Why I practice witchcraft
Why do you practice witchcraft? What is the purpose of your practice?
While it is not always necessary to have a reason for everything we do, I still find myself pondering these questions lately.
When I started out as what the cool kids online call a “baby witch”, most, if not all, of my craft was aimed at making myself feel better. In hindsight, I would call my practice “wellness-craft” instead of witchcraft. I did tarot readings to understand the inner workings of my busy mind, burned herbs to ease my nervous conditions, and smoke cleansed the shit out of my home. I think you get the picture.
I am a C-PTSD survivor. To heal myself, I have been going to therapy, taking medication, and reading more self-help books than I have spoons in my kitchen drawer. At first, witchcraft and the occult seemed like a perfect new tool to add to my weapon arsenal in the intimate war I fought against my illness.
None of the things I tried as a beginner were “bad”. They didn’t hurt anyone. A lot of them helped me through tough times. But as my practice started to shift into another direction, through deeper studies and experiences, I started to wonder.
What is the difference between self-help activities and what I call “modern witchcraft”?
I don’t intend to shame my past self or anyone who engages in these kinds of practices. I do the same on a more or less regular basis. But I personally don’t call them witchcraft any more.
In my opinion “true witchcraft” doesn’t exist. As any other spiritual practice it is highly individual. What is true for me is not necessarily true for you, and vice versa.
In today’s article I want to share my personal experience on my journey from “baby witch” to whatever it is I am now. Since my practice started to change, so did my perspective. What I currently do in my craft does not make me feel better. It helps me be better.
Witchcraft is not therapy.
To me, therapy is a great tool to help you zero in on yourself. Put yourself at the center of your attention and take a good look.
I experience witchcraft as quite the opposite. Zoom out and recognize yourself as a tiny part of a much bigger whole. This is liberating and can create a great sense of peace. Witchcraft is not another tool to upgrade yourself into a “better” version. It is about accepting yourself as you are. Thus, it is not about seeking union solely with your self, but with the life and land around you.
I have found my spiritual anchor point in folk witchcraft.
After digging deep into local lore and German folk practices, I noticed to my delight that most of the things I did intuitively were all mentioned in the sources. It reminded me of Aidan Wachter’s words: “[...] there is little that is truly necessary to learn, but much to remember.”
I eventually learned about the importance of the body as the literal place where all the magic happens. Our bones know what our minds can not grasp. The overemphasis I placed on my mind hindered not only my craft but also my mental healing progress.
Focusing on the body made me notice the wound I carry inside.
I often feel lost and alone. I feel disconnected from the land I live on and from the people who came before me.
I think this sense of spiritual lack is quite common in the Western world. The gods worshiped here are called money, profit, and power. Our society values isolation over connection, competition over cooperation.
Learning about folk witchcraft also made me aware of how Christian my mindset is.
I am used to dividing the world and my own actions into good and evil, judging everything, and always trying to be “good” while suppressing the darker aspects of myself. Recognizing my own tendency for black and white-thinking is the necessary first step to learn to perceive the world in its many different shades.
Instead of struggling against my heritage, I try to embrace it for what it is. Many of my ancestors were Christian. I can't just erase the generations that came before me because they don't fit into my romantic fantasy of earth centered Germanic pagans living in tribes.
I am not a fan of recreating old pagan practices. Nor do I think that you need to be of a certain heritage to participate in the spirituality that you feel drawn to. In my opinion, we have to carve out our own tradition. Rooted in the past but firmly grounded in the present.
The old gods and spirits are still here.
The land remains. The soil, the trees, and the stones are still present. And so are we. We are alive now.
We can create our own path. Tend to the land. Listen to the spirits.
That is the reason I practice witchcraft. To become a warden of the land, a sort of caretaker for the beings in and around me.
That is what most of my practice is currently about. Building relationships with the land, learning from its inhabitants. It's not flashy or fancy, but it's fulfilling. It gives me a sense of purpose and belonging. I don't think that the spirits of the land need me, but I know that I need them.
Even after years of practicing I am still a beginner. Curious, eager to learn, and excited for what the future may hold.
My craft is always evolving. Just as I am changing as a human being, so do my motivations to practice witchcraft.
While I can not explain them with words, I know them in my bones.
And in the end, this is all the reason I need to keep going.
That’s it for this week’s article!
I hope you can find value in my writing.
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