Questions We Are Often Asked

The answers to the questions people actually send us. For the questions people are afraid to ask, see Common Misconceptions.

About coming

Do I have to be a witch, a Wiccan, or a pagan to come?: No. You have to be kind, and over eighteen or with a parent. Curiosity is enough. We have had Christians, Buddhists, Jews, atheists, anthropologists and one very polite Mormon missionary who came back twice.
What do I wear?: Whatever you like. Most of us wear ordinary clothes and something warm. A few wear robes at the Sabbats. Nobody is ever skyclad at an open gathering.
What does it cost?: Nothing. There is a hat at the feast. Put in what you can or nothing.
Will I have to do anything?: Stand in a circle, mostly. You will be invited to speak and may decline. You will be offered food and drink and may decline. Nobody will touch you without asking.
Can I bring my children?: To the Sabbat feasts and the daytime parts, yes, with you. The evening rituals are for adults.
Can I bring a friend who is sceptical?: Please. Sceptics ask the best questions.
I am not in the Northeast of the United States. Is there any point?: Yes. The Esbats and Kitchen Table are online, flamekeeping is wherever you are, and the Sabbats have an online circle. Several of our Hearthkeepers have never been in the same room as the others.

How do I become a witch?: Practise witchcraft. Read, keep the moon, keep the Sabbats, ground and centre, cast a circle, write it down, repeat for a year. There is no certificate because there is no one to issue it. The Practice section is where to start.
Do I need to be initiated?: Only if you want to join an initiatory tradition. For everyone else, a self-dedication after a year and a day is the usual beginning, and the Hearth's own dedication is open to anyone who keeps the year with us.
Can you recommend a book?: Several. See the reading list. If you want only one: Doreen Valiente's Witchcraft for Tomorrow, or Scott Cunningham's Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner if you want something gentler.
Do you believe in the gods literally?: Some of us do, some do not, and several have changed their minds in both directions. The Hearth takes no position. The gods, as far as we can tell, do not seem to mind.
Will you cast a spell for me?: No, but we will teach you to cast your own, and at the Esbat we raise power for anyone in the circle who asks.
Is it safe?: As safe as any spiritual practice. The fire is fire and the herbs are herbs, and we say so loudly. The spiritual work can change your life, and you should expect that.

Who is in charge?: Nobody, and eleven people. The Hearthkeepers decide by consensus. Different people lead different rituals. If you need a human to talk to, write and one will answer.
Why Brighid?: Because she is the hearth, and healing, and poetry, and a very hard fire to put out. The long answer is here.
Are you a registered anything?: No. We are a group of friends with a website. If we ever need to become something more formal, we will say so.
Can I use your words, your blessings, your rituals?: For your own practice and your own circle, yes, freely, with our blessing. For publication, in print or online, please ask and credit the Hearth. The Charge of the Goddess and other quoted texts belong to their authors.
Can I link to you?: Yes, please. Tell us and we will consider linking back from Kindred Hearths.

What do I tell my mother?: The truth, when you are ready, in the words she can hear. "I have found a spiritual path that honours nature, has a strong ethic, and makes me calmer and kinder" is all true and is a good start. Lend her the misconceptions page. Give her time. Most mothers, in our experience, come round, especially once they have met the people.
Will it affect my job?: In most places, legally, it should not, and in most workplaces, practically, nobody will ever know unless you tell them. Several of us are not public about our path for exactly this reason, and we protect that. Use your judgement about where you live and work.
Do I have to tell anyone at all?: No. The Craft has been a private religion for most of its existence. You may keep it between you and the moon for as long as you like.