If it helps….this is something a lot of us struggle with when we start out. Including me. But there’s good news!
Unless you’re planning to join a tradition with a structure and mentoring process that requires apprenticeship, initiation into sacred mysteries, or some sort of proving process, you really can just….be a witch.
If you’re going to be a solitary self-educated practitioner, all you have to do is self-identify as a witch and make a commitment to learning about and practicing some form of witchcraft. You can work out the rest of the details later.
And yes, research DOES count as practicing. You don’t have to be casting a spell or lighting up an altar or celebrating a lunar phase every day. (Who has the TIME?!) Gathering and refining your knowledge base is an essential part of your craft, so focus on that on the days when you don’t have the time or the spoons for anything more.
I would suggest beginning with some basic research on the different types of witchcraft and the tools and skills involved with the craft. See if anything jumps out at you. If it holds your interest, investigate further. Ask questions of other witches, if they’re willing to share. Start getting an idea of what kind of witch you’d like to be, then explore those paths.
And remember to include mundane education along with your magic. Botany and herbology for plants, geology and gemology for stones and crystals, mythology and folklore for deities and spirit work, basic chemistry and physics just so you understand how things work, plus a good grounding comparative religion and world history. It sounds like a lot, but you don’t have to do it all at once. All of this will be context for your witchy research and that frame of reference will help you employ critical thinking if you run into questionable information. (And you WILL.)
If you’d like any of this in podcast form, I would suggest looking up the following on your favorite podcast app:
Hex Positive (hosted by me!)
BS-Free Witchcraft (hosted by @traegorn)
Witchcraft for the Restless (hosted by @therestlesswitch)
I also have a book out called Grovedaughter Witchery that’s intended for witches who are still finding their feet. It’s available on Amazon or through my Wordpress shop.
And if you need anything, my askbox is always open for questions. 😊
