BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Wicca Wicca online schools

Is there a good school for Wicca online someplace..?? I'm a newbie and I thought some classes might help. I want to learn Wicca the right way. It all seems so complicated. I've looked at a few places and some are very expensive. I've read that legitimate schools aren't suppose to charge a fee. What do you think of the "Frost" online school of Wicca..?. They are very expensive. Does anybody have any suggestions..? Thanks !

www.witchschool.com

If nothing has changed, you can take classes here for free. The classes are at your own pace. It offers good introductory information.

I'll also suggest that there is not "right way" to learn Wicca. If you choose not to use a free witch school online program, reading is a great place to start. Many suggest Scott Cunningham's Wicca book. I've heard that Silver Ravenwolf's Solitary Witch sums up what is in her "To Ride a Silver Broomstick" books, which I find helpful. Paganism by the Higginbothom's was really great. I'd also throw in Phyllis Curott's Witch Crafting. I'm working through Christopher Penzczak's Inner Temple of Witchcraft right now. It seems to be good as well.

Books can be expensive, but if you look at discount websites and such, you can get many of those titles much cheaper than retail prices. Or borrow from a friend. You can try the library, but it kind of depends if there will be much there.

In addition to books and online stuff, get out and experience nature in its fullest. That is the best way to experience divinity.

Take information from all places!!

Hope that helps.

(P.S. I'm obviously feeling "chatty" tonight... :))

Thanks for your help. I'm already reading a couple of Scott Cunningham's books. There aren't many folks around here that I can ask for advice or just plain help when it come to this subject. I think I'm all alone..This forum is wonderful. I'll be looking for those books you recommended and I'll be checking out "witchschool.com". Thanks for your help..!!

star,
In my opinion, reading can give you all that an online school can as far as info, but, yes, it's also good to have others to clarify things, to share your thoughts, and just to offer support. A few years ago, I signed up for a Correlian school (WitchSchool.com) just because I thought it would supplement my reading, and it did help by offering a disciplined program to follow (taught me that I didn't need to learn EVERYTHING all at once <g>), but it is limited by its focus on that Tradition so it was simply a resource for me rather than a commitment. Also, it was an added expense that I found better spent with investing in a good personal library. There's quite a few books listed on the Books link here, too! Best wishes in your explorations, and please ... do share, whether here (one of the best I've come across for specific questions/info and friendly acceptance of every path!) or some other forum or group (Yahoo and MSN are a couple to check out).

Like Moerdryn suggests, if there aren't many Pagans in your area, places like this (or Yahoo Groups or MySpace or where ever) are a good source of information. Take some of it with a grain of salt, but at least you can get some feedback if you have any pressing questions.

If you do want to find others in your area, you might be surprised by a search on WitchVox.com. I live in a pretty conservative area south of Atlanta, but a search turned up more people than I thought it would. Not to say my efforts at contacting some of them always panned out, but that is another story...

Thanks...I'm going to check out WitchVox right away..Maybe I'll find some locals that I can relate too..(I kind of doubt that I will)..but it's worth a try.. In my end of the world, people are really old fashioned and not into Wicca one little bit. So sad for us newbies. Anyway, Thanks again for your help..!!

I'm originally from Ohio, and on a MySpace group that I joined there are a lot of Ohioans. Not many that I've seen are from my specific area, but it surprised me that there would be so many from there considering how conservative it is/was. Not different at all from Indiana.

I think you'll be surprised how many people are within a reasonable distance. Or, maybe you'll be unlucky and there won't be many. Regardless, you still have us on Bella Online!!

Another way to meet people is to try to attend a festival if there are any nearby for you. WitchVox is a great place to find out about that kind of stuff too.

I made a trip to the nearest bookstore today..I was able to buy a few of the books that you guys recommended.. So I'll be really busy for a while..Also I loved your idea of finding a festival to attend. This time of the year, there are quite a few around my area..WitchVox had a few but they are really far from where I live..
Anyway, I'm so glad you guys are out there for me to talk to..You've really helped me..I've got a million more questions to ask..hope you don't mind..

I do not recommend an online school. At all. This is my opinion. I highly recommend, if you DO decide to go the online route, to thoroughly research the founders. The "Correllian tradition" was founded by what some traditionalists would say was very unethical means. And witchschool is not free. The first year might be, but please PLEASE read the fine print!

Anyway. What I DO recommend is going to witchvox.com and doing a search on your state. I'll bet you find lots of local solitaires, study groups, and covens. There are also witchy shops listed on there, and very often there are short-term workshops taught.

Yes, reading is a great way to go. But Wicca is an *experiential* path, and it's in the DOING where you will learn the most. Having a person (or people) there with you to guide you is the best way (I have found). You can feel them and notice how they treat and are treated by others in the community. You can get a better sense of what their motives are than just chatting with some faceless person online (heck, I could be a bored 52 year old man out to find some young nubile pagan nymphette - and how would you know?). You can ask questions and read body language and facial expression along with hearing an answer.

Just my thoughts. I don't know where you ARE in Indiana, but just a quick search on witchvox showed me 70 adult *groups*, 32 family-oriented groups, 10 teen groups, 25 shops, 97 services, 50 pagan clergy and over 1300 pagan individuals in your state! I hardly think you're alone!

Best of luck!
Jessamine

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