The Modern Guide to Witchcraft: Your Complete Guide to Witches, Covens, and Spells

Go for a walk outdoors. Reconnect with the feeling of the wind blowing through your hair. Listen to the birds that live in a tree in your yard. Watch the sunset. Take time to smell the flowers that bloom in the park during the summer. The natural world is just as natural as it ever was, except there's less of it than there was twenty-five years ago - and most of us don't make a point of enjoying it often enough.

A belief system usually evolves over time. It's something that we grow into, as our needs and goals develop and change. Even when we find a system of beliefs that works for us, we hone and fine-tune it, working our way deeper and deeper into its essential truth. Everything we experience, every thought we have, every desire, need, action, and reaction - everything we perceive with our senses goes into our personal databank and helps to create the belief systems that we hold now. Nothing is lost or forgotten in our lives. You don't have to remain a victim of your conditioning, however. You can choose for yourself what you believe or don't believe, what you desire and don't desire. You can define your own parameters. Once you do that, you can start consciously creating your destiny according to your own vision.

Your life right now is a reflection of your past thoughts.

witches often follow a version of the Golden Rule when doing spells: Be kind

Simply put, magick is the act of consciously creating circumstances using methods that defy scientific logic.

Whenever you form an objective in your mind, then fuel it with willpower, you’re doing magick.

In general, most witches seek to improve themselves and humankind as a whole, and to live in harmony with the universe. This means working for the greater good---often through the use of magick---and harming none. It also means taking responsibility for your thoughts, words, and deeds because everything you do affects everything else.

A big part of becoming a powerful witch and performing effective magick is training your mind. This means focusing your thoughts, raising your energy to the highest level you can, and using your

Remember, however, that your athame is a weapon of the “spiritual warrior” and tradition says you shouldn’t work with a knife that has drawn blood.

Many witches consider all spiritual paths equally valid and that all lead to the same place. Who or what you believe in—if anything—is totally up to you.

People who have a lot of water energy in their makeup tend to be emotional, sensitive, intuitive, imaginative, and compassionate individuals.

There is only one success—to be able to spend your life in your own way.