This is yet another belief often held by those first finding their way to Paganism. They think that they have to find a teacher, and study for a year and a day before they can truly be considered a Pagan. However, like the Rule of Three, this is something practiced almost exclusively by Wiccans.

While a few other Pagan groups or covens may use this timeline, it’s usually only seen among followers of Wicca. The year-and-a-day timeline has, however, been used throughout history for everything from how long a couple needed to live together to form a common law marriage, to how long a slave had to survive on their own before they could be considered free. Some religions even believe this is how long it takes a soul to be reborn.

If you decide that you want to be Wiccan, and not some other form of Pagan, you should expect that you may be required to study and practice for this length of time before your membership is considered official. If you’re not going to be Wiccan, how long you study and practice before deciding you’re truly committed to the faith is up to you. I recommend at least a few months before you decide this is your true path. As I mentioned in “Being Pagan Makes You Cool,” choosing a faith is not something to be taken lightly.

*Disclaimer: I no longer practice Paganism, but I’ve left these Pagan Myths articles active because I believe they’re still valuable in helping people to understand Paganism and reduce negative stereotypes.*

Briana Blair

Briana Blair is an author and artisan. She has published more then 30 books and thousands of articles across multiple sites. After practicing Paganism and witchcraft for 25 years, she's now on a journey as an atheist and skeptic. She's eclectic, unpredictable, and always evolving. Facebook - Twitter