I am a baby witch. I want to cast my first spells. I am getting overwhelmed by all these rules and rituals that you are supposed to do before you even start casting a spell. I was all set to start tonight with a simple protection spell on my black tourmaline, and the quick banishing spell. But I’m reading my lessons and I read that I have to have a ritual bath before I can cast a circle. I don’t even have a bathtub. My question is: exactly what has to happen in what order before I can cast my first spell? Please be specific, I am very overwhelmed at this point with whether or not to cast a circle or a sacred space, do I call quarters? Do I have to do a ritual cleaning of my sacred space first? and how do I do a ritual cleaning without moon water if I can’t cast a spell before cleaning? Also, how do I consecrate my tools before any ritual if I can’t do the ritual to consecrate? There are many other things blocking me and I don’t know where to start but I really want to start.
Please know that I am a Witch but not a Wiccan, I am still learning about this aspect. Thank you for all your advise. Blessed be.
Hi, if we haven’t already met I’m Siofra from Cape Cod & an Eclectic Witch here.
So first. Take a breath. So you have a Black Tourmaline that you want to use.
On Spells8, if you are logged in, there is a guided meditation spell with a black candle. Black Tourmaline Activation
There is a video, instructions, or just the audio. I just did this 1 for my palm stone the other day!
Is there a different type of simple spell to use black tourmaline for protection?
If you are comfortable, Calm, & ready with time & quiet space. Then that’s all you need if it feels right for you.
First of all, you don’t have to do a ritual bath. I never do. You can ‘cleanse’ yourself by ‘wiping’ negative energy off of you, have incense smoke be around you, etc…
Witchcraft is 90% intent and 10% doing. All you really need is a quite place, your intention and if you want a candle, herbs, incense, crystals.( you can pick and choose or pick none)
One way you can do witchcraft is when you cook( even if you just microwave) put intention that the food will be nurturing, healing and filling
I did exactly that! Thank you! I am still not sure about the rest. Where does a baby witch start?
Thank you! I’m glad to hear about the bath thing as they gross me out entirely…lol!
You can start with the Spellcasting 101 Course for a baseline. Then add or remove things. There is a picture of my altar set up for a ritual in the Weekly Challenge.
I have gone through the courses & felt the same overwhelming feelings. Do what you can until it’s like muscle memory then add or remove things you want to be there as you get comfortable & make it your own.
Hi Sophie, I’m Garnet from Florida.
First of all, take a deep breath. Relax. Believe it or not, Witchcraft isn’t rocket science. There’s no 'Rules and/or Rituals that are written in stone. Meditation, as Siofra suggested is a great means of relaxation and focusing. Performing any kind of Magick when your spinning in circles will only make you dizzy.
No bathtub? Mix up a glass of ingredients for your ritual bath. As you shower, pour the solution on your body.
I like to always cast a circle either with salt or with my own power. (You’re born with power, we all are, we just need to learn and or remember how to draw on it) .
You can make moon water at the full moon, that’s in your lessons. Also Solar water. You can make a simple blessed water, or holy water by using clean, fresh water, asking the Gods to remove all negativity, then sprinkle a pinch or 2 of salt into water, again, asking that all negativity be banished, lightly stir with your fingers…you now have blessed water. Bottle it to keep on your home Altar and to carry in your travel Altar.
Enough from me for now. Thanks for joining and the great questions.
Relax Sweetie, we all were baby witches once.
Blessed be and much love.
Garnet 
Good morning Sophie 
First of all, welcome! It’s an exciting thing to find witchcraft and step into your practice. I want to take the time to answer your questions individually 
Honestly, whatever you want. You mentioned at the bottom of your post that you’re a witch and not Wiccan, so that matters here. Wicca has traditions and a certain order that things are done in. If you don’t feel like you need to cleanse, then don’t. If you feel like you need a ritual bath, then take one! If you don’t have a bathtub, I have a video on my channel about ritual bath alternatives.
Again, only if you want to. Calling in the quarters is a very ceremonial way of working magic. I have never called in the quarters in any of my spells or workings. It’s not a belief structure that works in my practice so I just don’t. I don’t even cast a circle for most spells. If I’m working a ritual, which is usually very different than a spell for me, then I create sacred space but not in the Casting Circle way.
Again, only if you want to. I like to ritually cleanse my space before workings, but that doesn’t have to be complicated. You can use sound, sweep with a broom, clap, or use smoke. A friend of mine just released a video about the basics of cleansing [you can find it here] and I have one here about cleansing methods that don’t use smoke.
See above…
You can always do the ritual without consecrating the tools first, then consecrate the tools during the ritual. It doesn’t need to be complicated you don’t even have to consecrate them if you don’t feel like it needs to be done.
It sounds like you may be overthinking things just a bit. It’s okay, it happens! My one suggestion is to step back from your studies for a moment and just be still. If you are not a Wiccan, there is no need for you to follow the Wiccan format or traditional way of doing things. A lot of witches perform spells and work magic whenever they need to without casting circles, ritual baths, etc.
For example, I have created spell oils in my office before with nothing more than a candle lit and some nice music playing. I have charmed jewelry and spell bags with my hands while standing in the middle of my bedroom. I have created delicious cakes in the kitchen that wouldn’t look like any witchy ritual unless you knew what to look for.
It’s okay for things to be simple
I have a stand up shower 
& no bathtub 
. I usually prepare the herbs 
first then pour the mixture over my body after I have cleansed myself & then a quick rinse. A ritual bath though, doesn’t need to be done before a spell or ritual if you don’t want to do one. I do them from time to time for a cleansing of my self & aura & self love& care. You don’t even have to ever do one if you don’t want to!
As I mentioned I am an eclectic witch, so I draw from different places, & only do what feels right for you & your intentions. The rest is formality really. My altar has different things in different places. I just put them where I think they should go & which stones or deities or incense is feeling right for whatever it is that I am doing. Since I was consecrating items that came in my witchy box, I used sage to cleanse the altar space, myself, & the items before I did the ritual.
(They get mailed & go through all kinds of hands before getting to me, so it’s more precautionary that I do it, but that’s what feels right to me)
MeganB, Thank you so much for all of your wisdom! You are absolutely right about me overthinking it, this is something I have done often in the past. I am relieved to hear that I can be creative on my path! I am printing out your advice to keep on hand for the possibility that I might overthink in the future, but I am putting out to the universe that I won’t. And thank you for the video! The link didn’t work for the one you put of your friend and the basics of cleansing unfortunately. Your video is brilliant! I can’t wait for summer, I live very close to the ocean.
Blessed be!!!
Hi Siofra!
Thank you for the great ideas! I am printing out your suggestion for the ritual shower, because pouring it on myself sounds like fun! I also appreciate the altar advice, I did not feel right having an altar the way I had it set up before. I have changed things around and it feels so much better now. It feels closer to “home” now, if you will.
Blessed be!!!
You’re so welcome! It’s definitely a trap that new witches (and even us more experienced witches) can fall into. I’m glad it was helpful! And I realize now that the link didn’t work because I forgot to even put it there so here’s the video lol → The Basics of Cleansing in Witchcraft - YouTube
Thanks again @MeganB! Loved your entire video. I loved your friend’s video too, so many different ways to cleanse. I actually live very near Natives, I am in New Brunswick Canada. I liked that she asked people to be respectful of their culture and not to just appropriate it. I know in my path, I will get to learn directly from them about herbs and healing because they teach courses on a few different subjects, I am very lucky to be so near.
I really want to say another thank you. When I wrote my original post, I think I was even more overwhelmed than I realized. But your kindness really grounded me. I am back down to earth, or very close 
. I feel so much better, calmer, and I have a vision of how to do this the right way. Thank you!
How lucky for you to live so close and learn from them 
I’m glad the videos I provided were helpful. I often have trouble with getting lost in my own head, too. It’s okay!