I am a 16 year old male.
I have been studying Wicca for a while now. And believe I have new ideas for the fields of Animation, Summonings, and Combat Magic.
However, I am a self-dedicate and thus my magical skills suck.
I need to become a first-initiate. Help?
Brysing is correct. No reputable coven will initiate you until you are legally an adult.
Furthermore, none of the things you mentioned have anything whatsoever to do with Wicca. Wicca is not a form of spell practice, it is a religion. Initiation will not make your magical skills better. It's not like levels in D&D.
And please watch your language, profanity is not permitted in these forums.
That's totally unfair! Why would you not be accepted because of age? It's prejudice! Young people need help, and the best path to wisdom is experience! It's a heck of a lot harder tho gain tho the RIGHT experience when you're on your own. Older Wiccans know much more than we do, and are therefore the best form of tutoring. I, by the way, am 13 and belong you a coven of teen wiccans. We are called the Ether Dreamers.
River Moon, it isn't prejudice, it's the law. And the law was made to prevent unscrupulous individuals from enticing minors into dangerous situations. Adult Wiccans wish it were possible to teach the younger seekers without penalty, but most of us are unwilling or unable to face time in jail or the sorts of fines that could be levied for breaking the laws.
I doubt a tutor/educator is against the law. Wiccan/Pagan arts are yet another religion, out just has its own special qualities, like all religions. Brysing and Lark, for example, rather than posting age requirements and legality, you could just post helpful links and/or suggest local teen covens and books.
Sounds like you haven't been studying the right things. As someone already mentioned, nothing you have listed is really part of Wicca. More in the fantasy realms of witchcraft online these days. Wicca is a real religion that goes beyond magick. It has it's own deities, rules, holidays and etc.
To actually be initiated, you have to study Wicca for a traditional year and a day. This is done with real dedication where you read, practice and follow the religion during this time period. Normally you learn from a local coven. Not all covens require you to be 18 though. Some will take you as a student if you prove you want to learn and have permission from your parents....and I mean they have met your parents and gotten it in writing. Start by looking into local groups and covens at www.witchvox.com and even if they won't train you, they will generally give you a list of books to read until you are old enough to join.
There is also the route of self-initiation where you study solo and perform your own initiation ceremony. However, this isn't very well accepted. You still won't be able to join a coven after. But it is a great place to start at your age. http://www.witchschool.com/ has a full Wiccan year and a day program that is free. They also have several other classes that are free for members. The advanced classes all involve paid membership. They even have a book series you can purchase that is based on their Wiccan degree system. And, they aren't the only ones. There are actually several books out there designed to train you for a 1st degree initiation that if you can get a hold of you should. These include:
-Wicca: A Year and a Day by Timothy Roderick
-Wicca: The Complete Craft by D.J. Conway
-The Inner Temple of Witchcraft by Christopher Penczak (This is part of the Temple of Witchcraft Series that is very good)
-Dedicant: A Witch's Circle of Fire by Thuri Calafia
-Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft by Raymond Buckland
All these books are designed in lesson format with questions or discuss questions at the end of the chapters. Some even have exercises and rituals to perform. Everything you would be told to do in coven training. I should know, I've been leading a coven for several years now. These are all books I've recommended to people who couldn't commit to our training setup.
Also it isn't against the law to teach Wicca to minors. No one will face jail time for teaching someone younger. Wicca is recognized by the US government and is treated like all other religions. The only issue with it is some parents will not agree to the study because of Wicca's ties to witchcraft, causing beliefs of it being devil worship. A parent does have the right to decide if the child is taught it or not. The only cases, I've heard of going to court include parents not knowing their child was attending open skyclad (nude) rituals, some of which included alcohol during the Cakes and Ale part of a ritual. This is why covens started the rule themselves and many switched over to fruit juices at rituals.
