Busy Witch Dos and Don’ts
As a busy witch, it’s ok to cut SOME corners when it comes to magick, but how do you know what you should and shouldn’t do in your practice? Here are the basic dos and don’ts of witchcraft that most witches agree upon. We’re not gatekeeping here, but there are a few things we should all keep in mind as witches who want to be ethical in our practice. Because witchcraft is spiritual and deals with energy, and we want to be on the right side of things.
Do Study, Read, Practice, and Explore
You never know what will work for you if you don’t try things out. If a spell doesn’t work, it’s a learning opportunity – not a failure. In my experience, you’ll have a lot of failures in the beginning. In lots of cases, it’s due to an energy mismatch, either in the ingredients you used (maybe they didn’t resonate with you) or your mindset on the day of (you were in a funk and trying to manifest something positive).
Study different types of magick and witchcraft, too. You never know what’s going to resonate. And you can always learn about closed practices without practicing them (we’ll get to those in a moment). Learning is always a positive activity!
Don’t Assume Spells Work Instantly
They generally don’t! Most take an entire lunar cycle (approximately one month) to work. These spells have to remove things from your way, attract new things, etc. Sometimes, it takes a month or longer to do all that energy movement, and sometimes, it surprisingly is instant. It just depends on how far the energy has to travel to make the change.
Sometimes, the energy for your spell isn’t right at all. And sometimes, the spell that you’re trying to manifest isn’t in your greatest good, so it doesn’t work. It could be a matter of timing, energy, or even the wording of your spell. This is why keeping a record of your spells, a.k.a. a Book of Shadows or Grimoire, is important. Unfortunately, magick won’t fix everything in your life. Spells aren’t a magick pill!
Do What Feels Right For You!
You’ll get so much information on the internet, books, and podcast episodes that you’ll often find contradictory information. If you read or hear something that feels right for you, you’ll usually feel affirmation bumps (goosebumps). That’s a great signal that what you’re hearing resonates with your energy. If something makes your stomach flip, it might indicate that it doesn’t resonate with you. Trust your gut – it knows things your brain hasn’t figured out yet!
Don’t Fall Victim to Gatekeepers
Gatekeepers say there’s only one way to practice witchcraft or to be a “real” witch: you’ve got to be a hereditary witch, or you have to do magick THIS way. There is no one way to practice being a witch. Every witch is different. What works for one witch may not work for another witch.
Do Practice Magick Safely
Protect yourself, or your circle if you cast one, before rituals and spells. Keep an eye on burning candles – those warnings to never leave a burning candle unattended are for real reasons! Learn the properties of herbs before using them. You don’t want to light an herb on fire if it’s toxic when burned. It’s for your energetic safety as well as your practical, physical safety too.
Don’t Believe Everything You’ve Seen In Media
That includes Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok! Take inspiration from these places and allow them to fuel your fire. But most of what Hollywood has shown about magick isn’t real. Unfortunately, none of us have the power of the Halliwell sisters! I know, I’m sad too.
In this modern age of social media, most people only post the best of their practice and themselves on social media. You’ll see the aesthetic versions of witchcraft, not the times their spells didn’t work—or backfired!
Do Learn The Basics
Before you move on to more advanced practices, start with the basics. For instance, if you’re drawn to crystals, learn how to practice crystal magick and some basic correspondences. For another witch, crystals may feel too advanced and something like the seasons feels more approachable.
No matter where you start, there’s a set of basics that you can start with. The Inked Grimoire Blog and Morgan’s podcast are great places to start! And if you’re like me, you’ll find different interests over the years and find that you can combine things to make them more powerful and personal.
Don’t Compare Your Practice to Others
There’s no right or wrong way to practice. All witches don’t say their spells a certain way. All witches don’t believe in all the same things. If you find something inspiring on social media or in a book, explore it, but don’t compare your practice with anyone else’s. Your practice and your magick are your own! And please don’t feel like you will never be as good as someone else. We’re all on our own journey, and it’s not a competition.
Do Have Respect for Closed Practices
Closed practices are for one particular group of people and are not open to the public. Respect closed practices and don’t culturally appropriate magick. As long as you practice witchcraft with respect and honor and avoid closed practices and traditions, you can follow your path ethically. This is another reason to learn as much as you can about witchcraft and its practices. This way, you’ll learn what paths you can take and which ones you shouldn’t take. Please do not do them anyway. It’s not ethical.
Remember, witches, YOU are the magick!
Blessings,
Megan W.