There’s never been a better time to be a witch.
Historically, witches were persecuted, oppressed, and burned at the stake for their beliefs. But today, we’re far more accepting of religious paths outside the “norm,” including witchcraft, Paganism, Wicca, and other New Age belief systems.
Witches come in various forms, many focusing on a specific type of magic or ritual.
But you don’t have to choose. Become an eclectic witch and use the tools, spells, and practices that speak to you, regardless of which type of witchcraft they relate to.
What’s a Witch?
A witch is anyone who uses magic, ritual, or incantation in their spiritual practice. The craft has no hard rules and is welcome to anyone who wishes to dabble in magic. Therefore, there’s no one simple definition.
Witches are far more common than you think. They come from all walks of life, all religions, all cultures. Even some practicing Christians call themselves witches and use their personal magic to supplement their religious belief systems.
If you think you’re a witch, you’re a witch, regardless of how you practice.
It’s more important to define what a witch isn’t than what it is. Witches aren’t evil; they’re not devil worshippers, demon summoners, or seductive enchantresses. The negative reputation came from misogynistic and oppressive practices of our past and has no basis in reality.
Many Types of Witches
Now that we’ve cleared up the rumors let’s dive into how witches practice their craft.
Most witches specialize. Think of them as doctors. Most doctors choose a specialty, like surgery, epidemiology, pediatrics, or gynecology. They’re all still doctors but focus on one area of expertise.
The same goes for witches. Many will choose a specialty, like moon magic, herbal remedies, astrology, runes, divinization, or crystals. They’re all witches, but they focus on the type of magic that speaks to them, designing most of their craft around it.
What’s an Eclectic Witch?
Like doctors, some witches prefer to generalize. Many forms of magic speak to them, and they don’t want to limit themselves to potions or tarot when there’s so much more to explore.
Eclectic witches combine the types of magic they love to form a practice that speaks to them. Some draw from all the different kinds of witchcraft and spirituality, while others focus on a few paths they love most.
Eclectic Witches and Spiritual Practices
An eclectic witch’s practice isn’t limited to modern ideas of witchcraft. Many also take inspiration from ancient forms, like yoga, animism, and ancient paganism, or cultural practices like Hoodo, Eastern philosophies, or shamanism. Some even draw from traditional religions like Buddhism.
The beauty of practicing as an eclectic witch is that you get to pick and choose what practices work for you, taking inspiration from humanity’s vast wealth of spiritual knowledge collected over millennia.
Defining Characteristics of Eclectic Witches
Although eclectic witches seem to have no bounds, a few defining characteristics define most (if not all) followers of this path.
Eclectic witches tend to:
- Celebrate Diversity
- Promote Inclusivity
- Embrace Spirituality
- Thirst for Knowledge
- Embrace Change
Celebrate Diversity
Eclectic witches come from all walks of life and practice all types of magic. They celebrate diversity because they use it in their craft, as their magic comes from all cultures.
Promote Inclusivity
Anyone can be an eclectic witch. Practitioners welcome each other with open arms, no matter what you look like, where you came from, or what your ancestors were. Anyone who wishes to be an eclectic witch can practice freely.
Embrace Spirituality
All witches embrace spirituality. Eclectic witches celebrate it in all forms, understanding that everyone has a unique perspective on spirituality and how it works for them.
Thirst for Knowledge
Eclectic witches want to know everything there is to know about the craft. The knowledge helps them build a spiritual practice that works for them. They may dabble in Earth magic, explore Wiccan practices, learn to read tea leaves and seek help from ancestors. When they understand how each form of magic works, they’ll take what speaks to them for their own practice.
Embrace Change
Though eclectic witches will explore ancient spiritual practices, they aren’t rigid about traditions. They’re open to adopting new practices and changing their ways when presented with new ideas. They embrace it, constantly aiming to improve their craft and discover new forms of magic.
How To Become an Eclectic Witch
If you want to dabble in all forms of witchcraft, you should become an eclectic witch. Though it seems like a lot, getting started is far easier than you think.
Step 1: Explore the Craft
The first thing any blossoming witch must do is explore the craft. Gather some books on spells and magic, join communities and covens, and start making magic at home.
Discover the wide range of spiritual practices witches use. Dabble in a wide range of crafts. Develop your green thumb in the garden as a green witch, create potions and elixirs as a kitchen witch, and explore different styles of spell work, rune magic, and witchcraft. Look to both ancient traditions and modern practices, discovering their commonalities and their differences.
The wide range of knowledge acquired while exploring the craft will arm you with everything you need to become a fully-fledged eclectic witch.
Step 2: Take What Speaks To You
Now that you understand the craft in all its forms, you can take what speaks to you. Grow a few plants, and use them in the kitchen or spell work. Perform your kitchen rituals under the light of the full moon.
Use what you learned to develop a personal practice that works for you, drawing inspiration from the world of witchcraft. Make a book of shadows that combines the elements of witchcraft you use so you have your own personal grimoire representing your journey.
Step 3: Refine Your Practice
An eclectic witch never stops discovering new ways to explore the craft. As you learn more about magic, spirituality, and your inner power, you’ll refine your practice, adding new things that speak to you and leaving old ways behind.
Congratulations! You’re an eclectic witch!
Embracing Witchcraft
Witchcraft has a sordid history and an even worse reputation, but at its heart, most practices are about embracing one’s inner power and exploring one’s personal spirituality. Magic celebrates our inner strength. We use tools, rituals, and incantations to channel the power within ourselves and effect change in our own lives.
The only people who don’t like it are those who fear an individual’s power. The truth is, we all have it, and we should embrace it for a happy life.