While it may be somewhat useful to include items in your practice that appeal to you like candles, crystals, incense, herbs and altar tools, none of these are necessary to practice effectively. In fact, all you really need is your intention and energy - that’s it. Your intention sets your focus for what you wish to accomplish and your energy is the outward expression of that intention into the Universe. You can create so much magick with only that. In this article I will describe ten ways you can practice witchcraft beyond conducting spells or performing rituals without any ritual tools or supplies.
- Commune with Nature. Take some time to get to know Mother Earth/Gaia and the Horned God/Cernunnos/Pan/The Green Man. This includes being aware of and attuned to the cycles of life and the forces of nature. Spend some time outside and become engaged with the world around you by focusing your attention on the sights, sounds and smells of your environment. Listen to the wind, the trees, the water. Feel the warmth of the sun, the touch of the grass, the wind in your hair. See how the leaves move, the colours of the sky, earth and rocks, and be aware of the multitude of organisms and animals that occupy that space. Commune with Nature and let the Earth know that you’re learning about and practicing the craft and would like to gain a deeper understanding of the cycles of nature and the ebb and flow of life. Learn about the four cardinal directions, what they represent and how these forces can help you and teach you.
- Visualization and Meditation. These practices can help you when setting your intentions and for focussing your energy. This is useful for becoming clear on what you want to accomplish and why. When you meditate on your goals and create a vision of what the actualization of those goals looks like, you create a blueprint that the Universe can work with to make those dreams a reality. Visualization and meditation also help to bring your head in line with your heart so that you are better able to feel the emotions that come with accomplishing what you have imagined. Focus is key, for the Universe cannot provide you with what you want if your mind and energy are scattered. Make meditation and visualization a regular habit to quiet your mind and focus on what it is that you desire to have, do or be.
- Energy Manipulation. One easy and effective way to practice energy manipulation is with the energy in your hands, specifically in the palm chakras. Rubbing your hands together warms up these chakras and awakens the energy to get it flowing. Once you get the energy moving you can hold your hands a few inches apart with your palms facing each other and try to visualize a ball of energy forming. Move your hands closer together and then further apart, trying to feel, manipulate and form the energy. You can practice shaping the energy, moving it from one hand to the other, or even try bouncing it like a ball. The more you practice these exercises the better you will become at creating and manipulating this energy. When you’re comfortable and confident in your ability to shape and manipulate energy, then you can practice directing it. You can use the energy you’ve generated to conduct a healing, to enchant an object or release it when casting spells.
- Herbalism and Natural Healing Techniques. Learning about an alternative healing modality can be very rewarding. While you would have to take (and pay for) formal lessons and training to become a certified practitioner in any field of alternative medicine, you can learn some effective techniques for free and on your own time online. Something as simple as a healing tea recipe using medicinal herbs can be beneficial. Learning about Reiki, Pranic Healing, healing therapies with sound such as binaural beats, solfeggio frequencies or Tibetan gongs can be done through the internet. How far you want to go with any healing modality, of course, is completely up to you.
- Divination and Spirit Work. You can experiment with various divination techniques to see what works for you. Through the different forms of divination, you can connect with the spirit world, your guides or your higher self to obtain insight and guidance. You can experiment with different techniques by making your own pendulum, using a deck of playing cards as tarot cards, or you can use a bowl of water or a mirror for scrying. Journaling and automatic writing are also ways in which you can receive messages from the spirit world. These techniques offer you the opportunity to practice using your intuition while opening your third eye (brow chakra).
- Community Involvement and Environmentalism. For the most part, society is not very welcoming of anyone who practices the craft. However, witches are a part of every community, regardless of whether that community likes it or not. We cannot simply separate or segregate from the society in which we live, for we are as much a part of a community as our friends and neighbours. Being involved and engaged in something greater than yourself, something beyond yourself, something which benefits the greater good, is just as much a part of practicing the craft as spell casting and ritual work. You can contribute to and engage in social activism and awareness simply by doing your part to recycle, being a conscious consumer, donating what you no longer need or volunteering to help those who are less fortunate. If you have the opportunity and ability to help others, then maybe you should.
- Shadow Work and Self-Care. These are fundamental to healing our wounds and our commitment to being the best we can be – both for ourselves and for those we love. Shadow work is necessary if we are to understand what triggers us, how we react unconsciously to what we feel threatens us and shows us exactly where our wounds are. When we heal ourselves, we are in a much better position to help and heal others. Making time for yourself is also an important aspect of self-care. You need to make yourself a priority and show the Universe that you matter, that you are important, and that you are worthy. Learning to say no when you need to and creating healthy boundaries are just as important as eating healthy food and engaging in regular exercise. Make it a habit to engage in a self-care routine that demonstrates your worth and value by taking care of yourself physically, psychologically and spiritually.
- Connect with a Deity. You can choose to connect to or work with certain Deities based on what aspects you admire most about them, how they relate to you, your system of beliefs and values and what you want and expect from them. You can get a lot of information on different Deities on the internet and see which ones appeal to you. If you find someone who you can relate to, learn as much about them as possible, including their history, mythology, how they prefer to be approached or addressed and what an appropriate offering might be. You can take time in your meditation session to commune with them and learn more about what their expectations are and how they can be most helpful to you.
- Incorporating Magick Into Your Daily Routine. Being mindful and conducting your daily routines with intention can bring the craft into your daily life. When cooking, you can be mindful of the herbs or spices you’re using and what their metaphysical properties are to infuse your meal with magick. You can be mindful of the direction in which you stir your coffee or tea – clockwise to bring something to you or to increase something and counter clockwise to repel something from you or draw it away from you. You can be mindful of and grateful for Mother Earth’s generosity in providing for you. You can even thank a glass of water for its life-sustaining energy. You can also make it a habit of knowing the phase of the moon, the meaning of the day of the week, or even what planetary hour it is to stay in tune with the natural cycles of life and nature.
- Continuous Learning, Growth, and Self-Improvement. There’s practically no end to what you can learn and who you can learn from. You can learn so much from the Earth, from others and even from yourself. The internet has provided us with so many opportunities to explore and so many ways of connecting with others that the possibilities are endless. The more you know the more you grow. Growth is the natural state of being – everything living things aspires to grow, and so should you. This is your path, walk in confidence knowing that every step you take is leading you to greater awareness, knowledge, empowerment and self-mastery.
