With the rise of popularity of modern witchcraft, people have found many, many variations of it. There is the sect of sea magic, earth magic, hedge magic, and many more. Witches who practice these types of magic are all centered around nature and are correctly named after that. Not all magic has to be named or involved with nature directly, there is another form of magic and it is simply called Kitchen Magic.
Continue reading “What is a Kitchen Witch and How to Do Kitchen Magic?”Dianic Wicca: An Introductory Guide
Goddess worship and a celebration of women’s mysteries have been garnering more and more attention lately. The activism of those before us has led us to this point in time – where many women, especially in the West (but also globally) are questioning and rediscovering their histories (or rather, herstories), and that is a powerful thing. As mentioned in other places in this blog, religion is a powerful tool for control, information and indoctrination. Because religion touches so many aspects of people’s lives, the fact that most of the world’s conventional religions are male-focused is important. It is critical to be aware of what it means to be a woman living under the patriarchy, and what it means for half of the world’s population to not be able to find herself in leadership positions within religion. Witchcraft, Wicca and pagan practices are viewed as liberating for this reason – here women take on the role of not just practitioner but priestess, not just one of consumption but control, and that is empowering.
Wicca is a religion of orthopraxy – meaning it focuses more on practice than belief and faith. This is why, whereas many people believe you have to be duotheistic to be Wiccan, this is simply not true (in fact, there are atheists that are Wiccan, and they are valid). In any case, the conventional duotheistic model places at the center a God (usually representative of the Divine Masculine) and a Goddess (usually representative of the Divine Feminine). Dianic Wicca focuses on only goddess worship and the divine feminine.
What is an Eclectic Witch: A Guide for the Modern Witch
There are many different types of witches, occultists, Wiccans and pagan practitioners. In fact a big draw for people into the world of the occult is how freeing it is. While religions like Christianity, Islam and Buddhism have sects of their own, there is usually a strict rigidity to their practices that feels limiting. Witchcraft, paganism and Wicca offer liberation from a lot of things – the rigidity and shame that often stem from growing up steeped in conventional or Abrahamic religions, as well as the sexism that is inherently limiting women in most of the world’s conventional religions. Religion and belief systems have always been powerful, either believed to be means of salvation and peace, or simply influential to the culture and politics around them. Witchcraft (which does not have to be religious to begin with) is liberating because it allows us to discover tools already present all around us – the Earth, plants, herbs, flowers, water, fire, air, and all other living things including ourselves. With witchcraft, one does not need a Bible, a preacher, a priest, all the tools are right there – just waiting to be discovered and utilized by the practitioner. All the power, then, exists in the practitioner and not the external sources around her.
But that said, because of the openness of witchcraft and the practitioners, there are many divisions or sects of witchcraft as well. Kitchen witch, green witch, sea witch, dark witch, faery witch, goth witch – I am certain you have heard of at least some of these. And it is truly great that such diverse traditions and magickal practices exist because they are beneficial to a wide array of people. But a common concern for a new witch or practitioner is simply, what type of witch am I? Where do I fit in? How do I know?
How to Find Your Patron Deity?
The world of witchcraft can be one of mystery and confusion, especially when it comes to worshiping a patron deity. Some believe that the Gods of old and new exist, others believe that there are only two Gods: the God and Goddess. This guide/FAQ is to help modern witches and new followers of Wicca to understand how to worship the God and Goddess as well as choosing the patron deity that best represents the Gods to each witch.
Continue reading “How to Find Your Patron Deity?”How to Make an Offering to the Universe
Maybe you haven’t decided on a deity yet. Maybe you haven’t felt the right call or connection. Maybe you believe nature itself is divine. Or maybe you just don’t believe in deity and instead wish to connect with the universe in a deep and meaningful way. No matter the reason, this guide exists to help you see new ways to dedicate yourself to the universe.
How to Make an Offering to the Universe?
As a modern witch you might find yourself muttering, “okay. I know I want to make an offering, but everywhere I turn I see people talking about pouring wine as libations or leaving other food offerings such as milk, fruit and nuts onto the Earth. There is only one jungle within miles of me, and that is the concrete jungle, so what is there for me to do?” I get that. Trust me. Every day the longing to offer something concrete to the Universe gets you, and every day you feel frustrated about not making the time, not having the right means and resources. So many witches give up entirely because it all seems too expensive and all about consumption. But if you think about it, though, hyper-consumption is antithetical to nature and Earth loving beliefs. Loving the Earth means wanting to protect it and keep it safe, and overloading it with more plastics and wastes couldn’t be further from that ideal.