Things I Wish I Knew as a Beginner Witch
Beginner witch, baby witch, noob witch, whatever you call it, the name doesn't even scratch the surface of how scary it can be to start a new spiritual journey. Especially if you have no experience in the area or, like me, you have to unlearn a religion while learning a new spiritual path.
So here are some things that I wish someone had told me when I was starting to look into witchcraft.
Wicca is NOT witch craft. Witchcraft is a practice, Wicca is a religion. You can be a witch and not believe in the wiccan ways.
Research herbs before you use them, you want to make sure they're safe to use in whatever way you're intending on using them. Also make sure that they don't interact with your medications or illnesses.
Deity work is not a necessary part of being a witch. If you connect with one, wonderful; if you never do, that's just fine too.
Keep a skeptic mind when it comes to people claiming to be speaking for a deity/spirit/religion/branch of witchcraft. People can certainly have opinions, but to claim to be speaking on behalf of a deity or a whole group of people is not only pretentious, but potentially dangerous.
You don't have to practice magick every day. I have gone whole weeks at a time not doing any magick or tarot or spells etc. Sometimes you're not in the right headspace, that's fine, you can come back whenever you need to.
Magick isn't always this huge ritual that you need to do. Sometimes it's as simple as pulling a card to focus on, meditating on your craft, stirring cinnamon in your coffee, or drawing a sigil in crayon! The list goes on and on, so don't stress out if you aren't dancing naked in the woods every full moon. Magick comes in all shapes and forms.
Spells should be personal. It's okay to copy a spell exactly if you want, but substituting various words, herbs, and such is a totally normal thing to do. In fact, making a spell more personal by switching things up to meet your needs may make it even stronger!
It's ok to be a solitary witch. You don't have to be apart of a group or coven to be a witch. That being said, of course it's okay if you'd like to join one! More friends!
Take your time. There's no need to be in a rush to learn every single thing. Let's be honest, no one can know every thing.
Wicca is NOT the status quo. While it has gained a lot of popularity since it's creation by Gerald Gardner in the 1900s, witchcraft and other pagan practices have been around for ages. Just like every other part of human society, the practice grows and changes, incorporating the every changing culture of the people into it. So if your practice doesn't look like Wiccan practices, that's totally ok!
Don't practice anything that you don't want to do. Don't want to do spirit work? Ok! Don't want to work with gods? That's fine! Don't do anything that will make you uncomfortable if there is no benefit in doing so. (Side note: Stepping out of your comfort zone is encouraged but make sure you're in a good position to do so!)
Stay away from silly controversy. Some things need to be talked about, like the problems with using white sage and other closed practices. Other things are just...not important... If someone on the internet is trying to gatekeep a basic part of witchcraft and they're not spreading anything helpful, useful, or educational: block them and move on. Put that energy elsewhere baby!
Feel free to add anything to this. :)
