r/witchcraft

I have been practicing on and off for about 4-5 years and while I have done some work that has helped me get jobs and raises I find that there hasn't been much change in my life. I realize that my lack of commitment to the craft is probably the reason I haven't gained a significant amount of change in my physical life but I do think, through the use of tarot, that I've realized that I need to focus on myself more and that will help with the change I think I'm needing.

Anyways, enough about me. I thought this would be a nice topic for us to reflect on how your practice has changed your life or made you realize things about yourself that you feel like you wouldn't have figured out otherwise.

i’ve done some egg cleansings lately and my egg keeps coming out cobweb-like each time. from my research it appears like i may have people who are envious of me. could that possibly be a hex itself?

i would say ive been struggling in important aspects of my life (work mainly), to the point where i had to take a massive paycut just to get by. its been like this for a few years now even though it feels like im doing everything i can to get out of this rut. whereas before, although i wouldn’t say it was easy, but what i was looking for wasn’t as difficult to find.

i suspect who would be envious of my previous accomplishments/situation but i havent spoken to them in years and they probably think im still in my previous situation as far as they know.

im just looking for some guidance from the community! Thank you all so much

If you are Wiccan, you know what an Athame is, if you aren't Wiccan but practice witchcraft, you probably still know. These are not the only ritual knives of Wicca, however.

The Athame

Generally black handled and double edged, though both of these aspects can vary by tradition. The Athame is a knife meant to cut energies. not anything physical, so it commonly is not a sharpened blade, though it can be.

This is the primary knife of a Wiccan altar, carrying the position of most import when it comes to actual magic.

The Bolene

The Sickle, the herbalist working knife. These are commonly found with a ungainly crescent moon shape stylized to look more "witchy", but thst isn't a necessity. The traditional bolene is a small sickle, with a deeply curved blade for cutting a handful of herbs cleanly and with precision. This knife commonly features a plain wooden handle, though white has become increasingly popular.

this is commonly considered the working knife of an altar set, but is poorly suited for most tasks beyond its designed purpose.

The Kirfane

What? Never heard of it? That isn't surprising because it isn't a commonly considered tool anymore, but it should be.

The Kirfane is the true "white handled knife". Commonly consisting of a single edged blade, twice the length of a white or bone handle. this is the belt knife, the chopper, scriber, slicer, and general purpose do it all knife of the Wiccan.

It isn't commonly mentioned, but its the knife everyone should have. it does all of the mundane, physical jobs that are required. I personally consider this to be more important than the athame for the average covener, its the workhorse.

Let's hear what people have and use. I'm always up for a good tool discussion.

i saw a witch saying she tries not to complain much when journaling and if she does want to write about something negative, she does it in a separate notebook that’s magically “locked” so whatever is put in there stays in there.

it kinda got me thinking and stressed out a bit tbh. i like to use the same notebook for everything (like those 5 section ones) because if i try to use separate ones for everything ill end up forgetting about at least a few of them.

if you’re venting/working through more traumatic things in the same notebook as you’re using to motivate yourself, will that conflict? or if you’re writing both your more positive sp3lls/sigils in the same notebook as baneful workings?

Hi there! Hope you all who read this are doing well. Ive practiced magick since 2014, mainly of a wiccan flavor. Over the years my beliefs have varied a bit and i became more and more open minded.

Usually when i do spells, ill cast a circle, calling the elements then calling deity and doing my work. But i know theres a good chunk of people who dont cast circles at all. Only a few times ive not done it, but it just seems weird lol. To those of you who really dont use circles, what do you do before your work? Do you just get your stuff and get down to business? Do you pray for protection first? Does it seem like your spells are more potent with a circle versus without?

Im just curious on others' perspectives here. Thanks, and be well!

Hello! I'm a very new witch and I have two questions for anyone for experienced:

1. Do I have to practice certain things, like doing Tarots or Divination related things? Because I don't really mind much interest in things like that

2. How do any of you find out what kinds of offerings specific Deities like or find appealing?

Sorry if this stuff is an inconvenience or was already asked, but I'm just really curious and couldn't find things like this on the FAQs to my knowledge

I've been doing a lot of research on the pagan Lucifer and was wanting some advice (types offerings or things for the altar) as well as to hear your experiences!

I've only worked with Aphrodite and her altar was very straight forward, so I'm having a hard time getting my bearings with working with Lucifer.

Recently my spouse brought a beautiful little Catrina home and I was immediately drawn to it. I started placing it on my makeshift altar whenever I assemble it. But then I began to wonder, is this a representation of Santa Muerte? I don’t work with any deities and don’t plan to and I have no idea why I put this little figure on my altar, I’ve just felt drawn to it.

Am I messing with something I shouldn’t? Should I leave this off my altar because it doesn’t have a purpose?

I live in a very old home (1860s). This is my grandmas house (she’s alive but traveling the world and she gifted me the house I grew up in). Right across the street is a cemetery. One I have family in, just recently buried my great grandmother there. Husband even has family there too.

There has been an energy shift in the past few months from the cemetery. It used to be more welcoming and loving, now there just is a weird looming feeling that just has me uneasy. I have not stepped foot inside the cemetery in months (since we buried my great grandma). We usually go and clean up in the spring time, visit those who have had family long gone and no visitors. Just showing love and care. I can’t even do that since *something* is off and I just don’t know what it is.

I’m a baby witch, so I’d love advice on how to protect my house and family. Especially since the cemetery is RIGHT across the street.

I was Christian for the first decade or so of my life. I now identify as somewhere between Atheist and Agnostic. Ive been interested in witchcraft-related stuff for a really long time, but mostly in fictional contexts.

I want to learn how to cast spells and make wards but i feel like it would be somewhat disingenuous for a non-believer to do those things, and it would be hard for me to not feel kinda silly.

I really want to believe in Witchcraft, genuinely. I think I’m just too cynical. Help?

Hey 👋🏻 I am building a massive Herb Grimoire. I'm including absolutely anything and everything about each flower, tree, plant, etc that I can find. Magickal properties, both baneful and non-baneful. Element association, deity association, color association, Zodiac association/planetary association...

It will also include whether or not the plant in question has medicinal usage as well as how to use it/some history behind it's usage.

And of course warnings ⚠️ about toxicity and poisoning.

I'm struggling to find magickal properties for lesser known, not used as much, or even wild plants/fungi. (Example, morel mushrooms. Do you know of any magickal use these possess?)

I'm majorly lacking in fungi to list, actually. They don't seem to be a favorite among us to use.

I'd love some fellow witch input and help.

Feel particularly passionate about a certain plant or flower? Do you use a plant in a unique way that you've had good results with?

Some overall suggestions and advice would be appreciated!

Blessed Be 💕💕💕

I’m a complete noob to all things occult/magickal. I’d like to begin practicing, but before I start I want to have a solid framework to be operating in.

My biggest point of confusion is how spirits come into and out of existence, and whether they are governed by/subject to any other beings or laws. It seems like most people understand spirits as independent agents who don’t really align with human morality; if “goodness” is only good inasmuch as it serves humanity, does that imply that there’s no real “greater good”? Is there no inherent strength to moral and good spirits over evil ones? How did everything come to be anyway?

As I mentioned before, I’m new to this so please feel free to point me towards any books that go into this side of things, ideally from a philosophical perspective.

I don't have anyone else to talk to about these things, but I feel the need to do so.

For the record. I've been dealing with what I thought were allergies for the last 2 days. It was actually a respiratory infection. I rarely get sick.

I've heard about God's that witches work with. For the last two weeks I've had gnats with no explanation. I've never had a gnat problem before. Then I kept getting electronics malfunctions and odd sounds around my home. My cats recently got an interest in knocking down my protection wards, but I brushed it off. as them doing cat things. They've never cared about my wards before.

I do some more research and find out some gods can be associated with gnats. One of them was Loki. I did a tarot reading and pulled out multiple cards that represents Loki.

I found it odd that a God was reaching out to me. Why would they? So I say out loud "If you're Loki, show up in my dream and tell me what you want". I also do some tarot cards and pull out a card associated with Loki, so I think it's probably him. I was doing a good luck spell for work and tried to blow out the candles. They did not go out, which has never happened before. I try again to blow them out and I had no luck. I blew onto the candles so hard that I got melted wax everywhere amd they still did not go out.

I then say out loud, that I have to go to sleep for work and was finally able to blow my candles out. The spell was to create good luck and banish all negative energies and entities during my next work shifts.

I never dream. That night I dreamed I was in a zombie apocalypse. This old woman asked me to promise to help her get her relatives in her home. I agreed and we go to her home. Zombies are everywhere but the van protects us. I pulled up to the house and it was clear of zombies. Before I get out the van, I get an intense feeling that this was a trap. I decide to go back on my promise and was drive to safety. I look back to see the old woman, and her eyes changed into black. I feel her anger radiating off her. She tells me "You broke your promise". I wake up and I feel a bit sicker but not enough to call off work yet.

I tough it out and go to work. Looking back I can't tell if the protection spell was trying to banish the thing in my apartment or it was manipulating the spell because my last shift was not great. The spell has never failed before.

I get home and go to sleep and wake up even sicker. I felt so sick that I called off today.

I do self care. I'm super dense and it takes me a while to interpret the dream. I get the feeling this was NOT Loki reaching out to me. I reflect and decide to do some tarot cards with a tealight for spirit connection.

I asked if it was Loki. I pulled Wands and cups cards. I had a gut feeling it was lying to me. I asked it 2 more times if it was a deity or God. I remember pulling the moon card and another card that meant "maybe".

I put more of my energy into my deck with the intention to get the absolute truth out of whatever this thing was. I ask it if it was Loki. I pulled Swords card which meant, no, to me. I get annoyed and ask it if it's a God. I pulled Tower card. That's when I put all the pieces together and ask it if it is evil and wants to do harm to me. I pull a definite, yes, card.

And that's when I decided to triple cleanse my entire home. I'm planning on charging up my current wards and making some more wards.

In the past I had spiritual friends that have told me spirits can lie and pretend to be someone else. I feel the need to share in case any new witches see this. Be careful who you talk to in the spiritual realm.

What are you're thoughts on this? I'm curious.

So I recently completed a Creativity Spell. Upon completion, my ceramic spell tray that I've done multiple spells in, broke in half. I've seen three different takes on the cause of this. 1) The spell worked but the release of the energy was so heavy, it passed through the tray and broke it. 2) The spell was rejected, but again flow of energy was so powerful, it broke. or 3) Thermal expansion caused the ceramic plate to break, scientific reasoning only. I'm not sure what to think, myself honestly. Any thoughts from you all?

TLDR: Seeking help on undoing an energy manipulation spell and repenting for what I did.

I got jealous of a partner who was seeing other people and I wrote their name under a red candle and imagined their love for me amplifying so they’d only be with me. I usually perform shadow-work and I have done shadow work for every spell without fail for two years.

I’m an Electic witch and I pray to Ochosi and Hecate. I’ve asked for my spirit guides to help me undo the spell and to guide me back onto the right path, but my usually strong inuition isn’t helping me find a way to reverse this spell.

I feel so guilty that I can’t breathe properly, minutes atter I casted the spell he called me crying and apologizing and I just felt lost. I got what I wanted in the moment but in the end I’m realized that I fought against the universe when it gave me signs to leave, something that I’ve never wanted or will ever want to do again.

The only Idea I have to reverse the spell is using a white candle and mirror and taking the excess energy I gave him and absorbing it, since it had to of come from somewhere. I assume I unintentionally used my energy in the first place since I didn’t use any crystals in my angry haze.

Any advice is important, thank you.

like the title suggests, I'm a beginner witch and I've been told that I can't do shadow Work without a tarot deck. are there any other ways? and can someone give me an in depth explanation of shadow Work? I can understand the basics but I don't want to miss anything I need to know.

My evil eye bracelet I’ve worn for at least 8 years broke today; can anyone give me a few suggestions to help me gain clarity on why it broke now?