How I found Wicca | Teen Ink

How I found Wicca

November 6, 2009
By JasmineHodges SILVER, Texarkana, Arkansas
JasmineHodges SILVER, Texarkana, Arkansas
6 articles 0 photos 17 comments

I found Wicca when I was in the sixth grade. Ever since I was little I liked to watch anything that had witches or magic in it. I thought it was the most amazing thing in the world. I also read anything I could get on the subject with witchcraft and magic. I had a false sense of what Wicca was and I didn’t even know it was a actual religion until I read The Circle of Three series by Isobel Bird it amazed and shocked me that Wicca could be real. So sadly to say I started to search for spells on the internet. I thought spells could make me beautiful. I thought I could cast a spell like on Charmed or Sabrina the Teenage Witch and get what I wanted almost instantly. Good looks, better grades, someone to date, and to punish my enemies. I bet your shaking your head after reading that. Well I’m ashamed for even thinking that. I also was listening to what my family said at the time and they told me that Witchcraft was evil and those people worshipped the devil. So I listened to them and I continued to look up spells. My parents eventually found out what I was doing and told me I was praying to the Devil. The only reason I was Christian was throughout my life I was thought that if you weren’t Christian than you would forever be tormented in Hell with the Devil. So I was hesitant about looking up spells but I thought spells could make me a better person and I could make it up to Jesus later for praying to the Devil for just a little help. I wasn’t selling my soul to the devil I thought. So I checked out books about Wicca and every time my parents would catch me I told them I understood and would stop checking them out. For some reason even though I thought Wicca was evil at the time I couldn’t stop thinking about it and wanting to learn more. After a while I started to doubt my faith in Jesus and the Bible the more I listened to people talk about Christianity the more it felt wrong to me. I didn’t believe that people who weren’t Christian would automatically go to Hell. It just didn’t make sense to me. Also in sixth grade I started to doubt my sexuality. That scared me I thought I would go to Hell for sure. I hated myself for wanting to more about Wicca and I hated myself even more for doubting the religion my parents thought me. I just wanted to go to Heaven but in the back of my mind I still doubted the existence of a Hell let alone a Heaven. I felt that soon or later Jesus was going to punish me for my so called sins. I dint really have anyone to talk to about this. I felt dirty and sinful so I told no one. I checked out various books about Wicca from books about Herbs to books by Silver Raven wolf. I checked them out but rarely ever read them. I was just to scared to. I thought by doing so I was opening myself to the devil. This wasn’t just spells anymore it was the religion to hell. I read bits and pieces from the book but everything I read was proof of Wicca’s evil ways. It wasn’t until 8th grade that I read as much basic information about Wicca that I can from different websites I learned about the Wiccan Rede, The Lord and Lady, the Wiccan wheel of the year, The Threefold Law, and that’s the year I found Witchvox. I read so many essays from Teens that it made me feel like I wasn’t alone. Once I learned the basics of Wicca it felt right to me. I felt at peace. I realized that Wicca wasn’t evil and that it was meant for me to learn more about it. My parents wouldn’t allow that to happen. They told me that I had to go to Church that I was wrong and evil. My older sister even told me that I was going to go to Hell. I told them about Wicca and I told them what it wasn’t I tried telling her that in Wicca the didn’t believe in the Devil and that once you died that you would go to Summerland. Obviously they didn’t want to listen to me, they banned me from the computer and took away The circle of Three Series I checked out from the library. So I gave up Wicca again for a year. Yet during that year I kept thinking constantly about Wicca. I felt lost without it. Eventually I stopped thinking so much about it and I stopped trying to bring it up to my parents. After a while a person gets tired hearing that I was going to Hell and that I was evil and sinful and rebellious. I was tired of hearing that added to the problem that I came out as a Lesbian to them and was refusing to date males. I thought that I had it figured out but I was still so confused I wanted someone to help me learn more. I than decided to join social networks and chat groups for Wiccans. By doing this it made me feel less alone. Than in my ninth grade year my parents decided it would be a good idea to move from Chicago to Texarkana,AR. My older sister Brittany had graduated high school and was in college. So me and my siblings moved to the Bible Belt. Churches was everywhere and I was forced to attend the church and I hated every minute I was there. It seemed like the preacher was pointing out everyone’s flaw and what would be a sure way to Hell. I didn’t like the messages I heard. As I went though High School I tried to fit in by hiding my interest and being or trying to make my parents happy. There was a turning point in my life which I wont talk about in this essay but it made me realized that I wanted to follow the Wiccan path. Now I’ m a Senior in High school and I am trying to graduate. My parents’ and family still don’t accept my faith and wont let me practice it so I have to practice in secret. My parents said I can read about Wicca but not practice it but I will do both. I know Wicca is right form me. I have started a Book of Shadows and I am also going to buy a pentacle necklace on Tuesday. I am proud of being a Wiccan in training and I try to be polite and answer any questions people have when they ask me about my Faith. I will continue to try and learn more about my craft. Well I also would want to figure out my sexuality as well. I consider myself a Gothic Witch but I wont write to much about this, that will be for another essay. I hope this all makes sense of how I found Wicca.


The author's comments:
I am happy I found Wicca.

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This article has 79 comments.


on Oct. 26 2012 at 5:15 pm
allhallowsevekatie PLATINUM, Hampden, Massachusetts
39 articles 16 photos 65 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Believe me nothing is trivial"(The Crow)

thak you so much for this article i am almost exactly like you but i do not live in the bible belt i am 13 and found wicca when i was in the 3rd grade

on Jul. 15 2012 at 6:27 pm
roraroar SILVER, Frenchtown, Montana
5 articles 0 photos 5 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The poets leave hell and again behold the stars."

I love this article. I am in ninth grade and i just recently learned about wicca and i feel it is the right path for me. Good job on the article :)

on Feb. 29 2012 at 4:16 pm
bookthief PLATINUM, Concord, Massachusetts
20 articles 0 photos 58 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Life is the art of drawing without an eraser." -- John W. Gardener

But define witchcraft. If you count it as any form of miracle or magic, the Judeo-Christian god supports miracles and magic from Abraham, Moses, Miriam... the list goes on and on. I would definitely define those as in-tune-with-nature, white witchcraft.

loverwicca said...
on Feb. 14 2012 at 11:49 pm
my parents HATE wicca.they dont want to listen to me. i am practicing it in secert..acually a lot like you..im a teen.my religin (parents) is hindu......they say the in hindusim u are somposed to have peace with all realigeons..but my parents dont li ke witchcraft!!!! i stay up till 12:00 on my phone using the internet and studing more about it.my parents think im sleepng...its terrible that i cant follow what i believe...

on Jan. 20 2012 at 5:59 pm
Silverleaf SILVER, North Vernon, Indiana
7 articles 0 photos 22 comments
merry meet :) i agree with quite a few people when they saw i loved reading your article, and i fully support u in ur decision 100%. i grew up wrapped around the bible but im a proud wiccan and im not afraid to admit it, i just felt the bible and christianity was wrong for me, i think people could learn alot from reading this Blessed be

on Jan. 6 2012 at 3:47 pm
BlueRain BRONZE, Clarkston, Michigan
2 articles 5 photos 254 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you was beyond my control."

What I like most about Wicca is the sense of equality and openness to nature. It is not about proving your faith, it is about being a protector and a giver. I'm not planning on getting into the magic part of it, but I've always been curious about the herbal remedies made from plants. I can see that as something I could learn.

on Oct. 6 2011 at 11:07 am
zbarwinczak BRONZE, Auburn, New York
1 article 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Find your freedom in the music." - Lady GaGa

Dear Sirie, I don't wish to start an argument or anything, but the very foundation for your answer to "What is Wicca?" is wrong. Wicca is not a form of witchcraft, in fact, the two are very different. To break it down, Wicca, and witchcraft, are both under an umbrella term, Neo-Paganism, which in itself is a for of Paganism. Being a Wiccan does not make you a witch, and being a witch does not make you a Wiccan. A Wiccan follows the three-fold law, tenets, and the Wiccan Reede and prays to their own form of the God and Goddess, depending on the foundation of their certain sect, or tradition of Wicca. To be a Witch, you have to practice and believe in the power of magic, and most witches perform this magic during their ceremonies and circles, but that does not make you a Wiccan. You can be both, or you can be one or the other, but Wicca most certainley does not fall under the Umbrella term Witchcraft. I hope I could clear this up without causing an argument, but just seeing that first sentence was a little upsetting to me. :)

on Aug. 31 2011 at 8:37 pm
Kristen_M BRONZE, Mooresville, North Carolina
2 articles 10 photos 11 comments

Favorite Quote:
"A good cry lightens the heart." -Yiddish Porverb

I live in the Bible Belt too. And I hate it. My mom's friend hates me just because I'm Jewish. If she knew I was studying Wicca, I would never be able to see my friend again. Its also really hard for me when it comes to finding a boyfriend that isn't going to reject or judge me because I am learning about Wicca. So I know how you feel. 

on Aug. 31 2011 at 7:10 am
Kristen_M BRONZE, Mooresville, North Carolina
2 articles 10 photos 11 comments

Favorite Quote:
"A good cry lightens the heart." -Yiddish Porverb

Wicca feels natural to me. There were things about it that I already believed in before I even started reading about Wicca. I feel that I was connected to it my whole life until I really truly opend my mind to it. I do belive in Jesus and in a higher power, but Wicca is something more special to me.

I am Jewish on my mom's side of the family, but she grew up in a really strict Jewish life and she didn't want that for me. And to be honest I'm glad she felt that way because I don't want to have a strict religious life. I love being Jewish of course, and I respect other people's belifs even if they aren't Wiccan. But when someone starts to push it onto me or as Sirie said, "Shoving it down my throat" I put a wall up and will not want to deal with that person.

One of my friend's mother HATES me because I'm Jewish. To her its bad enough that I have tattoos but the fact that I am JEWISH makes me a bad person. Obviously, I'm not going to like it when people start to judge me. I've been judge my whole life since kindergarden, and all for being myself.

I love Wicca, and I'm not going to change that about me. Its my life.


on Aug. 22 2011 at 3:53 pm
andromeda13 SILVER, Barrie, Other
8 articles 0 photos 174 comments
same here. i foind wicca a couple months ago i've been studying it ever since. it bugs me how there are so many misinterprataions about Wicca. it makes me feel happy so it's the right path for me. )O( 

on Jul. 28 2011 at 4:10 pm
yousaypotato... SILVER, Peacedale, Rhode Island
9 articles 1 photo 42 comments

Favorite Quote:
"A good friend will bail you out of jail. But a best friend will be sitting right there with you saying 'Dang, we really screwed up this time.'"

thanks!!!!!!!

Sirie said...
on Jul. 28 2011 at 12:12 am
Sirie, Lineville, Alabama
0 articles 0 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The greatest oak was once a little nut who stood its ground." ~ Buddhist Proverb

I loved reading your article. There are quite a few things you've encountered that I too have had to deal with. Those being: I'm a practicing Witch, I'm gay, and I live deep in the Bible Belt (Alabama, to be exact).

I take great pride in who I am, though. And I wish you all the good blessings in the world, you're gonna need them. But stay strong and stay true to who YOU are. Not what society wants you to be. That's the key to a truly happy life.


Sirie said...
on Jul. 28 2011 at 12:03 am
Sirie, Lineville, Alabama
0 articles 0 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The greatest oak was once a little nut who stood its ground." ~ Buddhist Proverb

Asking someone to question if their respective religion is "right" is, indeed "bashing" their religion. This kind of behavior is what most people consider "shoving it down someone's throat." It makes potential seekers of your religion respect your religion even less for having such an intolerant view towards all outside beliefs.

Sirie said...
on Jul. 28 2011 at 12:01 am
Sirie, Lineville, Alabama
0 articles 0 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The greatest oak was once a little nut who stood its ground." ~ Buddhist Proverb

Wicca is a religion that belongs to a much larger umbrella-of-a-belief-system called Witchcraft. The tenets of Wicca are a belief and devotion to two deities; a God and a Goddess. (Note that there are PLENTY of Witchcraft religions that don't acknowledge any deities at all or the Judeo-Christian God). Wiccans (like most all true practicioners of Witchcraft) tend to view the Earth/Universe with respect. Thay goes a long way, and is interpreted differently by many. Wiccans range from radical green activists to pretty socially-average citizens of society. The entire Magick cocnept, despite what most think, is not a key tenet in Wicca nor Witchcraft. It's a practice, yes; much like praying is to Christianity. However, Magick involves many different sub-practicies; many of which I haven't the time to go into. A brief description of spell casting would be: Spell Casting is the art of doing something(ritual) or reading prose (a written spell) in order to create some sort of change. The core of spell crafting is having absolute belief that the spell will work. Some correspond this with the commonly-known Law of Attraction. Others use actual scientific laws to begin to explain the phenomenon, such as the Law of the Conservation of Energy. All in all, don't believe what Holywood says. If you want to know about the Craft, read some books, look-up credible websites, and keep a level head. Never do anything you are uncomfortable with, and don't take things at face-value.

on Jul. 27 2011 at 2:21 pm
jesus_saves GOLD, San Antonio, Texas
10 articles 2 photos 57 comments

Favorite Quote:
You know somethings wrong when you can't share your thoughts with your self.
-Sadie P. Jackson

Kristen_M,

I am not bashing Wicca, nor am I trying to offend anyone who is involved in Wicca. I respect you for finding that you need something else in your life and your audacity(sp) to go out and find what it is. But Kristen, its not Wicca. 

You don't understand that their is someone who loves you. He loves you so much that he formed you and he brought himself down from an amazing position to die for you. I don't know whats going on in your life, but I know that if you think that Wicca is filling oyu up then you haven't experience the holy spirit inside of you. 

If you have any questions please let me know.

I respect you, and I know that you re ding what you feel is right, but is it right?


on Jul. 27 2011 at 7:31 am
yousaypotato... SILVER, Peacedale, Rhode Island
9 articles 1 photo 42 comments

Favorite Quote:
"A good friend will bail you out of jail. But a best friend will be sitting right there with you saying 'Dang, we really screwed up this time.'"

I'm still confused about what it is. I'm not a Wicca, but i totally respect you guys. But what exactly is it? What do you believe in? and does the magic actually work????? :) please respond

on Jul. 19 2011 at 10:39 pm
Kristen_M BRONZE, Mooresville, North Carolina
2 articles 10 photos 11 comments

Favorite Quote:
"A good cry lightens the heart." -Yiddish Porverb

I'm glad you wrote this. Many people have this feeling when it comes to Wicca, but I will tell you that Wicca is not the devil's work, nor is it evil. Wicca has only white magic and is tune with nature. Which is what I love most about it. I too have been fancinated with this kind of thing since I was in 4th grade. I've recently just started to learn Wicca about the end of last year so i am still learning as well.

Wicca to me feels so natural and I feel like I was ment to learn it. You see on my mom's side of the family I am jewish, on my dad's I'm Lutheren (sp). But my family has never been really religious, we're very laid back. So I was never really intuned with my birth religion. Then I started to learn about Wicca and became fascinated with it. After starting to learn about it, I saw more beauty in nature. Especially when I look at the moon, when i look at the moon I can feel the Goddess smiling at me and giving me a kiss on the cheek.

I'm sorry your parents aren't that happy about you wanting to learn Wicca, but if I were you and I wasn't happy with what was being forced on me, I would be secretly learning Wicca like you. I've been judged by people pretty much since I was little and I was only being myself. Thats also why I don't like it when people bash on Wicca because they think it is evil when it isn't.

Anyways, I know I'll probably get some negative comments from people who will disagree with me, but I stand by what i believe in and I support you in your learning of Wicca. May both of our knowledges grow :)


on Jul. 5 2011 at 8:56 pm
AngelGal07 GOLD, Ferndale, Washington
11 articles 4 photos 67 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you do not love God then you do not know God for God is love" 1 John 4:8

Ok let me tell you something. I've been a Christain for all of my life and there have been many times where God didn't answer my prayers but that was because he knew that it was best for me not to go down that road or it wasn't the time to do so. Then there have been many times also when God has answered my prayer eather in a matter of a day or a year later. Just because you didn't get what you want doesn't mean you have to result to whichcraft. You may be getting what you ever wanted now, but pretty soon if it hasn't happened yet you'll lose everything including the people you love because those are such earthly possesions that can be wipped out from under your feet. I'm not being preachy nor am I trying to convert you. I'm just telling you from what I know and I have done my reaserch about your so called "religion". Want to know why you may be feeling empty inside? it's because there is no hope, no love, no joy that will sastify all of your wants. Even when you get what you want in the end it'll be gone like the snow when the sun comes out. There is only one person who could ever give what you need and more and i think you know who that is. That's why he came down to earth to be put on the Roman cross. He died and risen again for us so that way we can have a relationship with the Father again. Just a fun fact to throw out to you, did you that out of all of the "religions" in the world, ONLY God came down to earth, died a horrable death, and risen again! will be praying for ya.

on Apr. 30 2011 at 12:53 pm
kennapie12 SILVER, St.helens, Oregon
6 articles 0 photos 18 comments

Favorite Quote:
Stand up for something even if it Means standing up alone.

Your awesome for writing this! iM 13 AND A WICCANm, i may not be able to practice like someone in a bigger city, but i do as i can, im still concerned bout telling people but i do my best, im happy you have so much confidence, which gives me some! <3 =D   )O(

on Mar. 20 2011 at 12:56 pm
xxbrittxx498 BRONZE, Ozone Park, New York
1 article 0 photos 3 comments
I'm a wiccan as well, and I think it's great that it has helped you so much.  The content of the article is good, but steps could be taken to organize it better and make it easier to read.  In paragraph form, your article would sound lovely.  Blessed be.  )O(