WHO CAN PERFORM SPELLS?

Anyone can practice magick and witchcraft and perform spells. You do not have to be on any specific religious, cultural, or spiritual path to weave spellcraft into your life. Magick does not discriminate. If magick and spells fit into your existence, perfect!

Wicca and witchcraft

Not every witch is a Wiccan. Wicca is a religion that some people wish to be a part of or identify with. Witchcraft is simply a practice and is open to anyone, with specific ideas and application depending on culture, path, or religion. There are karmic concepts prevalent within witchcraft, such as “the rule of three” and “harm none,” that have been popularized by Wicca, though not every Wiccan or witch lives by these. It’s good to remain mindful of the problematic nature of pushing specific ideals from one religion onto another. You may choose for yourself.

Deities or gods

You do not have to believe in gods to perform spells, or work with deities if it feels unnatural to you. Atheist witches do exist—chaos magick, which relies on no specific belief and instead suggests that magical power comes from tested methods that have shown good results—is a great example of just that. So while believing in your own work and spells is important, it doesn’t mean you must now choose deities to work with if you cannot connect with that idea. For some, believing in gods or spirit beings is natural; for others, it simply isn’t. Either way is valid, and your beliefs are your own choice.

Making spells accessible

Spells can be performed by anyone who wishes to do so, regardless of age, sex, gender, ethnicity, disability, or religion. Making magick accessible to everyone is essential. So if you find a spell in this book that requires tools or ingredients that you can’t find, or steps or actions that you are not able to perform, adapt the spell to suit you and do not let it discourage or limit you. You’ll find a list of correspondences that you can use as substitutes at the end of this book. Analyze the spells’ symbolism and be inspired by them to create your own, too (see Write your own spells).

DK