Traditions, Traditions, Traditions...

A young woman once asked me about Wiccan Traditions.

She, like many others, came to Wicca as a religion that spoke to her.

And so, she studied and practiced and studied and practiced, and came to a halt.

Why? Because she reached the end of what she could learn from the books she had. Her next logical step for her was to research a Tradition and learn what she could from it. But what Tradition to choose? Where to start? Should she research Traditions linked to her heritage? Should she research the more popular Traditions in hopes of finding one within those that would speak to her, to increase her chances of finding others to practice with? Should she just glean what she can from various books and sources and create her own Tradition?

Now, I've been asked a number of questions regarding Wicca in the past. How do I find other Wiccans in my area? What is the difference between the Greater and Lesser Sabbats? Can I wash my Chalice in the dishwasher? This question proved to be one of the hardest to answer because there are so many areas of Traditions one would need to look into.

It's understandable why there are so many Eclectic Wiccans out there, to the dismay of every Traditional Wiccan and to the joy of Llewellyn and Samuel Weiser. And, for the most part, most Solitary Wiccans are to some extent Eclectic. So, to say, "just stick with being Eclectic" is to provide the easy way out of this personal search. Sure, there's a rare chance that any tradition will fit an individual as well as one the person creates, but there's something to be said for following a path which is, well, prefab.

To be Eclectic and stick to that path is to be Solitary for life. The chances of finding anyone else with the exact same views, practices, observances and rituals are going to be slim to none. Mind you, choosing a Tradition based on the fact that there's a Coven or group of people following it may increase your chances of finding others out there, but will it be right for you? If you're lucky, yes. More than likely? No. So, how does one go about searching for their Tradition? There's 2 ways I would suggest doing so, and which one you pick will depend on which you feel more deeply for.

The first direction would be to research a Pantheon. Along with the search for a Trad, many people are also looking for the Gods. Many Traditions tie in with particular cultures' deities. I mean, you rarely hear of a Celtic Wiccan calling on Aztec deities, right? They would call on Celtic deities. Just as a Norse Wiccan would call on Norse deities, etc. This may seem like a backwards way of doing things, and it is, particularly for those of you who strongly believe that all Gods are one God. By which name and by what image is merely superficial, but still, it's not an area to overlook.

Second direction is jump right into researching any and all Traditions you can. This is far from easy. The number of Traditions grows constantly as Covens are formed, hive off, spread and adapt. Many of the better-known Traditions, such as Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Seax, Pict, Celtic, and Faery, have a plethora of books devoted to their practices. Less known Traditions, such as Appalachain, Draconian and Blue Star, may have a book devoted to them, or, more likely, you can only learn about the Trad through a Coven.

And, for the most part, you will probably still be Eclectic in the end. This is not a bad thing. To call oneself an Eclectic Wiccan is fine. To call oneself a Gardnerian/Eclectic, or a Norse/Eclectic or an ADF/Celtic/Faery/Eclectic is just fine as well. The moment it becomes ADF/Celtic/Native American/Buddhist/Muslim/Catholic/Atheist/Eclectic Wiccan is when Eclecticism becomes a bane and where the Traditionalists have their gripes. Mixing Traditions is fine. Mixing religions is fine. Passing the mix off as purely one thing or another is wrong. Just know the line where Eclectic Wicca ends and a totally new belief system begins.

Brightest Blessings, Veshka Valkyrie

The search will be never ending. I've been on the path for 9 years now and I started as a Celtic/Traditional/Eclectic. I'm now a Celtic/Traditional/Norse/Druidic/Eclectic. Life changes, and so will you and your path. Know this, and you'll be prepared for nearly anything.

By Veshka Valkyrie