Through my reading of materials about Wicca thus far, I have come across several Witches who feel that even if they began practicing the Craft later in life, they had always been different from others and later recognized these oddities as skills or traits that have served them well when studying the Craft. There is also this myth out there that to be a "True Witch" one must be born into the Craft. I would prefer to integrate these two theories and say those of us who are Wiccan, whether we have been so from day one or not, were always meant to be Wiccan. The God and the Goddess do not see force as the optimal way to get messages across however, and as such are content with letting ourselves find our way to Wicca. When necessary though they can be quite...well...persuasive.
For me, the path to Wicca was one of many starts and stops. I first encountered Wicca as a junior in high school when my friend expressed an interest in it. I did not truly understand what she was talking about and having it explained to me by someone that barely understood it themselves was no help. Unable to do book research without arousing the suspicions and ire of my abusive and controlling parents, I turned to the internet. I checked the facts I was reading among several sources for validity and found myself awed, a little scared, and very very intrigued.
I did not do much research on the subject at the time, considering that besides my father's almost fanatical obsession with Judaism, I was also afraid of the occult. Yet what I did know stayed in my mind and I frequently would wish I had the time to learn more. It took several more years and a journey into the martial arts to finally set me permanently on the path of Wicca. Having moved out of my parents' home at 18, I took up learning martial arts as a form of self defense at 21 years old. My sensei, or teacher, follows shamanism, and taught me about achieving higher consciousness through meditation. This is a practice also used in Wicca. My sensei also became a surrogate father to me, and his mother became my surrogate Grandma. Grandma is Wiccan and has been for years and when she began to share her beliefs with me, I was determined to follow the Wiccan way as well.
I am a solitary, since I don't have access to a Coven that I can join, but Grandma has become my mentor and is teaching me all she can. Through our time together and her talent for unlocking past memories, I discovered I have always been fascinated by the stones and gems I now use as the basis for most of my magick. I also have realized I have always been able to bond in special ways with animals, so I call on animal spirits for help and guidance when needed. Even my least favorite chore as a child, helping with the garden, became fun when I started growing herbs, many of which are the same herbs I now use in Wiccan practices.
The types of habits and interests I mentioned above may be an indicator that you are meant to follow the Wiccan way. This is what I mean by predestination. We are drawn to Wicca because of these things, not the other way around. But the only way to know for sure is to know yourself and ask the God and Goddess for guidance.
Blessed be
Misha Coplon
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