I recently read a post in one of the Facebook witchcraft groups I belong to, in which the admin of the group asked the members about their practices and how they identify. The majority of them identified as “Eclectic”, while others were more nebulous with their answers.

“I follow my own path”.

“I do my own thing”.

“I don’t want to be labeled”.

“Whatever I’m called to do at any given time”.

“A little of this, a little of that”.

“Whatever feels right”.

“Everything”.

All of this translates as “I have no clue what I’m doing”. It was interesting to see how few of the members had any real structure or discipline to their practice. Most of them were just winging it, without any rhyme or reason for what they were doing. I also noticed that many had a strong aversion to any kind of formal training. It was simply “whatever I feel like today”. I would hesitate to call this a meaningful or even a real practice. I would go even further to say that most of them were not even witches at all. I am not an eclectic witch, but I imagine it is much easier to call yourself one than it is to actually be one. Many will use the word ‘eclectic’ because for them it represents a kind of freedom. The expression “fly by the seat of your pants” comes to mind. I know very few self-described eclectic witches who have an established meaningful practice.

I have said this many times before, but witchcraft is not “whatever you want it to be”. There are things that it is and things that it is not. There are lots of people who are attracted to the idea of witches and witchcraft, and the aesthetics that along with it, so they like to think of themselves as witches. It has become trendy and popular. They read the books, wear the crystals, light the candles and burn the incense, but they are not really witches. They are merely dabblers.

What is a dabbler? A dabbler is someone who participates in an activity only as a hobby or pastime. They may have a casual interest in the subject or only try the activity for a short time. Dabblers may pretend to have knowledge of the subject, but they don’t attain proficiency or professional status. There are many people who call themselves witches, who are really only dabblers. They see witchcraft as something fun to do every now and then, and have no real practice to speak of.

So, what makes a witch?

First off, you do not have to be initiated by another witch in order to be one. You do not have to be a woman, and you do not have to belong to a specific tradition in order to be a witch. These are all myths. In our quest to discover what makes a real witch, let us look at the writings of two well-respected witches and teachers in the magical community. The first comes from the late Raven Grimassi, whom I had the pleasure of meeting in person and taking classes with before he passed. In his book, Old World Witchcraft: Ancient Ways For Modern Days, he states a number of things that make someone a witch.

• A “mystical alignment” and “enchanted worldview”, believing in “a consciousness that inhabits all things”.
• A “rapport with spirits and other non-material beings”.
• “The art of magic” which is “lunar in nature and is associated with the night”.
• A connection to “the forest or woodlands”, which are the “primordial home of the witch”.

For a second look at what makes a witch, we delve into the works of Christopher Penczak, author of “The Inner Temple of Witchcraft: Magic, Meditation and Psychic Development”. In this definitive work, he gives us more insight into who witches are.

• A witch is one who “lives the art, science and religion of witchcraft”.
• Witchcraft as an Art:“Even though two witches can say the same exact words of a spell, each does it differently, each brings his or her own personal nuances, intentions and inflections”.
• Witchcraft as a Science: Understanding “the theories behind spells and psychic powers”, “quantum physics” and the “corollaries between ancient philosophies and modern, cutting-edge science”.
• Witchcraft as a Religion and Spirituality. “It is a nature-based spiritual practice…Divinity in all things is recognized…Witches are polytheistic”, communing with gods, goddesses, the forces of nature and the universe.
• Healer: Witches are “involved in the healing arts, traditional or otherwise”.
• A witch is a “walker between the worlds”, believing in “the physical and a multitude of spiritual dimensions”, and traversing among them.

What separates the serious practitioners from the dabblers? A structured and disciplined practice. Such a practice would include consistent ritual and spellcraft, divination, healing and spirit communication….at the very least. Real witches live as witches twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. They are witches at the job, at home, at the supermarket and in the community. It is not a hobby or pastime. For the witch, it is their life and identity.

Here are a several ways to begin adding some structure and discipline to your practice:

• As each Full Moon approaches, do a simple ritual to bring or attract something you desire into your life.
• As each Dark Moon approaches, do a ritual to banish and remove something that is causing you harm.
• Do rituals or have celebrations to honor the changing seasons, particularly the magical holidays of Samhain, Winter Solstice, Imbolc, Spring Equinox, Beltane, Summer Solstice, Lughnasadh and the Autumn Equinox.
• Do weekly tarot readings for yourself to get insight for the coming days.
• Meditate for fifteen minutes, three days a week.
• Grow your own herbs and plants to use in spells.
• Learn an alternative healing modality and use it regularly on yourself and others.
• Learn and practice the art of spellcasting. The book, The Casting of Spells, by Christopher Penczak is a good place to start.
• If you feel connected to certain gods, goddesses or spirit guides, make it a regular practice of honoring them with rituals and devotions at least once a week.
• Read, study and put what you learn into practice.

A structured and disciplined practice is what separates serious witches from those who only dabble in witchcraft. The more you practice, the stronger you become and the more developed your skills will be. Consistency is paramount. If you take your practice seriously, then the natural and the spirit worlds will as well.