Ways of the Witch

- An Introduction -

Who were witches? What is a witch now?

The creation of witchcraft stems from the roots of human history itself, with times when people: called upon a god, gods or goddesses for help; healing potions and herbal remedies; observations of the stars; descriptions of charms or protection equipment like salt or crystals. Such history would have ceased to exist if it had not been useful, but with modern science, today's population are able to understand the work of some of these things but not all.  Modern witchcraft combines modern knowledge with ancient traditions to attract powerful energies, change and forces to coach things in to becoming reality.

A witch is someone who practices witchcraft, no matter the form of their practice. Being a witch is not all about casting spells. It is about making it what you want it to be because in the most simple of terms, anybody can be a witch. Regardless of sex, gender, religion, etc. One of the most important thing to being a witch is working with energies and setting intentions. This can be done through by doing and using things such as casting spells, using herbs, crystals and astrology, with much more. It is not a practice that someone else can command and control, it is your journey to adventure on with and it is your path to create or take, as there are so many different types of witches out there. A few examples of witch types are:

>> A baby witch or witchling - someone who is new to their craft or is still in the beginning stages as they develop an understanding of what witchcraft can be.

>> A green witch - someone who works with natural products of nature, such as herbs, trees and crystals whilst having a high level of respect for the natural world around them. 

>> A cosmic or celestial witch - someone who uses aspects of astrology in their practice as well as the stars, the moon and the planets.

>> An eclectic or omni witch - someone who takes aspects of different paths to create a craft that is suited best to them. 

What is the broom closet?

Sometimes witches have to stay in what we refer to as the 'broom closet,' as we are not always perceived as what we really are. The broom closet is the name given to the covering up of someone's practice due them being uncomfortable with sharing or being unable to be open about their practice for private reasons. Coming out of said broom closet is the revealing of your craft. It is perfectly normal to explore different paths and to perhaps try things that would have been deemed negative in the past, but the times now are different. Even with changing times, many people still show dislike to witchcraft. 

There are many misconceptions about those who practice witchcraft, with even the dictionary defining a witch as, "a person thought to have magic powers, especially evil ones, popularly depicted as a woman wearing a black cloak and pointed hat and flying on a broomstick." Throughout fairy tales, witches are described as people who are green skinned with warts on their noses, take The Wizard of Oz as a famous example. Sometimes a witch may wear a pointy hat. Sometimes a witch may have a wart on their nose. Sometimes a witch may own a broomstick. Does it make them the Wicked Witch of the West? Absolutely not! 

Another common misconception is that witches are evil and make deals with 'the devil,' to gain magick. Some may use their craft for negative purposes, but to generalise a whole group of people is not only wrong, but also harmful to those curious or those using their craft for the benefit of the others around them. Many witches do not believe in the devil, as witchcraft is built with so many different religions and those who are not religious at all - meaning people from all different backgrounds become witches, as magick is within all of us. 

Where should I start? What is a Book of Shadows?

The best place to start is with studying and starting your Book of Shadows. A BoS is a place to write down or type up everything you learn - like what you are reading right now! It can be as neat and as fancy as you would like it to be... But a small piece of advice would be to keep two versions, get a notebook that you do not mind looking a little messy so you scribble down notes whenever you learn something new. Your BoS can be anything you would like it to be, whether it is online or handwritten, it is yours and yours only. You can get you information from anywhere, some things to consider when you begin studying are:

>> Moon phases.

>> The elements.

>> The wheel of the year.

>> Candles and colour correspondences. 

>> The history of witchcraft.

>> Crystals.

>>Herbs.

Another great way to start is by doing simple practices. It is common for a witch not to cast a spell daily and beginners are not expected to start casting spells right away. Witchcraft needs to become a lifestyle and can take a long time to get the hang out, with a lot of practice needed along the way. Here are some ways you can begin to incorporate witchcraft into your life in the beginning:

>> Guided meditation - from online or in person sources.

>> Wearing a specific colour to match an intention or to attract something - like red for love.

>> Being kind to those around you.

>> Researching more into the magickal world - learning about new things, although this is the same as studying, and gaining a deeper understanding.

>> Creating a positive atmosphere.

>> Lighting candles.

>> Drinking teas for a desired purpose. 

>> Using herbs.