Okay, who is up for part three of the series, what type of witch are you? We hope you are enjoying this series so far and we have worked hard on each one of the articles. So let’s jump right into this one with a mix of some widely known and some lesser known types of witches. If you have not found what to call yourself or where you fit in your path, maybe this list and break down will help you. At the end if you still haven’t found what you are looking for, stay tuned because there will be a part 4!

Augury Witches– Augury is a type of Divination involving the interpretation of signs in nature. Augury is based on the belief that spirits or the divine inhabit everything in the natural world and can reveal divine will concerning human decisions and actions. Augurs study and interpret cloud formations, eclipses, weather conditions, the behavior of animals and birds, and other things found in the natural world. Sometimes the behavior of people are augured as well. Such signs are called auspices, which reveal divine favor. Augury was especially important in ancient Rome, where it was viewed as a science. The Romans adopted augury from the Etruscans.

At first an oral tradition handed down through generations grew in importance and became institutionalized. During the Roman Republic, augurs taught and practiced at formal colleges. They were instrumental in determining the auspices for matters of state such as elections, ceremonies, and war declarations. Their readings were kept in secret archives. The augurs assisted priests in conducting ceremonies. They were responsible for keeping the Sibylline books, a collection of prophecies made by oracles.

Roman weather augurs were blindfolded to do readings and thus relied on their intuition and psychic ability. They would travel to a site with a magistrate and listen as the magistrate described what he saw in nature. They would then give their interpretation. One of the most important auspices was lightning, which the Romans considered to be direct communication from the primary god, Jupiter. Where lightning appeared in the sky determined whether the auspices were good or bad.

The most auspicious lightning appeared in the northwest, followed by the east. Lightning in the west was a bad sign, and the worst of all was the northwest. Roosters were favored for animal augury. A circle was drawn in the dirt and marked into pie sections, with a letter of the alphabet in each section. Feed was scattered over the circle. The augur asked a question and then watched as a rooster ate his way around the circle, thus spelling out the answer.

Roman augurs eventually were superseded in importance by haruspices, diviners who examined the entrails and livers of sacrificed animals. Many people in modern times practice informal augury when they look to signs in nature to help them with decisions and for validation. The flight of a certain bird overhead, the appearance of a certain animal—these may have personal meaning for the individual. Such auspices today are often regarded as synchronicity, but in earlier times were forms of divination.

Celtic Witches– The Celtic world was one of nature worship. The Celts believed in a pantheon of gods that were somehow connected to nature and to the otherworld (the supernatural; the place where spirits and the deceased existed). These types of witches are very akin to Faery Witches, not not all are Faery Witches. You also have Celtic Pagans and Celtic Wiccans, and this also can confuse many who are looking to clearly define this particular section of witchcraft.

Celtic paganism is an ancient religion which existed during the Gaelic period. Wicca, in contrast, is a fairly new religion which was developed during the first half of the 20th century by, amongst others, Gerald Gardner. Because Gardner (one of the so-called founders of the Wiccan religion) drew heavily from Celtic lore when putting together his Wiccan ideology, some people assume that this means that  Wicca is a modern offshoot of Celtic paganism.

https://wiccanow.com/celtic-wicca-myths-and-secrets-explained/

1. Traditional Celtic religions were cultural manifestations, the local people’s spirituality was closely tied to their cultural identity. The celts considered the Gods to be ancient ancestors, this meant that they believed that their first ancestors were born of a union between the Gods and the men and women of the time. Hence, the Gods were literally the first ancestors. The various Celtic beliefs surrounding the idea of the ancestors can be seen in a host of Celtic customs such as the feast of the dead. Wiccan religion, on the other hand, draws its deities and customs from a wide range of differing ideologies and customs. The idea of an ancestral god in the literal sense is not customary within the Wiccan religion. 
2. Wiccan religion separates God and the Goddess into distinctive masculine and feminine roles. The God and the Goddess are understood to embody an archetypal form of the masculine and feminine which is then mirrored by humanity. The Celts, on the other hand, did not see the Gods and Goddesses as being symbolic of a greater archetype (such as the archetypal male or female) but rather, they understood their Gods and Goddesses to be absolute individuals. The Jungian idea of the ‘archetype’ which flows through Wicca, is not present within Celtic lore.
3. Wicca draws its inspiration from a whole spectrum of different religions and spiritual practices, be it Eastern philosophies, Egyptian ideologies and, Judaic ceremonialism as well as Celtic lore. It would, therefore, be incorrect to define Wicca as a reinterpretation or continuation of traditional Celtic paganism. Whilst Wicca certainly draws from Celtic lore, it also combines ideas and beliefs from many other religious and spiritual practices and as such, Wicca is a wholly new religion in its own right.
4. Wiccan and Celtic ethics are incompatible. The basic Wiccan rede “An It Harm None, Do As Ye Will” would have been untenable to the Celts. The Celtic notion of heroic mortality which places its focus squarely on heroism, duty to the tribe, tribal honour and personal honour is in stark contrast to the Wiccan Rede.
5. In Wicca, sacred space is created through ritual and can be located anywhere. For the Celts, sacred space was mostly static and clearly defined. The sacred space for the Celts was often the home, more specifically the hearth, which functioned as the cornerstone for family and spirituality.  
6. Some people claim that the word ‘Wicca’ stems from a Gaelic word ‘Witta’ thus proving that Wicca is a continuation of ancient Celtic traditions. As concerns the Gaelic language the sound does not exist in Gaelic or in Old Irish. Thus ‘Wicca’ is practically impossible in the Gaelic language and it is false to believe that the word Wicca should find its origins the Gaelic language.
7. Wicca places little emphasis on mythology. In contrast, mythological stories form a core part of the Celtic religion.
8. Wicca uses the four elements (earth, water, fire and air) as a fundamental concept. Celtic religion does not prescribe to the concept of the four elements in the same way. ^{[ Info gathered from: https://wiccanow.com/celtic-wicca-myths-and-secrets-explained/]}

Celtic witchcraft has as its basis a strong sense of spirituality and a love of the earth. Central to this love are the Goddesses and Gods, who play a strong role in Celtic worship. Celtic worshippers celebrate the same Sabbaths, perform rituals and magic, and have a strong faith in their spirituality, just like any member of the Craft. The main differences between Celtic witchcraft and other forms of the Craft is that with Celts, magic is everywhere. Magic is woven into their jewelry, their tattoos and all their artwork and everyday items such as clothing and cutlery.  

Dianic Witches– Dianic Wicca, also known as Dianic Witchcraft, is a neopagan religion female-centered goddess ritual and tradition. While some adherents identify as Wiccan, it differs from most traditions of Wicca in that only goddesses are honored (whereas most Wiccan traditions honor both female and male deities).

While there is more than one tradition that calls itself Dianic, the best known is the female-only variety,founded by Zsuzsanna Budapest in the United States in the 1970s. It is notable for its worship of a single Goddess and focus on egalitarian matriarchy. It is named after the Roman goddess Diana, but Dianics worship goddesses from many cultures, seeing them as “aspects” of a monotheistic goddess. Dianic Wicca is an eclectic combination of elements from British Traditional Wicca, Italian folk-magic as recorded by Charles Leland in Aradia, the importance of womanhood, folk magic and healing practices from a variety of different cultures.

Born of the feminist movement and founded by hereditary witch Zsuzsanna Budapest, Dianic Wicca embraces the Goddess but spends little time on her male counterpart. Most Dianic Wiccan covens are female-only, but a few have welcomed men into their groups, with the intention of adding some much-needed polarity.

Budapest says specifically,

“We always recognize, when we say “Goddess,” that She is the Life-giver, the Life-sustainer. She is Mother Nature… There are only two kinds of people in the world: mothers and their children. Mothers can give life to each other as well as to men, who are not able to do the same for themselves. This constitutes a dependency upon the Female Life Force for life renewed, and was accepted naturally in ancient times by our ancient forebearers as a sacred gift of the Goddess. In patriarchal times this sacred gift was turned against women, and used to force them to give up roles of independence and power.”

Cursing & Hexing

While many Wiccan paths follow a belief system that limits hexing, cursing or negative magic, some Dianic Wiccans make an exception to that rule. Budapest, a noted feminist Wiccan writer, has argued that hexing or binding those who do harm to women is acceptable. In particular, she has called for the hexing and binding of men who perpetrate sexual violence against women and children.

Honoring the Goddess

Dianic covens celebrate the eight Sabbats, and use similar altar tools to other Wiccan traditions. However, among the Dianic community there is not a lot of continuity in ritual or practice – they simply self-identify as Dianic to indicate that they follow a Goddess-based, feminine-focused spiritual path.

The core belief of Dianic Wicca, as founded by Z Budapest, states that the tradition “is a holistic religious system based on a Goddess-centered cosmology and the primacy of She Who is All and Whole unto Herself.”

Elemental Witches– Elemental Manipulation (sometimes known as elemental magic), is a power to exercise some control over nature and its elements. The Elements—Earth, Air, Fire and Water, as well as
Spirit, the Fifth Element—and is intended for beginners and more seasoned
Witches alike. For thousands of years, the Elements have been considered the basic building blocks of the Universe, and they are inherent to the basic principles of Witchcraft. Wiccans and other Witches recognize, honor and participate with these core energies in both religious ritual and magic. By attuning to and working with the magical qualities of the Elements, both individually and combined, Witches are able to manifest positive changes for themselves and others, fostering a deeper spiritual connection to the natural world.

One way of tuning in to that connection is through an understanding of the
principle of animism, which is a major concept this guide to Elemental magic will discuss.

A concept that has spanned the cultures of the globe for millennia, animism
takes for granted that there is more to the material world than we can grasp
with our usual five senses. Some Witches have also always taken this for
granted, but many have to study and practice for awhile before finding
themselves grounded in what is for them, coming from contemporary culture, a new reality. This is where getting to know the Elements on a more intimate level can be very helpful.

The elements have been seen as an expression of the divine in the physical world. Moreover, the invocation of the elements became very popular in the Wiccan community through the ritual of the Circle. A ritual which intends to invoke the protection and the blessing of the elements from each cardinal direction, purify the working ground of the witch and help him/her focus their power.

Elemental’s work closely with the main elements seen as Earth, Air, Fire, Water, & Spirit/Ether. Some are drawn to one if not all of the elements.

Faery Witches– Faery Wicca, or Fairy Wicca, is any tradition of modern Wicca that places an emphasis on the Fae (goblins, elves, faeries, sprites, etc.), their lore, and their relation to the natural world.

“Faery Wicca” also refer to a specific tradition of Wicca, recently founded by author Kisma Stepanich. Adherents of Stepanich’s Faery Wicca claim that it recovers the traditions of the Tuatha De Danaan, the mythological precursors to the Celtic people; however, this is disputed by those familiar with ancient Celtic polytheism and mythology. Stepanich’s Faery Wicca draws liberally on some degree of Irish mythology, from the author’s interpretation of Celtic history, legend, pseudohistory, imagination, and a variety of non-Celtic sources.

Faery Wicca is not related to the late Victor Anderson‘s Feri Tradition of witchcraft, which is sometimes also spelled Faery or Fairy, nor is it directly related to the gay men’s group, the Radical Faeries. Though Faery Wicca may draw inspiration from some of the customs practiced among the ancient and modern Celts, it shares more with other modern Wiccan traditions than with the “Fairy Faith” as it is known in traditional Gaelic cultures.

Draconic Witches– Draconic witches follow dragon deities, similar to the gods and goddesses that are followed by other witches. They have their own slightly different set of ethics which they use to honour their deities.

Dragon Witch does not have to be from any specific tradition although they walk to the beat of their own drum. The Dragon Witch, is a Witch dedicated to the Draconic path using Draconic energy. This path is a very old path. You could even say Dragon Witch is a Dragon Sorceress, or Priestess or Priest. Some are solitary other work in clans, or covens,

Draconic Code, is something that is very important in the practice for these witches. It is what they live their life by, and is not something to take lightly when it comes to their practice.

1: Loyalty: 
The number one rule.
Definition of Loyalty:
Loyalty is Faithfulness or a Devotion to a person, country, group, or cause.
Josiah Royce in his 1908 book The Philosophy of Loyalty presented a different definition of the concept. According to Royce, loyalty is a virtue, indeed a primary virtue, “the heart of all the virtues, the central duty amongst all the duties”. Royce presents loyalty, which he defines at length, as the basic moral principle from which all other principles can be derived. The short definition that he gives of the idea is that loyalty is “the willing and practical and thoroughgoing devotion of a person to a cause”.  Loyalty is thoroughgoing in that it is not merely a casual interest but a wholehearted commitment to a cause.
This includes Loyalty to Yourself, to your Family, to your Clan…as well as to Nature.
This includes all the Creatures of Nature. That means… Animals, Plants, Trees, and even Rocks, as well as the Nature Spirits which surround us.
For any of you who walk a Fae path (Faerie Magick) You will already understand how the Fae react to Human Kind. Well, Dragons are a large part of the faerie Realm, indeed they are the Guardians and Gatekeepers. When you first start working with the Faeries it can take quite a bit of work to encourage them to work with you. Offerings must be left. You must prove your different from almost the entire human race, in that you are Loyal, Honest, Courageous and Most Of All, you must prove that you are Awake, a Child of Light, Aware of Reality. Because the Fae do not work with anyone who is closed-off and Mundane…and Neither do the Dragons.

Honesty is a very important part of the Code

2: Honesty:
Definition of Honesty:
Honesty refers to a facet of moral character and connotes positive and virtuous attributes such as integrity, truthfulness, and straightforwardness, including straightforwardness of conduct, along with the absence of lying, cheating, theft, etc. Furthermore, honesty means being trustworthy, loyal, fair, and sincere.
Be honest with yourself and others and let them know you will not accept anything but honesty in return. You should always be above reproach or criticism in the eyes of the world.
Sometimes this can be a very hard step to adhere to. There are so many facets in our lives where the need to lie is automatic. Take for instance… someone close to you cooks you a meal, and it’s horrible. Or they make a craft project that looks like a giant turd… Or your boss asks you how they look in a certain outfit… These are all valid reasons for a little white lie…
We often Lie to ourselves as well, and for equally valid reasons…say someone hurts your feelings, many people make excuses for their children (I know I have) and basically lie to themselves “Oh, he didn’t mean it, he was just mad”
I’m sure there are millions of reasons that we lie to ourselves.
And then there are those of us who lie to cover something up…
Or lie to protect themselves…
There’s a million reasons why we lie to others for nefarious reasons.
Being Honest with ourselves is often the hardest part to enforce. They say this is the hardest step for any practitioner to take. But it is a necessary step for those who wish to work with Dragons. Most Dragons value a person’s Honesty above all else… They say that an Honest person is hard to find, and once found should be nurtured and guarded…

Always remember that the fury and excitement of the moment can play havoc with the truth. To keep one’s head in any situation is a virtue.

3: Courageous:
Definition of Courageous:
The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.
Fearlessness, dauntlessness, intrepidity, pluck, spirit. Courage, bravery, valor, bravado refer to qualities of spirit and conduct. Courage permits one to face extreme dangers and difficulties without fear: to take (or lose )  courage. Bravery implies true courage with daring and an intrepid boldness: bravery in a battle. Valor implies heroic courage: valor in fighting for the right. Bravado: is a pretentious, swaggering display of courage.

Try always to be prepared for whatever the future may bring. Life with all of its joys, sorrows, and secrets is to be embraced and experienced to the fullest, You must have the Courage to face your life headon.  The virtue of Courage is evident in all aspects of the Draconic Practitioner’s life.
Knowing when to stand-up and when to stand-down is very important to maintaining this step. Sometimes walking away from conflict can be the hardest (and yet most courageous) step to take. You must be able to face your fears, whatever they are, and overcome them.

A Total Physical & Spiritual Awakening

4: Being Awake:
Definition of Being Awake:
Wakefulness, the state of being conscious.
Wakefulness is a daily recurring brain state and state of consciousness in which an individual is conscious and engages in coherent cognitive and behavioral response to the external world such as communication, ambulation, eating, and sex. Being awake is the opposite of the state of being asleep in which most external inputs to the brain are excluded from neural processing.
Think about that for a moment…
Being conscious…
Engaging and Reacting to External Stimuli…
Coherent Cognitive and Behavioral Responses…
It is very easy for people to shut down and rely on an inner autopilot to cruise through their daily lives. Especially if you have a boring job, a routine homelife and nothing to break up your mundane life.
Being Awake within your everyday life is part of Being Awake…
You must shut the autopilot off… it’s as simple as that.
The past is behind us.
The Future is ahead of us.
This Moment, This is happening NOW.

But, what we are really talking about here is more of a Spiritual Awakening.
Definition of Spiritual Awakening:
A spiritual awakening usually involves a realization or opening to a sacred dimension of reality and may or may not be a religious experience. Often a spiritual awakening has lasting effects upon one’s life. The term “spiritual awakening” may be used to refer to any of a wide range of experiences including being born again, near-death experiences, and mystical experiences such as liberation and enlightenment.

More and more people are awakening spiritually and are longing for more than is available in the material world.
This list has been gathered through my own experiences, in addition to other sources.
Check and see which of these you recognize or are currently experiencing:

• An increase in occurrences – (there aren’t any coincidences) An increase in psychic, mediumistic, clairvoyant, and intuitive skills, and the ability to recognize these occurrences.

• Acute sensitivity to negative energy around specific people or environments. This is an ability that many people who are draw to a magickal path already possess, if not it soon becomes natural to practitioners of the craft.

• A desire to “find yourself”, change your social group, behavior, job etc. Sudden extreme sensitivity to people or crowds. You may find that your once sociable nature suddenly disappears and you simply cannot bear to be with certain friends, family members, colleagues, or coworkers.

• Sudden awareness of recurring patterns or relationships- A noticeable inability to tolerate someone with whom you have had a previously close relationship.

• Sudden inexplicable panic or anxiety attacks occurring at any time with no valid reason. A feeling that something has changed within you.

• Acute sensitivity to shopping malls or crowded environments such as restaurants, clubs, festivals, and so on.

• Extreme sensitivity to mobile and digital phones, laptops, computers, wireless routers, and all microwave technology, as well as certain types of lighting. Electricity flows through the air and disrupts natural energy patterns.

• Zoning out for long periods of time with an overpowering need to sit and do nothing. (This often occurs as a result of our consciousness spending increasing amounts of time in the fourth and fifth dimensions.)

• Changes in your energy levels-The need to rest and sleep for much longer than usual or sudden insomnia in normally sound sleepers.

• Falling asleep and then waking in the middle of the night at or around the same time, feeling wide awake and needing to be up, and oddly not being tired the next day as expected.  This is a sign of your consciousness adapting to new cycles of activity. Becoming  more aware of the Fae Realms causes this as well.

• Strange electrical energy coursing through the body or body parts like legs or arms. (This is caused by the raised awareness of Universal Energies which flow through Everything. These energies assist in the process of rewiring the physical and Light-Body in order to carry higher vibrating energies.)

• A whole range of physical experiences caused by detoxification as the body continues to release years of physical, karmic, emotional, and mental toxic waste, producing symptoms including: fatigue and exhaustion; excess thirst;  stomach upsets, including cramps, headaches, especially at the base of the skull and migraines with pains over the crown and in one or both eyes; muscle, neck, and shoulder pains.

• Dizziness, balance problems, and feeling spacey (triggered by being in higher states of consciousness).

• Shaking.

• Increased appetite, either putting on weight, maintaining it or losing it no matter how much or little you eat. (This is because the body needs huge amounts of fuel for the process of shifting from the third to fifth dimensional frequency.)

• Sudden cravings for foods and beverages you have not wanted or eaten for years or since childhood. (This helps us to release memories of stored trauma, or connects us to a pleasant memory which creates a momentary shift in our consciousness to enable a release to take place.)

. A Stronger Connection to Nature,

. Quicker Manifestations

. A Change in what you read, watch on TV, hobbies

You should closely scrutinize the things that happen in your life over the next 30 days or so. Being Awake and in the Moment will aid you immensely in this process.

There are 3 stages to Spiritual Awakening, these stages or experiences create a defined change in the consciousness of the practitioner. Each of these stages can happen over time or with their own small spiritual awakening. It is a process that evolves over time.

Draconic Practices

Very few people in the world today follow the true Draconic or Draconian Tradition. It is not that it has nearly become extinct, but that generally when it is taught, it is orally from teacher to pupil. Rarely is anything written down, it was chosen to change this aspect so that it would not be lost altogether.

Whether you believe dragons to be mere thought-forms or you feel them to real, living creatures – the desire for them to make a connection with us is the same.

The teachings of the Draconic Tradition can be used, as its own tradition or an additive to an existing one. If it is used in conjunction with other Traditions you should never place other deities above dragons, or expect the dragons to be subservient to your patron gods. The dragons should be treated with the same respect that you grant to Deity, this means that you give the dragons the same level of honor that you give to your God(s). There are many deities who are dragons or have draconic forms; you may work with them as well as other dragons and deities.

Unlike other traditions those who are solely Dragon Magick practitioners don’t refer to a group of practitioners as a Coven or an Order. They refer to it as a Clan. As such, a Clan is basically the family that you choose; instead of being related by blood you are related through the dragons. Some practitioners combine terms as well, some Wiccans work in Clan-Covens and I have also seen Clan-Groves and Clan-Circles.

What is Dragon Magick?

The simplest definition of Dragon Magick or Draconic Magick is the calling upon of Dragons to aid you in your magical workings. There are some schools of thought that say that Dragon Magick must be kept strictly as High or Ceremonial Magick, but that is not the case. Dragon magick can and does work within any magical system. It can be practiced as its own Tradition or in conjunction with another magical tradition. Dragons can help to empower your rituals no matter what tradition you practice.

Some do not believe that there is only one way to work with Dragons. You will find these graceful beings in almost every magical system throughout the world, where they are usually deified or vilified. Each system looks at dragons in a different way and helps us to learn about different facets of their personalities. There are some who see them only as elemental energies without independent existence; while others seem them as symbols of that energy and having no true existence at all. Some believe that Dragons are astral beings, having form and existence but they do not have the ability to manifest on the physical plane that we live in. Their bodies are made of energy, but the will and personalities that we connect with are very real and independent of us.

Dragons do not only exist when we call upon them. They do not wait, suspended in time, until we remember to invoke them. Just as we do not live only in ritual, the dragons that we work with will have other things to do and their own lives to lead. What may be convenient for you may not be for them. As astral beings time may flow differently for them, but they are in no way bound to our wills nor must they obey our commands. In fact, that is a sure way to drive them off and possibly suffer backlash from such an action.

Some call any magical practice with Dragons is to “Dance with Dragons”, but they can be more then just a dance partner. As teachers of ancient knowledge their grasp of it is deep and profound. Their ability to help in divination is astonishing and quite accurate. As protectors during rituals and everyday life there are no equals. And if a Dragon chooses to take you under their wings you will have the opportunity of learning knowledge and evolving your magical ability, which few have done.

A lifelong practice with Dragons can form a bonding companionship with them and they can become the best companions you could ever have. Although this companionship can seem extremely demanding, at times, it is always in your best interests. This companionship and practice with Dragons is never boring. If it is practiced daily it can be a joyful addition to your life not to mention the benefit that both species gain in their evolution and spiritual growth. The more that you seek them out, work with them, and earn their trust the more Dragons will be encouraged to once again have a closer, positive relationship with humans in general like they did in old times.

Dragon Magick is not for everyone. Those that choose to practice it must be self-disciplined individuals who are serious about changing things in their lives and the world around them. You must be willing to have beings be brutally honest with you and be willing to turn that same honesty upon yourself. Working with dragons is a hard path, but ultimately rewarding.

On old maps, mapmakers would use the picture of a Dragon with writing under it saying, ”Here There Be Dragons” denoting unexplored regions of our world that had unknown dangers. Dragon Magick opens up the unknown mental and psychic realms to us, showing us where the dragons lie. The ones who are true explorers of the unknown and seekers of knowledge will be challenged, not frightened, by these signs and forge on ahead in their continuing search for knowledge. They will undertake and create friendships and partnerships with these powerfully great beings, known as Dragons.

Dragon Magick is Not Wicca

There is often a general misconception when beginning in dragon magick that it is a Wiccan tradition. It is not. Dragon magick does not require that you follow the Rede, nor does it say that you cannot work harm. The only ethics in it are the ones of your clan and Draconic Codes of Honor. In fact there are many clans who only use the Draconic Codes.

Dragon magick does not have any special holidays that its practitioners must follow. As you find companion dragons to work with, they may inform you of feast-days of holy-days that they wish you follow. When or if, this happens you may either practice these days in conjunction with your current path or you may celebrate them as separate entities. Dragons do not require elaborate rituals for their celebrations; however they understand that humans often need such trapping and are accepting of it. It is not an offense to try to celebrate with a dragon, just keep in mind that you may also choose to meditate quietly and that will also be accepted.

There is no monthly or yearly cycle that must be followed in dragon magick. Working with dragons is exactly that, you are forming a bond and a relationship with them. There is no special language or writing system that you must learn to communicate with them. You must work at opening yourself psychically to them and feeling out how to best deal with them.

It helps to have at least some training in another magical system before beginning dragon magick. Many of the ideas and knowledge in paganism translates over into dragon magick. If you don’t follow a pagan path, learning about one will be useful. If the path you currently follow doesn’t allow you to also follow a pagan one, you’ll have to decide if you can honestly follow the Draconic Tradition. If you can, you may have a harder time with some of the concepts but you still can become a skilled practitioner.

This does not mean that you cannot practice Wicca and dragon magick together; in fact they are a highly effective team. However, too many people make the mistake of equating the two which is erroneous. Dragon magick is about working in harmony, be it with a spiritual path or dragons, not about domination.

Hearth Witches/House Witches – Hearthcraft: Arin Murphy-Hiscock’s The House Witch: Your Complete Guide to Creating a Magical Space with Rituals and Spells for Hearth and Home in the first chapter when the author writes, “the home itself is an essential element within a nourishing, vibrant, ongoing spiritual practice.” 

She continues, “Honoring the hearth means honoring your origins, where you come from each day, and where you return each night.”

Hearthcraft, as Murphy-Hiscock explains it, is the “belief that the home is a place of beauty, power, and protection, a place where people are nurtured and nourished on a spiritual basis as well as a physical and emotional basis.” 

 It roots itself in practicality and, as the author stresses, with little ritualistic guidelines or necessary formality. Murphy-Hiscock asserts that hearthcraft functions on one very basic truth— Living your life is a spiritual act. 

Arin is not the only writer and witch to bring this into their practice though, it is a tradition that has been long steeped in history by many different kinds of witches of varying different practices.

Hearth, of course, being of Old English in origin meaning fireplace, the part of a floor in which a fire is made; sometimes called “the burning place.” This space symbolizes the heart of the home. It is where, once upon a time, meals were possibly cooked, or families gathered to socialize. It provided heat to the entire house. The hearth was the center in which the rest of the home revolved around. It provides comfort, protection, sustenance, and entertainment. 

A person who practices hearthcraft, therefore, is someone who finds meaning and gratification from performing an “intuitive ceremony” or executing a task “set apart from everyday action by mindfulness and conscious intent” within the home. 

Hearthcraft does not have to be complicated, formal, or require elaborate undertakings. The practice favors simple, practical, and every day. Although, if you enjoy a little bit of grandeur in your life nothing is stopping you from creating some domestic decadence as you see fit. 

Something as simple as lighting a candle with dinner, while you read, when you sit down at your desk to work, in the bath, or your bedroom as you get ready for the day adds a touch of ceremony to your actions and your home. 

Hellenic Witches- Hellenism (Greek: Ἑλληνισμός, Ellinismós, Greek pronunciation: [elenisˈmos]), the Hellenic ethnic religion (Ἑλληνικὴ ἐθνική θρησκεία), also commonly known as Hellenismos, Hellenic Polytheism, and occasionally Dodekatheism (Δωδεκαθεϊσμός), comprises various religious movements which revive or reconstruct ancient Greek religious practices, and which have publicly emerged since the 1990s.

The Hellenic religion builds on traditional religion and on a traditional way of life, revolving around the Greek gods, and primarily focused on the Twelve Olympians and embracing ancient Hellenic values and virtues.

In 2017, Greek governmental authorities legally recognized Hellenic Ethnic Religion (Hellenism) as a “known religion” in Greece, granting it certain religious freedoms in that country, including the freedom to open houses of worship and for clergy to officiate at weddings.

The Hellenistic path (often a path reconstructed for modern times) is influenced by the polytheistic beliefs of the Ancient Greeks.  The pantheon of the Ancient Greeks is primarily composed of the Gods of Olympus – Zeus, Hera, Athene, Aphrodite – who will be recognisable to anybody who has studied Greek mythology.

The Hellenic religion also broadly encompasses the Greco-Roman path comprised of individuals who choose to follow the pantheon of the Roman Gods.

There are no holy book or scriptures for the Hellenic faith but inspiration for the path is drawn from the writings of the poet Homer – in particular his epic poems The Odyssey and The Iliad. These are not revered as being sacred but as guidance for those following the path.

Hellenic practitioners observe both the Solstices and the Equinoxes and these are seen as important in honouring the Gods and Goddesses of the faith. The Summer Solstice is dedicated to Gaia, the Greek Goddess of the Earth and the Winter Solstice to Uranus, the Greek God of the Skies who according to mythology was married to Gaia. (It is from these deities that the modern notion of Mother Earth and Father Time was established.) It isn’t hard when looking at this mythology to see how the ideas link into the NeoPagan concepts of the dual masculine and feminine deities or of the Wiccan Lord and Lady.  The influence of Ancient Greece on both our culture and our modern religions is evident even today. 

The Hellenic path is very close to deity but unlike many modern Pagan paths (and also the paths of both Traditional Witchcraft and Satanism) the relationship is one of deference. Followers of the Hellenic path worship their Gods and make offerings in exchange for the favour of their Gods. These offerings can be public or private and many individuals will look to a particular God as a personal patron and make regular offerings for continued favour. Most of the Greek and Roman Gods have a specific association so again, offerings may be made when needed to the Gods associated with being benefactors of a particular concept or virtue. Aphrodite for example may be petitioned in matters of the heart or offerings made be made to Dionysus to ask for a good wine harvest.

Astrology was popular in the period of the Ancient Greeks and the astrology practised then does not differ greatly from what the practise in the modern world. The idea that our fates are aligned with the influence of the planets and stars, in particular the system of the planetary “houses” can be traced back to the beginning of the Hellenic period.

There are four fundamental tenats of the Hellenic path. The first is Tradition. This is the foundations of Hellenic thought that can be found in the mythology and the poetry of the Ancient Greek and Roman times. Tradition is used as the starting point for thought but is not believed to be wisdom itself. The personal experience of the individual in relating the teaching back to their own lives and their own path is integral to proceeding on a Hellenic path.

The second tenat is Ritual, the actual act of communing with the Gods. This does not necessarily imply high magic but the act of making time to worship the Gods is a strong element of Hellenic faith.

The third tenat is Philosophy, the art of thinking. Philosophy in this sense does not mean so much grappling with the abstract but as understanding the way forward and applying wisdom and knowledge to that path. 

The fourth tenant is Love but love in the sense of offering your whole self to the Gods. It is the stage of integrating wisdom, experience and knowledge with a relationship with the divine.

[Note since this type of practice is a religion all its own it is hard to nail it down in one brief little blurb. You can look up more information in regards to their beliefs and practices .

Lunar Witches- Moon magic is associated with the Moon. There is a belief common to many cultures that working rituals at the time of different phases of the moon can bring about physical or psychological change or transformation. These rituals have historically occurred on or around the full moon and to a lesser extent the new moon. Such practices are common amongst adherents of neopagan and witchcraft systems such as Wicca. Witches in Greek and Roman literature, particularly those from Thessaly, were regularly accused of “drawing down the Moon” by use of a magic spell. The trick serves to demonstrate their powers (Virgil Eclogues 8.69), to perform a love spell (Suetonius Tiberius 1.8.21) or to extract a magical juice from the Moon (Apuleius Metamorphoses 1.3.1). These beliefs would seem to be consistent with many other cultures traditions, for instance; casting of the i ching is often done during the full moon’s apex.

We will tap into a small look as to how the moon might be used in practices, please note, there are many different types of witches who identify as a Lunar Witch, and many who tap into the moon’s power who may not identify as a Lunar Witch, but only harness its power when they need too.

Phase 1: New Moon

The new moon is a fresh start. When the moon is in this phase, you can barely see it, and the sky can appear black. Sometimes magick can be quite literal, and with the moon out of sight, this can be an ideal time to do shadow work or acknowledge our dark sides, or shadow selves, that we typically like to keep hidden.

For instance, perhaps you have a manipulative side you tend to insist doesn’t exist when called out. Are there healthy ways you could use these skills, such as to get ahead in your career without hurting others in the process? Or you could use your ability to read others to encourage your partner to communicate together rather than to control them? New moons are great for exploring our shadow sides and finding ways to work positively with them.

Additionally, as new moons are new beginnings, the new moon is a wonderful time to set goals and intentions for the forthcoming cycle. What do you want the next month to look like? Is there a toxic lover you’re finally ready to cut out of your life to make room for the person of your dreams? The new moon is a great time to encourage beginnings, especially in love. And you know what beginnings require: letting go of the past. If you want to clear bad energy in your love life to attract an ideal mate, the new moon has your back.

New moon spell idea:

Try bath magick. Did you know you already have a giant cauldron in your bathroom? Water and salt are inherently cleansing, so run a bath, and fill it with bath salts, or simple sea salt. If you want something extra witchy, try a Witch Baby New Moon Bath Bomb. Set the mood by lighting candles, take a relaxing bath, and imagine the past hurt and pains soaking off of you, and going down the drain when you eventually get out. Spells can be intricate and detailed, but they don’t have to be. They can be as natural as enjoying a cleansing bath on a new moon.

Phase 2: Waxing Moon

The waxing moon phase is when the moon is visually getting bigger and brighter, shifting from a new moon to a full moon. (To remember the difference between waxing and waning, I think of the expression “wax on.”) During the waxing moon, the moon is growing, becoming brighter, and creating an ideal phase for sympathetic magick around growth. Sympathetic magick means magick that works through symbolic resemblance. The moon is getting brighter, so let’s use that energy to make your career, self-esteem, and love life brighter, too.

Waxing moon spell idea:

Write out a letter of intention stating what you want from your career, be it a raise or a change in title, or even a total shift in fields. Regardless of what you think of magick, evidence shows that journaling and writing things out can help us emotionally process and therefore go after and get what we want. If the spell is about money, buy a green candle, although whenever doing candle magick, you can always use a white one as a stand-in.

Candle magick is an entire branch of magick, and to learn more, I suggest the book The Enchanted Candle by Lady Rhea. To keep it simple, carve your name onto the candle using a toothpick or other safe pointy object, along with symbols such as dollar signs that represent your desires. Read your letter of intention out loud and meditate, visualizing getting exactly what you want. You deserve it. Then light the candle, and when the candle has finished burning (make sure to put it out if you leave the house) your desires have been transmitted to the universe.

Phase 3: Full Moon

The full moon is no joke. Some of the wildest nights of my life went down on full moons, what about you? Emotions run high on full moons, and everything is extra intense. You can use this intensity and apply it to basically any spell you like, with the knowledge you’ll have a bright ball of shining power to aid you. Many people charge their crystals during full moons by placing them somewhere they’ll be exposed to the light. Another trick is to make full moon water, by placing a goblet of water under the light of the full moon on top of a letter of intention. Let the full moon charge the water, and then chug it up, witch.

Any magick can be done under a full moon with extra potency, but it’s also a time in which psychic abilities are heightened. Trust your instincts under a full moon, even if emotions are running high. One of the simplest and best uses of full moon energy is to meditate in its light for clarity on a situation.

Full moon spell idea:

Sex magick means using the power of an orgasm to manifest your desires. Open a window so the light of the full moon shines through, and masturbate. When you come, imagine your intention, be it the partner of your dreams, a raise, or self-love. An orgasm powered by the full moon? Yeah, that spell’s going to work.

Phase 4: Waning Moon

The waning moon is the time period in which the moon is getting darker again, moving from a full moon back to new. Remembering sympathetic magick, the waning moon is great for banishing work, or cutting cords with a past lover. However, you don’t always need to banish a person from your life entirely — some of the most powerful banishing work you can do is spells to rid yourself of feelings for someone you know is bad for you, insecurity or self-doubt. I’ve always found that empowering myself works better (and some would argue more ethical) than trying to change the will of another. But banish that fuck boy. Banish those thoughts that say you deserve to date fuck boys. Banish unfair treatment at work, banish your imposter syndrome. Remove unwanted negativities that are keeping you from living the life you deserve.Waning moon spell idea:

Write a list of all your fears and insecurities. Many witches would tell you to get rid of it at a crossroads, but I live in New York City and don’t want to get hit by a car, so I use other methods. You could also burn it, but please be careful and don’t hurt yourself. We want to get rid of those nasty thoughts, not rid you of your apartment via fire. And the moon doesn’t want that for you either, she wants you to know how loved and powerful you are, so always practice fire safety.

Norse Witches– In Old Norse, seiðr (sometimes anglicized as seidhr, seidh, seidr, seithr, seith, or seid) was a type of magic practiced in Norse society during the Late Scandinavian Iron Age. The practice of seiðr is believed to be a form of magic relating to both the telling and shaping of the future. Connected with Norse religion, its origins are largely unknown, although it became gradually eroded following the Christianization of Scandinavia. Accounts of seiðr later made it into sagas and other literary sources, while further evidence has been unearthed by archaeologists. Various scholars have debated the nature of seiðr, some arguing that it was shamanic in context, involving visionary journeys by its practitioners.

Seiðr practitioners were of both sexes, although females are more widely attested, with such sorceresses being variously known as vǫlur, seiðkonur and vísendakona. There were also accounts of male practitioners, known as seiðmenn, but in practising magic they brought a social taboo, known as ergi, on to themselves, and were sometimes persecuted as a result. In many cases these magical practitioners would have had assistants to aid them in their rituals.

In pre-Christian Norse mythology, seiðr was associated with both the god Oðinn, a deity who was simultaneously responsible for war, poetry and sorcery, and the goddess Freyja, a member of the Vanir who was believed to have taught the practice to the Æsir.

In the 20th century, adherents of various modern Pagan new religious movements adopted forms of magico-religious practice that include seiðr. The practices of these contemporary seiðr-workers have since been investigated by various academic researchers operating in the field of pagan studies.

Strength and courage are traditionally manly qualities that were highly valued in Old Norse societies. This is exemplified in the attitudes surrounding Seiðr and its place as a feminine craft.

A woman practising Seiðr would sometimes be called völva, meaning seeress. She would also sometimes be described as Spá-kona or Seið-kona, meaning prophecy-woman and magic-woman, respectively. Sometimes, female practitioners of the craft would take on young male apprentices, and those who became mothers would teach the practice to their sons. Though not seen as a respectable thing, it wasn’t rare for men to be involved in Seiðr magic.

In most ancient cultures we encounter ideas of magic, witchcraft and shamanism.

Norse society is no different. The Viking witch was known as a Völva, and they were considered to be powerful seeresses, shamans as well as workers of Seidr magic.

Among the Vikings were women called Volva, or more accurately Völva, which means “wand-wed” or “staff-carrier” in Old Norse.

This staff was an essential attribute of the Volva, who were considered to be seeresses, shamans and practitioners of Seidr magic.

In the sagas and stories, the Volva are often described as old Viking witches that would wander from town to town or farm to farm, delivering prophecies and performing magic in exchange for shelter, food and other forms of compensation.

Despite their role outside of the normal structure of society, the Volva seem to have been treated with great respect in Viking society. Visiting Volva were given pride of place at the dining table and were free to speak to or ignore whom they pleased, regardless of social rank.

There were male seers and practitioners of Seidr magic, but in general these were considered feminine arts. Male practice was largely considered taboo. Even Odin, a practitioner of Seidr magic, was criticized by Loki for being unmanly as a result. The power of the Volva appears to have stemmed for the practice of Seidr magic. This type of Viking witchcraft was linked with ideas of fate, and enabled the user not only to read fate and tell prophecies, but also in some cases to manipulate it.

Thus, first and foremost, the Volva were seeresses and tellers of prophecies. Seeing the future often required a shamanic ritual that involved a group of young girls singing a spirit invocation while the Viking witch entered a trance that allowed her to commune with the spirits and the gods.

As the incantation came to an end, the seeress was caught between two worlds, and at this point in the ritual the Volva could predict the future and provide prophecies those nearby.

Secular Witches/Non-Theistic Witches–

We have spoken about how in previous posts that not every witch is a wiccan and not every wiccan is a pagan, however, this type of witch is neither of those. They do not follow a god persay, no, they have their own way of doing things, very similar to a Chaos Witch. But, they are not always a Chaos Witch either. It can get a bit confusing to understand them fully without breaking down core beliefs, below is a brief look into understanding a Secular/Non-Theistic approach to witchcraft.

1. The deities don’t exist. What does this really mean? It means there is not a God or Goddess that they follow in their practice, there is no one in particular that drives them or controls their magic other than themselves.
2. No single path is followed. Often they are a mixture of different practices rolled into one. For instance they may include bits of Hearthcraft, Chaos, Crystal Magic, Hedge, and or even Lunar work into their practice to make it unique to their own personal experiences.
3. Magic isn’t creating doves out of thin air. This also goes for any form of witchcraft, but even more so with a secular approach. Magic and spell-casting is not what is shown in stories. There is an understanding that some form of energy resides in all living beings and that which comes from the earth, including plants and even stones and crystals. And one has influence on these energies, which is how we manifest our desires. However, what exactly is this energy… Possibly correlated to black energy and black matter. It is hard to say precisely what that energy is.
4. Not everything is taken literally and to be true.  For instances, not everything that is written about the aligned stars and planets is true and not every placement nor movement has an effect on our lives. However, does it provide some understanding of things? Sure. Because even if through coincidence, some astrological interpretations may correlate to something going on in one’s life and provide advice one can take into consideration. Take everything you read with a grain of salt, weigh the options, the facts, and the science of it all.

There will be many practitioners who believe that a non-theistic approach to Wicca, however it is not a true Wiccan path, as Wicca is a religion. Witchcraft alone is a secular path- It is not for us to decide what is right and wrong within that path that lies ahead of a person, no, it is their journey alone to decide how it works and what fits them as an individual. The Secular/Non-Theistic Witch is one of powerful thought and practice. They are usually seen as loners and on the outside of the box when it comes to their practices.

Shamanism– Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner, a shaman, who is believed to interact with a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct these spirits or spiritual energies into the physical world, for healing or some other purpose.

Beliefs and practices that have been categorized as “shamanic” have attracted the interest of scholars from a wide variety of disciplines, including anthropologists, archaeologists, historians, religious studies scholars, philosophers and psychologists. Hundreds of books and academic papers on the subject have been produced, with a peer-reviewed academic journal being devoted to the study of shamanism. In the 20th century, many Westerners involved in counter-cultural movements have created modern magico-religious practices influenced by their ideas of Indigenous religions from across the world, creating what has been termed neoshamanism or the neo shamanic movement. It has affected the development of many neopagan practices, as well as faced a backlash and accusations of cultural appropriation, exploitation and misrepresentation when outside observers have tried to represent cultures to which they do not belong.

There is no single agreed-upon definition for the word “shamanism” among anthropologists. The English historian Ronald Hutton noted that by the dawn of the 21st century, there were four separate definitions of the term which appeared to be in use. The first of these uses the term to refer to “anybody who contacts a spirit world while in an altered state of consciousness.” The second definition limits the term to refer to those who contact a spirit world while in an altered state of consciousness at the behest of others. The third definition attempts to distinguish shamans from other magico-religious specialists who are believed to contact spirits, such as “mediums“, “witch doctors“, “spiritual healers” or “prophets,” by claiming that shamans undertake some particular technique not used by the others. Problematically, scholars advocating the third view have failed to agree on what the defining technique should be. The fourth definition identified by Hutton uses “shamanism” to refer to the Indigenous religions of Siberia and neighboring parts of Asia. According to the Golomt Center for Shamanic Studies, a Mongolian organisation of shamans, the Evenk word shaman would more accurately be translated as “priest”.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a shaman (/ˈʃɑːmən/ SHAH-men, /ˈʃæmən/ or /ˈʃeɪmən/) is someone who is regarded as having access to, and influence in, the world of benevolent and malevolent spirits, who typically enters into a trance state during a ritual, and practices divination and healing. The word “shaman” probably originates from the Tungusic Evenki language of North Asia. According to ethnolinguist Juha Janhunen, “the word is attested in all of the Tungusic idioms” such as Negidal, Lamut, Udehe/Orochi, Nanai, Ilcha, Orok, Manchu and Ulcha, and “nothing seems to contradict the assumption that the meaning ‘shaman’ also derives from Proto-Tungusic” and may have roots that extend back in time at least two millennia.The term was introduced to the west after Russian forces conquered the shamanistic Khanate of Kazan in 1552.

The term “shamanism” was first applied by Western anthropologists as outside observers of the ancient religion of the Turks and Mongols, as well as those of the neighbouring Tungusic– and Samoyedic-speaking peoples. Upon observing more religious traditions across the world, some Western anthropologists began to also use the term in a very broad sense. The term was used to describe unrelated magico-religious practices found within the ethnic religions of other parts of Asia, Africa, Australasia and even completely unrelated parts of the Americas, as they believed these practices to be similar to one another. While the term has been incorrectly applied by cultural outsiders to many Indigenous spiritual practices, the words “shaman” and “shamanism” do not accurately describe the variety and complexity that is Indigenous spirituality. Each Nation and tribe has its own way of life, and uses terms in their own languages.

Mircea Eliade writes, “A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = ‘technique of religious ecstasy‘.” Shamanism encompasses the premise that shamans are intermediaries or messengers between the human world and the spirit worlds. Shamans are said to treat ailments and illnesses by mending the soul. Alleviating traumas affecting the soul or spirit are believed to restore the physical body of the individual to balance and wholeness. Shamans also claim to enter supernatural realms or dimensions to obtain solutions to problems afflicting the community. Shamans claim to visit other worlds or dimensions to bring guidance to misguided souls and to ameliorate illnesses of the human soul caused by foreign elements. Shamans operate primarily within the spiritual world, which, they believe, in turn affects the human world. The restoration of balance is said to result in the elimination of the ailment.

Death Witches– Okay first let me state this, there is often a HUGE confusion that death witches and Necromancers are the same thing. They are not, they have similar interests but their practices vary.

What is death witchcraft? Loosely defined death witchcraft as working with and honor spirits of the dead (ghosts, ancestors) as well as the power of death itself (endings, resurrections). Death witches reflect upon the concept of death, come to terms with their own death, and work through spiritual “deaths” in our lives. They also communicate with the dead regularly. Many of us heal and help the dead, and in return, they aid us in our magical workings. Rather than fearing death, we embrace it as a pivotal point in the cycle of life.

As with any magical path, everyone practices for difference reasons. Some people have an intense fear and fascination with death, and they aim to find peace through this path. Others have experienced the deaths of loved ones, and they want to heal and aid the deceased. Some worship a death deity or work as a mortician, while others are in it for the power. 

Regardless of their reasoning, death witches choose to embrace death and actively work with it. Since death witchcraft relies on spirit work, it has a high learning curve and is one of the more taxing crafts out there. 

Also note that sometimes Death Witches have things in common with Ancestral Witches too. Ancestral witchcraft is a witchcraft tradition that focuses heavily on connecting to one’s ancestors spiritually and magically. A tradition that is similar in beliefs is Southern Conjure & Hoodoo; HOWEVER, they are very different in ways.

Now, Necromancy is part of death witchcraft, but it isn’t all of that path. Death witchcraft also involves working with death as a force, dead plants, healing the dead, and other aspects of the end of life. Some death witches also call themselves necromancers; others do not.

Necromancer-Necromancy comes from the Greek words nekrós (“dead body”) and manteía (“divination by means of”). Literally, it means speaking to the dead through divination. Most necromancers receive insights about the past, present, or future through the dead.  is the practice of magic involving communication with the dead – either by summoning their spirits as apparitions, visions or raising them bodily – for the purpose of divination, imparting the means to foretell future events, discover hidden knowledge, to bring someone back from the dead, or to use the dead as a weapon. Sometimes referred to as “Death Magic”, the term may also sometimes be used in a more general sense to refer to black magic or witchcraft.

Today, the term necromancy is often reserved for ceremonial magicians who work with the dead. Some modern-day practitioners prefer to avoid the term because of its association with fantasy.

Necromantic rituals could be both mundane and grotesque, depending on their purpose, but they were almost always elaborate – often involving talismans, incantations, magic circles, candles, symbols, and wands. The necromancer might wear the clothes of the deceased, sit for days without moving, or even mutilate and eat corpses as a way to call out to the other side. They would choose melancholy locations that were well-suited to their guidelines – perhaps the home of the deceased subject, a ruin, or a dark graveyard.

All of these morbid practices were just the warm-up for the eventual summoning of the spirit. According to folklore about necromancy, in order to raise a physical body from the other side, the process had to occur within one year of the death, otherwise, the necromancer would only be able to evoke the ghost, not the real person.

As one would expect, the best time to perform necromancy was at midnight, especially if the night was filled with wind, rain, and lightning because it was believed that spirits would show themselves more readily in stormy weather. Although practices varied from place to place, the majority of rituals involved lighting the scene with torches and creating a backdrop of deep contemplation and morbidity.

For example, if a necromancer wanted to raise a corpse from the cemetery, magic circles would be drawn around the grave and certain powerful plants were burned, including hemlock, mandrake, and opium.

Even today there are people who claim they can speak to the dead. Modern necromancers cultivate working relationships with the departed through things like the art of throwing bones, where the future is read based on their placement. Working with the “energy” of the dead is the contemporary version of reanimation, and it tries to avoid brutality and the desecration of burial sites.

But despite a surprisingly robust online necromancy community, the ancient art of bringing dead things to life is mostly gone. While there is plenty of literature on the subject and contemporary witches who claim to know the old ways, it’s clear that necromancy is not what is used to be.

We hope you enjoyed this one and please if we left anything out or missed something key to a specific witch type, please comment or send us a message.

Until Next Time,

LunaOwl ~J

https://luna-owl.com/2020/08/20/what-type-of-witch-are-you/

https://luna-owl.com/2020/08/21/what-type-of-witch-are-you-part-2/