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I have always held interest in witchcraft but never knew how to get started. I'm more of a black magik and voodoo type of person. I know my sister and cousin are into Wicca. How do I know which form of withcraft is right for me? How do I learn more? How many different kinds of witchcraft are there?

I have a ton of questions. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated, Thank You.

Ask away then, i will help if i can.

The best way to find out what craft is best for you is to learn about the different crafts there are and then decide which would suit you.

It would depend mostly on what you want to learn and what you hope to gain from learning.

M

Can you tell me about any other crafts you know of? I have no clue where to get started in my research. I remember going to a library when I was in my teens and I really couldn't locate any book or any kind of information regarding witchcraft.
If you are into witchcraft, where did you get your information from?

Start by reading every thing you can on it. Any form of Black magic can be very dangerous. Be very careful. After you have studied the books find a teacher. And then make sure you make a clear choose on practicing the dark arts. Once you go down that path it is next to impossible to turn back. Best of luck.

you study, you research until you find what calls to you or speaks to you, when you find the craft your meant to learn you will know, then you start at the beginning reading, asking questions of others and reading more, then you practice.

just research... read.... and research more... until one kind of shows itself to you.... thus is how i came into it.

I'm having the same problem as well. I know I should read and research this online, but I don't know what to read. When I look these things up, I get some kiddie websites or just sentence of something.

I have a link that might be able to help you to research.....please copy and paste this URL into your browser bar.

http://altreligion.about.com/od/ritualmagick/MagickOccult.htm

This site has all sorts of interesting stuff from basic religions to all sorts of occult and witchcraft.

I hope you find it useful, i have in the past.

M

Thanks guys!

All I can say is, research research research. go to book stores and find things that just seem to interest you.
visit the library and check out any books that could possibly answer your questions.

of course there are plenty of people who would love to talk to you about this here so you've clearly come to the right place.

list of current e-books in my files is now done just ask and i will send you the list then ask for whichever of the e-books you want and i will email it to you personally ok.

Mim xx

Well I've done my reading and I'm out of Voodoo and finally realized its not my kind of thing. However, necromancy is really drawing me in so if anyone is a necromancer of if you have any reading, Queen Lilith, regarding necromancy, I would really appreciate it...

I just purchased two books via Amazon.com

"Forbidden Rites: A Necromancer's Manual of the Fifteenth Century (Magic in History)"
Richard Kieckhefer; Paperback; $17.13

"Conjuring Spirits: Texts and Traditions of Medieval Ritual Magic"
Claire Fanger; Paperback; $22.95

I'll let u know how they are when I get em ;)

oooh I'm excited!

Even though you have done voodoo I think you should be very careful when working with necromancy.

I must say though, that all voodoo is very much the same as necromancy....they share a common goal.

M

Oh you've misunderstood me, I haven't done voodoo. It was just one of my long lasting interests within the black-majick district ;)
now I like necromancy better :)

I am looking to learn as well go to spellsandmagic.com they have alot there from books to videos and things like that and links to other sites that can help

Ahh right, sorry if i misunderstood you.

You may find as I it doesn’t matter what path you follow your own is best.
Chaos is the name given to my form … just means I follow no set path and take and experiment what looks good and what works I keep the rest I laugh at…


good reading flower

Well as a chaos warlock I have to say that you don't because I don't use any of them.

I use candles to light a dim room and I use incense to make it smell nice.

I don't use anything that is ordinarily associated with magick for magickal purposes.

However, it does all depend on what system of magick you are using and what you want to achieve.

Hi menerfecious
I remember you said you did vampire magick tell us about that, I find it fascinating

No i never actually said that, what i said was that vampyr magick was a form of necromancy, however since then i have been assured that there is no such thing as vampyr magick, infact it is nothing more than various magicks that a vampyr is adept at performing.

I do Chaos Magick and Asral Magick with a little bit of ancient necromantic healing and geomancy.

I, myself, have been scared to get into the spell casting and potion making because of the karma. I just do energy work and things. That's enough for me right now...

Well study, learn, study and learn some more, when you believe and know your true intentions and understand the white, black and grey areas you can start practicing and performing witchcraft. It takes years of study and understanding. Then of course theres the Rede and following the laws of Wicca.

not all spell casting and potion making are for dark magicks actually i personally cast and make potions for light magicks nearly daily.

healing potions and casting spells of wellbeing are actually quite easy to do too.

picking up a book would be your best bet, even just a beginners guide to magic

I have found that when I got started in the craft that it was easy to read and learn my path but what was hard was the spells and potions without a teacher so I found a mentor but witchcraft is really about the person. You kind of have to find your "knack" and go with it but I'm here for answers however I can only tell you what has worked for me.

I would suggest since u have family that are involved with it. I would go hang out with them and see what their views and beliefs are.And see if what they practice is something u would like.
Secondly, ask yerself "why" u seek to go into magicks.That will help u in deciding what kind to study and practice.
Thirdly, don't ever assume you do not need to learn to protect yourself once you have started to learn darker arts.
Tis no game my friend, and protection of one's self and one's home is the first thing to learn.

Research is key when you are starting to get interested in magic. there are several kinds of magic there are great books that you can get from borders and several e-books on line all you have to do is just look up te particular type of magic that you are intrested in learning about and do a lot of research in order to find the answers that you are seeking

Go to google & type in magik for beginners, brings up a load of sites that are very interesting....thats how i got started...tho im still learning...crystals, gemstones, healing, astro-projection, wiccan, im learning abit of everything!

I would say you have taken the first step but becareful about what you use as a source for info :)

You wait to receive your letter from Hogwarts just like the rest of us did!

LOL Lord Fangor..why what a wise suggestion! Hey, the internet is a good resource for that for reliable information.

my friends got me into it..

as far as i am concerned, there is no such thing as black or white magic (if you're going to miss spell it put the k after the c not instead of). the differance in magics is intent. do you plan on using this magic to harm some one? if the answer is no, stop calling it black. necromancy is an interesting study put not a very in depth or rewarding path to fallow. have been a practicing witch for 15 years now please if you have any questions contact me directly

I would start with meditations before doing anything else, it helps to clear the mind.

Kerwin

You do indeed have an extremely valid point.

I agree whole heartedly, having studied necromancy for a short time.

I do not think I have actually referred to any magick having any colour. The evil or good is in the heart of the witch.

If I have referred to magick in the colour context, please do accept my apologies as this is not normal for me.

As a warlock who practises chaos magick, astral magick, geomancy and a little necromantic healing I have found that there are a lot of diferent opinions on whther the magick is black or white. I disagree with anyone who says that magick is any colour.

I have been practising sine I was * (although at such a young age i practised my gifts only and then began to research witchcraft and the occult at 13) and have now been practising astral magick and chaos magick for 10 years.

It took me a while to find my path and a lot of dabbling in other magicks helped me to work my way through to the path I am now on.

M

My girlfriend practiced before we met,she got in so deep,with more or less the darkness to the point of opening the portal of hell,it scared her so bad it has literally scarred her,I felt drawn to wicca both dark and light so I made friends and got books and read read read until I realized it is who I am..It will all come to you if its meant for you.

Family and friends are good sources as others have said. Just research and see where you feel drawn and then focus in those areas.

I really don't talk to my family anymore so there goes that idea. But I will research and learn as much as I can. Thank you for all of your advice.

Research and like any skill or trade. You EDUCATE yourself by buying books on the matter and studying. And having a strong BELIEF AND FAITH in what you are doing. But the research and work must be done yourself if you TRULY wish to learn and practice magick. It's not an over night process.

And another thing, and this is a must. Don't listen to ANYONE who says" I've got my knowledge from the internet. There IS a 3 fold rule, some practice the 10 fold rule. Whatever you do, whatever you cast will come back to you. In other words, You get back what you give. So when you feel ready to use magick. Use is well with good intentions. If used for the latter just remember the rule. No matter WHAT "ancient text" someone has downloaded from the web.

Fenrisson I disagree, one the three fold law was invented by a student of Gardner who didn’t listen well …. The original path has no mention of this.
I also find the book on the shelf today about magic as hit and miss as the internet.
I say try it if it works great if it don’t then question why if it works then question why.
Always question everything …

one must be gifted, but that can be obtained. start with clearing one's mind and visualizing the numbers counting down.

there is a good book called witchcraft for the solitary practitioner. and another called the solitary witch they are both very good books for beginners and are easy to read you can get them at any book store

Ok, so you're saying the 3 fold rule is made up. And that in the 50's Gerald Gardner gave his interpretation, an easier way for people to follow that rule (much like the Pastors, rabbi's and other religions do to help guide their followers) is false. Fair enough, then I guess ALL religion and religious ceremonies are made up as well. Gardner pretty much started Wicca, a new form of Paganism. And EVERY religion has that basic concept "do unto other's as you would have done to you"

I got started in what I do by getting a mentor.

well to me there is so specifc way on how to get started, its hard to say, me i have always practed the craft since i was a pre teen with out realy noing it

witch craft is more like spells , potions, chants, stuff like that

and to me wicca is more like a state of mind to be one with nature

that in my opion is what it is

Magick like anything else is a form of faith based meditation. Which empowers up to channel certain energies to get us through our miniscule lives.

practice and research that is all i can tell you

What i did when i first heard about wicca was looked on the internet and that was a big mistake, internet can be very misleading, so at first i would go to a book store and pick up a book on paganium, not wicca. Wicca is a form of paganiusm so it whould give you a very broad selection. but many people will warn you if you do get into wicca everything you do good or bad comes back three times three

I've been aware of that rule but it doesn't seem to phase me. Somehow I think I've already dealt so much bad luck that the bad luck itself gave up on me.

First off you have to draw a line between religions that use magick in their practices and systems. It is not the same thing. 3-fold and all of that is a tenet of the modern offshoot of witchcraft called Wicca. It only applies to those who believe the values of this religious group. Those I knew that practiced more experimental magick did not believe in black nor white but that it was an illusion of this plane of existence just like time. Still that is a personal opinion of certain circles. Others more into Alchemy view it as gray magick because no matter what the intent, magick can have what is called the "monkey's paw" effect. Intent does not always count. One has to be responsible for what they do or in certain cases you will get what you asked for in a very insidious way. Maybe the intent wasn't there but you still got a negative outcome and who is to say that intent makes a difference...its a belief.

Some believe what you do affects your karma but this end is just like religion...some believe this and some believe that.

Chaos is a magickal system unlike Wicca and there are many types of Wicca. I am not Wiccan so I am not involved in their rituals which most likely vary by type. Hoodoo is another magickal system and Hermetic magick and Dragon magick and Enochian magick and the list goes on. Necromancy is a magickal system as well as opposed to say Santoria which is a religion that uses magick. Voodoo is just an umbrella term used here and mostly relating to those things done in New Orleans. It has been used to mean many types of magick of a certain style still its generic. Each area has a specific name and what is practiced here is very often thought of as a corruption of original practices.

The bottom line is will and visualization. You need a good basis in meditational practices to be able to do magick unless you do the most rudimentary types you can think of like Knot magick or candle magick but focus is really important and you need to be able to quiet the mind to a degree. It is the same for shielding.

I kind of like the term Sorcery much better for me :)

As i have said in many posts, i do not believe in the three fold lore...i do not believe that what fenrisson had to say was atall valid, my point being that the wiccan side of paganism was founded long long ago at the same time as druidism.

You see, druids worchip the sun and wiccans the moon....it is the pagan way of showing balance in all things.

There are more pagan types and pagans worship the earth, sun, moon, cosmos etc etc etc...if it's natural and can be balanced, it is worshipped by pagans.

The three fold lore was (and fenrisson is correct in this) only actually theorised and explained into basic english (so that anyone could understand) in the 50's but it was invented long long ago.

However, i feel that the three fold lore is misleading...as with all magick there are good and bad...the three fold lore only comes into the equasion if you do something bad....so i ask you all...why does the three fold lore not come into being when you do something good?

I do not understand it, as all magick has an equal balance between good and bad, (darkness and light) and yet a lore that rules over magick is one sided.

Personally i think it's a tool that was invented to keep apprentices from straying from their masters teachings.

M

I think the threefold rule was to frighten those who wanted to use magick to harm others

Ladynightdancer, in my own way i have tried to tell others exactly that for years LOL.

I thank you for putting it into a way that everyone may be able to understand.

I perosnally am a chaos warlock who also does astral magick and a little egyptian necromantic healing.

M

There are many to choose from. I would do an online search, something like "different types of Wicca." Or you could put in "different paths of Wicca." You should get a wealth of information from which you can make your choices. You don't have to choose one path. You can combine them to suit your personal needs. I incorporate 3 paths in my beliefs!

Start with beginner books by Scott Cunningham "Solitary Wiccan" and Raymond Buckland if you are of the light type. If you are dark try books by Konstantinos. I have a link to his site in my profile. :)

by reading books and finding someone who knows it to give you advice

Hi Menerfecious is Asral Magick astral stuff? … odd I clump it all together and call it chaos.
So tell me this ancient necromantic stuff … book of the dead or what?

I notice the primary question tho was not mention, the main and first reason as of why you wanna learn it or aquire the skils and knowledge is what will decid on which magick or craft you should go for.

there is a really good book to get for beginners it is called the solitary witch and has all sorts of things that you should know from building your alter and all the tools you will need to all sorts of different spells that you can use and tells you the dangers of ones you should not use till you are very experienced

Well your best bet is going to be to study as many different forms of witchcraft, wicca and such. May I suggest a few books that helped me in the past. My personal favorite Buckland's Complete book of witchcraft and To ride a silver broomstick. These books really helped me out a lot with my studies. It really just depends on your intentions and your desires what suits you the best. The best advice I can give is study as much as you can of several types then form your decision from what you learn.

I take many things from diffrent forms of withcraft, I use/take whatever i need and do my own form of witchcraft, i think that is the best way to be because you only do what you like...

Jumping into anything is a bad idea. Take your time and read everything you can get your hands on, find a guide/teacher to help you. Start small and get to know the energy that your working with. Magick is not a game, or fad you can toss when your done. Magick takes time and work, butt if respected and done right it is very rewarding in the end. Best of luck on your jurney. Bright Blessings!

for me its hard to explain how to get started, i mean for some people they just do it, sometimes you can find the books you need , by walking by a book shelf and one calls to you not what you persoanl want or have been given

There is no one way to start. Just start reading everything you can get your hands on, the more you know the more capable you of are making an intelligent decision. Just make sure that you do not decide anything before you are absolutely certain that you will be safe and that you know as much as you can.

The bet thing I can suggest you do is to look into the differences between dark/light magiks, voodoo, druid, etc.... there are plenty of websites to help or if you know of a good wiccan style shop in your area look into some of the books they have.... the best way to decide which is best for you is to arm yourself with knowledge.... Then whichever feels right, whichever makes you feel more yourself.....that is the one you should go with....

I would suggest a good beginner's book to magick. They will explain the basics and give a basic rundown of the different forms of Witchcraft.

Use your 6th sense to guide you to your path. I would recommend a lot of meditation and reading up on things you think you might be interested. You might even find something in one thing and then go off in a completely different direction from the one you started.

I know it's cheesey, but try to get a copy of the complete idiots guide to voodoo, it's actually quite an interesting read

I got on the computer and researched, read any books on wicca, and if you do know someone who is in what your interested in, then ask them. or on here.

The best thing you can do is READ. Don't always trust people you ask. Just because you get an answer doesn't mean it is the right one. Not even on some of these 'websites'. Go for the books :)

i have been reading and reading and i have even purchased a few good books about where the moon should be and the stars and even the day you do your spells. im really into the birthdays and what kind of associations the have to people and numerology is very fascinating. But i know that reading and research is the most important part of any religion, what im saying is that i need a teacher. so if anyone knows of anyone in or around my area (kelowna bc) please point them in my direction. i am usually a quick study. and i am willing to learn anything in the form of magik but i preferably not dark. i have seen what it can do and im not ready to hurt myself in that way yet

Cindy

puchase the basic book on wicca. they will explain what it is. then practice it. once youve practiced for a while you start to feel what type of magic you want to do.

try the soreya books they are good for beginners.

here's some really good spots to get the supplies u need

http://store.stormsong.org/cart/section.php/121/1/herbs

http://spellspot.com/

http://wiccansway.com/

http://www.obscuria.com/ (has alot of good books)

http://www.luckymojo.com/spells.html#red


http://www.spellsandmagic.com/spells.html (i think this one is dark magik)


http://www.wiccanway.com/booksmagick.html (more good books)

My girlfriend got started when she was young. She got a hold of some books and then did a dedication ritual. From that day forward there has not been one day in her life that hasn't been influenced by magick or magick oriented.

I have always been interested in magik, but like you I have not yet decided witch craft to practice. I do beleive that all forms of dark magik will eventually hurt the caster of the spell as well as the target so be careful with your decision.

Read, Read, Read and find a teacher that you can trust.

Still laughing at Lord Fangors comment!!

well most people when starting magick start out as solitaries then if they advance join a cove... and right now your best tool is your mind.
good links to learn from are(www.witchschool.com) (www.fellowshipofisis.com)
(www.churchofsatan.com)
(www.churchofsatan.org)
if interested in learning more visit the enter links on my profile.
~good luck~

very carefully to be honest

I am asking friends and reading on the subject.

How i was started i was with some of my "other" friends and they introduced me into many different things....then i did research on it and read everything i could find....pretty soon one or two will jump at you and you will know what to choose.

I myself would look for a teacher if possible

well first you start with a year and a day studing and taking note in your book of shadows and in your journal. meditation is also a good start. then when your do your magick you have to be real careful aqnd make sure you did your circle right and all of that so nothing getts in.

i strated with the complete idot's guide to wicca. other books you can look into are by Scott Cunningham. i also started with his books they're easy to understand.

If i wanted to get involved in magick i would read anything and everything that has to do with magick and base what i do on what i like...

Yes, one must read a lot to find that path which suits you the best. Once you find that correct path, there's tons of stuff to read and people out there that can give you a hand at truely starting your wiccan life.

Read, study, meditate, look within. The answers are all within you.

lots of research .. make sure you understand what your doing before you just jump in.. its human nature to want to try something new and exciting .. but becareful.. if you dont know what your doing.. this can back fire

=)) smiling at bloodxcreeps comment..so solitaries tht stay solitaires didnt advance????
there are places in this world where you must actually leave your country and go to another country if you want to join a coven.....well just a voice from a little country in scandinavia =)))) ahhh but interresting thread this one =))))

You can always look at your library or on line at google.

I know I already sent you a message about this, but concerning the advice a lot of other people are giving (and my own as well):

Why you want to get into magick is your business. But let's say you were raised Satanist and you decided you wanted to be buddhist. You're gonna be in for a shock when you realize buddhists are all about abolishing desire and learning to restrain (as well as a host of other thing I'm not mentioning here for brevity's sake).

Magick's kind of similar. I mean, it really depends on what you, the individual, wants to get out of magick, or life in general. If you are really set in stone about a lot of your beliefs or think that you know the world is one way, then you definitely want to stick to a more established form of witchcraft because (no offense) it would be comfortable. If you're interested in communing with nature, you could look into druids or wicca, and if you like egyptian mythology, you could always look into the setian lifestyles...

but you've already said you want to look into dark/black magick, and chaos magick is about as radical/"dark" as you can get. Not because we're nasty. Every chaote will give you a different answer (which is part of the glory of it), but it gives you a lot of freedom, and more importantly a lot of results.

I've heard something being easy to read makes it a good book, so I guess I should be Seussian... but nonetheless:

condensed chaos by phil hine
liber null & psychonaut

meditate...find your own path

well meditation is a good way to start. just try to find out what seems right to you. you should also find what you could call a "teacher" to help you when you know what path you want to take. just be sure they are into the same type of magick that you are.

Sorry.
liber null & psychonaut by peter j carroll
and book of results by ray sherwin. Enought to get started I hope.

i've have always felt comfortable in this religion - even thinking about it made me feel at home. Then i let it come into my life. I have done some research and practiced what i have learnt.

I still have to learn more ...

Try the local library, it is easier than wading through all of the irrelevant stuff on the net while trying to find what you are looking for.

I'd say the first and best step into magic is learning how to meditate. It's obviously not as exciting or arcane as spell casting or astral projection, but it's important to know how to center yourself and focus in almost every type of magic. Meditation would also be fairly key in learning about yourself and what type of magic you feel attuned to.

Just find some quiet time, burn some incense or sage and ponder on your goals and interests. Spend an hour every week learning how to calm yourself and center you thoughts on a single focus (or on nothing at all). Once you've gained some experience at this, it will likely be invaluable in the study of any particular path you take.

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