#beginner witchcraft

[poeaxtry]

🕯️ Build Your Altar with Purpose — Elemental Layout for Everyday Magic 🌿

Your altar is more than decoration. It’s a living reflection of your energy, your path, and your connection to the unseen. Whether you’re a seasoned witch or just starting your journey, aligning your altar with the five classical elements can help ground your intentions and deepen your practice.

This elemental layout is simple, adaptable, and rooted in both tradition and intuition. Use what you already have, tools don’t need to be expensive or elaborate to be powerful. Nature gives freely, and your intent is always your strongest magic.

⸻

✨ Layout Overview:

• Center — Spirit

This is the heart of your altar. Place a candle, deity symbol, or sacred object that represents your higher self or divine connection. It holds space for your spiritual essence and unites all other elements.

• Left — Water 💧

A bowl of water, a chalice, shells, or moon-charged items work well here. Water governs emotion, intuition, healing, and reflection. Let it ripple gently through your space.

• Right — Fire 🔥

A candle, wand, or even a sunstone can hold fire’s place. Fire brings passion, drive, transformation, and protection. It lights the path and burns away stagnation.

• Top — Air 🌬️

Represent air with incense, feathers, bells, or written words. Air rules the mind, thoughts, communication, and clarity. Let it inspire your breath and intentions.

• Bottom — Earth 🌍

Ground your altar with crystals, salt, stones, or dried herbs. Earth gives structure, abundance, patience, and stability. It roots your ritual and supports lasting growth.

⸻

🔄 Tips to Make It Yours:

• Swap tools seasonally, Celebrate the sabbats or shifts in your life with items that reflect the moment.

• Use what calls to you , A leaf can be as sacred as a gemstone. Trust your intuition.

• Cleanse regularly, A gentle smoke cleanse or moon bath keeps your altar energetically clear.

• Revisit your intent, Let your altar evolve as you do.

🧿 Your altar is your mirror. Let it speak your truth.

⸻

Want more altar inspiration or elemental spellwork?

Reblog, follow, or message for more witchy guides 🌒🌕🌘

For a full guide

[bunny-claws]

tarot tips for beginners

so you just decided that you want to read tarot, and perhaps invest in your very first deck. here are some tips that i found useful when I was just starting out! 

(updated version)

some uses for tarot cards:

divination

spirit communication

deity communication

spellwork

choosing a deck:

there are so many decks to choose from - a lot of folks choose the deck that they energetically vibe with the most, but like, that doesn't happen for everyone! when i initially made this post 7 years ago, i spoke about initially choosing a tarot deck because it had minimalistic artwork and clearly labeled text, which was extremely helpful for me. some decks even have keywords or meanings listed on them, which is pretty cool.

that being said, i do think it's worth it to get your first deck from a brick and mortar store - that way you can see all the different varieties, art styles, etc.

another thing to consider is size: there’s a “standard” size for tarot cards - some authors stick to playing card size, and some make theirs quite large. i have small hands, so the larger sized cards are somewhat uncomfortable for me to use and shuffle. i would keep that in mind for sure.

i would also suggest that if your first deck doesn’t come with its own guidebook to invest in one, just to have for reference.

tips:

cleanse your deck before you use it for the first time - this helps get rid of any lingering energy that it may have picked up over time. you can do maintenance cleansing whenever you want, maybe between readings?

charge your deck! perhaps try a selenite plate or slab - selenite has both cleansing and charging properties, so you can set your deck on top and let it do its thing. alternately, put the deck in the middle of a crystal grid; pass it through incense smoke; make a dry herb bath; etc. however you normally cleanse and charge things.

draw a card a day for personal readings, and record your findings in a journal - this can help you learn the meanings of the cards, bond with your new deck, and provide an opportunity for introspection and reflection.

not into journaling or writing? create an excel or word document to record your personal experiences and findings. this can also be useful for jotting down card meanings (ctrl + f is a lot easier than digging through a book imo).

practice readings with people you are comfortable with. this can help you decipher card meanings and practice reading intuitively.

come up with personal associations for the cards that relate to your every day life. for example, the death card popping up in a reading can be startling at first, but more often than not, it relates to rebirth or transformation. the same applies for cards that signify fertility or birth - this may simply allude to new beginnings. what do you think the cards are trying to tell you?

you might not wanna overwhelm yourself with lengthy spreads like the celtic cross - maybe stick with short spreads that only involve a few cards and work your way up to bigger ones.

readings do not decide your fate. they are meant to be used as a tool for guidance, not to be taken for fact.

you can use tarot cards to represent intentions during spellwork or meditation.

common myths about tarot:

you must receive your tarot deck as a gift

you must keep your tarot deck in a [black] silk bag

you must be a witch or psychic to read tarot

you shouldn’t read tarot while you’re pregnant

don’t let others touch or look at your tarot cards

tarot cards are inherently evil

tarot cards are “the devil’s work”

you can’t read tarot for yourself

the cards are to be taken literally (where death means death, etc.)

reversed cards are always bad

© 2025 bunny-claws

[galacticnikki]

100 Witchcraft Tips in 100 Days!

Day 3 - How to Turn Herbs into Loose Incense

Turning your herbs into a blend of loose incense is a wonderful way to connect with the energies in your plants. It not only can be used to make your home or living space smell nice, but can also be used for a variety of practices. Whether it's for smoke divination, cleansing, or spells there's a blend for every intention.

Gathering Ingredients

There are 3 types of ingredients used for loose incense; herbs, resins, and wood shavings. Herbs are the most versatile of the bunch. There are a plethora of different herbs each with their own correspondences. Some notable basic herbs that every witch should have laying around somewhere include basil, bay leaves, chives, cilantro, dill, oregano, mint, parsley, rosemary, and thyme. Resins are your tree saps, these include frankincense, myrrh, pine sap, and dragon's blood. Wood shavings are self explanatory, they're pieces of bark and wood from trees. Make sure before proceeding that you know the herbs, resins, and wood shavings are safe to burn. Some herbs, resins, and wood shavings can be toxic to humans and pets.

Preparation & Blending

To prepare your herbs to be blended into your loose incense you want to make sure they're 100% dried to ensure they don't grow mold and they burn well. You can dry your fresh herbs by hanging them upside down in a well ventilated room. Once the herbs are dried, use a mortar and pestle to grind dried herbs and resins into either a fine powder or coarse blend, depending on your preference. As you grind these herbs focus on what they do and how they contribute to your intention and blend them together. You may need to adjust the ratios depending on the strength of each ingredient, but you'll figure that out as you learn more.

Binding & Burning

Binding is an optional step when making loose incense, however, adding a small amount of powdered charcoal or gum arabic can help make your blend burn more evenly. When you're not actively burning your loose incense make sure to store it in an airtight container so it doesn't loose it's potency. There are multiple methods to burn loose incense, however, I like to create sigil shaped incense trails. There are multiple ways to make incense trails. One of such ways is to spoon the powder into a mold placed on a bed of ash, this method originates from China. The method I use includes pouring it out in the general shape of the sigil, then I pat it down with my fingers and fix any errors I may have made when compacting it. Once you've made your trail you simply light one end and let it burn.

Simple Blends by Intention

Protection Blend - Used for cleansing your space and creating a protective barrier against negativity

Rosemary (Protection, Purification) - Potent protector, often used to clear negative energy and set boundaries.

Bay Leaves (Protection, Strength) - Used in this blend to amplify the shielding energy.

Cedar (Grounding, Protection) - Provides grounding and strengthens the protection created by the rosemary and bay leaves.

Frankincense Resin (Spiritual Protection, Purification) - Used for protection and connection with your higher self.

Abundance and Prosperity Blend - Used to attract wealth and prosperity

Basil (Wealth, Abundance) - Used to draw wealth and secure success.

Cinnamon (Success, Prosperity) - Typically considered fast acting and bringing rapid results.

Mint (Financial Gain, Luck) - Commonly used to bring luck in financial matters.

Clove (Attraction, Manifestation) - Used to strengthen manifestation, helping to focus your intent on drawing in wealth and success.

Peace and Relaxation Blend - Used for meditation, relaxation, or healing after emotional stress

Chamomile (Calm, Relaxation, Healing) - Used to bring gentle healing, diffusing tension, and creating a peaceful atmosphere.

Lavender (Peace, Calming Energy) - Promotes peace, calm, and sleep.

Lemon Balm (Emotional Healing, Calm) - Aids in emotional healing and brings a gentle clarity to situations.

Mugwort (Dreamwork, Relaxation) - Used for enhancing intuition and calming the mind.

Spiritual Growth and Intuition Incense - Used for rituals focusing on spiritual growth, meditation, or divination

Sage (Cleansing, Spiritual Clarity) - Powerful cleansing herb that helps clear the mind and create a space for spiritual work. Please use common sage and not white sage.

Mugwort (Intuition, Psychic Development) - Enhances psychic abilities and helps to deepen your intuition.

Frankincense Resin (Spiritual Connection, Purification) - Aids in connecting with your higher self.

Cedar (Grounding, Spiritual Protection) - Provides grounding energy, ensuring that you will stay rooted and protected during rituals.

If you want to find more of these entries use the hashtag #100 Witchcraft Tips in 100 Days! If you want to join a group of witches feel free to join our 18+ coven on Discord.

[will-o-the-witch]

Making Your Own Divination Methods

I'm a firm believer in the idea that divination is an extremely flexible tool, and anybody can develop their own unique methods for practicing it. There are a few common elements to all divination types which make them reliable, and they feel pretty obvious but it's still good to make it explicit. As long as your new method has these, you should be good to go.

A way to receive a message/response. Simple enough. Whether it be pictures, the movements of birds, overheard bits of conversation, or the way different symbols fall on a mat, you need to receive something to interpret. Simply asking a question to the Universe with no established way to get an answer wouldn't really be divination. It can be as abstract or nebulous as you want, but you should know what it is.

An established method of interpretation before you start. Depending on your method of choice this could be really broad, but you should have a general idea of how you'd interpret different messages going in. Deciding how to interpret the message after the fact opens itself up to bias since you can just decide what the answer means. Granted, when you're developing new methods you're inevitably going to run into messages you didn't consider, but even if it's just "good symbols=good outcome, bad symbols=bad outcome," that gives you the ability to accept messages you might not want, and that's important. If it only tells you what you want to hear, that's not reliable.

An element of randomness/something out of your control. In my opinion, this is what makes something divination to begin with. You can't control which card you draw from a blindly-shuffled deck, which plant grows faster when you treat them the same, which number a die lands on. If you have complete control over the message, then it's not going to be effective or reliable because it's too easy to manipulate.

Some random examples to show what I'm talking about:

Once I used a simple method of divination when a food company catered the summer camp I worked at for a day. The food boxes each came either an M&M cookie, regular chocolate chip cookie, or oatmeal raisin cookie. It was random which one you got because you couldn't see inside the boxes. I decided that each of these cookies meant yes/good, neutral, and no/bad respectively, then would ask a question before I selected my box.

I also really enjoy using Rory's Story Cubes for divination. You cast them on a mat and use the abstract symbols as different hints toward the message, especially how they worked together in concert with eachother to develop more complex ideas.

A local bar I enjoy has a lot of graffiti in the bathroom stall. When I go there, I let my eyes fall wherever they lay and interpret the first piece of graffiti I see as my message for whatever question is on my mind. That said, I go to this bar a lot and am getting pretty familiar with what messages are where, so I may retire this method soon.

I also collect TY Beanie Babies and have a chest full of them. Sometimes I'll mix them around, then reach in and draw one, using the poem on its tag as my message for the day.

[breelandwalker]

Witch Tip - Wild Weed Harvests

When looking around your yard or local biome for wild plants to harvest for your craft, there are several important things to keep in mind:

1 - Prepare for your trip ahead of time. Have some idea ahead of time where you're going, what the terrain and weather will be like, and what plants you want to look for and harvest. Make sure you wear appropriate clothing and footwear, and bring containers, supplies for labeling, and a travel-size resource for plant identification. (Pro-tip: Paper lunch bags are excellent receptacles for harvested plants.)

2 - Look for patches of plants well away from roadways and places which might be contaminated by chemical runoff or pesticides. When possible, select a large patch where your harvest won't wipe out the presence of the plant. (The exception to this is if you are removing invasive plants or weeding a prepared garden as part of your harvesting.)

3 - Make sure you properly identify plants before you harvest them, using a field guide for local plants or an identification app like Plantnet. This helps you avoid potentially harmful lookalikes. (And it couldn't hurt to look up what harmful plants exist in the area where you'll be looking.) Do not harvest endangered plants or plants growing on private property or in national parks. When in doubt, leave it alone.

4 - Take a modest amount of plant material for your stores, no more than you reasonably need, while disturbing the surrounding area as little as possible. Clearly label the container with the species and date of harvest. (Again, I'm recommending those paper lunch bags.) As an added courtesy, you can bring a bottle of water and hydrate the remaining plants to encourage regrowth.

5 - Clean and dry your plant material when you get home, if necessary. Just give them a quick rinse and gentle pat-dry with a clean kitchen towel before placing the plants into your preferred drying device. One simple solution is to cut the flaps off of wide, shallow cardboard shipping boxes and lay out the plant material in a flat layer so that most of it is touching the cardboard. (As opposed to leaving it in a big heap.) Label the sections or the side of the tray and leave your plants to dry.

6 - If you're not using an oven or a dehydrator, allow plant material to dry for at LEAST two or three weeks before breaking it up for storage in airtight jars or freezer bags. Make sure the plants are dry and brittle all the way through to avoid rot and mold in your storage containers and spoilage of the contents. Label and date the containers and store at room temperature out of direct sunlight. (If you discover mold or a bad smell in any of your containers, discard the contents and either throw away the container or sterilize it for reuse - this generally only works for glass jars.)

7 - Check back periodically! Give your wild plant patches time to regrow and you can then make additional small harvests on future visits. Also, look for different plants to emerge as the seasons change.

Familiarizing yourself with your local biome allows you to connect with the land where you live (and encourages you to care about it in the process). Also, it can garner you components for your workings for the cost of a few bags and an afternoon stroll.

But wait! What if your local wild weeds don't have magical correspondences? Not to worry - there's an exercise for that.

Good luck and Happy Witching! 🌿

[path-of-grass-and-leaves]

Working with Collective Spirits: Plants and Animals

UPG Warning: Content is based on personal experience.

Individual vs Collective

The difference between an individual spirit and a spirit collective is pretty simple. Working with an individual involves connecting with a being who has their own personality traits and motives. Some are well-known (like the Witch Father), some are spirits of the dead or specific ancestors, some are tied to certain individuals, families, and locations, and some are Nameless or long-forgotten.

A spirit collective is sort of like a current that runs through all living beings and objects. It can be as broad or as narrow as you wish. For example, you can work with the spirit of all trees or you can work with the spirit of Maples.

This is easy to conceptualize if you're an animist who believes that all life is connected and there is spirit in all things. Imagine the life force that runs through us all is a great river, and specific spiritual collectives are the tributaries.

To put it simply, if you are leaving offerings to the spirit of a dead rabbit that you found on the side of the road, you are engaging with an individual. If you are leaving an offering for all rabbits in your immediate area you are working with a collective.

Overlap

Sometimes a spirit can exist both as a collective and an individual. For example, the spirit of your house or local river may be made up of several different spirits and go by many names.

Additionally, if I'm working with the spirit of Apple Trees, one could assume that I'm working with millions of apple tree spirits formed into a single collective.

Connecting with Collective Spirits

If you're like me, you need to have an emotional and physical connection to certain spirits before you begin involving them in workings. This usually means that I'm working with plants and animals that exist in my own local biosphere.

Here are some ways to start getting to know plant and animal spirit collectives:

Meet them in their own environment: For example, if you want to work with the spirit of Oak Trees, start by spending time where they are known to grow. You can take a walk through a local forest or visit individual trees in a park or your own backyard.

Learn about them: Find reading material about the species you're interested in. Learn about their native habitat, behavior, diet, growth rate, myth and folklore, the time of year that they're present, etc. I find that engaging with a plant or animal on a scientific and material level helps you get to know them more personally and will therefore strengthen any spiritual relationships you wish to pursue.

Care for them: If you're looking to work with the spirit of Lilac, plant and care for a lilac shrub. If you want to work with the spirit of Hummingbirds, install a feeder. If you're interested in the spirit of cats or dogs, start fostering or volunteering for a rescue.

Observe them: If the collective that you want to work with is that of an animal, take some time to watch them from a safe distance in their natural environment. If you're working with a plant, feel free to get up close and personal as long as it's safe and you are not disturbing a protected species.

Veneration

I want to start by saying that veneration is not something that is required when working with spirits and in some cases can actually be a bit of a hindrance. However, it is beneficial if your goal is to emotionally connect with spirits, gain favor with them, and establish highly personal ongoing relationships. My workings boast a higher success rate and rich personal meaning when I am working with a spirit who I have developed a connection with through consistent offerings and acts of kindness.

Physical offerings

The most common form of veneration is a physical offering. They can be left at an altar or outdoors in the natural habitat of the collective spirit that you plan on working with.

Outdoor offerings should be left with great care for the local ecosystem. For plants I usually leave compost or fresh water. I will also drop specific food items in my compost bin as an offering to whatever plant spirit I'm working with that day.

For animals, things can be a bit more complicated. When offering food, it's crucial to be 100% certain that it is safe for wildlife to consume and that you aren't leaving so much so often that animals start to rely on you for food. I usually stick to birdseed, acorns, peanuts, fresh fruit and greens, unsalted sunflower seeds, and cat food for the strays. Keep in mind that food is left only in my own backyard (never, like, the woods) and never in high abundance. When in doubt, a bowl of fresh water is a more than sufficient offering.

Indoor offerings allow much more room for variety. Food items that cannot be left outside (like meat, cheese, confections, and alcohol) can be safely offered this way. You also won't be limited to compostable items and will be free to leave assorted trinkets, jewelry, or whatever you find appropriate.

Acts of Kindness

Personally I feel that acts of kindness are the best way to venerate plant and animal collectives. Not only are you building real-life relationships and connections, but you are making an active difference in the lives of actual living beings and this will always be well-received from a magical perspective. In my practice, how I interact with the physical world is in direct relation to that of the spirit world, so this is an important step for me.

Some acts of service can overlap with physical offerings such as leaving bowls of water for the wildlife on a hot day, filling a bird feeder, or watering a plant, but there are countless other options to choose from, including activism, rewilding, rescue, volunteering, and habitat restoration.

For example, if I want to work with the spirit of Monarch Butterflies, I may start a monarch waystation full of milkweed and nectar-producing native plants. If I'm venerating the spirit of Black-Eyed Susan, I could scatter some seeds on the roadside. If I'm working with the spirit of domestic dogs I might feel compelled to volunteer at a local shelter. Perhaps the spirit collective that I want to work with is fresh-water dwelling and I opt to help clean a local river.

In addition to physical offerings and acts of service, some ideas include constructing miniature altars and spirit houses, creating devotional art, and wearing devotional jewelry.

Working with Collective Spirits

There are many benefits to working with spirit collectives. They can be involved in spellwork, called directly during divination, and petitioned to help advance certain skills. This is where knowledge gained through study and observation are put to use. Plant and animal collectives come with their own folklore and symbolism, natural skill-sets, and physical and behavioral qualities which are useful in magical workings. Once you have a handful of spirit types that you're familiar with you can start putting everything into practice.

One way to begin choosing which collectives you incorporate into which workings is through divination. Break out your cards or bag of charms, call upon the spirit of your choosing, and ask them what their skills are. If you have researched the plant or animal in the past or already have a rough list of correspondences, you can compare the answers to your existing notes.

Petitioning spirits in magical workings is a great introduction to spirit work and can be easily executed by beginners. For simple workings, it's enough to just call upon the spirit, leave an offering, and ask for assistance. Here are a few simple ideas for getting started:

Divination: Call upon a specific plant or animal collective that corresponds with your question or possesses skills related to the subject at hand. Ask for them for their wisdom and guidance.

Spellwork: Before casting, call upon the collective spirit of your choosing and ask for them to assist you.

Glamours and Ambient Spells: Ask for the collective spirit to lend you some of their qualities, features, or skills, or ask them to bless a physical space or personal astral location with characteristics of their native environment.

Celebrations and Rituals: Invite the collective spirit of certain animals or plants to your ritual. For example, the spirit of Rabbits could be invited to join a Spring Equinox celebration.

Blessing or Enchanting Objects: Ask for the corresponding spirit collective to charm, enchant, or bless an object.

These are just basic concepts. Feel free to get creative and fine-tune some of these ideas to your personal practice. Working with collective animal and plant spirits is extremely rewarding and I've found that my magical skills have grown exponentially since doing so. My awareness of and connection to the natural world has also improved and I find that I notice and am able to identify significantly more plants and wildlife than I used to.

[tenofmuses]

Free Witchcraft Resources for Beginners

A couple months ago I made a post shouting out the fact that witchcraft doesn’t require any money to get started (or to be practiced, for that matter), and I had a few people ask me about what they can do that’s free, especially as a beginner, so I wrote up this post. I was lost and broke when I was getting started with my craft, and it was really difficult to find tips for beginners that weren’t just “buy these things!” I’m hoping this will be useful for people who are looking for a place to begin.

So. You’re interested in witchcraft and would like to find out more. Maybe you keep seeing those “crystals/herbs/books/etc. beginner witches should have” posts, and you’re frustrated, because you want to begin your practice, but don’t have the money for those supplies. I was once in that spot, and even now that I’m five years into my practice, I have rarely purchased any of the supplies witchtok deems to be fundamental. Here are some places you can begin instead. Let’s get started!

Info continues below.

Foundations

By foundations, I’m referring to things that aren’t explicitly witchcraft, but that I have found very beneficial within my own practice.

1. Before anything, I recommend asking yourself a simple question: why do I want to practice witchcraft, and what do I hope to get out of it? You may not know for sure yet, and your answer will likely change over time, but having some intentions going in can be helpful when you’re in the early stages of research. When I was starting out, I felt very overwhelmed by the amount of info out there, so if you have a bit of an idea of what you’re specifically interested in, that can be helpful to get you going.

2. Meditation: not all witches meditate, but a lot of the skills you develop through meditation can be helpful within witchcraft. You can try out secular meditation (apps like Balance and Headspace, as well as Insight Timer—the former has a mix of secular and spiritual meditations), or you can find a witchcraft-specific guided meditation on YouTube. For neurodivergent folks out there, I recommend looking into active meditation, which I’ve found to be quite beneficial for myself.

For me, it’s always important to remain grounded when I’m doing any spiritual practice, and meditation is a good skill you can work on to help with that. I also find that having a background in meditation can be really helpful later down the line when/if you are attempting visualization and/or astral projection, witch’s flight, and so forth.

3. Journaling: another thing that isn’t specifically witchcraft-related, but is an important skill to harness, on my opinion. To me, it’s crucial to be in touch with what I’m feeling (especially when it comes to doing spellwork), and journaling is one great way to do that. If you’re stuck and don’t know where to begin, look up witchcraft (or general) journal prompts on here or somewhere else. A lot of the ones that come up will be shadow work, which can be intense, so only do what feels comfortable for you.

I’d also like to note that automatic writing/drawing is an entirely free option if you’re interested in communing with spirits or deities. Essentially it involves getting into a trance-like state (usually in a dark room only lit by candlelight or similar—this is to avoid distractions) with a piece of paper and pen, and you write or draw everything that comes to your head without thinking about it. And then you go back and see what sort of messages you may be receiving. It’s a bit hard to explain and I’m not very experienced in it myself, but it’s something worth looking into if it sounds interesting to you!

4. Look at what you have, instead of what you don’t: a lot of beginner witch resources will list specific items that you should have, without really explaining why. And without that knowledge of how/why having an item is important, you might find your Must Have crystal sitting unused on a shelf somewhere. So instead of focusing on the items you want or feel like you should have, look at what you do have. Are there plants or herbs in your house/yard that you feel drawn to? Do you have a collection of cool rocks and stones? How do these items make you feel?

For me, a large part of my craft is my belief in Animism (the belief that all living things have innate spiritual qualities, like a soul, spirit, or specific energy) and this can play into the way you interact with the natural world if it’s a belief you also subscribe to. Try and feel the presence of a plant to see if it gives you any specific feeling. It does? Great! Now you have a correspondance for that plant. And it’s even better than the correspondances you’ll get in a book because it’s based on your own personal connection and intuition. That’s what is most important.

5. When in doubt, use your intuition. You might find a source that says cinnamon should be used for protection. Another will say it should be used for abundance spells. What matters the most is what you think about an herb/plant/stone/colour, or whatever else you may utilize. I recommend to start keeping a list of what you associate these things with. It can take awhile to build up a personalized list, but once you have one, it’ll be a lot more useful than what a correspondances book says to do.

6. Scour your pantry and get cooking: are you wanting to try out a spell but you haven’t bought the ingredients? Look in your pantry. You may be surprised by how many commonly used witchcraft herbs you find in there. And if you have been starting to associate certain herbs or spices with specific feelings or energies, that’s a great way to get started with creating your own spell.

You can do a spell in many ways, but when I was starting out, one of my favourite ways was to incorporate a certain herb or spice into food I made. Say you’re making a soup and maybe you want a bit of protection, so you add some ground pepper with the intention of that pepper protecting you as you stir it into the soup. Same goes for any other ingredient you’d like to use. A little intention goes a long way!

7. Dedicate your actions, time, or energy: if you’re interested at all in working with deities, ancestors, and other spirits but don’t have the time/space to build an altar—or maybe you aren’t sure how involved you want to be with this part of witchcraft—you can devote an action to the entity. This can be simple. For example, when I worked with Apollo, I would use taking my meds and vitamins as an act of devotion to him. This is an offering. And offerings can be anything you want them to be. They don’t have to be expensive or fancy!

It’s also important to note that you do not need to work with deities or spirits to be a witch. You don’t even have to believe in them. Many witches are atheists or don’t work with any deities at all. But for those who are interested, simple offerings can be a good place to start.

8. Practice energy work: in my view, energy work is the most important skill to learn for your craft, since so many things build off of it. And with energy work, you don’t need to spend any amount of money on it. All you need is yourself, your intuition, and anything else—I mean that quite literally, you can practice feeling the energy of other people, pets, trees, buildings, foods, socks, your favourite pen, and whatever else you think of!

Once you get to know the energy of the things around you, you can more effectively utilize them as tools within your practice (this builds off of the intuition point I made earlier).

For example, as a child I lived in a house that was surrounded by cedar trees. It was a place where I felt very safe. To this day, when I see or smell a cedar tree, I feel safe and protected. You can read this any way you’d like—to me it’s both a spiritual and psychological phenomenon—but this is one example of sensing energy.

As a witch, you can practice that skill and use it to get to know the tools you’d like to use within your own craft (the things that connect to you personally, not what you’re told you should connect with). This isn’t an easy skill by any means, so if it doesn’t come naturally to you, that’s perfectly okay!

For more on this subject, I recommend two books: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Kimmerer (more on animism in particular) and Psychic Witch by May Auryn (lots of exercises to practice working with and sensing energy).

Where to Go for Learning

After you’ve thought a bit about some of the above, or skipped it altogether if it doesn’t suit you, you’re probably wanting some good resources that will actually tell you how to do the witchcraft thing. But before that, I want to reiterate again that this is your practice, and you should only do what you are interested in. So take what you want and leave what you don’t.

I’m going to point you in three primary directions for learning good information: books, podcasts, and YouTube.

But first, I want to issue a massive disclaimer for the YouTube information (and some books, for that matter). You should not have one sole source for your information. Books that have bibliographies are always the most trustworthy sources. And even though I trust the information coming from the YouTubers I’ll mention—especially because I’ve read similar information in several witchcraft books—don’t take their word at face-value. Be critical of what you’re told. Believe what you believe. This is a skill you’ll learn over time. It can be a bit overwhelming at first, but it will get easier to discern what’s good info vs. bad info, over time.

Before you get started, I highly recommend watching this helpful video by HearthWitch with info on how to vet your witchcraft sources: link.

Books

In my view, books are the Best source of information, period. Anyone can publish an article or video online, but not everyone can publish a book. So there tends to be a bit more reliable info in witchcraft books.

As far as knowing what book you should begin with, there are lots of lists out there for beginners, and I recommend just looking at one of those lists and picking what sounds interesting to you. Take what you like and leave what you don’t.

Most of the YouTubers I’ve listed below have videos recommending books for beginners.

If you’re interested in British folk witchcraft, I started out with Folk Witchcraft by Roger J. Horne and it was a brilliant beginners guide that I recommend to anyone who is interested in that branch of witchcraft.

As always, while you read witchcraft books, be critical of the information you are presented with. Unfortunately, lots of witchcraft books (especially the classic ones) can be rooted in concepts like bioessentialism, colonialism, and racism. My recommendation is to not take any author’s word as gospel and to use your critical thinking skills when reading witchcraft books.

Where I live, books are EXPENSIVE. And when you’re just starting out in your practice, you might not have the money or ability to go out and buy a book just yet. Maybe you’re still unsure if witchcraft is right for you. Or maybe you’re in the “broom closet.” Whatever the reason, here are some free places to find books.

1. The public library: a bit obvious, but a great resource to look at, because you never know what your library might have. Libraries are the best. And entirely free!

2. Library apps like Libby or Overdrive: especially helpful if you don’t want to bring home a physical witchcraft book, or if your branch doesn’t have any copies of what you’re looking for. You can also get some audiobooks on there.

3. Archive.org: aka the web archive. Entirely free and entirely legal, this works as an online library service where you can check out a book for a bit of time right from your computer. Sometimes you can download PDFs as well. I’ve found a lot of my favourite witchcraft books on there, so if you have a specific title in mind, search it there.

YouTube

First, as a bit of a caveat before recommending you to watch YouTube videos on witchcraft: in my view, books are the best source of information for any witch, as they are able to contain a large degree of nuanced and research-informed information. But books aren’t a simple solution for everyone, and I’ve learned a lot from informed YouTubers over the years (in fact, like many witches, I was first exposed to witchcraft via Harmony Nice on YouTube!).

I’m including a list here of witch YouTubers that I personally recommend because I have found that their content aligns with information I have read in books and other research-informed sources over the years, and because I find them to be generally reliable.

I want to note here that this list is rather biased, as I tend to watch witchcraft YouTubers whose practices mirror my own in some ways. So most of these practitioners have practices informed by European folk witchcraft, and are not very diverse as a result. If any practitioners have further recommendations to add on, especially for practitioners of colour and practices that are different from mine, please do so!

My recommendations:

ChaoticWitchAunt: folk witchcraft, specifically in the Italian tradition, some great beginner content, info on working with saints and spirits.

TheWitchOfWonderlust: death magic, spellwork, great beginner content, lots of excellent info on working with spirits.

HearthWitch: truly a well of information on British witchcraft, beginner videos on any topic you can think of, q&a livestreams, and there’s even a video on vetting witchcraft sources that I really recommend for beginners.

The Redheaded Witch: folk witchcraft and folklore, spirit and ancestor work, daily witchcraft ideas, some beginner videos.

TheGreenWitch: such an excellent resource for herbal/green witchcraft, videos on spellwork, ingredients, tools, and more.

Mintfaery: lots of beginner information, videos on working with the fae, nature witchcraft, and lots of fun witchy days in the life.

Ella Harrison: German folk witchcraft, great beginner resources, including some more niche traditional craft topics like witch’s ladders.

The Norse Witch: info on Norse witchcraft and Heathenry, Norse paganism, and some content about astrology.

simplywitched: lots of great everyday witchcraft content, pagan witchcraft, more vlog style.

Warrior Witch Nike: witchy book reviews, paganism, deity work, some astrology content.

Mhara Starling: the place to go for anyone interested in Welsh witchcraft and folk magic related to Wales.

Alwyn Oak: lots of witch’s guides, especially relating to sabbats (those popularized in Wicca), forest witchcraft, gorgeous videos.

Ivy The Occultist: chaos magick and lots of interviews with practitioners from a variety of paths/backgrounds.

Shadow Harvest: personal day in the life witchy content, some videos looking at working with dark goddesses and deity work in general.

Note: some of these YouTubers have written their own witchcraft books geared towards beginners, so if you enjoy their videos and want to learn more, check those out.

Podcasts

The Astrology Podcast: not specifically witchcraft, but if you want to learn about astrology in detail, this is an excellent place to begin. Link goes to YouTube.

Books and Broomsticks: all kinds of good info, especially pertaining to folk magic, witch guests invited on to share more about their own practice. Link goes to Spotify.

Southern Bramble: A Podcast of Crooked Ways: a variety of witchcraft related topics, interviews, and discussions, often revolving around folk magic and traditional craft—interviews show different traditions. Link goes to Spotify.

New World Witchery - The Search for American Traditional Witchcraft: what it says on the tin; various topics and conversations through an American traditional/folk magic lens by the author of the (amazing) book with the same name. Link goes to Spotify.

Salty Witches Podcast by Cat & Cauldron: traditional witchcraft through a modern lens, another podcast that has a wide variety of topics covered. Link goes to Spotify.

—

As always, if anyone has any additional (free!) resources to add onto these ones, please do so.

Good luck to all of the beginner witches who are embarking on their spiritual journeys, and I hope some of these tips have been helpful! :)

-Em

[coven-of-genesis]

Ten lesser-known facts about witches & witchcraft

Witch Bottles: In the 16th and 17th centuries, people believed in the protective power of witch bottles, which were filled with items like nails, hair, and urine to ward off evil spirits and witches.

Flying Ointments: Historical accounts suggest that witches' "flying" was sometimes linked to hallucinogenic ointments, often made from toxic plants like belladonna or mandrake, which were applied to the skin.

Familiars: Witches were believed to have familiars, which were often animals like cats, toads, or birds that assisted them in their magical work. These were considered evil spirits in animal form.

Witch Hunts in the Americas: While the Salem witch trials are well-known, fewer people are aware that other parts of the Americas, such as Brazil and the Caribbean, also had their own witch hunts and trials.

Malleus Maleficarum: This 15th-century book, also known as "The Hammer of Witches," was a significant text that contributed to the witch hunts in Europe. It outlined ways to identify, prosecute, and punish witches.

Witch Marks: During witch trials, accused witches were often searched for "witch marks," unusual blemishes or growths on the body believed to be signs of a pact with the devil.

The Witch's Sabbath: A folklore belief held that witches gathered for secret nocturnal meetings, called sabbaths, where they worshipped the devil, performed rituals, and engaged in revelry.

Witchcraft in Ancient Times: Witchcraft isn't a solely medieval or early modern phenomenon. Evidence of magical practices and beliefs in witchcraft can be traced back to ancient civilizations, such as ancient Greece and Rome.

Witchcraft as a Capital Crime: In many parts of Europe, witchcraft was considered a capital crime, punishable by death. This led to the execution of thousands of people, primarily women, during the witch hunts.

Modern Witchcraft: Contemporary witchcraft, often referred to as Wicca, is a recognized religion that emerged in the mid-20th century. It emphasizes the worship of nature, the practice of magic, and the celebration of seasonal festivals.

[koscheys-skull]

Bullying, Mean, and Honest Truths About Spirituality

Under the cut is an honest and crude description based off of my own bias and opinion of new people joining Spiritual practises, the occult, or seeking magic and mysticism.

So you want to start practising the Occult.

You are drawn to the idea of Mysticism, Magic, the Occult, and “Witchcraft”. Let me say that again, but louder.

You.

Are Drawn.

To the IDEA Of Mysticism, Magic, the Occult and “Witchcraft.

A lot of people like the idea of pets.

Pets are fun! You get a cat or a dog and they hang around and you imagine yourself going for long walks or hikes with a canine companion, or sitting at home and enjoying the company of a furry feline. Maybe it isn’t a dog or a cat or a common household pet. Maybe you want a bird! They are fun, right?

You see people on the internet through videos on whatever platform you’re wasting your hours on. You fantasize about what you would do or have. You spend hours entertaining this fantasy while looking at everyone else’s lives and situations.

You are drawn to the idea of something.

And then you ignore the important detail that these things require work, time, and dedication.

The Occult is just like people and pets.

There’s more people that i know that should not have pets than people that I know are responsible pet owners.

This, for me, is the same with the occult. Only, if you choose to neglect the Occult practise you claim to be drawn to, there isn’t really a penalty like a vet bill or a dead creature that you were supposed to be responsible for, for your negligence.

“Oh, I’ll just pick a “class” like an RPG and I’ll roll with it.”

Will you though? Will you dedicate the time and energy to do research on the subject matter you claim to be interested in? And not only will you give it the time and energy to just begin with the research, but will you also put in the dedication to put it into practice?

Be realistic with yourself. What are you actually going to do? Are you capable of maintaining routines and managing yourself and keeping up with the demands of the occult? Or are you just whimsically interested in it because it sounds “cool” and you had some friends in school that played with some tarot cards so now you think you’re a witch.

Let’s pretend you do actually have the self control and discipline to dedicate yourself to a spiritual path and practise. Let’s pretend you have that kind of integrity (but let’s be honest, you and I both know that’s a load of wash.)

Most likely, you’re coming from an Abrahamic Background, aren’t you? In the least, you’ve spent a lot of your life surrounded by vaguely misshapen ideas of “some sort of binary system where there’s good and bad spirits” or something or another and demons might be a thing? You don’t really know. But you took a class once that talked about Greek and Roman gods or maybe the Norse and Celtic gods, so you know there’s Gods out there! So that’s a START! Let’s go!!!!!!!!

You can just pick a god and run with it, right? Like, who cares? Just pick what makes you go “Yeah that’s neat and cool. I’ll take this out for a spin.” and pretend that you’re somehow deeply connected to this being. You read something or another about this deity or this pantheon at some point or another (or something like that). Just google search and read the Wikipedia page and waste a few more hours on it till you’re a Reddixpert on it! You have everything you need and a few days later you throw down a candle and incense and you’re blown away by feeling a strong connection to this god! HOLY COW! It’s working?! Let’s face it, you’ve not been connected to anything at all in your self obsessed life for a long time. So you think it’s “Special” when you get an answer. It’s not.

Sorry, sugar. You’re not special. You’re not a little special little sugar plum fairy that is adored by the gods. Because, believe it or not, you have to build relationships. But not just that, you’ve just pulled a “White Person” move. Most likely, you didn’t consult with or have any discussions with practitioners of the ethnicity and belief system you are interested in. Nor did you research the culture and how the religious and spiritual beliefs of those people manifest. I would suggest you learned some or a little bit or even all of the language of the people that the religion belonged to, but let’s be honest again with one another, you don’t have that in you for sure. You chose to take a God from a Pantheon and chose to take it entirely out of context. Congratulations! You pulled a White Colonialism Move so good that you took it to a spiritual level!

What? You thought you could just pick whoever from wherever and just rip them out of their culture, place, language, and people and water it down till it suited you? What is this, Wicca?

It might be! If this sounds like your idea of fun, check out Wicca. They’re full of it. You have gods from across all seas (Except for some reason the Pacific? Not sure if it’s a weird Asian racism problem or if they’re just focusing on everything the British Empire stole from) being Shipped together like smutty fanfiction. It’s insane. Anubis and the Morrigan are having babies every year, I guess, and their child, who’s always a Son, is the next Cernunnos who is also Pan but also Hades and also is Thor every third life (or something, I don’t know I’m not Wiccan).

What, you didn’t think that you actually had to respect a culture and the people that a religion belongs to? What are you, a pilfering bandit? There’s a right way and a wrong way to do these things. But what’s important is that you have to be honest.

Yeah that’s a big word. “Honesty”.

How honest are you with yourself? How true are you to what you think you can achieve and accomplish? Are you really going to read all of those books and write notes and document things? Are you really going to make a whole entire lifestyle change that surrounds and accommodates the culture, belief systems, and structures of a culture’s religion and beliefs? Are you? Are you really? If you make the change, are you going to commit to the change? Or, in a few weeks or months are you going to revert right back to the way you’ve always lived your life?

Again. This is the difference between enjoying the idea of something versus actually doing the work. And that is what the occult is. It is work.

Work. Work. Work. Work. Work. It is putting you on the grindstone and making you both rethink, reshape, and re-evaluate your entire being. It is going to make you uncomfortable. It is going to challenge you. It is meant to help you grow and be better. And growth doesn’t happen when you’re being spoon fed off of a lace spoon. Your idea of what things are is going to be challenged.

That’s another word that has a tendency to throw people out of the Occult. Challenge.

If you’re new to the Occult, you’re going to have to learn a critical skill that, in my opinion, very few possess.

Everyone wants to be “right”. It sucks when you’re wrong. How well do you handle it when someone corrects you. Let’s be honest. It’s awkward. It’s embarrassing. Everyone wants to be right. YOUR PRIDE IS SENSITIVE DAMNIT!

You’re a sensitive snowflake and you need to be swaddled in soft cashmere and reassured that you’re perfect because of course you are, sugar-pie.

But we have to touch some grass and live in reality. Yeah, I know the occult feels like you’re indulging a fantasy, but it’s not. Spiritual practises and spiritual beliefs are real things that have real people of many different cultures and languages and walks of life. And these practises are not just little badges and stickers you can throw on a water bottle and make yourself feel like a “Validated Witchy Bitch, Baby! ‘Cause we’re Feminist and COOL.”

(And by the way, you are not “The Daughters of the Witches you Couldn’t Burn”. Get fucked, you uneducated slut.)

You are going to have to approach everything, and yes I mean everything, with the air of caution in your heart and mind that says “Maybe I do not know what I am talking about.”

This is almost impossible for some (haha just kidding it’s pretty much everyone. I’m guilty of failing at this sometimes myself), to approach everything that someone says with an air of “Maybe this person knows more than me.”

When you engage with other people and you give them the space to speak about a subject that they are educated in, always be open. You must be so open that you automatically assume that you know nothing about the subject that someone is going to educate you on. Assume you have no education at all. And then listen. Yeah, I said it. You have to listen.

Listening??? To someone else??? Telling you what’s what???? Are you kidding me? What is this, a Learning Experience?

Yes, Yes it is you poor summer child. It is a learning experience. And if you can’t be bothered to learn and to try and learn then you’re not going to make it.

And if you can’t be bothered to listen, to read, to do work, to give effort, and to re-evaluate yourself constantly, you are not going to make it.

So make the choice.

Commit. Or walk away.

No one is going to think poorly of you for admitting that you’re not cut out for this.

But everyone. Everyone you interact with that is a real practitioner with a real lifestyle that encompasses their spiritual practise (because, surprise! The spiritual and the Mundane are intertwined in a very close and intimate way for practitioners) will be able to sniff you out from a mile away and know that you’re not worth your own salt.

It’s okay to be “casual” in some circumstances. It’s okay to be “subtle” or to follow paths that are more accommodating to your needs. That’s fine. Don’t get me wrong. This is a high energy and very taxing experience. There are paths that are accommodating to your needs and your degree or spoons, your laziness, or your life conditions. (I’m inclusive, dammit. Some people are disabled. Some are just fucking lazy. Some are kids with a fantasy fetish. I don’t know. I don’t care. Figure out which you are and make choices like an adult).

But don’t go picking a path or integrate yourself to a spiritual lifestyle that has high demands or you cannot adhere to. Not only is it disrespectful to the culture, the people, and the beings involved. But it’s not good for yourself, either. You will not benefit from the experience. You won’t make it anywhere and you’ll be left constantly feeling like a failure because you cannot accommodate the demands of a lifestyle and belief system that has expectations that are outside of your parameters to accommodate.

But back to YOU! Because let’s be honest, this is mostly about YOU. Everything is mostly about you and yourself. That’s just how a massive amount of people think. Which isn’t wrong, don’t get me wrong. But you have to be Self Aware. (I know most of you are not self aware. Get over it). When you set yourself up with all these fantastical expectations and then nothing progressive and fantastic happens with your practise, it is mostly because you failed to follow through with your own work. Something happened along the way where you struggled for some reason or another and you didn’t have the discipline and the integrity to keep up with something. And that feeling sucks. You feel “Let Down” by the Occult. But you let yourself down. In some way shape or form, you let yourself down. Because everything is about you, this means you have to be responsible for YOU. Yeah. I said it. You have to be responsible for yourself. No one’s wiping your Spiritual Ass for you. You have to do your own work and wipe your own spiritual butthole, and that also means cleaning up your own spiritual messes and doing the spiritual work and dedicating the time and dedicating the energy and making the changes to your life you need to make and then committing to them. It’s all Change, baby! And if you can’t handle change, then you can’t handle commitment to the occult.

And that’s okay! If you can’t handle some things, then DON’T FUCKING DO THEM?????

Maybe step away from that. And yeah, it’s okay to “try” some things to a degree. But please. For the love of fuck, approach them with the respect, dignity, and understanding that they deserve. Always approach a practise (And 99% of all practises have roots in SOME sort of ethnic culture!) with the respect it deserves. Do your best to adhere to those cultures and their beliefs and be as strict as you can while accommodating those traditions. They’re called “Traditions” for a reason. Treat them like they are sacred because they are. I shouldn’t have to explain to people that “Traditions of Spiritual Cultures are Sacred”, yet this post is being made because, quite clearly, this is a common issue.

I’m not “Gatekeeping” anything by saying this. I’m telling you to explore as much as you can. But when you do so, don’t explore different spiritual practises and traditions like the tourists that make the locals want to commit a homicide. Which is how so many people getting into the occult treat Traditions they are exploring.

You want to be a good and a welcome guest. You can’t just trample whatever you feel like because you’re too self centred with your selfie stick in Greece to be aware that you’re disrupting people trying to live their daily lives. The locals should want you. Try to connect to the people and their language and culture. Don’t just stand in their ways and think their society should accommodate you because you’re visiting.

It is okay if something turns out that it isn’t for you. Be honest about it. Be respectful about it. Thank the people and the culture and those gods for their time for being Gracious Enough to Host you. And then move on. A little respect goes a long, long way.

The Occult and Spiritual practises opens the way for you to re-think everything that you believe and to apply new ideas, beliefs and principles to yourself to help you grow and explore yourself and your connection to people and places with deeper understanding.

Be honest.

Be open.

You have to grow. And if you are interested in the Occult, Spirituality and Mysticism, get ready because there’s going to be so many growing pains.

And if you can’t handle that,

Then why are you here?

[creature-wizard]

Caution & Critical Thinking In Divination

Some of you might have been led to think that divination in some form or another is a fully reliable method to work out any kind of information; at least, so long as you can find a decent practitioner. But if there's any practitioner out there who can really nail 'em 100% of the time, most of us have yet to find them. Sure, we can find some people out there who can offer us some genuine insights and advice, but I don't think any of us here have ever met anyone who can get everything right all of the time.

In fact, there are a lot of reasons to exercise caution in terms of how we perceive and practice divination. For one thing, certain cognitive biases can make us overestimate it accuracy, while there are serious ethical concerns to be considered.

First, let's talk about the cognitive biases.

There's the Forer Effect, where we mistake vague or general statements as incredibly personalized, and therefore, highly accurate. Anyone who has ever considered a tarot reader super accurate because the reader told them that they were experiencing some conflict and needed to let go of things that were no longer serving them has experienced the Forer Effect.

There's also confirmation bias, where we latch onto details that feel relevant to us and let ourselves forget about the rest. How many of you pick-a-pile tarot reading video watchers out there are really keeping score of how much fit your situation vs. how much didn't? If you're not, try and start paying more attention.

Scammers will absolutely take advantage of this bias. For example, many fake mediums will make statements like, "I'm sensing a name starting with M... Mary... Maggie... Mildred..." Most of us probably know at least one person whose name starts with M, and if the medium sticks to the more common ones, is probably going to give a name that belongs to someone you know. This technique is known as shotgunning.

Sometimes, a reader will actually, genuinely make a super accurate observation or prediction. But that doesn't necessarily mean that you should take everything they say really seriously. For example, if someone makes a lot of predictions, then one of them is bound to come true eventually. The psychological phenomenon of thin-slicing can also produce some incredibly accurate readings.

There's also self-fulfilling prophecy. Let's say you ask a reader to tell you how your next date will go. The reader says it's not going to go well because the person you're on a date with is just not going to be a great person. Because you go in expecting your date to be kind of an ass and thinking this is going to be a waste of your time, you act hostile and impatient. Your date sees you acting this way and responds in kind - seemingly fulfilling the reader's prediction.

Certain bad discernment practices can make us mistake information we want to be true for information that is true. For example, in New Age and New Age-influenced communities, you might hear that you can discern spiritual truth by asking yourself whether it makes you feel good or bad. A reader might announce that the light beings from space are going to reveal themselves to the world on some soonish date, and tell people to ask their higher selves if they doubt them. The people who would really like it if benevolent aliens came to Earth and haven't learned yet that people are always making predictions like these and that these predictions always fail will most probably feel this surge of excitement, seemingly confirming the truthfulness of this information.

None of this is to say that you should never practice divination or go to a tarot reader or anything, but you need to be aware of this stuff so you can more critically evaluate readings.

Now let's move onto ethical concerns. Because to be blunt, some methods of divination are deeply, deeply inappropriate.

In general, any reading for a person who isn't there and cannot give consent is just... no. Anyone who does this most probably believes that divination works to some meaningful degree, which means that they are choosing to violate this person's privacy. Sometimes it's just straight-up stalking behavior, like trying to divine what your ex is thinking about and when you're going to get back together. Instead of being a creep, just do a cord-cutting spell and get on with your life.

If you need to find out what's going on with someone who is your partner? You need to work on your communication skills and talk to them, not run around them by going to a tarot reader who may or may not even give you accurate information.

Also, reading for celebrities is just... not great. News media treating celebrities' personal lives like more consumable products makes it easy to forget that celebrities are literally just people and also have a right to privacy. Trying to use your preferred method of divination to invade their privacy and dig into their love lives or whatever is just really not okay. You might not think it's a big deal, but it still feeds into our overall culture of commodifying celebrities' lives. If you're just bored and need something to do, you can use your divination tools as imagine prompts for fictional characters. If you're the kind of person who hyperfixates on real people, consider studying the life of a dead historical person.

Now we have to talk about a huge problem in the way a lot of people treat astrology. A lot of people use it like you can just tell anything and everything about a person's behavior and demeanor, even to the point of determining which people are good and which are evil. In reality, research has shown that you cannot tell anything about a person from their birth chart. (And there's no such thing as an ontologically good or bad person.)

Finally, because divination isn't really known for having a great record when it comes to gaining objective information, you should not use it to:

Diagnose or treat medical conditions.

Try to figure out what's "really" going on out in the world. The news may be unreliable, but this is a surefire way to speedrun total divorcement from reality. (Like the people who think Donald Trump is doing all kinds of heroics "behind the scenes" because the tarot cards seemingly told them so.)

Making firm predictions about the future.

For those of you wondering what does constitute an ethical, appropriate use of divination, here are some examples:

Using it as a means of self-reflection.

Using it to find alternative ideas and perspectives.

Deciding what you, personally will do in response to a situation.

Helping a client decide what they, personally will do in response to a situation.

And this, I think, sums about everything up. Divination can be enriching, fun, and useful, but it's important to exercise care and caution. We have to use critical thinking and also be mindful that we aren't turning into creeps or enabling creeps with it.

Happy witchin'!

[aesethewitch]

Folks talk a lot about beginner-friendly magic and where to start, and we recommend things like protection and cleansing first. And for good reason, usually -- the skills learned by doing those types of spells are both important and transferable to other spell types.

But I'd posit that my number one beginner spell recommendation is luck. I'm biased, of course, since most of my spellwork is based in luck: changing my odds, improving chances of positive outcomes on a small daily level, making myself uncommonly lucky, and so forth.

If you're tired of practicing the same-old stuff and want to branch out, but you don't have anything to "cast for," a generic "make me lucky" type spell is a fun and useful thing. Cast for luck in a specific area of your life or go for very broad good luck attraction. See what happens.

[bunny-claws]

types of spells and ideas for methods of casting [long post]

attracting

fill a small jar with honey and add a written statement of intent to the jar - seal and set the jar in direct sunlight to manifest your intent

stir your morning coffee or tea in a clockwise motion while focusing on the intent of what energies you wish to attract for the day

fill a jar with herbs and crystals that represent what you want to attract and add a statement of intent

charge a crystal and wear on your person to attract certain energies

create a sigil and either draw it on yourself or on paper and keep in your pocket

create a talisman, charge it, and wear it to attract various energies

banishing

take an item that represents what you wish to banish and: throw it in the trash, flush it down the toilet, burn it, bury it, drown it

burn the item and sweep the ashes out the back door or bury them

carve the name of what you want to banish into a black candle and let it burn down completely - bonus points if the candle is anointed with herbs or a binding oil

transmute negative energy into a stone (preferably a black stone like onyx) and throw it over the fence in your backyard (or whichever direction is south in reference to your home)

stir your morning coffee or tea in a counter-clockwise motion while focusing on the intent of what energies you wish to banish for the day

using incense that is associated with banishing negative energy, walk around your space in a counter-clockwise motion with the lit incense in your hand

binding and sealing

wrap a string around a poppet or other representation of the target or item you wish to bind

put the poppet or other representation in a plastic bag filled with water and freeze it

place the item in a black box and seal it - store in a dark place or bury the box in your backyard

write the item you want to bind on paper and seal with wax - keep safe until the bond is broken

perform a tie-breaking spell

blessing and consecrating

anoint an object with holy or blessed water/oil

use spring water to bless objects

place the object in a dry bath of herbs or flowers that are known for blessing

pass the object through incense smoke that is associated with blessing

use a censer to consecrate a place or a room

cleansing

leave the item in the path of direct moon, sun, or starlight

place in a dry bath or herbs or flowers that are associated with cleansing

place the item in a bowl of sea salt

pass the item through incense smoke that is associated with cleansing

pass the item through running water

anoint the item with a cleansing oil or charged water

bury the item in soil for 3 days so it may be “reborn” when unearthed

place a cleansing crystal on top of or next to the item

hang a wind chime outside of your home to negate negative energies before they have the chance to enter your home

physically clean and freshen your space - dust, mop, open the windows and let some fresh air inside (you can view this as an "out with the old and in with the new" situation)

cursing

fill a poppet with baneful herbs and crystals, seal it, and store in a black box

add baneful herbs and crystals to a jar with a piece of paper that states the target’s name or a description of them and seal it

create a poppet or other representation of the target and destroy it (commonly by burning)

utilize martian or saturnian energy for baneful magic

stab the poppet with pins and needles

curse an item and "gift" it to the target

dreams and sleep

fill a sachet with herbs associated with restful sleep and peaceful dreams and hang above your bed

place the sachet under your pillow

wash your bedsheets and sleep clothes with a few drops of lavender or chamomile essential oil

alternately, choose fabric softener that is lavender scented to wash your sheets or sleep clothes with

create a sigil for peaceful dreams or dream recall, charge under the light of the moon, and place it under your pillow before you go to sleep

utilize lunar or neptunian energy in dreamwork

mugwort, peppermint, or valerian root tea before bed for vivid, lucid dreams

chamomile tea before bed for restful sleep

lemon verbena (vervain) tea before bed for dreamless sleep

when bathing at night, create a sachet that matches your intent and place in the bath or shower

glamours

utilize energy from venus and pluto for beauty and transformation but also neptune for illusions, mysticism, and confusion

anoint the containers of beauty and hair products with venus (beauty) or pluto (transformation/metamorphosis) water/oils/herbs

leave the item you wish to cast a glamour on under the full moon

charge a talisman with the effect you wish to have on others and wear when you go out for the day

add pluto water/oils/herbs and moon water to a bath for a full body glamour (write your intent with bath crayons on the tub or shower wall for an extra boost)

create an energetic shield over yourself in which the outside mirrors what you want others to perceive of you

goal and wish manifestation

write your intent on a bay leaf and burn it

turn your intent into a sigil and store it in a jar filled with herbs or other items that represent said intent

place a written description of your goal or wish in the center of a crystal grid using stones that are associated with manifestation and power

place a coin in moon water while focusing on your wish or goal (leave container under direct moonlight overnight so that it may charge)

light a candle whose color matches your intent and while focusing on your goal or wish, blow out the candle

add a catalyst to your spell

use energy from mars (power) or jupiter (luck)

personal power and effects

create or enchant a talisman that represents your intent, charge it, and wear it on your person

add herbs that are associated with personal power to a ritual bath

create a potion from herbs associated with power and drink in the morning for a boost during the day (think caffeine)

use a catalyst in the aforementioned activities

utilize whichever planetary/cosmic energy you see fit

warding

sprinkle a mixture of protective herbs around the perimeter of your home while walking clockwise

leave protective crystals at each corner of your space

hang a protective amulet above the door to your space; wear a protective amulet for personal protection

create a protective witch bottle and bury near your front door

plant herbs or flowers that are associated with protection outside at each corner of your home

draw a protective sigil or symbol on the outside of your front and back door with saturn or protective water/oils

hang witch balls or a witch’s ladder near your front door

create an energetic shield and place over yourself, your loved ones, or your entire home

wealth, prosperity, and luck

craft a money bowl and place it at the farthest left point away from the entrance of your home

involve mercury or jupiter in your spellwork (luck, money)

anoint candles with mercurial or jovian oils and/or herbs and burn on wednesdays or thursdays (ruled by mercury and jupiter)

use prosperity/luck runes or craft sigils to carve into candles

on the first of the month, you can do the following: say "rabbit rabbit" for good luck all month and let that be the first thing you say when you wake up; blow powdered cinnamon into your front door from the outside or place a cinnamon stick above your front door for prosperity

craft a crystal grid using prosperity/lucky crystals - where you place it is up to you

please be wary:- of putting essential oils directly on the skin or on items that your skin may come in contact with- of leaving crystals in prolonged sunlight (might fade) or exposed to liquid (might dissolve, might become toxic when dissolved)- of blowing cinnamon into a home or using incense that has pets, or humans with respiratory issues- ingesting/burning/touching herbs/plants/etc. that you are not familiar with (could be toxic, could affect the efficacy of your prescribed medications, could be harmful for pets or other members of your household)

compiled from my personal grimoire & based on my personal associations & research

© 2025 bunny-claws

[galacticnikki]

100 Witchcraft Tips in 100 Days!

100 Witchcraft Tips Master Post

Week 1 - Herbal Magic

Day 1 - Choosing the right herbs for your magical practice

Day 2 - Integrating Herbs into Your Daily Routine

Day 3 - How to Turn Herbs into Loose Incense

Day 4 - How to Create a Herbal Grimoire

Day 5 - Fresh vs. Dry Herbs

Week 2 - Crystal Magic

Day 6 - How to choose the Right Crystals for Daily Use

Day 7 - How to Care For Your Crystals

Day 8 - 5 Basic Crystals & How to Use Them

Day 9 - Crystal Journaling

Day 10 - Pairing Crystals With Candle Magic

Week 3 - Candle Magic

Day 11 - Dressing Your Candle

Day 12 - Elemental Divination With Candles

Day 13 - Making Your Own Candles On a Budget

If you want to join a group of witches feel free to join our 18+ coven on Discord.

[witch--tips]

💎 WITCH TIP 💎

This is a post about the common “clear quartz can replace any crystal”

(this is more of a beginner post to clarify that tip from my perspective as a witch of many years. beginners can hear a lot of tips over and over again without much explanation for the little things that might make them finally work better. there is no RIGHT way to do witchcraft, so don’t take this as a rule everyone must follow, but this is my opinion and preferred way of doing things, and i think itll help out a lot of witches! <3)

Sure, clear quartz might be able to replace any crystal, BUT that doesn’t always mean you should just treat it the exact same way you would, say, a rose quartz, without any difference at all. No, at least imo, you should sort of program it beforehand. Clear quartz is uniquely open to taking in a lot of energies of all sorts, and so in order to prepare it to replace like a rose quartz (gonna continue with that for the example), you should GIVE it that sort of energy to take in before using it like one!

You can do that pretty easily, it doesn’t have to be some big long process. The simplest way is like energy work and visualization, such as holding it clasped in your hand, feeling the loving energy like a rose quartz would have, feel it pour down your arm, into your fist, then pour it into the quartz and let it take it all in. Or if youre bad with that sort of work, you can hold it and say an incantation (doesn’t need to rhyme or anything! it can be super simple and straightforward), like just TELL it that it’s full of love and has that sort of power. Speaking to it is especially effective if you let your breath from saying those words wash over the crystal imo.

Once it’s programmed, go ahead and treat it just like you would a rose quartz or any other lovey crystal, until you feel that the energy you put into it has faded out or you wanna cleanse it and give it another purpose. Feel free to program it as many times as you want with any sort of energy/intent you want. Just keep in mind that, if you want to program a single piece of quartz with multiple intents at once (like maybe love + peace + creativity), it might not be as strong as if you just gave it one or two at a time. That’s why I’d cleanse before giving it a different kind of energy, so it just has one or two to focus on.

Without that sort of programming beforehand, I feel the clear quartz is just an amplifier. If you stick it in a money spell without programming it, it’ll probably be surrounded by things like coins, cinnamon, bay leaves, pyrite, green aventurine, etc, right? If you didn’t tell the quartz at all to bring you money, it’s still around a bunch of money energies anyway, and since it takes in energies so easily, it might take them in by proximity and therefore enhance them. That’s a perfectly fine way to use clear quartz, but it may not be exactly how you want it to work in some spells, especially not in smaller spells where you’re using it on its own or just with one or two other ingredients. Just something to keep in mind.

I know that a lot of beginner witches hear that clear quartz, white candles, rosemary, etc etc can be used as replacements for everything, and that’s cool if you wanna use them like that, but I highly suggest doing something quick like this before you do. I don’t work as often with herbs, so I’m not really familiar with rosemary in spells, but for candles, another good way to program those is to etch a sigil or words onto it really quick :) though i feel like white candles don’t need as much programming as quartz might, since the flame is often the main focus. But I still program them anyway lol, it’s a big boost that takes like two seconds!

Hope this helps! Really, do whatever feels right to you, everyone experiences and interprets magic a little bit differently, so for us witches who manipulate it, it’s important to listen to your own findings and feelings. This is what I’ve picked up in my practice, and I hope it gives you beginners some good ideas and direction in your practice! Feel free to ask me any questions you might have in my ask box or the replies or anything. Welcome to witchcraft!

[breelandwalker]

You’ve probably maybe gotten asks like this before, but I really need some advice; see, it’s been ages since I’ve really touched my practice. So I’ve been stuck as a “beginner witch” for years. Mainly because I don’t know what my practice should look like. What I want to research. On top of that, Leviathan entered my space a couple of years back, and sources on him are very sparse, from what I can tell.

Essentially, I’m just really stuck. I don’t know what I want to do. I want to have a practice. I want to engage with Leviathan and my ancestry and… what else? I don’t know what else. All the potential options tend to overwhelm me more than they help. I think it may be some kind of executive dysfunction thing, so I was wondering if you had any advice?

Definitely understand if not though, and I hope you have a lovely day. <3

"Executive Dysfunction," you say. Consider my ears swiveled.

I have the SAME PROBLEM. The Decision Paralysis is so real when it comes to figuring out what you want to do with witchcraft, whether it's learning something new or picking a deity to venerate or decided how to put together the latest spell you want to cast. I can't offer much advice on the deity/spirit side of things, but I think I might be able to suggest something for the "stuck" feeling.

I have a little masterpost of Witchcraft Exercises with crafts and journaling prompts and thought experiments to help witches build their craft and hone their skills. In particular, I think you might benefit from the one called Quantifying Your Craft. It's a writing exercise where you sit down and just...record what your craft looks like. It doesn't have to be formal or fit for public consumption, it's just an outline of how you got started, what you believe, what you think, what you know, and what you're curious about.

It's a good way of parsing all those disparate thoughts into some sort of order, as well as creating a sort of mile marker or save point for later on. You can use it to chart your progress, revisit old questions, and maybe discover some new directions for your learning.

This is something that's really helped me in the past when I felt stuck or couldn't decide what to do. I'd go back to my last save point, as it were, and look at the plans and questions I'd recorded at the time. It also helped to revisit the things that inspired me early on, particularly certain books and movies. If anything put me in the mood to Do A Magical Thing, I tried to find time to indulge that whim. (That motivation can be so fleeting and it's so satisfying when you can catch it at just the right to make something happen.)

Beyond that, I recommend jotting down ideas that you have when you have them. That way, when you feel stuck later, you have a little cache of ideas to fall back on and maybe one will jump out at you.

Hope this helps!

[blackberry-green-tea]

three little charms dedicated to brigid🐑🐑 all three are from @cascadesterling on etsy. i can’t say enough about this store—everything is perfect! there is something for everyone. brigid’s cross is used for the rosary i made in her honor (i’ll make a separate post with details), i’m wearing the triquetra as a token of her blessing, and the lamb is just so adorable:))