I can I still be a Wiccan if I'm not old enough to be initiated?

[Sarah Spark]

I have family who are Wiccan and I've always identified as Wiccan but I'm too young to be initiated into a coven. I'm 14 and whenever I say I'm a Wiccan to people they always ask if I've been initiated and when I say no they say I can't be Wiccan then. I've always followed Wicca since I was little and I want to be initiated as soon as I'm old enough. But I'm too scared to ask my family about calling myself a Wiccan if I'm too young to be initiated because they tell me I am a Wiccan. So if anyone can help me, I would very much appreciate it.

 

[Mister Silver]

Welcome to the forum.

In Wicca, one does not necessarily need to be part of a coven. There is such a thing as the solitary practitioner. As far as those informing you that you can't be Wiccan because you're not initiated into a coven, they're full of it.

 

[DavidFirth]

Why do you wish to be Wiccan?

 

[SalixIncendium]

I have family who are Wiccan and I've always identified as Wiccan but I'm too young to be initiated into a coven. I'm 14 and whenever I say I'm a Wiccan to people they always ask if I've been initiated and when I say no they say I can't be Wiccan then. I've always followed Wicca since I was little and I want to be initiated as soon as I'm old enough. But I'm too scared to ask my family about calling myself a Wiccan if I'm too young to be initiated because they tell me I am a Wiccan. So if anyone can help me, I would very much appreciate it.

Without an initiation, one will not be considered by traditional Wiccans, especially Gardnerians or Alexandrians, because they are of the opinion that one bust be initiated into a coven. One must be initiated by another initiate in order to be considered Wiccan.

There are solitary practitioners, as @Mister Silver stated above. These typically perform a self-dedication into the religion, but are not initiates. The call themselves Wiccan, but as mentioned above, not considered Wiccan by traditionalists.

My advice to you is if you are genuinely interested in the religion, read everything you can get your hands on and ensure this is the right path for you. You're 14, so you have 4 years to learn and prepare before any respectable coven would initiate you. In the interim, read, read, read. If you decide that Wicca is the path for you, a self-dedication would suffice until you are of age.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Welcome to the forum.

In Wicca, one does not necessarily need to be part of a coven. There is such a thing as the solitary practitioner. As far as those informing you that you can't be Wiccan because you're not initiated into a coven, they're full of it.

They may or may not be. Depends on the tradition.

ETA: Wicca is a highly dogmatic religion. There are far too many McWiccans running about. I discourage telling someone they can be a solitary Wiccan without having them do some research on the religion to learn what the path really entails.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Why do you wish to be Wiccan?

A very good question David. I would be interested in the OP's answer myself.

 

[SabahTheLoner]

Sure. Amazon has some great solitary Wiccan books. Lisa Chamberlain and Scott Cunningham are good reads. I believe you can get the books as eBooks as well as paperback.

Welcome to RF and best of luck.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I have family who are Wiccan and I've always identified as Wiccan but I'm too young to be initiated into a coven. I'm 14 and whenever I say I'm a Wiccan to people they always ask if I've been initiated and when I say no they say I can't be Wiccan then. I've always followed Wicca since I was little and I want to be initiated as soon as I'm old enough. But I'm too scared to ask my family about calling myself a Wiccan if I'm too young to be initiated because they tell me I am a Wiccan. So if anyone can help me, I would very much appreciate it.

Did your family raise you as a Wiccan or were you raised into a Wiccan family without being taught the path from your family directly?

Either or, I don't know if Wiccan is a hereditary religion. The older the religion, the more hereditary it is, it seems. But, if that's been your whole life, I cannot see why not you can't call yourself Wiccan.

But I would definitely find courage to ask your family first and foremost. Maybe there is a parent-child initiation. For example, I was initiated into the Zen Vietnamese Buddhist tradition yesterday. There were three of us. The woman next to me was taking vows for her son because he had to go to work. She already took the vows (she's already Buddhist) but by taking the vows for her son she opened the door for her son to take the precepts into the tradition.

If it's like that, the first step is ask your family. Like one said traditionalist wouldn't like it too much; but, given your family history, I'd start there.

I write a lot so if you have questions or lost just let me know. Welcome to the forums!

 

[SalixIncendium]

Did your family raise you as a Wiccan or were you raised into a Wiccan family without being taught the path from your family directly?

Either or, I don't know if Wiccan is a hereditary religion. The older the religion, the more hereditary it is, it seems. But, if that's been your whole life, I cannot see why not you can't call yourself Wiccan.

Wicca is not a hereditary religion.

 

[DavidFirth]

A very good question David. I would be interested in the OP's answer myself.

It's a fair question.

 

[Enoch07]

I have family who are Wiccan and I've always identified as Wiccan but I'm too young to be initiated into a coven. I'm 14 and whenever I say I'm a Wiccan to people they always ask if I've been initiated and when I say no they say I can't be Wiccan then. I've always followed Wicca since I was little and I want to be initiated as soon as I'm old enough. But I'm too scared to ask my family about calling myself a Wiccan if I'm too young to be initiated because they tell me I am a Wiccan. So if anyone can help me, I would very much appreciate it.

I am no expert. But I was engaged to a godddess worshipping pagan for several years. And she always talked about me being a natural witch. Which from my reckoning sounds like maybe where you belong.

Don't get hung up on the bureaucracy and redtape of the physical "church" or coven in your case and just be who you are. Later on down the road when you are old enough you can join at your leisure. That would be my advice if you was my kid.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I am no expert. But I was engaged to a godddess worshipping pagan for several years. And she always talked about me being a natural witch. Which from my reckoning sounds like maybe where you belong.

What does this have to do with Wicca? Why would you reckon the OP may belong there?

 

[Enoch07]

I am just not a big fan of one human being telling another what religion they can or cannot be . The OP feels they are Wiccan so my advice would be that they just be a Wiccan on his/her own terms. At least until they are old enough to join a coven and "officially" be a Wiccan.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I am just not a big fan of one human being telling another what religion they can or cannot be .

Okay, I'm with you so far.

The OP feels they are Wiccan so my advice would be that they just be a Wiccan on his/her own terms. At least until they are old enough to join a coven and "officially" be a Wiccan.

So in your opinion, can one just be any religion on one's own terms because they feel like an adherent to that religion? Let's use Catholicism, for example. Can one just be Catholic because they feel Catholic? No conversation with a priest or deacon? No baptism required? No need for any of the Seven Sacraments?

 

[Enoch07]

So in your opinion, can one just be any religion on one's own terms because they feel like an adherent to that religion? Let's use Catholicism, for example. Can one just be Catholic because they feel Catholic? No conversation with a priest or deacon? No baptism required? No need for any of the Seven Sacraments?

Well in my opinion. If someone wanted to be Catholic but without the priest, deacons, sacraments etc. Then they would just be a non denonimational generic Christian. Which is what I am. Baptism can be done with 1-2 other people and no other human being is needed as far as salvation/being saved is concerned. That particular part is between God and the sinner alone.

That being said. Its why I suggested the OP just be a natural witch. Although I used the term natural witch (admittedly incorrectly) to avoid saying "generic witch", because lets face it, calling yourself a generic anything take the luster out of it. I just felt identifying as a natural witch would be a compromise the young person and their family would both be happy doing in the mean time. As I say i am no expert, but if I had a child in the same predicament, this is how I would handle it as the parent or want it handled if I was the child. (Yes even as a Christian that had a child who felt they was Wiccan/Pagan/Whatever). I am a big advocate of free will, and I feel it is a very bad thing to impede that.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Well in my opinion. If someone wanted to be Catholic but without the priest, deacons, sacraments etc. Then they would just be a non denonimational generic Christian. Which is what I am. Baptism can be done with 1-2 other people and no other human being is needed as far as salvation/being saved is concerned. That particular part is between God and the sinner alone.

That being said. Its why I suggested the OP just be a natural witch. Although I used the term natural witch (admittedly incorrectly) to avoid saying "generic witch", because lets face it, calling yourself a generic anything take the luster out of it. I just felt identifying as a natural witch would be a compromise the young person and their family would both be happy doing in the mean time. As I say i am no expert, but if I had a child in the same predicament, this is how I would handle it as the parent or want it handled if I was the child. (Yes even as a Christian that had a child who felt they was Wiccan/Pagan/Whatever). I am a big advocate of free will, and I feel it is a very bad thing to impede that.

So we are agreement that, like in Catholicism, one cannot simply be Wiccan because one feels they are. There is a dogmatic process in which one must follow to become either.

I also want to be clear here that while (most) Wiccans self-identify with the term witch, not all witches are Wiccan, just like all Catholics are Christian (though some would argue this) but not all Christians are Catholic. Further, Wiccans revere a deity(ies), and while some non-Wiccan witches do, there are those witches that are atheist and do not associate their practice with religion. I think this is an important distinction to make.

The OP can label herself as she wishes, but if it was me in the same situation, I would self-identify with the the label "pagan" before I label myself a witch, especially if the religious aspect was important to me. "Pagan," IMO, has more religious connotations that the term "witch."

 

[Enoch07]

So we are agreement that, like in Catholicism, one cannot simply be Wiccan because one feels they are. There is a dogmatic process in which one must follow to become either.

I also want to be clear here that while (most) Wiccans self-identify with the term witch, not all witches are Wiccan, just like all Catholics are Christian (though some would argue this) but not all Christians are Catholic. Further, Wiccans revere a deity(ies), and while some non-Wiccan witches do, there are those witches that are atheist and do not associate their practice with religion. I think this is an important distinction to make.

The OP can label herself as she wishes, but if it was me in the same situation, I would self-identify with the the label "pagan" before I label myself a witch, especially if the religious aspect was important to me. "Pagan," IMO, has more religious connotations that the term "witch."

I agree. I believe your solution would be an excellent compromise as well for all parties involved.

 

[Revoltingest]

Greetings!

Alas, I know nothing of Wiccan initiation.
But I do know......

And it's all you can eat for free in the RF cafeteria today!

 

[SalixIncendium]

Greetings!

Alas, I know nothing of Wiccan initiation.
But I do know......

And it's all you can eat for free in the RF cafeteria today!

You are making it VERY difficult to stay the course on my vegetarian diet...

...But at least there's dark chocolate.​

 

[Revoltingest]

You are making it VERY difficult to stay the course on my vegetarian diet...

...But at least there's dark chocolate.​

If it isn't dark chocolate, then it isn't chocolate.