Western media likes to portray witches as either synonymous with Wicca, Medieval High Ceremonial magic, or just straight-up crazy goth girls. Some people are into those things, but that’s not the only kind of witchcraft that exists.
There are magical traditions in every culture and religious pursuasion, but it’s an inadequacy of the English language when we assume “witch” must equate to Wicca, Medieval High Ceremonial magic, or otherwise vaguely metaphysical traditions rooted in Europe.
Go research magical traditions in other cultures. There are TONS. If the gothic white European spin on witchcraft doesn’t work for you, look elsewhere. You don’t have to be Wiccan to be a witch—Wicca is a religion, whereas witchcraft is a universally-practiced phenomenon that transcends religious affiliation.
You don’t have to summon demons or draw pentagrams on everything to be a witch. You don’t have to follow Wiccan beliefs. You don’t have to celebrate Samhain or meditate with crystals or do tarot. You don’t need a familiar, you don’t need to obsess over ghosts or want to curse people. You don’t “need” anything but your own personal convictions and beliefs, a healthy understanding of what you want in life, and a willingness to learn and change. Anyone who tells you that you “need” to buy all these fancy supplies and subscribe to a specific religion in order to be a “real” witch is deluded. No one defines your magical practice but you.
For all you baby witches who have no earthly idea where to start learning about witchcraft, I absolutely recommend Judika Illes’ “Encyclopedia of Witchcraft”. She’s an incredible author whose books are rich with historic, anthropologic, and culturally-diverse information about witchcraft. You’ll learn about the history of the Witch Craze of 15th century Europe; famous grimoires; the origins of witchcraft, and their roots in older female shamanic traditions; various spirits associated with witchcraft; and a whole encyclopedia of magical terms from many different cultures. It’s SO useful. Please read it.
If you want to get into witchcraft, don’t feel obligated to only study Wicca or medieval European occultism. There’s so much more to it than that. If you find Wicca or High Ceremonial magic really speak to you, cool! But research the hell out of witchcraft in general. Odds are, there’s a tradition or practice that really speaks to you on a deep, spiritual level. In the end, you want to feel more connected to yourself and to nature through your practice. It should never make you feel “bad” or uncomfortable. It should feel like coming home.
Sorry this was kinda long. But read “The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft” by Judika Illes! Seriously, it’s a baby witch’s jackpot.
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