A year and a day

Feel free to copy this information to your Book of Shadows.
Post Reply
Irismoon

A year and a day

Post by Irismoon »

Of those of you who do the traditional "a year and a day" study, do you also practice rituals as you study? Or do you do your rituals after the year and a day? I did not realize that there was so much to learn.
User avatar
smogie_michele
Posts: 792
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2014 11:32 am
Gender: Female
Location: USA
Contact:

Re: A year and a day

Post by smogie_michele »

I've been a practicing Wiccan for many years now and I just now started my year and a day study, just to look at it with new eyes again.
There is a book, Wicca: A year and a day by Timothy Roderick (spell?). It is the one I have right now and so far I enjoy it, but don't follow it to the letter. In it, he has you practicing your own rituals from the beginning.
However you choose to learn and practice is up to you. If you want to start with rituals, start with them. If you want to wait, then wait. Do what feels right to you :)

Blessings :)
A yawn is a silent scream for coffee.
User avatar
Siona
Posts: 666
Joined: Sun Sep 15, 2013 6:54 pm
Gender: Non-binary
Location: NH, USA

Re: A year and a day

Post by Siona »

It's good to do your rituals during your year and a day. The year is not just for learning from books, it's also for experiencing the tradition, and seeing if this is a path you want to pursue beyond the year and a day. You can read all sorts of books, but until you actually start putting that information into practice you're missing a huge aspect of discovering what works for you, speaks to you, etc.
User avatar
Firebird
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 8213
Joined: Tue May 10, 2011 12:03 am
Gender: Female
Location: So. Cal.

Re: A year and a day

Post by Firebird »

Hi there Irismoon,
I think when you are comfortable with what you know, may be a good time. Of course practice is a good teacher. When we have a dedicant on their year and a day of study, they are required to at lead at least one moon and one holiday. Of course this is a process in reaching the degrees. When you are a solitary there are no rules and you can work at your own speed.

To me, the year and the day idea are a promise to oneself to explore the craft of the wise for this given amount of time. If after then you discover it is not for you, that's ok...you gave it a go :D
The date you choose to start your year and a day, is your spiritual birthday.

I am curently hosting a study for a year and a day over here....
http://everythingunderthemoon.net/forum ... 29836.html
stop by if you like.

Bb, Firebird
“There are things known and things unknown and in between are the Doors.”
― Jim Morrison
“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
― RWEmerson
:mrgreen:
Irismoon

Re: A year and a day

Post by Irismoon »

So by practicing rituals while you learn can only help you get better at it. Thank you all for your comments.
User avatar
smash089
Posts: 20
Joined: Sat Nov 15, 2014 11:23 pm

Re: A year and a day

Post by smash089 »

I'm currently studying for my year and a day, I've never cast a circle or made a ritual yet, as I feel I'm not connected to the Divine as much as I'd like to be,

So id say it's all up to you and how your feel upon your status.

In saying that, I do use my tarot cards and they give me a 97% accurate reading every time.
miazmo
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2015 7:33 am

Re: A year and a day

Post by miazmo »

I too am on my year and a day learning curve. I am hesitant, though my Altar is now finishedImage but though I meditate at my sacred space, and talk to the Goddess, I am concerned that I will cast my circle in the wrong way, or offend the deities. Any advice out there?
User avatar
YanaKhan
Posts: 2155
Joined: Tue Sep 24, 2013 1:19 am
Gender: Female
Location: Sofia, Bulgaria

Re: A year and a day

Post by YanaKhan »

I haven't done a year and a day study, as I am not Wiccan (although I wondered if I could do some guidelines about something similar for an eclectic witch, it seems like a great way to study and prove you are serious about your path. It just seems impossible to cover all the things you could possibly follow on the eclectic path and would be like 101 years and a day :D ).
Anyway, once a very wise person told me that when you become good at what you do, when you have enough knowledge, it will seem like you don't really need to do magick (meaning everything you do will be a projection of your will). He also told me to follow my instincts about my rituals - whenever I feel like I'm ready for a certain ritual, whenever I feel like I should do a spell, I should not hesitate. If there is something wrong with what I want to do, it will simply not work. (I exclude dark arts here)
So, my point is, whenever you feel like you are ready, just do your rituals. They don't even need to be complicated or anything - the daily simple rituals we do also count. Cleansing spells, blessings, a banishing ritual, grounding, meditation, lucid dreaming, you can basically choose one and do it every day. It will help you grow, give you patience, calm you and help with your other workings.
User avatar
smogie_michele
Posts: 792
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2014 11:32 am
Gender: Female
Location: USA
Contact:

Re: A year and a day

Post by smogie_michele »

miazmo wrote:I too am on my year and a day learning curve. I am hesitant, though my Altar is now finished but though I meditate at my sacred space, and talk to the Goddess, I am concerned that I will cast my circle in the wrong way, or offend the deities. Any advice out there?

As long as you are doing everything with pure love and trust, I wouldn't worry about offending any deities. When I cast my circle and do ritual or spell work, I stutter, mispronounce words, say things backwards... but that is because I'm human and it happens sometimes :)

Your altar is beautiful, by the way.
A yawn is a silent scream for coffee.
User avatar
Badgerstate
Posts: 39
Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2015 3:52 am
Gender: Male
Location: Columbus, OH

Re: A year and a day

Post by Badgerstate »

smogie_michele wrote:
miazmo wrote:I too am on my year and a day learning curve. I am hesitant, though my Altar is now finished but though I meditate at my sacred space, and talk to the Goddess, I am concerned that I will cast my circle in the wrong way, or offend the deities. Any advice out there?

As long as you are doing everything with pure love and trust, I wouldn't worry about offending any deities. When I cast my circle and do ritual or spell work, I stutter, mispronounce words, say things backwards... but that is because I'm human and it happens sometimes :)

Your altar is beautiful, by the way.
IMO, the Gods realize that we're not perfect and look more at intent and effort than perfection in execution. Agreed on the altar. I wish that I knew what half those items were. The only one that I recognize is the Buddha. LOL
miazmo
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2015 7:33 am

A year and a day

Post by miazmo »

Thank you both so much. I shall begin with a lighter heart. Really appreciate your advice. As far as my Altar goes, I don't think there's anything unusual on there. My athame, wand ( my working wand is on my wall), my God statue, ((The black Spiral Lord) ,my Goddess statue (Cerridwen), brass offering bowl, a little pewter offering bowl. Two crystal wands. An incense burner. A feather. A sage smudge stick. A shell, an ammonite. A little Wiccan Goddess I made, two little candle holders I also made from polymer clay ( just love the stuff) my two crystal pendulums, crystal ball for scrying. My bell and chalice, my Tingshaws for cleansing. Some special crystals, moonstones mainly that mean a lot to me. My pentagram. Above is a green man, my wand, my besom, a wiccan plaque. [i think that about covers what's on my Altar. Am I missing Nything folks? If so, please let me know. Blessings. IMG]http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/02 ... ae9662.jpg[/IMG]Image
Irismoon

Re: A year and a day

Post by Irismoon »

Very nice altar.
miazmo
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2015 7:33 am

Re: A year and a day

Post by miazmo »

Thankyou Irismoon.
Post Reply

Return to “Witchcraft & Wicca 101 - The Basics of the Craft”