#witch kits

Witch kits are a must for any witch on the move. Esty is full of people offering kits for a variaty of costs but this idea is nothing new.

The picture above is a witch kit dating from around the 1700’s.  The contents are;

A Bell, Bones, shells,  A blend of dried herbs and resins, spoons and an ornate snuff box.

Candles weren’t needed at this time as they were everywhere, the witch simply needed to measure out the herbs and apply them.

So I gave my opinion on the whole Pinrose / Sephora witch kit controversy, but I always want to offer an alternative if you’re actually truly interested in witchcraft but you’re unsure where to beginning. 

I am a secular agnostic witch so please keep that in mind when reading my suggestions for a “beginner witch kit” because I am not suggesting anything from any particular religion that utilizes witchcraft or from any particular practice.  

This will literally depend on if you’re just interested in studying and practicing witchcraft as a secular practice or if you plan on incorporating it with a religion or learn about a certain culture. I can offer some guidance for those looking to get into secular [mainly european] witchcraft but I’m not gonna be very helpful for those looking to get into something like Wicca. Mainly because Wicca [and other religions that involve witchcraft] has it’s own “rules,” which I do not follow lol. 

These, again just to make myself perfectly clear, suggestions are the bare basics. This is not intended to cover every path, every practice or every religion. If you’re looking to get into a specific practice (based on your ethnicity and heritage, please do the proper reach for that particular practice). 

:: THE BASICS  ::

Water / Dirt / Rocks | I’m not kidding lol. Go outside and collect from nature. The most valuable tools you’ll probably ever own are gonna most likely be the ones that nature provided for you. Also this stuff is free. And if you’re gonna get a chance to understand your own local natural surroundings. Be sure to look up laws in your local area about collecting animals bones/part (like feathers and teeth). “Herbal Medicine Natural Remedies” is a great starting point for learning herbs. Also “The Green Witch: Your Complete Guide to the Natural Magic of Herbs, Flowers, Essential Oils, and More” is another good book if you’re interested in learning more about herbs in witchcraft.

Pen and Paper | Get a journal. It doesn’t have to be fancy just a $1 notebook will be fine. This isn’t me suggesting you create or start a grimoire but instead, encouraging you to journal about your own personal experiences. A journal with your own thoughts, words and stories is gonna offer you a much deeper insight into your practice [later on] than a notebook of copied and paste information [that’s what books are for lol].

Books about witchcraft | Learn. Learn. Learn. Never stop learning. Never stop reading. I’ve linked a few books with each point to give you a starting place to find the information you need.

:: More Tools & Supplies ::

Candles | Personally I’d suggest white candles, simply because they’re pretty much universally believed to be a reliable substitute for any other color. But other colors I would also suggest to new witches is pink, yellow, green, blue and black. Practical Candleburning Rituals is an okay book to start with if you’re just getting started.

Crystals | Some favorite basics of a lot of witches are clear quartz, amethyst, moonstone, tiger’s eye, and rose quartz. The Crystal Bible is a wonderful starting book (and just a really good book to have on hand).

Incense | Smoke cleansing is much easier and more accessible if you use incense. Usually incense are believed to hold the same properties and association as the herbs/plants/flowers they’re made with. Incense: Crafting and Use of Magickal Scents

Mortar and Pestle | I personally feel like this is an important tool for any witch of any practice. Making incense, powders, herbal blends etc.

Fireproof Bowl | Cauldrons aren’t just for mixing witches brew [lol] but they’re great for burning things as well. That being said you don’t need a cauldron. Any fireproof bowl will work too. 

:: Specific Tools & Supplies ::

Salt | Commonly believed to asbored energies, it’s also great for protection, purifying and healing. x x 

Charcoal Discs | If you plan on creating your own powder incense blends or using dried herbs you’re gonna need charcoal discs to burn them. x

:: Other Book Suggestions ::

Please keep in mind that it’s very difficult to find beginner friendly books about witchcraft that aren’t centered around Wicca. Hopefully in the future we’ll have more books about secular witchcraft too.

Everyday Moon Magic: Spells & Rituals for Abundant Living

Everyday Sun Magic: Spells & Rituals for Radiant Living

The Complete Book of Incense, Oils and Brews

Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs

Modern Witchcraft and Magic for Beginners: A Guide to Traditional and Contemporary Paths, with Magical Techniques for the Beginner Witch

A Year and a Day of Everyday Witchcraft: 366 Ways to Witchify Your Life

The Psychic's Handbook: Your Essential Guide to Psycho-Spiritual Energies [for those interested in this aspect of spirituality and witchcraft]

I’m sure that once you get into [if you get into] a more established practice you’ll be able to easily research more specific tools, supplies and resources.

:: Help Support The Blog ::

And I dont think that's terrible? However, there are many valid criticisms of them (that also reflect on mainstream witchcraft in general), such as:

Inflated prices of items attainable for cheaper elsewhere

Lack of accountability for where these items are sourced

Cultural appropriation (white sage for smudging is a direct example)

This is simply capitalism at work. When something becomes more popular, a company will jump on it. Indigo did something like this, too. The thing about witchcraft, however, is that I feel it requires critical thinking skills. Hell, as a white pagan and witch, I had to spend years unlearning what Llewellyn books told me was 'mine' to incorporate in my path. As I feel all people should, I had to do hard work and forge my own path through research and much soul searching. These kits are no different in my mind as finding a Scott Cunningham book in a bookstore; it's going to bring new people in.

I'm still bitter, lol, I just try not to bleach the joy out of other people's lives. Yes commercialism and spirituality can be bad. No that doesn't mean you need to invalidate every individual who participates in it. Even *you* O perfect pagan cannot escape capitalism.

Most folks can pretend they didn't start with tumbled gemstones or whatever was 'trending' at the time when they got into paganism, or try and validate how SUPER SRS they are now by putting down others, but whatever. I know where you folks came from. And even if, by some miracle, you avoided every trend, you are the most socialist to ever socialist, and you are somehow untouched by capitalism's cruel hand - how dare you try and shatter someone else's enthusiasm, instead of trying to show them how broad and rich witchcraft is? 

All you're doing is replacing capitalism's cruel hand with your own. Oh, what an admirable form of witchcraft *that* is.