Hey everyone Im Andrew new to witchcraft and paganism in general but have always felt a deep connection with nature and the earth. My wife is also joining me on this new path. I am eager to learn and find a community
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Merry Meet Amccain,
It is always exciting starting your path - so many things to learn and to ask.
This is a friendly place to ask questions and get the ball rolling.
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Thanks I have been lurking and decided to make and introduction post. Iām a little shy and reserved but will eventually come out of my shell
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Merry Meet Andrew and the Mrs.
Welcome to this site. You will find much information and many people willing to share. I have posted in a few different places. But these are my 3 basic books to go by, Raymond Bucklandās āBig Blueā, Scott Cunningham, Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, and A Witches Bible by Janet and Stewart Farrar. Bucklands is a great, general, easy-to-read book about Wicca and paganismā¦.Cunningham write great books for solitary practitioners, and the Farrarsāās is a Gardnerian practice of Wicca, it follows many rituals. Between these 3 I was able to grasp the concepts quite clearly and choose my own path. I, have decided, I am just a witch. Not, Wiccan, and I donāt really believe in the pigeon-holed labels, of green, hedge, chaosā¦whatever type witch. I believe ALL of us are Eclecticā¦.we all seem to follow what resonates with us. Now, if you stick to a particular style then you might be that, Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Seax-Wita, just as you can be a Christian but have the different denominations, Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterianā¦.So, in likeness, I am just a witch. That is my answer when someone asks me., āI am a witch.ā If they ask deeper, then I realize they know a little about it, and then I will go deeper. If I need to be put in a whole, I need at least 3, Iām a Solar, Solitary, Elemental, witchā¦..these 3 alone make me an eclectic. But, donāt we all use the elements in some way, the sun in some way? So, doesnāt that make us all an Eclectic?
Just a comment, and welcome in Andrew and Mrs. Andrew (Iām assuming from the tag on your name, you are Mr, and Mrs McCain) Merry Part and looking forward to yāall in the circle.
Lady Gene 
Thank you for the kind words and you are correct about the last name. We are definitely headed the eclectic route my first draw to paganism was druidry due to Irish ancestry and draw to nature but soon realized I didnāt want to put myself in one box and that there are different aspects of the different types of paganism that I find intriguing. I am currently trying to research shadow work being that I have some repressed trauma that I have been struggling to figure out my wife and I are seeing a therapist/counselor and she is great but I have buried whatever this is and for the most part my emotions for so long. I have issues identifying emotions in myself and others we have discussed emdr sorry Iām a little all over the place thatās how my brain works
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Merry Morning again McCains,
Donāt worry about your thought processes, mine jump around too.
Yes, I understand the past traumaā¦.in my life, I had to finally let it goā¦.stop thinking about itā¦.stop letting it run my lifeā¦.all the bad stuff trauma hits you with. It is VERY hardā¦.I find thoughts coming up all the time. I work with my shadow to calm and heal that āwoundā because thinking on it, just keeps it festering. As a result of my traumas, I do not believe what anyone says, until I see their actions and character. AND, with that, enough on that subject, for me. However, I hope you find what will work for you. I tried working through mine, and it just made things worse. I hate this analogy, but it is the only one I can think of that people will understand. I treated my trauma as a rape victim wouldā¦ā¦it happened, canāt deny thatā¦.but, LET IT GOā¦..thatās the only way I could go on. Plus, I cut ALL TIES to that ātrauma personā in my life!!! Best thing EVER
Good Luckā-Lady Gene