How to Be a Witch: A Beginner’s Guide

So you’ve decided to be a witch. You’ve nailed the aesthetic, the playlist is set, and you’re open to all things witchy. But what’s your first step?

If you’re brand new to witchcraft, its broad applications might feel overwhelming. But you don’t need to be a professional witch to learn from the craft.

We’re here to welcome you to the craft and guide you toward realizing your full witchy potential. Follow this step-by-step guide for all the practical advice needed to get started.

Step One: Explore the Traditions of being a Witch

Modern witchcraft has significantly increased practitioners in the past few years. Movies, TV, and podcasts have introduced pop culture to traditions previously shrouded in mystery and sometimes fear.

But the Salem Witch Trials are over, and modern witches will tell you that anyone with intention, a willingness to learn, and an interest in life’s energies can become a witch.

Modern witchcraft has as many categories as it does practitioners. Most choose bits from various practices to best suit their needs and goals.

Witchery is an intimate and personal spiritual practice—above all else, and you are in charge of what it means. Learning different kinds of witchcraft can help determine what calls to you. It can even provide you with a community.

We’ll start by laying out some of the most common types of witchcraft. Remember that there are other forms of witchcraft; many witches practice a combination of two or more traditions.

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Green Witchcraft

Are you most at peace when you’re out in the woods? Maybe you’re the friend that collects rocks and stops to inspect funky mushrooms on weekend hikes. If that sounds familiar, you will make an excellent green witch.

Many people have a relationship with the natural world, but green witches have an incredibly intimate connection. In some ways, they mediate between nature and human society’s presence.

Nature can be a powerful force, for better or worse, but green witches always seek to achieve a balance. Green witchery might be your path if you love the outdoors or have a nurturing personality.

Hedge Witchcraft

Using practical magic, a hedge witch takes joy in daily rituals and helping others. A hedge witch is someone everyone comes to for a handy decoction or a quick spell. And they pull from many sources to find answers and proven solutions.

They’re usually master herbalists, stocking their space with plants of all sorts. But their practice is typically solitary (as opposed to coven-based), and they don’t adhere to one exclusive dogma. Since they’re empathetic, hedge witches are also known to be in touch with their dreams.

If you’re pragmatic and like to keep things simple, or if your dreams guide you through life, you might be a hedge witch.

Crystal Witchcraft

Using shiny rocks in conjunction with magic has been traditional witchcraft for millennia. Shaped by the world’s most intense elemental forces, crystals can enhance and transmit energies in all applications.

Crystal witches know the purpose and power stored within each type of crystal, and they can tell you precisely how to use them. Many witches who aren’t the only crystal variety still use crystals, gems, and precious stones in their chants and altars.

But crystal witches are living encyclopedias. If you’re drawn to collecting things, feel “vibes,” or like shiny treasures, crystal witchcraft could be your calling.

Cosmic Witchcraft

Does the full moon speak to you? Do the stars call your name? If so, you might find your niche as a cosmic witch.

These witches are invested in astronomy and astrology. They track planetary movement to time their incantations and ceremonies perfectly. As a result, cosmic witches often keep up with modern science to better understand the powers of the universe.

The cosmos are full of unimaginable energies, and a cosmic witch seeks to channel that into their work. If you’re analytical, love the complexity of star charts, or find yourself vibing with the moon’s cycles, you might be a cosmic witch in the making.

Gray Witchcraft

Gray witches dance along the divide between light and dark or black magic. Often motivated by a robust moral code, gray witches might feel called to redirect and counteract lousy energy. While many are happy to dabble in the kinds of hexes and curses that might make others hesitant, society often misunderstands gray witches.

A gray which can still be a good witch–it’s all about intention. A gray witch is often called upon to help someone deal with darkness or negative energy. If you feel drawn to the darker shades of witchcraft or have the vigilante impulse, this might be your kind of magic.

Kitchen Witchcraft

The kitchen is the heart of every home, so it follows that it would be full of magic potential. If you’ve ever found sanctuary in the ritual of making a favorite meal, you’ve already dabbled in the kind of magic that kitchen witchcraft calls upon.

A kitchen witch is typically a warm, generous soul who puts positive energy into the very nourishment they provide. Have you ever watched in anticipation as bread dough started to rise? Do you relish mixing herbs and spices until you have the perfect taste? Is cooking your love language? You may very well be a kitchen witch!

Elemental Witchcraft

Fire. Air. Earth. Water. These four essential elements have been part of humankind’s fundamental understanding of the world and its forces. In that way, elemental witches get back to basic understandings.

An elemental witch is usually drawn to one particular element and calls upon it in spell casting, potion-making, and general practice. Their chosen element is a source of power and an anchor for their work. A fire that will never be caught without candles. An earth witch will always keep a vial of soil or sand from a place important to them.

Many practitioners of other witchery chose an element to support their work, but actual elemental witches exist, too. If the raw power and potential of the elements appeal to you, this could be your path.

Step Two: Set Goals

What do you want to accomplish as a witch? Are you looking to restore some balance in your life? Maybe you want to learn how to draw people and have success for yourself. Whatever you’ve set out to do, always remember that intention is the most significant force of attraction.

Practice with purpose! Think about your goals and write them down. Speak them aloud–it’s excellent practice for spellcasting. Once you know where you’re headed, seek books, podcasts, and videos focusing on your interests.

It would be best to consider whether you want to be a solitary witch or part of a coven. A single coven can fall anywhere on the spectrum between super strict and laid-back. At its core, a coven is a group of witches gathering to learn more about their craft.

It can be dedicated to one specific type of witchcraft or an eclectic collection of practitioners. The advantages of belonging to a coven are twofold: you benefit from a sense of community and get more witchy power for your spell casting.

Step Three: Collect and Charge Materials

There are three general methods for collecting magic materials.

Find

Many of the more common materials for witchcraft can be found in nature or your kitchen. Herbs, salts, stones, and the materials for talismans (symbolic objects of power) are probably closer than you think.

Inherit

if you’re fortunate enough to have a guide through the journey of becoming a witch, they might gift you an item or two that will be useful in your development. These materials will already be charged with a history of energies and intentions and are often much more powerful.

Purchase

Some materials are easier to purchase depending on the type of witchcraft you pursue. For example, if you’re interested in crystal witchcraft, you might get lucky and find quartz on a walk near a quarry. But most mighty stones will need to be purchased from ethical suppliers.

While each type of witchcraft calls for its own set of materials, there are some essential tools of the trade that every witch should invest in.

Tools

Every good witch needs a wand, but it doesn’t need to be fancy. Any stick you find that feels good in your hand will do the trick. Chances are, you’ll know when you’ve found your match. Some even say that the wand chooses the witch.

Wooden wands are the most common, but any slender item can do the job. The purpose of a wand is to focus and extend a witch’s power, but not all witches use them. Some say wands are handy for new witches still honing their skills. But like everything else in witchcraft, wands are a matter of preference with different types, dark wood or light.

Many witches use divination tools like runes, pendulums, and tarot cards. These items can be used with your craft so that you’ll be a better conduit for the world’s energies and undiscovered knowledge.

If you like to cook with traditional tools, you may already have a mortar and pestle. This is an essential tool for green, hedge, and kitchen witchcraft—a mortar and pestle helps release the oils and energies of all herbs. A mortar and pestle are crucial if you’re brewing any decoction or your spell calls for a potion.

Be sure to keep salt, candles, and mineral spirits at hand for cleansing spaces and establishing barriers between this world and the world of spirits. Magic is often expansive and unwieldy, but these neutralizing items can help you direct its energy.

How to imbue the material with Energy

Once you’ve gathered your materials, you must imbue them with energy. The process will vary depending on the type of witchcraft you’ve chosen and the desired effect, but there are a few tried and true methods.

Setting a bowl of water or a crystal on your windowsill when the full moon is brightest will help to cleanse the materials of negative energy. Wiping a wand down with mineral oil will refresh it after casting a spell. Some simple incantations by a nearby flame can help cleanse or invigorate an item.

Step Five: Casting Spells

Pop culture and ghost stories have taught us that spells should rhyme or always be in Latin, but witchcraft today is more flexible. Of course, those kinds of spells exist; some have a track record of known success. But the most powerful spell is the one created from your passion. You have to care deeply about an outcome for a spell to succeed.

Like witchcraft, there are as many spells as desires in the world, and each problem calls for an individual solution. Love spells are perhaps the most popular kind–what is love if not magic?

Spell Casting

But spell casting can attract or repel all kinds of energy, making them extremely powerful. As a result, it’s essential to act with care and purpose before, during, and after casting.

First, you must prepare your space and cleanse it of unwanted energy. Draw a circle with your gathered materials to channel and balance the forces you plan to call upon. Salt, mineral spirits, candles, and stones can all be used to form the circle and mark the cardinal directions so that you can adequately center yourself.

Once ready, welcome the spirits, deities, or forces you want to connect with aloud. Speak your magic with purpose and clarity while focusing on your goal.

Let your circle be the conduit through which you channel the energies of the spirit world. This maintains the boundary between the two worlds so you can safely contact and disconnect from those forces.

Gratitude and Safety

When your spell has been cast, acknowledge and thank the spirits or deities present for aiding you in your endeavor. Gratitude is a crucial principle of these rituals, so say your thanks aloud. You must open or close the circle depending on your chosen witchcraft tradition.

Above all else, remember the Wiccan Rule of Three developed by the father of modern witchcraft, Gerald Gardner: “Evermind the rule of three, what ye sends out comes back to thee.” Translation: whatever energy you put into your rituals will be returned to you threefold.

Spell casting is powerful, so practice safely and remember that every action comes with a reaction. When you’re ready, check out a spell list or beginner’s book of spells for ideas and inspiration.

Step Six: Keep a Journal

An extension of setting your goals, keeping a journal will help you track your progress, revise your methods, and build a repertoire. It’s also an excellent method of self-care. Many witches turn their writings into a book called a grimoire that future readers might be able to use.

Any journal will do- even a digital one- but witchcraft finds meaning and power in the material world, so choose with intention. You might even want to make your journal if you’re a crafty witch.

Step Seven: Create an Altar

The observance is a crucial component of witchcraft, which asks you to be aware of the world you live in. Creating an altar is a fantastic way to honor the tools and materials of the craft. Plus, it’s a great creative outlet that allows you to design a safe, cleansing space.

Most people keep their altar in a standard room so they can pass and acknowledge it often. Decorate your altar with precious stones, dried flowers, crafted talismans, candles, and any items that represent the elemental forces to you.

Step Eight: Set your Rhythm

Connecting with nature isn’t exclusive to green witches. Many modern witches find that practicing witchcraft harmoniously with the seasons enhances their power and effectiveness.

Change is inevitable, but it cannot be easy. Observing the passage of time and the cycling of the seasons can help soothe the soul. Everyone associates witches with Halloween–known to witches as Samhain–but all eight major season holidays are perfect for casting spells that need a little extra oomph.

How to Practice Witchcraft Considerately

Witchcraft has often been a target of persecution, and part of that stems from its relationship with the religions and spiritual beliefs of historically oppressed cultures. When unfamiliar with something, it’s easy to regard it as dark and dangerous.

But as all modern witches know, the craft is all about energy–put good in, get good out. As an empowered witch, it’s your responsibility to understand the origins of the craft.

One of the most important things to remember as you develop your craft is being aware and respectful of its intersection with cultures you do not belong to. Cultural appropriation is never a good look, so remember that some particular practices and beliefs are sacred. You can also take this as an opportunity to learn the ideas that guided your ancestors.

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