Dedication
	It is traditional to allow a waiting period of "a year and a day" to elapse from the time a person decides to become a pagan or a wiccan/Witch and the time that  person actually is initiated into a coven , tradition, or "Inner circle" "A year and a day" is actually a lunar year of 13 months and 28 days and several hours each. This waiting period is a time of learning and study, a time for challenging your decision, to be sure that you have made the right choicer, and it is a time of preparation for a life altering event. The traditional  waiting period of a year and a day, is recommended for a solitairy practitioner as well as one about to join a coven, and for one who plans to perforn a self intiation, as well as one whop will eventually be intiated by a recognized priest or priestess. Before even beginning the year and a day program, it is wise to do some honest self questioning about why  you are considering the Pagan path as your spiritual expression. Are you rebelling against Christian parents or trying to please pagan ones? Do you think that being a Witch is an interesting persona that will; help you get dates? Are you a feminist interested in goddess worship because you dislike the male- dominated  mainstream religions? If any of these or similar questions strike a chord, you will probably change your mind before the year and a day has even passed, even a soliatairy Witch has to sleep with themself. But if none of these questions even make you the least uncomfortable then you like many othersd have probably always followed the ways of nature, honored the old ones, celebrated seasons, and beleived in Faerie tales. You have already taken the first step on the hidden path, so mark the date on a calender and mark it well! To ritualize this commitment after marking the calendar, Pour a small amount of water in a bowl and add a pinch of salt to it. Using your finger poining toward the ground draw an imaginary Circle about yourself and visualize it glowing a silvery blue faerie fire. Then holding the bowl of salted water, intone words like these: "With this potion I dedicate myself, To the ways of the ancient gods. When a year and a day has passed, I shall be fit to celebrate at their altars." Then using your fingertips anoint your forehead, making the sign of the sun wheel, the crescent moon or the Pentagram. When a year and a day have come to pass you will become one of the intiated. The next thing you will need to do is the Self intiation in a year and a days time.
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