Beginner’s Resources

A modern witch’s starter map (no gatekeeping, no nonsense)

So you found witchcraft on TikTok. Or Instagram. Or because crystals felt louder than usual. Welcome.

You don’t need to buy everything. You don’t need to hex your ex. You don’t need a deity yet. You definitely don’t need to be “a certain type of witch.”

You just need curiosity, boundaries, and a little grounding.

Let’s start there.

First: What Witchcraft Actually Is

Witchcraft is:
• working with intention
• building relationships with energy, nature, and self
• learning symbolism
• paying attention
• practicing consent and responsibility
• experimenting slowly

It is not:
• instant power
• aesthetic alone
• dangerous by default
• a shortcut around healing
• a personality trait

You don’t “become” a witch overnight. You practice.

What to Do First (Step-by-Step)

1. Learn to Ground

If you can’t calm your nervous system, magic will feel chaotic.

Practice:
• deep breathing
• walking barefoot
• holding stones
• stretching
• touching trees
• drinking water slowly

Grounding = spiritual seatbelt.

2. Clean Your Energy Before Casting Anything

Do not start with love spells. Do not start with hexes. Start with:

  • cleansing your space

  • protection

  • intention setting

  • journaling

  • meditation

Boring? Yes. Necessary? Also, yes.

3. Build a Tiny Starter Kit

You don’t need an altar haul. Start with:

  • one candle

  • one journal

  • one stone or meaningful object

  • salt

  • water

That’s it.

TikTok will lie to you.

Beginner Book Recommendations

(Actually, Good Ones)

Foundations

“Witchery” – Juliet Diaz
Gentle, empowering, inclusive, great for emotional + spiritual grounding.

“The Green Witch” – Arin Murphy-Hiscock
Perfect for forest witches. Herbs, cycles, nature magic, slow magic.

“The House Witch” – Arin Murphy-Hiscock
Magic that fits real life: kitchens, bedrooms, daily routines.

“Weave the Liminal” – Laura Tempest Zakroff
If you like deep symbolism and modern pagan philosophy.

Protection & Energy

“Psychic Witch” – Mat Auryn
For learning how energy actually works. Exercises included.

“Protection & Reversal Magick” – Jason Miller
Straightforward, practical protection.

History & Reality Check

“Caliban and the Witch” – Silvia Federici
Why witch hunts happened. Heavy, important.

“Witches, Midwives & Nurses” – Barbara Ehrenreich
 Short. Rage-inducing. Necessary.