I wrote a post a while ago that was my top 10 tips for a beginner witch, but since then I’ve gotten a lot of comments looking for a post that goes more into detail about HOW to start practicing witchcraft.
Some traditions of witchcraft will recommend that you spend a period of a year and a day studying the craft before you officially call yourself a witch. While I definitely am not one for rules of any kind (and I’m even less here for gatekeepers telling others when it’s okay to call themselves a witch or not), I personally did my own year and a day study and I found it to be a great way to explore the different facets of witchcraft without committing to anything. I had a real problem identifying as a “witch” at first because of all the connotations that come along with it, but during that yearlong journey I felt much more comfortable with it as I learned more and more about what it meant and where it came from!
But don’t be mistaken in thinking your year-and-a-day journey is meant to keep you away from the craft before you decide to join. On the contrary, it should be an intense, hands-on, headfirst dive into witchcraft and all it has to offer before you decide if it’s right for you or not. Today I’ve compiled a list of 8 ideas for your year-and-a-day journey to help you structure a lesson plan of sorts
DISCLAIMER: these are ideas for creating your own year-and-a-day study. If you’re interested in a particular tradition of Wicca or witchcraft, they will likely have their own lessons/tasks for you to complete in that time frame. These tips can be done alongside any of those traditions, as there’s no harm in learning more! 🙂
1. read everything you can
When I was first starting out on my path, I took everything I read as the gospel truth. The longer I studied witchcraft, however, the more I realized that truth is so subjective. Even people who claim to have witchcraft in their blood can be wrong, and just because one group believes one thing doesn’t mean that belief works for you. I honestly recommend reading everything you can to introduce yourself to as many viewpoints as possible in order to help you uncover what beliefs resonate with you!
If you’re looking for some good books to start with, I have a list of resources available to you if you sign up for my newsletter 🙂 (ok I know I haven’t actually sent out a newsletter in forever BUT 2019 is gonna be my year, baby!)
2. go outside
Honestly, such a big part of witchcraft for me has been just connecting to nature. You can read all the books you want, but you’re missing out on a wealth of experiences if you never go outside! You don’t have to know every plant or meditate on a rock by the ocean for an hour every day, but taking walks, soaking up the sun, and quietly observing nature is key to feeling comfortable and secure in the world around you.
Witchcraft can feel overwhelming at first – there are so many plants to learn, herbs to use, crystals to memorize, and more. But you don’t have to learn it all at once (or ever!) The first step is going into your own backyard and wondering “huh, what kind of tree is that?” Once you look it up, that’s one plant you’re on the path to working with in your own magickal practice. Take it one step at a time, find out what’s going on in your natural surroundings, and you’ll be surprised how much you end up learning!
(I also recommend looking into your state’s Naturalist program if they have one, if nature is really your thing. I’m doing the Tennessee Naturalist Program right now and it’s a FANTASTIC resource. Most states have them I think, so check it out and sign up!)
3. listen to your intuition
This one is hard, because we live in a culture that tells people they’re “crazy” for following their heart instead of their head. But how many times have you had a nagging feeling about something you ignored, only for it to be right later? We’re taught to look at the facts, which is of course important – our feelings are influenced by a lot of things and can certainly be wrong. But once you learn to differentiate your intuition from a fleeting feeling, you can tap into that inherent inner knowledge whenever you want!
I don’t have any good recommendations of how to do this other than to check back in with your feelings about a situation at different times. For example, if you have a bad feeling about a relationship, check in with yourself both when you’re with the person and when you’re not. If you feel great when you’re together and only anxious when you’re apart, could that just be separation anxiety? A lack of communication making you feel distant? Or if you have a sinking feeling even when you’re together, could something more be going on?
There are plenty of people who have written way more eloquently than I have on the subject, so I encourage you to find them 🙂
4. keep a journal
So important!! KEEP A JOURNAL!! This doesn’t have to be an official Book of Shadows by any means (but it can be if you want.) This doesn’t even have to be formal at all. Every time you have a magickal experience, listen to your intuition, draw a tarot card, or try a spell, WRITE ABOUT IT. Write what you did and how it made you feel, write what you think it means for you in the big picture, write anything you want – just please keep a record of it all. This will make your life so much easier in the long run!
Keeping a journal will help you see your own progression and identify what works for you, what you maybe can do differently, and what you flat-out don’t want in your practice. It will remind you of the good things magick has brought to your life when you’re feeling doubtful. Most of all, though, it will be fun to look back on later and see where you started out!
5. learn new skills
Are you interested in runes? Give them a try! Always loved crystals? Learn more about them! You don’t have to master anything in particular during this year-and-a-day (in fact, I think it’s pretty rare that anyone could master ANYTHING in just a year) but you’ve gotta try things out in order to see if they work for you, and I mean that. I thought tarot was a bunch of hooey before I got my hands dirty and tried it out for myself, and now it’s a core part of my practice. You might surprise yourself – this is a time to try out everything with no pressure at all to pursue it long-term, but you might find some things you love and will continue to study in the future.
6. do some research
Ho boy, is this ever important. Friends, the history of witchcraft is laced with bullsh*t. There’s so much “fake news” out there, so many “ancient traditions” that actually have only been around for a few decades, so many “one true way” to do things that are actually totally arbitrary. PLEASE do your research. Read the classics, yes – read Buckland, read Valiente, read Starhawk, read them all. They are part of our history even if you don’t subscribe to Wicca or any particular tradition of witchcraft. But please know that these things were written in a different time and place, and many of them are either made up or based on false premises (or are simply outdated.)
If you read a text, please also Google it and see what other witches have to say about it. For example, I never would have known Silver Ravenwolf was problematic when starting out – it was only once I saw some critical interpretations of her work that I realized wow, that’s… not great. I still found value in her books and they certainly helped me along my path, but I can accept them for that while also rejecting the fact that she cites a lot of fake history, encourages problematic behaviors, and makes a lot of claims about “ALL witches” that certainly not all witches believe.
Many witchy books are rife with cultural appropriation, false history, or “facts” that simply aren’t true. It’s hard to know what to believe when starting out, but if something feels off to you, it probably is. Don’t accept anything as the gospel truth. It’s up to you to figure out what you believe and how you practice, not to be dictated it by someone else.
7. try a spell
Why not! Spells and rituals are half the fun of witchcraft, right? Many witches try to spook newcomers by saying things like “oooooh you never know WHAT will happen when you perform a spell, be caaaareful, you must be a maaaaster” but that’s really not true for the most part. I mean, maybe don’t try summoning a demon or anything in your first week as a witch-in-training, but you’ll never become comfortable with practicing spells unless you try them for yourself.
Learn how to cast a circle if it will make you feel more secure – I did this at first but don’t anymore. Start small with mostly-foolproof things like making a witch jar, trying a glamour for confidence, or doing some bath magic (the witch community on Tumblr is a great resource for simple spells.)
Sure, your spell might backfire. It’s happened to me more than once. But nobody died and I learned from the experience. Don’t let the fear of failure keep you from ever really trying.
8. figure out what you believe
Last but not least, it’s time to put everything you learned together. Bring it back to that journal you’ve been keeping throughout the year (you DID keep one, right?) and start to pencil out what, exactly, you believe about magick and witchcraft. Do you believe in deities? What about astrology? Are crystals just pretty accessories for you, or a source of vibrational magick? Do you like working with herbs, or do you have a black thumb? Would you consider yourself a green witch, a hedgewitch, or none of the above? Do you think divination is magick or simply psychology? What might you like to learn more about in the future?
Know that your beliefs can and probably will change many times throughout your journey, and that’s okay. That’s called growth! Witchcraft isn’t static: it’s a moving, living thing. It’s within you and anyone who wants to take up the call. All you have to do is answer.
And that’s my list! I’m going to end this by saying that while a year is a good, long time to think about becoming a witch, you don’t have to wait a whole year if you don’t want to. If you’re on month three and realize holy crap, this is your CALLING, then so be it. The only requirement to being a witch is to decide you are a witch. And that’s that!
Do you have anything to add? Did you do a year-and-a-day study? Let me hear all about it in the comments!
