Hey Guys!
So, I had to re-do this post for several reasons, which I won't go into the main reason as to why I had to revise and revamp this blog post. I just want to make one thing clear though, no one else has access to this blog, but me and only me. My name (Chira Ruiz) you see on here aside from the blog name (Writer's Within) is attached with a picture of me on the right side of this blog. I don't know how anyone can say that this is someone else's blog. Again, this is my blog and you will see that if you actually have checked out my site thoroughly and I have linked my blog to my social media accounts which are all run by me and only me, no one else.
Anyways, moving on...
Are you new to the craft? Are you just starting out and not sure who to turn to or where to look? Are you still in the broom closet and living with someone who is against witchcraft? Or perhaps you're writing a book and want to know all or some correct information, so you don't accidentally put the incorrect information in your book.
Well, look no further because this blog is just what the doctor ordered. I will be answering to the best of my knowledge and skill with what I had to go through in my own personal experience over the years.
Question One: Where Do I Begin?
Do a lot of research first - there are a lot of beginner guide books to help you out. However the following lists I recommend to anyone. I will list certain books in order: Beginner, Intermediate and Advance Witch Practitioners.
Authors I Highly Recommend:
- Gerina Dunwich
- Scott Cunningham
- Raymond Buckland
- Silver Ravenwolf
- Raven Digitalis
- DJ Conway
- Skye Alexander
- Judy Illes
- Cassandra Eason
- Amy Leigh
- Konstantinos (This author is mostly for Advance Witch Practitioners only. The reason why he is on this list is because I love all of his books.)
Books I Highly Recommend:
Beginner Books:
- The Everything Series
- The Complete Idiot's Guide To Series
- Practical Magic for Beginners Techniques & Rituals to Focus Magical Energy by: Brandy Williams
- Lucid Dreaming for Beginners Simple Techniques for Creating Interactive Dreams by: Mark McElroy
- Aura Reading for Beginners Develop Your Psychic Awareness for Health & Success by: Richard Webster
- The Wiccan Rede Couplets Of The Law, Teachings, and Enchantments by: Mark Ventimiglia
- The Wiccan Prayer Book Daily Meditations, Inspirations, Rituals, and Incantations by: Mark Ventimiglia
- The Only Wicca Spell Book You'll Ever Need For Love, Happiness, and Prosperity (2004 1st Edition) by: Marian Singer & Trish MacGregor
- The Only Book of Wiccan Spells You'll Ever Need (2012 2nd Edition) by: Marian Singer, Trish MacGregor & Skye Alexander
Intermediate Books:
- The Psychic Workshop A Complete Program for Fulfilling Your Spiritual Potential by: Kim Chestney
- Kitchen Witch's Guide To Brews and Potions by: Patricia Telesco
- Spell Castings Practical Magick for Daily Life by: Sister Moon
- The Enchanted Formulary Blending Magickal Oils for Love, Prosperity, and Healing by: Lady Rhea with Eve LeFey
- A Book of Pagan Prayer by: Ceisiwr Serith (This book to me reads like stereo instructions. It does list a bunch of prayers but it doesn't tell you exactly how to come up with prayers on your own. This book is for like a Intermediate Witch Practitioners. If those of you beginner witches can decipher this book and can understand, then go for it. However, I don't really recommend this book to Beginner Witch Practitioners because I feel like they won't truly be able to understand it.)
Advanced Books:
- Secrets of Modern Witchcraft Revealed Unlocking The Mysteries Of The Magickal Arts by: Lady Sabrina
- Llewellyn's Practical Magick Series: Charms Spells & Formulas by: Ray T. Malbrough
- Crone's Book of Magical Words by: Valerie Worth (2nd Edition previously titled The Crone's Book of Words.)
- Crone's Book of Charms & Spells by: Valerie Worth (2nd Edition previously titled The Crone's Book of Wisdom.)
- Self-Initiation For The Solitary Witch Attaining Higher Spirituality Through a Five-Degree System by: Shanddaramon
A couple of years I met one of my favorite authors, her initials are E.D., I'm not going to say her full name or what genre she writes.With that said, I do read a bunch of different genres. So, this E.D. chick, could be anyone. I have met a lot of authors over the years but she takes the cake on the rude-o-meter. A lot of authors I met are so kind and are all for their fans and what not, but not her. It seems like she couldn't care two shits about her fan base. Maybe she was having a bad day that day, but that doesn't give her the excuse to be so fucking rude to a fan who did nothing but be kind to her. Furthermore, I won't be purchasing her books at all and I'm glad that I don't have any of her books in my collection either. She is one author I do not recommend and will never recommend.
Question Two: Witchcraft On A Budget?
When starting out in the craft we are left with asking ourselves this question, "I can't afford all of the supplies because they are just way too damn expensive."
Believe me, I've been there done that and to this day, I'm still dealing with it. I live in California, so I find myself going to the following cheap ass stores that are available in my area: 99 cent only store, the dollar tree, dollar general, family dollar, salvation army and the thrift store.
Buying the seven day religious candles are cheaper at these stores. You are only paying $1 and in Wal-Mart you are paying $2-$3. Plus, if you need jars for herbs or spell work, just do what I do and recycle your candle jars.
If you go through store bought dried herbs like I do and if you buy the glass jar ones, recycle them. I have so many of these small glass jars that I use for other not so common and hard to get herbs.
You can get so many witchy supplies from these cheap ass stores: candles, incense, herbs, school/stationary, chalice/goblet, offering bowls, salt, fairy lights. I don't think I recall ever seeing fabric or yarn at these stores. I would always head straight to the candle and incense isle.
Nature is your best friend, you can get so much stuff from Mother Earth without paying for anything. All you have to do is give your thanks to her for offering you these wonderful gifts. You can even grow your own herbs rather than buying them. It's cheaper and your saving yourself a lot of money. Granted, in some areas, it is hard to grow anything like where I live, the only thing that manages to survive is succulents, cactus, aloe vera, bamboo and my snake plant/mother-in-laws-tongue which I got it from my botany professor for free. Now, it is growing from just one large clipping to three babies. Another thing is, recycle your jars that you buy in the store like tomato sauce, pickles, minced garlic, etc...
Where I live, literally in the mountains in the hot ass desert, I live in an area where I find all of the time raw pure quartz crystals that are untouched by man and its free. I literally have my old boot shoe box filled with raw pure quartz crystals. So, go take a hike in nature and see what you can find.
Question Three: Are You Living In The Broom Closet?
I don't know what it's like living in the broom closet and hiding the fact that you are a witch. Now, I still live with my Mom and Dad. Mainly because I do live in California and its fucking expensive living on your own even with a job. Plus, my Mom has a slew of health problems and I do take care of her. I cook, do dishes, laundry, swept, vacuum, dust, etc...
They know that I'm a witch and I really never had to hid my practice. I have my altar on a book-shelve in my room out in the open. My Dad is very religious and at one point he told me that my religion is just a hobby, like really dude?! It's not a hobby, it's a way of life, my life, my choices. That just really irritated the shit out of me when he said that.
Now, I'm also into the paranormal because of my experiences and the fact is, I am a psychic medium. So, I do have several books on that topic as well as a slew of witchcraft books. I do have books about demons because in my line of work, you come across them every now and then.
Most of the Japanese myths that I've heard from in anime actually are mentioned in this demon book that I have. Plus, it has helped me out in my own writing as well. I was reading a paragraph to my Dad. He said, "That's really interesting. What book is that?" No joke, I said, "The book you called the devils." He legit said nothing after that. I had that book out on my bed one day when he came into my room to talk and he asked me, "Why do I have a book about the devils?" I told him it's for research and writing which is true, I wasn't lying to him. If you're wondering what book it is, its: "A Field Guide To Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels, & Other Subversive Spirits by: Carol K. Mack & Dinah Mack." So, if your interested in the paranormal, then I highly recommend you get that book.
I know that I got way off topic, sorry about that but I do have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). So, anyways, moving on...
Whatever you do, don't lie, just come up with some create excuses if you have to hide the fact that you are a witch. You can use the following as an example...
"Candles, incense, oils and potpourri will make our home smell nice. Plus, the candles will come in handy for emergencies like a rolling black out." I'm pretty sure they will say, "Well, that's why we get flashlights or just use your phone." Um, batteries die pretty quick and if you need to use your phone to make a call, you need that battery life. Candles don't run on batteries and they do come in handy for rolling black out.
Especially where I live we get them all of the time in the fall and winter season. It sucks and my Dad makes things much worse cause he's freaking out thinking that the power box blew. Yes, we do live in old house but its not that old. My house was built around the late 70's early 80's and we are the second family to have lived here. Whoever built this house did in fact did the wiring all wrong. There are plugs that don't work and in my room, the light switch to turn on the light doesn't go to the plug that is on the same wall, no, it goes to a different plug on another wall. So, I can kinda see why my Dad will be freaking out but we got a whole new power box and he re-did some of the wiring. Most of the wires on the power box, for some of the rooms where on the same circuit. My Dad spend like 2 days fixing all of that when we got a bigger box.
You can actually make your home will be smelling like fall and/or winter with just a few simple ingredients that you already have in your home. The website I recommend you checking out for both fall and winter scents are:
6 Easy Stovetop Potpourri Recipes For Every Season. Lilly gives you an awesome step-by-step recipe and she gives you two choices, you can make this on the stove or have it cooking all day in the crock-pot.
You can come up with some creative stuff for living in the broom closet. Get a box of any kind to store all of the following tools that I'm going to be mentioning for guys. Use a butter knife as your wand and it doubles as your ritual knife, use a drinking glass as a chalice/goblet, an offering bowl, candles, incense. If you are looking for something to represent your god and goddess, either print out pictures like I did or buy a male and female figure. Now this can be a small figure of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mother; or it could be angels or whatever. I have a female bear figure and a male bear figure on my altar. I can't seem to find affordable figures that are my god and goddess, so I went to my local 99 cent only store and saw those small figures and it works. That is thee most simple beginner broom closet altar.
Now, if you want to work with your ancestors, make a collage of pictures of those who have passed on and yes, this also includes pets and friends, not just your family. Hang this up in an area that you are comfortable with. You can find a small area to put plants, flowers, maybe personal items that were given to you from that person, money, white candles. Most ancestral altars will have a lot more to it but what I just mentioned is the basic items for the broom closet witch.
Also, there is a pet altar and you can include all of your pet's things on the same place with the rest of your ancestors. I know I did, I have my dog's ashes on my ancestral altar along with his favorite bowl, collar, leash, favorite treats, his favorite sweater and paw print. I also have my other dog's paw print and collar.
If whoever your living with just ask them if its alright with them if you can honor those who have past on. Explain to them that you just want to set up a small area with photos, plants, flowers, white candles, maybe personal items that were given to you from that person, and money.
Anyways, gather all of the simple materials for your simple altar in a box of your choice and hid it somewhere in your room and take it out either when your home alone, before everybody wakes up or when everybody goes to sleep and have a private session to yourself. You can also do a travel altar as well and carry this with you. You can either keep a journal or have a DOS (Disk of Shadows), that choice is up to you. It depends on what your situation is at home.
Question Four: Spell Magic and The Works
Since you are a beginner, I would hold off on casting spells because that's more for Intermediate Witch Practitioners. You need to know all of the basics first and the right way/safe way in doing spell casting. The main spell that I really to advise every Beginner and Intermediate Witch Practitioner to stay away from is Love Spells. Unless if you are an Advanced Witch Practitioner who knows what you are doing. They are a lot of rules do's and don'ts in doing Love Spells.
Spell Magick and The Works: The Art of Spell-Casting
This is for some of you newbie witches out there. Learn on how to do simple spell magick and learn how about the fundamentals on how to cast your spell correctly. Also, learn about how to write your own spells as well. For any spell to work, it all depends on the person who wrote the spell and the person who is casting the spell.
If you are using someone else's spell, chances are, that spell will not work for you as it did for them. You could try to cast that spell but don't get upset if it didn't work. Try to look at the fundamentals on how the spell is written and write your own spell.
Do what works for you. I've taken apart so many spells that are not mine just to figure out the simple fundamentals so I could write my own spells that were inspired based on that spell. Of course, there are a few exceptions to this rule... For example when you are casting a circle, casting a sacred space and quarter calls. You could use someone else's just so you could get comfortable in doing this and from there you could write your own.
When casting any spell of any kind, it is important that you remember the three fold law otherwise known as the rule of three. What you send out will come back to you three fold, meaning that whatever spell you do, will come back to you times three.
And, let's not forget
The Karmic Law:
-->"Bide the Wiccan law ye must in perfect love, in perfect trust,
(The Book of Law):
Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill: An' ye harm none, do what ye will. Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law. Thou hast no right but to do thy will.
What ye send fourth comes back to three, so ever mind THE RULE OF THREE. Follow this with mind and heart, and merry ye meet, and merry ye part". <--
A true witch is a good witch. They follow the Wiccan Rede: "And it harm none, do what ye will". If a witch violates the Wiccan Rede, they become known as a warlock, regardless of their gender. Warlocks have but one goal: To kill good witches and obtain their powers. Okay, so that line is from Charmed but they are correct when that is said. Evil witches who have betrayed the code for their own selfish gain will drain the life force right out of you. Think of them as psychic vampires if you will.
Oh, a side note: If you do plan on putting anybody's work inside of your own Grimoire, please put the following attached to that page: Name of the book, author of that book, page number where you got the information from, website/social media if available, and YouTube channel + video (With this one, add in both links to the channel and video where you got your information from. If for whatever reason the video gets removed, please make sure you add in somewhere on the bottom of that page that the owner has removed the video. Don't be shy, reach out to that person and kindly ask them why they removed said video. If they respond to your question by answering it, make sure to include that on the page as well). Believe me, this will help you out so much in the future when you want to refer back to it at a later date. This way, you have all of the right information at your finger tips.
Anyways, I sure do hope that this answers some of your guy's questions. There will be more Witchy Q&A's to come. If you want your question to be answered in an upcoming blog, just DM me your questions on my Instagram @crhserenity
Here is an example of what you can send me so I don't delete it. I get so many junk messages.
"Witchy Q&A pt. 2: What is witchcraft?"
If you DM me that, I will put it in my next blog post. Granted, it may take awhile to do so but nevertheless, it will get done. Blessed be witches!
THE MAIDEN
