Hello Newbies!

So you want to be a Witch. Well, that's just fine...But are you sure?

Because this isn't going to be easy. It's going to take a lot of study and practice. It's going to be a lot of trial and error and things are going to go slowly at the beginning, because you're going to have to establish a personal rapport with the Natural world. It takes time and effort. Things that work for others may not work for you, and I will guarantee that they will not work for you in the same way as they work for others...because we all have different energy. We all vibrate on an individually unique level. Establishing that relationship with the forces of Nature is crucial to your success in using magick. This isn't Charmed or Practical Magic where you throw a fireball at an opponent to disable them. It doesn't work that way; being a Witch doesn't employ Hollywood special effects.

One does not simply sit down one day and decide to be a Witch. Calling yourself a Witch, plopping a pointy hat on your head, donning a flowing cape and carrying a broom doesn't make you a Witch
(although those things are all fun outward signs of such). Reading one-or fifty- books on Witchcraft doesn't make you a Witch. Knowledge and use of those things unseen is what makes you a Witch.
That's why Witchcraft is called the Craft of the Wise. .You must acquire knowledge and skill, which only comes with practice and putting what you have learned to use in everyday life. There are no shortcuts; I've been a practitioner for nearly 45 years now, and I'm still learning because Witchcraft is an art and process. I didn't learn everything I know straight away, and in fact when I began I didn't even have a name for what I was doing. I certainly never dreamed that it was Witchcraft. And because I had no mentor back in those years, I never dreamed that the little things I was doing were actually spell casting or ritual. I did things intuitively, in a place that felt safe, secluded away from others, where I felt close to Nature, and where Nature returned my efforts with the gift of powers to perfect and use. I always felt different from others in that way: not special, just different. And my inherent feeling turned out to be true: I had the ability to use the energy and forces of Nature in ways that were beyond the mundane. Nothing spectacular and flashy, mind you...but they were there. My ability grew as I studied on my own and finally with a group of like minded individuals who had their own unique set of abilities.

Finding the power in the forces of the natural world requires concentration and attunement in order to become sensitive to the vibrations around you. Some of us are better than others at this, but I believe that all humans are born with their own level of sensitivity, and that the majority of us loose this as we age due to the outside influences of society and culture. It's much like childhood imagination which simply goes away in some individuals...and thrives in others.

Back to those books...A book, any book, is not ever the 'end-all' because books should be used for a reference. I have a few books I favor because I like the author's style of writing and the way they disseminate information, but none of those books or authors are the final word or authority on any one given subject on magick or Witchcraft. And while those authors can be considered as teachers when no other is available even one-on-one teachers are merely guides. The power begins with you and comes from inside; books and teachers are vessels that help release the power within. Books are the spark of imagination that make you think; but the power has been yours all along. That's why you should never become so attached to a book ( or author) in a way that limits your practice. Like using a map or GPS when driving, you use other things when making the journey: your eyes and intuition and what is around you. Maps are used for reference. Sometimes the GPS takes you off course. It's the same with books.

While I have a deep and abiding regard for tradition, I am not a student of the "stand here and do this" school of magick. You can do things your own way (within reason), and to be honest, none of the really good authors or actual teachers I have studied with have demanded rigid compliance to instruction. Nearly all of them allow 'wiggle room' for individuality, and in fact most encourage it. Doing things rigidly 'by the book is', in my humble opinion, only a poor imitation of what someone else has done. I believe that not only does the power lie within you, I believe that the energy comes from the essence of what you are doing. I am a firm believer in putting yourself into your work and personalizing it-re-write a spell  to suit your intention, make substitutions, use tools you are comfortable with, dress comfortably. The knowledge of correspondences and herbs, etc., are all still necessary, but so is learning to use them in new and unique ways. The magick doesn't come from these things. The magick is you. ( There are many schools of thought on the subject of magick and this is only mine. You may like someone else's, or develop your own.) My own thoughts on the subject are if the information you are using has no real resonance with you, then it's essentially useless. Others believe differently. I think it goes back to that respect for tradition I spoke about earlier. For me, Witchcraft, like everything in our world, has evolved and changed over the years. What was useful back in an age when occult knowledge was hidden from the general population was like that for a reason which may still hold value, but our world is not the same, and we develop new understanding all the time.

In the beginning, Witches and cunning folk used what was available to them. They wrote their own words and conjured spells in a way that was personal and meaningful to themselves. The energies available to them came from the vibration and essence of those things. That's why their magick worked. That's how they used the Universal forces of Nature to their benefit. That's what made them who they were. And so can you!

Before I end this little pep talk, I do want to say something about negative elements. You may have heard about the Law of Return, that "whatever you put out come back to you three times". Phyllis Currot, a respected Wiccan High Priestess and author, charmingly calls it the "Boomerang Whammy Rule". It has to do more with the Hindu belief in karma than anything to do with magick. Nature is neither good nor evil. Dark and light need one another (Stars still shine in the daylight but are only seen at night). Universal energy is neither positive or negative but is receptive to the manner in which it is used. Why? Because through magick we experience immanent divinity. We literally touch God/dess and become one with the Divine and that gives us an experience of the interconnections of, well, everything. Even that nasty jackass down the street you'd like to turn into a toad. It changes your perspective. I'm not saying that witches never hex and curses are never laid-but they have their place and are used with caution because usually there is another way of handling the situation resulting in a beneficial outcome for all. No, it's not all sweetness and light, but it's too easy to get caught up by negative emotions which eat at you and will surely influence your practice in ways you'd probably regret. We don't not use negative energy because we're afraid of the repercussions, we learn ways of turning it around by finding something more effective that makes our work in tune with the holiness of the Sacred Divine. That's a lot for a beginner to think about, but everyone of us needs to do this at some point for our abilities to develop usefully.

And so...It's not about calling yourself a Witch...It's about what you want to do with the inherent birthright that is the use of personal power and the elevation of your unique vibration. Do you want to go about like the characterization of a fictional Witch, or do you want to genuinely practice the Craft of the Wise? The next move is yours... 















https://exemplore.com/wicca-witchcraft/5-Common-Mistakes-Made-by-Beginning-Witches

Back To Basics

I have been practicing Earth-Centered spirituality since the late 70's-which means I've been around the block a few times. Not that I consider myself special or a fount of occult knowledge on the subject. My personal version of spirituality developed slowly and came from a diverse arena.
I am comfortable with my place in the Craft, and I am confident in my abilities because I know what works for me.

I'm spending the Spring and Summer reacquainting myself with the intrinsic simplicity I felt when I first came to the Craft. To be quite honest, there was a freedom and elegance to not exactly knowing what I was doing back then, and in finding my way. Working by instinct-and seeing the results-was exhilarating. Who knew the conventional wisdom behind the old saw of "Magic is everywhere" being literally true? I certainly didn't, because like most folks, I approach everything with a healthy portion of skepticism. I have to learn things from doing it myself. The first Truth I learned about being a witch is that the Craft is experiential. If I read about a method of achieving a goal with a particular spell, to me it's basically hearsay until I prove to myself that it will work. My personal experience with things  fuels my individual practice and spirituality.

During the next few months  I am able to hike and explore my surroundings in these mountains, I'll be more alert to view things through 'magickal eyes'. I will be receptive to Nature's cues like I was before I claimed any particular path.

Yesterday I watched a thunderstorm form and cross the mountains from my living room. ( I have a fabulous, unrestricted view of the mountains and surrounding valley, and the windows in the living room take up most of the wall, so when they are fully open, it's pretty much like being outside.) With the relative safety of enclosure- and because I have the greatest respect of lightening, having once seen it fry a beloved red maple into dry,cured fireplace wood in a matter of seconds-I could see and feel the energy of the storm without fear of endangerment.

My perspective placed me in a perfect place to open to the energy of the gathering storm. As the sky darkened to a yellowish grey, the atmosphere became dense. The changing barometric pressure was intense and dramatic as clouds condensed; the air cooled as moisture was wicked out of the ground. With the altitude at nearly 2,400 feet where I live, these changes are not only instantaneous, they are visceral. Watching two buzzards lazily gliding just ahead of the storm, I was visually able to trace the thermals they rode. The visualization was broken by the first roll of thunder, the shock wave so deep it seemed to shake the mountains with it's tympani. A bolt of lightening split the sky, back lighting clouds in pale, metallic pink and lavender.The electric charge of the lightening was palpable because it was close, I heard the shriek and sizzle of the next two or three as they bounced off the microwave towers on the other side of the mountain directly in front of me. (Truly, Nature has the very best light shows!) A gust of wind flipped the leaves over so their bottoms were facing the sky, and pushed a curtain of rain between me and the mountains. Micro bursts caused the curtain to ripple silver in some spots and sent huge drops of rain thrown the window screen: I allowed my face and hands to get reasonably wet this way. The air had a moist and earthy scent; the leaves and grass were shades of bright green. As quickly as it came on, the storm dissipated.

When I felt it was safe to go outside, I walked down to the creek/canal that runs through town. The water was high and churning; it was murky. The ducks were stirred and quacked excitedly-fingerling fish had been washed into the canal from further up the creek, darting out of 'harms way' from the hungry ducks. The creek carried the scent of the honeysuckle and laurels growing along it's banks. By then it was well after twilight, but the sky still reflected an eerie afterglow.

Back in my apartment, I set up my altar and cut several lengths of twine. Psychically, I put myself back into the storm, and with each crash of thunder and flash of lightening, I tied a knot in the twine, capturing the energy and power of the moment.When I finishing rerunning the course of the storm in my mind, I had several lengths of twine with knots tied in them that I will use by untying them during future spell casting when I need a burst of energy to help send the vibration and intention along.

This is the magick of the natural world, the simple form of the Craft that Scott Cunningham wrote about. Earth Power was the first real book of magick/witchcraft that I read as a 17 year old seeker desperately searching for the force I was driven to form a connection with for the rest of my life.

As a young solitary ( I didn't call myself solitary then; I had no notion such a thing existed) books were my first tools. Books opened the gateway, gave me clarity and helped me to form my understanding of Earth-centered spirituality. And even today, that is still what believe about them. Books provide the cues and information while participating in the process provides the necessary internalization of experience that gives life to the Craft and lights the Spirit within. It is also why I believe there are so few advanced practice books available concerning the Craft. The knowledge contained in the Craft is primarily experiential.

Having said that, let me go back and further define what I just said. Proficiency in the Art of the Craft comes from the study (and participation in) many areas which will later apply to our individual advancement: astrology,astronomy,ancient cultures and civilizations, history, mythology, folk lore, herbalism,botany and alternative medicine molarities, physics, geometry, psychology, comparative religion, art, music and dance...the list goes on. Witches must be perpetual students because knowledge of the world is unending and new discoveries are made everyday. We never know it all. (Those who do make claims of this are flat-out fools and we need to run far away in the opposite direction from them!) With so many choices of subjects, I find myself scoffing when I hear someone bemoaning the lack of 'advanced' books on the Craft. Thinking outside the box ( or is that 'the broom'?) reveals an infinite resource from which to draw when a witch feels the restless urge to seek knowledge.

Season of the Witch Interview Tips

It stands to reason that with it's association to Halloween, the public interest with The Craft increases exponentially. Paganism, and The Craft in particular, is a hot button topic in the market share of radio, TV and print media during the month of October even though the public knowledge has grown ten fold. Ours is  basically still a Mystery Religion, and an aire of the sensational, the forbidden, the  taboo continues to surround it because it's viewed as something exotic by  the general public. It's quite common for the media to search out witches and Pagans for interviews during this month. Many collage radio stations carry interviews with a witchcraft theme this time of year, and I think that if you have the opportunity to participate at that level, then you should seriously consider it because it's a good way to refute ugly rumors and untruths within the community. I've done this a few times myself, so I'm sharing some ideas.

If the media contacts you for an article in a print publication or the Internet, ask for a copy of the questions you will be answering before hand. You can then thoughtfully answer the questions in a casual but timely manner. Stipulate that your answers may only be edited for clarity and not to change the content. Without sounding like a Deva or being demanding, you can and should request that a codicil or rider be included in print ( email is fine) stipulating reasonable conditions pertaining to the questions you are expected to answer. This keeps every one honest and focused. It also keeps a journalist from rewriting or editing your answers to slant in a direction they choose rather than how you meant them to sound.

Be prepared. Write out some questions and answers you think the journalist will be asking or the public would be interested in reading. It will give you practice and make the interview flow. You will be less likely to be blind-sided or surprised and left to draw a blank if you run the interview in your head a few times before it takes place. Do this even if you agree to a radio or telephone interview. Staying generic is a good practice. however, if you do get into specifics of your personal spiritual practice, then use a disclaimer like, " There are hundreds of variations to the Craft, this is my personal understanding." Actually, it's a good idea to use a well placed phase like this periodically through the process of the interview. It's not meant to water anything down, but rather places things into perspective. You are talking about your personal spiritual practice or your individual tradition and not representing every other Pagan or witch in the community, even though it's likely that is the goal of the interviewer. You can quietly change that perception by making it clear from the onset that you are just one individual among thousands and do not speak for the entire community...because you don't. Make no mistake about it, if you come off sounding like your path is the only path, there will be any number of your brethren waiting to righteously take you to task after the fact, and I may be among them.

Write out a brief statement of your personal beliefs before hand, and take them to the interview with you. It will help to have talking points handy and will jog your memory. It will also keep you to the point and concise. You don't have to give an elaborate explanation of your faith tradition. In fact it's better to just give the highlights because those reading or listening will be more likely to remember what you said accurately. Lengthy answers will only serve to confuse most people. Be short and to the point and you will be less likely to be misunderstood.

Know your audience by knowing the demographic. Don't use arcane or anarchistic language; more than likely most of your audience will not understand what you're talking about. Explain any unfamiliar 'witchy' terms: chances are everyone will be able to imagine what a ritual knife looks like but will be at a loss as to picturing an athame. Take a minute to explain in concrete terms what a grimorie or Book of Shadows really are and you will leave little to an imagination made fertile by Hollywood stereotypes.  Don't leave anything open to interpretation other than what you intend your words to mean. Some interviewers will repeat what you've just said for emphasis and clarity for the audience: if they restate what you said, and it doesn't sound right or ring true, be firm in repeating yourself if necessary, without being confrontational. It is perfectly correct for you to do this. And be particularly aware that the interviewer may incorrectly and quite innocently make a statement linking Satanism and The Craft. This is more likely than not being  made with no malice aforethought; it doesn't mean they are making an accusation or trying to sensationalize the interview by calling you a Devil worshiper- they just may not know the any better. You now have the opportunity to change a pre-conceived notion by calmly stating something like, " You Dan, I'm a Wiccan, and we don't believe in the existence of Satan. The Devil is found in religions stemming from the Abrahamic traditions, but not ours."

Use humor, but don't try to be too clever. Being too cute often turns on you because you sometimes end up sounding like a cloying smart-ass or an overly intellectual know-it-all. Trying too hard often fails. Just be yourself. You don't have to recite your entire curricula vitae for the masses. Stating you are a practicing witch or Pagan, or engaged in an earth-centered religion is often enough to set the course of the interview.  On the other hand, being too serious makes you sound pretentious and dower. Oft times it makes one sound so self-involved that you will not come off as genuine and authentic.

Be honest. Don't invent pedigree or a magickal history you don't actually own. It doesn't make you look more knowledgeable or admirable, it makes you look stupid. Don't say Grandma was a witch in the middle ages or a High Priestess sitting at Uncle Gerald's knee if it's not true. You aren't impressing anyone by spinning a false tale. People can see right through you-especially other Pagans. It does nothing to serve the community if you lie about your background...and being of service to the wider community by being an educator in this instance should be your highest priority, not self aggrandizement. It really should never be 'all about' you if you're not in a situation where you're promoting your business as a tarot reader, etc. You can mention you read cards, but giving what amounts to a plug for your services for hire ( unless you have made that agreement with the interviewer before hand) is not only inappropriate, it's down-right tacky.

And for the love of all the gods, don't show up in your ritual robes or your witchiest wardrobe! I'm not kidding. No matter how freakin' awesome you look in that goddess gown or how adorable you're new witch's hat is, leave it at home. It's really best not to generally perpetuate myths. Some interviewers have the hidden agenda-or not so hidden agenda- of inviting you  for an interview with the intention of making you look like a freak. Don't oblige them. Showing up in the same type of clothing you wear to interview for a job will project the image that you are there to do business...because you are. Channeling Dumbledore or Glenda is just going to make you look goofy.
Wearing your civies with a tasteful piece of Pagan-themed jewelry will identify you nicely. If you insist on wearing that pentagram the size of a hubcap you are defeating the whole purpose of educating the masses without frightening them to death. It is possible to express your faith and individuality without marginalizing yourself and the entire community.

And finally-please, please, please- don't go off on a tangent about the Burning Times, or how the Church has stolen Pagan symbols, or the evils of Christianity, etc. Remember, your mission is to educate and not to offend. You are representing the community-like it or not. There is a very real possibility that you will be the only genuine Witch or Pagan any of your audience is ever exposed to and if you come to the table with an " I'm a witch, whatcha gonna do about it?" or in-your-face attitude, the good and positive of your message will be lost.  Pushing people's buttons will only make them turn a deaf ear to whatever you have to say, no matter how positive or truthful it may be. Being sincere and firmly grounded will give you a much better chance in reaching people and changing their minds.

If at anytime an interviewer tries to ambush you with a negative question, or says something  that you consider out of line and makes you feel uncomfortable, you have the right to end the interview. However, be aware that if you do walk away, you are leaving yourself open to speculation, innuendo and unfair judgement. I'm suggesting it's much better to come straight out and say, " I came here today to discuss modern witchcraft and not the Salem witch trials. Let's stick to the subject we agreed upon." It will not make you look like a bad guy, or project you're being disagreeable. It will lend credibility to your own agenda, which hopefully is first and foremost is the dispelling of negative myths and educating the public about your chosen path.

Good luck, and may you Blessed Be.