What Is A Wiccan?

I get so many requests for help on one subject: "How do I become a Wiccan?"  I think that the best way to answer this question is for me to tell you what I believe a Wiccan is.  Please bear in mind that this is my truth.  This is how I feel and how I believe.  At some point everyone modifies what she/he has studied and develops a belief system that is best suited to her/his lifestyle and inner spirit.
 

There are certain redes or laws that we live by and they are basically meant to give us parameters of behavior.  These laws do not conflict with any belief system in the world.  Our main tenet of "So Long As It Harm None, Do What You Will" is a beautiful law when you really think about what it's instructing us to do.  The very first thing is obvious: don't hurt anything.  But it goes much deeper than that.  In order to live this way you will have to consider every action you take and it's impact on all that is.  To do this effectively you will have to become aware of your part in the universe and how everything is connected to everything else.  The Native Americans teach us that we are all a part of the web of life.  So imagine that we are all  dots connected on a great spider web created by Grandmother Spider.  This is not a far-fetched spiritual belief, this is a very true reality.  If there is a change anywhere in that web, the entire web is affected by it.  You must live your life with this awareness in your consciousness at all times because you, whether you accept this belief or not, will affect all around you in your day to day life.  Without this awareness we will inadvertently, or even deliberately, cause harm and that will translate into more harm being caused as a reaction to your actions.  This is a big pill to swallow for those who are more inclined to live at a "surface level".  "Surface Dwellers", as I like to call them, cannot see the depth of the ocean or beyond their current little place in the world.  They truly do not know how important they are in the vast scheme of the universe.  Once you have developed this awareness you will come to understand that there is no one or nothing that is less important, therefore, ALL things and all people are equally important.  It does not matter what your gender, race, religion, country of origin, spiritual beliefs, or financial status is.  It does not matter if that thing be an animal, or a plant, or a river of water.  We live in a very complex universe with so much diversity, yet one common thread holds us all together in a delicate balancing act.
    So to begin with, work on this.  Develop your awareness of what you do in your day to day life and how it will affect the balance of life.  One of the best ways to ensure a good balance is to bless everyone you come into contact with.  When you tell someone, "Have a nice day",  really mean it and give them a smile to go with it.  This does not take any more of your time and costs you nothing.  Yet when you give someone a genuine blessing they will know somewhere deep inside that it was real and it will have a positive effect on them.  We never know how another person is really doing inside and a blessing that comes from the heart and the soul of the person giving it can tremendously help someone who is feeling alone, depressed, or even angry.  Conversely, be aware that your own negative feelings can have the same negative results on others.  I tell you truthfully, that if you begin to take your mind off your negative feelings and thoughts and focus consciously on blessing others, that your own negative ways will change.  A blessing given out is a blessing received.
    So what we have learned so far is that a Wiccan is a person who makes a conscious effort to live a life that seeks to keep all things in balance and recognizes that all things are sacred, just as the Native Americans believe.  The Navajo call this "walking in Beauty", or walking in balance and harmony.  If you encounter something negative, then something positive must be done to restore balance.  In today's world there are many "random acts of violence".  A Wiccan walks in beauty by committing many "acts of random kindness" wherever we find the opportunity to do so.

This is just the beginning of a series of articles or a "workbook" in a manner of speaking that will help you and at the same time give you my working definition of what a Wiccan is.