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Are you a beginner witch? Do you feel confused about what you need to learn about witchcraft?

When you’re new to something, you might be surprised you don’t even know what you don’t know!

Becoming A Witch For Beginners

What I mean is that you have no clue what to research. You know you want to learn more, but can’t even figure out where to start.

Witchcraft is a huge topic with so many different aspects and things to research. Becoming a witch for beginners is often a tough road with many obstacles.

So how do you learn how to become a witch? With this guide!

If you are a beginner witch, there are a few topics that are essential for your continued success.

If you research these topics thoroughly, you will be able to navigate the occult world much more easily than the typical newbie could.

How To Do Basic Witchcraft

Eclectic Witchcraft was created to fulfill my desire to help other witches to learn their craft.

I love to teach witches about spells, herbalism, and correspondences.

However, I am only one person.

I sometimes get help from my husband and friends when writing this blog, but most of the time it’s all me.

I can only write so fast, and answer so many emails.

I’m juggling being a work from home mom, too, and homeschooling my son.

That means I can’t help other witches to learn how to do basic witchcraft as thoroughly as I wish I could.

For that reason, resources like this are important in helping more witches than I ever could on my own.

Luckily, there are others who came before me that have researched and written about anything and everything a witch should know.

So if you’re ready to start learning, the following list of beginner witch research topics will help you to figure out what to research on your own.

I have designed a set of beautiful checklists of what you should research as a beginner witch. They are simple to use and will help you be less overwhelmed as a beginner witch. You can find the Beginner Witch Research Topics checklist here.

Things That Every Beginner Witch Should Research

The History Of Witchcraft

It’s important to know about how far back into prehistory witchcraft has been around.

Witchcraft and paganism are among the earliest religions. Witchcraft was the science of the ancients.

Plus, you’ll want to learn about the different ways witches have been persecuted through the ages.

Why would you want to learn that?

First, it’s good to be able to appreciate how good witches have it now. We have more freedom to practice than ever before.

We’re so much less likely to be thrown in jail or killed for our practices.

But we should also learn about things like the witch trials so that we can try to not repeat bad history.

Other historical topics for witchcraft include famous witches through history.

We can be inspired by the strength of women persecuted through history for real or perceived witchcraft practice.

When we are practicing witchcraft for beginners, it’s helpful to know how witchcraft was once practiced.

You should also know what used to be mistaken as witchcraft and used to persecute others.

Historical Witchcraft Topics

Early witchcraft

Early paganism

Witch hunts

Witch trials

Salem witches

Bridget Bishop

Sarah Good

Susannah Martin

Martha Carrier

Martha Cory

Modern Legal Issues For Witches

Did you know that it is still illegal to teach minors about witchcraft without parental permission in the USA?

While witches have more freedom than ever before, that doesn’t mean we are on equal footing with other religions and craft practices.

In some states, there are even laws against fortune telling, tarot card reading, and other practices that witches do.

Practically, these laws are meant to protect the gullible from being abused and defrauded.

But these laws can also be used to persecute honest witches.

Legal Issues For Witches Topics

Witchcraft laws in your area

Laws against fortune telling

Local laws against religious discrimination

Lawyers friendly to witches in your area

Your legal rights as a witch or pagan parental

Your rights in the workplace

Resources In Your Local Area

Are there any metaphysical shops or witch stores in your local area?

These stores are popping up everywhere, so you may be surprised to find that there’s one even in your rural area!

You can also check with local libraries to see if there are any groups that meet there.

Finally, you can look online to see if there are any witchy communities near you.

Hopefully you can find some that aren’t closed covens, but rather open communities to meet other witches to become friends.

Local Witch Resources Topics

Where local witches meet

Any local covens

Metaphysical shops

Types Of Witchcraft

Do you know what kind of witchcraft you want to practice?

You might be surprised to find that your preferences will change as you grow as a witch!

It’s best to learn about many different forms of witchcraft so that you can make informed decisions.

You’ll also be able to change and evolve as needed instead of feeling stuck in one form of witchcraft.

Types Of Witchcraft Topics

Types Of Magick

Do you want to do only positive magick?

Or are you willing to do curses?

You should learn about all types of magick, regardless of what you think you will do right now.

Why? Because you’ll probably change your mind as you grow in the craft.

There are so many different types of magick, and each one can be useful at different times.

Types Of Magick Topics

How to craft your own spells

Elemental magick

Curses

Hexes

Blessings

Protection magick

Moon magick

Herbalism

Spirit magick

Energy work

Kitchen magick

Technology magick

Everyday magick or cottage magick

Garden magick

Crystal magick

Sigils

Flower magick

Aroma magick

Faery magick

Dragon magick

Demon magick

Chaos magick

Blood magick

Candle magick

Art magick

Divination

Necromancy

Forms Of Divination

There are so many different types of divination out there!

You’ll want to try many different kinds of divination so that you can find the forms that work best for you.

Divination can be done to learn the future, but many divination methods are also useful to explore your own emotions and beliefs.

Forms Of Divination Topics

Astrology

Tarot

Astrology dice

Palm reading

Runes

Scrying

Tea leaves

Bone reading

Folklore And Myths

Folklore is very important to witchcraft.

Many of our magickal correspondences come from folklore and myths about how to use crystals and plants.

Folklore also informs our beliefs about The Fae, spirits, and deities.

Learning local folklore can make it easier to work with local spirits in your witchcraft.

Folklore And Myths Topics

Myths of deities

Myths about spirits and ghosts

Myths about magick

Folklore about crystals

Folklore about herbs and plants

Folklore about the land you are on

Dreams And Dream Interpretation

Dreams are an important realm where magick is stronger than most other places.

The symbols of your dreams can have prophetic or emotional meanings important to the dreamer.

One can also lucid dream or travel to the astral plane while dreaming.

Dreams Topics

Dream symbolism

Dream interpretation

Psychology of dream symbolism

Lucid dreaming

Astral travel

Energy Work

All magick is essentially energy work.

But there are a few forms of magick that rely entirely on energy.

It’s important to learn about energy and how it works. Doing so will make all of your spells more powerful than ever before.

Energy Work Topics

Spirit healing

Reiki

Chakras

How to focus your intent

The Best Books On Paganism And Witchcraft

Knowing the right books to read is essential for every beginner witch.

Why? Because you are going to spend the rest of your life as a witch reading books.

Starting with the right books will put you on the right path earlier.

Some authors are better than others. Some books are better for certain kinds of witchcraft than others.

I have a few lists of books about witchcraft that will help you to get started.

Witch Books Topics

Books on herbalism

Books on Wicca

Books on witchcraft

Books on dream interpretation

Books on chaos magick

Books of spells

Books on green witchcraft

Books on kitchen witchcraft

Books to learn tarot for beginners

Crystals And Their Correspondences

Crystals are the most popular tools for witches these days.

Some witches only ever work with crystals!

They’re easy to take with you everywhere you go, and they look beautiful as home decor.

Plus, crystal jewelry is easy to find and awesome to wear.

Crystal Topics

Which crystal is best for your needs

How to care for your crystals

Where to buy crystals

Lunar Magick

Moon magick is very popular these days.

Each of the moon’s phases has a different use for witchcraft.

Plus you can charge your crystals under the moon.

Or you can make moon water.

Lunar Magick Topics

Witchcraft Tools For Beginners

The first thing to know about magickal tools is that they are useful, but not the #1 most important thing in witchcraft.

Having a good tool can be very helpful, but you don’t need to spend a ton of money to have a good tool.

And if you don’t have one at all right now, most spells can be adapted to be done without it.

Still, these tools are used for a reason. They can direct and hold energy, making spells more powerful or more useful.

Magickal Tools Topics

Your altar

Athame

Bolines

Swords

Bells

Singing bowls

Book of shadows

Besom or broom

Candles

Cauldrons

Chalices

Crystals

Divination tools

Herbs

Incense

Offering containers

Pentacles

Rope or string

Statue

Wands

Talismans

Spell ingredients

Where to buy these tools

Meditation

As one of the best ways to focus your energy and your mind, meditation can be essential to the proper performance of a spell.

Learning how to meditate can help you in all facets of your life.

Meditation can teach you how to conjure certain emotions and turn them into useful energy.

It can also help guide you to safe spaces for when you are struggling emotionally.

If you, like most witches, are using magick to help with the problems and obstacles in your life, meditation is essential.

Why? Because meditation is the number one, easiest, most affordable way to problem solve and take control over your life.

Meditation Topics

How to meditate

Guided meditation

Binaural beats

Astral travel

Chanting

Qi Gong

Zen meditation

Mindfulness meditation

Mantras

Self-compassion

Relaxation meditation

Psychic Powers

Maybe you believe you have psychic powers.

Maybe you don’t.

But learning about the different forms of psychic ability might help you to trust your own intuition, too.

If you want to develop or strengthen your own powers, learning about them can help you to learn techniques to do so.

Psychic Powers Topics

How to develop psychic powers

How to trust your intuition

Crystals for psychics

Fortune telling

Clairvoyance

Clairsentience

Clairaudience

Claircognizance

How to hire a psychic

Special Occasions In Witchcraft

Holidays, weddings, and funerals are important in witchcraft and paganism, just as they are in most other religions.

How we celebrate these days is different, however.

Not every witch follows the wheel of the year, but the basic concept of it is to follow the seasons.

Special Occasions Topics

Synchronicity And Symbolism

Synchronicity and symbolism go hand in hand.

Synchronicity is when two events happen that seem related to one another.

For instance, if you think to yourself, “I wonder if white tulips are in season right now”.

It would be synchronicity if you then walked by a garden with white tulips later that day.

Symbolism matters with synchronicity because if you keep seeing the same symbol, the meaning of that symbol is probably significant.

For instance, if you keep seeing black cats, the symbolism of black cats might be important to you.

Are you worrying about your luck? Or are you looking for a sign that you should keep working on being a witch?

A black cat is relevant to those two issues.

Synchronicity And Symbolism Topics

Synchronicity in witchcraft

Symbol interpretation

Coincidence in witchcraft

Defense Against The Dark Arts

Or, rather, different ways to protect yourself spiritually.

We all know about casting circles, but there are many different ways to defend against negative magick and negative energies.

Spiritual Protection Topics

Casting circles

Apotropaic magick

Crystals for protection

Herbs for protection

Magick Symbols

Symbols that can be used to enhance or direct magick are used in many types of witchcraft.

Quick deployment of the right symbol can protect you, cast a fast spell, or draw in positive energy.

Magick Symbols Topics

Sigils

Pentacles

Planet symbols

Astrology symbols

Deity symbols

Protection symbols

Spirit Work And Necromancy

Yeah, necromancy is real. But instead of creating zombies, we are having conversations with the dead.

Spirit work is very popular around Samhain, because the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead is thin.

Spirit Work Topics

Ancestor worship

Seances

Talking boards

Dumb dinner

Possession

Local spirits / Spirits of the land

Deities And Theurgy

Not every witch works with deities.

If you do, though, it’s good to know how to work with them with respect.

There are many Tiktok videos and other entertaining videos out there that come off as disrespectful once the humor wears off.

Don’t come to a deity expecting them to be fine with you making fun of them.

Deities Topics

Pantheons

Myths

Theurgy

Offerings for deities

How to communicate with deities

How to find your patron deities

Correspondences

Learning how different tools and objects correspond to different purposes can help you to craft your own powerful spells.

Correspondences Topics

Color correspondences

Herb and plant correspondences

Planet correspondences

Astrological correspondences

Crystal correspondences

Deity correspondences

Elemental correspondences

Magickal tool correspondences

Astrology

Do you want to understand the stars and their influence on you?

To understand the connection between humans and the cosmos, try studying astrology.

The different kinds of astrology, from Western to Vedic astrology, are complex methods of learning about the universe and how we exist within it.

Astrology Topics

How to create and read a birth chart

How astrology reveals our personality

How astrology reveals the course of our life

The meaning of the different planets, houses, and signs

Compatibility in astrology

How To Avoid Cults And Toxic People

This is more important than you think.

Every coven has the potential to turn into a dangerous cult.

If you can learn to recognize the signs of a toxic person or cult-like coven, you’ll avoid joining them.

Joining a cult can truly destroy your life, so you need to make sure you learn these tips.

Recognizing Cults And Toxic People Topics

The BITE model

Signs you’re in a cult

How to recognize manipulation

How to recognize a narcissist

How to recognize toxic people

Familiars

Do you want a familiar?

Familiars are spirits in the form of an animal that helps you with your magick.

They protect you from negative magick and help to perform your magick.

Familiars Topics

How to find your familiar

Can your family pet be your familiar?

What does a familiar do?

What is a familiar?

Altars

Altars are your magickal space within and outside of your home.

They’re supposed to help bring you into your faith and remind you to be a witch in all that you do.

Many witches use their altars to leave offerings for spirits and deities.

It can also be where they do tarot or rune readings.

If your altar is on top of a dresser, the drawers can hold your supplies so that they’re easy to find.

Candles can be burnt on your altar. Statues of your deities and familiars can be left there.

And your book of shadows can be stored on your altar.

Altars Topics

How to decorate your altar

How to leave offerings on your altar

What an altar is used for

How to make a portable altar

Altars outside

Of course, this isn’t all of the witchcraft topics that a beginner witch could research.

There are things that I’m sure I’ve forgotten on this list.

And you’re not going to be interested in everything on it, either!

For me, I don’t even kind of want to spend time researching familiars, because they have no place in my practice and seem a bit fluffy to me.

But you might find sigils or the witch holidays unnecessary in your practice.

It doesn’t hurt to do a quick read on them to know what they are, but you don’t have to spend a year and a day researching them.

Part of your beginning practice is about carving out a niche for yourself.

Finding what you are an expert at is how you will find friends and a community that feels like home.

It’s also perfectly fine to start your research on Wikipedia!

While your professors may have hated Wikipedia, it can be a valuable source of information.

You can use Wikipedia to learn the basics of most topics, plus you can find new topics you are interested in researching.

When you really find something you want to know a lot about, Wikipedia pages usually list their sources at the end.

This is where you will find books, research papers, and other websites where you can dive even deeper into your witchy interests.

Each of these topics will no doubt lead you to 10 more.

No one will ever know everything about witchcraft, and I think that’s the best part of this craft and way of life.

There is just so much knowledge and information that is held in individuals and books and history.

You will become a master in your field in time, but you will always have room to learn and grow as a witch.

And isn’t that the meaning of life, in the end? To learn, grow, and become better than what you were yesterday?

You can grab this blog post as a PDF for easier access on your Kindle or other devices without internet access, or for printing for your Book of Shadows!

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