âWhere Do I Start?â |  Baby Witch Q&A
Introduction/DisclaimerÂ
This is all based on my path, opinion, research & experiences.Â
Now onto the rest of it.Â
I get a lot of you saying you donât know where to start, you feel you donât really know what youâre doing. Hereâs a quick tip, none of us do either! Let me stop you there, and tell you now, witchcraft is not an easy path. You have to make decisions, the path is not set in stone. There is no right way, or wrong way, you just have to decide and be confident in your choices and interests.Â
That being said, this is some advice that Iâve picked up from answering a lot of questions & hearing a lot of horror stories. It is an outline for anyone that is new, regardless of path. I hope you find it useful.Â
The BasicsÂ
What is witchcraft?Â
My favorite explanation of witchcraft is,
âWitchcraft is the practice of manipulating energy through various means to produce a desired result.â
- Skye AlexanderÂ
But my dear newbies, you will find that each witch may define witchcraft a little differently. Overall, that quote is meant to simply give you a vague idea of what witchcraft is so that you will know if it may be a path youâre interested in.Â
What donât witches do? | MisconceptionsÂ
Now we shall go over what witchcraft is not. Hereâs a few quick facts for you.Â
Witches do not worship Satan (Most of the time.)
Witchcraft is not a religion, Wicca is.Â
You do not need to work with deities/spirits or be Wiccan to be a witch.Â
You do not have to be a woman, or be any certain gender, culture, race, age, ect to be a witch. Anyone who tells you so is full of shit.Â
You donât have to born a witch, or have some special magickal experience to be a witch.Â
We do not always wear dark clothing.
We may or may not curse you.
You can be any religion & still practice witchcraft.Â
What do witches do?Â
If youâre looking into witchcraft knowing absolutely nothing, a curious outsider who wonders if witchcraft is for you. Here are some things witches do.
Spells & Magick
Of course, this is one of the first things that come to mind when you think of witches. Even one in a movie or fairy tale. Here are some fun examples of types of spells and magick:
Candle magickÂ
Any magick that involves candles, some examples of this are using candles based on color, you can also cover them with herbs, oils, or care sigils and symbols into them.Â
Sigils
I mentioned these in the last section! Sigils are symbols imbued with the magickal intent of a witch. In other words, theyâre a symbol that means something specific. You charge (fill with energy) and activate the sigil. Sometimes people just draw them places too, but charging and activation give them more power.Â
PotionsÂ
Yes! Witches do actually make potions. In cauldrons too! Theyâre exactly like in the movies. Mixtures of liquids, oils, herbs, ect.Â
GlamoursÂ
A glamour is a spell that alters your appearance or energy! Often people use them to hide, to appear more attractive, or to intimidate others.Â
There are many, many more types of magick and spells available to witch. Those were just a few examples.Â
DivinationÂ
Defined as âThe act of seeking information or insight by supernatural means.â
There are hundreds of methods of divination but a common example of divination is tarot cards. Ever see an old lady pull a few cards for past, present, and future in a movie? Those are tarot cards.
Communication with deities, spirits, or fae
Did you ever love ghost stories as a kid? Or read greek mythology? Were you ever obsessed with fairies? I certainly was. Many witches believe in, and work with these beings.Â
Energy work
Really any witchy work that involves energy is, no surprise, energy work. Some examples of this are using crystals to manipulate or attract certain kinds of energy. Manipulating energy with a wand, yes we use those. Cleansing, warding, some even practice energetic healing!Â
Astral projection
Astral projection is a purposeful out-of-body experience where you, well, project a version of your consciousness (also known as an astral body) to a location that is separate from your physical body. I havenât tried it yet, this is just an example of something that some witches do.Â
Celebrate the wheel of the yearÂ
Primarily celebrated by Wiccans, but some non-Wiccan witches like myself celebrate it too. The wheel of the year is a series of 8 holidays, called Sabbats, that are based on the changing of the seasons & nature. Â
In addition to this, pretty much every witch Iâve ever met has had a strong connection to nature & the beings/energies that are a part of it. This is one thing so far Iâve found to be universal to witches everywhere.Â
Of course I would recommend you look into all of these yourself, which is what the next section is about. Also, not all witches do all of these things. Once more, this is just to give you a vague idea so you know if spending time researching the craft more seriously is important to you. Â
If witchcraft seems like itâs for you, here is how you continue!Â
The First Step - ResearchÂ
Research is the most important thing you will do as a baby witch! The most important advice I can give is research lots & donât jump into anything. If youâre new, this is the best place to start.Â
Iâll be going over a list of topics I find necessary for every witch to research. No matter the circumstances, path, or interests of the witch.Â
Types Of Witches
Types Of Magick
Cleansing
Charging
Grounding
Warding
Meditation
Closed cultures
Finally Iâd recommend you look into your ancestry. There are a lot of magickal practices relating to certain parts of the world/certain cultures. There might be one relating to you that will interest you, so thatâs definitely a topic to be looked into. However if it doesnât interest at all, itâs not essential like the other topics are.Â
In addition to these, I strongly recommend you follow your own interests. Do you know that a family member practiced the craft? Look into how. Do you want to get into that obscure form of divination? Do it! Even if youâre interests are just things like tarot or sigils. Go for it.Â
How Do I Research?Â
A very common question I get is what online resources/books/tumblr blogs would I recommend & I feel since I mentioned research, answering this question goes along with âWhere do I start?â so here are some links that should help you find resources in whatever form you may prefer.Â
Tumblr blogs
A list of witchy tumblr blogs Iâd recommend!Â
@lunaesteria
@orriculum
@underworldariel
@heatherwitch
@moonlightacademy
@urbanspellcraft
@witchofapollo
@teaspellsandsecrets
@theladymorganlefay
@scarletravenswood
Websites
[Exemplore]
Tons of articles on basic witchy topics!Â
[Witchipedia]
They have just about every witchy term/topic defined & explained. Lots of links to further reading on said terms/topics too.Â
[LearnReligions]
Although the title may be misleading Iâve found a ton of useful articles on there!
[Labyrinthos]
Information on tarot.Â
[AstroCharts]
Website I use for astrology stuff!Â
Youtube ChannelsÂ
Hereâs a few witchy youtube channels I loved to watch when I was starting out.Â
[The Witch Of Wonderlust]
[Harmony Nice]
[Scarlet Ravenswood]
[Magickians]
A few more recommendation lists
[Witchy/Spiritual/Paranormal Youtubers]
[More Witchy Youtubers]
[Youtube Witches]
BooksÂ
[Witchy Books Iâd Recommend]
A few more recommendation lists
[Beginner Witch Book]
[Beginner Wiccan Books]
[Witchcraft Books]
[Magickal Books]
[Book Recommendations For Witches]
Finally Iâd like to suggest this!
[All Of My Posts | A Guide For Baby Witches]
Itâs a directory of all of my posts. You will likely find information there regarding many of the subjects I mentioned above, such as cleansing.Â
Advice For Researching
When youâre researching ANYTHING relating to witchcraft no matter the source, no matter how you found it, or rather if you hear itâs good/bad, PLEASE think critically. Learn to pick out the bad bits. Ask yourself things like could this be biased? Does this make sense? Do I agree with this? Is this one sided? Could it be appropriation? Ect. If you do find bullshit, remember that doesnât mean everything in the book is useless. In addition if you tend to find the same answer in vastly different places it is likely to be true.Â
In addition, if a book says any of these things I am suspicious of all unknown information presented by said book:Â
Wicca is the only way/Wicca and witchcraft are the same.Â
Very commonly implied in Silver Ravenwormâs books, which are bullshit by the way. If a book implies this I donât even bother to read it.Â
Three fold ruleÂ
Once more, if a book implies this I donât bother.Â
Look out for appropriationÂ
If thereâs talk of gypsies, chakras, dream catchers, ect ect Iâm usually suspicious of a personâs prospective or ethics.Â
White magick
I personally do not believe magick is white nor black so this is something I avoid because itâs bullshit to me. Might not be true for everyone!Â
Those are just my beliefs, still even if you believe the 3 fold rule. if someone tries to shove it down your throat, they are likely questionable. Once again this does not mean all books like this are useless, because some donât have the means to be as picky about books as I am. You should also always be suspicious of new witchy books and especially authors. These are just red flags for you.Â
Now we will be moving onto where you will put the information you collect! The next section is all about grimoires.Â
What is a grimoire?Â
What is a grimoire?Â
A grimoire is a collection of information to be used by a witch. A witchy journal, if you will. A collection of information or notes from research.Â
Why do I need one?Â
Witchcraft has a lot & I mean a LOT of information to be learned. It will prove to be very difficult to practice effectively & keep track of said information without a place to store it.Â
How do I start one?Â
Do not worry about having anything fancy or organized if you are new. Just have a space, that can be on your laptop, in a notebook, in a binder, or other location that you are storing information on witchcraft. When Iâm researching I like to have a page dedicated to the topic, with the date I wrote the information & where I got it. This will prove very useful later.Â
For more tips on grimoire making see this post,Â
[Grimoire Tips]Â
I feel like Iâm gonna mess something up⊠| Common Mistakes To Avoid
A lot of people, particularly young people that are new to witchcraft seem to be worried theyâll âmess something up.â I get questions/concerns relating to that a lot. So, hereâs a few things to not do, no matter who you are. Itâs also an opportunity for me to lecture and forewarn you, which is much needed.Â
Research & think critically
I know I already covered this, I will likely cover it more, but I had to remind you anyways. Research anything you do to make sure it is not part of a closed culture, and make sure it is safe, advisable, and necessary.
Always cleanse & ward
I have said this a million times & I mean it. 90% of the problems/bad situations I am presented with could be solved by simply returning to the basics.
Donât jump into spell/spirit work
The other 10% of problems could be solved by listening to this. Donât jump into this stuff. Itâs not a toy. It is a tool. It is powerful. You are powerful.
Research herbs/crystals before use
Donât just go foraging for, ingesting, burning, or rubbing things on you that you know nothing about. Same goes for crystals. Some crystals are sensitive to water, sunshine, ect. If you put a crystal in your water it could dissolve and render the water very toxic. Be careful.Â
Practice fire safety
Yes itâs a problem. Be aware. Research anything you burn, do not leave it & keep a glass of water nearby in case things get out of hand.
What tips do you have for babies? | Some Extra AdviceÂ
IntuitionÂ
Follow your intuition. If it tells you to do something or change something about a spell, do it. Learn to distinguish it from everything else. It will prove useful in the years to come.Â
Routine
A lot of witches, particularly new ones are young & have school or a job or both keeping them busy. Thatâs why itâs very important you work witchcraft into your routine. It makes it so much easier to feel accomplished & like youâre advancing. For more tips on that, see these posts:Â
[Everyday Magick Tips]
[Are You A Busy Witch?]
Witch Type / PathÂ
A lot of people are going to try to convince you that you have to pick a certain path. Finding interests of your own is great & very important, but hereâs a hot take, youâre likely not a crystal witch. Most witches are eclectic in some form. Your interests & what you focus on will change & thatâs okay. Donât feel any pressure to stick to one certain thing. If you want to be a hedge witch or a ceremonial magician, go right ahead, this is for those that feel restricted & stressed out by the idea. Itâs okay if your path changes, too. Most people have different interests throughout time, it makes sense the same would apply to a spectrum of topics as broad as witchcraft.Â
Supplies
Another common question is what supplies are essential for a baby to have? If youâve come this far & the contents of this post are new to you, then you arenât ready for supplies yet. Just keep researching & learning about your interests. When itâs time for you to go buy something, youâll know what to get.Â
People have different ideasÂ
Another important tip, a lot of information and specifically methodology you see is just a personâs personal method or opinion. Many of the asks I receive can be answered with âWell some people think that, others donâtâ so learn that most of the time if you want to do something differently, you can.Â
This post took 2 weeks to finish. Itâs finally done!Â
I hope this post helped you or you learned something new!Â
Enjoy!
Have a lovely day đ
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