Witchcraft?

Question

I really want to get into witchcraft. It's not a fad, it's something i have wated for ages and i truly believe i am cut out for it. However, i need some tips/links. Please???

xxx

Answer 1

Many, many postings, lots of good information given to you....a good, sound start.

I have been a witch for many years myself.
Here are a few pointers you may not hear about.

Very little is ever written about the building blocks of ANY faith. It's called the Witch's Pyramid and here is a simple version of it...

FAITH: you must belive in yourself and what you are undertaking. Put faith in Yourself and the Dieties (God and Goddess) with all your heart

WILL: You must have the willpower to complete what you start. You can't just stop in the middle of a ritual because the phone rings and it's your best friend wanting to chat or you decide tomorrow will work better for you. Willpower is also teh inner ability to make results happen.

IMAGINATION: Without being able to open your mind to "wahtever" you reach for, you will never acheive your desired results. This is "KEY" to working within the craft! In other words, you cannot open up to spiritual growth or commune with the Dieties without opening your imagination to "ACTUALLY" do it.

SECRECY: this is knowing WHEN it is alright to talk about it...TO ANYONE! There is a saying "knowledge shared is Power lost" All teh energies around us taht we work with and within carry negative, as well as posative. If you were to tell someone, and they don't like you for it, they "can" send out negative energies at you which can actually be harmful if you are not totally protected. I don't "tell" because I care not to deal with the negative it may cause.

On that note, Cunningham is/was a good informant to the Craft. Witchvox is a good sight.
However.....The best "basic" book out there is (no, not kidding) Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft.
McCoy is also a very easy read for finding information.
Stay AWAY from Silver Ravenwolf because she is VERY wordy and seems full of herself (the old "my way is the ONLY way attitude.)

There is SOOOO much information out there to be found and SOOO much to hunt through. Just remember that whatever you decide to do, wherever your path may take you...ALL spells, incantations and so forth should be written BY YOU and your Book of Shadows is HAND written...not copied pages taken from a web sight!!!!!

Good Luck, Blessed Be to you and contact me if you feel I could be of help......Mom Tree

Answer 2

To be a witch or practise one of the many forms of the craft it is most important you understand the philosophy behind the doctrine, as with any other form of belief.
We are not talking Harry Potter here. It can be a broad base of spiritual paths and each journey is different for the individual.
Whether you choose to practise Magick or any of the divination arts is up to you, these are some of the ways in which the creative talents can be harnessed, as are healing, music, poetry and other forms of the arts. You will have a chance to explore and express your talents along the way.

Janet and Stewart Farrer wrote an excellent book in the 70's called The Way of The Witch. It explains the teachings and philosophies behind 20th Century Witchcraft. They have since published other works of relevance
Doreen Valiente, Dion Fortune are also good to read on the subject.
Ronald Hutton provides excellent academic insight in this area. (The Triumph of the Moon & Stations of the Sun)
Israel Regardie and Aliester Crowley give useful information into a broader base of topics.

James Fraziers' A Golden Bough is an insight into the anthropolgy of magic and myth. Robert Graves' A White Goddess is an introduction to the Triple Goddess theme and some of the Greek and Celtic poetry and writing.

Many of these books can be obtained from a well stocked local library. It may seen a lot of reading but it will be a useful part of your growth.

Magazines like the Pentacle and the Pagan Dawn are useful for local societies and groups, as well as reviews, articles and tips.

However you choose to explore your spirituality please keep yourself safe. There are Charlatons in all areas, just as there as genuinely caring and gifted teachers. Learn to use your instinct and intuition.

Some websites are useful, but there is a lot of misinformation on the web and many that don't necessarily have their eye on the spiritual advancement first.

Enjoy your new communion with the Goddess and the God. Blessed be.

Answer 3

First off, you should check this question out to get the differences between witchcraft and Paganism, etc.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AnxXjMvNEukqY9VkteV9o77ty6IX?qid=20070720101535AAVclNL

Then, look on Amazon.com for books regarding witchcraft and chaos magick. Most of what I've found on witchcraft is usually linked to the religion of Wicca. Because I practice witchcraft but am not Wiccan, I've found that chaos magick is usually a good topic as it deals with magick only and many many ways of working it - not just a Wiccan way as most witchcraft books do.

Good luck with your journeys!

Answer 4

Listen to Tawaen and Daughter of Isis...theirs is the best advise here. Above all, realize that 'witchcraft' at its very essence is a religion and is nothing to play with. Its not the land of Harry Potter or The Craft. You've been given 2 good links to get you started...just keep reading (try the library, book stores and Amazon) everything you can on all aspects of paganism, Wicca and 'earth based' religions. Your true path will find you.

Bright blessings and good luck!

Answer 5

The Internet is fairly unreliable from that standpoint as many are biased about the Craft. I am a polytheistic witch - you might term me Eclectic as I don't really fall under any particular classification and I work with many pantheons and religious figures.
There are some excellent books out there. I know it sounds silly, but "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft" is actually very well-written and has great tips on how to get started.
You can be monotheistic, bitheistic (I think I just coined a word there :P), or polytheistic; do whatever floats your boat. The beauty of the Craft is that it accomodates you instead of you accomodating it.

From a Wiccan standpoint, be wary of a few things. First, if you are doing ritual with a spell of your own writing, be very careful about the wording. Spells can go grievously wrong if improper wording is used. I sometimes take weeks to make up a spell. Also, if you plan to join a coven, be prepared to place them very high on your priority list. You'll train for a year and a day and only then will they make a decision to accept you. (The year and a day relates to Cerridwen, a Celtic goddess. You can look it up.) Also be careful of telling people about your religion. I hate to say it, but most people are fearful of Wiccans / witches.
Remember the Rede: harm none, but do as thou wilt.
Also, the Threefold Rule: whatever you do will come back to you threefold. We pay for our deeds in this life, not an afterlife. Remember that.

Best of luck. :)

Answer 6

I'm a celtic christian which is a monotheistic witch. Celts make their own altars to pray at, Get a wand, sickle, chalice, and pestle and morter. Also get a religious symbol that means something to you like a crucifix, Bible, Torah, Star of David, ext. Place the symbol or book in the middle. Chalice on the upper right hand corner, pestle and morter on lower right hand croner, and the wand and sickle on the left side. To make a wand, I'll give you a very simple technieque... Choose a piece of wood, ideally one cubit, that is from your elbow to the top of your middle finger. dip it in salt water to represent earth and water, pass it through the smoke of fire to represent fire and air. If you can't do the smoke thing, place it outside so that the sun represents fire and air for air. Then leave it out all night long in the moonlight so it will absorb it. Then you have a wand. Pestle and Motar can be bought from many new age shops, and a knife or even letter opener will replace a sickle. A chalice is jsut a fancy word for cup, so get any cup, the nicer the better. When you've done this ask all the elements to bless your altar, if you're a christian, them the four archangels, ie, Michael, Uriel, Raphel, and Gabriel. Make your own spells, it's pretty much like poetry, asking a power for something. Once you get spell making down, cast a few, just go to your altar and chant it after pouring something in the chalice as an offering for the gods. Buy or cut some herbs, could be anything a tree leaf, to a berry, dry it in the sun and grind it up with your pestle and mortar.add water, oil, mink, lemon juice... whatever seems fitting, then ask the elements, or angels to bless it and there ya go, use it for whatever porpuse you had in mind. (Just don't drink it) The power doesn't come from the ingriedients but from you. By chooseing what to put in you are putting power into it. If you have any queastions you can e-mail me at [e-mail]

Answer 7

Starting off the best thing you can do when studying any religious or spiritual path is to do your best to ignore the negativity from people who are ignorant.

You have a few very valid answers here and some ignorant ones who do not understand what witchcraft truly is...you will be able to see the difference.

If you are interested in learning more about Pagan religions, I hear the author Scott Cunningham is highly recommended for information about Wicca. Here is a link to a list of his books:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/104-5748875-3323169?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=scott+cunningham

I would stay clear of the author Silver Ravenwolf because I have been told by many Pagans that her information is unreliable.

You will find many, many books about Witchcraft (remember though, Witchcraft is not a religion but it is a practice that some religions incorporate into their belief system). It may be hard for you to distinguish which literature is authentic and which is rubbish so always ask questions and don't take everything you read for face value.

Good luck on your path!

Answer 8

Magick is a very personal thing so you have to find a book that will show you how to make it yours. Spells a a complete immersion into what you are trying to do and you must focus every sense and your whole being to make something happen. If you can think it, feel it, hear it, taste it, see it and smell it, you can do it.

This is the best tip I can give anyone about magick.

Answer 9

All of the serious advice so far is excellent, so I'll just add this... Search for a Pagan Yahoo group in your area and join. Introduce yourself to them and BE HONEST. Ask questions, give answers, and be respectful and you will be respected back. Chances are the group is a convenient way for an actual Coven or Society to stay connected which means there will be gatherings for you to attend and get a first hand account of what we/they do.

And don't be discouraged if you need to join several groups to find what you're looking for. Just be polite to the ones that aren't for you and keep your feet on YOUR path.

BB

Answer 10

I have nothing against Paganism and Witchcraft in general. Many of my own opinions and beliefs can be associated with it---however you need to be aware of a couple of things.

Being a Wiccan or Pagan is nothing like Harry Potter, okay? I saw your username, and while I ADORE Harry Potter it is nothing like actual witchcraft. If you already knew that, then disregard that part.

Secondly---if you are expecting love spells, Ouija Boards, a perfect understanding of the Zodiac, and ESP you are kidding yourself. You need to make sure you aren't in love with the Hollywood version of Witchcraft and Paganism. You need to study and understand it, using resources that are unbiased and NOT some angelfire page made by some cheesy 14 year old that claims they're Wiccan. The first poster gave some good links.

And lastly, picking a religion can be a dangerous activity indeed. Make sure you stick to what is in YOUR heart and NOT what someone else tells you to think. And if you are going to study Witchcraft, it would probably be a good idea to study Christianity, Universalism, Buddhism, etc., too. A rounded view of religion and spirituality is often an intelligent and informed one.