How do you begin your witchcraft journey? Of course, there is no one right way. Depending on which area of witchcraft you are interested in, whether that be green witchcraft or lunar witchcraft for example, you may alter what you research, what tools and materials you collect, and what spells and rituals you conduct. However, here is a basic structure that can generally be applied to the beginning of any path.

1. BEFORE ANYTHING – RESEARCH! In terms of the internet, I have learnt, and continue to learn, from a wide range of websites that specialise in the topic I am researching at the time – no one website (or book, for that matter) has answers to it all. The beginner resources listed below are just some of my favourite books, Instagram pages and YouTube videos that I know contain more than one piece of useful information.

Disclaimer: I have not watched every video, read every post, or fact checked all the information accessible via these links/resources, so learn from them at your own discretion.
Book: The Witch’s Way by Shawn Robbins and Leanna Greenaway – (I cannot recommend this one enough!)

Instagram:
 https://www.instagram.com/the_celestial_witch/
 https://www.instagram.com/wiccantips/

YouTube:
 https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoUbV6VYS1RKV68HehPsUSaXazNvZDMub – (This playlist of videos by Harmony Nice is very Wiccan-based, but it still contains a lot of great general information)
 https://www.youtube.com/c/Mintfaery/videos

2. What do you need to practice witchcraft? Basically any witch you find on the mainstream spiritual side of the internet will tell you that you don’t need anything besides intention – which is completely correct. Intention is always needed, no matter how small or big the spell is, and frequently, it can work alone. However, bigger workings often require the added power of external tools and materials, so here is a basic list (you do not need everything):

Tools:
 Athame
 Wand
 Cauldron
 Incense stick holder
 Grimoire – (a notebook which is used to record all your magickal workings and their results)

Materials:
 Candles – all colours
 Oil – e.g., Dragon’s Blood, Road Opener, Jinx Removing, etc.
 Herbs
 Salt – e.g., sea salt, black salt, Himalayan salt, etc.
 Crystals – tumbles and chips (especially if you intend on making spell jars)
 Incense – resins and sticks

3. You have accumulated knowledge and a bunch of tools and materials – now what? It is always best to begin with protection spells and basic divination, whether that means using tarot cards, oracle cards, pendulums, or something else. Even if deity work is something that interests you, it is often recommended that you do not start off with something as complex as that. Trust me, I look back and cringe – not just at what I did, but at the fact I read recommendations just like this and still chose to attempt it. The same goes for other work with other spirits/entities.

3.1. Now this is important: Only practice when you are in a good mood and well-rested! Magickal workings consume a lot of energy, so only practice when you are feeling your best. Otherwise, the spell may fail or backfire.

Do not rush the process – everything requires practice. Do not get discouraged if it does not work on the first few tries; I can guarantee you that your results will get better over time.