So you have seen my post talking about some of the witchy non-essentials but I did not touch upon the essentials to your craft: that is about to change!
-- GROUNDING --
Ahh, the infamous word you will hear throughout your practicing life, Grounding. This term isn't what would happen to you if you pissed off your parents and told you're not allowed out for a week but instead means bringing your energy back down and firmly rooted to a resting state. Grounding is essential for Magickal workings as you are raising your energy and the energy
around you to begin working Magick and by not bringing yourself back down to earth you run the risk of energetic fatigue... This isn't fun, trust me! Energetic Fatigue leaves you extremely exhausted and can even leave you bed bound. You will lose touch with your skills for a bit as you have drained all energy from you, even attempting to work Magick during this will yield no results and will cause more harm than good and you don't want to miss out on practice all because you left your energy open. To ground, some people meditate and focus on their root chakra or roots coming out of them and going deep into the ground, some people like to eat or drink something of the earth such as bread, cake, or even dark chocolate (my personal favourite as the sharp flavour brings everything right back down to ground) or they have some wine/mead or even apple juice as apples hold the protective pentacle within them.
Before working any Magick it is so important that you learn how to ground yourself. You have been warned!
— DEDICATION —
You want to become a successful spell caster and all-round witch? Well that takes time and dedication. You can’t practice for only a year and consider yourself well-rounded or well-versed because let’s face it, 365 days broken down into actual days that you have practiced will most likely equate to less than half a year and as the saying goes “practice makes perfect”. The witches
you may encounter throughout your practice will be long term dedicated practitioners, such as myself, who have dedicated a large portion of their life to honing their craft and spent many years within their respective craft. I have been practicing since around the age of 10-11 so we are looking at 12-13 years of dedicated practice and research. I have gone through times where I felt stuck in place not sure where to go next in my practice and research and other times I have been able to fly through certain areas of witchcraft which felt like second nature. Every Witch goes through such vastly different experiences in their lifetime particularly in their magickal workings. Some Witches are rapid learners of protection spells whereas others are bale to weave love Magick much easier, find what inspires you to learn and start from there. It's better to have a starting point that peaks your interest rather than doing what other people expect you to do.
-- Herbs --
Without Herbs in your craft you're not going to get very far. We use herbs in our practice, not because they look nice in a photo, but because they contain the energies we need to work Magick. Each herb has its own energy and use so learning on the herbs local to you to begin with I would say is essential! Starting local means you can work Magick for free! And lets face it, witchcraft shouldn't be expensive to use. Learning your local flora and fauna means you can begin to learn and understand the energies of the land as well as the spirits that reside. Eventually these spirits can be used to help you in your craft and will strengthen your Magick beyond what you see on Instagram! Working with the spirits of the Land has changed my practice so much as they teach me new things all the time, especially when foraging for my local flora and fauna and can give insight to the secrets of nature.
If you practice a certain craft such as Vodou or Brujeria, for example, which require ingredients that are not native to you then of course buy those herbs online from a well-known organic seller to ensure the energies of the ingredients are not tainted with unwanted energy OR research the uses of those ingredients and find local flora and/or fauna which has the same or at least similar uses. You will be surprised just how many herbs have the same use! Just make sure you leave offerings to the land from where you forage, the land spirits can work with you but they can also work against you so always bring offerings of at least water to water the plant before or after picking the herb.
-- CHANGE --
Being open to changes throughout your practice will allow your craft to constantly get better. You can stick to the same path and still make changes or you can be 5 years in to your practice and something may draw your attention and completely flip your practice and beliefs on its head and that is fine! It's normal and if a practitioner tells you that you MUST stick to one pathway, run the
opposite direction, they have no clue what they are talking about. Be like a river, flowing with change and forging new pathways for yourself to reach your end goal. When I began my craft I looked at Traditional English Witchcraft and being strict to the old ways, I then found myself working in Baphomet into my beliefs and Magick after almost 7 years of practice, then recently I have been drawn to Baba Ganehsa and Maa Kali (not in my magical practice). Within the past 5 years I have been really brought back to my Romani heritage and so I now work Romani Magick alongside Traditional English Witchcraft and I never would have thought to be doing what I do now when I first started 12-13 years ago! With those changes I have learnt more than I would have just staying comfortably in place of trad working so change is always good. It's progress!
Practicing Magick shouldn't feel daunting so if you feel like that then stop, evaluate, and decide if it is right for you or not. Nobody will judge you if you feel that it isn't for you and they do pay them no mind. If you just need a break then do it! Taking breaks is so important for everybody as it gies you time to reconnect with yourself and your deepest desires. If you ever need help or some guidance please use my Magickal Consultation Service so that you can get back on the right pathway with help from a long term witch.
Thank you
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