Anyone willing to help with my project?

Hi! I cant figure out how to private message and your email isn't working, so I'm sorry I know this response is super long, but i'll just respond here. Hopefully it helps.

Here is m contribution for your project, hope this helps!

What were the reasons or factors for you starting your practice?

I have always been really into spiritual things like meditation and chakara's. And I have always believed in everything having a spirit, even rocks and mountains. So, I think my mind was open to the idea of witchcraft. I think it all really started when I made a new friend online who was exploring the witchy path. I was a little scared to try anything at first, having grown up very religious, but I still wanted to be able to relate to this new friend and try some new things out. So, It took a while, but eventually I tried it and I was hooked. I was also super intrigued by forms of divination like tarot cards and pendulums. I am also an empath, so I knew these forms of divination would be something that I could pick up quickly and could be super helpful in my life. My first spells and the first time I made moon water were super clumsy and hard to do since I am practicing in secret. But my practice always left me feeling more free and uplifted even if it was a little clumsy. I love how witchcraft makes me feel so connected to myself and to the earth. I have also noticed that almost everyone called to this path is so pure and kind. Also, the aspect of community and being able to connect with other people was super appealing to me because one of the biggest things I struggle with is loneliness.

What does your particular practice entail?

Currently, I am still very new to witchcraft. But the funny thing is when I started to research and to connect with people who also practice the craft I started to notice that I have been doing witchy things all my life. I was that weird little kid who used to talk to trees. Once, we lived next to a park when I was around 9 or 10 years old and it had three big pine trees. Me and my sisters would each pick a tree and we would sit under these trees and sing to them and talk to them and read them our journals and play them music for hours and hours on end. I used to whisper to the other trees in my neighborhood and ask them to send a message to my beautiful ancient pine tree in the park telling him I missed him and loved him. Haha This being said, I have always had a deep connection to plants and so my craft is mainly focused on the practices of a green witch. This just involves a lot of studying plants, talking to plants, communicating with their spirits and energies, and a focus on healing the earth and being more self sustainable. Of course, I also do the other witchy things like I've started doing candle magic and I am practicing and learning tarot and simple cleansing spells since I am still new to this whole thing. For my personal practice, I do not worship any gods or spirits. I am actually still a christen and still believe in God, but I believe that God dose not think people who practice witchcraft are evil. I won't get too much into that, but I think it is interesting to include since I know a lot of witches are no longer christen. It just goes to show how different we can be, but how united we can be at the same time.       

How do you carry out your practice?

Kinda already answered this one, but again just a lot of research and talking to plants and connecting to their spirits as well as the spirit of the earth. I also meditate a lot and do many grounding meditations to ground me to the earth in everything I do. Also I love tarot and candle magic. And I just planted my first witches garden which is full of useful herbs and I am so excited about it. I also try to be mindful of the moon and its cycles and I also like to learn about the stars and space and the zodiacs. 

How does modern science and technology influence your practice?

I know that there are a lot of people that do not think that witchcraft is real because they think it is all fantasy separate from science. But, being a super logical Scorpio, I did a lot of research about the science behind certain aspects of witchcraft and its amazing how intertwined science is with magic. Many people will accept the law of attraction and manifestation before they accept magic and witchcraft. Basically, If you believe that our brains are moldable and that we create our own reality with our thoughts, which is the basis of the law of attraction, then you may also believe in the power of manifesting and bringing things into this reality with your thoughts. For example, if you are outside and focus all your energy on seeing a butterfly, or maybe you just thought about it for two seconds, and then you saw a butterfly soon after, you may have manifested this butterfly into your life by changing your reality through the power of using your brilliant mind to manifest this butterfly into existence. Now, some may say that this could just be luck, but there are hundreds of scientific articles explaining the concept of manifestation and creating your own reality with your thoughts. So, where am I going with this? My point is, spells are just a form of concentrated manifestation in which you and you alone influence and create your own reality. If spells are us setting the intention, and we dedicate thought and devotion to this spell, then spells are just the law of attraction working at its finest. Mind blowing right?! If we think of magic in this more scientific way, then it seems a lot more digestible for those wary of magic and why it works so well. This is why intention is so important in magic because intent is also the most important aspect of manifestation and the law of attraction. Hopefully that made sense, haha. In short, science backs up many aspects of magic and why it works so well. And also, sometimes things happen that are truly magical and there are no logical ways to explain these things through science, and those are some of my favorite moments in life and another reason why I love magic so much.    

If there is any other information, references or recommendations you feel happy to share with me, please do I greatly appreciate it!

Because I am a green witch, the book Green Witch by Arin Murphy-Hiscock is super great. Other than that I can't really think of any other resources right now. Sorry, I basically wrote a novel haha. Hopefully some of this helped in some way. Also, if you have any further questions, totally feel free to email me back and i'll be happy to answer or talk about anything you would like.

(email: orangeloving15@gmail.com) 

Blessed Be!

-Rachel

What were the reasons or factors for you starting your practice?

i began like many of us do, as a small child with a WILD imagination. Begging the clouds for power over the wind, and making potions with sticks and Things. As I got older, I grew distant from magick and myself. Became an addict, and a gnerally horrible person. Magick has become my life saving substance.

What does your particular practice entail?

everything white black and Every color in between. love, money, banishing, demons, gods, goddesses, the manipulation of various energies.

How do you carry out your practice?

With love and respect. I don’t usually cast circles like most witches do, I invite energy to join with me. I fear little. Lol.

How does modern science and technology influence your practice?

it is one in the same for me. Plants heal. It’s a fact. They just exhibit energy modern science doesn’t understand yet.

Hope that helps you!

I have a degree in anthropology, so this is right up my alley! More than willing to help.

What were the reasons or factors for you starting your practice?

My primary reasons for practicing are related to physical and mental health. Witchcraft promotes a healthy lifestyle in essence - the strong emphasis on nature encourages practitioners to get outside (although this is certainly not required), and I’ve found in my own practice that it’s made me more inclined to eat whole foods. Many witches and pagans are vegetarian or vegan (again, this is not required, but in my personal path it does coincide with my dietary lifestyle). In terms of mental health, a lot of central practices to witchcraft are super healthy (e.g. meditation, positive mantras, banishing negative energy from your life, etc.). Like many people my age (22) I suffer from anxiety and depression. I’ve found that aligning with some kind of form of spirituality has been helpful for me, especially one that has so many ritualistic aspects. I’m more likely to be kind to myself, to have some kind of order and structure to my day, if I’m currently practicing. Religion didn’t feel like a good fit for me, and I think one of the most beautiful parts about witchcraft is that it doesn’t have to be practiced with any religion at all (but at the same time, witches can belong to any religious sect they desire). 

I also practice as a way to connect to my Celtic heritage.

Like many other witches, once I started to learn about the practice, I realized that I had been doing “witchy” things since I was a child. I grew up in the Catholic church, which like many other religions, incorporates a lot of ritual aspects that are akin to witchcraft (chanting/incantations, rosary prayer beads, praying to specific saints for their respective purposes, communal drinking of wine from a chalice, lighting candles at the end of mass for loved ones who have passed, etc.). I started collecting crystals at a very young age, and since I lived in the woods growing up, I also believed in fairies. I would create little areas in my room dedicated to them, with crystals, flowers, and chalices (filled with water for them to drink). In witchcraft these are considered offerings! I also got a lot of my witchyness from my mother, who still remains Catholic in belief, but (like me) no longer practices Catholicism due to having major disagreements with some of the fundamental aspects of the Catholic Church. I won’t go into further detail on how (because I could go on forever), but she is witchy beyond belief, and I think that’s had a huge impact on my path to practicing, even though she isn’t a practitioner herself. 

What does your particular practice entail?

My practice mostly consists of candle work, because it’s probably the most convenient for me. I do consider myself a green witch (like my mother I love anything related to plants/herbs), but due to living in a colder climate (New England, U.S), it makes it hard for me to practice in the way that I would like to all year round. To get around this in the winter, I use herb based oils, soaps, etc. I also incorporate crystal and moon work a bit. And I’m hoping to add kitchen work soon, since I’ve just finished school and now have more time to cook and bake for myself.

I’m secular, so I don’t work with any deities, the fae, or anything of that nature. I completely respect those that do, it’s just not something that I personally connect with (due to my more agnostic view).

How do you carry out your practice?

My practice is very home-based. I like to use ingredients that are local to wherever I’m living, and I use materials that are typical household items. I do practice in private - I’ve never been a part of any coven. I don’t necessarily hide my work, but I don’t make it known that I’m a witch. I haven’t told my family yet, but at the same time, I don’t think they would be surprised. 

How does modern science and technology influence your practice?

I’m very science-based, which is why I prefer to work with herbs above everything else. There are so many medicinal purposes for herbs that are scientifically proven. I’m also more inclined to work with crystals and the moon because there is a scientific explanation behind them having and radiating energy. I’ve had personal experience with being healed by Reiki, and growing up in the woods, I’ve witnessed a lot of strange animal activity during the full moon. So even though it’s not scientifically proven that energy can have a profound impact on us and our surroundings, it’s hard for me to deny these experiences I’ve had.

In terms of technology, it’s definitely made practicing super easy. You can quickly look up ideas for different workings, and, I really do enjoy researching the more science side of witchcraft. Like any identity based community, the pagan community uses the internet as a safe space to connect and share knowledge with others. 

If you have any follow-up questions, let me know!