what kind of witch are you? i want to start practicing magic. got any tips? c;
I consider myself to be eclectic in the sense that I blend a few different traditions together... A little bit Kitchen Witch, a little bit of Celtic, etc... I'm a solitary practitioner right now, but have nothing against the idea of joining a coven later down the line if that opportunity opens itself up to me at the right time. I started practicing last year, so I would still consider myself a beginner to intermediate, but it's all about practice and learn :)
I would suggest researching the various traditions of paganism, wicca and witchcraft to see what speaks to you, because there are several variations, along with endless variations of pantheons (gods and goddesses) you may feel more drawn to working with. You said you wanted to start practicing magic, so ask yourself a few questions- Is there a particular type of magic you want to focus on? Do you enjoy working with crystals? Candles? Cartomancy (tarot cards)? Runes? Making potions from herbs, roots and resins..? Also, do you feel you have any special abilities? Can you see people's auras? Successful attempts at divination? Clairvoyance? This may help you figure out what tradition would be the best fit for you, and what tools you might want to invest in for your practice.
Look up what items are needed for a basic altar setup (tools, candles, god and goddess representations).... But DON'T feel like you must own every single item all at once in order for you to do a proper ritual or spell... What really matters is the intention you put behind it. I still don't have an athame or a cauldron, but for now a letter opener and a bowl or pot from my house does the trick ;) Plus, don't feel like you need to own these elaborate, expensive tools... In fact, I believe it is more powerful to craft these items yourself from things that you've found on a nature walk, at the beach, thrift store, etc... it would be that much more meaningful to you, on top of being unique :) My chalice is a beautiful silver cup that I found for $2 at a thrift store, the feathers I use are all ones I've found on the ground, and my goddess representation at the moment is a pine cone and my god representation is two Acorn nuts, haha....
There are LOTS of variations of decorating your altar, it's really all on your taste and style, and you can also switch it up depending on the time of year, which brings me to my next suggestion: Look into the Wheel of the Year, which is the annual cycle of seasonal festivals observed by most Pagans/Witches. These are also known as Sabbats, and mark the solstices and equinoxes (quarter days), and the four midpoints between (known as the cross-quarter days). Esbat usually refers to a ritual observance on the night of the full moon (13 Esbats a year). Many witches like to charge crystals, do spellwork, binding, banishing, etc in correspondence with the moon phases.
I'm not sure if you've read any books yet, but I can recommend a few that I've read that could be quite helpful in getting you started with your practice: "Wicca for Beginners: Fundamentals of Philosophy and Practice," by Thea Sabin, "Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner," by Scott Cunningham, "Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft," by Raymond Buckland, "The Wicca Bible: The Definitive Guide to Magic and the Craft," by Ann-Marie Gallagher, and lastly "To Ride a Silver Broomstick: New Generation Witchcraft," by Silver Ravenwolf." Look into them, see if any of them pique your interest... These book choices are based on my opinion, but are by no means the only options you have... There are hundreds of informative books out there on the subject, so again, do a little research and see what calls to you :)
Lastly, I don't know where in the world you live, but where I'm from (California), there's a great website called Meetup(dot)com, and there are lots of different "groups" you can join, based on your interests. So if you wanted to find some like-minded people in your area who also practice the Craft, that would definitely be a helpful option... Reading is one thing, but seeing a ritual done in person, or having someone show you how to work a spell from start to finish is extremely beneficial in making things "click." I also went to an esbat (full moon ritual) at a local metaphysical shop in my area that I found on the website, and it was awesome! Even though I'm a solitary practitioner, it was great to be a part of a ritual done with other people who have been practicing for years, and I gained new knowledge and ideas by learning from them. The people I met were so nice and understanding to the fact that I was a beginner, and offered to answer any questions I had and didn't mind that I had a lot! :)
I hope this helped a little, and if you have any other questions, I will do my best in answering them for you! Merry meet and blessed be! :) <3
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