Witchcraft carries an intricate and heavy history. You’ve likely heard of the witch trials held in Salem, the Inquisition of the Middle Ages and countless others in your history class. The misunderstanding of witchcraft is nearly as long-standing a tradition as witchcraft itself.

Witchcraft is so many things to so many people, that’s why it’s difficult to nail down a singular definition. Merriam-Webster defines witchcraft as “the use of sorcery or magick”. That’s nice, but we can do a bit better. For our purposes, we hold that witchcraft is a practice of controlling or focusing energies to cause a desired change. 

A witch’s practice is rather personal so no one thing will ring true for every witchcraft practitioner. However, some things ring true for at least most practitioners:

What Witchcraft is:

Practical: Witchcraft is intended to be useful. Once upon a time, it was used to bless the crops and ensure a successful hunt. Now, it’s used to attract a new job, heal emotional wounds, take control of your luck, and so much more.

Responsibility: Witchcraft involves directing and focusing energy to create a desired change. That’s a powerful thing indeed. “With great power comes great responsibility.” That cliché line from the Spiderman movie rings true here. As a side note: More often than not, it’s considered taboo or irresponsible to cast spells that directly affect a third party without their consent or knowledge. Many witches uphold the belief in The Rule of Three, which states that whatever you put into the world will return to you threefold.

Fluid: As you learn, absorb, and grow as a person, your practice will grow. Fluidity is the very nature of witchcraft. We are flowing, ever changing, adaptable - your practice will reflect this.

What Witchcraft isn’t:

A Quick Fix or Cure-All: Witchcraft isn’t a magickal adhesive bandage. It can be leveraged and used to attract circumstances and opportunity. But casting a spell is not an excuse to twiddle your thumbs and wait for your goods to arrive at your doorstep. Opportunity meets action.

A Team Sport: Many witches operate in covens, but that’s not the only way one can practice. In fact, regardless of whether you’ve found your home within a coven or you’re a solitary witch, your witchcraft journey is ultimately all your own. 

One-Size-Fits-All: Pagan witches, Atheist witches, Christian witches - oh my! Witchcraft is a wide and varied world. Beneath the umbrella of witchcraft, practices can look as different as an anteater and a giraffe!

At Blessed Be Magick, we welcome witches and non-witches from all walks of witchcraft and of life. It doesn’t matter what you practice or how you practice. Just remember, there’s no one right way to do it. If it lights you up and resonates with your soul, you’re on the path that's meant for you.

Photo by Katherine Hanlon on Unsplash