thistle-grim

[thistle-grim]

Intro to Witchcraft - Part I

With Thistle Grim

“Magic is believing in yourself. If you can do that, you can make anything happen.”― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 

Q&A

What is witchcraft?

In simple terms, witchcraft is the use of magick to bring about change. 

What is magick?

Magick (or “magic”; a “k” is often added to help distinguish between witchcraft practices and stage magic) is the manipulation of energy to achieve a specific goal. There are countless ways to do this, and in turn, countless paths and areas of focus. Because of this, each person’s path is unique to them, and this is something I really appreciate about the craft. It allows me to focus on my own natural abilities and interests without struggling through concepts I may not enjoy or agree with. 

Is witchcraft a religion?

Nope! Not on its own, but there are people that use it alongside their religious beliefs. In certain paths with predefined history and beliefs, such as Wicca, religion is part of the deal, but you can mold your own practice to fit alongside your existing religion...or practice it with no religion at all. You could be a skeptical atheist, only believe in cold, hard, scientific facts, and still find power in witchcraft. (Though, I personally have found it’s much more fun to let myself believe and chase the whimsy.)

Ok, but is magick real?

First, I want you to consider your definition of “real”. Do you mean “is it scientifically proven? Does it actually have the power to make change?” In some ways, absolutely. From an entirely skeptical approach, there is still great power in placebo effects. 

Magick is real because people believe it is. They have for a very, very long time. Believing in something gives it 

Magick helps us reprogram our minds and keep our eyes on a specific goal. Oftentimes it is much like a form of creative meditation and mindfulness, taking place both inside and outside of the mind, rather than solely inside.

Of course, you will come across types of magick that rely more heavily on your willingness to believe. Whether or not you choose to believe is up to you, just shape your path accordingly.

How do I get started?

One of the first steps to starting down your own unique path will be determining your existing strengths and areas of interest. Some popular focuses include things like crystals, astrology, candle magick, elemental magick, kitchen witchery, lunar magick...but if a certain category doesn’t align with your beliefs or interest you at all, you can simply not use it, and there’s no harm in this. If whatever it is doesn’t vibe well with you, toss it and move on to something different. If no pre-established category fits, it is also 100% okay to define your own. Some of my favorite niche types of magick were born this way, like pop culture and emoji magicks, Heck, even “meme magick” could be a thing. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination. 

Start researching the basics (a list of these along with resources will be included in Part II). As you progress through your research, you’ll likely feel a pull to certain subjects. Follow it. Soak in all the information you can. Understand that the approaches you find will vary greatly. If it resonates with you, keep it. If not, move on.

Look into the different types of witches, beliefs, religions, etc. Odds are you’ll find some that really call out to you. But be patient and don’t be discouraged if it takes a bit of time for you to find your place. You’ll get there.

But don’t witches worship Satan??

Some of us do, sure. A lot of us don’t. In fact, most witches I’ve talked to don’t even believe in Satan, as they don’t subscribe to Christian beliefs. Some of us worship Norse/Greek/Egyptian/Celtic/etc deities. Some of us worship no deities at all. For some, the higher power is the universe itself. For some, the higher power comes from within ourselves.

Do YOU worship Satan???

Lol, nope. I do work closely with Persephone and Hades, but I wouldn’t describe the relationship as “worship” and my view of deity is different than you might think. I personally view goddesses and gods as archetypes – as symbols representing different ideas based on the lore that has grown around them. To me, they represent life lessons and situations we may encounter, and we can learn a lot about ourselves through their stories. For example, Persephone embodies the transition from light to dark/life to death, and holding her as a focus has greatly changed my relationship with death itself.

Witchcraft is NOT a substitute for medical treatment. Please do not use it as such.

Assess your intentions...

Before getting started on your path, it’s important to ask yourself the following questions.

Do I believe in magick? What does it mean to me?

What do I wish to get out of witchcraft?

What are my personal ethics and boundaries?

Important Disclaimers

Witchcraft is NOT a substitute for medical treatment.

There is a TON of info out there...and not all of it is safe or well-researched. Keep this in mind as you take in information, and always dig deeper once you find something you’re interested in implementing. 

Humans tend to suck sometimes. Some witches you meet, talk to, or learn about are going to suck, too. The witchcraft community is not immune to asshole-ism.

If you’re expecting to cast your first spell and immediately get everything you want, change your expectations now. It’s called “practicing witchcraft” for a reason. It takes practice, patience, and a dedication to learning. If you want results, you’ve gotta do the work.

There are witches who will try and push their own beliefs on you and tell you “you are doing it wrong.” There is no “wrong” way to practice witchcraft. Stay confident in your power.

That being said, there are *disrespectful* ways to practice witchcraft. Appropriating practices from closed cultures is frowned upon. I'm not here to police your practice, but I encourage you to research this and understand how it can harm the people who are a part of these cultures. 

Part II up soon!

[thistle-grim]

Types of “restless” dead, relatively active ghosts likely to manifest themselves (and convenient for magical exploitation):

1. Aoroi (from αωροσ, untimely): “those dead before their time.” Those cheated of their full stint of life bitterly stayed back to haunt the land of the living of which they had been deprived. In theory anyone who died of anything other than of natural causes in old age could generate a ghost restless qua aoros, although as a class aoroi tended to be conceptualized primarily as the ghosts of children or babies. 2. Bi(ai)othanatoi (from βιαιος and θανατος, violent and death): “those dead by violence.” The battle-dead and executed criminals, although murder victims and suicides provide the bitterest ghosts in this class. 3. Agamoi (from αγαμος, unmarried): “those dead before marriage.” Both male and female ghosts could be assigned this category, although the female ones were regarded as particularly bitter, insofar as marriage and the motherhood consequent upon it were a woman’s defining rights in antiquity. 4. Ataphoi (from αταφος, unburied): “those deprived of burial.” Whatever the circumstances of death, a ghost could not achieve rest without the due funeral rights. These were importantly distinct from the mere insertion of the corpse into a hole in the ground, and indeed the concealment of a dead body in precisely this way is often presented as the chief obstacle to the peace of its soul.

[Daniel Ogden, Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts in the Greek and Roman Worlds]

[thistle-grim]

This is such an AMAZING idea! I love that it can be a resting place for wandering spirits 😌🙏 Definitely adding this one to the to-do list!

The Death Witch’s Personal Graveyard

I think at least some of us have been in this situation; you want to practice death magick but you don’t have access to graveyard. Don’t worry! I’ve come across the perfect solution. Simply make your own!

Step 1: Figure out where you want your graveyard to be. It’s going to be small so you don’t need that much space. My graveyard is in a glazed clay box my grandma made for me, but you can also make it outside.

Step 2: If you’re doing yours in a box like me, pour dirt into the bottom of the box and flatten it out. If you’re graveyard is outside, make sure you’re satisfied with the dirt.

Step 3: Find a flat rock that fits in your graveyard. This is the headstone. If you want, you can write a message on it or a rune, but I left mine blank.

Step 4: Decorate! You can add crystals, rocks, herbs, statues and plants! Whatever you think should go in your graveyard.

Step 5: Dedicate your graveyard to any wandering, grave-less spirits. This is a place for them to live and take refuge. If you want, you can set rules for them and bar certain spirits.

Now, whenever you need graveyard dirt, you can just go to your graveyard and ask any spirits living there and leave an offering.

[thistle-grim]

💀 About Me 💀

Hello, all! It's been a while since I've been in the Witchblr community, so I figured a new blog and an intro were in order.

Name: Thistle (Or Grim)

Title: Art Witch & Necromantic Healer

Pronouns: She/They/He

Path Started: 2015

Current Focuses: Death Magick, Art Magick, Psychopomp-in-training; On Team Persephone/Hades

Non-Witchy Interests: Game Design, Fire Eating, Knife Throwing, Photography, Cats

I'm so excited to be back into posting about my craft, and I look forward to seeing everyone else's posts! 😊