Can I be Wicca if I have a handicap?

[SpiritTalker]

I'd suggest training yourself to feel, sense and move energy. Witchcraft is energy manipulation with the mind. magic is something we all do everyday, without even knowing it. Id suggest practicing feeling different kinds of energy that living and dense things give off. Feel it in your hands, and then feel it inside yourself and how those different energies feel when don't use your hands to touch them. Look into beginner level yoga and practice the exercises. You-tube would be one resource for learning about yoga, but nothing beats personal experience.

Every newbie witch has to learn how to ground their energy and raise it back into their body; and to work from within their spiritual center. These two things are the root and core of natural witchcraft. Once you have these two skills they will actually guide you.

Centering is a sacred means of working with our spirits and deities. Show them you are concerned for their comfort by placing a glass of water where it won't be in the way. Use the nicest glass you have. Refresh the water daily. It is for their use. That alone can be an altar. A flower in a vase is a nice substitute nobody could object to.

Use what you have on hand. Our ancestors didn't have crystal shops...just the annual village fair and traveling tinkers, and what they found on the ground. If you can brew a cup of tea, you can make a simple potion. Most cooking herbs are safe to ingest. Bay leaves are an exception. They're used to flavor a stew and then the leaf is removed. Kitchen witching is a good place to start, adding energy to the soup and using utensils as magical tools. It's a good way to develop skills and learn in a real working environment, rather than all book-work.

[Annellin]

I'd suggest training yourself to feel, sense and move energy. Witchcraft is energy manipulation with the mind. magic is something we all do everyday, without even knowing it. Id suggest practicing feeling different kinds of energy that living and dense things give off. Feel it in your hands, and then feel it inside yourself and how those different energies feel when don't use your hands to touch them. Look into beginner level yoga and practice the exercises. You-tube would be one resource for learning about yoga, but nothing beats personal experience.

Every newbie witch has to learn how to ground their energy and raise it back into their body; and to work from within their spiritual center. These two things are the root and core of natural witchcraft. Once you have these two skills they will actually guide you.

Centering is a sacred means of working with our spirits and deities. Show them you are concerned for their comfort by placing a glass of water where it won't be in the way. Use the nicest glass you have. Refresh the water daily. It is for their use. That alone can be an altar. A flower in a vase is a nice substitute nobody could object to.

Use what you have on hand. Our ancestors didn't have crystal shops...just the annual village fair and traveling tinkers, and what they found on the ground. If you can brew a cup of tea, you can make a simple potion. Most cooking herbs are safe to ingest. Bay leaves are an exception. They're used to flavor a stew and then the leaf is removed. Kitchen witching is a good place to start, adding energy to the soup and using utensils as magical tools. It's a good way to develop skills and learn in a real working environment, rather than all book-work.

Wow thanks a lot, your answer is wonderful! I really appreciate it. Blessed be!

[SpiritTalker]

Glad to help. Blessings back at ya.

[Kassandra]

I...try to search and read everything, that can be found, but...is hard. not all sites contain true information...

So true. But, it's still good to read everything. Some things by their example inform you exactly what "not" to do, believe, say, etc., though that wasn't their intent. Hehe, I know a lot of people like that, scary but still instructive in a "note to self: don't do what that person does" kind of way.

I commend you for knowing what you want, and persevering with learning despite having a disability...but I would examine that word, "disability" a little more. Stevie Wonder, the singer, is blind, but I heard his senses of smell and sound are off the charts! They compensate for his eyes. So is he really globally disabled, or is the general distribution of the capacity of his sense organs just arranged a little differently, than the majority of the population?

Where we may be "disabled" in one area, we may be quite amazing in others. It's all relative.

K




.

[Annellin]

I...try to search and read everything, that can be found, but...is hard. not all sites contain true information...

So true. But, it's still good to read everything. Some things by their example inform you exactly what "not" to do, believe, say, etc., though that wasn't their intent. Hehe, I know a lot of people like that, scary but still instructive in a "note to self: don't do what that person does" kind of way.

I commend you for knowing what you want, and persevering with learning despite having a disability...but I would examine that word, "disability" a little more. Stevie Wonder, the singer, is blind, but I heard his senses of smell and sound are off the charts! They compensate for his eyes. So is he really globally disabled, or is the general distribution of the capacity of his sense organs just arranged a little differently, than the majority of the population?

Where we may be "disabled" in one area, we may be quite amazing in others. It's all relative.

K




.

Thanks A lot, I really, really appreciate it!

[Kassandra]

.


You're welcome, glad it helps.

Maybe we should say "visually impaired" for poor vision, and "visually incompacitated" for no sight, and do away completely with terms such as, "disabled," "handicapped," etc. because they seem to imply a person is somehow globally flawed, which is inaccurate. I don't know, just playing around with possibilities.

Thanks.



.

[Becks]

Oh welcome back!

[SaturnStar]

Hi Annellin. (I hope I spelled that right)
I admire your strength, passion and willingness to be whoever you want to be.

Becoming Wiccan is about giving ones self to a belief that there is a Goddess and a God that are at the center of our universe. Wicca is polytheistic versus monotheistic. Wicca honors a Goddess as well as a God and is more maternal than paternal. In Wicca the earth, the air, fire and water are all living beings. Though physical site may seem to be essential in practicing Wicca it really isn't. The Goddess and God are more interested in the condition of your heart and your mind. When you honor them with ritual, though you may be placing physical items on your altar, it is the condition of your heart and your mind that lets them know if you are sincere.

Several of the people who have answered your question have suggested reading as much as possible. And I agree with them. The more you read the more you will find that honoring the Goddess and the God is really about how you live your life.

Magic needs nothing more than intent, and the ability to bring into reality that which you would have through thoughts and actions. You can cast a spell with thoughts alone. You do not need candles and incense and athame, and cup and pentacle and wand. These items help but are not essential. It is important for you to know that.

But let us say that having altars and working rituals helps the Wiccan to feel more in touch with the process. Being site impaired it will likely be difficult to set up an Altar and perform a ritual without some form of help in the beginning.

If you have a close friend who truly cares for you, is open minded and not judgmental and is not sight impaired you can start by talking to them and letting them know how you feel. You can ask them to help you set up an altar and a system of arranging your herbs, incense and oils so that you know what is what. It is important to know the properties of everything you will use in ritual in order for it to be truly effective. creating a system where you can identify lavender from wisteria, from john the conquer etc etc will be important. Using candles carries significant risk. I would probably stay away from using them.

This will not be a simple path but I believe you have the courage to walk it.

[Spring Moon]

I'll second what's already been said about the power being within yourself. A lot of newbie witches get really hung up on having the right tools etc. but the tools aren't essential for making magic. I think of them as aids to help you shift consciousness for ritual, some Wiccans find them helpful for that, others go without. I've been practicing for 2 years and still don't have an athame, wand or chalice.

Meditation is another good way of learning this skill. There are guided meditations which get you to focus on different body parts in turn, that can be great for learning how to direct focus and energy. Grounding is also something you could practice.

And don't worry, your disability doesn't mean you can't be Wiccan. I have a visual impairment myself (not blind but reading is slow and often painful). If you prefer listening to audio rather than reading there are lots of great Wiccan audiobooks out there. Scott Cunningham's 'Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner' and the sequel 'Living Wicca' both have audiobook versions if that's something you find easier.

Best of luck