Eye Harvester's #W101

Witchcraft 101 Episode #6

Pathworking

By now, you're probably all pumped up, feeling really magickal, just so excited to be a witch.
Because you are one, now.

You know magick. I'm not prejudiced in any way, but the truth is witches are just....not better,
but certainly more able, with broader capability. Take me, for example. A regular person can use
anything in this world, but I have access to THREE worlds. I just have access to three times
more resources than they do.

And, not surprisingly, witches and craft folk have more interesting lives than muggles. We talk
to spirits and faeries, we see deeper meanings everywhere, it's exciting, personally fulfilling,
and, well, just more magickal.

But there is so much out there, books to read, people to learn from, little jars of herbs and faery
figurines. So many paths, you can pick whatever you like, but no one can actually learn it all.

So let's narrow it down a little bit. We're going to talk about paths, and afterwards, we'll pick a
couple, just to simplify our lives, and put out a simple definition for ourselves, an intention, just
for now.

Some witches hate the labels, they feel like it is insufficient to define themselves so simply, puts
them in a stereotypical box. I agree, but, just for now, we are going to use it to narrow our search
for knowledge, so we're not overwhelmed. Also, if you tell me what your interests are, I can
personalize your reading list, and give exercises just for your individual path.
What do we mean when we say "path?" We mean the long and winding process of expanding our
magickal knowledge, plus other, more personal goals, personal progress of the mind, body, soul,
or whatever. Dedication to the earth, or Jesus, Vishnu, or any diety. Ancestor worship, energy
work, healing or cursing.

Your "path" is just your own personal experience of magick, and your goals in mystical practice,
such as astrally traveling, or Rieki healing, or simply increasing your power.

So here is a very long, but by no means all inclusive list of different types of magick, from
Wiccan Spells .com

1. Alexandrian Witch

Back in the 1960s, a chap named Alex Sanders and his wife Maxine funded a movement that’s
now recognized as ‘Alexandrian Wicca.’ It is very much based on the Gardnerian Wicca
practices, but it incorporates elements of ceremonial magic and Qabalah, too.

Like most Wiccans, Alexandrian witches emphasize gender polarity. There are three levels of
witchcraft, following an initiation, that an Alexandrian Witch can attain.

2. Augury Witch

The Roman term ‘augurs’ stands for someone whose task is to find out whether the gods approve
of a particular course of action taken by an individual. These witches can find this out by
interpreting sacred signs and omens that the individual has encountered on their spiritual journey.
An Augury Witch can thus check whether the traveller is on the ‘right path.’

It’s important to distinguish an Augury Witch from a Witch who performs divination and tells
prophecies – an Augury Witch is an interpreter between the mysterious cosmic forces and a
person on a spiritual quest.
3. Ceremonial Witch

Like the name suggests, Ceremonial Witches hold ceremonies and rituals in high esteem.
They’re likely to get their practices from a book, and follow a ritual or a ceremony to the letter
when executing it. They might have a Book of Shadows always handy, and they might also draw
on their knowledge of more scientific approaches, such as sacred mathematics and quantum
mysticism. They’re also likely to call upon archetypal figures and recognized spiritual entities
that represent the kind of energy they wish to manifest.

4. Dianic Witch

The most feminist of all Wiccan movements, the Cult of Diana focuses primarily on the worship
of the Goddess. Dianic witches usually worship her through all three of her aspects – Maiden,
Mother and Crone. Thus, a Dianic Witch is always a woman (sorry, fellas!).

There is an offshoot of Dianic Wicca called ‘Arcadian Wicca’ that came about in the 1950s and
allows men to attain equal status as women, recognizing the divine masculine, along with the
feminine.

5. Druid

Historically, we don’t know much about Druids, as not many written documents about them have
survived, except for a few sources, such as Julius Caesar’s diary of ‘The Gallic Wars’. He
described Druidry as a somewhat organized religion, with their own rites and rituals, and a
priestly class who acted as guardians of ancient laws and could execute judgement over others.

Neo-druids take most of their practices from sources stemming back to the Romanticism
Movement of the 18th century. These Druids do not follow any sacred text or dogma, but they
have a spiritual vision of life. They believe that another world exists that we’re not always able
to perceive.
Many Druids worship nature, engage in prayer, meditation and ceremonies that mark important
passages in nature.

6. Eclectic Witch

Eclectic witches don’t follow a certain religion or practice. Instead, they tune into their own
intuition (or some like to call it their Higher Self) and engage in practices that work for them
alone. They might have certain rites or ceremonies that they observe, derived from their own
study of numerous schools of thought and witchcraft. However, these practices are largely their
own creation and used for their purposes alone.

7. Faery Witch

Somewhat similar to the Eclectic Witch, a Faery Witch also has her own practices and
ceremonies that she observes. However, by observing these, a Faery Witch tends to seek out
communication with the faery folk and nature spirits. However, there is no organized practice of
Faery Witches, so many of their approaches are individual.

8. Gardnerian

Witch A Gardnerian Witch follows the practices of Gardnerian Wicca that emerged in the 1950s,
thanks to Gerald Gardner whom many consider as the ‘father of Wicca’. Since then, the practice
has spread throughout the world.

Many witches who practice Gardnerian Wicca promote strong feelings for nature, engage in
colourful rituals and challenge religious and societal conventions.
You can only become a Gardnerian Witch by initiation – you cannot initiate yourself. To
progress through the various degrees in the movement, you must go through a structured system
where you gradually learn more and more about witchcraft.

9. Green Witch

A Green Witch predominantly communicates with Mother Earth and works with Her energies.
She most often uses natural items and places (such as sacred oak tree groves or lakes) in her rites
and rituals. She does this, so that she can be closer to the Divine spirit that she can sense most
strongly in nature.

A Green Witch usually makes her own materials for ritual practice, and there are two distinct
types of Green Witches – a Flora Witch (who uses mostly flowers and floral materials in her
practice) and a Herbal Witch (who uses predominantly herbs and other types of plants).

10. Hedge Witch

Most often symbolized by a type of bird (a goose or a raven), the Hedge Witch has the ability to
venture into the Otherworld and communicate with the spirit realm. Thus, the Hedge Witch is
recognized as a powerful healers or midwife.

She specializes in deliverance of spiritual messages into our physical reality and vice versa. It’s a
very much Earth-based practice of spirituality. But what does ‘hedge’ have to do with it? In the
past, a ‘hedge’ would mark a boundary of a village or settlement, and thus represents the
boundary between our physical reality and the spirit world.

11. Hereditary Witch

You can only be a Hereditary Witch if you are born into a family where the members practice
witchcraft, and have passed the practice down from generation to generation. Of course, if you’re
born into such a family, you still have the freedom of choice. You can only become a Hereditary
Witch if you consciously accept the practice – no one can force it on you.

12. Kitchen Witch

A Kitchen Witch may not be what first springs to your mind. She’s not confined to the kitchen,
where she cooks potions and brews magical stews. She uses practical tools to engage in rituals,
ceremonies and magick.

A Kitchen Witch enjoys making her home and surroundings a sacred place, making practical
and mundane everyday tasks sacred. In this sense, the practices of a Kitchen Witch are somewhat
similar to the practices of mindfulness.

13. Secular Witch

While a Secular Witch may use tools such as crystals, herbs and stones in her practices, she does
not recognize them as divine or spiritual. A Secular Witch does believe that the materials she
uses and the energies that she connects with come from the natural world and the Earth, but she
doesn’t necessarily worship any deities or spirits.

14. Shaman

A Shaman is someone who can reach altered states of consciousness by engaging in certain
shamanistic practices. When a Shaman enters a trance state, they have access to the spirit realm,
and they can communicate with and sometimes even influence both benevolent and malevolent
spirits. They can channel their messages, as well as performing divination and healing.

15. Solitary Witch

Legend has it that these witches have practiced their craft over many lifetimes, and upon
reaching puberty their knowledge is re-awakened. They begin to remember their craft and
therefore don’t need the help of a group or organization to perform their magick rites.

Read more: http://wiccanspells.info/wiccan-pagan-articles/15-different-types-of-witches/

So that's just 15 paths, out of hundreds to choose from . Pick one or two, just to temporarily
narrow your focus. I started as just a Solitary Wiccan, adding green magick, kitchen witchcraft,
ceremonial magick, druidry, hedge wizardry, and now shamanism to my path.

-----

So that was different types of witches, and each witch uses different Types of Magick. Here is
another long, but not complete, list, this time of 8 of the major kinds of magick, also from
Wiccan Spells.

1. High Magick

Also known as “Ceremonial” or “Ritualized” magick, it is very formal, elaborate, intricate,

It involves things such as symbolism, complex astrology and numerology, and the summoning
of otherworldly entities. The purposes of High Magick are aimed towards spiritual growth and
higher purposes.

2. Low Magick
Also known as “Earth Magick,” it can also be aimed at spiritual growth, but generally is more
concerned with mundane, every-day life.

It can be ritualized, or not ritualized at all, though generally is less ritualized than High Magick.
While study and practice are also required for Low Magick, it relies more on instinct,
spontaneity, and creativity.

The terms “High” and “Low” are not meant to denote that one form is superior or the other
inferior. I didn’t make up these terms, I’m just informing you of them. I am not trying to put
anyone down. I personally practice Low Magick, by my own choice. In my opinion, being
offended by these terms is taking things too personally. Think of one as classical music and the
other as jazz. Neither is necessarily better or worse, they are just different styles with different
approaches, and everyone has their preference.

3. Divination

Divination involves all types of magick in which the goal is to peer into the future and glean
some possible answers as to what lies in store. Personally, I do not believe the future is set in
stone, so in using divination, I only seeking what could happen if I continue on my current
course of action (or non-action). If I don’t like the outcome, I change my course.

In my opinion, every person studying magick should take up some form of divination. I find it
useful when planning a spell to divine what the outcome might be. Occasionally, I find that the
outcome is not what I had in mind, which makes me reconsider changing the goal or the
approach, or casting the spell at all.

While some people can simply have visions during trances or dreams, most find one of the many
tools of divination useful, such as Tarot cards, I-Ching, Runes, tea leaf readings, pendulums, or
scrying.

4. Sympathetic Magick
Sympathetic magick involves any magick in which one object is used to represent someone, to
the extent that the two become “linked.” After that, whatever is done to the object, happens to the
person.

The most common form of sympathetic magick that people are familiar with is the Voodoo doll.
Sympathetic magick can be performed with a doll or a poppet, but also with an object that
belonged to the person, or even a photograph.

While most people associate sympathetic magick with hexing thanks to fiction, in reality
sympathetic magick could help with achieving any goal- healing, prosperity, love, etc.

5. Talismanic Magick

Magick involved in the creation of a talisman or amulet– that is, an object that has been charmed.
The purpose is to draw (or repel) specific energies. Talismans are created and then carried or
worn. They can be man-made objects, or objects found in nature.

It’s best to choose an object that is conducive to the goal. For example, to draw love, make a
talisman out of rose quartz, spring of rosemary, or a heart necklace– things that are associated
with love.

6. Folk Magick

Folk magick is often passed down in families or cultures since before we can trace it’s origins,
it’s so deeply rooted. Folk magick, so named for being magick of the common folk, is one of the
least ritualized, most spontaneous forms of magick, usually involving chants, gestures, symbols,
or natural items. It is extremely practical and ready to go.
Some examples are drawing a hex sign on a doorway to ward evil, a healing chant muttered over
a burn, or sprinkling lavender around the bed for a peaceful night’s sleep.

7. Elemental Magick

Elemental magick is, of course, utilizing the energies of the sacred Elements (Earth, Air, Fire,
and Water) in spells, or working with tools and components that symbolize/represent them.

It is powerful but can get complex in the many various assocations that need to be learned and
considered. Elemental magick takes into account not just the element being used, but the timing,
tools, direction, and various other correspondences.

Several other types of magick can technically fall under the elemental magick umbrella because
they utilize the energies of specific elements, but these types have risen to become
concentrations in themselves.

8. Petition Magick

This type of magick most closely resembles prayer. Petition magick is when you petition some
Higher Power to grant you what you desire. “Ask” is the operative word; not “command.” In
this, you also should be willing to accept “no” as an answer.

This is great for when you’re simply not sure if you have a right to manipulate something, but
you feel moved to make some kind of appeal.

And then there's even more than that, just infinite kinds of magick. Some witches use colors to
define their paths, but that offends other witches, to be referred to as black, white or grey.

Read more: http://wiccanspells.info/wiccan-pagan-articles/different-types-magick/

Keep reading, writing and meditating. Practice a spell if you want, this time in a magick circle,
even write your own if you feel confident.

Stay on the lookout for magick tools and symbols, especially in nature, but also at thrift stores
and garage sales. Find and visit your local occult or metaphysical store, as soon as possible. They
LOVE talking to newbies.

Today, your assignment is to pick one or two paths, or types witch, and write your choice in the
comments below. I will then discuss your choice with each of you individually.

Also read over the 8 types of magick, and ask some questions. I will answer them, also
individually, when I discuss your path with you.

Class dismissed

Brightest Blessings

Eye Harvester