I have seen so many practitioners saying "You MUST do This" or "You MUST do That" but let's face it, that is a load of BS. As a note I am a Traditional Witch living in England with Romany heritage so my practice will be COMPLETELY different to the likes of Wicca which does have all of these different rules which you have to abide by. I know this will be a very hard post for some people to read as it goes against what they were taught or believed but your practice is not mine and nor will it ever be.
Witchcraft is not rooted in rules and regulations and it is down to the individual to determine what is in their craft but this is my take on he things which are non-essential but can go hand in hand with your craft.
-- MEDITATION --
Meditation is great at developing your brain functions but does it play an essential role within the craft? Absolutely not.You can still practice Magick without the need of meditation and produce spells of the same level, if not higher. There is a lot of pressure when it comes to meditation which I really disassociate from. Meditation is again a personal experience, we do not all meditate the same nor do we experience the same things whilst meditating.
I used to force myself to meditate because it started to be ingrained into me by everybody in the community but the more I did it the more I felt disconnected to my craft and so now I do not meditate. It just doesn't serve me the same way astral projection does. I get much better results from astral projection and that is most likely due to having to hone your projection skills more.
-- DIVINATION --
The art of Tarot is not for everybody and that is okay! the art of divination is inherently separate from Witchcraft. Witchcraft is the practice of Magick, not divination. These practices go hand in hand of course but can you practice divination without being a witch? YES! The great Nostradamus is a well known diviner of the future with his prophetic vision and strong use of hydromancy (Water Scrying). He would gaze into a pool of water and receive messages from the other side which gave light into the future. He, however, was NOT a witch. He did not practice the art of Magick.
I have known many witches who do not do any divination and they are amazing witches because they focus on the Magick, not the mysticism.
-- SHADOW WORK --
The idea of the shadow self was first conceived by Carl Jung, a 20th-century psychologist from Switzerland. In his field of psychology, often referred to as Jungian psychology, the word 'shadow' refers to hidden parts of our being. Shadow work is a modern form of self psychology to gain a better understanding of ourselves and our reactions. It is a great way to realise your triggers and inner feelings. Is this witchcraft? NO! It barely goes hand in hand with witchcraft because it isn't focused around the practice of Magick. There is benefit to shadow working of course but is it essential for a witch? no, plain and simple.
-- INTENT --
If Magick was THAT simple we would all be doing it! Intent can only get you so far and by so far I mean it puts the key into the ignition. It does not start the car nor does it make it go but simply it allows the starting of Magick to begin. Herbs are held in high regard for a reason an that is because of the powers they hold. If you work with the energies of nature like I do you will understand and agree when I say herbs do a lot of the back breaking work for you. We don't just use herbs because it looks good for instagram posts, we use it because they are what helps our Magick reach its most powerful. We use tools to help direct the energy and give clear instructions for where it is going and what to do. We use our energy and the energy of the spirits around us, herbs, and tools to manifest our intent into something that actually has an effect. If intent was all it took then we would be casting spells every second of the day
-- DEITIES --
The belief that you must work with deities absolutely blows my mind. That is like saying you cannot breathe air unless you work with the molecules. Wicca has a lot to explain for itself on this one as they were at the forefront of indoctrinating the idea that you MUST work with the male and female aspects in the forms of deities. In traditional practices some work alongside deities and others do not. If you practiced Santaria however that is a religious practice.If you practiced Haitian Vodou you would worship the Vodou deities, or Iwa.
Notice anything here?
The use of deities in your practice was also incorporated with religion. You would work with the deities of your Religion not calling upon any deity from any odd pantheon. You wouldn't get a Vodou practitioner working with the likes of Persephone and you wouldn't get a Grecian calling upon the likes of Èzili Freda. They stuck within their own religious pantheons. In some traditional practices particularly in the Western world the idea of incorporating deities for Magick is absurd and non essential in magickal workings. I for one work with Maa Kali and Baba Ganesha but not on magickal workings.They are separate to my craft.
-- ASTROLOGY --
Knowing Astrology is a great skill but does it benefit Magick? again, no. A lot of White influence has fallen over the ideas of astrology and how by learning this makes you a "better witch". This isn't just wrong but it also diminishes what being a witch is about. You can of course incorporate the use of Astrology into your craft but it isn't going to make it any better or worse, it just means you have more work to do and can sometimes even hinder your practice as you cannot do this on this day or cannot do that on that day because the planets said so. Crazy, right?!
-- HELPING OTHERS --
You don't need to be a witch to help others and you certainly don't have to do Magick for free. There comes a point where you have to receive before you can give. It's why I charge for my magickal services and products. It takes time and a lot of skill to produce what I do and so you need my help there is a fee. You would pay a carpenter to fix things in your house, you would pay a farmer to grow your food, you will pay a witch to aid you in your life, you will pay a psychic to open up your future for you. These skills are just as important as the "mainstream" skills so pay accordingly. I was always taught to never trust free things and you are given what you pay for. You want a psychic reading from someone cheaper? By all means go for it but do not feel cheated when the reading does not match up with you or is very open ended. you want to pay for another witch because they are cheaper? go ahead but do not go to another witch to break what has been done or fix what hasn't been done. You want to pay for cheaper food? Go ahead but there is a reason your local farmer charges a little more than the chemically produced products you find on the shelves.
It isn't about selfishness or greed but more about self worth. If a witch has a fee that seems high, use your intuition. if you feel like they are going to help you then go with them and pay their fees knowing that you will receive what you ask.
What other things do you believe are not essential in the craft?