I Want To Practice Witchcraft But I Don’t Know Where to Start

So you’ve discovered that witchcraft is not just something of fantasy and myth, and now you want to get a taste of it. Amazing! Whether you learned about it from a friend or just because it is trending on social media, I am just happy you found this possible spiritual path for yourself. However, the internet is a dumpster fire of aesthetic blogs and racially biased witchcraft accounts that have kept you from finding valid information all while some TikToker is screaming at you that you need to research but you’re broke and can’t buy books. That’s fine. Witchy Whims is here to help. (I will be making a few blog posts about budgeting in witchcraft including research on a budget).

What to Research

1. Your Witchy Ancestry - Start by looking within yourself to your ancestry and culture. Ancestry does not have to be blood, it can be traced in your adoptive families too. What cultures are in your background? What folklore and occult practices are linked to that culture?

2. History of witchcraft and the occult (you can start using your own culture or geographical location if you want to narrow down some results.) - No one is telling you that you need to know every detail of witchcraft history, in fact I would argue it’s almost virtually impossible given the amount of cultures that use and record Ancient Craftwork. However, it’s good to have a foundation for your craft so that you understand and respect what is happening. For example, if you are a White American looking to start your journey do not say “we are the granddaughters of the witches you did not burn,” because the witch trials were not about witchcraft and the witches weren’t really burned. Misconceptions like this interfere with the foundation of your personal outlook on yourself as a witch

3. Types of magick - There are hundreds of witchy paths and it is unlikely you’ll know about all of them, however, I do think it’s a good idea to pick a few you like. I personally read https://amzn.to/3ov2UiO I wouldn’t call it an infallible source on definitions, however, I think it’s a super easy and fun read for someone just starting out. I had fun reading for sure.

4. Spiritual vs Religious vs Secular - these terms are important to help you distinguish whether you want to incorporate your belief system into your craft.

5. Spirituality vs Witchcraft - For some people, spirituality better fits what they are looking to do than witchcraft. Learning to distinguish the two can be an amazing skill.

6. 12 Universal Laws - Sometimes referred to as the 12 spiritual laws. Not all witches believe them but there’s no harm in learning them and seeing if any resonate with you.

7. Casting a Circle - This or some form of protection is essential to your craft.

8. Closed Practices - Do not do anything before reading up on closed practices. It is not only important but essential for a modern day witch to build their craft on a base of respect for other cultures.

How To Research

To keep this rather short and simple research is difficult. Information on witchcraft, especially more modern information, is flooded with bias and fogged by the lens of the neopagan and Wiccan rise of the 50s and 60s. Although there is nothing wrong with either form of spiritual beliefs, witchcraft exists entirely on its own. When authors tie witchcraft to a particular belief system, they tend to create “rules” that aren’t necessarily there. For example, a large misconception is that all witches have to live by the “Law of Three” or the Wiccan Rede, which is just not the case.

Despite this, books are usually your safest bet on where to get information. If you want some free resources or can’t buy books, then you can either go to your local library or risk the misinformation of the World Wide Web. If you end up having no other option outside the internet here are some thing’s to keep in mind:

1. Only use social media posts as starting points on what to google.

2. Only read posts on spiritual blogs and keep in mind that they are just as fallible as social media. (Including this one)

3. History and Theology Websites are great starting points for building your own beliefs and learning background research, however, they won’t help much in modern day practice.

4. If a practice seems to be off-road from historical references it may just be someone’s personal interpretation.

5. Find communities that will help you with your research. (If you want you can even join our discord: https://discord.gg/MCdQ5c7rv4)

Spellwork when you first begin

When you first step into spellwork you should already know what your main form of protection is going to be. The main reason most people start with casting a circle is because you don’t need items to do so (although many witches include certain items in their circle casting ritual). However, if you're an ancestral witch you may have a protective talisman that’s been passed down to you. If you are a chaos witch you may feel more drawn to sigils for protection. (For more on sigils go here: https://contactwitchywhims.wixsite.com/witchywhims/post/how-to-make-a-powerful-sigil)

Once you know how to cast protection you should practice your protection magick types whether that be through enchantments, spell jars, or incantations. After you’ve spent the time cultivating your protection methods you can start dabbling in other types of spells. Two spells I recommend for beginners are self-love and mental clarity. Some spells I do not recommend to try right away are curses, seduction, or money spells. This is because spells like these have so many unforeseen repercussions even if the spell is casted successfully. It’s very hard to make sure everything follows through exactly as you want.