When first starting out on your witchcraft journey, how do you know what kind of witch you are? Where do you begin? How do you wrap your head around all of the information -and there is TONS – out there? We will explore a couple of methods to narrowing down your path. And just a fair warning – your path could change over time. I know mine has.
WHERE TO BEGIN
Read, read, read! Your initial studies shouldn’t be anything too deep just yet. This is just to familiarize yourself with different cultures, witchcraft practices, and traditions. Public libraries are EXCELLENT resources I believe to be underutilized in our modern time. Get yourself a library card and check out some books to get yourself going without having to invest any money up front.
At this stage of research, be sure to take note of anything that catches your attention or that you feel intuitively pulled towards. You might notice these little inklings align with how you fill your spare time. Which brings us to…
HOW EXACTLY DO YOU FILL YOUR SPARE TIME?
The things that interest us and that we take the time to explore says a lot about who we are at a core level. These topics or activities draw us in like magnets and we cannot seem to ignore them. For instance, someone who enjoys cooking, baking, creating in the kitchen, acquiring new foodstuffs to work with, etc. could very well be a Kitchen Witch in the making.
Are you into gardening? Does the Earth sing to you when you plunge your hands into her soil? You may very well be a Green Witch.
Are you a homebody? Do you prefer to be in your sanctuary rather than out of it? Does the thought of caring for your home, cleaning it and nurturing all of those within it, speak loudly to you? Then a Hearth Witch or Cottage Witch you may be.
But what if you have more than one hobby that interests you?
YOU AREN’T LIMITED TO CHOOSING ONE KIND OF WITCHCRAFT
If you’re into a lot of different hobbies and activities and can’t seem to narrow it down to one path, that’s totally normal. So normal in fact, there’s a path to cover that, too. If after reading, studying, paying attention to what you’re drawn to, itemizing your hobbies and preferred activities you cannot settle on one path that seems to fit all of you, you could be an Eclectic Witch. At 38 years old and years of studying and experimenting under my belt, I proudly identify as one.
An Eclectic Witch is made up of scrapbooked beliefs and practices, pulled from a myriad of sources. We take what resonates with us and we leave behind that which does not serve us. I’ve been able to curate my own pedigree of witchcraft that lines up with who I am in every possible way.
I would venture to say it took the better part of a decade for me to commit to this magickal label – mainly because I don’t entirely agree with labels. But once I settled into it and molded myself and the title together, it started to become an identity I was in charge of creating. It’s like commitment without harsh boundaries. And I like it.
CONSULT THE STARS
Another avenue of help to discover your path is looking to the stars for guidance. Specifically, your natal chart. There are plenty of free websites and apps that allow you to plug in your information to receive yours. Personally I use Chani Nicholas‘ system and absolutely love it! It’s clean and modern and gives a decent amount of information about your placements and aspects. However, you must know your exact birth time and city in order to receive an accurate natal chart.
Once you have your chart, educate yourself on what the different signs, houses, placements, aspects, points, and nodes mean to illuminate the conscious and subconscious parts of yourself. This could be the key to figuring out where to focus your craft. It may even be in astrology itself!
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIMENTATION ARE THE PARENTS OF INVENTION
The beautiful thing about practicing witchcraft is the ability to create: our path, our way, our life. With knowledge and experimentation, you are in the driver’s seat. Where will you go? What will you see? How will it feel to be in control of your destiny?
But with this role of creator also comes vulnerability. You must be willing to risk feeling unsure and exposed. Learning to take failure in experimentation as par for the course will fling you forward, regardless of how scary it is. I’d say that this reward is definitely greater than the risk.
IN CONCLUSION…
The initial decision to pursue witchcraft and leading a magickal life is a feat unto itself. In fact, I believe it to be a great success that should be recognized and celebrated. The key is to continue. Read, try, experiment, read some more, experiment a lot more. It is not a straight road and it is never ending.
Evolving as a human being keeps the fires of life stoked. It’s a catalyst of discovery and excitement for our lives – and I believe witchcraft to be an ever-burning ember in this fire. So go forth and use magick to light the path – your path – to who you really are.
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