Craft: How to Be a Modern Witch - Gabriela Herstik 2018

Introduction

bitchin’ witchin’ basics

Becoming a witch is an awakening, a remembering, an initiation. It’s a chant to ’come home, come home, come home’, because even when you feel like you’re lost, you’re not.

From working with crystals, tarot and astrology, to solstices and full Moons, today’s witches are integrating witchcraft and magick into their everyday lives. This is because as we navigate an incredibly charged cultural and political climate, we’re left craving a deeper connection to something bigger. And for many women especially, witchcraft is a way to reclaim the divine in each of us, and a path that urges us to find a connection to the natural world, and to listen to how she affects us.

I have been a practising witch for over a decade, but my journey started long before that, when my mother first gave me a crystal to hold to calm me down when I was upset with my twin sister. From there, my interest in the esoteric and occult grew, and my world changed forever when I received my first oracle deck, The Faeries’ Oracle illustrated by Brian Froud. I became enthralled with the world of the faery, eventually picking up Edain McCoy’s A Witch’s Guide to Faery Folk, which took me back three years, to when I visited Salem and learned about witchcraft for the first time. After claiming the word ’witch’ at the tender age of twelve, I never looked back. Ever since then, I have explored what it means to be a modern witch, combining my love of clothing and fashion with a passion for magick and energy work. My belief is that by channelling ancient wisdom into the modern age, you are able to access the powerful, all-knowing, intuitive part of yourself regularly and easily. And that by living in tune with Nature and her cycles, you’re more easily able to tend to your own cycles and needs as well. Being a witch means living in this world consciously, powerfully and unapologetically.

This book is my offering to the modern mystic who’s looking to delve into witchcraft but who doesn’t know where to start. May it act like the glossy September issue of the spiritual world, serving as a how-to for every woman looking to learn about what witchcraft is and how she can incorporate magick into her everyday life, without having to drop a million dollars. This book will cover the basics of witchcraft, and comes with plenty of spells and rituals so you can get your inner witch singing. More than anything, it aims to enrich your life by infusing the mundane with some magick.

Women run the world after all — and the ones who do are usually witches. This book is for them.

so, what is witchcraft?

Witchcraft is a Nature-based path that worships the Earth as the ultimate Mother, healer and Goddess. It’s also a way to honour, learn and explore all the beings and energies on this plane, even those that we may not be able to see with the naked eye. Witchcraft is magick — using intention, through spells and rituals, for a desired outcome. (Magick in our case is spelled with a ’k’ to distinguish our craft from the sleight-of-hand magic performed by stage magicians.) It’s a path that teaches you to feel the unknown and the unseen; it’s a new way of looking at life and, damn, does it feel good!

But magick doesn’t look the same for everyone. Your practice will be tailored to where you live, your spiritual beliefs, your natural intuitive abilities and your interests and passions. Your path and your best friend’s practice won’t look the same, but that’s the whole point. Think of your practice as a magickal cocktail, like a secret recipe no one else can steal. As long as it’s safe to drink and delicious for you, it doesn’t really matter what everyone else is drinking. Your magick does not need to look like someone else’s magick to be valid, and that’s something I want to emphasise. This book isn’t a prescription, it’s an invitation to find your own path. Adapt these words, spells and rituals as you see fit, honouring your own power and intentions; your magick is strongest when it comes from your soul. Witchcraft evolves with the land and its people, so witchcraft today doesn’t look the same as it did fifty years ago, and it won’t look the same in the next fifty to come. The cultures, geographic location and energetic makeup of an area will influence the form of magick practised there too.

Through working with the Earth, tapping into our own ever-abundant source of knowledge and wielding this knowledge for a desired outcome, a witch is able to curate her craft for who she, or he, is. The best part is that you’re already a witch. You don’t become a witch; you remember you already are one. We all have capability to live in tune with the Earth and her energies as the ancient witches did. Of course, this is a skill that needs to be cultivated but the seeds are already there: they just need to be tended to.

the witch

A witch is many things: the medicine woman, the slut, the one without children, the activist, the outcast; the witch has always lived and will always live. A witch is a healer, a woman in tune with her sexuality, someone who works with the Earth, anyone who abides by her own rules. Very often, witches were the protestors, the catalysts, the ones calling for justice and using all their tools, physical and otherwise, to create change. A witch has always been someone who refuses to abide by the societal constructs of the time. She is an outsider, rooted in her own decisiveness; the witch has always been a threat.

a very brief history

You can trace the history of witchcraft on cave walls in ancient lands, back to the days when life and death were locked in a daily dance. According to The Spiral Dance, a seminal text by the American writer and activist Starhawk, witchcraft began 35,000 years ago when hunters would connect to the herds of reindeer or bison on an energetic level, ’calling’ or tuning into them, and a few of the animals would allow themselves to be caught as a sacrifice. These hunters were the first shamans, aware that every living thing in this realm is connected, no matter how subtly; and the first to recognise the dance of life, death and rebirth.

The oldest witches were those who honoured the Earth and lived by the cycles of the Moon. In Eastern Europe the Moon was carved from stone. In Western Europe she was honoured on cave walls through paintings of bison and horses. Records of the phases of the Moon were carved onto bone, and the Goddess was shown holding the bison horn, the sign of the crescent Moon. For the Yoruba people of Africa, the Goddess was worshipped as Oshun and Yemoja, the goddesses of love and feminine mysteries respectively. In China she was Kuan Yin, Mother Goddess of prayers. She was everywhere, even though she had many different names. She was always personified as Mother Nature.

Settlements eventually grew into communities, and people started to share their knowledge about everything natural and magickal, eventually forming the first covens or groups of witches. The ancient witches celebrated the ’great festivals’: Equinoxes and Solstices, as well as the cross-quarter days between — the same holidays that many of today’s witches celebrate, which will be discussed in Chapter 1.

But that all changed in 1486, when the Malleus Maleficarum, or ’The Hammer of The Witches’, by Dominican monks Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger, was published. This book was a witch-hunt manual that was to cast a shadow of terror over Europe for hundreds of years. Witchcraft became an offence punishable by death. Women healers, medicine men, wise women and especially midwives became the most persecuted people during the witch hunts. It wasn’t until the Witchcraft Act of 1753 in Great Britain that witches were subject to imprisonment or fines instead of death — an act that wasn’t repealed until 1951. And there are still witch hunts going on in different parts of the world today, like Tanzania.

Claiming the title of a witch in the modern age therefore means remembering all those who have gone before you to allow you to be where you are today. It is our responsibility to shift the narrative of the witch, redefining who she is and reviving her ancient power; welcoming all who walk in her path without forgetting those who allowed us to be where we are.

bitchin’ witchin’ basics

magick

Energy is your best friend. It’s always there for you, no matter what. Remember that old saying, ’energy is neither created nor destroyed’? Well, that’s true for magick as well. The energy in this Universe has always been and will always be; it’s the song of life and the kiss of the Cosmos. It’s not just electricity, it’s your thoughts and your feelings too. It’s the secret ingredient, and the soul, to working magick.

Magick is energy plus intention; it’s a way to manifest a desired outcome or effect. Symbols, stories and ritual are the language of the subconscious, helping us access our unconscious mind, the part that manifests magick. Magick can be done in many ways, but is practised usually through spell and ritual work. Yet magick is also subtle; it’s when you talk to the Moon, or light a candle and sing ’Happy Birthday’. It’s when you hear the flowers say they love you, and when you know to phone a friend before they ask you to.

Although some witches will call themselves ’white witches’ or say they work with ’white magick’ or ’black magick,’ you will not see those terms in this book. Magick, at its very essence, is energy. And energy is neither black nor white, harmful nor helpful until the witch adds her own two cents and decides what it is. To call something that seems positive ’white magick’ and something that appears negative ’black magick’ is also inherently wrong. White attracts energy, both good and bad. Black repels energy, both good and bad.

One form of magick that I will also not be discussing in this book is any that aims to disrupt or dominate the free will of someone else. Acting against anyone’s will inevitably leads to an inverse reaction; one that’s deflected back at you. Using your magick to manipulate someone else is not a good look. And though there are times when this might seem necessary, this sort of magick needs to be worked with on a case by case basis. For instance, although performing love spells isn’t advised because the results can be so unpredictable and messy, a binding spell (see here) might help in the case of needing protection from somebody’s negative vibes.

Finally the most important thing to remember about magick is that the power comes from the witch, and not the magickal objects themselves. You are magick. Yes, those crystals are beautiful and the tarot cards you bought do help you tap into your magick. But you are the Sun beaming through the magnifying glass that sparks the fire. You are the most important piece of the puzzle.

spells and rituals

Yes, being a witch means you get to cast spells! They won’t be fool proof and they won’t answer your wish in a matter of minutes, but spells are real and they work. A spell is an action that manifests a specific desire, usually with the help of a visualisation, saying or chant, as well as magickal correspondences like herbs, candles or crystals. A spell shifts energy to change things and is equal parts intention, preparation, how you feel and the tools you have to hand. Oh, and that magic ingredient, love! Most of the time, when a witch casts a spell, she will cast a circle as a way to keep energy in and negativity out. Imagined as a sphere, the circle is a meeting way between worlds, where magick can be worked and energy can be raised in a safe setting. (See here for how to cast your own circle.)

And while we can confine spells to specific moments, we also cast spells of other kinds with our words and decisions each day. Those complaints you shared over lunch and those kind words you shared over coffee are both spells. It’s all energy, remember?

Most of the time, a witch will work a spell within a ritual. A ’ritual’ is an umbrella term for a set of actions that takes place to connect us to something else, whether it’s to our ancestors, to our hearts or to our unconscious. Rituals are sacred moments that we can enjoy over and over again to create a sort of sacred pattern. Think of a ritual as including casting a circle, lighting herbs, grounding your energy (see here), invoking the Elements (more on which later) — and then casting a spell. Rituals are often longer and more involved than spells, and usually work by raising energy that’s released in a cone of power, but sometimes rituals don’t include spells at all. If a ritual is like a text you send to the Cosmos, then the spell is the words within the message of that text. Sometimes you’ll send a gif or a meme, but most of the time you’ll add some words too.

Different forms of rituals, and the basic steps of one, will be discussed in depth later on in this book (see here). Before you do any spell or ritual, read through it at least once before you start, so that you familiarise yourself with the steps. At first it may seem overwhelming, but the format of every spell and ritual is the same, so it will get easier as time goes on. The spells and rituals throughout this book are meant to be a starting point. As you continue to develop your own practice, you’ll start to develop a feeling for what works for you and for what doesn’t. Honour this. Add things, take away things, research things. This is YOUR craft, so use it how you see fit, honouring your intuition while you do so.

There are a number of things to consider when practising magick that are all important: the day of the week (since each day is ruled by a different planet and therefore has its own specific set of correspondences; see Tables of Correspondences), and the actual tools involved such as cards, herbs, oils and even other energetic beings. But foremost are the intention of the magick itself, and the desire and the willingness of the participant performing it. It really is like Professor Lupin said in Harry Potter: your feelings make the magick.

to join a coven or not to join a coven, that is the question

This book is meant to be a guide for the solitary practitioner: the witch who thrives in her own space, at her own pace and in her own time. It is an invitation to learn magick and then spread it as you wish, whether that’s through gathering your mystical bffs for a new Moon sharing circle or reading cards with your significant other. Community is an important part of the craft, but it may not be your primary form of magick weaving.

All the same, that doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t join a coven. A coven is a group of, classically, thirteen witches who practise together and celebrate the witch’s holidays of the sabbats and esbats together (which will be covered in the following chapter.) Although there are covens who practise the same form of witchcraft, and who are the offspring of a ’mother’ coven, each coven is its own entity and abides by its own rules and practices.

Choosing a coven is a personal decision, one which has to feel right to you. If you know you need a structured environment to thrive, and if you really value a community to help you learn, then you may very well decide to join a coven. But this isn’t a decision you should take lightly, since being in a coven takes work. And it typically requires a commitment of a year and a day to become initiated. If you’re committed to finding and joining a coven, you may want to see what options there are in your local community.

If you’re somewhere between wanting to practise by yourself and in a super-structured environment, then you can absolutely form your own coven or witch support group with your friends. I have a group of friends who I practise with at the new and/or full Moon, and at the holidays. Sometimes we spend the day outside and at night we may perform something like a manifestation ritual where, after a short guided meditation, we share in a sacred space what we want to grow. This may include tarot readings, burning lists of whatever we want to release and dancing.

You are free to create a practice and coven that works and feels right for you: your interests, loves and passions all have a place in your own form of witchcraft.

which witch are you?

There are various forms of witchcraft out there to suit different kinds of people, beliefs and interests. These include:

HEREDITARY WITCHCRAFT

Passed down from generation to generation. You’ll probably already know if your family practises this path; think of family recipes with magickal ingredients, niche forms of divination and a family grimoire.

GREEN WITCHCRAFT

Works primarily with Nature as both an instrument and teacher. This path means living in alignment with the Earth and recognising that everything has a spirit. A green witch works primarily with plants and herbs, gardening and growing. If you have a green thumb and a particular fondness for working with herbs and plant medicine, then you may be a green witch.

KITCHEN WITCHCRAFT

The natural calling for those who are adept at cooking, yet who yearn to infuse their skill with some magick. Like other forms of witchcraft, you can incorporate aspects of this path into other traditions and practices. For the kitchen witch, spells and magick centre on stove and hearth, with the process of cooking and eating acting as a form of ritual. By consuming the food you cook, you’re releasing the energy into your own being and the Universe, forming an intention within yourself. Kitchen witchcraft is a good fit for holiday celebrations.

THE FAERY FAITH

Not to be confused with the Feri Tradition, which is another form of neo-paganism, this path of witchcraft works closely with energetic beings known as faeries or ’the little people’. The term ’faery’, or fey, refers to magickal beings such as sylphs, nymphs, undines, unicorns and pixies that are believed to exist in the astral realm — a realm parallel to ours. Those who subscribe to this practice believe that everything has a soul, even mountains, trees, flowers, oceans and rivers. They work with the thirteen lunar months of the Celtic Lunar Tree Calendar, accessing the different energies each month holds. Green witches and those who work with the fey often have overlapping practices.

WICCA

A neo-pagan, Nature-based religion that’s loosely based on the beliefs of the ancient Celts. Wicca works closely with the Divine Feminine, or Goddess, as it does the Divine Masculine, or Horned God, in its rituals. Wiccans don’t have a single holy book, but they do follow two laws: the Wiccan Rede, ’an ye harm none, do what ye will’, and the Rule of Three, ’three times what thou givest returns to thee’. There are many different sects of Wicca such as Gardnerian, Alexandrian and Dianic, which all have different traditions.

CEREMONIAL MAGICK

Used in the context of Hermeticism and Western Esotericism, ceremonial magick is a form of often secretive magick that incorporates long, complex rituals. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, which is a magickal order dedicated to the study and practice of occult and metaphysical matters, popularised ceremonial magick. Much like the Masonic Temple, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn is based on initiation and hierarchy.

CHAOS MAGICK

A branch of magick that’s more of a philosophy than a path. Sigils, or charged symbols, are a staple in this form of magick, which combines linking conscious intentions with the unconscious for a desired outcome. The end goal of a chaos magician is to master the subconscious in what’s called a ’gnostic state’, whereby you can think and enact magick unknowingly. By using breathing techniques, muscle relaxation, sexual excitement or intense emotions, a practitioner of chaos magick is able to reach a state of gnosis.

ECLECTIC WITCHCRAFT

A combination of different practices that is unique to the practitioner. Eclectic witchcraft urges you to create your own path by drawing on your heritage, passions and different strands of magick. An eclectic witch might combine green witchcraft and kitchen witchcraft, art and music, or something else entirely. Eclectic witches are those who don’t follow a single path; instead they forge their own. (I count myself as an eclectic!) That said, if you follow this path don’t forget to be mindful of where you draw your inspiration and information from. Be respectful of the different cultures from which you learn and what they teach. Honour the ways in which their experiences may be different from yours — and make sure you thank whoever is teaching you.

SMUDGING

Smudging is the practice of using sacred smoke from herbs and plants to cleanse the energy of something such as a space or person. The process is pretty simple but it’s very potent.

While there are many different herbs and types of incense you can use to cleanse your space, below are some of the most popular, which can often be bought in prepared bundles from metaphysical shops:

” White or Desert Sage: helps get rid of negative energy and reset the vibrations of a room.

” Palo Santo: also known as ’holy wood’ and similar to sage, but a little less heavy duty. Helps clear the energy of a room and keeps energy grounded.

” Cedar: helps to purify a space/person, while grounding energy.

” Mugwort: used to aid psychic visions and lucid dreams, and to clear out stuck negative energy.

” Sweetgrass: Invites in positive energy and spirits.

If necessary, you can use an alabaster shell or bowl as a censer in which to burn your herbs, and a feather to help spread the smoke.

To cleanse a room:

” Open any windows you can.

” Start at the entrance of your space. Light your herbs and use the feather or your hand to fan the smoke.

” Move around the room, making sure smoke gets into all the corners and crevices where stagnant energy might accumulate. Visualise the smoke clearing the space of any negative energy, and of this energy being replaced with golden light. You can say, or think, something along the following lines:

’I cleanse and clear this space of any energy that isn’t working in my highest favour. This is a sacred space that honours the highest good of all involved. May any negative energy move towards the light.’

” You can continue to the next room, starting at the door, getting into the corners, and relighting the herbs if you have to.

You can cleanse a person in much the same way, making sure to waft smoke over their palms, throat, the crown of their head, soles of the feet, torso, arms and legs.

To cleanse an object, move it through the smoke of your chosen herb. This works for almost anything: grimoires, crystals, sacred ritual items, your phone, computer or television, etc. Get creative: anything that holds energy probably needs cleansing now and then.

You can cleanse a room or person anytime, but here are some particularly good times:

” After a full or new Moon or sabbat.

” After an energetically draining day or interaction.

” If someone you don’t like has been in your space.

” When you’re feeling overwhelmed emotionally.

” Before starting a new job or project.

witchcraft as self-care

Using witchcraft as a form of self-care means working with the elements of the Earth to feed and nurture yourself. Whether that’s by finding peace through meditation, working with crystals that help you tune into your heart, drawing a ritual bath to allow you to ground and centre yourself, or performing a banishing spell to get rid of unhealthy energies and relationships.

Being a witch doesn’t mean there won’t be days that will challenge you to your core or leave you feeling depleted. It just means that when these days happen you’ll be more prepared for them, being able to see that everything is a cycle and that this too shall pass. A witchy perspective invites you to work with the energetic and physical tools at your disposal in order to (hopefully) take care of your whole being in a way that’s often ignored by Western medicine.

Here are two simple ways to bring a little magick into your self-care routine.

TALISMANS

Work with a talisman, or an object charged with an intention. You can use a crystal, a pressed penny from the pier, a necklace your lover gave you or anything that has meaning to you and that’s small enough to carry around easily. Jewellery works especially well as a talisman as you can wear it.

Cleanse the object by smudging it, or leave it under the full Moon or in the blazing Sun. Sit with the object in your hands. Imagine the base of your spine as a golden cord connecting to the core of the Earth (see the ’Golden cord method’, for more information about this). Then imagine a golden light at your heart growing bigger, eventually engulfing your entire body in glowing warmth. Focus your intention now, infusing it into your talisman. Maybe you want to keep your heart open, maybe you want to remember to be more compassionate to yourself. Either way, feel this. Remember a time when you felt loved, supported and cared for — and infuse that emotion into the talisman. When you’re done, press your forehead into the Earth, imagining all the excess energy returning to her.

MANTRAS

You can also use mantras throughout your day as a way of self-care. They can be any affirming phrase that reminds you of your value. A few good ones include ’I am worthy of every type of love’, ’I am a goddess’, ’I am loved, valued and appreciated’ and ’I choose to show up as my fullest self’. You can repeat these every morning or at different points throughout the day. I’ve recently got into the habit of taping a list of mantras to my bathroom mirror and saying each mantra three times to my reflection each day. You can even set reminders on your phone so you don’t forget. (Each day at 11:11 would be a great one!)

HEAVENLY ELEVEN

11:11 is an angelic number and doorway. The number 11 represents spiritual awakening and enlightenment, illumination and connection to our soul purpose. When we see the number 11:11 or 11 repeating, it’s an invitation and reminder from our angels to pay attention to our thoughts and ideas. It’s also a perfect time to make a wish, or say a prayer.

witchcraft and sex

During the medieval witch hunts, women who were even the least bit comfortable with their sexuality were often deemed witches. A sexually liberated woman has always been seen as a threat to the patriarchy. However, witchcraft has always been sex-positive. Sexual energy is some of the most potent energy out there — connecting us to our Higher Self, the Universe and love.

Witches are accepting of all gender expressions and identities as well as sexual orientations; while we are all cut from the same cloth, modern witches recognise our differences as something to be celebrated. We also recognise that we are more alike than we are different. Sexuality is a natural, ancient part of our makeup, and as we evolve in consciousness, so must it. Witchcraft encourages you to embrace your sexuality and sexual energy, on the understanding that you aren’t using it as a way to harm anyone.

A witch knows that sexual energy is life energy; the life—death—life energy has its root in our most primal, ecstatic state. Orgasm and the energy dispensed during sex and foreplay (with or without a partner) are some of the strongest and most unfiltered forms of energy there are; it feels good for a reason! The idea of a wo/man being dirty or sinful because of their sexuality isn’t something witches abide by. Instead, witchcraft supports sexual exploration and figuring out what you do and don’t like.

The Universe doesn’t fit neatly into gender binaries either because gender binary is a man-made construct. The God is the personification of consciousness; of the part of us that is action- oriented; the part of us that shines like the sun, and nourishes the crops and works and plans and gets things done. This is the part of us that loves to accomplish, who wants to be dominant, who thinks with their head more than their heart. The Goddess is the personification of the subconscious; the part of us that is intuitive and feeling, and emotional; the part of us that feels as deeply as the ocean, who hears the stars in the night, who feels the love of another before it is spoken. This soft subtle energy is labelled as the Divine Feminine. These same forces can be described as yin and yang — the two opposite yet complementary energies described in ancient Chinese philosophy.

witchcraft as empowerment

Witchcraft teaches new ways to honour your needs, because it’s a direct path to harnessing your power. For women (myself included) raised in environments that attempt to take away our bodily integrity and personal autonomy, witchcraft is a form of direct personal resistance. It’s like playing by another set of rules that no one else knows about. It’s a way to take back power while connecting to something larger than ourselves.

It’s empowering to understand how things like the phase of the Moon, the workings of astrology and different periods of the year impact on your personal energetic makeup. Knowing when and how to work with these cycles is liberating and shapeshifting.

There are those who would try to convince us that women and femmes (a queer person who expresses themselves in a traditionally feminine way) of all types are inferior; who attempt to convince us that to be ’the ideal woman’ we need to invest in new beauty products and clothing, in plastic surgery and in all sorts of things that will make us more palatable, less wild and easier to digest. But of course, this isn’t true. If a wo/man knows her worth and refuses to dim her light for anyone, there really isn’t anything she cannot do.

witchcraft as spiritual activism

To change the outer world, we must begin in our inner world. This is the basis of spiritual activism; a way to shift your internal universe to be more open, receptive and involved in making a palpable difference in the physical realm. Magick can be used to help shift our own lives, creating a new space for us to inhabit that offers more of what we want, whether it’s a space that’s more creative, conscious, artistic or accepting.

Being a spiritual activist means acknowledging we are connected to all other beings in spirit and turning compassion into action. Witchcraft asks us to step out of our ego and into the consciousness that all of us inhabit together; working from a place that also serves all of us. Spiritual activism is a way of remembering that harming someone else ultimately means harming yourself. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to change the world with one incantation; but it very much means the energy you work with acts as a ripple of light that touches every corner of the world in one way or the other. It works as an internal foundation for real-life activism.

combating spiritual materialism

Owning every book, herb, crystal and tarot deck there is will not make you a more powerful witch. Power comes instead from your mind, spirit and soul. Combating spiritual materialism means being conscious of what you buy, from whom you buy it and why you’re buying it. Absolutely do purchase something if it feels right and you have the means, or if it’s required for a spell or ritual. But don’t feel like you need to spend huge amounts on that one herb for that one spell if it’s way out of your budget. And don’t feel like you need five lots of every stone and three cauldrons: just like having a million bottles of paint won’t make you a painter, having every witchy object out there won’t make you a witch.

Utilising second-hand and vintage shops, local metaphysical and natural stores and online sites like Amazon, eBay and Etsy is one way to make sure you don’t spend too much money on what you really need. Having a meaningful relationship with each item you purchase will make your magick more powerful. But the old adage of quality over quantity still rings true.

To work with the spells in this book, you’ll need a few basic items as well as some that are tailored to specific spells or rituals. My goal is to give you access to tools you can use in new ways that feel good. And, like the rest of this book, the process of finding and working with your chosen items will be unique to you. YOU are the most powerful tool you will ever need, and, honey, that magick don’t cost a thing!

start at your roots, plant your own seeds

More than anything, this book encourages you to find a path that’s uniquely yours. This is the way of the witch and it asks you to engage with your origins, maybe even going far back through the generations to learn about your own branch of magick. Do you know where you’re from? Where your great-great-grandparents lived? Centuries ago, most people lived in tune with the Earth. There’s a specific sort of magick that runs through no one else’s blood but yours. The goal for you is to find this song, learn the melody and discover your own harmony. Learn about the family recipe for headaches that your mum has been making for you since you were little. Ask about the old superstitions your father swears by, or what sort of herbal remedies your grandparents know. Witchcraft, folklore and folk medicine go hand in hand.

Well, witches, now you know what to expect! Living in tune with Nature, finding your own style of spiritual self-care, working with energy and manifesting your future are all part of your destiny. Becoming a witch entails shouldering the responsibility given to us by generations of women who were persecuted for their beliefs; by recognising this privilege, and working our magick, we’re able to own our power as witches.

Witchcraft is about spells and rituals and magick — but it’s also more than that. When we create a practice that fits into our lives and which allows us to live as a witch every day, not only are we able to help our own spirit grow and connect to our higher calling, but we’re able to help others step into their power as well.

GROUNDING

Grounding is a way of creating a connection with the Earth both as a support system and as an abundant and never-ending supply of energy. Before any kind of ritual or magick work, a witch grounds her energy, and once she’s done, she will return this energy back to the Earth, closing the channel and grounding her energy once again. Failing to ground energy after performing magick can leave you feeling anxious, tired, energetically depleted and more open to psychic attack.

Before magick, perform one of the following grounding exercises:

GOLDEN CORD METHOD

Find a comfortable seat, close your eyes and take a few deep, intentional breaths. Be aware of your belly expanding as you breathe in and sense it contract as you exhale. Once you feel settled, imagine a golden cord extending from the base of your spine into the core of the Earth. Imagine the energy from the Earth finding its way up your spine, to your heart. Perhaps it will feel warm and radiant as it moves. Savour this connection. Know that you are supported. This is your lifeline, a support system that is always there.

TREE MEDITATION

(INSPIRED BY STARHAWK)

Find a comfortable seat, close your eyes and take a few deep, intentional breaths. Feel your belly expand as you breathe in and contract as you exhale. Once you are settled, imagine the base of your spine as roots that dig deep into the Earth. Feel the energy travelling up your spine with each breath, like sap rising through a tree trunk. Savour this supported, grounded energy. Imagine this energy extending from the top of your head, sweeping back down to touch the Earth. Feel this circular energy moving through you. You have a few options on how to return your energy and ground your power too. Again, take time to feel the energy finding its way back into the Earth.

After magick, perform one of the following grounding exercises

INHALING METHOD

Find a comfortable seat, close your eyes and take a few deep, intentional breaths. Feel your belly expand as you breathe in and feel it contract as you exhale. Once you are settled, suck in your power as if you were sucking through a straw, flowing through you back into the Earth.

SINKING INTO THE GROUND

Either lying down with your palms on the ground, or in the resting position known as the child’s pose in yoga (kneeling forward with your forehead on the ground), take a few deep breaths. Relax and melt into the Earth. Feel the power sinking back into the Earth, imagining this to be so even if you’re on the fifteenth floor! Let this energy flow deep into the Earth, starting from the top of your head and moving down your spine. Imagine this energy being cleansed and renewed in the core of the Earth.

create your own grimoire

The very word ’grimoire’ evokes a mystical vision of a witch clad in black, with the Moon’s rays illuminating the scene. Before her is a leather book — her grimoire or Book of Shadows — inviting her to spill her most treasured magick and secrets into it. The grimoire serves as the witch’s magickal diary. Inside it, she records her spells, rituals, visions, correspondences for each day (like which particular planets, herbs and crystals are associated with the days of the week), tarot spreads, energy work (such as healing, meditations, trance work or crystal work), celebrations — and more. This is what ’completes’ her, allowing her to build her own school of magick, with all the trial and error that occur along the way.

The most important thing to keep in mind when choosing a grimoire is to consider what works best for you in terms of organisation. If you like, you can keep everything written down virtually on an app like Evernote, or in a Word document. You could also handwrite everything in a binder, adding and changing pages with ease. Or you can use a leather journal for that old school witch feeling.

CONSECRATING YOUR GRIMOIRE

Although not every witch chooses to consecrate their grimoire, I love the intention of blessing the book, as well as the process of clearing it of any negative energy. To do this, you will need herbs for smudging as well as herbs to burn (sage or palo santo are good choices), a match or lighter, a little bit of water (or holy water, for which you can find the recipe in Chapter 8), your grimoire and something to write with. Try to do this ritual on the new Moon, although the waning Moon works too.

Step 1: Cleanse.

First cleanse the space by smudging and use one of the grounding exercises here. Cleanse your grimoire with the sacred smoke as well.

Step 2: Consecrate.

Next, grab your incense or herbs. Say:

’I cleanse and consecrate this book in the name of the Universe and my highest truth. Through the power of Earth…’

Light the incense or herbs, and say:

’Through the power of Fire…’

while feeling the passion and warmth of Fire.

After blowing the flame out, run the book through the smoke and say:

’Through the power of Air…’

while feeling the cleansing energy of this Element.

Dip your fingers in the water and splash droplets at the book while feeling the fluidity of the Element, and say:

’Through the power of Water, we call upon the ancient and divine power. In this grimoire, magick I will write. Cleanse and consecrate this book tonight.’

Step 3: Charge it with light.

Place your hands over the book, close your eyes and imagine a white light shining from your palms, surrounding the grimoire.

Step 4: Ground and write.

You can ground your power now or go on to the next step by writing a blessing on the first or second page of the grimoire. You can write whatever you want and dedicate it to whichever deity you feel called to, asking them to protect your book and magick from prying eyes. For example you can write:

’I bless this book in [your name*]’s highest favour,

With the ancient magick found in these pages.

The Universe wills it and so I create;

May prying eyes fail to reciprocate.

Earth, Air, Fire, Water —

Elements, I ask on this ancient, ready hour

To bless and protect me and these words,

May they always feel like coming home.

So it is, so it shall be.’