If you have been practicing witchcraft for any time at all, chances are you have been asked what kind of witch you are. This is a question that will eventually be avoidable because of all of the different kinds of magic that there is in the world. Even though you might want to figure out what kind of magic you are into, it is easier to find resources, spells, and other things that you can use than to figure out what kind of witch you really are.
When you start as a witch, labeling yourself early will cause you to miss out on new magic and it can actually stop your growth. New witches often wonder why they can’t learn until they figure out what kind of witch they are, but the truth is that labeling your magic is not something that you need to worry about.
Even though online, chances are that you will find many things that are based around figuring out what kind of witch that you are such as quizzes, psychics and other things that can tell you the true witch self that you are.
This is all just noise, and no one can really tell you what kind of magic you should be doing or what you are good at, especially if you are new. Witchcraft takes a lot of time to learn and when you think that you have to label your magic, there are more important things to do instead.
Witchcraft Labels
Witchcraft labels are the way that you define the kind of magic that you practice. Some people will look at magic such as love magic, candle magic, folk magic and more and this will cover a wide variety of different magics that people do. Then, there are labels of what kind of occult you belong to such as wicca or Feri or another group. Then, there are ways that you can label the kinds of magic that you do such as green witchcraft, herb witchcraft, art magic and more. This is when you focus on one thing that you do most of your magic based on.
These labels can be useful when you are talking to other people that do magic and it allows you to be able to talk about things that you find interesting and the magic that is useful to you. When you talk to someone, you might want to know what kind of craft that they focus on. If someone focuses on poisonous plants, for example, they will do crafting based on sabbatic traditions and they will often use things such as belladonna, datura and other plants. This can give you the idea that they love to follow these kinds of spells and magic when they do their crafting.
There is so much information in the world of magic that using labels can never be a real problem solver for a witch, especially one that is new and confused on what their focus is. This can actually be more confusing than helpful.
Why Labels Aren’t Always Good
When you ask someone to give you a description of different kinds of crafting, what would you be able to tell on a basic level?
When you label your magic too fast, you will often get an idea on what kind of magic that you have chosen, and you will miss out on trying other kinds of magic and figuring out what other magic means. This is what causes people to not know what kind of magic is good for them because they label themselves and then they do not look at other options. What if you had a talent with working with animals but you never knew this because you stayed focused on plant magic? What if your natural psychopomp (working with the dead to help them cross over to the other side) was this kind of work and then you thought that someone in the sea witch magic was angry because you kept helping ghosts cross over that have drowned in the ocean? This is something that is not of magic theory and since they label too early, they don’t know the basics, and this can cause their view of magic to seem like a curse when it is actually something purposeful and good.
When you want to communicate with other people that do magic, labeling can be important because it can help you to talk about information and help you to get more information but other times, labels can be limiting.
Labels are like boxes, and it forces people to be confused about what they want because they will not think outside of the box. It is like asking someone that is in middle school to pick their major even though they have no clue on what the real world is, what they are good at or even what they like. How are you supposed to make such a life changing decision when you haven’t been able to see what the world has to offer you yet?
This is the same thing as asking a witch to choose their magic when they are only practicing for a couple of years. This is a time where the witch should be focusing on the principles of magic and seeing the different kinds of magic that the world has to offer them. Choosing your craft can take years.
Labels are not meant to put a limit on witches, it is to help witches to be able to talk to each other and to be able to get more information about themselves and others. Labels can not ever define you or what you are or what kind of practice that you do but they can help you to communicate easier and help you to learn what you want to practice more. You never should label something that you don’t even understand yet.
What Happens First?
Labels are a way of telling people what you see. When you think of any word in the language, you didn’t make those words, you just learned them so that you could talk to others. As you learned more words, you were able to talk to others. When your ancestors needed to talk about something, they came up with words to be able to describe it and then people learned the words as time moved forward.
Witchcraft is a practice that is meant to be there and meant to be learned before it should be labeled. Someone that uses divination has to be and understand the divine before they can even label themselves as a diviner. Calling yourself a diviner when you have never even heard of or used divination would be like calling yourself a doctor when you have never even wen to college. The magic has to be part of you before you can even put words to it or apply labels to it. This is something that doesn’t have to be just part of theory, but it has to be something that is real.
A great example of this is planting. You cannot come to someone and show them a pot with some dirt and seeds in it and tell them that you have a tree. You might grow a tree, but you might be growing something else, who even knows? The thing is though, there is no tree yet. This is the same as labeling your magic. If you call yourself something doesn’t make you that kind of witch, you have to actually do that magic to be that kind of witch.
If you look at your practice and what you have done in your life up to this point, figure out what you have learned. Before you begin labeling yourself, learn to understand what you are practicing and develop your magic. This is when your label can work for you. But not having a label is not a bad thing either. People use labels to tell others who they are but not to tell others what you want or what you think you should be. A label defines what something is.
Needing a Label
No one has to choose a certain witchcraft label. There are no reasons that you need to choose a label, and this is something that is just your choice. If you want to have a label just so that you can talk to other people that practice magic, do what you want but there are no witchy rules that say that you have to define yourself in order to practice magic. You don’t have to take a text and you don’t have to show someone who you are to belong to the witch community. As you learn about what you want and you practice your crafting, you will see that you can live whatever kind of practice that you want.
Your witchcraft will give you real results and that is what makes magic. It doesn’t matter if you are called a witch or not, when you practice it, you are the one that gets to choose what kind of label that you want. You should never focus on one kind of study, but you should try different things to see if you can find what is perfect for your life.
It’s somewhat ironic that while the article decries the use of labels in witchcraft, it itself relies heavily on categorizing different types of magic. Perhaps, like most things, the key lies in a balanced approach. Labels can be both limiting and liberating depending on how they’re utilized.
This is just an overly drawn-out way of saying ‘don’t pigeonhole yourself.’ Honestly, the entire premise seems like common sense wrapped in unnecessary mysticism. It’s frustrating that it needed this much text to get the point across.
So, basically, labeling yourself as a witch too early is like getting a tattoo of your favorite band before hearing their entire album. Got it. Maybe I’ll hold off on becoming the ‘local herb witch’ until I’ve tried a bit of necromancy and astral projection. Great advice!
The article provides a nuanced perspective on the issue of labeling within witchcraft. It’s true that the complex nature of magic can be stifled by premature categorization. The emphasis on experiential learning over rigid classification is a refreshing reminder of the fluidity inherent in magical practices.
The article raises valid points about the pitfalls of early labeling in witchcraft. However, it would benefit from a more structured approach to offer clear guidance for newcomers. The current format, although informative, tends to meander and dilute the core message.