13 Goals Of A Witch
The 13 Goals of a Witch are:
1. Know Yourself
2. Know Your Craft
3. Learn And Grow
4. Apply Knowledge With Wisdom
5. Achieve Balance
6. Keep Your Words In Good Order
7. Keep Your Thoughts In Good Order
8. Celebrate Life
9. Attune With The Cycles Of The Earth
10. Breath And Eat Correctly
11. Exercise The Body
12. Meditate
13. Honor The God And Goddess
The first Goal of a Witch is “Know Yourself” and it is arguably the most important of the goals as it encompasses so much more than just spirituality or witchcraft. Knowing one’s self is beneficial in all aspects of life. It takes time and consistent monitoring. We are after all ever growing beings. But what does it mean to “know yourself” and why is it important to the practice of magic?
To “know yourself” is more than just knowing your likes and dislikes though that is a great place to start. It is knowing your values, triggers, and limits both physical and mental. It is knowing what makes you happy and the best way for you to process stress, grief, or anger. It is about knowing your communication style, learning style, conflict management style, apology language, and love language.
Ask yourself:
- What are your strength, weaknesses, goals, and fears?
- What are your early warning signs for episodes of poor mental health?
- How does your energy fluctuate through the day, week, month, or year?
- What is the best way to motivate yourself?
- Can you be self-accountable or do you need an accountability buddy?
- How do you relate to the world around you?
- How do you want to be seen and treated and how do you want to treat others?
- Are your beliefs truly yours or are the conditioning from the way you were raised?
All of these questions and many more go into knowing yourself.
Knowing Yourself is important to the practice of magic because in magic the biggest tool you have is yourself. The better you know your self the more effective your magic will be and at least in my experience the more confident and happy you will be navigating this world.
Cunningham initially implied this goal to mean knowing and understanding the rites and traditions of Wicca but when we look at witchcraft beyond the borders of Wicca this goal can take on an even deeper meaning. Witchcraft is a craft, it is an art form, it is a living linage blending tradition and experimentation. It can be both surprisingly simple and stunningly complex. It can look and feel different for every person. It is then important to Know YOUR Craft.
Yes, you will study and probably end up with tons of reference material but without hands-on practice and experimentation you will never be able to truly grasp the power of magic.
So, try out different spells, and don’t be afraid to tweak them to better suit your style, budget, or environment. There are dozens of ways to perform a prosperity spell so find what works for you.
Most importantly keep a journal, it can be digital or physical, but in it log your spells. Some thing you may want to log in your magic journal include:
- Ingredient
- Incantations
- When you performed a spell?
- What worked?
- What didn’t work?
- What changes did you make?
- How did you feel performing the spell?
- What breakthroughs did discover?
- What are your UPGs (unverified personal gnosis)?
There is a lot that goes into magic and so many different traditions, styles, and techniques so take the time to fine-tune a form of magic that works for you.
In magic, as in life learning never stops. The moment you think you know it all is the moment you have doomed yourself and your craft. So, study, research, ask questions, and engage in self-reflection.
Remember that there is no one right way to learn. Books, internet research, podcasts, YouTube videos, social media, mentorships, and formal classes (both online and in person), are all valid ways to get information. And there is a lot of information out there.
It can be tempting, especially when you are new to the craft, to feel pressured to learn everything you can as fast as you can and it can be overwhelming at times, so be patient with yourself. Give yourself permission to grow and to change. Don’t be afraid to adopt new practices or to let go of old ones.
As paganism and witchcraft grow in popularity more research will be done and more ways of doing things will be discovered and some practices will be deemed outdated due to cultural appropriation, misinformation, or environmental impact. It is up to each individual to look at this information, self-reflect, and adapt in accordance with their own values. So keep yourself open to the novice mindset, learn, grow, and enjoy the journey.
Applying Knowledge with Wisdom can look and feel different at various stages of your craft, largely because wisdom comes from and grows with experience. Just like Knowing Your Craft, the practice of your craft is super important to this goal. So how can applying knowledge with wisdom look?
First, no matter your skill level or years of practice accept that you will make mistakes. It is ok, it isn’t inherently bad, it just is a fact of life.
Wisdom can be not putting yourself in a difficult position financial in the pursuit of your craft. A pillar candle for the dollar store works just as well as the more expensive one in the metaphysical shop.
It can be safety-based like investing in a fire extinguisher. I keep one next to my working altar and it travels with me when doing outside rituals that I know utilize fire.
It can be knowing when you don’t have the energy to perform a spell and not push it just because the moon is in the right phase. Often you will hear more experienced witches say “just because you can doesn’t mean you should” and “every mundane problem doesn’t need a magical solution”.
However, for witchling’s, aka beginner witches, the wise thing to do may be to try spells out on a bunch of mundane things, at the early stages of your craft practices is key.
So much of this goal comes down to common sense and keeping perspective. And no matter how long you have been practicing it is good to pause now and again and ask yourself if you are applying your knowledge with wisdom.
Cunningham didn’t elaborate on what he meant by this. Many have said that this goal is supposed to refer to balancing the elements within yourself or managing your time in a way that you aren’t over-focusing on any one particular thing. Then like Cunningham the elaboration stops. I however think that there is more to it than that.
So let’s start with the elements. Everyone has all five elements within themselves but we tend to like or identify with one or two of them and then hyper-focus on those elements. It instead is important to recognize how each element manifests in your life and give attention to developing the element or elements that are the least present. This is constantly shifting and it is good to regularly check in with yourself and the elements.
Next is balancing the “masculine” and “feminine” energies with us. Every person has both present and it is through recognizing these energies and balancing them we are able to not only achieve balance but improve our ability to manifest. Now the idea of masculine and feminine energies can be polarizing or isolating and a lot of people struggle to connect with this concept. It is important to remember that this isn’t referring to biological sex or gender identity but rather to the negative and positive charge of energy, much like a battery.
This goal can also refer to making sure that you
- Have good work-to-personal life balance
- Social time-to-solitary time balance
- Time in nature to time plugged into electronics balance
- That you are making time for your various hobbies
- Balancing your time spent focusing on magical vs. mundane things
- Balancing your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.
What truly achieving balance looks like can be different for each person but a pretty good universal benchmark is just having a sense of inner peace in your day-to-day life.
There is a reason why witches playfully say,
“It’s called Spell-ing for a reason”.
But in all seriousness words have power and it is important for us to be mindful of the way we talk to ourselves, others, and the universe. There have been several experiments showing the effects of words on various things such as rice, plants, and water, the most well-known ones being the rice and ice crystal experiments conducted by Dr. Emoto.
The role of toning, chanting, singing, spoken prayer, and incantations are documented and utilized in religious and spiritual practices across the world. And at the end of the day we really only need to look as far as ourselves to understand the effect of words.
How do you feel when you hear someone say “I love you” or “I’m proud of you”?
How about when someone yells at you or calls you stupid, ugly, worthless?
Some ways to implement this goal includes
- Avoid gossip
- Don’t make promises lightly
- Practice positive self-talk
- Avoid lying but speak your truth kindly
- Speak up against injustice
- Try saying your spells out loud
In todays world where so much of our communication is in written form whether it be email, texts messages, or comments on social media it is important to apply this goal not only to our spoken words but our written one as well. So be be mindful and keep your words spoken and written in good order.
17th-century French philosopher & mathematician Rene Descartes said
“I think therefore I am”.
While Descartes was not talking about witchcraft or spirituality this statement still embodies and highlights the importance of this goal.
Our thoughts shape our reality, they impact our physical, mental, and emotional well-being, and they play a huge role in our ability to successfully manifest things into being. In magic we can have all the right ingredients, have all the right intentions, and speak all the right words but if in the days following our spell work, we are continuously thinking, “It’s not going to work” or “I wonder if this is working, maybe I did it wrong” all we are doing is sabotaging ourselves.
This goal can be difficult. Recognizing our thought patterns, taking ownership of them, learning mental health management skills, and seeking professional help when need all take time, effort, and occasionally resources. But the results are worth the effort.
Now this isn’t to say never have negative thoughts. Being positive 24/7 isn’t realistic. It is more about not dwelling on those negative thoughts. Acknowledge them when they pop up. If you feel the need ask yourself where these thoughts are coming from or is there an underlying need that isn’t being addressed. Utilize breath, journaling, or movement to help work through the thoughts and then let them go.
Not every negative thought will have to go through these steps and sometimes it is enough just acknowledge the thought, take a breath, and tell it to move on. So, take it thought by thought and use whichever method works best for you and remember to be patient with yourself.
Life is big and beautiful and messy and complex. And in our day to day, it can be so easy to get caught up in the grind and stress of it all, that sometimes we can forget to appreciate just how special life is.
There are a lot of ways both big and small that we can celebrate life.
Honoring rights of passage and milestones such as coming of age, getting a driver’s license, graduating from school, getting married, getting divorced, having a baby, retirement, and even death.
Celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays.
Nurturing the growth of others be it plants, pets, children, or friends.
Celebrating life can manifest itself in some real personal choices like whether or not to eat meat, join the military, or have an abortion. It is important to note that in issues like these, there is not a morally superior choice or a choice that celebrates life more than the other. Those choices are just different and celebrate life in different ways, nothing more.
We can also celebrate life through activism by fighting for the rights of the marginalized and oppressed to just exist in peace. Or for people to have easy and affordable access to things like clean water, food, and health care. Or for the preservation of animal habitats and our wild spaces.
Finally, we can just appreciate and allow ourselves to be in awe of the abundance of life around us. The dandelion that pushes its way through a crack in the sidewalk, the tree towering above our heads, the instinct of animals, the seemingly endless configurations of atoms, and the kaleidoscope of cultures present in this world.
So celebrate life. Celebrate its beauty and complexity. Celebrate the special moments and the mundane ones. Cultivate gratitude and enjoy this wild journey.
This goal originally focused on having an awareness of the lunar cycles, the changing of the seasons, and honoring the wheel of the year, which is the name given to the Wiccan, eclectic pagan, and neo-druidic holiday calendars.
A modification made by many modern witches is the renaming of this goal to “Attune with the Cycles of Nature”. For many, this helps to broaden the focus to include things like planetary positions, circadian rhythms, the observable realities of birth, aging, and death, an individual’s menstrual cycle, and the three gunas (an ayurvedic energetic cycle that manifests on both the individual and collective level).
At its core this goal is about recognizing, learning about, honoring, and living our lives in balance with the various physical and energetic cycles that exist within us and around us. Some very practical ways that we can do this include:
- Creating seasonal traditions like spring cleaning, decorating for the winter holidays, or going to the lake in summer.
- Going to bed when you feel tired and eating when you are hungry.
- Going hunting, foraging for wild foods, growing a garden, or even just eating based on what foods are in season wherever you may be.
- Honoring when you aren’t feeling well and allowing yourself time to rest and recover.
- Being aware of the habits of wildlife and the growing cycle of plants in your area and then living in a way that supports them.
For example in my region dandelions are the first source of food for bees in the spring so we don’t mow the grass until other flowers start to bloom or the dandelions go white.
Attuning to the cycles of nature will have a profound effect on your mental and physical well-being and help elevate your magical practice. So take some time to observe the natural cycles in your life and ask yourself if you are following these cycles or fighting them.
The 10th Goal of A Witch is to Breath and Eat Correctly. This goal is a 2 for 1 and while correct breathing is fairly universal, correct eating can have a lot of variance so we are going to look at each of these separately.
Let’s start with Breathing Correctly
Breath is life, yet many of us walk around unaware of our breathing until we are winded, choking, or short of breath, and far too often our everyday breathing is short and shallow. A great place to start with this goal is to bring awareness to your natural state of breathing and then work on cultivating deep even breaths as your default.
Deep even breathing helps bring more oxygen to the blood which in turn helps with mental clarity, stress reduction, organ function, muscle tension, lowered blood pressure, and improved digestion. Once you have created a base of regular deep even breathing you can start to learn various breath techniques to help in specific situations such as
- Slow nasal inhale/fast oral exhale for stress & tension reduction
- Breath of fire for raising energy
- 4-7-8 breathing to help with anxiety
- Alternating nostril breathing for clearing energy channels and balancing the nervous system
- Tantric breathing to foster a deep connection of intimacy with your partner
So correct breathing becomes not only having a healthy baseline of deep even breathing but also an understanding of when to implement various breath techniques to achieve a certain goal.
The second part of this goal is to Eat Correctly.
When it comes to food there is no one size fits all model and part of eating correctly is eating in a way that makes you physically, mentally, and emotionally feel good. For some this may be veganism, vegetarianism, pescatarianism, or consienssion omnivore. Regardless of your dietary preferences, there are a handful of things you can do to help ensure you are eating correctly.
Mindfulness – Pay attention to how different food makes you feel and stop eating when you are feeling food.
Slow – Sit down for your meals, eat slowly, and chew well.
Timing – Eat when you start to feel hungry rather than when you are crashing. Be aware of not eating too late in the evening (this time may be different for different people)
Balanced – Make sure you are getting a good balance between protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates.
S.O.U.L – SOUL is an acronym that stands for
- Seasonal: What is in season?
- Organic: Choose organic when you can.
- Unprocessed: Eat whole foods whenever possible.
- Local: Choose foods that haven’t had to travel long distances, visit your local farmers market, and if you eat meat find a local butcher that works with local ranches & farms or participate in hunting.
There is a lot that can go into this goal and at the end of the day you have to do what feels best for you and your body.
The 11th goal of a witch is to Exercise the Body. Much like the 10th goal, this goal is about caring for our vessel, which is our most powerful tool in witchcraft. There are so many ways to exercise the body and of all the goals, this is probably the easiest because whether you are a pro athlete or just starting out on a fitness journey there is some kind of movement that is accessible to you.
Regardless of your fitness level, there are 3 things you want to focus on when pursuing this goal;
Mobility – this is your flexibility and range of movement. Yoga, stretching, and flow sequences are great for this.
Strength – This is going to be your muscle development and is the most important if you are trying to lose fat. Strength training can be done with weight training or calisthenics and has tons of modifications that can be made depending on your skill level. The most important things for strength training is slow controlled movements and balance, what you do on one side of the body make sure you do on the other.
Endurance – This is your cardio. Focusing on your heart, lungs, and body’s ability to move oxygen to your muscles and organs. Running, swimming, dancing, and biking are all great options.
Now whether you are hitting the gym, doing yoga, going for a walk, dancing, or participating in a sport at its core this goal is just about getting daily movement and the most important thing you can do is find activities that not only get you moving but that you find fun. If you find it fun you are more likely to regularly exercise.
The 12th goal of a witch is to Meditate.
Meditation is a holistically beneficial practice, that supports us Physically, Mentally, Emotionally, and Spiritually.
Physically: Physically meditation helps decrease the production of stress hormones, lower blood pressure, boost the immune system, and improve the quality of sleep.
Mentally: When it comes to mental health meditation reduces stress and anxiety, improves your ability to concentrate, boosts creativity, and helps you to develop greater resilience to stress and adversity, allowing you to better cope with life’s challenges.
Emotionally: Emotionally meditation can help improve self-esteem, increase feelings of compassion and empathy, and help you develop greater emotional resilience allowing you to be less overwhelmed and emotionally reactive.
Spiritually: Spiritually meditation enhances intuition and our ability to manifest, helps us to transcend our ego, and fosters our connection to the divine. It is the foundation of our spiritual growth and creates for us a space for self-reflection, and awareness, and to be fully present with ourselves and with spirit.
Meditation is also the other half of prayer. If praying is speaking to the divine, then mediation is listening. Both are equally important and are a very powerful tool when combined.
Meditation can be difficult for a lot of people and I have lost track of how many times I have heard,
“I just can’t seem to quiet my mind”
or
“I can’t meditate because I can’t sit still for that long”.
This comes from how we think of meditation. The serene person sitting cross-legged calm, silent, and still. But this stillness or zen meditation is only one meditation style.
Other styles include:
- Guided Meditation
- Object Meditation
- Walking Meditation
- Loving-Kindness Meditation
- Transcendental Meditation
- Mindfulness Meditation (including mindful eating or mindful task meditation)
- Kundalini Meditation
- Mantra Meditation
As with most skills, it takes time to get good at meditating. Start with shorter sessions, 2-3 minutes a day, and as you feel comfortable increase your time.
Set yourself up for success by wearing comfy clothes, going to the bathroom beforehand, not meditating on an empty stomach, and having some water nearby.
Most importantly be patient and kind with yourself, and embrace the idea of practicing imperfectly.
The final goal is Honor the God and Goddess. Cunningham wrote these 13 goals with Wicca in mind and Wicca is a duo theistic religion recognizing a God and a Goddess. However, not all witches or magic practitioners are Wiccan and so it is common to see this goal modified to “Honor the Divine” or “Honor Spirit”.
Whichever way you look at it, the heart of this goal remains the same. Take the time to cultivate a connection with spirit. Ways to cultivate this connection can come in the form including:
- Rituals
- Meditations
- Prayers
- Offerings
- Reading mythology and sacred text
- Celebrating holidays dedicated to a particular deity
- Spending time in nature
- Acts of service
It is important to remember that there is no “one size fits all” model to nurturing your relationship with the divine and at the end of the day you have to trust your heart and intuition.
These goals provide a framework for personal growth, spiritual development, and our magical journeys . They remind us to seek knowledge, embrace our intuition, care for our bodies, and live in harmony with nature. All while encouraging us to embrace our authenticity and celebrate our unique gifts and talents.
Through this self-care and personal growth, we cultivate a strong foundation of self-love, which radiates outwards, positively impacting our relationships and communities.
Ultimately, the 13 goals of a witch reflect a holistic approach to spirituality and magical practice. By embodying these goals, we become not just practitioners of the craft, but agents of positive change in the world. May these goals serve as a guiding light on your journey, leading you toward a path of fulfillment, wisdom, and enchantment as you weave magic into every aspect of your life.
