QUESTION - I have been reading ways to become a vampire, witch, or werewolf (but mostly a witch because i want to cast spells to help me or others when in need ) please help me!!!! I really want to do this

I’ve answered a few similar questions to this in the past and I’m going to put the links here for you as I think you would benefit from reading them.

I do think it is really important to point out that the three examples you give in your question are very different things. A werewolf is a fantasy figure which does not exist in the real world. There are individuals who believe themselves to be werewolves but usually these people are suffering from delusion or the illness called lycanthropy. There are no human beings who can shapeshift into werewolves. (I’d be delighted to be proved wrong if anyone wants to question this! Lol)

Vampires are a slightly greyer area – there are certainly people who drink blood (though to the best of my knowledge this supplements rather than replaces a normal human diet) but the term vampire is more commonly used to refer to individuals who feed on the pain and negativity of others. This “psychic” vampirism isn’t in the least bit aspirational and I tend to view them as figures to be pitied rather than aspired to. Surrounding yourself with hate and negativity is a gloomy existence, don’t go there. Mind you drinking blood doesn’t sound much fun either. Stick with wine and chocolate.

A witch is not a supernatural being, nor a myth. A witch is just a person who happens to practise witchcraft. In that sense the witch is the least interesting of the three(!)  but on a practical note it is also the easiest to turn into. In order to become a witch you simply start practising witchcraft (see the numerous questions on my site in reference to the born/made argument… Saying it of course is the easy bit. As with most things, it is easy to start the path but difficult to advance further without hard work, dedication and a spark or two of natural talent to guide you along. My advice to new witches is always to start with some hands on work combined with a bit of reading and see if it feels a good fit for you. Don’t focus on “being a witch” focus on practising witchcraft. If it feels right and you turn out to be good at it then you’re on the right path as a witch. If you haven’t got the time or inclination to put the work in then you’re probably not suited to being a witch. Think less about the title and more about what it is you actually want to do….

I need to become a witch

Should I refer to myself as a witch

Can you make me a witch?

How do you know you're a witch?

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QUESTION - Hello, I have a question. What does it really mean to be favoured by the goddess Athena? I can't seem to find anything that actually answers this. 

ANSWER - Athena is a Goddess of the Greek pantheon associated with wisdom and justice. Her wisdom is symbolised by her association with the owl and her Roman counterpart is Minerva.Some Pagans and Witches either do not believe in deity at all or consolidate their idea of deity into a dual idea of God and Goddess (most usually Wiccans). For those who do believe in different deities of a specific pantheon, to be favoured by a God or Goddess is to gain their support and their protection. The support offered will be in the character and spirit of the deity from which it is offered, so for example, to be favoured by Morrigan the Celtic Goddess of War you may receive support in conflict but to be favoured by Hestia, the Goddess of the hearth may be to receive blessings for your home and your family.

In the specific case of Athena I would imagine her favours would take the shape of bringing success to you in intellectual endeavours, possibly in academic studies or a difficult project at work. Athena is also associated with precision, logic and justice so being favoured by her may mean strategic assistance in situations that need a logical structured approach.

Beliefs vary, some of those who worship specific deities believe the deity will intervene on their behalf in the world. Others believe it is the individual’s own soul/mind that is assisted by the deity.

Image http://www.deviantart.com/art/Athena-28759234

QUESTION - I recently got my phone taken away and I was wondering if there was anything I could do to get it back. I'm a good kid, I get good grades, babysit my four siblings, and I've never drank or smoked. I'm willing to do a spell that convinces my mother to give it back to me a day before my birthday which is March 26, 2015.

ANSWER - To be honest, the most likely way of getting your phone back is being upfront about what you have done wrong, apologising to your mother and asking her to give you your phone back. I realise that may not be the magically inclined advice you were hoping for but sometimes the simplest ways are the best. Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut etc…

However I will give you a heads up on manipulation magic as I think this is more what you were hoping for. The success of manipulating an individual lies in your ability to project what it is you want them to think, feel, say or do. The “theatre” of spell work is unimportant in this area. Fancy wordings will only cloud the very simple mental channelling which is all manipulation magic really is. To perform this kind of working you are always best keeping it simple. Take a yellow candle, light it and concentrate your thoughts on your mother as you look into the flame. Imagine you making the request for the phone back, then visualise the thought process she will go through when you ask her. Project the image of you being hard working and helpful into her mind. I usually speak some words into the candle, something short and to the point

“I think you might find
Yourself changing your mind.”

Visualise the intention leaving you, entering the flame and then being sent into the ether by the smoke from the candle

Best advice though is to tell your mother what you’ve told me – I’m sure she is a reasonable woman, point out the support you give her and are willing to go on giving her. Explain why your phone is so important. In my experience most people react best to genuine human decency.

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Practically speaking the best way to keep bad spirits from coming through is not to invite them into your house in the first place. By this I mean invite directly through use of popular spirit medium tools such as the ouija board but also indirectly by promoting an atmosphere of negativity and conflict in the house that a mischievious or malicious spirit may be attracted to. 

The type of spirits you would not want in your home will be compelled towards households of disharmony, houses with arguing and unhappiness. So keeping the communication channels open and not letting negativity foster is a great first step.

Presuming you’re not taking any steps to actively invite spirits into your home (and if you are, stop it, there’s your answer) there are a couple of extra precautions you can take. One of the most common is to seal the entrances and exits to your home with blessed water (remembering to include the windows). Blessed water is simply water that you have asked your deity/deities to bless. I tend to use water that has sat in the rays of the full moon for a night but if this isn’t possible tap water will be a satisfactory substitute. Once blessed, sprinkle the water round your entrances and state firmly (speaking aloud) that you invite nothing into your home that bears you ill will. Repeat this process and vocalisation for each entrance.

You can also try sprinkling salt across your threshold and walking the parameters of your home with an incense burned for protective purposes (I favour cedarwood for this).

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QUESTION - My mom can communicate with spirits and I was wondering if I have an ability to do the same thing? If I do, how do I get myself to relax enough to be able to do that.

ANSWER - The ability to communicate with spirits is pretty universal. Some mediums will set themselves up as having special powers known only to a select few but the reason most people do not communicate with spirits is not down to the fact that they are unable but down to the fact that they haven't tried.

Effective spirit communication involves allowing your mind to take a rest from the distractions of the mundane world. The candles, incense and mood music are not for the benefit of the spirits, they are for the benefit of the person wishing to make the contact. Such tried and tested methods may seem trite and a touch Hollywood but they do help to make a delineation between the everyday world and the rested head space which is necessary to hear those in the otherworld.

The methods used may vary on preference. Specific tools like a pendulum or a ouija board can be helpful but the simplest way to make contact with a spirit is by direct speech. This can be verbal speech or telepathic speech (spoken inside the mind). The skill is not the ability to initiate the contact but the ability to hear the response and if necessary to be able to interpret that response. Some people are lucky enough to hear direct speech from a spirit, others sense their presence or gauge the connection with the spirit by another sense, perhaps by experiencing a sudden sense of cold of noticing an unusual smell. The expectation that the experience will follow an expected pattern will close your mind to the many ways in which a spirit may communicate back to you. So try to have no expectations and go into it with an open mind.

Image http://www.deviantart.com/art/Ghost-in-Forest-80561784

QUESTION -  I need to become a witch. I seek a life that isn't in the spotlight and I have always been interested in bending the will and reality around me to see how amazing things can be. I seek wisdom but I would still believe in my good [God?] even knowing that this goes against his teachings but I believe that if good comes from it then good will be my reward in the end. I also seek a way to find love with a girl I know - we went out and then broke up and I want her. I believe this might be my chance.

ANSWER - If I'm honest you have the kind of attitude that will make a good witch. I get a little tired of people who believe witchcraft is all about making the world a lighter brighter place. Yes there is a place for positive altruism but at the heart of most successful witches is exactly what you spell out in your question - the desire to bend the world around them to suit their own purpose.

I wouldn't say witchcraft necessarily goes against the teachings of God - although that does depend very much on which God you believe in. Making the world work for you doesn't necessarily mean you are going to go out of your way to cause harm to others. I think it important that if you do decide to follow the path as a witch you work out early on how this is going to harmonise with your personal faith. Witchcraft can work with or without a faith but when it won't work for you is if you choose to split yourself in two because you can't see how your religion and your craft can achieve cohesion. Establish the limits in your own mind from the beginning in terms of what you are comfortable doing and what you are happy will not work against the God you believe in. You'll be setting yourself up for a lot of stress if you don't work within the confines of your own beliefs.

I've said that most witches are fundamentally self interested and that (in my opinion anyway) is generally true. However most people on the path of a witch are looking for general ways to make the world work for them. The dedication involved in getting results out of practising as a witch will require you to have more than one single goal. So what I am saying is if you want to become a witch because you believe this is the path for you you will stand a far greater chance of success than if you want to be a witch to manipulate one specific situation to your advantage. Or put very simply - do this for you, not for the girl.

Views differ on how to start walking the path of a witch. Some witches will advise study, others to join forums to get to know other witches and still others will suggest you get your hands dirty with some practical experience from day one. I'd recommend a blend of all three - join a couple of forums and get some different perspectives on witchcraft and what it means to different people (we live in the age of technology we may as well use it...) download some pdf files on beginner books on the craft (link here) and when you've read about some of the basic techniques involved in casting, have a go. See if it appeals to you.

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QUESTION - Good day, I'm new to this website.. Sadly, I can't find anyone practising Witchcraft here where I live, It is even considered an outlaw action. Anyway, My question is about talking to people about my practising, my parents know that I am interested in Witchcraft, but they don't know if I'm a witch or not. Only few friends whom I trust knows..But for my question, should people know my beliefs? I normally don't like hiding anything I do, and Witchcraft is not something to be embarrassed about.. but as I've told you, getting this known here may cause me a lot of problems. But I've had enough of people talking and preaching to me(as I am an ex-Christian)..So perhaps knowing my true nature will just let them stop annoying me.
What do you think? Thank you.


ANSWER - It very much depends on where you live. In the UK where I live there is very little danger involved in being open about being a witch but in some parts of the world - and I'm thinking Bible Belt America where a fellow witch told me there can be serious repercussions for rejecting Christian values including loss of job and being shunned by the local community - it may be more prudent to practise more covertly.

You say in the additional information provided with your question that you are currently living in Egypt. Egypt is an Islamic country with a significant Christian population and current tensions between the two religions. Unfortunately neither religion is all that keen on witchcraft - that isn't to say that all Christians and Muslims dislike witches, indeed there are open minded members of both faiths - but what it does mean is in that particular tense environment it is probably not a good idea to draw attention to yourself as a practitioner of a path that is frowned upon by most of the population. You have shared your path with a few close friends and that is fine but the more people you tell the more likely to are to draw this unwanted attention which could out you in danger. Also be aware that you are not just putting yourself at risk but possibly your family as well. 

This may sound like I am telling you to put your safety before your beliefs but it isn't as simple as that. There are times in the world when people do have to stand up and challenge the status quo - a dictatorship government for example - but this is normally to fight for rights. With witchcraft you do not need to fight for the right to practise it, it can be practised as effectively in secret as it can openly. If you have no reason to 
need to fight it seems futile to risk the dangers of doing so

Witchcraft is traditionally a craft of secrecy and this is rather at odds with the modern fashion for being open and honest about everything. There are many benefits in addition to your safety to not being "out" as a witch, primarily that you can practise your work unhindered and uninterrupted and you have the advantage of surprise if you wish to do a working against somebody else.

I understand that when you follow a path that gives you greater insight into the world this is something you want to share with others. However I would caution you against this. Beware of looking outwards for recognition and validation. Validation should come from yourself. If you are serious about walking the path of a witch this is a private achievement and you do not need to share what you do with anybody in order to validate that in your heart you are a witch.

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QUESTION - I'm just trying to find a way to channel this energy I've always had inside of me... let me explain.
My great-grandmother was a practising witch, and some of her descendants (like myself) have what I like to refer to as "supernatural sensitivity." Naturally, I have seen spirits, and I have communicated with them. I also have psychic dreams.
What I need is to figure/find out a way to channel what I feel inside into something good. Also, I am a practising Christian and I'd like to find a way to devote whatever this is to God.

ANSWER -  I get a lot of questions from people who are interested in the mechanics of magic and spirit work but it is rare to get a question that takes this to the next level relating to the morality of magic and whether or not we should do the things we can do. Your question strikes at the very heart of what it is to be a witch. If we have gifts - how can we use them to the best purpose..?

The abilities you have are intrinsically neither good nor bad. Think of it them as an additional sense. In the same way that sight can be used for good or bad purposes (for example you can choose to watch nasty things on the internet or you can choose to view uplifting positive images) your psychic gifts can be used for the pursuit of good or evil. What you can do is morally neutral, what you choose to do is influenced by your will and therefore the morality that you choose to impose.

I'm not a Christian myself but I have read a fair bit of Christian literature especially in relation to the Christian mystics who like yourself have spiritual gifts that they want to use for the pursuit of good. The mystics talk about offering their gifts to their Christian God - allowing God to work through them and channelling the spirit of Christ when they use these gifts. What this means, put simply, is that if you hold your God at the forefront of your mind when communicating with spirits or directing the energy within yourself into intent then you will perform no action that goes against the nature of the God you worship.

I'd say that if you truly want to use these gifts to serve the Christian God then it would be worth looking for practical ways to put them to some use. Psychic intuition could be a very useful gift for counselling. The magic involved in manipulating others could be put to excellent use in fund raising. Think about what you have the ability to do and then think about the needs of those around you and how you could use your gifts to put something back into the world. One of the core tenets of your faith is the commandment to love your neighbour. What better way of loving your neighbour than making the most of the gifts you have been given to help people in need?

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QUESTION - My young daughter assures me that the knives used by witches is for ceremonial and symbolic purposes. I'd rather hear this direct from a witch. Is she likely to want this knife for anything other than symbolism? I'm hoping her promises that this knife is nothing to do with sacrifice are honest. Thank you.

ANSWER - Whether or not you choose to allow your daughter a knife is entirely up to you as a parent and should you choose not to then your daughter can be confident that lack of a knife will not impede the work she wishes to undertake as a witch. But what I will do is set your mind at rest in relation to the purpose of a witch's knife so you can make a fully informed decision for your daughter.

The witch's knife is usually referred to as an athame and your daughter is correct that the knife is used in ceremony. The principle function of the athame is to direct energy, will and intent. A witch may use her knife as a tool to draw the circle inside which many witches choose to work. This circle may be designated sacred space (particularly in Wicca) or may mark out protected space where a witch can work safely without influence from spirits. 

It would be incorrect to say that no witches use their knives for practical purposes (which can include sacrifice though in modern witchcraft this is rare) as for some witches, especially those who would term themselves "kitchen witches" the knife can have multiple functions including mundane tasks like chopping herbs or carving symbols into candles. If your daughter is inclined toward Wiccan witchcraft then the knife is far more likely to be kept separate from day to day life and used exclusively for magic ritual. It is a Wiccan belief that no blood may touch the athame and a Wiccan witch is extremely unlikely to involve herself in any form of blood sacrifice. (Wicca is far more widely practised than any other form of witchcraft particularly among young people so I would be willing to bet this is the path that has caught your daughter's interest.)

I think it is great that you are so open to discussing your daughter's path with her and she is lucky to have a mother with a genuine interest who wants to understand rather than judge. Should you choose not to permit an athame please tell your daughter from me that crystals, wooden wands and even sparklers (!) can be put to use for much the same purpose as an athame and she mustn't feel that lack of a knife will hold her back from what she wants to achieve.

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