Witchcraft - Where do I start?
I wrote this for a server but I felt that this should also be on here(: Beginning your practice can be overwhelming, especially with the vast amount of information available. I recommend starting off with:
Learning about yourself
Finding out what interests you is the best place to start. What reaches out to you? Do you connect with the elements? The cosmos? Do you have an affinity for any particular thing? Explore the topics you feel drawn to, do thorough research, and practice. Develop your own personal set of beliefs and practices.
Discernment
Learn to recognize magickal events and signs from mundane phenomena. (I'll reblog with a separate research and discernment post).
Reading & Research
Read! Read blogs, articles, and anything else you can get your hands on. Become knowledgeable in practical topics as well as theories behind the many aspects of witchcraft—knowing how things work in the physical realm will help you understand and better apply things in the metaphysical realm.
What should I begin researching?
The Essentials
History & Culture
Think about the things you want to include in your craft, and learn about its history and the cultural context behind it. Asking questions like, “Is it open to me? How did the people before me practice?” shows respect for its origins and to the people who practiced before you.
Learn to become socially aware. Learn about why using certain terms (such as smudging, spirit animal, totem, g*psy, etc.) is harmful and something you should never do. Learn about cultural appropriation.
Family History
Finding out about your family history can be difficult for some. If you are able, ask your family members what regions they come from. Ask them about family beliefs and practices.
If you are unable to trace your family lineage, knowing what region your family comes from and researching the beliefs and practices of that region is a good place to start.
Safety
Physical safety: fire safety, and ingredient safety (toxic substances, toxic mixtures and combinations, edible and inedible plants, etc.)
Spiritual safety: protection, cleansing, warding, psychic protection, etc.
Other beginner friendly topics
Basics of witchcraft
Intent and visualisation
Cleansing and warding
Clairs
Meditation
Herbology
Elemental magick
Candle magick
Correspondences: Learn the correspondences for herbs, ingredients, colours, numbers, and anything else you plan to use in your craft.
Vetting resources and reading critically
(guide will be reblogged!)
Read critically: remember to always look for hidden intentions in resources. Ask yourself:
Is the content informational?
What does the author/organisation stand for?
Is this site/author trying to sell me something?
Reminders
Respect that other practitioners have their own beliefs and own ways of doing things.
It’s okay to make mistakes! Mistakes are valuable learning opportunities.
Research & Discernment Guide
You can and should consume a lot of different content, and it’s incredibly important to be critical with every piece of information you come across.
How to Research:
Basic Steps in the Research Process - NHCC
Search Engine Strategies
Search Engine Strategies - Prince George's Community College
To see better search results, use incognito/private windows, or other search engines like DuckDuckGo or Ecosia so that your previous search data isn't used to influence future search results.
Use specific terminology used in that particular field of study and key words and phrases.
Take note of key authors, speakers, experts, etc. mentioned and search for works written by them.
Finding Resources
Wikipedia - the best place to start; Wikipedia articles are constantly being monitored and are a good place to start your research. Looking at the references at the end of articles will give a good list of sources should you want to further your research.
Open Educational Resources
Free Ebooks
Free public domain books
Z-library - PDFs and EPUBs for published books
Evaluating Sources
Evaluating Sources Research Guides - Brock University
Critical Appraisal and Analysis - Cornell University | Ten things to look for when you evaluate an information source.
Reading critically
How to Read Critically: 8 Steps
Discernment – Is it a Sign?











