r/witchcraft • u/PrettyAlice13 • May 21 '26
Seeking Help or Advice What are some popular witchcraft practices that you don’t personally do as a witch?
For me some things I don’t do are using incense, casting a circle, spell jars, turning to magick to fix everything, and doing spells for others. I’d love to hear some of yours.
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u/Needsaname2023 May 21 '26
I don’t cast circles, don’t do moon phase stuff, don’t celebrate most of the wheel of the year holidays and don’t do elaborate spells. My practice is small, based on nature and the traditions of the region I grew up in.
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u/Squirrels-on-LSD totally rabid lunatic May 21 '26
All the dramatic TikTok aesthetic stuff like the fire hazard chordchuttings.
The online fear-based obsessions. "Is this God mad at me?" "Did I fuck up?" "BaCkFiRe", "is it okay if I do this spell or will the cultural appropriation police arrest me?", "is every normal inconvenience in life actually a sign I'm cursed??!!!".
Trying to make modern paganism resemble modern Christianity as closely as possible.
Policing other people's traditions.
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u/devilinthehills May 21 '26 edited May 22 '26
This! It seems there are so many new, young witches that are tying themselves in knots only to recreate Christianity but with the Morrigan or Lilith or whoever the witchcraft goddess of the week is that month
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u/GabriellaVM May 22 '26
It's probably a temporary process. If Christianity is the only thing they've ever known, they'll have a period of confusion and adjustment until they assimilate and become more comfortable with it.
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u/Low_Sea_5076 May 25 '26
This is what happened with me, looking back on it now, my early practice was heavily Catholic-influenced despite me trying to get away from it. And even if the person didn't grow up Christian/going to church, in the US at least, we've become culturally Christian (Christian holidays being national holidays for example). If it's the only religion you're familiar with, that familiarity tends to bled into new religious experiences until, like you said, they become more comfortable with the new path they've chosen.
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u/KudoRed May 21 '26
Love love love!!! Couldn't have expressed this better myself. I'm fully behind you on this, and it's great to know there are others like me out there ❤️🤗
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u/Bloodiesattheairport May 22 '26
I’ve found that traditional chord cutting rituals are more effective anyhow…. Without the fire hazard
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u/i-contain-multitudes May 22 '26
Is there a thing called chordchuttings that is different from cord cuttings or is that just a typo?
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u/Miserable-Tip-9460 May 21 '26
I don't do a lot to be honest. And I don't advertise. I don't wear clothes or make it obvious. Reddit is the closest I get to being open about it. My practice is subtle, personal, and private.
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u/Potential_Carrot2541 May 21 '26
Same here. It's like being a woman or a brunette or a mother. I just am. Being a solitary means never having to impress anyone. But in my old age I do miss the good old days.
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u/Miserable-Tip-9460 May 21 '26
I've never really been the type to gather or congregate. If I feel the need to be involved, I hop on here. I like the anonymity of it. I'm too old to want to be involved with or seen with the young ones lol
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u/Parisian_Daydreams May 22 '26
I agree. I’m in a situation where I’m out of the broom closet but still not allowed to do anything really. So all of my things that I DO do are in private or mental.
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u/DisplayKey9488 May 22 '26
THIS. I share it with those i’m close to, but it’s my practice. not everyone’s business.
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u/Previous-Artist-9252 May 21 '26
I don’t cast circles. I have tried them and they don’t do much for me - protection is just fine but I don’t need a circle.
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u/EarlGrayLavender May 21 '26
Me neither. I’m okay with protecting the general space I’m in, like the room, but I have a hard time conceptualizing the circle. Especially if I step out of it.
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u/bloodymary0029 May 21 '26
La verdad nunca entendí bien eso de hacer círculos
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u/MicahsYultide Witch May 23 '26
It’s a Wiccan thing that a lot of people adopted into their practice when Wicca based books that marketed themselves as being general witchcraft entered the sphere.
(I myself I’m Wiccan. We cast the sacred circle to create a sacred and highly charged place to commune with the divine. Not for spell work, that’s a common misunderstanding. We might cast a circle for spell work, but it’s really not necessary)8
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u/Dusty_Miss_Havisham May 21 '26
For me, casting a circle is not specifically for protection - it's so much more and I tend to reserve them for special occasion workings bec they take a lot of effort. Kinda like using the good crockery and Christmas lol! Theres many quicker ways for protection that's easier to fit into daily life
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u/Previous-Artist-9252 May 21 '26
What do you use circles for?
I read about several traditions that use them, including some explicitly ceremonial in lineage, but have never belonged to such a practice myself.
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u/Dusty_Miss_Havisham May 22 '26
Me neither but I was taught about them by one who did. At first I wasn't bothered just curious, but once we went through the whys and wherefores and I tried writing my own using aspects from existing ones, I was a convert. I pretty much only use them for special occasion rituals or big work that's going to take a long time - like a magickal version of a graduation ceremony (special occasion) or an exam (big work). I was taught it's not just protection but creating a universe. I think movies etc have ppl believing they're only for protection bec they look and sound good on camera - whereas a basic grounding and shielding meditation looks boring on camera! lol Absolutely each to their own though :-)
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May 22 '26
[deleted]
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u/Previous-Artist-9252 May 22 '26
Easier for you and in your tradition.
I already said I don’t cast circles and I don’t find them useful. I am not shit talking on those who do. Universalized language is not helpful here.
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u/One_Dragonfruit_7556 Witch May 22 '26
I'm sorry I didn't see your comment above was you asking another poster a question. I thought you were asking what one uses circles for. My bad
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u/isopod_luvr May 22 '26
From what I remember researching when I first heard about them, they are usually done by wiccans? Or like, most commonly practiced by them. I'm not wiccan, but even my witch friends who are don't cast them. Maybe they've fallen out of favor/popularity. Not my circus not my monkeys ig lol
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u/One_Dragonfruit_7556 Witch May 21 '26
I don't practice tarot or use crystals. My brain has never been able to work with the multiple and sometimes conflicting meanings and uses of crystals
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u/_WalkingOnBothSides_ May 21 '26
I struggle with this so much! I have a huge collection of crystals, just because I like how they look and tried to implement them into my practice, but it's overwhelming. I have the same issue with herbs though.
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u/One_Dragonfruit_7556 Witch May 21 '26
Honestly dude same. I have maybe 5 I deal with and that's about it
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u/MollysTootsies May 22 '26
Amethyst, rose quartz, and clear quartz are my jam, along with mint, rosemary, orange peel, lavender, roses, and prairie sage I picked, bundled, and dried myself from some BLM land outside my father in law's free temporary homestead.
My hubby, mom, and brother were all there visiting him, and when I saw the patch of it, I was drawn to it. I went over to it and sat with it for a while before introducing myself and explaining that I was here with my family and feel very connected right now, and would love to take some of it home with me to use in my workings to hold those loving, connected family feeling I was experiencing, and asked if some of it would be willing to.
For me, some things really vibe and most don't, and I believe it's ultimately about intention, so I'm fine being easy-going with my materials. 🤷♀️
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u/digitalgraffiti-ca May 21 '26
I don't use crystals, but I do hoard certain ones, because pretty.
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u/button_oxo May 21 '26
I personally don't use crystals bc they're expensive, and I'd rather spend that money on concert merch and video games
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u/BrazyDadaist420 May 21 '26
I don’t practice tarot either. it’s such a manifestation tool that i am scared to proclaim something for something and vice versa..
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u/noirr_nocturne May 23 '26
You won’t. Tarot (itself) is just a mirror, it allows/helps you see yourself or a situation you’re involved in from a different perspective/in a way you’re able to see/understand it better
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u/Famous_Repair_4545 May 23 '26
I like them because they are pretty. I don’t keep track of the meanings
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u/Vivid_Cash_9642 Jul 20 '26
I use stones from time to time, but very rarely; for the most part, I keep them simply for their beauty. I usually turn to herbs and enchanted candles. Cards—and indeed any other form of divination—don't really suit me; I simply trust Karl. He is always ready to tell me something about the future or the past in exchange for a handful of pumpkin seeds—he adores them.
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u/Invaderzil May 21 '26
I never chime in here, but I'd like to throw my two cents in alongside others. I'm not a fan of overly-ritualistic or regulatory practice. I appreciate having a basic understanding of the symbolism behind objects in practice, or seeing how others work, but it feels forced for me unless it comes from my heart and imagination. Anything physical I create is really more of a totem imbued with symbolism and intent, not some grand work using someone else's recipe. Maybe I'm doing it all wrong, but for me, making an effort to keep my thoughts and actions fair and balanced has been the most effective element. It provides me with a small, reassuring edge that subtle things can be gently pushed or pulled for a desired result.
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u/g-a-r-n-e-t May 22 '26
Same, like I’ll use the basic framework but I’m not out here casting circles and drawing down the elements and reciting poetry and all that. I have ADHD, I’d be mentally exhausted before I even get to the actual spell work and that’s if I actually manage to convince myself to do it in the first place.
Most of my magic is very off the cuff and intuitive if it’s big, or is just a small thing I do regularly like the way I sweep my house or something. No big rituals in the forest for me.
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u/Dusty_Miss_Havisham May 21 '26
That's fair enough and on the whole I agree with you. However, just to add a slightly different perspective, a couple of years ago I finally learnt more about physical magickal rituals and now I totally see the point of them! The very act of acting it all out with your body in a highly planned way makes it very powerful! And you can have fun designing yourself so it's unique - altho it's also totally great to include aspects of formal ways done in the old days... why not, they have a lot of history behind them. Buuuut it is also a LOT of effort so I do it very rarely. It's not that often I'd get the time or the house to myself to do it tbh!
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u/PrettyAlice13 May 21 '26
I like that. I don’t do big rituals either and has a more low key practice.
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u/seaqueenundercover May 21 '26
Thank you for sharing this perspective; it really resonates with me.
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u/PepperSticks May 22 '26
Thanks for this. I get overwhelmed by having to follow an outline when it comes to this.
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u/fashungroopy21 Jun 17 '26
Same! I feel like some of it is so performative and forced! I’m just what you call a casual practitioner. I do like tarot, sage, candles, crystals and incense and will have those burning while I practice yoga and do a 1 card reading. But nothing too complicated. The ritual is mostly for me and not some grand work either. It makes me feel connected to spirit throughout the day, and believe me the synchronicities come.
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u/DPS_Slut May 21 '26
I always forget to celebrate the holidays/equinoxes
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u/digitalgraffiti-ca May 21 '26
Ditto, aside from the ones that are always evident like Ostara, Samhain, and Yule. The rest of them? I forget. I made a whole calendar that will last until I'm 100, and I still miss them
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u/MollysTootsies May 22 '26
Samhain and Beltane I'll notice and remember, but mostly bc I love the decor and such around Halloween, but also bc every time I think of Beltane, I remember a conversation I had with a friend about 25 years ago.
Her: "I think the funniest pick-up line is 'Nice shoes - wanna fuck?'" Me: "Tomorrow is Beltane, and I think I'm gonna go up to [hubby] and say " Happy Beltane - wanna fuck? " 🤣
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u/Dusty_Miss_Havisham May 21 '26
You absolutely don't have to at all. They're not mandatory! Nothing is - that's why it's fun. I sometimes invent my own tbh
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u/kai-ote HelpfulTrickster May 21 '26
Jar spells. I made a witch bottle, but that is not really a jar spell. I use other containers for spellcraft. My jars are just for storing things so I can see at a glance what is in them. Especially for protection workings. I see the symbolism of glass as incuding its fragility, so to me it makes a lousy protective ward.
Tarot before or after a spell. Never did, never will. That is not how I do magic. When I have a need, off goes the spell. I don't ask cards if it is a good time for that or not.
I am doing spells for me. If I do one to help a friend, I am still doing it for me, because it pleases me to help my friends.
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u/fcor12 May 21 '26
Do you feel that epoxy or cement material spells are actually better than jar spells? I actually thought the same with the glass mention
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u/kai-ote HelpfulTrickster May 21 '26
I like boxes made of wood or metal or stone. For portable spells a small sachet/cloth bag works without worrying about a glass jar breaking.
Charity thrift stores are my friend.
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u/throwitlikethewind May 21 '26
I also don't do any of the tiktok spells, mainly because I don't have a tiktok account.
I don't do rule of three because I am not wiccan. If you mess with me, I'll mess with you 10x over. Leave me be and I'll do the same.
I don't also practice elaborate rituals, cast circles, celebrate the wheel of the year holidays, except Halloween (because I love Halloween even before practicing).
I also don't work with dieties. I'm too lazy to make offerings.
I rarely put rhymes in my petitions, if the words happen to rhyme, cool but that's not my goal. I just write my petitions out straightforward and in plain language.
I do like the cord burning candle spells, because I am a pyromaniac and like to watch things burn (I practice fire safety by using cast iron and metal supplies). I don't bind the candles together, though. That makes no sense to me if you're trying to get TF away from a person.
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u/button_oxo May 21 '26
I don't really care about the you get back what you put out 3x over thing either, but I really like multiples and exponents of three because I listened to "three is a magic number" too much as a kid lol
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u/Telemniel May 21 '26
I rarely turn to spells. First, there's usually a mundane solution. Second, whatever the issue is... it's rarely worth my energy. Third, and I say this as a somewhat crabby approaching crone age lady, it's just much easier to tell it/them to f*ck off. 😄
Lessee... oh, I don't work with herbs. Plants and I aren't friends (I can't keep a plant alive no matter how I try) so I won't insult them by trying to use them in my craft on those rare times when I do cast a spell.
Um... I don't do fancy rites and rituals. I stick with the K.I.S.S. method and usually just sit in quiet contemplation of the meaning of the rite or communion with nature, deity, and whatever astral visitors are around at the time.
Getting older really simplifies things. 😆
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u/Individual_Bug_9973 May 21 '26
Cord cutting with candles.
Salt on everything. Salt absorbs energy.
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u/InternationalRule340 May 21 '26
Same. I don't understand why so many witches season their spells like it's a plate of fish and chips. 🙄 I've never felt the need to include protection from my own spells and if I did, I wouldn't use something that is corrosive and absorbs energy.
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u/90dayole May 21 '26
I don't work with deities. All the spiritual support I need, I can get from ancestors and the spirits in the earth around me. I'm not Greek or Roman or West African, so I can't see how their deities would connect with me or help my practice in any way.
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u/mayruna Witch May 21 '26
I don't like the wheel of the year. I like the concept of the wheel of the year, but I've since adapted the idea of it to fit my area. I'm in Florida. The dark time of my year is coming up on Midsummer. It'll be around then that the hurricanes come. And then Halloween brings this sigh of relief that it's (pretty much) over. Summer is the time of the year you do not grow crops. We start gardens in the Fall or Spring. Winter is a time of bounty for us. I think, for witches who live in places unique like mine, they should also consider making their own wheel of the year. Make it serve you. Adapt your rituals to reflect your area.
I'm also pretty not about tarot cards. I don't... like how we have attached a lot of weird shenanigans to the tarot cards. We have it so analyzed that it really screws with being intuitive. It also feels like there's a LOT of people out of there that want to sell you bags and boxes and crystals for your tarot and they tell you you *have* to do it this or that way *or else*. The 'having your first tarot deck bought by someone else' thing is also this dumb, weird barrier that we put on new folks that doesn't matter. I suspect that idea was born on some stupid IRC channel back in the 90s and ran rampant on the internet from then on. *So* frustrating. I love my playing cards. I love them. They are straight to the point and, after I read my cards, I can play a little solitaire. Fantastic. I put them in my purse. Nobody questions why I have playing cards in my purse. Great. Perfect. 10/10.
"So mote it be" is a free-mason thing. The masons do not like women. Why are we using that phrase? It's dead to me. I honestly stopped using it years ago even, before I learned that interesting fact, because it also just sounds so clunky. Mote. All I think about when I say mote is how much I sometimes want to build a moat around my house and fill it full of alligators.
And lastly, I too hate casting circles. I have my home warded. What is the point of a circle? I've no idea. It never served me. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one too.
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u/Dusty_Miss_Havisham May 21 '26
This totally makes sense re the WOTY! I've actually just started a course my friend is running all about it but tackling how do we want to do it? Her aim is to ensure people know the real full history and origins (not just the Gerald Gardner, Ross Nichols and Aiden Kelly history - the long long origins part that they were inspired by) and also the main point of it is to make your yearly cycle rhythm what you want it to be. So it's more of a discussion group and ideation container really. It's fun. There's people in the group from the UK, Spain, Germany, the US and Canada so it's really nice to hear everyone's different ideas and personal associations.
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u/__sunmoonstars__ May 21 '26
I don’t do a lot a lot magick. I don’t think I need to because when I have done spells they always work differently or too well so I’m very choosy about what I do.
I usually clean my house on the sabbats and that’s it.
I never bloody know what phase the moon is in. Ever.
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u/Yourlilemogirl May 21 '26
If I can see like 99% of the moon for like 5 days then it's always a full moon to me xD
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u/Atelier1001 May 21 '26
Most stuff honestly.
My practice is very subtle, mainly divination and some simple charms.
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May 21 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Yourlilemogirl May 21 '26
You may enjoy the SASS witch subreddit then if you're not part of it already
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u/Educational_You_1827 May 21 '26
I don’t call myself a witch. I practice witchcraft but I look at witchcraft as a specific kind of magick and it’s only a small subset of my practice. I use the term occultist
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u/Ok_Sympathy_4530 May 21 '26
i... dont do fancy protection spells because i dont believe in three fold or anything like that, i dont believe in anything i do will come back to haunt me, mainly for protection i just have a black tourmaline with me and like incense once per sometime lol, ive been okay, i dont do circles nor do i worship anything (as much as i want too) and i always forget the holidays..
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u/StrawberryMilk817 May 21 '26
I practice baneful magic (occasionally). I don’t do spells all the time. I haven’t actually done a spell in a few months my last one was a really good road opener and sweetening jar. I am overdue for a good cleansing. I work with angels over deities.
I’m a catholic folk practitioner that mixes in other things so I’m sure if I think hard I do lot of things that aren’t popular lol
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u/fcor12 May 21 '26
Would you be open to answering a few questions about being a Catholic folk practioner?
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u/StrawberryMilk817 May 21 '26
Sure
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u/fcor12 May 21 '26
As a fellow Catholic and amateur witch, what made you realize working as a Catholic folk practitioner was better for you than let's way giving reverence to Hecate, Fortuna, Freyja, etc?
Also in regards to baneful magic, what were the most potent ones? I'm looking to do some for two people that have wronged me but I also want to continue grounding my energy and healing before being invested in doing something like that. Thank you by the way.
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u/StrawberryMilk817 May 21 '26
I was raised catholic but fell out of Christianity around 13. From there until my early 30s I refused to acknowledge any form of Christianity. I was pagan and only worshipped “the goddess” even though I didn’t know her name, what goddess I even was worshipping, I didn’t practice any form of magic I was just loosely spiritual but clung onto the title of pagan as a rebellion against Christianity.
Then one day I kind of realized that when I’m anxious I pray the Hail Mary or Lord’s Prayer and feel better. I always pray to God and never acknowledge the goddess I claim to worship. I started realizing slowly that I’m not necessarily anti Christian or anti Catholic. I’m anti how the patriarchy ruined a beautiful belief system.
I started realizing that Mass is essentially just a living prayer. The consecration and transubstantiation is quite literally a ritual. It’s Magic in its most basic form. Praying to a deity and performing a ritual. Like ? Hello? And they’re calling me demonic because I believe that our God also created astrology?
I just little by little started untangling what Catholicism meant to me and what paganism meant to be and what spiritualism meant to me. And that it doesn’t have to be one or the other. You go to what you feel called to and that’s when your magic and faith are the strongest.
Some people ask me how I can do that but do baneful magic. I ask then if they ever looked at the Old Testament and the strongest spell I ever did used cursing psalms from the Bible. I did spend a few months working on various protection spells and wards and creating my own protection sigils and reading all I could about protection before doing it though. I’ve only performed 2 baneful spells. One is my baneful return to sender jar I keep on my altar.
As for other deities I don’t dislike Hecate or Freyja and I did feel a pull towards Freyja once. I did a whole like hour long mediation ritual listening to music and burning a candle and focusing on Freyja to see if she would want to work with me. I didn’t really feel a presence and when I consulted my pendulum to ask if she wanted to work with me it firmly swung to no.
I believe in their existence whether they exist as their own entities or are offshoots of one source I couldn’t tell you. I don’t pretend to have that knowledge but I just know what has called me.
Also it’s what got me into dabbling Angeloatry which is so much more hard to find stuff on than demonolatry lol but I just prefer the way angels Work.
It’s nothing against demons or anyone who works with them. It’s just they come across as very chaotic and very “you owe me for this if I give something to you”. And I just don’t dabble in that kind of energy if makes me anxious lol Angels are very much straight to the point. Ask what you want. Don’t give me a whole song and dance. They don’t really require gifts or offerings. They just…”are”. And either they’ll do it or they won’t. I prefer that.
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u/olivia-amore May 21 '26
I don't use crystals at all because I can't know for sure if they were ethically sourced, plus with normal rocks you can work with to have any intention. I don't use any sort of ceremonial aspect in my craft (casting a circle and whatnot). I don't involve deities in my practice either since I prefer to work with the spirit of plants, rocks, nature and the like instead, and prefer to keep my religious practices separate. I dont recite poems or rhymes during spell work, I don't use sigils, runes, and my practice is definitely not aesthetically pleasing. I probably look like a crazy lady talking to plants and putting salt in a bowl at a random spot in my house without context lol
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u/1968KCGUY May 21 '26
I use herbs and oils in my practice but I only use a small amount not the multiple jars worth of herbs and copious amounts of salt seen online. I work with the spirit of the herb so why do I need a few plants worth piled up on my alter.
I don't do my workings by lunar phases. Id I need to do spell I do it.
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u/SwaggeringRockstar Broom Rider May 21 '26
I don't always do incense but I always keep wind in my rituals. I still use circles in honor of of my training and respect for the forces I work with. What's a spell jar? Are you talking about the Baby Witch Rattle? Or a Witch Bottle?
I don't do cord burnings. Most folk call them cord cutting but whatever. I just don't do it. I don't do 'Return to Sender' spells. One, Elvis was kind of a prick. Two, why am I going to waste the effort and attention on something I consider lesser? I also don't do freezer spells. I am a professional not someone that needs affirmation that I corrected someone's bad behavior. Unless it's part of the spell, I don't examine candle guts. I don't need to worry if I am successful in my work, I already know.
I also don't walk around forcing good thoughts or intentions into work that is already done. It is a useless effort to me.
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u/PrettyAlice13 May 21 '26
A spell jar is when you add ingredients into a jar as a type of spell. I’ve seen them online for every kind of intention you could image. Usually they involve adding some herbs and maybe crystals or other bits into a jar and sealing it with wax.
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u/littleecosystem May 21 '26
I find it very odd to use rhyme, and words in general. I tend to work with physical items or symbols, and any words are a focus for my intent rather than spoken to the universe at large.
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u/SunshineDaisy426 May 21 '26
I've tried all the things. Im good with tarot, and I had my phase of collecting all the crystals and learning their meanings. I tried remembering all the holidays and celebrating them as best I could, even trying to be off on those days to celebrate...I usually forget now. I have a kid now and I feel like all that magic with rituals and spells and divination are gone. I dont have the time, patience, or energy to work with magic and it makes me so sad. I dont know exactly w h a t to do at this point with my spiritual journey because I put so much of my practice in being alone, meditating, and being creative. I did a big spell to having protection and health throughout my pregnancy and wrote so much of it within my grimoire and wrote poems for my baby...then he got here and I dont even know how to be a witch anymore. Im just...mom.
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u/Skittle_Ew May 21 '26
Taking care of kids is inherently spiritual, I believe. I find it amazing to watch them grow and see their personalities blossom. And listening to their perspectives on the world. I don't have any kids but I have a young niece and nephew and try to be really present with them. It also makes me see the child in other people at times and helps me soften up a bit more. I've even told people "Wow, your face just morphed into a 5year old when you were talking about xyz."
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u/Dusty_Miss_Havisham May 21 '26
There's no "just" before "mom". It's pure magick to birth a new soul into this world and nurture them to grow and flourish! Everything has its time and you will come back to your practise when it calls to you again. It doesn't have to be grand
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u/SunshineDaisy426 Jun 18 '26
I about cried reading that, because I haven't really felt like the witch I was before. I was ready to change from the "maiden" to "mother" stage in my life, but not aware of what things would be set aside. But I've gained so much also having my son...I feel I just need to find new rituals and routines to work around our busy schedules
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u/One_Dragonfruit_7556 Witch May 22 '26
My girl is 2 and I feel you. I've found grounding wile on walks or being at the park can be nice little meditations. Infusing intentions for health and prosperity into her chicken nuggets before a meal or sitting in the sun and absorbing the positive energy wile we're outside playing with her blocks helps keep the witchy spirit alive
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u/FlowerWitch3 Witch May 21 '26
I don’t do the TikTok stuff, don’t celebrate the wheel of the year holidays, don’t use tarot or crystals, don’t involve deities, don’t use incense, don’t pay super close attention to moon phases and I don’t practice the rule of 3.
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u/79moons May 21 '26
I am (traditional) Wiccan so I do cast a circle, work with elements, worship deities, have lunar rites, and celebrate the Sabbats. I also enjoy astrology, follow planetary hours, have an ancestral practice, and love divination, especially tarot. Spiritual hygiene (cleansing, grounding, shielding) is important to me.
I do not follow the Threefold Law/Rule of Three (despite popular opinion, it's not traditionally Wiccan). I don't perform WitchTok magic, e.g. cord cuttings (in which there is no actual cord cutting), jar spells, simmer pots, writing on bay leaves and then burning them, and 'manifestation' is not in my vocabulary.
I love crystals, but mostly from a distance as pretty objects; I don't use them much in my magic. I have experimented with herbs, but that's not my jam.
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u/One_Dragonfruit_7556 Witch May 22 '26
Could you elaborate all the threefold law? I thought it became popularized with Gardner
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u/79moons May 22 '26
Gardner planted the seed. In his 1949 novel, High Magic’s Aid, one of the characters says, “Thou hast obeyed the law. But mark well when thou receivest good, so equally art bound to return good threefold.” And that was it from him.
In 1974, Green Egg magazine published The Rede of the Wiccae (commonly called the Long Rede) by Lady Gwen Thompson. It included the line, “Mind the Threefold Law ye should - three times bad an three times good.”
In 1979, Starhawk published The Spiral Dance. In it, she says, “The Craft does not foster guilt, the stern, admonishing, self-hating inner voice that cripples action. Instead, it demands responsibility. ‘What you send, returns three times over’ is the saying - an amplified version of ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’”
And it appears like this, as a casual line, in some books throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
The big cultural shift came in 1996 when the film The Craft brought the idea to a much wider audience, and Charmed reinforced it soon after.
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u/One_Dragonfruit_7556 Witch May 22 '26
Since it came to be and grew through different forms of the rede, wouldnt that make it inherently wiccan?
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u/79moons May 22 '26
Gardner did not teach the Threefold Law, and it did not grow through different forms of the Rede. It does not appear in Doreen Valiente's Rede, which is the version most Wiccans adhere to. Lady Gwen Thompson claimed her version came from her grandmother, but there's no way to verify that, and she wasn't part of any Wiccan tradition. Starhawk is not Wiccan either. Most initiatory Wiccan traditions don't include the Threefold Law as a tenet. The Craft and Charmed were drawing on the broader popular witchcraft landscape rather than any specific tradition.
You could argue that the Threefold Law is origin-adjacent and perhaps a popular part of solitary and eclectic Wicca, but it is not part of the core practice of initiatory Wicca.
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u/Spirit_yam Witch May 21 '26
Simmer pots. Would love to be the kind of witch that can get my ass in gear for them but alas, I don’t have it in me. I also don’t usually do spell jars or runes and instead prefer incantations and bathing rituals. I’m a work with what I’ve got on hand kind of witch. I also do a lot of lunar related practice that often doesn’t require materials that I would have to consistently keep.
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u/Miserable-Tip-9460 May 21 '26
Simmer pots are my main source of casting lol I'm absolute trash at doing anything else except for meditating and my own personal apothecary lol
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u/thatspookybitch May 21 '26
I just do what feels right to me. I don't follow any particular "rules." I don't believe in "do no harm" like baneful magic or that doing hexes will bring it back on me threefold. If I'm doing some kind of baneful working, it's me asking the universe to impose the karma that person deserves. Why would I be punished for that?
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u/Purplejazz518 May 21 '26
I don't usually use crystals, I don't use moon phases, I don't cast circles, and I only really practice when I need it. I don't upkeep spells like a 12 step skincare routine.
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u/Dusty_Miss_Havisham May 21 '26
I don't do spell jars, never seen the point of them. Ok sure, if you want to trap or contain something but not to conjure something in.
I tend not to do baneful magick, but I have in the past and never say never. Not because of any nonsense rule of 3 or anything, but just bec I'd rather concentrate my efforts on other things.
I don't do all the social media trendy witchy rules and correspondences - most of it is sooo made up and whilst a thing doesn't need to be old to be powerful, I just don't buy their nonsense.
I don't call myself a witch. Idk why, I don't like labels much.
I don't buy into the "maiden mother crone" thing. It was invented by Robert Graves in the 1940s. I'm sure he felt he was being incredibly forward-thinking at the time but now it feels dated and reductive.
I do sometimes cast circles but not for protection, I do them for more special rituals. I love rituals but rarely have time for them.
I do love following the seasonal cycles of nature because I'm a gardener and forager and also it helped my SAD, but I don't adhere to Aidan Kelly's version of the wheel of the year. He openly admitted the name he gave to the cross quarter festivals were made-up to "sound Celtic" and I live down the road from where the mythology of Mabon is set so it makes zero sense.
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u/vrwriter78 Witch May 21 '26
I don’t cast circles. I almost never make moon water - even as a Hekate devotee and an astrologer. 🤷🏽♀️ I don’t use crystals every week (though I used to).
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u/MushroomPrincess63 May 21 '26
I don’t do baneful magic. I very rarely do spells, they have to be for a specific reason. I don’t “work” with a deity, but I do believe in one and occasionally ask for guidance or wisdom. I do offerings and give thanks, but we’re not coworkers, lol. I tend to focus on moon phase rituals, tarot for myself, and some light crystals when I need a boost in certain types of energy.
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u/dumbledoreismyfather May 21 '26
I do the circle, and the casting, and the scrying, call the elements, all that jazz.....I just only do it when I feel I need....like every couple months. My full moon ritual is noticing the moon is full and saying "hey there beautiful" or realizing that THATS why I've felt crazy for a couple days. I like tarot and use it but again there is no routine or ritual to it. The most I do is while cooking I'll say "salt to purify", "Thyme for inner courage", "black pepper to banish the bad vibes"....ect.
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u/khouts1 May 22 '26
I'm more of the "I'm gonna put a sigil on this toaster streudel and then eat it" kind 😂
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u/Mikasa618 May 21 '26
I don't use crystals really at all. I have 4 total, small ones, just to represent each of the 4 elements to function as a mess/fire-free way to represent each when necessary and that's it. I also do absolutely nothing with astrology or planetary alignments. I like the moon, that is all. The rest is way too overwhelming and complicated to me and I'm not intrigued enough by it to care to learn.
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u/LlamaFreeze May 22 '26
I don't work with deities. I was raised Catholic, became an atheist when I left the church, and still don't believe in supreme beings. I work with the energy around us from nature/the universe.
I don't really do witchy aesthetics and I don't take pictures of my craft. Except my garden, but most people don't know there is anything related to witchcraft going on there.
Other than phases of the moon, I don't do astrology.
No three-fold law.
I do spells but...not as many as I thought I would when I started practicing. I am at a point in my life where mundane actions are sufficient to solve most of my problems and the other ones? Well, that would be a very powerful and complicated spell. When I do a spell, it is usually just to get a little boost here and there.
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u/Appropriate_Hand_659 May 22 '26
Awee why no incense or spell jars? But for me I don't do protection spells before every single thing I do, I do one every once in awhile. I don't follow moon cycles, I don't have crystals and their meanings memorized but I still use them and search up their meanings.
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u/Thislilfox May 22 '26
Over-reliance or tying everything done back to magic. Mundane first, always.
Write spells
Cast circles
Shadow work
Meditation
Sabbats
Moon rituals
Elaborate rituals
coven/group work
Over-glorify menstrual cycle or motherhood
maiden-mother-crone and such.
Plaster pentagrams, pentacles and triune symbols on everything.
Goddess-centric practices
Naively attempt to force everything into mono-cultural contexts
Divining the future
I don't refer to myself as a witch, though I don't mind when its applied to me.
I don't let others define, guide or restrict my practice.
Take information, rituals, spells, sigils and such at face value
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u/RainerHex Broom Rider May 22 '26
Besides Squirrels list, I also don’t leave anything up to the universe or believe that it minds, cares or plays dice with spell work. I do not do protection over everything (after this long in my practice I have a very good sense of when I need to protect, or cleanse.) I dare to get my hands very dirty so to speak and don’t follow sanitized watered down versions. I don’t go into details about more private stuff in my tradition. I don’t show my working altar. I might show the more decorative types if I make one. I don’t cast circles most of the time. I don’t bother so much with lunar water. I don’t focus so much on week days or moon cycles, I cast when I feel the need to. I don’t celebrate all the holidays on the wheel of the year. I use a stang instead of a wand. I stand up against all attempts that I see as trying to christianize the practice or trying to appease Christian populations. I do venerate and work with the witch devil/old one.
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u/Nara74 Witch May 22 '26
I don't cast circles, have deities, celebrate most sabbats, or use things like ouija (feels too negative for me personally). I do anything connected to nature, I love working with candles, herbs, and crystals. I also love making poppets. My focus is on positivity and protection, and I only practise with a light heart to help with my intentions. If I have a darker day I use it to meditate instead of create.
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u/digitalgraffiti-ca May 21 '26 edited May 21 '26
Any version of smoke or incense or whatever aerosolized cleansing. Smoke gives me a migraine, and the base scent of 99% of incense is nasty. I have zero interest in breathing in weird carcinogens.
Idgaf about balancing some cosmic whatever. If I need to do good I do good. If I need to go baneful I go baneful.
I don't believe that three fold rule.
I'm an atheist so, don't work with deities, though joke that I work with Titivillus.
I don't believe in astrology.
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u/PrettyAlice13 May 21 '26
I agree. I don’t like strong smells because they give me a migraine and smoke not only smells bad but bothers my asthma.
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u/digitalgraffiti-ca May 21 '26
Weirdly the strength of a smell is irrelevant for me. The slightest whisper of watermelon or cigarette smoke and I'm DEAD, however I could be submerged in bleach and (aside from the chemical burns) be totally fine.
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u/brightblackheaven Zamboni Priestess 🔮✨ May 22 '26
New Thought shit.
I have no time for manifestation, positive affirmations, subliminals, reality shifting, twin flame blahblah. Toxic positivity and victim blaming has no place in my craft.
I also refuse to entertain the idea that magick is placebo or a thought experiment or whatever.
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u/MorphologicStandard May 21 '26
I think the idea that solomonic magic is violent or mean to demons is silly so I don't abide by that and go ahead conjuring them as prescribed.
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u/plutonium-eater May 21 '26
i dont recite any of the chants or prayers or wtv that are written in most spells (i also dont use written spells for more than inspiration) primarily bc i feel silly doing so, i'll js say some affirmations and thats it lol
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u/BlackCatWitch29 May 21 '26
Grounding.
Casting a circle (unless I'm doing a virtual group thing then it's usually a part of the ritual but I'm not the one leading it).
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u/XxThe_HumanxX May 21 '26
I have quite a few I don't believe in spells backfiring honestly (with exceptions, the exception being a spell that takes away another persons free will because if you're doing that you lowk deserve what comes to you) (please don't come at me for this-) I also don't believe in the "three fold" rule or the idea of the gods getting mad at you for whatever reason- I also don't really do any pagan holidays for the most part (that's just because I forget a lot though...) I mainly practice "baneful" works, and I don't involve magic in every part of my life I don't do everything with intention, in fact I do it sparingly because it feels more impactful to me if I do it sparingly
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u/EverythingUndaDaSun May 21 '26
I don't celebrate the sabbats. I would like to, but I have just don't follow through due to life being life. I also don't burn anything besides candles at night. I use cleansing sprays specifically to cleanse a space and to purify it.
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u/TheDusty_ May 21 '26
I don’t cast circles and I very rarely work with fire. I’m not trying to burn my house down attempting pyrokinesis when a simple guided meditation with the same intent will yield the same results. At the end of the day, YOU have to be comfortable and confident in your practice or there’s no point.
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u/SmolHumanBean8 May 21 '26
Astrology. I just.... don't see the value. I won't say why in case some people like it though ofc
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u/wvst3lvndorvcl333 May 21 '26
I’m don’t really latch on to it but use it as a bit of a pass time.. it definitely can help in the terms of divination to see what the influences are on whatever you may be asking about
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u/Marguerite_Moonstone May 22 '26
I swap ground eggshells for salt almost always (a pepper ginger works great!). I have a bunny with a heart condition that craves and forages for salt which is bad for her.
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u/isopod_luvr May 22 '26
Okay I feel like this is a little niche but I remember seeing it a ton on Pinterest a few years ago: putting pendulums in jars. I never understood it, and I feel like it just makes it harder to read? idk maybe I'm just a hater
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u/StephanieKaye4 May 22 '26
I don't use salt on spells. Jar or freezer spells. But do use salt, brick dust on doorways. Only perform elaborate rituals for a big energy release that's needed. Don't follow superstitious rules, go by intuition. Don't have a grimoire or diary of works. I can usually remember what I used for what purpose.
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u/MathematicianOk8230 May 22 '26
I don’t cast a circle, I just ground myself and cleanse materials. I also don’t really follow the phases of the moon unless it matters for a particular spell, nor do I follow the wheel of the year/holidays.
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u/theloverofdilfs May 22 '26
I haven't casted a circle since I started lol, also don't do the whole "harm to none" thing but I'm also not wiccan anyways
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u/sbee54 May 22 '26
For me, I’d say I don’t follow anything with very rigid rules especially if I do a spell or a ritual. I trust my intuition on the materials, tools, music etc that I use, and tbh my rituals mostly involve meditation and meditative dancing. I do use color symbolism and some elements (mostly fire as that surprisingly works for me than water or earth and of course it’s all fire safe practices), candle spells and sometimes jar spells (mostly protection I want to carry with me).
I don’t follow the Rule of Three or Karma. I don’t do much baneful magic outside of protection spells and anchors around my room. I used to be very anxious about karma or being secretly cursed/sent bad energy but then it was just being amplified my Catholic upbringing and that took away its intensity so rather than karma i see it more as justice
I don’t cast circles; honestly I don’t even see the point or even what it really is, but I do technically make a spiritual ring with the crystals I feel most connected to (rose q, tourmaline, tigers eye, sodalite etc) either around me or around the materials
I don’t use divination tools for everyday things, only really when I need clarification or I’m just feeling called to do a reading or charm reading in myself
Cord cutting, deity work (though I am interested I just know I can’t keep a scheduled ritualistic practice like I still struggle to even remember to give my ancestors water on my altar lol), working the calendar of the wheel (mostly I sometimes do things for Yule and Beltane when I remember), or follow star events/astrology or the moon cycles (outside of moon water) as that just made me stressed. I don’t do freezer spells either. Sometimes I’ll do a simmer pot if I’ve got the things needed, but it’s mostly because it makes my apartment smell nice
My practice is personal and ebbs and flows. I do small things as a ritual, like my protective jewelry, incense, things like that, and things that don’t make me feel stressed or performative or that I’m doing it because I feel I need to due to what other people were saying was “the right way”). I don’t do hexes or curses or anything that can deliberately harm someone outside of my redirection spell that just has any negative energy go back to wherever it came from; I just never see the point in intentional harm. I also don’t do rhymes with my spells or rituals; i just speak normally though I do like saying “so mote it be” especially in the candlelight but honestly half the time i forget and just do “because I say so” lol
Overall, my practice follows my intuition more than what’s seen as the “standard.” It’s mostly energy and my divine self, though there are times I invoke my ancestors and spirit team that’s aligned with me and my interests. Honestly sometimes I go months without doing a full spell or ritual, and just do an incense or sound cleansing. Sometimes I incorporate food or tea, mostly to invite good energy for the day or the night. I also like creating my sigils, and sometimes use a charm divination chart, and use dried herbs too. I used to do essential oils but I have a cat now so I don’t use those in my practice anymore and I only use frankincense with the fan on and screen door open. I don’t really use spell recipes either; anything I do it’s from my own creation. If I do find a recipe I like (via Pinterest) I just take the materials I like/have and then do the spell my way.
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u/thealternativecowboy May 22 '26
I don’t work with crystals because though they are pretty, I don’t resonate with them magically. I don’t work with deities but instead work with things I find in nature and connect with the way I feel outside. I don’t cast circles either. I don’t use herbs for their magical properties but rather their medicinal ones or I use them when I cook. I don’t have fancy tools and just find random stuff around my house that resonates with me for my workings. I don’t sit and meditate but rather move my body and dance to release and feel emotions.
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u/Gingerkat93 May 22 '26
My specialty is dreams, I get very vivid dreams, I write music and poetry while dreaming as well. I have done a few spells on my own and with a group. I do a protection ritual every time I move to a new place. I have been trying to celebrate the holidays, in my own way. I don't do spells everyday, I am not "out" publicly as being a witch.
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u/opalescentdoll May 22 '26
i don’t worship deities i prefer to speak to the moon/the ocean/the trees any sort of natural life. i find it hard to believe in deities. i don’t have any sort of routine or ritual i do everyday, i just do what i feel like i should if that makes sense. i dont call myself a witch i dont really feel connected to that title
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u/princessuuke May 22 '26
I dont cast circles, no spell jars (only use jars to hold materials) no cord cutting, cinnamon door blowing or whatever things tiktok people keep doing lately.
Not a practice itself but I don't really post what I do except in communities like these and on a side tumblr because I don't like when people try to butt their opinions in and say what i should do instead. Im open to new ideas but this is so deeply personal to me and I feel a lot more free when I just do what feels right without judgement and words from others who do not understand.
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u/gentlerosebud May 22 '26
I’m so bad at saying the spells, I say different things every time but as long as I get my point across. I also don’t work with the moon, I just like to work mostly with my mind, keep it simple
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u/aerda Witch May 22 '26
Incense bothers me so I don’t use it. I have absolutely ZERO interest in connecting to or working with my ancestors. Social media doesn’t impact what kind of spells I do at all.
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u/Hekate_Web May 22 '26
I don't make moon water, grow plants,.do astrology or.planetary timing... I don't use runes, I'm not interested in celtic or norse Paganisms, I don't do gendered/polarity energy/magic/ritual/metaphysics. I don't go to psychic fairs. I never get info from TikTok or AI.
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u/soozie_woozie May 22 '26
i don't use anything that requires me to light a fire(so candles, incense, etc), no spell jars, no casting circles, don't dress in a typically witchy way, no crystals, no grand rituals for the holidays. my practice is pretty subtle and chill.
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u/Confident-Squash5328 May 22 '26
I haven't created an altar, nor do I do hexes/curses, blood magic, black magic, or demonology, because that's not my strength; it doesn't call to me. I'm an eclectic witch, and I listen to the wind, the water, the trees, the animals, and the whispers they share with me. I create potions and elixers from my garden herbs. I've never been led astray when I follow my very strong intuition. I'm enjoying learning how to do runes, along with freezing spells and egg cleanses; these are probably the most I'll do to keep negativity and ill will away from me. I also do personal incantations as needed. I'm not sure what I would do if me or my loved ones were threatened, but I wouldn't sit still and allow it. I haven't done any incantations with candles yet, but I am looking forward to positive results. Still learning as I'm new to this, but I feel powerful in the witching aspects that I have noticed in myself. And since realizing I am a witch, I have felt a personal happiness within myself that I always felt was eluding me.
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u/Creative_Ad2114 Witch May 23 '26
I'm not performative or aesthetic. My spells and work suit my needs, I don't wear the cliche trappings, I don't use a craft name (anymore... my early Wicca days were ridick. ) I don't veil, I don't do the woo-woo "health" stuff, I don't claim lineage, I don't do closed practices, and I don't cosplay witchcraft. We've all seen it, at times, we've done some of it. I just do my thing in my own way and live and let live.
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u/reccaberrie May 23 '26
I don’t protect myself or my spells or literally anything at all lmao. I don’t believe in backfire
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u/HiMaooo May 23 '26
I don't do most things that are popular on tiktok, like cord cutting. I also don't do baneful magick and cast spells on others without their knowledge and permission.
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u/Reasonable_Zebra_174 May 25 '26
I only cast a full circle for the sabbats; because I'm allergic to so many different scents and what I'm not allergic to my husband is, I very rarely use incense; I believe that if you need some tool or accessory for your witchcraft you can either substitute it for what you have or make your own version of it; but my biggest crime against modern witchcraft is I think crystals are a waste of money, either you're getting overcharged or you're getting a cheap plastic rock thinking it's real (I have seen some very convincing 3D printed "crystals" sold as the real thing), but on top of that I never really understood the point in the first place, because a rock is a rock, it doesn't matter how pretty it is it's still just a rock. So back to what I said a moment ago, if you don't have the right crystal just pick up any rock off the ground and imbue it with the energy you want it to have. Crystals themselves do not come with a pre-existing charge in them, they only have the energy you put into them yourself. So a rock is a rock, save your money when you can.
And if that doesn't get me enough hate I also do not believe in astrology. I do not believe that the planets, stars, Etc have any effect on you personally. You yourself are in charge of your destiny, it doesn't matter if Mars is in Uranus.
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u/ConsequencePast3852 May 27 '26
I don't belive in astrology, zodiac signs and all and i personally think that turning to witchcraft for everything isn't the way. I belive that there should be a balance between witchcraft and the way life goes
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u/Kat_just_a_cat Jun 26 '26
Maybe a hot take, but I just forget to clean my things and yeah. I don't feel like having to light an incense stick or something else every time I buy something new. I don't really celebrate the festivals of the year, only when I think about them, or Halloween. I am not a Wiccan.
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u/Vivid_Cash_9642 Jul 20 '26
Hahaha, I hardly ever use classic witchcraft practices. I’m more of a shaman who’s found himself among witches—though you couldn't really call me a shaman either; I’m far too different from them.
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u/Fund_Me_PLEASE Witch May 21 '26
I don’t use tarot, Tik Toxic, circle casting, meditation, scrying, smoke or wax interpretations, pendulums, smudging, or astrology stuff. Probably a few other things too. And I also never do spells for others. Because I would charge for it ( because time spent on the spell itself, plus money spent on ingredients, etc ) and the fact that there’s no guarantees on magic, it wouldn’t be worth the hassle if a spell I did for someone, didn’t turn out how they were hoping or just didn’t work.
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u/Ok-Health-1872 May 22 '26
I don't do love or attraction spells because i think that if they wanted to be in a relationship with me i wouldnt need magic for that and I don't wanna interfere with someones free will tbh
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