Q of the Day: Practice Before Dedication

I understand and support why you and many others recommend waiting to dedicate yourself for several years until you are confident this is the path for you. However...I do feel led to pray to both my God and the Elements for guidance and such. I don't feel wrong in doing this, but I almost feel like I'm going against what is "accepted" by not waiting to do this until I've declared myself. I'm curious as to what's your opinion on this?

My first thought here is don't ever do something merely because it isn't "accepted." That's falling into the trap of groupthink, and is really detrimental to your own personal spirituality. Look at the reasons why something is or isn't accepted and then judge whether those reasons make sense. If they don't, then my general thought is you should do what seems best for you. Maybe that means the term "Wicca" doesn't really accurately describe you (depending how much you deviate from "accepted" definitions), but that's no reason to not follow your heart on spiritual matters!

As far as the specifics here: many solitary Wiccans mark their formal entrance into Wicca with a dedication ritual, and we generally recommend a minimum year and a day of study before you do that so that you can make a truly informed decision. That doesn't mean we ask for credidentials. We're not going to question you on how long you studied or whether you dedicated yourself, and honestly, our opinion of you isn't going to change if you tell us you have or have not done a dedication ritual.

Second, just because you haven't formally committed yourself to this path doesn't mean you can't practice anything religious-looking. Wiccan study isn't just about reading. It's about experiencing. So if you feel comfortable with ritual, try ritual. If you want to speak with your gods, by all means speak with your gods! You certainly don't need an official religion to speak with the gods; I know several people who have no religion, yet describe themselves as having a "personal relationship with God." What goes on between you and them is between you and them.