How do I become a Witch? A Guide to some initial steps.
Many people today are turning to Witchcraft as a path to empowerment and wholeness…which at core, is what Witchcraft is about. Connecting deeply to who you truly are, to Nature and to the energies of Source that surround us. Witch practices and beliefs arise from our experienced connections to Source from an organic process and our inherent manifestation of the Divine, without the mediation of an institutional creedal authority who gets to pick and choose who gets in and what place they hold in a hierarchy.
We hope this brief blog will help you begin and/or deepen your own journey and empower you to go forward with confidence and clarity. Remember, this is only preliminary information to help get you started and there is much more to learn that is beyond the scope of this blog.
A word should be said about Initiation. Various practitioners have very diverse views about the initiatory process and different traditions, groups and circles have very diverse practices of initiation. The vast majority of practitioners in the world today are self-initiated. Most of us consider this to be valid and have come to generally view initiation not as a single event in time but rather an ongoing process consisting of many initiations…sometimes across the span of multiple lives and incarnations.
Understand What Being a Witch Means to You
There’s no single definition of a witch. Practitioners are wildly divergent. For some, it’s a spiritual or religious path like Wicca; for others, it’s a secular practice of using ritual, energy work, and nature-based wisdom. Take time to reflect:
- Do you view witchcraft as spiritual, religious, or practical? Or some combination of these?
- Are you drawn to ancient traditions, modern practices, or a blend of both?
- What do you hope to gain or share through your practice?
Understanding your intention helps guide your path. To purify and consecrate your intentions it is essential to delve deeply into your motivations for beginning this path…so don’t rush yourself. Take time to know Yourself. There is no one “right” way to practice but it is important to have a clear understanding of how you are using the words and what they mean to you.
In modern usage and especially in a Neo-Pagan context, Witch refers to a person who is a practitioner of a nature based religion or practice, like “Wicca” which values Magick, Nature and self-empowerment and utilizes these for healing, divination and other positive purposes. There are also people who view Witchcraft as inherently non-religious (but perhaps spiritual) and who impose a secular narrative and ideology on what they are doing. There is a lot of variation on a theme in these ways…so before beginning, spend some time in reflection and meditation to discover what you mean by your usage of these terms and what your goals are in beginning on this path.
Dedication and Initiation into Witchcraft
No doubt, there has been some research you have done at this stage and you probably have come across materials suggesting methods of creating sacred space, casting circles ect…, invocations, spells, Esbats and Sabbats. If you haven’t, then begin researching and be sure to keep a notebook or journal where you can make entries of helpful information and rituals. (This can evolve into your personal Book of Shadows or Grimoire…most Witches and practitioners keep one.)
Begin by designing a self-dedication or self-initiation ritual. Here is a format you can use or adapt as you will.
1) Choose a secluded (but safe) space if outdoors…or in a private room. Begin by engaging in a grounding meditation…where you visualize connecting deeply with the Earth and with the Nature around you.
2) Create a sacred space. Invite the powers of the directions and elements to assist you and simple draw a circle around yourself using your forefinger and intently seeing in your mind’s eye that you are surrounded by a circle of Light.
A typical correspondence of direction and element is:
East: Air, Mind
South: Fire, Will
West: Water, Emotions
North: Earth, Body
You can invite the elementals by saying something like:
“Spirits of the East, Powers of the Air and of Mind, I invite You to be present with me and empower this ritual of self-initiation. Blessed Be!”
(and so on with the other Elementals/Directions.)
3) Call on the God and Goddess and all the Mighty Ones of the Craft to be present with you and empower this ritual of self-initiation. Use whatever terms and invocation you deem appropriate for yourself. I suggest something like the following:
”Great Mother Goddess and Great Father God and all the Mighty Ones of the Craft, Hear me and be present with me in this ritual of self-initiation. Teach me Thy ways and protect me in this journey. Blessed Be!
4) You can light a single white candle (safely of course) and initiate yourself with the following, or similar, words:
”I dedicate myself to the practice of the Craft and to connecting with the Mighty Ones, whose influence I now open myself to receive. Bless me and Protect me and Guide me from this day forward. I declare myself a Witch and take the hidden name_________N_________*. I consecrate myself and my energies and all my actions and thoughts to the Great Work of Magick and will strive to use all my abilities for the highest good of myself and others. So Be It!”
5) Thank the Deities, the elementals and guides and release the circle. You can say something like:
“By the Earth, Water, Fire and Air I release this circle. May there be Peace between me and the elementals and the Mighty Ones all the days of my life and forever. So be it!)
6) Jot down any experiences you may have and any insights that come to you…including your feelings that have risen during the ritual.
Sometimes, it’s helpful to view this dedication/initiation as provisional…at least in the sense that you don’t rule out later initiation into a tradition, Circle or group. But never doubt the power of engaging in this first step…it sets into motion the hidden and powerful forces that will bring you into alignment with the magickal current(s).
*Also, research the significance of taking a magickal hidden Witch name…there is much about this that you should know in selecting your new name to begin your new life.
Start Learning About Witchcraft and the Occult (And Keep Learning)
Study and keep studying…and make notes about what you learn and experience in your book. Decide what your practice will look like. I suggest developing a practice that is tied to the natural cycles of the Sun and Moon and the seasons of the Earth. Rituals that connect us to the cycles of Nature can empower us and teach us more than we realize. It grounds us in the natural rhythms that give rise to life. Learn and practice a form of Divination that calls out to you so that you can read the unseen forces surrounding any question or situation. Remember, There will always be more to learn. All things evolve and change. As a Witch, it is essential to realize the truth in this statement.
Practice Some Form of Meditation or Mindfulness
It is important as a Witch to be able to control your thoughts and your mind…so I consider it essential to develop some sort of meditation practice where your develop the needs skills of silencing the Mind, creating stillness and connecting with various levels of your own psyche that you may not even suspect exists. Magick and Connection arise from this stillness of the mind and are realized by the ability to focus the mind on a single chosen thought or image…don’t skip over the importance of this.
Build or Join a Witch Community
It Is important to build a support network and to fellowship with likeminded people. It’s a help because it can form a type of guardrail that keeps a practitioner from venturing off into non fruitful paths that will inevitably present themselves along the way. It allows for a diversity of thought and instruction for the Witch to consider. While there is no one “right” way to practice, there are ways that may be more helpful and more practical than others.
PLEASE hear me when I caution you…do not take these steps unless you are willing to engage with the hidden powers and are committed to your own psychological and spiritual integrity. There are reasons why many consider magickal practices to be “dangerous”…and we should always approach them with reverence, responsibility and a firm commitment to reality.
Having said that…it is true, that probably most Witches today are solitary in their practices, either due to lack of proximity with a working group or by choice. In the end it comes down to your choice and what you are comfortable with.
Here are some suggested books for you to begin with:
”Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary practitioner” by Scott Cunningham
”The Complete Book of Witchcraft” By Raymond Buckland
“A Witches Bible Complete” by Janet and Stuart Farrar
(The previous three books are from a Wiccan standpoint of belief…and there is much in them that will prove helpful to a practitioner of any tradition)
”Mastering Witchcraft” by Paul Huson
”The Crooked Path: an introduction to traditional Witchcraft” by Kelden
- We also have a Witch Joseph Art/Magick Zine with a few suggestions and ideas about beginning this path.