Pagan-Witch

~Ave Lucifer~

There is no one traditional way.

Every culture, every region, every time period, every family lineage did magic differently.

The "you must do it this way or you're not a real witch" crowd? They're gatekeeping based on their own narrow experience or the one book they read.

Celtic witchcraft isn't more "authentic" than kitchen witchcraft.

Wicca isn't the default (it was literally invented in the 1950s).

You don't need to work with deities.

You don't need an altar.

You don't need to celebrate the sabbats.

You don't need to memorize correspondences.

You don't need to buy expensive tools.

You don't need to call yourself a witch if that word doesn't fit.

You need intention. That's it.

The rest is personal preference, cultural connection, aesthetic choices, or what makes your brain feel like magic is happening.

All valid. None required.

If your practice works for you, harms no one, and doesn't appropriate closed practices, you're doing it right.

There is no witch police. There is no cosmic authority checking if you're doing it "correctly."

Magic is older than any tradition trying to claim ownership of it.

Do what works. Ignore what doesn't.

End rant.

I can’t do that without negative consequences

I can’t do that unless I have support for it

I can’t do that

I posted this on discord, but thought I'd share it here, too. This is an excercise I used to use when I was working on differentiating my inner monologue from spiritual messages.

Find a song, or tone, that you are comfortable humming to. Sit comfortably and listen to it, eyes closed. Start humming and feel the vibrations in your chest/throat. If you work with infernal beings using their Enn is a great option, there are loops of people singing them on youtube. Now, focus on your own voice humming at first, notice what you sound like, notice any thoughts coming up and what they sound like, what does your inner voice sound like to you? How is it different from your outer voice? Start by focusing only on what you sound like.

When you feel comfortable in your ability to identify you, you can let your attention move to things around you. Are there sounds in the room you are in, are there messages coming through internally that dont sound like you? Don't rush to answer any of them, listen to them and see if any sound like similar voices. Eventually the messages you have access too will become clearer, and you wont be in a constant struggle of "Was that my thought or a message?"

Level-Up Your Witchcraft

Find ways to practice daily. Start small with more energy manageable spellwork, like daily tea/kitchen magic. Try out planetary magic to help plan spells and rituals ahead of time. Daily practice helps novice witches to grow their abilities to hand and manipulate energy in greater capacities.

Daily prayer. Remember, praying doesn’t always have to be directed towards spirits or deities. Praying for your own personal power is extremely empowering. Here’s a great video from one of my favorite magical mentors on the topic.

Wear a crystal or oil programed as a magical enhancer to help amplify your will while casting. This was a game changer for me.

Discover & follow your path. Many witches are encouraged to learn many casting methods and types of magic when they are beginning their journey. I considered myself an eclectic witch for eight years before realizing what speciality of witchcraft fit best with me. Once a practitioner focuses on their most suitable path, things feel like they unlock naturally and magic feels more intense.

Read witchcraft adjacent nonfiction. As you dive deeper into most practices, what’s useful won’t be a correspondence cheat sheet or a spell book, but actual history and science. Reading books on quantum physics has helped me develop my own magical theory. Historical & geological references can help witches connect with their ancestral magic. When witches open their view of magic to include everything around them, any topic can become magical exploration and information for the grimoire. Correspondences can be discovered the old fashioned way, through discernment and for yourself.

Routine spell management. Reinforce wards or cast spells routinely in whatever manner works best for you. That could be weekly, monthly, or seasonally. Are you routinely cleansing under the New Moon? Maybe your wards are cast seasonally.

Write your own spells. Everyone loves a good spell book, but if all your casting are other people’s spells, you may not be reaching your full potential.

Meditate. Fifteen minutes a day will unlock more than you ever dreamed possible. I read in a mindfulness book once that meditating eliminates resistance, allowing what you’ve been asking for to flow into your life uninhibited. It also enhances your intuition and recalibrates your mind and body.

Master a method of divination. Tarot, runes, anything! Divination allows the witch to answer their own questions regarding spellwork, better plan, and communicate with allied spirits. It’s the first thing I would tell a young witch to learn.