I have been interested in being a witch for years but never have been able to figure out what type of research to do or even were to start. For awhile no one would help me because I was under 18. But now I'm 19 and still can't seem to find help (1/2)
Would you be willing to help me out? Or anyone that would be? I feel so lost I don’t know what to do (2/2)
Yes, of course! This is going to be a long post, so just be prepared! I’m going to start off with three things you should consider before deciding to be a witch. These are not necessary, but are suggestions.
One - What is your primary goal or what you want to achieve from becoming a witch? If you are just interested in it for the aesthetic, or because you think it will make you look cool, I would reconsider the reason behind your interest. This isn’t to say that people haven’t come to witchcraft this way and have been successful, but it may take you longer to grow into. Something else to consider is that having this identity can be dangerous depending on your location and situation. Those that dress as witches for the aesthetic are probably not trying to be harmful, but can sometimes cause a false sense of belonging to those that are practicing witches. (I asked a girl once if she was a witch because she wore a pentacle and I was looking for a local friend and she laughed at me.) Being a witch is often lonely and kept as a personal identification.
Two - Witchcraft can be happy and sunshine and rainbows, but at it’s base it is not something to laugh about. Witchcraft is about using the world around you and bending it to your will. That is a huge responsibility to have on your shoulders, as what you do can often affect others around you, whether you mean it or not. You have to be able to accept that witchcraft means work, responsibility and dedication. It is not a toy.
Three - Not everything you see is up for grabs when it comes to magical practices. There is (yes, there is) such a thing as Cultural Appropriation and it is a harmful thing to spread and practice. I’ll leave you more information on this later, but the point is that not all practices and paths are open for you to explore. You need to be able to look at everything objectively and do research and ask questions. Where does this practice come from? Who started it? What culture is it from? More often than not, when you engage in these types of practices, you are not even getting the original information. Why would you want to so something that is just a half-assed version? It’s disrespectful and harmful to the actual, living people of color (POC) that still practice the original forms of magic or ideology that so easily gets passed off as “ancient and mystical” when it is really just a white-washed version.
Some other tidbits to keep in mind.
Magic is not black and/or white. It is a neutral force that you bend to your intentions. Calling “good” magic white, and “bad” magic black only propagates racial inequality and the subliminal message that POC are evil.
You don’t have to be Wiccan to be a witch. Wicca is a religion/cult/practice where members worship the god and goddess, revere nature and often use magic in order to supplement worship. They follow The Rede and the Three-Fold Law. Most of what you will see on Tumblr is actually Neo-Wicca, which does not require a practitioner to be initiated into a group by way of a Priestess or otherwise. Wicca is an initiatory cult. Neo-Wicca is based off of Wiccan teachings, and often allows the practitioner to be solitary.
You can follow a religion (any) or you can not follow a religion. Witchcraft can be viewed as a religion on its own, but generally speaking it is a practice that can be blended with religion or not.
Witchcraft does not equal Satanism - as Satanism has many forms and ideologies it branches to as well, some not even involving magic.
You don’t have to be pagan or worship any deities to be a witch.
You don’t need to be white to be a witch. (I’ve been asked this!!!)
You don’t need to be straight to be a witch.
You don’t need to be able-bodied to be a witch.
You don’t need fancy tools.
You don’t need to read Tarot.
You don’t need an Ouija board.
You don’t need to communicate with spirits.
You don’t need a familiar.
You don’t have a spirit animal unless you are Native American and studying in a tribe. (Please read this post)
Smudging is also NA, see above. Please refer to it as smoke cleansing.
You can choose not to curse.
You don’t have to practice every day.
You can take extended breaks.
You don’t even have to call yourself a witch! Witch is a gender neutral term, but some feel uncomfortable using it because of its feminine history. You could use Wix, sorcerer(ess), magician, practitioner, cunning man/woman, etc. You don’t even need a title at all.
You don’t need a magical name unless you want one.
I’m sure I’m forgetting something along the way, but the bottom line is that whatever you choose to do, you are valid. All you need is yourself and the drive to learn and practice, whatever that may mean to you. There is no right or wrong way to be a witch, unless you are doing something that is harmful to oppressed cultures and people.
Mostly, I’ll be using my tags for this, so that you can peruse as you wish!
Beginner Witch Masterpost - via @magic-for-the-masses
Witchy Masterposts - everything you’ll ever need, especially for beginner ideas like energy work and visualization.
Types of Witches Masterpost - to help you narrow down your focus on your path if you feel necessary!
Cultural Appropriation in Witchcraft - can get a bit heated, so take that into consideration.
Deities - offerings and masterposts of pantheons
Witch Tips - beginner friendly tips
Spoonie Witchcraft - beginner friendly and good for low energy work
Books - PDFs and book references for purchase
Astrology - fun stuff mostly and some informational posts
Herbs - associations and precautions
Coffee - also a witchy essential
Bath Magic - beginner friendly
Sigils - low energy and beginner friendly
Crystals - lots of pictures, some informational posts and precautions.
Anything else you are welcome to search on my blog by typing in torque-witch.tumblr.com/search/(enter word here) or you can visit my FAQ for more information.
@breelandwalker@bibliophilicwitch@beewitch@belladonnaswitchblog@cosmic-witch@crepit-the-oracle@daughteroflancre@deepseamagick@darkandnerdymomma@emeraldthewitch@eclectickitchenwitch@frankiezaltar@greenwitchredlips@glitterbomb-goblinking@honey-and-gunpowder@hellboundwitch@idontusemycauldron@interspiritwitch@ischys@kitchy–witchy@lilaclavenderandlace@magic-for-the-masses@mrs-k-cottage-witch@nightkunoichi@nightlydraconicwitchery@oldmotherredcap@owlsgrimoire@piskykyle@recreationalwitchcraft@rainy-day-witchcraft@stormbornwitch@spiritscraft@thewitchexchange@thekitchenapothecary@upthewitchypunx@visardistofelphame@violetwitchcraft
@altarsmoke@alethiomancer@charnel-mansion@deathandtarot@blacklilydivination@ethonydawn@hyruletarot@intuitive-rose@leelahel@limoniume@queenofchalices@swampseer@thewitchmysteries
So. Yes. I am going to stop before I delete this entire thing again by accident. If I’ve forgotten someone, I apologize. If you need more information on something, please don’t hesitate to ask! (This goes for everyone!)
You’ve got some reading to do :)
amandla
turnnoffyourmind
stormborns
gamechangershow
2087
gracieabrams
jimmyeatworldofficial
