There are many types of witches, with many different types of backgrounds. This post will explore the different kinds of witches and what to look for if you are trying to define yourself as a witch. We will go over 10 of the most common witches there are today and at a later date we will explore some of the other types there are.

So let’s start with something simple, how do you know if you are a witch and can men be witches too? Yes, men can be witches too! Here is a checklist of things to look for in deciding if you are actually a witch or if you may just be an intuitive, not every intuitive is a witch and not every witch is an intuitive.

• You have a desire to learn about the Craft, its various forms and everything you can about it.
• You have unexplained gifts that have always been there. [Intuitive- Empath, Clairvoyant, Natural]
• You may be able to pick up on other’s feelings, their energies, and in situations where others cannot . [Intuitive- Empath]
• You feel a strong connection to your ancestors, perhaps someone in your family too was a witch.
• You have an interest in things like past lives/reincarnation, or you have a strong interest in death, the afterlife, and where our energies go after.
• You enjoy learning about herbalism, the healing properties of herbs, flowers, and other plants. You may also create potions, sauves, mixtures and other concoctions to aid you in your daily life or care for others.
• Feeling connections to objects or energies that they present, with or without touching them. [Intuitive- Empath, Clairvoyant]
• Creating a Journal, Grimoire, Book of Shadows, whatever you wish to call it to keep track of your journey in a detailed account.
• You’re drawn to things other people are not; the strange, unusual, abandoned places, & oddities.
• Sometimes you can see things that others cannot, like spirits, you can hear them and or sense them as a presence. [Intuitive- Empath, Clairvoyant]
• You may have a foreshadowing or precognitive ability, this can happen when you are awake or even when you are asleep. [Intuitive- Empath, Clairvoyant]
• Sometimes, you may have instances where your energy interferes with electronics or other things around you. [Intuitive- Empath, Clairvoyant]
• You see signs, messengers, or even hidden runes/sigils around you, when other people cannot see them.
• You can see auras.
• You are attuned with the moon and its phases or you have an interest in the moon & astrology
• You feel at peace with nature or at one with nature.
• You have a strong attraction to crystals, stones, bones, or even sticks/twigs and leaves.
• You use some form of Divination, Tarot, Runes, Pendulum, Tea leaves, Palm reading, Oracle Cards, etc.

Now that you know some of the signs that you may be a witch, let’s talk about the types of witches that are out there. Let me start with this leading into this part of the post, there is a vast amount of witches from all different backgrounds. You have witches that are from Christian, Deist, Pagan, Gnostic, Agnostic, Atheistism backgrounds and more! There is no right or wrong way to be a witch and practice your craft, please remember that. 

White Witches– [This has nothing to do with race, it has more to do with the practice, anyone can be a “White Witch”]  White Witches don’t use magic to do selfish things, personal gain, or harm others. Instead, they practice kindness and kindness in everything they do. 

White magic has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for selfless purposes. Practitioners of white magic have been given titles such as wise men or women, healers, white witches or wizards. Many of these people claimed to have the ability to do such things because of knowledge or power that was passed on to them through hereditary lines, or by some event later in their lives. White magic was practiced through healing, blessing, charms, incantations, prayers, and songs. With respect to the philosophy of left-hand path and right-hand path, white magic is the benevolent counterpart of malicious black magic. Because of its ties to traditional Paganism (nature worship), white magic is often also referred to as “natural magic”.

Green Witches– Nature Witches. They work with Nature Spirits for divination, healing, and guidance. The Green Witch sees faces in trees; they feel Spirits in the forest and at the waters’ edges. The Green Witch loves making their own ritual tools from found objects in nature; often aware of the energies contained within them.

A Green Witch will often consider the source of their ritual objects and bring awareness to others regarding mining practices for crystals and stones, endangered herbs, and other such environmental considerations.

Green Witches often (but don’t always) prefer to work their magic outside so that their Nature allies are closer at hand. They often have Animal Guides and are good friends with the Plant Spirits as well. Green Witches are pretty careful to request permission from—and say thank you to—any plants or animals they wish to partner with; leaving offerings when harvesting herbs or calling upon Animal Spirits.

Hedge Witches– A Hedge Witch belongs to no coven, nor do they adhere to any strict dogmas; religious, spiritual, or otherwise. Hedge Witches develop their own kind of magic, focusing primarily on creating remedies to heal the physical and spiritual woes of their community. Hedge Witches are plant magicians, creating deep relationships with medicine plant allies. Sometimes, they are handed down rituals and practices from a relative or guide… but more often than not, personal experience is their greatest guru.

This is the person to visit when other avenues of healing have not worked well. Hedge Witchcraft looks like part herbalism, part energy healing, part counseling, and part nature mysticism. Hedge Witches are usually tuned into the four elements, observe nature’s patterns closely, and will often access the Spirit World through altered states of consciousness (as a Shaman would) for guidance, insight, power, and clarity.

Often (but not always), the hedge witch is introverted, preferring the company of a few close friends or companions versus being in the midst of a crowd. You’ll never find two hedge witches that have identical practices, since their magic is deeply personal – though there will likely be similarities in interests. This is why they generally practice in solitary ways.

Kitchen Witches– The Kitchen Witch isn’t just a wizard in the kitchen. This is a person for whom “home” is a sanctuary. The Kitchen Witch crafts their personal space with great intention and care; curating a sense of safety and belonging for all who cross the threshold and enter into it. Part of the reason why cooking becomes a sacred art for the Kitchen Witch is that all of life is regarded as ceremony.

A Kitchen Witch doesn’t separate the magical from the mundane; preferring instead to weave a reality that seamlessly integrates them into a rich tapestry of being-ness.

Essentially, Kitchen Witchcraft is a mindfulness practice. Your inner Kitchen Witch asks you to find Spirit in the dishwater and gratitude in the millionth load of laundry. If you don’t have the luxury of dedicating a ton of time and resources to rituals and ceremonies, and instead yearn to find the magic in your everyday life, then perhaps Kitchen Witchery calls you.

Grey Witches– In Modern Paganism and witchcraft, those who practice gray magic are often called gray (or neutral) witches. While other practitioners follow white (constructive) or black (destructive) magic (sometimes called right-hand or left-hand path), gray practitioners seek to balance out the two opposing magical forces in some form of a middle ground. Gray witches practice both evil [but is anything really inherently evil?] and good magic. They are neutral entities and practice polarity and balance.

Gray witchcraft is the practice of worship and magic which recognizes the importance of all polarities as legitimate and necessary without deception of the masses, the self, or the use of informational resources. Gray witches practice balance and harmony, and they deny the concept that such things can occur without recognition of total and true polarity.

Chaos Witches– Chaos magic is something you may or may not have heard about. Although not directly related to witchcraft, it is something that many witches are starting to look into and dabble with.

It is a difficult beast to describe, as it is more of an idea than an established set of rules and directions. Other practices like the religion of Wicca have a set framework where you are expected to do X and Y to attain Z. Chaos magic at its core is individual and allows the practitioner to choose what works best for them.

Therefore, a chaos practitioner may use aspects of Wicca, Thelemic rituals and a sprinkling of voodoo practices to achieve what they want to. This blending of traditions may seem ‘inappropriate’ to those not practising chaos magic, but it is really common to do so. Blending influences gives more of a power to what you are doing – and the majority of belief systems at their core, do things the same way.

As there is no framework, no guidebook, no ‘bible’ if you will, many who do not understand chaos magic have dubbed it the left-hand path. 

Eclectic Witches– [can often be confused with Chaos]  Eclectic Paganism, also occasionally termed Universalist or Non-denominational Paganism, is a form of modern Paganism where practitioners will blend paganism with aspects of other religions or philosophies. In the book Handbook of New Age, Melissa Harrington states that “Eclectic Pagans do not follow any particular Paganism, but follow a Pagan religious path, that includes the overall Pagan ethos of reverence for the ancient Gods, participation in a magical world view, stewardship and caring for the Earth, and ‘nature religion.'”  The practice of Eclectic Paganism is particularly popular with Pagans in North America and the British Isles.

Eclectic Paganism contrasts with Reconstructionist Paganism: whereas reconstructionists strive for authenticity to historical religious traditions of specific groups or time periods, the eclectic approach borrows from several different cultures, philosophies, and time periods.

There are various benefits and drawbacks from labeling one’s self as eclectic pagan. On one hand the label is broad and allows for various practices and beliefs. Without the concrete rules of organized religion the practitioner can explore various religions, philosophies, practices, and cultures while remaining within the bounds of the label. Individuality can also be expressed by creating one’s own beliefs, philosophies, and rules. On the other hand, this label might be confusing, especially for an individual trying to discover their beliefs. The label also blurs the lines between cultures which can lead to accidental or even intentional cultural appropriation.

Sea Witches-Sea witches are traditional folklore characters usually portrayed as women with a magical bond or power regarding the sea, the weather, or other aspects of seafaring life. Sea witches have been featured in European folklore for centuries. They possess a vast array of powerful magic, drawn from the brine of the sea. Traditionally, sea witches were witches who appeared among sailors or others involved in the seafaring trade. A sea witch may be presented as a magical or fairy creature such as a mermaid or selkie, or as an ordinary human who uses magic to influence the sea. Their powers ranged from control over the winds and weather or the ability to influence the catches of fishermen, to complete power over the sea, the tides, and the moon. Offending a sea witch by such means as refusing to pay her for her services, insulting her looks, or refusing to acknowledge her powers could end in disaster, as the sea witch might choose to destroy an entire ship.

In addition to their powers over water, sea witches were said to control the wind and weather. A common feature of many tales was a rope tied into three knots, which witches often sold to sailors to aid them on a voyage. Pulling the first knot could yield a gentle, southeasterly wind, while pulling two could generate a strong northerly wind, but the third knot would unleash a hurricane. In some versions of sea witch lore, the witch had the power to call up treasures lost in shipwrecks. In some stories a grieving widow begs the sea witch to bring to shore the body of a drowned husband, child, or sweetheart, so that it could be given a proper burial; in some versions this requires casting a coin or a ring into the sea as the witch’s payment.

Spiritual and religious

The term ‘sea witch’ may be applied to a practitioner of Paganism or Wicca who often uses water when casting spells. In occult usage, the terms ‘sea witch’ and ‘water witch’ may be used interchangeably, though the term ‘water witch’ is also applied specifically to those who dowse for water. In his 1997 book Earth Power, Scott Cunningham refers to water magic as a type of elemental magic, given that water is an element found in Pagan and Wiccan practices. Despite their association with water, Cunningham places rain, fog and storm magic under the subheading of natural magic rather than water magic.

Hereditary Witches/Generational Witches– A Witch who was born into a family of Witches. Sometimes, the immediate parents may not be practitioners and the link is through a grandparent, aunt, etc. They are taught the ways of the craft and witchery through years of upbringing, nurturing, and teachings. Gernational and passed down through ages from one person to another. Hereditary Witches from the areas of Britain, Ireland, Greece, America, Arabian, Mexico, Italy, and many other locations around the world have passed down information from one generation to another. Certain practices like Hoodoo, Voodoo, and Santeria are also seen as  hereditary practices.  Hereditary Witches are common in parts of the world where families live together most of their lives. 

Sometimes with hereditary witches certain abilities may be passed down from family. Empaths, Clairvoyance, Precognition, etc

Black Witches/Dark Witches-Black magic has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes. With respect to the left-hand path and right-hand path dichotomy, black magic is the malicious, left-hand counterpart of the benevolent white magic. In modern times, some find that the definition of black magic has been convoluted by people who define magic or ritualistic practices that they disapprove of as black magic. Voodoo has been associated with modern black magic; drawn together in popular culture and fiction. However, while hexing or cursing may be accepted black magic practices, Voodoo has its own distinct history and traditions that have little to do with the traditions of modern witchcraft.

Voodoo tradition makes its own distinction between black and white magic, with sorcerers like the Bokor known for using magic and rituals of both. But their penchant for magic associated with curses, poisons and zombies means they, and Voodoo in general, are regularly associated with black magic in particular. 

The Book of Black Magic and Ceremonial Magic suggests that other practitioners have expanded on these ideas and offered their own comprehensive lists of rituals and concepts. Black magic practices and rituals include:

True name spells – the theory that knowing a person’s true name allows control over that person, making this wrong for the same reason. This can also be used as a connection to the other person, or to free them from another’s compulsion, so it is in the grey area.

Immortality rituals – from a Taoist perspective, life is finite, and wishing to live beyond one’s natural span is not with the flow of nature. Beyond this, there is a major issue with immortality. Because of the need to test the results, the subjects must be killed. Even a spell to extend life may not be entirely good, especially if it draws life energy from another to sustain the spell.

Necromancy -[Also a type of practitioner all on their own]  for purposes of usage, this is defined not as general black magic, but as any magic having to do with death itself, either through divination of entrails, or the act of raising the dead body, as opposed to resurrection.

Curses and hexes – a curse can be as simple as wishing something bad would happen to someone, or as complicated as performing a complex ritual to ensure that someone dies.

With that being said, not all dark witches or black magic witches are evil as society would have you believe, some are just more interested in the darker side of things. They do not nesserically use their knowledge and power for evil, but rather like the gray witch who keeps the balance in check.

We hope you enjoyed this article and its information, if you would like for us to include a specific type of witch that is not mentioned here today please send us a message and we will research and add in in a future post.

Until Next Time,

LunaOwl ~J