Finding Your Path:  Witchcraft & Wicca  (Course #WW301)  This a comprehensive course unlike any other.  The emphasis of this course is for you to find your own path.  If you have been around the Wheel of the Year a few times, this course will be a refreshing renewal of your spiritual path.  If you are just beginning, the classes will help you discover your own path.  You will of course learn the basics of Sabbats, circle casting, the elements, classic chants, pronunciations, etc. but you will go far beyond that into practicing your chosen spiritual and magical tradition.  No matter what your experience and expertise, you will get something out of this class!

Practical application and actual practice is the emphasis of all the PaganPath Academy online courses.  You will learn (or be refreshed) about basic magical theory and many Pagan, Wiccan and Witchcraft traditions are featured throughout the courses, but your practice is the primary focus.  Taking all the theories, history and ideas and making them work for you is what it is all about.

The Finding Your Path course provides you with the widest range of knowledge about numerous Pagan Paths along with effective tools for working with energy that can be applied to any spiritual tradition as well as mundane life.

We will share with you the knowledge and techniques we have mastered, but will not tell you what to think and believe or how you must practice. We do not believe in linear progression through a hierarchical structure, nor do we believe that you must be advanced to a particular place or degree to connect with the divine. Please do not consider this a mentor-ship with a master and a subordinate, but rather an exchange between you and an adviser or confidant. Essentially, your path is your own.

How about the History of Witchcraft and the Burning Times

This is not a historical treatise of Witchcraft, rather the focus is the hands-on application of modern Witchcraft and Wiccan spirituality to everyday life. The origins of the Charge of the Goddess, many modern traditions, the Rede and other cornerstones of the Craft are covered, but this is not an exhaustive historical course.

Many Pagan traditions are covered in the course but you will notice that there is a distinct "Witchy" flair to the teachings.  If you are looking for classes on Druidry or Asatru, this class will help with your own spiritual tradition and working with energy but it will not teach you the specifics of these Pagan Paths.  Many Witchcraft practices and Wiccan traditions are covered more in depth, but no mater which Pagan Path you choose, the class will help you to make it your own.

Of course!  But more importantly you will be breaking down classic spells to see how they work, and building your own effective spells by understanding magical theory and energy work.  Although magic can be an important part of this path, this is not a course about spells and magic exclusively.  They are covered in depth but you will notice an ethical approach that is Wiccan in nature.  You are not required to adhere to this perspective, it is simply the basis from where we teach the application of magic.  That said, please note that many forms of magic and energy work are covered in the lessons, and practical applications of these techniques are presented with examples of how they are currently used by other Witches and practitioners of many Pagan Paths.

We do not have exclusive rights to the 'truth' and offer this course as an exploration into the the diverse and sometimes even contradictory facets of Witchcraft and Wicca. Our experiences and viewpoints will influence this writing, as is entirely appropriate. We encourage you to read from a variety of sources throughout this class in order to gain a wider perspective. When presenting controversial subjects, every attempt is made to convey a variety of viewpoints in an objective way. Occasionally we will make personal comments which are strictly our own viewpoints. In the rare event when we feel the need to express a purely personal opinion regarding a topic, we will do so in italicized text like this with a pop up notice to let you know that it is an opinion.

You may participate in this course casually or formally, or anywhere in between.  You can begin your studies, take an exam, focus on other areas of your life for a few months, and then pick up right where you left off when you have more time.  If you casually participate and do not care if you receive a certificate of completion, you don't have to give the scoring system a second thought.  Just read a lesson and do the exercises, meditations, visualizations or reading assignments (all books are provided online and there is some off-site reading to broaden the classes' viewpoints).

There are two exams per course, a midterm and a final.  If you do not care about getting a certificate, you don't even need to take the exams, but you may do so just for fun if you like.  Most classes on PaganPath have additional field trips or community projects you create, plus extra credit assignments you may optionally explore.

When taking the exams, please remember to read the course materials carefully. There is a great deal of information contained in a few words, and details can be easily overlooked. Also, please think carefully about each question on tests. Try not to reiterate what you've read in the textbook or in another Craft book, but instead really think about what seems right to you.

Participants who achieve 75% of the total points for a course are offered Certificates of Completion. That means that if you must receive 300 out of the 400 possible points in the course to receive a certificate.
Your certificate may be suitable for presenting to more formal covens when required for entry, for outer court training, or sometimes for initiation purposes, however it is primarily a symbol of your personal achievement.  Most people choose to simply frame their certificate or add it to their Book of Shadows.

If you wish to receive a Certificate of Completion, your score will have more meaning for you.  You will need to accumulate 75% of the total possible points for the course.  There is a total of 400 points in this class, so you will need to accumulate at least 300 points total.
Midterm Exam = 100 possible points
Final Exam = 100 possible points
Oral Exam by Chat or Phone = 100 possible points
Field Trip / Community Project = 100 possible points

You may get extra points if needed or desired through the Extra Credit project outlined near the end of the course:
Extra Credit Psi Test by Mail = 25 possible points
Extra Credit Viewpoint Article = 25 possible points

Good luck and Brightest Blessings to You!

If you've read a few of the articles in the Library on the site, you are familiar with the writing style of the Academy courses.  You can view a few "Academy Excerpts" in several areas of the library, but these are some examples of what you will find in the private Academy area:

• Academy Excerpt: Gods, Goddesses & Beliefs
• Academy Excerpt: Bringing it All Together
• Academy Excerpt: The Wheel of the Year An introduction to the basic Sabbats

Your one time payment of $25 will cover a year and a day of full access to every course and class on the site, shop discounts of 10%, and access to the Members Exclusives area with online books, fonts and fun downloads.

A couple of weeks before your Membership expires, you will receive an email from Friday (your instructor) to let you know it is time to renew.  Your account will never be automatically charged!  You'll be given a link to where you can renew, along with a discount on your next year's dues.

Honestly though, Memberships have always lasted more than a year and a day, often you will receive a few email to remind you to renew long after your Membership has expired, but you will still have full access.

When your Membership finally does expire, you are never dropped from the site.  Instead, you become a regular or "Essentials" Member which means you will retain all of your Private Messages, Your Profile, Forum Posts - Favorites & Subscriptions, any tarot readings you've saved and more.  Only your access to the Academy and the Member Exclusives & Downloads area will expire, along with your shop discount.

Designed to help you become proficient in reading the tarot without consulting a reference book, this course is excellent for both beginners and professionals. Learn how to connect the meanings of numerous cards and symbols to the individual you are reading for (querent - the one who seeks).

You must provide your own tarot deck, however all textbook and materials for any tarot deck are provided in the online course materials. In addition there is extensive help for selecting a tarot deck and numerous resources for finding one inexpensively.

There is also a printable tarot deck in the Member Exclusives area of the site.  This is an ongoing class and if you are more interested in it than in the Finding Your Path class, please let your instructor ("Friday") know.

A great class to help you understand the magical, medicinal and other uses for herbs and plants from gardening or growing your own indoors to creating potions, lotions, incense, brews and much more.

This is an ongoing class and new lessons (herbal projects) appear periodically.

"Anyone who has a membership will tell you that the information available with membership is worth a lot more than the $25 fee. The amount of information available is just amazing. I highly recommend membership!" ~ J.S. in MD - U.S.A.

"The courses are excellent. they cover the tree as well as the branches of Wicca. Very well written, easy to understand, and well researched. Probably one of the best investments I have made." ~ L.S. in CT - U.S.A.

"The class introduces magickal techniques such as raising energy by visualizing colors. it is about practice more than intellectual knowledge. i guess I would compare it to reading books about art versus actually painting a picture. this class asks you to do magick, not just read about it.
that is why I like it." ~ Zinnia in the PaganPath Forum

"I appreciate your site and all of the effort you put into it so much more than I feel I can express . . .Thank you. And I REALLY respect the fact that you remain true to your original intent with the site." ~ R.S. in WA - U.S.A

"Been around Pagan stuff for the last twenty years - plus. The courses are about the best introduction I have come across well worth the time and $" ~ C.G. in B.C. - Canada

"Don't get much time online...but when I am here...I'm always amazed and my brain hits overload with all the information!! Love it." ~ J.L. in MN - U.S.A.

"The best! I love the information and the beautiful community that you have created!" ~ S.S. in CA - U.S.A.

"I highly recommend the classes in the Members Area. . . . what Friday has written is truly excellent." ~ C.N. in Napier - New Zealand

"I just wanted to comment on the great job, PaganPath has been a blessing for me." ~ R.S. in FL - U.S.A.

"I love this site! Love it, love it!" ~ J.T. in NJ - U.S.A.

Books that recommend or reference Paganpath.com

Listed in order from left to right. Click on an image of the book cover to enlarge and enable the slide show.

• Rocking The Goddess: Campus Wicca for the Student Practitioner by Anthony Paige ISBN: 0806523565

• Modern Pagans: an Investigation of Contemporary Ritual by V. Vale & John Sulak ISBN: 1889307106

• Witch Crafting: A Spiritual Guide to Making Magic by Phyllis Curott ISBN: 0767908457

• Tantric Sex for Women: A Guide for Lesbian, Bi, Hetero, and Solo Lovers by Christa Schulte ISBN: 9780897934459

• Witchcraft on a Shoestring: Practicing the Craft Without Breaking Your Budget by Deborah Blake ISBN: 9780738721361

• The Healing Power of Faery: Working with Elementals and Nature Spirits to Soothe the Body and Soul by Edain McCoy ISBN: 9781440515910

• The Kivas of Heaven; Ancient Hopi Starlore by Gary A. David ISBN-10: 1935487094 and ISBN-13: 978-1935487098 Note the article "Thujone, Absinthe & Herbs" referenced in this book has been moved to: Absinthe: A Witch's Brew

• Not Pictured: Rhenish Yearbook of Folklore: Volume 35; by Karl Meisen, edited by Heinrich Leonhard Cox, Published by Rhenish Association for Folklore, 2008 Indiana University ISBN: 3877103057, 9783877103050

Peer Reviews

From the Witches' Voice Weekly Update -Wren's Nest

"The Witchy Pentacle Puzzle might be a good place to get those creative writing juices going and help you think up some good words to use in your letter. But don't stop there. Someone pointed out the crossword puzzle and we surfed on over to check it out for you. We then found ourselves happily exploring the rest of this undoubtedly underrated site.

PaganPath.com website has a quite interesting -and, thank the Gods, it is also several notches above the standard fare usually found under the basic BOS heading!-"Book of Shadows" featuring such intriguing sounding topics as: 'What a Philtre Really Is', 'True History of Candle use in Magic', 'Why Would a Witch Want Chickens if We Don't Do Sacrifices?' and our personal favorite, 'Finding Power Without Tripping Over It.' We were delighted with the combination of easy wit and deep thoughtfulness that we found eloquently interwoven throughout the articles at Pagan Path. You just might be too!"

From the Susan Weed's Newsletter "Weed Wanderings"

"http://www.paganpath.com/ Paganpath Network - Forums, articles on witchcraft, divination, dowsing, herbalism. Classes in wicca and tarot; everything a pagan needs. Become a member and have access to online books such as "Love Spells: Enchantment of the Heart". Stop your searching. It's all here. (Thanks to Paganpath Network for the rainbow bar in this ezine).

From the Encyclopedia Astrology on Conjecturedefinition.com

http://www.paganpath.com — PaganPath.com is filled with original and insightful writing. Articles, recipes, gardening tips, games, and spells – plus interactive forums and online courses and classes for you to study at your own pace.

From Pagan Network News; Vol.7 Iss.4: Litha 2001

"Looking for a site that goes one step further than Wicca 101? Looking for a site you can grow with? PaganPath is for you . . . The site is simple, the graphic content low, and the whole effect is quite appealing. Pages load quickly, and the layout is easy to navigate. . . . This is one of the nicest sites I've visited in a while, and I have definitely bookmarked it for later perusal."

Other Awards & Recognition

Webutation: PaganPath has received a 100 out of 100 Webutation rating as of September 17, 2012. This means PaganPath has no malware or popups and is rated by several services including:

• Google Safebrowsing: Safe
• Website Antivirus: 0 pop ups, linked to green sites
• Norton Safeweb: Safe
• WoT (Web of Trust): Good, trustworthy 5/5, privacy 5/5
• Wikipedia Trust Links: 2
• G-Rated / Child Safety: Safe

To view the live rating, click on the Webutation shield and it will initialize a new analysis based on the site as it is right now.

Pagan Best of the Web Award: Awarded Samhain (Halloween) 1998. This prestigious award is no longer available.