Red Flags in Witchcraft & Magic
There is bad information regarding witchcraft and magic everywhere. I don't expect beginners to know how to spot bad information when they are just starting out, but that does not make learning red flags less important. Knowing how to spot bad information when researching can save you from a lot of trouble- spiritually and mundane.
Now, bad information does not necessarily make the person a bad practitioner. Sometimes people make mistakes. How they react when told of their mistakes is what you should pay attention to. That being said, here are some red flags to look out for when researching for your craft. [TW: mentions of racism, homophobia, misandry, mental illness, disabilities and more]
🚩 The person tries to claim their path is the only path, and that all other paths and methods are wrong. This is a big one. There are a lot of people like this out there. While they are entitled to their opinions, this mindset is simply wrong. There are thousands of religions, spiritualities and belief systems out there. One path being different from another does not make them wrong by default.
🚩 The person claims using things from closed practices is okay. This is another big one. Closed practices do exist, are valid and should be respected as such. There are just some things that should stay reserved for certain people. This does not make certain people more special than you- it just means their path is significantly different from yours. If it is something sacred to or rooted from a closed practice (such as certain plants, deities and magic) it is best to leave it alone.
🚩 The person claims that open practices are closed. I don't see this one quite as often as the previous, but it is happening more often now that the occult has become more mainstream. Things like tarot, paganism and many other practices are open. If you see somebody claim these are closed practices, be wary. This type of claim tends to stem from a place of racism, homophobia, transphobia, etc...
🚩 The person is racist, antisemitic, homophobic, ableist, classist, etc... Unfortunately, we do have these types of people to look out for. Some people are convinced only women can practice witchcraft and magic. Some people are blatantly racist towards bipoc and try to exclude them from witchcraft and magic. Some people try to exclude people with disabilities and mental illness because their craft is different. Be careful when coming across these types of people.
🚩 The person claims that a rule in their practice is a universal rule you must follow. This is a claim I most commonly see with Wiccans and the three-fold law but is a claim anybody can make. Understand that different religions, spiritualities and cultures have different rules. They all have different standards. Things like the three-fold law, karma, reincarnation and many other things aren't universal concepts. You can believe in whatever you wish, but don't expect other people of different backgrounds to have that same belief.
🚩 The source is purely based on UPG (unverified personal gnosis). This one is mostly regarding things like deities, entities and spirits. Everybody will have different experiences with these beings; but you have to consider the origins of the deities, entities and spirits if you are trying to worship or work with any. If you are going into a branch of paganism, you have to study the religion and its stories. If you want to worship or work with a deity, you have to study that deity and their stories. The stories and beliefs are what provide us with knowledge of their existences, how they present themselves, their relationships with other beings and their conflicts with other beings. To completely disregard them and go purely off UPG is a dangerous thing.
🚩 The person believes that religion, spirituality and witchcraft can cure mental illness and disabilities. I see things like this often. Religion, spirituality and witchcraft will not cure a mental illness or disability. These things require more than faith and crystals. Some are not curable. Although religion, spirituality and witchcraft can be helpful to some degree... these things aren't the cure.
🚩 The person DMs you without consent trying to make profit off of you. Listen, people who have respect for themselves and others will not DM you at random claiming that they can solve your problems. They won't DM you at random offering paid readings, spells and mentorships. If you want to pay for such things, you should be the one going out of your way to find a reputable person. Don't get scammed.
🚩 The person claims you are required to work with deities, entities or other spirits. You don't have to be religious or work with any beings to practice witchcraft and magic. If you want to work with different beings, by all means please do your research and go ahead! Don't feel pressured to work with deities, entities and other spirits just because somebody on the internet says you have to.
🚩 The person claims that paganism and new age spiritualities are superior to other religions. Listen, I understand some people have religious trauma. I have religious trauma due to my mum's mother. However, you cannot allow your trauma to cause hatred for the entire religion by default. Understand that religious text is up for interpretation and that there are shitty individuals in all religions- including paganism. There are good individuals, too.
🚩 The person claims that spellwork doesn't come with consequences. Sometimes spells backfire. Sometimes spells come with unexpected results. Sometimes we get results at the cost of something else. You shouldn't be afraid of these things, though. Just be careful and take precautions. Be specific in what results you're seeking. This is why beginners are pushed to learn how to protect and ward so early on. It's in your best interest to do so.
🚩 The person claims that you must do shadow work to be spiritual or a witch. Listen to me closely. Shadow work is not inherently a witch thing. It is a psychology concept. Although shadow work can be beneficial for some people, it can be harmful to others. If you are a person with severe trauma and are easily triggered by those subjects, please don't go trying to unpack it all because somebody on the internet says that you have to. If you can afford it, consult a therapist who can help you. Shadow work is not required to be a spiritual person or a witch.
🚩 The person claims that medication will cloud your psychic abilities or your ability to practice magic. This is another dangerous idea and I have no idea how it was thought of. Coming from a person with depression and adhd: do not listen to people who makes claims like this. If you are taking medication for something, don't stop taking it because somebody claims it is hindering your abilities. If you aren't taking medication for something but believe you should, don't avoid it because somebody claims it is hindering your abilities. Medication is important to many people in order to have a sense of stability and it is not going to harm your abilities.
🚩 The person claims your mental illness or disability is a karmic thing or spiritual gift. Don't. Fucking. Listen. To. These. People. I cannot even begin to explain how much this idea enrages me. My adhd isn't some new age "karmic" thing. My adhd is a chemical imbalance caused by a gene I inherited. I do not have adhd because of some spiritual debt or gift. Don't be fooled by people who make harmful claims like this.
🚩 The person encourages you to consume or burn poisonous plants. This is one of the reasons why I always encourage people to study the medicinal uses of plants to learn their magical correspondences. Always check to see if the plant is poisonous to you or your pets. Accidents happens but many can be prevented with a little time and research.
🚩 The person references authors or sources that aren't trustworthy. Always do research on authors before buying their books and check to see where people get their information from. There are many authors and bloggers who are racist, homophobic, transphobic and more. There are also many authors who write books with bad information targeting witches and spiritualists to make a quick profit.
These are all the red flags I could come up with, but I'm sure there are more. Always cross reference your information and check to see if the people you're sourcing from has a negative reputation.
