A Message to Prison Inmates from the New Wiccan Church
By A. Ealasaid

The New Wiccan Church does not minister to prisoners. The NWC is devoted to supporting British Traditional Witchcraft, also known as the Craft, or Wicca. Unlike Christianity, Buddhism, Islam and other faiths, Wicca does not claim to offer the only path to salvation or spiritual growth. Therefore Wiccan elders do not feel a responsibility to make Wicca available to everyone.

Elders expect potential students to show that they are “proper persons.” Proper persons need not be perfect. But a proper person is responsible and trustworthy and has self-control and self knowledge. A prisoner may be a proper person, but will have a hard time proving that they are. A prisoner's behavior is controlled by the rules of prison life and the lack of opportunity for certain kinds of actions. Therefore it is difficult for a teacher to know how an inmate will act when returned to society.

NWC Elders generally teach only those who will be able to become initiates and practice the religion of Wicca. Instruction leading to initiation is ideally conducted in person, not by correspondence. But even if you find an Elder willing to teach you, or if you are already a BTW initiate, there are obstacles to the practice of BTW inside prison. The practice of BTW requires:

• Privacy—Our rituals, especially initiations, are to be witnessed only by initiates.
• Ritual tools such as knives and swords and wands that may be regarded as weapons
• Candles, incense and other sources of flame that may be regulated or forbidden for safety reasons
• Wine or other alcoholic beverages

It is extremely unlikely that prison administrators would permit all or some of these requirements.

British Traditional Witchcraft, (Wicca) is not the only approach to the Old Gods. It is possible to worship alone, observe the seasons, make prayers and offering and otherwise dedicate yourself to whatever deities you choose or believe have chosen you. Occult books are often hard to obtain in prison. Administrators may regard them as a bad influence or they may be stolen from prison libraries or destroyed by opponents of the occult. But books on mythology, anthropology and archeology, ancient history, the history of religion, philosophy, sciences, languages, etc. have more to teach than many books intended to teach Wicca. Read as much as you can in many topics and compare sources rather than accepting the first you read as an authority.

Not all learning is from books. If you have any view of the natural world, observe, and record your observations. What stars can you see? How do they change with the seasons? How far north does the sun rise, how far south? What is the phase of the moon? What birds or animals, if any, can you see? What plants grow in the grounds and how do they change with the seasons. Learn as much as you can and be ready for any opportunity to learn more. If you anticipate release, such efforts may convince a potential teacher of your sincerity and suitability. If not, you have still laid the foundation for a personal practice and can continue to build your own relationship with the divine.

May the gods aid you in your path.

A. Ealasaid