There are many spiritual paths that are poorly understood by those outside the community, and witchcraft is one of them.

Here is an explanation of what I believe in and what I do.

What is witchcraft?

Witchcraft is a spiritual tradition drawing from centuries of mythology, folk traditions, and celebrations of life and the natural cycles of nature. It requires only two beliefs:

1. That individual human beings are able to effect change on reality.
2. That there are additional energies and forces in the world that can effect changes on reality.

Beyond that, the path is very individual.

While there are groups and covens that practice magic together, most people practice witchcraft in private and in their own unique way.

There are so many different focuses and types of witches- including witches that feel a strong connection water and the ocean, witches that focus on the stars and alignment with the cosmos, and witches who prefer to use herbs, crystals and other ingredients from the Earth to connect to their natural environment.

Subscribe to my blog to learn about the psychological benefits of these practices. I’ll be doing a series on types of witches and types of magic over the next couple of weeks.

What do witches do, exactly?

Witches tend to: spend time with nature and natural objects, meditate on their goals, transform their suffering into effective action or positive intentions, read about and honor ancient mythologies, and connect with other living beings in a deeply heartfelt way.

But perhaps the most fundamental and familiar component of witchcraft is casting a spell.

Casting a spell is essentially a goal-setting ritual. Many witches follow the natural cycles of the Earth in order to structure this goal-setting ritual. For example, click here for an overview of casting spells by the light and cycles of the moon.

The main takeaways for spellcasting that you need are:

• Modern magic works with energy, intention, mindfulness, and grounding techniques.
• A spell occurs at the intersection of thought and form.
• Form can be thought of as attitude and action.

In my practice, the best spells seek balance and harmony in situations and within my heart.

What are the risks and dangers?

Many different religions warn against witchcraft, and many people believe magic is rooted in an ancient evil. Personally I think that the fears and warnings surrounding witchcraft have *some* validity.

I think while the awakening process can be liberating and helpful, it’s up to us to be responsible for ourselves.

For example, if you believe in deities…Worshipping a new God or Goddess can also be risky if you do not know their character, their expectations, and their ambitions.

Another example is doing curses and hexes. Making decisions like that is not for the faint of heart, especially if you believe people reap what they sow.

So proceed with caution.

How can I get started?

All you need to become a witch is:

• a notebook and pen. This notebook will become what’s called your Book of Shadows.
• time observing nature or the sky
• books, phone, or computer for doing research

Your first practice could be to simply go on a nature walk, write down what you observe in your journal, and spend time meditating on your intentions for the upcoming month and visualizing your success.

Another beginner practice is to try divination. Use your intuition and surroundings to get a better understanding of a current situation. Divination, in the context of witchcraft, is the practice of seeking insight or guidance through symbolic tools, patterns, or intuitive methods. It helps witches understand energies, possibilities, or hidden influences so they can make more informed choices in their lives.

To draw your first tarot card, click here.

Then, get into further research.

I recommend:

• downloading an app or bookmarking a website that tracks the phases and astrological position of the moon. Some example apps include Moon Calendar and Moonx.
• downloading a free tarot card app that teaches you about divination. I like Trusted Tarot (or Labyrinthos which also has runes.)
• downloading the app Co-Star for astrology readings. It will explain your whole astrological birth chart and give you a custom horoscope every day.

Once you start doing some research, you may find you want to incorporate other tools into your spiritual practice. I highly recommend these products which I personally own.

The goal with witchcraft is to find alignment with your purpose, values, and intentions. You don’t really need anything to get started except your own belief that you can create change in your experience of reality.

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