Coffee before the paths of Witchcraft? Take a seat.

Given the diversity of nature, it is no wonder that the Craft and the styles of the Craft are also very, very diverse. I am writing this blog to help you to potentially focus on a particular path that most aligns with your soul. This is not a complete list so if these paths do not quite fit then you can keep exploring.

Green Witchcraft

Green Witchcraft is a style of Witchcraft whereby the practitioner focuses very heavily on the Earth as a sacred entity, and all of the herbs, plants, trees, rivers alike are things that can be used both magickally and medicinally to help themselves or others. With the emphasis on nature and the gifts Gaia gives us, they often have a great understanding of not just the magickal correspondences of herbs and other items but also the medicinal applications of their resources, making them quite the herbalist for your everyday aches, pains or nuisances, too.

Kitchen Witchcraft

Kitchen Witches or Kitchen Witchcraft is essentially the practice of Witchcraft within their home near a hearth, but particularly in their kitchen. The kitchen will be their workspace, infused with beautiful magick, these Witches often use their utensils – which may have magick imbued or symbols carved into them – to assist in the crafting of blessed food or herbal remedies for instance. They often harvest herbs and other aids from their garden that they have grown and infused a lot of time and intention into, this makes both their resources and space sacred, that they kindly share with others to help them.

Hedge Witchcraft

Hedge Witchcraft is more often than not, a solitary path, that focuses on the liminal spaces, the hedge is a metaphor for the boundary between the physical and non-physical, between the living and spiritual worlds. They often move passed these boundaries in meditations or out of body experiences such as astral travel to connect to entities in the hereafter, to gain wisdom, or perhaps even discover hidden things and then bring that information forward to this realm. These individuals are usually very psychic, as per their connection to the spirit realm and the ability to bring these energies forward for magickal workings.

Sea Witchcraft

While I can go on to mention a swamp Witch, a river Witch etc... I wanted to include the Sea specifically because as a Water sign – Scorpio – I have an affinity with water and the coast. Sea Witches use the pull of the Moon and the tides to help release or draw forward intentions, they can use sea plants to burn for incense, drift wood can be carved into a wand, or used to create a make shift altar, certain pebbles can represent the connection to both the land and the sea. Another form of magick that can vary greatly amongst practitioners depending on where they are in the world.

Hereditary Witchcraft

Hereditary Witchcraft is essentially “Family Magick”, it is the gift of magickal practice that has been passed down from an ancestor or perhaps many ancestors through the generations to their descendants. A small part of me once imagined how beautiful, and amazing, it would have been to be born into a magickal family but it simply was not meant to be. Religion can be the thing that unites or destroys family, but what is beautiful about Hereditary Witchcraft is that it unites the family in a very unique way and preserves family traditions, that may also, with the blessing of an elder, be shared with a wider community for the right purpose. Or it quite simply, may not be. Alas, this is not exactly a path that you can choose but I wanted to list it to give you an idea that ancestral magick also is special.

Cosmic Witchcraft

Cosmic Witchcraft is an approach to magick that focuses heavily on Astronomy and Astrology. Practitioners of this style will rely predominantly on the heavens for their energy workings, to plan life events or even predict them, the placement of the planets or the Moon phases are an example of how these practitioners focus their attention and magick. I like to think of these practitioners as “Stellar Witches”. That is not to say that they throw out the natural world of plants and crystals because herbs and other materials do have corresponding astrological entities and energies, but they may focus on looking up and out into the beautiful cosmos.

Dark Witchcraft

Now the term “Dark”, especially when used with the term “Witchcraft”, more often than not takes people to a place of evil and curses alike, but in my own practice dark simply means the practice during the night. The exploring of the shadows and shadow self, to work with the deities of the night for many purposes, including emotional healing, psychic work, this in my own experience is what a “Dark Witch”, or “Dark Witchcraft” truly is. The Dark Witch enjoys the serenity of night and the feeling of primordial power that comes from a time before light was created.

Traditional Witchcraft

Traditional Witchcraft is another solitary path usually, this form of magick often relates to a culture or a clan, it is an unbroken practice that stretches back through the generations and perhaps even centuries. Traditional Witchcraft sets itself apart from traditions such as Wicca because its practice is often very unqiue and tied to culture – such as Welsh Witchcraft, or other folk magick, rather than setting down a structured religion of Witchcraft.

Eclectic Witchcraft

Eclectic Witchcraft is as previously mentioned in other blogs, a style of Witchcraft that is practiced by the Witch being inspired, and drawing from various elements or following their intuition that leads them to where they ought to be. Their intuition and spirit guides may lead them down a path that seems to blend many traditions or techniques – as an eclectic Witch myself – this is often the case, it is intuitive. I do not see this as rude or disrespectful unless you are claiming exclusivity to the indigenous practices of a particular racial group, particularly one that has suffered from oppression. Witchcraft will have various practices that cross over – ancestor veneration, crafting herbal remedies, purifying sacred space by similar means, only practicing at night – these Witches follow their intuition and the needs of the time for themselves and or others.

Solitary Witchcraft

Solitary Witchcraft is quite literally to practice solo. Solitary practitioners do not cast spells with others, they do not do magick in pairs or groups, particularly in a coven setting. Solitary Witchcraft brings a degree of privacy and thus empowerment as the magick cast is kept secret – they embody the Witches pyramid previously mentioned. That is not to say that solitary Witches do not communicate with each other, but magick is reserved to be cast by the self. This was my practice for some years before I began to attend Pagan gatherings to celebrate the holidays with others, and then my changing Craft when I began teaching classes.

I do hope this helps or inspires you to find the path that works for you.

Blessed Be! XxX www.mathew-walker.co.uk/blog

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