me: hey please dont use the word “trap”, its really dehumanizing and has extremely offensive connotations guy with an anime of the week icon and a list of waifus in his blog description:
me: hey, using futa to refer to trans women is kinda gross too because it reduces us to a fetish object
someone that looks and acts exactly like the first guy but is actually a different dude:
We get a lot of asks from brand new witches requesting resources or guidance on ‘where to start,’ and finally decided to write a single post that condenses our ideas and advice in one convenient place. This isn’t the be all/ end all of witchy resources, but it’s a place to start!
First off, the big question:
Who Can Be A Witch?
We run into this one a lot. And the absolute final answer from both Mme Hearth Witch and EstFortis is that as far as we are concerned…
EVERYONE
A witch is a witch regardless of gender, ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation or any other limit that people try and place on the craft. It is a practice, witchCRAFT, and not a religion. Therefore it should not be gatekept like many religions can be.
That said, many folks include spirituality and religion as a part of their path. It’s important to note that certain traditions and cultures within the umbrella of witchcraft will have guidelines and it is important to be respectful of that.
But it is not required, and many witches are firmly in the atheist or agnostic categories.
You are also 100% allowed to just decide you are a witch. As said, witchcraft is not a religion, so unlike initiatory traditions (Wicca and Druidism come to mind) you want to be a witch, be a witch!
There are no special powers, no birthright, no requirement of a family lineage.
Alright, so now that we have that sorted out… Our advice.
1. Read it all. The good, the bad, and the wtf?!
Reading only things you’re inclined to agree with means you often aren’t reading with a discerning mind. You trust the author/source and you take it all in like a sponge. Now, there’s a time and a place for that kind of teaching, but there is always space for discernment,
Which brings us to the bad and the wtf. Keeping your reading options open means you’re going to expose yourself to many different ways of thinking. I can think of no greater approach to a witchcraft practice than this. You’ll learn what sort of things don’t resonate with you, and how to pick gems out of otherwise second-rate material. And all the while, you’ll be defining exactly what it means to you to be a witch.
2. Learn to cleanse
We don’t just mean showers, although those are great, and you can totally do magic in the shower. We mean from a magical standpoint.
Ever walk into a room and just feel your mood/emotions take a nose dive? Like, the tension, stress and gloom is almost physically palpable? On the flip side, have you ever entered a space and immediately felt relaxed? These two situations demonstrate some of the most mundane magic we can imagine. While the latter is desirable, and the goal of hearth witches like MmeHW and EstFortis (and other kinds of witches too, but your witch mums are big fans of hearthcraft, lol), the first is a something we want to deal with.
Even if the energy levels haven’t reached peak doom and gloom we can still address it. And it’s preferable to deal with it early and often, instead of letting it build anyway!
There are a few different ways to go about this, but we’ll cover a few. This is by no means an exhaustive list, and part of being a witch is to figure out what works for you 🙂
Physical Cleaning
It’s basically impossible to magically clean a space that is physically dirty and cluttered. While magical cleaning can help clear some negative energy and give us a push to tidy up, a “proper” cleansing requires a space free from cobwebs and clutter.
Smoke Cleansing or Recaning
You may come across this practice under the term smudging however smudging is term from a closed practice belonging only to Native American people. When studying and practicing, be wary of cultural appropriation, and when it doubt, do your research.
Smoke cleansing is often done using sage, however there’s no need to limit yourself. Some alternatives are:
palo santo
cedar
basil
lavender
thyme
rosemary
Rattles
Rattles can be great when the energy of an area is making you feel antsy. Or if the energy feels very stuck. A lot can be used as a rattle: some popcorn seeds, beans, etc in a glass jar makes a simple one. Or you can get more elaborate and make something special. Bells also work in much the same way as rattles!
If you want one example of how exactly to cleanse an area, EstFortis’ method is outlined here.
3. Learn to shield/protect
Again, this is an area where there are so many different ways to go about it. But here is Mme Hearth’s favorite technique:
Starting at your core, visualize energy coming from the earth and wrapping around you.
Move your hand up your body, as if you were zipping yourself up. That energy still flowing around you, sealing yourself off from “outside”. Continue until the energy has moved over your head. I shake my hand a bit, to release the extra energy, and proceed with my day, wrapped in my little snug cocoon of energy.
4. Cultivate a daily practice
Witchcraft doesn’t exist solely in the big elaborate rituals, or a life which resembles a #witchaesthetic post on instragram. Indeed, it rarely looks like that. There’s a time and a place to bust out the big guns, but both of us here at Witch Mums have found that a daily, meaningful practice that incorporates witchcraft into our daily lives rather than being “other” has been the best way to establish a long term practice. A fancy grimoire and altar are all well and good, but not if they never get used because it takes too much effort.
Little things like the daily shower magic mentioned above, or decorating the house seasonally and making an effort to eat seasonal/local food can do a lot to help a person feel more “witchy”.
Take a moment in the morning to set an intention for the day. Reflect on the energy of the day before you sleep. Make note of the phases of the moon and align to do lists and tasks to match the energy of the lunar cycle.
5. Question everything
Even this post. Skepticism is the corner stone of any solid practice. Before you include something in your practice, give it a think. Spend time considering WHY you want to include it, and what it means to you. Don’t just add things because you read about it and they sound cool. While this is easy to do, especially in the early, excitable days, it’s not a great way to develop a meaningful practice in the long run.
And it’s worth mentioning here again, be wary of cultural appropriation. Just because you read about a practice somewhere, or see it… doesn’t mean it’s right for you to adapt that practice into your beliefs. There’s being an eclectic witch, and then there’s being part of the oppression of poc around the globe. Be the first, not the second.
We hope this helps. We’re always willing to answer specific questions of course, or go deeper into any aspect of this. But as a general “Where do I start learning to be a witch?” this covers most of it.
Grimoire of the Green Witch by Ann Moura(Only use this book for references and DO NOT READ HER OTHER BOOKS. They are not about Green Witchcraft, but Wicca with the word “Green” thrown into every sentence)
Hauntedlattesbackup 