The Complete Beginners Guide To Witchcraft

By Raven Willow

Step into the enchanting world of witchcraft with "The Complete Beginner's Guide to Witchcraft," your essential guide to the fundamentals of a practice that has captivated and empowered generations. Whether you are drawn to the craft as a spiritual path, a source of personal empowerment, or a wellspring of natural healing, this comprehensive guide lays the foundation for a journey into the mystical and the magical.

Discover the rich history of witchcraft, from its ancient roots to its modern-day revival. Explore the core principles that underpin the craft, including the ethics of magic, the basics of ritual work, and the importance of the natural elements. Learn how to create and cast spells, harness the power of the moon, and tap into the energies of herbs, crystals, and candles.

Author and seasoned practitioner Raven Willow invites you on a journey of self-discovery and growth. With a compassionate and understanding voice, she demystifies witchcraft, making it accessible to everyone, regardless of background or beliefs. This guide is filled with practical exercises, easy-to-follow instructions, and insightful tips, ensuring a smooth and fulfilling experience for the novice witch.

The Complete Beginner's Guide to Witchcraft is more than just a book; it's a key to unlocking your inner potential and connecting with the natural world in profound and transformative ways. Whether you're seeking to enhance your personal spirituality, improve your life through magic, or simply learn more about this fascinating practice, this book is the perfect companion on your journey into the world of witchcraft.

Embark on this magical journey and discover the witch within!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raven Willow
• Release date: Dec 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223203889

Raven Willow

Raven Willow is an English solitary witch, and has been practising witchcraft for over 10 years. She has studied Wicca, but prefers to define herself as an 'eclectic pagan witch.' She loves outdoor rituals, but living in Manchester both green space and decent weather are hard to come by.

Book preview

Introduction

This book is for anyone who is interested in witchcraft but doesn’t know where to start, or for anyone taking their first steps in the Craft. For experienced practitioners, there is unlikely to be anything in this book that you don’t already know, but it’s a handy fluff-free guide to some of the basics.

Let's begin by addressing the most important fact for beginners: this book cannot give you everything you need to know. Nor can any single book. Witchcraft is a journey, and it’s one that takes a whole lifetime of study and practice. There is never a point when you know everything there is to know, and in truth, that is the joy of witchcraft.

There are some elements of witchcraft that can only be learned by practice, and secrets that can only be revealed to you by the Goddess. The real secrets of witchcraft are secret primarily because they are personal and individual and only the Goddess herself can guide you to them.

With that said, this book is designed to give you a clear and comprehensive guide on the basics of witchcraft and the confidence and knowledge to begin your journey. From how to cast a circle and set up your altar, to how to enhance your spell work, there are chapters on all the core aspects that you will need to begin your journey towards the Goddess.

If you’re looking for a definitive answer on how to practice witchcraft, then this book is not going to be able to do that. But it will start you off on your search and perhaps most importantly - show you how to find those answers for yourself.

This book will focus loosely on a Wiccan view of witchcraft. Other traditions like folk magic do exist, but as I can only write from personal experience, then that is where this book will be mostly focused. However, as an eclectic solitary witch, there are elements of my own practice that are not strictly Wiccan, and this book will also reflect that.

One of the lovely things about witchcraft is that you are mostly free to choose your path. If you prefer a more structured approach, most covens will provide the instruction and structure you need. If you prefer solitary practice or are unable to find a coven, you can create a path that suits your own needs. There’s no right or wrong way. Only time, study, and practice will help you find your own personal path.

With that covered, let's move on and look at some of the most common questions that are asked about witchcraft and Wicca.

Misconceptions and FAQs about Witchcraft and Wicca

What makes somebody Wiccan?

There are several strands of Wicca, and even the use of the word Wiccan has been known to cause controversy between witches. The ‘definition’ of what makes somebody a Wiccan can be a difficult topic. Still, for the sake of clarity, this book uses the term to include anybody who identifies with and practices witchcraft alongside beliefs common to Wicca and identifies themselves as Wiccan.

Are all witches Wiccan?

No. Anybody who practices magic is a witch, but not all witches are Wiccan. For example, some witches do not cast circles, acknowledge any deities or abide by the rede. You can be a witch without being a Wiccan. You can also be a Wiccan without actively practicing magic, although that's quite rare.

Is Wicca only for women?

Wicca is all about balance, and the male aspect is as important as the female aspect. There are some strands of Wicca that may not allow male practitioners, such as Dianic Wicca. But on the whole, most covens have male members, and in many covens, both a high priest and high priestess are required to conduct the Great Rite. Males can also be solitary witches too. One of the most excellent sources about solitary Wicca is Scott Cunningham, whose works on Wicca are generally held in very high regard across the Wiccan community. His books were instrumental in guiding me on my own early path.

Do Wiccans worship Satan?

No. Wiccans do not even believe in Satan and consider him purely a part of Christian mythology. Some Satanists do practice forms of witchcraft, but Satanism is its own distinct faith system and not related to Wicca.

Is Wicca a cult?

No. Cults generally have a leader that followers are expected to revere and who cannot be criticised. They also tend to discourage independent thinking. None of these things apply to Wicca. There’s no central leader or central Wiccan ‘church’ that issues doctrine and orders. Individual covens have High Priests and/or High Priestesses, but you are not expected to revere them. In fact, you don’t even have to join a coven if you don’t wish to do so. Independent thinking is always encouraged.

Is Wicca the oldest religion?

Actually, this is one of the biggest misconceptions out there, and even some Wiccans believe this to be true. There’s a whole section on the history of Wicca in this book, so I’ll keep it brief here, but although Wicca does combine some ancient witchcraft traditions and European pagan rites, it is often based only loosely on these and the actual religion of Wicca is very new– less than 100 years old. This can sometimes upset new or even established Wiccans, drawn to the idea that Wicca itself is ancient and pre-dates Christianity. Wicca undoubtedly has links with ancient practices – but it isn’t in itself an ‘ancient’ religion by any stretch of the imagination.

Is Wicca just a religion for teenagers and ‘goths’?

Wicca attracts a wide variety of people of all ages. Popular culture and supernatural TV shows like The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Vampire Academy have increased the number of young people seeking information about witchcraft. But it’s certainly not a teen religion, and if you want to join a coven, many will not accept anybody under 18, or even 21 in some cases.

I’ve practiced Wicca for many years now, and people are always surprised when they discover that I am a Wiccan. I have a fairly sensible office job, and I do not wear an unusual amount of black, crushed velvet, or fishnet tights. Not that there’s anything wrong with those things, they’re just not my personal style.

I regularly attend moots and festivals to celebrate Witchcraft and Paganism, and the majority of people are dressed as ‘normally’ as the person sat next to you on the bus, or the person ahead of you in the queue at Starbucks. There are also lots of Wiccans who do dress in gothic style clothing, or crushed velvet tie-dye and look pretty awesome in it. In a nutshell, anything goes.

The wonderful thing about Wicca is that it attracts many people from many walks of life, and often those people tend not to be judgemental – so people feel free to wear whatever they like to wear without fear of being considered ‘an outsider.’

What do Wiccans believe happens when we die?

Wiccans believe in the concept of reincarnation- that our lives are part of the endlessly cyclical nature of the world. They don’t believe in a ‘heaven’ or reward and punishment in the afterlife for souls. For Wiccans, death is simply a time of transformation rather than ending, and the energy of our souls can never be destroyed, only transmuted.

Do Wiccan spells really work?

Yes, if you cast them properly and follow through on your intentions. You won’t be able to turn anybody into a frog (or any other animal) or make yourself fly, or anything else that immediately and obviously breaks natural laws. However, spells to attract good things into your life and spells to repel negative things from your life do work.

Do Wiccans practice black magic?

The idea that magic is ‘black’ or ‘white’ doesn’t really feature in Wicca. Magic is energy, and that energy is neither good nor bad – it’s the intentions of the magic-user that determine if the spell is ‘good’ or ‘bad’.

However, the Wiccan Rede and the Threefold Rule prevent and discourage Wiccans from using magic to cause any kind of harm – and so any magic used by Wiccans is what would be considered ‘white’ magic.

What is the difference between ‘magick’ and magic?

Some witches use ‘magick’ to distinguish between card tricks and illusions, and the practice of witchcraft. This is quite common, but in this book, I will use the basic ‘magic.’ It’s just my personal preference, and the use of ‘magick’ feels a little unnecessary to me. It’s usually pretty clear which type of magic someone is discussing – or indeed, performing, and so I don’t feel the need to differentiate. It’s a personal choice though, so if you want to use the ‘k’ then go ahead.

History of Wicca

Many people are drawn to Wicca because of the romance and mystery of what they perceive as an ‘ancient’ religion. When they discover that Wicca is actually less than 100 years old, they often either refuse to believe this or walk away. I know that what I am about to explain may disappoint some of those people, or irritate others who refuse to let go of the idea of a pre-Christian tradition revived and practiced by modern believers, but bear with me. Of course, Wicca is a religion that promotes independent thinking, and you should read widely about Wicca (including sources that claim Wicca to be ancient) rather than making the advice and information in this book your only source of Wiccan wisdom.

There is a section at the back of this book suggesting further reading material to help you widen your knowledge, and for transparency, my own thoughts on the matter have been heavily influenced by the works of Ronald Hutton. The incredibly short introduction I provide here to Wiccan history is mostly to give you the background most widely accepted by the British pagan community today, and to act as a starting point for your own study if you wish to do so.

In 1899, Charles Leland wrote about what he believed to be an Italian witchcraft tradition in his book Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches. He claimed this was passed to him by a member of an Italian family of witches, whose religious practices had survived since ancient times.

In 1921, Dr. Margaret Murray also wrote about witches in her work The Witch-Cult in Western Europe In it, she explored the concept that a pagan fertility cult had survived through the middle ages. Modern scholars have largely discredited both Leland's work and Murray's theories, but the romantic notion of organised covens of witches surviving throughout history in secret has persisted.

There are some covens who claim to be ‘family traditions,’ passed down through generations and with a history dating back to before the witch trials. These are likely largely made up of folk magic and folk traditions and are not usually Wiccan, or do not identify themselves as Wiccan.

What we know as Wicca was founded in England by Gerald Gardner in the 1950s. His background was in Rosicrucianism, and through this, he met a group of people who claimed they were witches and had known Gardner in a previous life. Through them, he was initiated into their coven and became a witch himself.

Gardner wanted to attract more people to the Craft, in order to prevent it from dying out, and the repeal of The Witchcraft Act in 1951 gave him the perfect opportunity to do so without fear of imprisonment.

Gardner claimed that the tradition he was initiated into was a surviving, organised witch-cult dating back to the middle ages; and that he had collected the incomplete pieces of spells and rituals and put them back together to resurrect a long-forgotten religion. Gardnerian Wicca is still based on those particular rituals and spells. Gardner insisted that his form of witchcraft was a complete tradition, surviving through the witch hunts. However, although they may have been based around some legitimate ancient family traditions, the end result of his combined collection of rituals and spells did not actually reinstate an authentic ancient tradition.

While Gardnerian Wicca does combine some practices known to have been common among early pagans, it isn’t really the same as the kind of witchcraft you might read about in ancient texts and documents of the witch trials. Interestingly, Gardner also never actually named his religion ‘Wicca,’ and the use of the term ‘Wicca’ is newer than the religion itself.

Regardless of its origins, Gardner’s Wicca forms the basis of Wiccan beliefs and rituals today. Other traditions, such as Alexandrian sprung up, which used Gardnerian Wicca as their source, and Wicca started to become a popular religion. When Wicca made its way across to the United States in the 1960s and 70s, even more new traditions began to appear, including feminist versions like Dianic Wicca and covens that worshipped only the Goddess in one form or another.

From these fertile grounds, Eclectic Wicca began to flourish. Eclectic Wiccans take something of a ‘pick and mix’ approach to create their own faith system that suits them from across the many available sources. Many Wiccans avoid using the term 'religion' to describe their beliefs, preferring terms like 'faith system'.

There are many differences across the various branches of Wicca, but what almost all Wiccans have in common is that they respect nature and the environment. Wiccans generally consider all of nature to be a representation of the divine. The concept of 'As above, so below' features prominently in Wiccan ideology, and this concept means that everything in our physical world is a reflection of divine energy. Have you ever felt a sense of wonder and awe at a particularly beautiful view of unspoiled nature, a sunset, or a majestic waterfall? Even the most cynical among us can feel a compelling connection with nature and the divine when we stop to appreciate the beauty of the natural world around us.

As part of this reverence of nature, Wiccans celebrate the Wheel of the Year, which is based on agricultural cycles and old pagan celebrations. The Wheel of the Year is made up of eight Sabbats, which allow us to tune in to the rhythm of nature as they guide us through the year from Harvest, winter and replanting through to the fertile summer seasons and back around again.

Gardnerian Wicca is coven-based but as the internet, and therefore information, has become more accessible, many people are beginning to identify with Wiccan values and principles without joining a coven and are choosing to become what is known as a Solitary practitioner of Wicca. This book is designed for those solitary practitioners to help them navigate their journey into Wiccan witchcraft.

The Rede

Bide the Wiccan Law ye must

In perfect love and perfect trust

Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfil:

An' ye harm none, do what ye will

What ye send forth comes back to thee

So ever mind the rule of three

Follow this with mind and heart

Merry ye meet and merry ye part.

Wiccans do not have a large set of