Beginner Steps For Studying Witchcraft

Beginner Steps for Studying Witchcraft

A simple set of beginner steps that can be adapted to many different forms of witchcraft studies. 

Step 1 - start with feeling energy and some simple meditation techniques. You’re looking for - can you create focus, draw energy to you and then move it into something else.

Step 2 - research the natural area around you. What are the plants (particularly the weeds. Weeds are often more native to the area). What are the stones in the area. What events happened that may have created or shifted energy in a particular area around you. 

Step 3 - learn to cleanse your space. Look into various techniques - smoke, sound, sweeping, etc. Because you’ll want to be able to clear and cleanse before going further.

Step 4 - try some basic spell work using what you have available around you or can easily obtain locally. Do things like make a protection oil, create a charm, do a candle spell for something like finances. 

Step 5 - look into divination practices. Tarot cards, pendulums, scrying. Is there a technique you’re particularly drawn to and want to incorporate into your craft.

Step 6 - begin exploring ritual and creating sacred space. You can look into techniques like casting a circle or laying the compass to create a space to work in. Study the witches’ sabbats and moon rituals. Try doing spells in ritual and sacred space. The spells done this way may be (but don’t have to be) more complex and focused. 

Step 7 - are you interested in deity or spirit work? Often this goes together with ritual and sacred space. Research some of the deities traditionally associated with witchcraft and see if that aligns with your craft. For spirit work, you want to be sure you have control over your space before working with spirits. At this point, you’re probably safe to start researching it, but perhaps not to start actually summoning. 

The steps will sometimes overlap and the order might shift depending on what is happening around you and what you’re drawn to, but these would be some of the things done and studied during a traditional year-and-a-day of witchcraft studies. So keep in mind - you would devote a year just to the learning the basics. After a year, you’d be able to do basic spell work, create sacred space and participate in ritual and cleanse your space. In a coven, you’d be working with the coven deities, so you wouldn’t be expected to run off and find a patron deity. And while you’d be using divination as part of your practice, you wouldn’t be expected to offer public readings. Essentially at the end of the year, the question to answer would be - do I want to go further?