Ask a Grey Witch
Creating balance.
Not sure what Witchcraft even is?
With the amount of misunderstanding and misleading information that there is amongst the general public about witches, it's no wonder many people don't beleive witches even exist, or think Witchcraft and Wicca the same thing, (they're not). Below you'll find information, some background, and proof that magick is used all around us in every day life, whether a witch or not.
Where to start?
"Beginner-Witch" tips
For anyone hoping to start their journey into witchcraft, It is my hope that this website helps make your journey less overwhelming.
Anyone who knows anything about witchcraft knows that there is a current stereotype of witches that has been based on missunderstandings, misconceptions and down right untruths. Let’s be honest, witches don’t fly on brooms, wear big pointy hats or have green skin, etc. In fact, witchcraft is a much more complex and in-depth practice that has many different branches that can be explored.
Witchcraft can be overwhelming at first due to the vast amount of information published or available online.
Finding what path you want to go down can be difficult at first. There is an enormous amount of different kinds of witches out there. The definition of a witch is, basically: "Anyone who does Witchcraft".
It should be mentioned that witchcraft is a form and expression of intention. Where as Wicca is usually referred to more as a religion that involves witchcraft in its traditions. These two terms are not the same.
When referring to my craft, I'm actually speaking to my spiritual practice involving magick and an affinity with nature within my pagan traditions.
Wicca usually involves magick, nature and the worship of deities. It is a newer set of beliefs in comparison to many of the world religions, starting in the early 20th century and takes much of its practices from Pagan traditions. It's my understanding that paganism dates back to before the Renaissance period, is a bit more broad, and it also typically follows the worship of deities and centers more around ceremonies or festivals.
The most important thing to do when starting out with Wicca is to do your own research. For the origin's of, one great place to look is in any books written by Gerald Gardner, who is nicknamed "the father of modern day witchcraft." The main text many Wiccans follow is Gardner’s “The Gardnerian Book of Shadows”. Another important figure in the history of Wicca is Aleister Crowley, who Gardner knew and drew inspiration from, to start the new religion. Raymond Buckland adapted Gardnerian Wicca into an Anglo Saxon perspective. The main text that a Seax Wiccan follows is Buckland's "The Tree". Several more branches of Wicca also eventually formed to express other differences in beliefs, such as but not limited to Alexandrian Wicca, Agard Wicca, Dianic Wicca, etc.
More about the paths of wicca is available in the blog post:h ttps://www.askagreywitch.com/post/wicca-in-more-detail Wicca in more detail.
Wicca is the largest group within the modern rise to neopagan practices, with nearly half identifying as Wiccan.
I, myself, dedicated to a Seax Wicca tradition in my secular practice (involving aspects of my own human nature), beginning in 2016 and completed initiation as a Gesith in 2019.
Becoming dedicated isn’t something one does overnight and does take time. It is a path of constantly learning over an entire lifetime.
Research, looking into yourself and getting to know your inner self better is a big part of starting the journey and can be widely implemented through Shadow Work. More information on this can be found at: https://www.askagreywitch.com/suggestions suggestions and advice.
Understanding energy
Energetic expression
When you feel energy, what you’re really feeling is the impact that the energy is having on your own energy. The key is noticing the change to your own energy created by that 'reflection'. When working with or reading people's energy, most people’s energy is changing all the time.
If you think of energy as a symphony, with dozens of musicians playing at once. It’s beautiful, but it’s hard to pick out a single musician. When listening for energy, that’s like trying to hear a single musician, a soloist amongst the orchestra. Just like how the other instruments have to become quiet to allow the soloist to be heard, you must quiet your own energy in order to sense the energy of others.
What specifically do I mean? Quieting energy is remaining steady, smooth, and calm. Being flexible and responsive, not rigid or tense. Energy can move, keeping it slow and gentle. Above all, quieting energy means listening and responding.
Energy is everywhere. It is a part of us and every item and object that surrounds us. We can interact physically and energetically with our environment. The balancing of energies is an important aspect of all workings in my craft. Energy work is used within many different practices, such as mediumship, metaphysical healing, working with nature or wildlife or deity, sensing or scrying and also includes ritual, ceremony and spell work.
Even beyond our planet's surface there are astrological influential energies that impact our day to day lives and can be used in divination to gain clarity of a situation, or to foresee a lifespan of someone's life, from simply observing the positions of specific astrological bodies in our solar system.
Some examples of energetic charging would be the process of making moon water by leaving it in moonlight; or similar to making sun water; or during the casting of the runes; or similar to during the shuffling of tarot cards. Etc. While doing so, there is an energetically charging of intention taking place (for example the question of a psychic reading) and feeling the reflection of that energy return is how to know how to read the answer. When casting runes it's the energetic draw of the symbols and their positions in the layout used that guides a rune reading, or when shuffling tarot cards it's the energy of the cards that makes aware when to stop or which card to choose. Again, just like runes it's the energetic draw of the symbolism in the tarot card's design and spread used that guides a tarot reading. To know which runes or cards to choose to work with, you should select the one that energetically "feels" right to you.
The same can be said in regards to spellwork. The use of associations and energetic properties of ingredients and supplies of spells are important to make the purest connections with our true intentions. Each of us have different associations that we have developed since the beginning of our lives. And so, no one else can be more clear about your intentions than yourself.
The more personal satisfying a spell is to the caster the more likely the desire will manifest from magickal workings.
Click the button for more information about how the external astrological energetic influences can effect us:
