I keep seeing people labelling themselves as "baby witches" because they are looking for help with their spellwork and they are new to witchcraft but we're all learning as we go along. Even if we're at different points on our paths, we are always learning, from mistakes we make or from suggestions made by others. We're all baby witches because we don't know everything there is to know about witchcraft and we likely never will. But I think that's the beauty of being a Witch: we never stop learning.
I've been looking into the various forms of witchcraft and found that these are the 7 "most common" types of witches: folk/tradition, hedge/green, Gardnerian/Alexandrian, eclectic, kitchen, ceremonial and hereditary. But there are so many more than these!
But you don't have to identify as a single type of witch. You can be more than one. Sticking to one label, to me, feels like trying to fit into one single box, which is what we are encouraged to do during the course of our mundane education. But that's the beauty of being a witch - you don't have to fit into one box, multiple boxes or any box if you don't want to! It's completely up to you.
While I know I'm an eclectic witch who borrows ideas, beliefs and rituals from many different places, I'm also working on learning more about Green Witchery through growing my own plants and learning as much as I can about them in the process. I've also been trying to live a much "greener" life, by recycling as much as I can and re-using things as much as possible.
There does seem to be some misunderstanding about the terms Hedge Witchery and Green Witchery so I'll try to show how they are different magickal practices. With Green Witchery, the clue is in the colour - green, the colour associated with plants, herbal lore and growing things. For example, people with a knack for growing any kind of plant/tree are said to have a "green thumb". This is something I am working on strengthening as I don't feel I have a natural green thumb but I would like to learn more about plants and what they can teach us, as shown by my post "Becoming A Green Witch".
Regardless of the name, Hedge Witchery is not related directly to herbs and the green things within this world. It's about straddling the boundary, or "hedge", between this world and the Otherworld. Hedge witches have the ability to communicate with the spiritual world and can send messages between both worlds. They can also practice astral projection as well as work with herbs and Earth based magick. I don't think I've ever astral projected but I am finding it easier to cross the hedge to the Otherworld as I do it more and more often within my Craft.
I'm also a Divination Witch - a witch who uses divination tools within their craft. I have seven tarot decks, three rune sets using different crystals (rose quartz, amethyst and black agate), and over 30 different oracle decks. I also have two different sets of cards with dice that I can use to answer questions or give guidance on a variety of life areas. I also use Bibliomancy occasionally, which is using a book for guidance. I do this by flipping through the pages and stopping at a page that feels right and then using a finger to slowly drift down the page until a spot feels right again. Then the sentence or word that my finger is on can be used to divine a message. I do have a crystal casting set as well that I can use within this aspect of my Craft.
Although this would come under Cosmic Witchery, I use Astrology as well. Mainly because I want to know myself better and astrology is one way that I can do this. Astrology is not for everyone though because some find the terms and details overwhelming, and that's okay. There is no "one size fits all" when it comes to aspects of our own Craft. I do use some elements of astrology within my spellwork to choose the right day, date or even lunar phase.
Sticking with the Moon, there is also Lunar Witchery, where a witch follows the phases of the moon for their Craft and spellwork, living by the phases, and just knowing as much about the Moon and her myths as possible. I am learning to live more by the Moon but this is also happening naturally within my Craft.
An example of this is when I was recently doing some Shadow Work and it was within the last week before the Full Moon Eclipse in Scorpio. Because two of my main/most used oracle decks are by Yasmin Boland (Moonology and Moonology Manifestation), I used them both to have a look at what the approaching energy was throwing up for me. The Moonology Full Moon in Scorpio card highlighted that it was time for some Shadow Work, while the Manifestation card was highlighting that I might be emotionally triggered or overheated (and I was). It was also right after Mercury went retrograde (looks like it's going backwards from our viewpoint on Earth) and with Mercury being the planet of communication, this just went to prove that it was the time to look inwards at the self-talk I use towards my own self.
While I'm not focusing solely on Shadow Work, I could say that I am also a Shadow Witch because I am always willing to work towards integrating my shadow aspects back into my self. Also, this year has had a huge theme of Shadow Work for me. Shadow Work is all about illuminating the parts of the self we'd rather keep hidden from the world, including wounds caused by trauma, and healing those same parts so that they can be integrated back into the whole that is you.
So I would "fit" into so many labels but I don't personally label any aspect of my Craft. I am a Witch and defining what kind of witch I am, in my opinion, would only serve others to know what and how I practise. Perhaps because of my rebellious Aquarian Sun, while I could fit into so many boxes and take so many labels, I don't personally see them as anything other than restrictive.
I hope this gives you some ideas on the different kinds of Witchcraft out in the world. But I particularly hope that this empowers you as to whether you want to label your Craft and/or magickal self. If you want to label your Craft, then you can. I won't stop you and if you come across anyone who says you have to have at least one label, know that they are talking a load of baloney.
Peace and love to all!!
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