What is Witchcraft 
A How-To for my Dad 

By​:​ Clarissa Hill 

Date:​ 03/02/2020 
 
 

Content 
Important definitions, common rituals, and my personal experiences. 
 
 

What is Witchcraft? 
There are three separations in the witchcraft category: paganism, Wicca, and witchcraft 
● Paganism is the old religion 
● Wicca is the religion of witchcraft, they believe in the God and Goddess, and 
other ‘magical things’ 
● Witchcraft is just the practice of the techniques that Wiccans believe in, but not 
necessarily believing that they are real, I guess. 
 
​ ouTube: Howcast 
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​Youtube: Elune Blue 

​Wikipedia 

 
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Different Types of Wicca 

There is one main religion of Wicca, and there are lots of branches that practice 
different rituals and focus on different things.  
 
Gardnerian Wicca: founded by Gerald B. Gardner, super secretive, coven 
organization with initiation required, the core ethical guideline is ‘The Rede” and it’s 
basically just advice, basic belief is “harm none” 
Alexandrian Wicca: founded by Alexander Sanders, basically gardnerian but more 
strict, and focuses more on ceremonies 
Traditional Wicca: pre-Gardnerian, depends on where it originates from 
Dianic Wicca: focuses on the Goddess, kind of ignoring the God 
Reformed Wicca: founded by Aiden Kelley, neo-Gardnerian, focusing on 
connecting with our roots and primal impulse 
 
 

Spotify: Seeking Witchcraft | Introduction to Different Witchcraft Traditions 

​Website 

Different Types of Witches 

 
Different witches like using 
different mediums, tools, and rituals. 
Ashley said she recommends beginners 
don’t pick a type of witch so they’re not 
tied down. She recommends exploring! 
There are lots of different ways to 
practice witchcraft, and each witch 
focuses on something different.  
 

​ Website 

Pinterest: Images pictured above 

in the form of screenshots 
   
 
 

 
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Basic Understanding Definitions 

Athame- sword/knife used to control energy  
Circle Casting- creating an energy shield to practice spells and meditation inside 
Coven- group of witches practicing together, there’s usually a leader called a  
Divination- attempts to get information directly from a divine source 
Elements- air, earth, fire, water; matched with the different directions 
Energy- basically a presence all around us that really isn’t ‘alive’ alive, but it’s totally 
alive and moving and flowing 
Magic- not what we see in the movies. Magic is putting your intention into the 
universe, and doing rituals that will help you focus on that intention 
Moon Cycles- different cycles bring different energy to add power to rituals 
Psi Ball- collecting energy between your hands 
Sabbats- ‘holidays’ with different purposes 
Scrying- seeing images in a witches tool 
Spells- using magic properties to focus intentions, using the elements and their 
properties to solidify and help push your purpose forward 
Wheel of the Year- calendar with all of the sabbats on it, used a lot in paganism and 
Wicca 
 
 
Definitions have been gathered from all the sources cited 
Sources have corroborated to create holistic definitions 

Getting Started 
Ashley, the host of the Seeking Witchcraft podcast on Spotify, said that it’s 
important to get used to feeling the energy around you. They recommended that I 
started with meditation, and creating a Psi Ball. I also cast a circle, and called upon the 
elements. I tried setting up an altar as well, but it needs a lot of work. 
Ashley also recommended keeping a witchcraft journal, so I started my Book of 
Spells to keep track of what rituals I’ve done, and how I’ve felt. 
 
​ Spotify: Seeking Witchcraft | How to Get Started in Witchcraft 

 
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Understanding the Elements 

There are 5 different elements in Wicca; air, earth, fire, water, and aether. They’re 
realistically phases of matter, and each one has properties that can be called upon. 
They were given directions in Gardnerian Wicca, but Alexandrian Wicca says that the 
directions should be modified to fit where you live. I’ve switched up the order a bit for 
my own practices (air in the North, earth in the East, fire in the South, water in the West). 
Each element means something different, and can give different purposes to rituals. 
Air signifies intelligence, communication, and rising above.  
Earth means strength, prosperity, and abundance. 
Fire represents passion, leadership, and energy. 
Water symbolises emotions, subconscious, and the soul. 
Aether is supposed to signify the soul. 
 

​Wikipedia 

​Website 
 

Pinterest: Images pictured above in the form of screenshots 

 
 
 
 
 

 
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Energy 
There are so many different types of energy in the universe that can influence us, 
and the Wiccan goal is to tap into those energies and to feel the fluxuations in that 
energy wherever they need to. There are human energies, cosmic energies, magnetic 
energy, anything imaginable. 
 

​Website 

Casting a Circle 
I tried searching on Google how to cast a circle, but it gave me super specific 
instructions and words to say. Ashley pointed out that witchcraft is very personal, and is 
all about intention, so I sifted through all of them, and did the basics. 
1. Clean up the area around you so nothing is in the circle, and nothing pulls your 
focus away from the circle casting 
2. Set up the tools needed for whatever you’re doing 
3. Set the barrier, the energy wall around you 
4. Call upon the elements 
5. Do the ritual you’re trying to do 
6. Close the circle, thank the elements for being there 
7. Dispose of things in an honorable way 
 
​Spotify: Seeking Witchcraft | How to Cast a Witchcraft Circle 
 
I formed a circle with the Christmas lights in my room, and used that barrier to 
help me visualize the energy barrier. I set up my personal symbols for each of the 
elements in their corners, and focused on channeling the energy from each of them.  
I’ve cast three circles so far, the first one was just to get used to the feel of 
Wicca. I set it up, really focused, and meditated in the center. I tried to create a Psi ball 
and feel the energy and matter between my hands. That was a cool experience. All of 
my attempts of casting a circle have been to experiment with energy so I could really 
tap into my focus brain. 

 
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Divination 
Divination is not fortune telling. They are two distinct and different things. 
Fortune telling is seeing into the future. Divination is seeking council.  
Upon further reading, I’ve learned that divination is a lot like praying in the LDS 
church. You’re just using other methods to talk to divine sources and to gain advice or 
information from them.  
The tools used are to strengthen our intuition, like working out to get muscles but 
with the brain. 
Divination doesn’t define destiny. It simply shows possible causes or outcomes 
so we can be better prepared for our future, or recieve insight into the past. 
Ashley likes tarot cards, and she uses a scrying mirror. When scrying, one 
focuses on meditation and tapping into their higher self to interpret images they may 
see in a blank space. 
 
​Spotify: Seeking Witchcraft | Tarot & Oracle Cards 

Spotify: Seeking Witchcraft | Scrying, Tea Leaf Reading, Pendulums, Palm Reading, & Rune Stones 

​ ​Website 

​ Website  

 
Pinterest: Images pictured above in the form of screenshots 

 
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I would like to try these divination techniques. I don’t necessarily believe that the 
cards have intelligence or anything, but I want to be able to explore paths that my mind 
can take me. In the sources I’ve read, it’s important to talk to the cards, and make sure 
you know how they talk. I think this is significant because you have to figure out what 
your brain will interpret, and how to interpret anything in a non biased way. I would like 
to think that I can think of things objectively, but nobody can do this perfectly. Tarot 
cards would be fun to mess around with to stretch what my brain can think of. 

Altars 
An altar is a space to hold all the witchy tools you have, and to honor the deities 
and the elements. It can be big or small- taking up a full desk, or contained in a shoebox. 
There are lots of recommended setups and tools to have, but it all really depends on the 
person making it. 

 
 
Pinterest: Images pictured above in the form of screenshots 

   

 
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My Thoughts 
After doing all this research, I’ve learned that overall, witchcraft is all about being 
self aware, and listening to what’s happening around you in the world. I like how it 
promotes being respectful to the earth, and all the intense forces that are around us. 
The ‘magic’ element of it is basically just stating your purpose, and focusing on it 
throughout the day. I’ve noticed this, especially with ‘casting spells’ , where you carry 
around a token or a bag of herbs to help you remember what your goal is. I think 
witchcraft is a great way to get in touch with the stuff I don’t understand yet. 
Every source said it would take a lot of practice, which gave me hope. In the 
church, I feel like I’m told everyone has certain gifts and should use them, but I’ve never 
felt like I could develop a new gift. I like witchcraft because it’s teaching me to work on 
the gifts I want.  

 
What Should I Do Now 
Witchcraft is all about being adaptable and unique for each person. Explore what 
works best for you, and which practices seem more interesting.  
What I love about witchcraft is that there’s no one set path. Everyone’s 
experience is different. Each individual can personalise their practices to their own lives. 
I love the idea of having the freedom to practice however suits me best. 
It is all up to you to where you want to start.