Let's Discuss: "There's No Wrong Way to Practice Witchcraft"

Sorry if you can hear lots of construction noise in the background, my street was extra busy that day :')
I hope you find this discussion interesting! Do you agree that there are wrong ways to practice witchcraft?
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[@irishcladdagh3]

Finally a witch who speaks outside of public opinion!!! YES on all your valid points. I personally have never found working with crystals a need for my practice....I do not feel anything holding crystals....they are gorgeous and I have been gifted a few and those are the ones I have.....I do not work with chakras....It doesn't make sense to me to put in my practice....I come from a folklore old school practice and all the tangible items out here today are amazing but I hardly connect to many....I research everything to keep learning and see what else is out there that I can incorporate into my practice but somethings I can't relate to.....also....VERY IMPORTANT POINT.....YES there are so many other sustainable ways to practice your workings...and I personally believe as Witches and honoring Mother Earth as part of a witches life we are the first environmentalist walking this planet...its a completely contradiction if we honor mother earth yet defame her with our disposals.....contaminate her waters....etc...elemental magick is I feel one of the best sustainable ways to practice and bring self awareness to our planet. BUT THANK YOU FOR BRINGING LIGHT TO THIS VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC!

[@blessingsfromthecrone3261]

yes. Yes. YES!!! These were also brilliant insights! I think every Witch should study ecology. How do we leave as minimal a carbon foot print on our planet as possible? We, meaning the Human Race in general, have wrought so much damage to Mother 🌎. It makes me so sad. 😢

[@odothedoll2738]

I think what people actually mean when they say this is that you have to deprogram the monotheist idea of submitting to god by following a very specific lifestyle.

[@vildechaya3616]

Love that this is becoming a topic that is being widely talked about in the witchcraft community. Great video Ari! 💛

[@TheOakWitch]

Thank you!

[@buddhajim]

Brilliant insight, totally agree on your points on sustainability aspect. I found there to be too much fad following with Amazon plastic trinkets. Love and Peace

[@rachelschubert7671]

Very valid point. I’ve been practicing for five years now and I’ve recently considered getting certified in crystal healing. I’ve never considered them to be the same thing but it never occurred to me that it wasn’t considered a type of witchcraft either. So thank you for clearing that up.

[@ButterflyHummingbird]

At the time I’m seeing this, you have over 12,000 subscribers. So, good on ya! 🎉You go girl! 🎉 As I am just beginning my witchcraft journey in the Crone phase of my life, I count you as one of my teachers. As I’ve observed from my own life as well as others, we tend to be more idealistic in our youth. Hence, that idealism can lead us to be more judgmental when we’re younger and less so as that idealism is tempered with experience. The sharp edges just get worn smoother as we proceed along the wheel of life. Thank you, dear Ari, for your advice and guidance. Blessed be! ✨💞✨

[@k.s.thompson5766]

I really enjoyed this video. You are absolutely right. We can't just wander through the world saying "You do you" when those actions may be causing harm and it isn't up to us to decide whether we are causing harm or not. If someone kindly informs us that our actions are not welcome, not kind, not respectful, that has to be given serious consideration. My path has changed considerably since I started about 20 yrs ago. As I have grown and evolved, so has my practice. I have left behind what is no longer relevant, as well as the misguided notions that I learned were not accurate. I have embraced a new way of thinking and am open to learning more as I go along. About two years ago, my practice changed dramatically and I now consider myself a novice once again, which is absolutely fine. So I really appreciate your videos because it is an opportunity to see things from the perspective of those new to the craft and to learn some things I may have otherwise overlooked because of my experience.

[@TheOakWitch]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it and that my channel is helping you! It's completely natural for paths to go through dramatic changes, especially over long periods of time. I think it's really powerful of you to accept being a novice once again, I often relate to that where I feel as though I need to brush up on my basics every now and again. It happens and it's okay!

[@karenressler685]

Again a very informative video. Thank you so much

[@mannyromero4511]

So refreshing to hear someone saying out loud what a lot of us think

[@sandyblack9698]

Some very good valid points Ari..I think we have to be careful not to merge new age,Eastern mistisism, reiki etc...with good old fashion witchcraft!Your comment on chakras did tickle me.blessings 📖🐛

[@wishonafoxtail2819]

I'm interested to hear your take on crystals a bit further. While they were not used for crystal healing historically, you're totally right about that. There are instances where crystals were used historically as charms and talismans, for luck, for fertility etc.

[@TheOakWitch]

Yes definitely! And of course, that is totally valid. I definitely acknowledge that minerals have been used in magic for centuries.

[@poppyseed5270]

Love this! I'm a baby witch so I'm taking the armchair Magician route until I feel more confident, I learnt about a few things that I found out were closed practices later - so I'm trying to be way more careful now

[@TheOakWitch]

Totally valid!

[@RoundtheCauldron]

Aww ❤❤ I'm happy to be here and I appreciate you too! And as for the video, I absolutely loved it 🙌 👏 I think you touched on many important subjects and ideas that I haven't seen from other people. And you're definitely right, hatred has no place in the community.

[@TheOakWitch]

💜💜💜

[@shonataylor3135]

late to watch this but loved it! Your points on learning from mistakes are so important. I stopped using white sage and palo santo through learning. Being more ethically minded made me choose to stop buying crystals(thanks to information in another one of your vids!) Learning more about British Folk magick has lead to a simplified method of craft for me as I feel that is the root of magick. great video!

[@inchw0rm]

❤️ these r some rly important points

[@DarthMayder]

I was raised Hindu and I'm a person with Indian indentured history living in South Africa, because my ancestors were brought here as essentially slaves in the late 1800s. So I'm a 5th generation South African. I raise this heritage and history because it should inform your practice. I'm an antidiscrimination consultant and I think something needs to be said about indigenous cultures of people of colour not being appropriated in the broad sense of what the Western world has deemed witchcraft. I also think that the reason indigenous cultures have been conflated with witchcraft is because Western culture deviating from traditional Christianity finds it easier to lump everyone together under the umbrella of witchcraft instead of simply understanding there is nuance in practising witchcraft vs crafting a spiritual practice around things that feel protective and grounding to you. I don't call myself a witch because that's not where my heritage lies but I respect the spiritual practices of other origins and if offered to me from a person inside that origin community as a method to connect to source/ancestors (my work is predominantly in this sphere as a person raised Hindu), I might research and see if that could fit into my practice. Overall this is a really important conversation and I love to see it because the wellness/spiritual community has really conflated too many things and watered it down with complete disrespect.

[@TheOakWitch]

I agree 100%! Cultural nuance matters so much in our spirituality spaces, and we must have a deep respect for it if we want to make our community more inclusive. I really appreciate your thoughts in this discussion, thank you!

[@utopicuta]

I immediately send this to my best friend, because this is just so important! It really helped me reflect on alot of stuff I did and do in my craft. Thank you for that ♡

[@TheOakWitch]

Thank you for the support! I'm so glad to have helped.

[@gambiland3948]

I wonder if people get confused about the difference between witchcraft and magickal practices and consider certain parts of magickal practices witchcraft. 🤷‍♀️

[@gabrielleangelica1977]

Sometimes they intersect...🛣️

[@AmyCT622]

Excellent video!! Valid points were made....I studied/practiced the craft in High School and just getting back into it now and its about 20 years later a lot of books I read don't even give you the proper way and the safety of Witchcraft...they jump right into spells without giving you the warnings of what could actually happen or go wrong....but thank you for sharing this very informative video! New Subscriber here!

[@NoreaLamia]

What you said about deity work - I think that's spot on, people tend to not research not just gods but other spirits that might reach out, preferring to work with them in spirit when really you should learn the culture to verify your suspicions. One of the first entities I encountered in my Craft was Santa Muerte. I had no idea who she was - I might have seen her picture prior because I took Spanish classes, but her name and image was otherwise alien to me. She reached out to me in a dream and after some research it turns out I mostly envisioned her in three of her aspects at once. Some of the other little details about her were interesting - she told me directly she believes in God which her followers affirm, also she is very stubborn and she's motherly but in a firm way. She's got a very strong personality, kind of like your really sweet and set-in-her-ways grandma. People argue whether she's a saint, angel, demon or deity - to me that's kind of a non-question. Santa Muerte simply is, no matter how you view her she is Death. She also doesn't discriminate, to her it is more important you live to your fullest and you don't resist Death when it's your time. The Catholics arguing over her authenticity and the Pagans claiming she's an aspect of the Crone are spending energy they could've used to foster a healthy spirituality fighting over their adored lady, who accepts everyone anyway. Also about Wicca and New Age and syncretism - I'm perfectly fine with mixing concepts from other traditions in witchcraft but it's important to realize that it's a personal practice, and not part of the "tradition" in traditional craft. My personal practice mixes Trad Craft, Conjure, Brujería, Near East Mysticism, shamanism and Tantra. With Tantra especially, there are a lot of concepts similar in witchcraft, but to call any aspect of Tantra "witchcraft" is disingenuous. The Chakras are Tantra, the 5 M's are Tantra, Yoga is Tantra. They can help you in your Craft but they aren't the Craft. Magic, yes, and in your personal path it's fine to incorporate such concepts in the Craft, but pretending like that's how the Ancestors did things is like saying that elephants were a part of Native American motifs - such statements are hogwash and generalize a whole practice (especially the greater magic-sphere). Conjure and Brujería are a little more nuanced; they are folk magic and some people are perfectly fine being called witches in that case but because the majority of practitioners in both are either Christian, culturally obligated to social standards or conscious of their heritage, they tend to distance themselves from that label because of the negative associations. Even people who practice Wicca sometimes distance themselves from the label "witch", at least its understanding in English, because the modern word is pretty controversial and got a lot of meaning rung out. I only call people a witch if they call themselves a witch for this reason. Those working Conjure are Cunning/Conjure folk or root workers, working Brujería are Bruj(o/a/e)s, and Craft folk are witches, warlocks or wise folk.

[@Helena_helvella.crispa]

Really appreciate your intelligence, convictions, and perspectives. You have one of the best witchcraft channels on KZbin, Ari. I always learn from you. Thank you! ~Helena

[@TheOakWitch]

Thank you for your support!

[@WitchcraftandPaganism]

Some very good points in this video, thank you. 🙂

[@mamajusmagickalemporium2655]

Thank you so much for pointing this out. When people advise dumping candle remains and glass spell bottles at crossroads or in rivers for example I cringe! As witches we should always be looking out for the earth, and planning our workings around not having to further pollute the earth with the remains of our workings! 🥰

[@violetmoonofthenorth]

Very informative video.. just what I needed to hear and learn from. Thanks! 📚

[@elliehgotts7484]

Excellent video! It is refreshing to see how you are stating what should be so obvious, yet so many who call themselves witches utilize practices which are not technically a part of witchcraft. I just subbed! Well done!

[@TheOakWitch]

Thank you!

[@nairbvel]

It's funny that I'm finding this video when KZbin shows 16.3K subscribers. :-) I think one major and far too common mistake is making the assumption that witchcraft is monolithic in nature.... or that it is all-encompassing and includes basically anything with magickal overtones up to the edge of stage magic.

[@Alice-mv9pj]

I so much agree with you! I am a bit of armchair magician at the moment 😂 after 19 years practicing, I don't feel the need of practicing as much as before, don't know why. Everyday I incorporate magic in my life, but differently, more for self care 😅 About brujería, in Spain we have brujería too, it's not like the South American, but it has influenced it too, we are brujas we practice brujería, what you said confused me so much 😅😅

[@arlynneeblin3576]

This is something I have pondered off and on since I first began my crooked path journey back in 1994. I have read and heard a handful of different definitions of magic and witchcraft and they all seem so very vague...and nowadays the current popular understanding seems even broader and vague. Is there even a definition for witch/witchcraft/magick that isn't vague? Love that you mention that spells can be done in a environmentally mindful way without harming our surroundings intentionally as well as pretty much most of your points. Thank you for this

[@blessingsfromthecrone3261]

AMEN, Sister Witch! LoL - but seriously! There are SO MANY things wrong with that sentence. That’s like saying all Witches are also Satanists, as an example. True Witches and Satanists have NOTHING in common. I think you should continue to elaborate on this topic further. It’s one thing to stretch your witchy wand out there, and try new things. But you are so very correct in your comments about doing things without knowing what you’re doing. Knowing how to reverse engineer a spell you didn’t mean to do, for example. Or protecting yourself and others from magickal danger - this should always be a priority. If you have ever said, “I wonder what would happen if…,” that’s a wrong way to practice witchcraft! Calling up spirits - bad idea - even if you know what you’re doing, there can still be mishaps. Working a spell without a contingency plan… bad things can happen. Working with herbs… plz don’t poison yourself, or others for that matter. Goodness. I could go on. Yes. I definitely believe you should make another video on this topic. 👍🏼💜

[@juliereminiec4937]

Does Picking up after Literbugs count? Love your accent , Ari ! where in Britain ,are you?

[@TheOakWitch]

Picking up litter is a great thing to do! I speak about it in my Eco-Friendly Witchy Tips video 😊 I'm based in East Anglia, England!

[@Angelica-ri7hx]

Thanks, all very interesting! How is Tarot linked to traditional witchcraft in comparison with the other "new age" influences?

[@TheOakWitch]

Tarot is something which isn't inherently Witchcraft related, but it's linked to Witchcraft traditionally, as all sorts of divination have been used by witches and magickal practitioners for ages. So modern Witchcraft adopted tarot quite easily. I'd say the new age has perhaps taken Tarot as well but then added new age concepts into tarot, e.g. use of crystal healing or more specifically the influx of new age themed decks. Not necessarily a bad thing aside from the problematic features of some new age concepts. If anyone reading wanted to read Tarot without new age influences I'd recommend non-new age resources of course, or reading something like "The Key to the Tarot" which was written by one of the people who made the RWS deck (A. E. Waite)

[@Angelica-ri7hx]

Thanks for your answer Ari, I appreciate your dedication to the analysis and clarification of concepts. Which are in your opinion the problematic features of new age concepts?

[@TheOakWitch]

@@Angelica-ri7hx No problem at all! I think the emphasis on crystal healing (e.g. rose quartz can cure heart disease type of thinking) can be problematic, especially if there's no mention of modern medicine and seeking medical professionals as a priority. Chakras as seen in the new age are very watered down from their origination and I believe that it's quite disrespectful. From what I see from "love and light" people, is mostly toxic positivity; it's the suppression of the dark parts of ourselves in favour of being "happy all the time", but this is very very unhealthy and not indicative of reality and human emotions. Those are just a few off the top of my head!

[@Angelica-ri7hx]

I absolutely agree. Being respectful of traditional practices and seeking evidence based scientific approach is fundamental.

[@kathleenroberts7972]

So smart!

[@michelesilva9491]

I don’t know if there are ppl who are saying crystal healing or chakras are a part of witchcraft necessarily. I think that perhaps there are many ppl who are incorporating these things into there craft, or maybe it’s more part of their spiritual practice and they combine their spiritual practice with their witchcraft. I think that’s what I do. I was a crystal healer first. That led me to other things. So I use crystals and chakra balancing with meditation, I don’t think that’s necessarily part of my craft, but I do it. Does that makes sense? But of course I know that my ancestors in Europe weren’t using chakras, lol. But to be fair, they didn’t know about chakras, now did they. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with combining these things today because we are so fortunate to have communication with ppl from all over the world. It’s an amazing time that gives us knowledge and info that our ancestors just didn’t have. I know your big on cultural appropriation, but I think it’s awesome that we have info available to us from many different cultures and we can use that. Rather it’s in our craft or spirituality or cooking, any aspect of our lives can be enriched by the influence of various cultures. I think it’s appreciation not appropriation. Of course there are ways one can appropriate ones culture, but for the sake of what I was referring to above I think it’s appreciation. I enjoyed your video and I’m glad your getting more subscribers, you deserve it.

[@dreacero9116]

I totally get where you're coming from with this discussion and I think everything you touched upon deserves closer inspection by the entire community. The difficulty I have is with the terms "right" and "wrong", two words which are based on the premise of certain laws by which witchcraft is defined. I think this is where we really have to look at our own practices and define them by the traditions we primarily base them. Girl! You have opened Pandora's Box on this one lol! I do agree on some things you said. And I don't know that I necessarily disagree as much as I think you made some points on which we could parry semantics. Thanks for provoking my thoughts! 😆

[@TheOakWitch]

Hahah yes, "right" and "wrong" are certainly strong words and I don't doubt your hesitation! There are definitely different rights and wrongs based off of the tradition or path of witchcraft you ascribe to, and perhaps I should've made that slightly more clearer. I don't deny that there is nuance here, as there always is! Thank you so much for voicing your thoughts, I really appreciate the comment! 😊

[@brantwilliams7468]

Wow, you certainly have lots of opinions.

[@itsntok6071]

hear me out… you really don’t need to build donald trumps wall around you and too much protection is definitely a thing. i do think that people providing information online should actually provide more information on what protection actually is, how much is need generally, how much is need before spell work, and they best ways to protect yourself. the fear mongering about protection makes people scared to develop their practice

[@TheOakWitch]

Oo very interesting take! I agree, my spin on this is I think people should be more specific in their protections - what are you actually protecting yourself against. Too many broad protections can do you little favours. There is definitely fear mongering about protection, and a lot of other things for beginners, like deity or spirit work. It's a method people employ to gain power and control over their audience, or to make themselves look better informed. You've inspired me! I might make a "Let's Discuss" video on fear mongering beginners in our community. 😆

[@hermit.masteroflight5970]

Hi Ari. I very much appreciate your comments on withcraft not having to harm nature. That reminds me that in brujería there are often many non biodegradable items being burued/hung from trees/thrown in rivers, etc. Now.. The thing is that brujería has had as much impact on Mediterranean wichtcraft as wicca has had on Western and central European wichtcraft. So I am interested in your opinion on why brujería and wichtcraft are not the same and where do you draw the line 🤔. I do speak Spanish and that does not make it easier to find information about this topic and I also have the impression that many Latin origin witches in the USA nowadays actually belong to the brujería tradition. Myself being based in Germany, I guess traditional witchcraft here is similar to the one in UK. These are my thoughts.. Perhaps you may want to comment on them some time..?. Thank you in advance. Best regards, Lior

[@peterfindlay2756]

OK I take your points and agree as far as I am able. So help, please, one (and only one please) suggestion for the best serious introduction to witchcraft. Celtic background but uk folklore generally. Reasonably well educated so as simple or difficult as you like. I love your videos and find them very useful. Are there many men on your discord/book club? Many thanks Peter

[@nelle734]

Can you do a video on the appropriation of Chakras?

[@TheOakWitch]

That's a really interesting video idea! I would be slightly concerned about doing so, since chakras is not my expertise! If this helps, here's a really interesting blog post about the Chakras and their real origin - hareesh.org/blog/2016/2/5/the-real-story-on-the-chakras

[@guarddog318]

Let me sum this up for folks: You perform some spell or working. You get the results you were after. You did it right. You perform some spell or working. You DO NOT get the results you were after. You did it wrong. Go back and study. Find out what discipline/system it's from, and once the proper information is found... DO IT THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE DONE. Don't change it up, add to it, or leave stuff out. ( If you do that and it still doesn't work, then you're probably studying something that is just not true or authentic. Many old practices have been "Christianized" - meaning they have been altered by the church to say or be something that they were not, originally. ) In the end, there ARE rules, laws, etc to this stuff. If you don't follow them, things either don't work, or they go bad wrong.

[@mariaroman8726]

I started reading about witchcraft and other things because people called me a witch. I don’t think of myself as a witch or call myself a witch. I’m just not easily defined.

[@lensorcellement]

About the use of crystals in witchcraft: Many steps of witchcraft rituals date back to the very beginning of Western Civilization. Indeed, among the oldest texts found in Mesopotamia dating from the Neo-Sumerian period, the description of certain healing rituals practiced at that time mentions a ceremonial which is still practiced, in large part, by the witches of 'today. For example, the first stage of the rituals of this Neo-Sumerian period always began with a purification, either with ablutions, ideally with water charged with magical energies, or either by the application on the skin of crystals according to their magical properties arising from the principles of magic by similitude. So, crystal healing is part of witchcraft since around 5000 years :-)

[@TheOakWitch]

Sure, that's all very well and good, but how crystal healing is practiced as it is by people from the new age movement, has not been a core part of witchcraft, and that was what I was referring to. I'm not discrediting that crystals and minerals have been used for many years across many different cultures throughout history.

[@magusfelix6796]

Well, actually, crystal healing as practiced in the New Age doesn't have much to do with those historical forms of crystal magic. It is mostly a misunderstanding by Westerners of certain forms of yogic practices combined with a sprinkling of (still misunderstood) correspondences from source texts like Agrippa. Unfortunately, the New Age was linked with the modern neopagan movements (and Wicca, during its boom) from the 70s to the 90s, a link that still continues in some forms today, and that is where the majority of modern witches get their crystal lore. It doesn't really have anything to do with historical practices because a) they never went to those sources, and b) the sources they did go to were misunderstood by Victorian colonialists in the first place. Ripperoni!

[@johnritter6864]

I think the reality is more like, there are limits to how much flexibility there is in magic but there are definitely things that are wrong.