How?

[mintcookie]

How do people start training to be a witch...?

[watershield]

I don't think you do, it just sort of happens.
To believe in something different from the Christian, Jewish, Islamic teachings makes you a pagan.
Do a search on Pagan in wikipedia for a better deffinition.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

But being pagan does not necessarily make you a witch.
I don't believe in any gods other than that which resides in each of us. And while I am reasonably proficiant at energy weaving (spell crafting) I don't consider myself a witch.

The first thing you must understand is your own beliefs and moral sets. How do you see right and wrong as concepts in this life? Is it wrong to intentionally harm another or does it matter? Do you revire a rock as you do a deer, a tree, or another person?

What I'm getting at is that there are many paths that one may follow. Before you can begin to find your way, you must understand where you are.

Some time ago, (I think it was hedge) a post was made covering a number of different traditions. I had a quick but could not find it. I'll keeping looking but if anyone else can link it....

[watershield]

I found one link Angelis posted:

acovenofwitches.proboards58.com/index.cgi?board=talk&action=display&thread=1128452770

But I do remember another

[Ebony]

read, read, read.

Keep a journal, write down your feelings, write down things you read that means something to you (be sure to reference it because you will eventually wonder where you got the info). Write down what you believe in, what you don't believe in.

then, read, read, read.....

[caine]

Also keep in mind that you don't need to be a wiccan to be a witch. I think that you should also be aware of the philosophies of the occult. Ceremonial magick, Satanism, Chaos magick whatever you can get your hands on. Also don't believe something because you read it in a book, you shouldn't try to place any label as your goal and imulate people who claim to have such a label.

[Goth]

mintcookie said:

How do people start training to be a witch...?

Read as much as you can. Anything by the Farrars (Stewart & Janet), Doreen Valiente, Scott Cunningham, Raymond Buckland, Dorothy Morrison and Aleister Crowley ~ is what I would recommend.

Learn shielding, grounding, visualisation and meditation techniques, become more 'mindful' of your actions, and of the world around you. Learn to see the 'sacred' in all living and inanimate things. Discover your inner energy and learn how/why to use, control, manipulate and project it, in order to benefit yourself and others..

Gaze at the moon, take a walk in the woods, stroll along a beach at sunset, hug or sit under a tree and feel it's energy...notice every detail and try and feel a connection with these things. Take responsibilty for your life and everything in it. Realise that where you are today, is because you chose to be there. Understand that there are karmic repercussions (good and bad) for every action [magickal and mundane] that you perform...think before you act and acknowledge and accept those repercusssions.


Familiarise yourself with the elements of air, earth, fire and water and find out what represents these elements and how they will benefit you. Study herbs and crystals and their magickal and healing properties.

Make your home/room your sacred space. Display items that are meaningful to you. Notice how it smells, how it looks, how it sounds, how welcoming it is, and more importantly, how it feels. Burn a candle and meditate on the flame.

Music is an excellent medium to use when discovering your path to spirituality. Pick music that you identify with. Music can also help you improve your visualisation skills.

Acknowledge the magick and sacredness in everyday, mundane tasks.

If you feel an affinity/connection with anything you've learned, start to incorporate it into your everyday practices.

Discover what makes you 'you'. Every witch follows a different path...one that is personal to them.

Good luck on your journey