Having researched witchcraft for almost four years now, I have a few general tips to share with you that may help you along with your own practice. 

Research… 

There are a few basic things you should definitely research before getting started. You will learn a lot over time, but you should at least know how to get through a full spell without needing to open up Google halfway through. Here are some ideas on what to research when starting out: 

• Protection
• Divination methods 
• Spell and ritual construction 
• Different religions and perspectives on witchcraft and spirituality 

…but don’t let it stop you from actually practising. 

Sometimes hesitancy can arise from feeling unprepared and being afraid that you do not know enough yet. In many cases, you just need to trust yourself and do it anyway because otherwise you may never feel ready. The skills you will gain through practice will often be different to those you will gain through research. 

Focus on developing some of these multi-purpose skills: 

• Practise meditation daily. In my personal experience, you cannot get very far in witchcraft without the skills you acquire through meditation. It doesn’t need to be elaborate; practising can be as simple as breathing deeply and drawing your attention to the present moment for a few minutes every day. 
• Practise lucid dreaming. Many different practices can involve lucid dreaming. For example, many of those who believe in reality shifting believe that they can transport their awareness to other realities by building a portal of some kind while in their dream. Being lucid allows them to do this. 
• Practise divination. Witchcraft often involves asking a lot of questions, so if you do not know how to receive those answers, your experience will be very limited. Experiment with different methods, such as tarot card reading, pendulum dowsing, scrying, etc. and find which one works best for you. 

Try not to overthink it. 

A lot of witchcraft and spirituality involves feeling rather than thinking. That is when you are in the moment of course – please always think critically about what you learn. In his book Consorting with Spirits, Jason Miller says to “Engage the experience without doubt while it is happening. Analyze it critically after it is over.” Otherwise, you may “…fall into the clutches of either extreme doubt or unquestioning acceptance.” 

Be consistent.

Consistency is definitely beneficial. That is certainly not to say that you need to cast a spell every day, but it can be difficult to make progress if you are constantly reminding yourself of what you have previously done. It is especially important if you are starting up deity work – building a relationship can be hard if you show a lack of commitment. 

Look into your ancestry. 

If you are stuck with questions like “What pantheon should I research?”, a great way to start is to look at what your ancestors may have practised. Many religions also have a focus on ancestors, so knowing who they are can certainly help.