~ EUTM ~ Forum for Witchcraft & Wiccan Spirituality

[WitchyyTwilightGurl.]

my cousin & i are wondering. how do you do so? :?: :?:

[WatchfulEyeTheButterfly]

With a coven you have to be invited in and normally study with them for a year and a day. However, if you are going to be solitaries then you can dedicate yourselves how you feel is right. Note that this isn't something you do just because you are bored, you have to be truly dedicated to the craft. Here is a simple self-dedication ritual if you have no idea what to do. (I found this on another site)
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Needed: •Blessing oil •Half a teaspoon of salt •A white candle

First ground yourself. (Find inner peace and release all negative energies, keeping only the positive) When you’re ready to proceed, sprinkle the salt on the floor or ground, and stand on it. Light your white candle, and feel the warmth of the flame. Look into the glow of the fire and think about what goals you have for yourself on your spiritual journey. Think about your motivations for performing this self-dedication. If you have an altar, stand before it and say:

I am a child of the gods, and I ask them to bless me.

Dip your finger into the blessing oil, and with eyes closed, anoint your forehead. Some people do this by tracing a pentagram on the skin with the oil. Say:

May my mind be blessed, so that I can accept the wisdom of the gods.

Anoint the eyelids (be careful here!) and say:

May my eyes be blessed, so I can see my way clearly upon this path.

Anoint the tip of your nose with the oil, and say:

May my nose be blessed, so I can breathe in the essence of all that is Divine.

Anoint your lips, and say:

May my lips be blessed, so I may always speak with honor and respect.

Anoint your chest, and say:

May my heart be blessed, so I may love and be loved.

Anoint the tops of your hands, and say:

May my hands be blessed, so that I may use them to heal and help others.

Anoint your genital area, and say:

May my womb be blessed, so that I may honor the creation of life.

Anoint the soles of your feet, and say:

May my feet be blessed, so that I may walk side by side with the Divine.

If you have specific deities you follow, pledge your loyalty to them now. Otherwise, you can use simply “God and Goddess”, or “Mother and Father”. Say:

Tonight, I pledge my dedication to the God and Goddess. I will walk with them beside me, and ask them to guide me on this journey. I pledge to honor them, and ask that they allow me to grow closer to them. As I will, so it shall be.

Take some time to meditate. Feel the afterglow of the ritual, and feel the energy of the gods around you. You have brought yourself to the attention of the Divine, so they will be keeping an eye on you. Accept the gift of their wisdom.
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This is just one way to do it, but you should do what feels right. If you like this one then use it, if not you can get ideas from it.

[SingingCanyon]

I used my own variation on that ritual! It was very spiritual and I felt amazing afterwards. I, personally, think that if you add your own personal flair to a spell or ritual then it makes it that much more special!

Whatever you choose to do, I hope you have a great time!

[Asch]

Quick note, anyone solitary or otherwise can Dedicate to Wicca etc, but to be initiated one must join a group and be initiated by it, that's what an initiation means. That said, there's nothing inherently wrong with a dedication vs an initiation, it's largely semantics but some people get upset if a solitary claims to have self-initiated.

[JuniperBerry]

I have a slight disagreement with that. One can also have initiary experiences from the gods, since technically when one has been initiated by the group it's spurred by an experience with deity, not a timeline. An initiation usually refers to some sort of evolvement spiritually, being at a new level of understanding within Mystery traditions. While a dedication means you are dedicating your practice and acts to the service of the gods. Not as interchangeable as it appears.

[Asch]

Hmm I can definitely see that. I think most of the squabbling I've seen over the terminology revolves around Wiccan usage. I don't give a rat's teet either way m'self.

[JuniperBerry]

Yeah, me neither. Heathenism isn't a mystery tradition. *shrug*

[Asch]

Heh. Yeah. I just like to warn people. It appears to be one of those minefields that can get a person unjustly (or justly?) labeled a 'fluffy'.