Cover image by Ann Milovidova at Pixabay.
Have you seen “types of witches” quizzes when you’re doomscrolling on your favorite platform? You know the ones: What type of witch are you? Find out if you’re a natural witch!
I’m a sucker for those. I’ll click on them about 80% of the time.
I don’t expect them to tell me anything useful, but they’re fun. Of course, your birthdate or favorite color won’t magically tell you what kind of witch you are… because picking a path is an actual choice.
Despite the meme-like treatment, it’s not a small or frivolous area of study. I know witchy stuff gets painted as flakey or eccentric, but there are whole courses of study devoted to witches, not to mention the many fabulous pieces on witchcraft and the empowerment of women.
Today, I want to talk a little about the different types of witches, not so much to label or categorize anyone, but because it’s helpful to have a good idea of what beliefs match yours when you’re trying the spells and advice you find online or out in the real world.
How Many Types of Witches Are There?
I don’t know the exact answer to that question. There are dozens of different disciplines and paths, and the list continues to grow. But we can put them into a few categories:
- Spiritual/Religious. People who cast spells and perform rituals as part of their spiritual practice.
- Ancestral. People who practice the magic of their ancestors.
- Eclectic. Those who take bits and pieces from different disciplines that appeal to them, but don’t necessarily follow a specific path.
- Solitary Practitioners. As the name implies, people who fly solo with their witchery.
- Coven-based. Witches who belong to a group and share resources or perform rituals together.
- Pagan. Paganism is often nature-based and includes spiritual beliefs that came before Christianity, such as Druids, and those who believe in older gods, such as Norse gods.
- Wicca. I mention this specifically because Wicca is probably one of the best known modern pagan disciplines. But really, Wicca falls under the wider umbrella of pagan.
- Christian Witches. There are a lot of people who practice magic and incorporate Christianity, which some witches find surprising. But old-world religions, like Italian folk magic and Santeria, combine the witchery of their ancestors with the Catholic beliefs that replaced earlier religions. Many Hoodoo spells use Bible verses and Christian passages/prayers, as well.
- Practitioners minus spiritual beliefs. Casting spells went mainstream a while ago. There are a lot of people who practice witchcraft without the spiritual beliefs behind it. Some are atheists or don’t actively subscribe to any religion, and many people keep their magical workings separate from any religion they believe in. IMO, metaphysical and new age practices, such as manifesting, fall into this category. They don’t call it witchcraft but they’re using spells, all the same.
Under these categories, you’ll find kitchen witches, hedge or green witches, lunar witches, and the list goes on. Also, many people fall into multiple categories.
Why Does the Type of Witch Even Matter?
Every type of witch has their own practices and beliefs that guide them. Knowing what type of path they follow:
- Gives you a little hint about the underlying beliefs behind spells and traditions they share
- Helps you recognize whether their beliefs match your own
- Points you in the right direction if you’re interested in studying their path
I love learning from all types of witches. But I know, for instance, if my witchy friend uses defensive magic, like mirror spells, those are ones I need to avoid. Because for me, personally, there will be blowback.
And I want to make this clear – the blowback is because the magic has to match your personal beliefs. Another witch can use those same spells for fantastic results, because their path is different from mine.
I’ve spent a lot of time on witchy boards and Facebook pages in my life, and I couldn’t count the number of times people have corrected strangers, as if their own path is the only right one.
I’m a firm believer in respecting everyone’s right to choose their own right path. My way won’t match everyone else’s. But, at the same time, I need to know what rules apply to me, so I don’t wind up using a spell that backfires (and I have… more than once).
And this is nothing against witches who use spells that might be considered defensive magic or gray magic, or straight up hexing. You do you.
Picking Your Path
This is a little trickier today than it once was. You have so many choices, and it’s easy to find different information. Just open your browser.
But with an abundance of information, you also have to be thoughtful about what works for your core beliefs. And a lot of our paths are not linear. Looking at the categories I listed above, I fit into more than one of those.
I like the term “kitchen witch” but that’s not my whole practice. I use the term because I literally do most of my casting using supplies from my spice cabinet on my kitchen table. But my practice is a combination of old-world Sicilian magic and ancestral magic. I’m not pagan. I respect the older god traditions, but I’m also Catholic and I work with saints.
I’m also not Wicca, but my mother’s side is English/Irish/Scottish and a few other things, and I find the Wiccan rede (what you put out comes back times three) does apply to me, even though I don’t directly follow the Wiccan path.
Whether you’re just jumping in and want to learn how to cast spells, or you’re a seasoned practitioner, it’s really a lifelong journey. There’s always more to learn and plenty of people from different disciplines who can teach you new things along the way.