So you want to become a Wiccan? Before you proceed to understand how to become a wiccan it would be beneficial to you if you pause and examine your motivation. If you want to become a wiccan because you want to cast spells and gain power over people, it would be better if you desist in the attempt. A true Wiccan is forbidden from using rituals and magick for manipulation, coercion or harm. The Wiccan Rede demands that spells must be used for the good of all mankind. The Wiccan must fill his heart with love and all rituals must open the heart to greater love.
If you are convinced about your motives, you must practice the spiritual traditions associated with the belief sincerely. You will only begin to experience the rituals fully when you have developed an understanding of the important rituals of the tradition and the roles adopted by persons trained specifically to perform such rituals.
The life of a wiccan is not easy. Discipline is a must and without discipline the wiccan cannot become proficient in the craft. In fact the learning is everlasting and discipline also must become a habit. The rules of behavior are not detailed and each act must be analyzed in the light of morality and the consequences of the action. If the action harms none, the action is good; else the action is not considered moral.
Wiccans live very close to nature and environmental cycles are very important. The wiccans participate in the changing seasons and the natural cycles are seen to be an integral part of daily living. A number of rituals and ceremonies are centered around the changing cycles of seasons.
Having said all that and issued all the necessary warnings let us proceed to examine what you need to do to become a Wiccan. Learning to be a wiccan will require you to pass through four learning phases. The first phase is all about understanding wicca, exploring wicca and experiencing wicca.
First it would be in your interest to read up on Wicca and wiccan beliefs. A number of websites and books will provide you the basic information. A few books that are frequently recommended for beginners are:
· Triumph of the Moon by Prof. Ronald Hutton
· Circle of Fire by Sorita D'Este & David Rankine
· A Witches Bible by Janet & Stewart Farrar
· Wiccan Roots by Philip Heselton
· The Witchcraft Bible: A Witches Handbook by Wilma Rose
· Wiccan Spells, Ceremonies & Rites by Lady Fortina
· Rites and Rituals of Traditional Witchcraft by Tony Steele
Not everything you read will appeal to you. You will find that each writer has his own slant or belief. Read everything; do not reject anything. As you read, you will develop your own perspective, your understanding of the subject. It will form the foundation upon which you will build your faith.
The instinct at this point is to rush the fences. You want to learn everything that there is to learn. However, witchcraft is not an art that can be grasped overnight and practiced the next day. You need to ruminate on what you have learned and take it in phases.
Thereafter, you could contact a local Wiccan coven and ask to join the group. Remember that joining a coven is not easy. Covens are loosely structured groups working together to perform their magic. Very few covens are looking for new members. When a new member joins the coven will take time to adjust their energies. If you are lucky to find a coven that welcomes you, you could join them and learn to be a Wiccan. You need to stay with a coven for a year and a day—which is the statutory period before the initiation into the tradition is allowed.
However, joining a coven is not a must. One can be a solitary practitioner for year and a day before getting initiated into the craft. Solitary practitioners can take to the Seax-Wica tradition founded by Raymond Buckland. This tradition has a self-initiation ritual.
Certification courses are also offered by a number of websites in the Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wiccan traditions. Each of these traditions has its set of books, tools and rituals.
The next phase would be the practice phase. You should begin by practicing your rituals exactly the same way every time so that it becomes a habit and you begin to experience its significance. The practice should begin with the following steps:
· Cleansing the Area.
· Preparing the Altar
· Lighting the candles.
· Casting the circle.
· Welcoming the elements.
· Welcoming the Deities.
· Stating the Purpose of the ritual.
· Magickal workings or devotions.
· Raising the Energy. Releasing the Energy.
· Grounding.
· Thanking the Deities.
· Thanking the elements.
· Closing(or sometimes called opening) the circle.
· Eating snacks!
The recommended phase for the practice phase is around six months. Thereafter, the student can move into the next phase—the rhythmic practice phase. This phase requires remembrance of four truths:

1. Life is always changing. Nothing stays the same.
2. To Know you have To Do. Experience requires action.
3. The quality of each experience - as you draw it forth and do it and live it - becomes the substance of your wisdom.
4. Yes, there will be a test on this. There is ALWAYS a test on this!
It also requires the student to explore the year through the cycles of nature. The purpose is to learn more about the self and appreciate your place in the Universe. The student needs to understand that everything exists as vibrating energy and vibrations change as seasons change.
The last phase of learning is the commitment phase. If Wicca has become your religion you must follow the basic principles. The first of these is the Rede, which enjoins you to harm none. Integrity is the cornerstone. Integrity involves the ability to discern between the right and the wrong; acting on what you have discerned even at a personal cost; and openly declaring your position on an issue.
Wicca is all about empowerment for common good. It is not about getting more but giving more. It is not about changing others but changing yourself. It is not about fame but about being available for those in need. It is about helping others and creating healthy lives. It is about keeping promises and going the extra mile to ensure uprightness, honor, truth, healing, giving and serving. It is above all holding dear the tenets of your faith and being true to it.
If you are ready for this you are ready to be a wiccan!