How to do Witchcraft

(Witchcraft for beginners)

So you want to learn how to harness the power of magic and cast spells but have no idea where to start? I’ll teach you all the basics you need to know to get started on your journey.

What is magic?

What magic boils down to is your intent, ingredients, and the purpose of your magic.

What is your spell for? What are you using magic to gain or accomplish?
What ingredients will correspond to the magic you wish to perform?
And finally, do you have the intent for your magic to work?

Magic is the manipulation of energies, to receive a desired outcome.

And I’m sure you’re thinking “well that’s great and all, but how do I actually DO magic?” Well, let’s get into that.

First of all, you need to know what type of magic you wish to perform.
As an example, I’ll create a simple luck and prosperity spell. Not what we have the purpose of our spell, we’ll need some ingredients or “correspondences”. Lets use:

Now all herbs have many things that they can represent and be used for. The properties that are associated with or “correspond” to the herbs I listed above are just some of the things you can use these herbs for.

To perform this spell, you’ll need a fireproof bowl such as a miniature cauldron, a thick grind bowl (pestle),or anything that can withstand heat. Afterward, all you’ll have to do is burn the materials. You can do this with paper, alcohol, small coal packs for burning herbs, or simply holding a grill liter to the herbs, it really doesn’t matter.

But wait, spells also have a vocal component. Words you say, that will help solidify your intent and harness the energy released from your ingredients.

“Bring luck unto me
With money and prosperity, you see
As I command the forces of thee
So mote it be”

The spell can be long, short, rhyme, or not rhyme. Really it’s up to you and what you deem as magical. After the spell has been performed you’ll be left with a bowl full of ashes. So what do you do with it? Well, you’ll return it to nature. You can go to a nearby woods or even your backyard and spread out the ashes, whatever you feel comfortable doing. Just as long as you return it back to nature.

For those of you who aren’t able to burn the materials or maybe want to keep your magical practices a secret. I’ll show you a more discrete version of this spell.

It will use the same ingredients with the addition of:

• a small glass vile or jar. I’m sure you can find them online in an arts and crafts section in stores.
• a small piece of paper
• and a Candle.

Write on this small piece of paper your intentions for your spell (“I attract luck and prosperity into my life” or something along those lines) and put it into the small vile. Next, place the herbs into the vile and close it. Light the candle and wait until some hot wax has built up. Then use the hot wax to seal the vile closed. And as you are sealing the vile, you will say your incantation.

“Bring luck unto me
With money and prosperity, you see
As I command the forces of thee
So mote it be”

Again if you can’t do any of these things for one reason or another, don’t worry, you can omit any of these steps if you cannot perform them. Magic is what you make of it, so make it your own.

Safety when casting spells

It’s a common practice to “cast a circle” before performing magic. These circles are a form of protection, protecting you from any negative energies that may attempt to influence your magic. The circle will also form a sacred area for you to practice magic. You can create a circle by calling out to the elements

Ex: “to the element of water, I call upon you to create a circle of protection and to watch over me and my craft.

And you would repeat this for every element. Water, Fire, Earth, Air, and Spirit. Many will also include the deity(s) that they work with into this circle casting. And when you are done with your spell and ready to leave the circle you must first close it, all you have to do is thank and dismiss all that you called upon before leaving the circle.

Ex: “I thank you water for protecting me and watching over my craft, I release you.”

So on and so forth for all you called upon. And don’t feel as if you need to use the exact wording that I gave. Feel free to come up with your own.

Warning: make sure you dismiss your circle before leaving like in the method above, if a circle is crossed while still open, it can create an open portal for entities to travel though. (though it’s said that cats can cross magical circles without breaking them). If you or someone does accidentally break the circle, it’s completely fine, whenever you’re able to, just go back into the center of the circle and close it.

Altars

Altars are used by many practitioners of magic as a sort of hub, or sacred place where they perform their magic. Generally, an altar will consist of
Something to represent the 4 basic elements, incense for air, water for water, a candle for fire, and salt for earth. ( though you can use anything you wish to represent the elements)
A cloth to set everything on top of
2 candles usually one white and the other red or black. Representing the sun and moon, masculine and feminine, light and dark, yin and yang. Whatever floats your boat.
Athame and or Boline. An athame is a ceremonial knife used for metaphorical cutting, and a boline is for physical cutting.
A small cauldron for burning herbs
A mortar and pestle for grinding herbs
An offering bowl. To offer a gift/ energy to your deity(s) you work with

You can add or omit anything from your alter, don’t feel pressured to have any and all of these things above.

Your altar will be a sort of sacred space where you will perform your magic. It will also increase the strength of the spells that you are casting. And don’t worry, if you’re keeping your magic a secret, your altar can be a few small items that can be put away and taken back out when you need them.

Book of shadows and grimoires

A book of shadows (BOS) is a private journal about your magic. But what do you write in it? You can write down the spells you create. What you believed worked and didn’t work. Things about your deity, a little reference guide for things you may need to remember. And anything else you want.
A grimoire is slightly different as a grimoire is for spells and information on completed spells. In a bos you can write questions, show what worked and failed, etc. whereas, in a grimoire, you would write down your spells that worked, and explain how to perform them. Think of a bos as a rough draft and a grimoire as the finished product. For most, their books are private and made for their eyes only, just like a normal journal.

Deities (a divine being or god)

Most practitioners of magic work with some sort of spiritual entity. This is usually a deity, you may choose any deity you wish and you will find that you just don’t click with some deities, but don’t worry you’ll eventually find the one that’s right for you. Deities and other spiritual entities are used to drastically empower and quicken the effects of your spells. However, if you don’t seem to click with traditional deities, there are also lesser practiced paths of magic like draconic and fae magic/ witchcraft. Where here you will work with dragons and arch fae instead of your traditional deities.

Numerous amounts of deities can be found throughout the world,
such as Greek gods, Roman, Egyptian, Germanic, Slavic, Norse, Celtic and so many more. You can be drawn to any deity(s) and practice your magic with any variation that calls to you, like having one deity from the Greek pantheon and another from the Egyptian. It’s just whatever calls you. Many people practicing magic nowadays will follow the greek deity Hekate, as she is seen as the mother of magic. However you magic isn’t going to suddenly stop working if she’s not one of the deities in your pantheon.

That’s just about all the stuff you’ll need to know to get started in witchcraft and magic. Come back soon for more lessons and information on magic and how to become more adept at using it. Good luck, and may the magic be with you.