alchemagick:

Hello, friend!

For starters, there’s really no “correct” way to go about the craft. No two witches are the same; we all have different affinities, abilities, opinions, etc., which help to shape our path. That being said, here are a few things you may want to look into to start your journey!

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Your hobbies

Start here. Might seem odd, but what better way to start practicing witchcraft than to incorporate it into something you already love to do?

• “Being in nature fuels me! I love learning about different herbs and plants!” You might like Green witchery.
• Plants used in herbalism
• Another list for cross reference
• Books on herbalism  Herb metaphysical correspondences
• Another herb correspondence list (these last two were heavily Wicca based, so I’d suggest a lot more cross-reference if Wicca isn’t something you’re into)
• “I often have very vivid and intense dreams and love looking into the meanings behind them!” Take a look into Dream Witchery.
• Dream interpretation symbols
• More symbol interpretations
• Books on dream interpretation
• The Interpretation of Dreams - Sigmund Freud
• Have some PDFs: [X] [X] [X]
• “I feel a deep connection to the sea. I love spending my days walking along the beach, collecting shells, and taking in the ocean’s energy.” Sea Witchery for the win.
• Sea Witch vs. Water Witch
• Ocean Magick
• Correspondences AF
• Shell Correspondence List
• “I long for rainy days and feel empowered by strong shifts in the weather. Splashing in puddles, who doesn’t love that?!” Storm/Weather Witchery may be calling you.
• Some Storm basics
• Harness the power of the storm
• Weather Magick Practices
• “I love cooking. I spend a lot of my time cleaning up around the house and keeping life in the home comfortable.” You may thrive with Kitchen Witchery.
• Tips and Recipes
• Spice Magickal Properties
• Tips, Tricks, Info
• Kitchen Witch Books
• Tea Magick How To
• Tea Magick Recipes
• “Everything I do is centered around technology and I wouldn’t have it any other way! Playing online games and browsing social media is where I’m most happy and comfortable.” Tech Witchery, here you come!
• Master Post – So, I’ve been trying to stay away from just linking tumblr posts (I sort of take issue with people getting all their information from Tumblr), but seeing as Tech Witchcraft is a newer thing, there just isn’t much information on it, so here you go!
• “I’m a pyro/geo/aero/hydro-maniac. Okay, not literally, but I feel a deep connection to the elements.” Elemental Witchery might be for you.
• Fire Magick
• Water Magick
• Earth Magick
•  Air Magick
• “I wanna practice witchcraft but I love living in the city… I don’t have to move, right?!” No, you don’t Urban Witch.
• Urban Witch Tips
• Spell Casting
• Urban Witchcraft How To
• Spells/Rituals Book
• “I love learning about mythical creatures! Fairies are especially beautiful and I’ve always been interested in them.” Buckle your seat belt, Fey Witchery is a wild ride.
• The truth about Fey
• Working with Faeries
• Faery traditions – This page is amazing, it has links to books, articles, lots of historical info

Wow okay that wasn’t even the tip of the iceberg. There are so many different types of witches; if I were to list all of them I fear this answer would be postponed another week. You can find a list of types of witches/witchcraft here.

As far as witchcraft for mental health, this can be tackled with any form of witchcraft. I personally think that there is a little Green Witch in all of us because knowing the medical uses and correspondences of herbs and oils can be really useful. Take me for example! I’m slowly working toward switching from using medications to only using herbal remedies (please do not jump into this right away, this is something I’ve been researching for over a year now and takes lots of time and dedication to really understand and put to use) for my medical problems, and soon my PCP will be a naturopathic doctor. This doesn’t work for everyone, but it just goes to show that there is so much merit in using what nature freely gives us to cure our ailments.

A few more tips for you to start out:

• Go to your local library and check out some books on the occult. Even if it’s a book about the history of witchcraft, that is an awesome place to start.
• Get yourself a journal/the start of a Book of Mirrors. Here’s a great post explaining the difference between different witchy books. A BoM isn’t necessary, but it could help you immensely in keeping track of all the info you find and figuring out which path is right for you.
• Don’t limit yourself! If one form of witchcraft seems to contradict another, you don’t have to throw one of them away yet. If you are interested in both of them, then study both of them; challenge yourself to find ways to make them cohesive. You may discover new beliefs you never knew you had.
• You don’t need any deities. If you have one/some that’s great! But if you don’t currently follow any deities and don’t see yourself doing so in the future, that is completely and 100% valid. Do not let any old crotchety witch try to tell you that you need deities.
• Have fun - I think a lot of new witches get caught up in the seriousness of research and forget that witchcraft can be so much fun. It’s empowering, incredible, breathtaking - it is what you make it, and if you’re constantly stressed about it then what’s the point?

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Good luck, friend! I hope this helped to guide you in starting your journey. If you have any other questions or want to talk to me in PM, please feel free to do so! I’m happy to help in any way I can. Love and light. ❤