“Find your own path! Don’t just blindly follow the one laid out in front of you.” — Anna James
There are so many different schools, traditions and so called “paths” within Witchcraft that it feels impossible for one person to fully explore them all. Which is why I believe it is best to instead explore the paths that call to you, only so far as they continue to.
My first experience with magic I will admit was from a place of pain. I became very interested in darker magic such as certain subsets of Voodoo in an attempt to inflict a small amount of the pain I felt on others. But I quickly felt and knew that this path was not for me. I wanted to uplift and heal, even those who would wish me harm. It was simply not in my nature to hurt.
This eventually lead me to a very solitary practice, as I feared anyone I tried to share my beliefs with could become a threat, risking exposing my truth before I was ready, much like how my coming out story went. So I kept it secret, kept it safe, exploring it socially only online under aliases. Until that is I met a group of witches in real life, was welcomed into their coven and truly began to understand magic.
That is not to say the Solitary path is wrong, in fact I found so much comfort on that path and I appreciate my brothers and sisters who walk in privacy eternally (I would still love to hear some of your tales though)! But I felt the call for community, and discovering other witches like me with a wealth of stories and experience to share was such an incredible affirming experience I encourage you to attempt to find your own coven if you too feel a similar call!
Too many Paths
I would like to offer a quick primer on a few of the paths I am aware of or have explored to a certain degree, if any of these call to you I encourage you to further explore them and see where they lead for you! There are countless other paths to consider, and I really encourage you to explore and find your own magical way!
Eclectic: Might as well start here, as this is what I teach. Witchcraft is most powerful (in my opinion) when you explore and experiment to find what really works for you! The eclectic witch blends traditions together, grabbing the elements that resonate, reshaping ones needed, discarding those not. They become masters of their intuition and incredibly attuned to nature’s many calls.
Wicca: Where a lot of my beliefs are rooted. Wicca “The Craft” it is one of the most traditional paths for witches and wizards alike. This is a pagan style belief centered around nature, and structured to honor the world and its God and Goddess through celebrating the cycles of life and the seasons. Using herbs, crystals or other natural objects is common practice here, and there are so many subsets underneath this large umbrella.
Kitchen: Do you have a go to sheet pan dinner using fresh herbs from your garden that seems to always make anyone who eats it feel so much better? You might be a Kitchen witch! This tradition takes the power of magical intent and infuses it into meals, baked goods and more, often capitalizing on the magical properties of different ingredients to craft truly remarkable and powerful creations!
Astrology: What’s your rising sign? Or just what’s your sign, “Oh I could never“. Jokes aside, there is much magic to be found in the stars and planets many movements. While this is a field of study I continue to only tepidly explore, I can’t deny that some of the insights gained through this style of divination have rung incredibly true! If you’re a super experienced astrological expert, I’d love to hear your experience (and maybe you could teach me?).
Variety is the spice of life
I embraced White Magic from a solitary background though my focus now is much more of a traditional community based Wiccan, however I continue to seek out new magical paths and experiences.
The most important thing though is to remain open to exploring new experiences. As I continue my own magical exploration I intend to continue exploring new paths, and you can count on me to share my own experiences while encouraging you to pursue and record your own adventures.
At this exact moment (circa 2024) I am particularly interested in continuing my exploration of Green Magic, but if there are any paths or schools you think I should explore and share my experience on-Please put them in the comments! I am an infinitely curious individual who intends to never stop learning, and would be happy to hear your thoughts on paths worth exploring!
Blessed Be
Z's Grimoire 
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