-like practices were the first thing I came upon, so that's where my reading started. And I figure that happens to alot of people, why after reading about, and maybe practicing Wicca, realise there's something better out there for them.

[Micheál]

I'd say that there a lot more terrible books about Wicca than there are beneficial ones, and the beneficial titles are a bit dated, other than a few gems that make it out there today. The route to pursue Traditional Wicca isn't the shortest either, which would consist of having read most of the common books written by traditional authors, and knowledge of the outer-court, before seeking out a coven, completing the meet-n-greet process, and undergoing at least a years training being brought through wheel of the year, and discovering if your energy and personality is ready, and able to mesh with that of the covens. In this period of time one would imagine it would be a sufficient enough amount of time to decide if the path is right for you before going through with initiation, which will be done at the right time.

Wicca is a mystery tradition, which aren't really the easiest forms of paganism to get involved with. Maybe the easiest to hear about, but how many people that decided it wasn't for them, or even how many authors out there in the commercial world completed this cycle compared to those that haven't?