Beginner in Witchcraft: F.A.Q. and Advice
Updated: Jun 21
As an author I have received many letters and emails from beginners, or as most call themselves “baby-Witches”, enquiring about advice on where to start their path in The Craft. At the same time, I was discussing with some of the witches from the coven behind “Witchcraft Emporium”, and they brought up some of the same enquiries as well.
The majority of these questions are usually the following:
“Hello, I am very new to this and I’m not sure on where to start, …”
Which books are best for a beginner?
Do you have any article to suggest?
Where can I meet other witches?
I would like to find a Mentor…
Should I become part of a Coven, or be solitary?
What should I get (supplies), in order to start practising?
I am a Christian, can I still practice Witchcraft?
So, I teamed up with some of the “Witchcraft Emporium” witches in order to create this article, and give you the best possible answers and advice!
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1) Which books are best for a beginner?
This list is composed as a well-rounded start, with a variety of material that is suitable to most beginners.
The Complete Book of Witchcraft by Raymond Buckland
Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft
The Modern Guide to Witchcraft by Skye Alexander
https://www.witchcraftemporium.co.uk/product-page/the-modern-guide-to-witchcraft
The Green Witch by Arin Murphy-Hiscock
https://www.witchcraftemporium.co.uk/product-page/the-green-witch
Blackthorn’s Botanical Magic by Amy Blackthorn
https://www.witchcraftemporium.co.uk/product-page/blackthorn-s-botanical-magic
Liber Null & Psychonaut by Peter Carroll
https://www.witchcraftemporium.co.uk/product-page/liber-null-psychonaut
The Fundamental Book of Sigil Magick by K.P. Theodore
https://www.erebussociety.com/product-page/the-fundamental-book-of-sigil-magick
Part 2
https://www.erebussociety.com/product-page/the-fundamental-book-of-sigil-magick-vol-2
2) Do you have any article to suggest?
The Internet is full of articles that we could suggest, but we decided to create this article in order to give you more direct answers. Two articles though the very useful for beginners and the following:
A Witch’s Power
https://www.occultherald.com/post/a-witch-s-power
Types of Energy that are used for Magick
https://www.occultherald.com/post/types-of-energy-that-are-used-for-magick
3) Where can I meet other witches?
In this day and age, unless you already know someone who is either a practitioner or associated with other witches, the best way to do so is to look online. Facebook groups are a great way to discover witchy social events and gatherings. If you search for the term “Moot”, especially “Pagan Mood” in your area, it is likely that you will find a group of people who meet occasionally. This is better than online forums, because you can see most of the members, the profiles, and their social connections within the group before you decide to meet in real life, and much safer compared to anonymous forums on the Internet.
Also, to give you some extra help, you can leave a comment on this article page stating that you would like to meet other witches and in what area, and hopefully this will help you find each other.
4) I would like to find a Mentor…
Specifically for this, since it is a massive topic, we have already created an article, which is the following:
https://www.occultherald.com/post/how-to-find-a-mentor
5) Should I become part of a Coven, or be solitary?
This is another big topic with a lot of opinions around it. Recently, we posted an entire article about it, comparing the differences and talking about the pros and cons of each choice. This is the article:
https://www.occultherald.com/post/solitary-witch-or-coven
6) What supplies should I get in order to start practising?
Teaming up with Witchcraft Emporium was especially helpful in order to answer this question. So we made a detailed list, and the Coven behind Witchcraft Emporium has also made some very useful bundles specifically for this purpose.
It is always wise to start with books as your first supply. Books are always a great way to learn and to find out what supplies you need to get. In addition to the book list mentioned above, you can also find very useful books here:
https://www.witchcraftemporium.co.uk/books
And here:
https://www.erebussociety.com/
It is also a great option to get bundles of supplies in a bulk price, as it is much more affordable than purchasing the same things separately. Thankfully, Witchcraft Emporium has created just the right bundles for this reason. Please make sure that you understand that these bundles are just bundles of supplies and they do not come with instructions as the possibility of the use of the ingredients included and limitless. You can get from small to extremely large bundles depending on your needs. You can find the bundles here:
https://www.witchcraftemporium.co.uk/kits-bundles
If you prefer bundles with instructions, then Spell Kits make a great choice, as they have detailed instructions for spells and rituals, and all the ingredients you need to perform them. If you want to perform this again, you already have the knowledge of it, so you can just restock on whichever ingredient has run out. You can find the bundles here:
https://www.witchcraftemporium.co.uk/spell-kits
And speaking of bundles, you can always get their Mystery one, which also makes a great gift, since one of the most frequent questions people in Witchcraft Emporium receive is “I have a friend who is a Witch, what can I get them for a present?”. You can find a selection of mystery bundles here:
https://www.witchcraftemporium.co.uk/mystery-boxes
These are all great suggestions for beginners, but of course there are many many more things that one can get if they wish to have a larger pool of options in their practice. Of course, once you get more knowledgeable, then it will be safe for you to go out in the wild and start gathering your own supplies as well!
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7) I am a Christian, can I still practice Witchcraft?
Witchcraft is independent from religious beliefs, therefore a practitioner can follow any faith, including Christianity. Don’t forget, that all religions have something in common, the belief in a higher power, a pure energy, and values of a higher morality. As long as you can maintain a healthy balance and collaboration between The Craft and your faith, then you can be a follower of any religion. The only true obstacle is your own psychology, and this is only if you feel guilty or if you think that you are betraying your faith by practising Witchcraft.
Of course, one doesn’t need any religion or beliefs in order to be practising Witchcraft. There are many atheist witches out there who see Their Craft as a spiritual or metaphysical way to practice a form of art or science.
I really do hope that this will be some helpful advice for all beginners out there, and that this will save you a lot of research time and effort while trying to find the specific answers. Big thank you to the Coven Witches who collaborated and helped make this article. If you have any more questions that you would like answered, please mention them in the comments below and we will try to add as many of them as possible into this article and with your help we can create a great F.A.Q. for all beginner witches out there.