Hi from a new member

Introductions
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Hello, my name is Bethany. I’m an American witch in my 30’s and have been interested in witchcraft for much of my life, but it’s taken a long time to be confident and commit to the practice.

Doubts and insecurities, including being unsure of my spiritual beliefs, held me back from embracing witchcraft. But this year I fully embraced being a Norse/Germanic pagan and witch, and I cast my first spell last week! It felt great.

I consider myself an eclectic witch who takes inspiration from druidry, hedge witchcraft, Traditional Witchcraft, American and UK folk magick, shamanism/animism, herbalism, and Wicca-inspired practices. I’m an eclectic Norse/Germanic pagan, but I also honor other deities as archetypes/energies, such as Roman, Egyptian, and Mesopotamian deities. I have also been learning about the traditional beliefs and practices of the Indigenous tribes who used to call the area that I live in home. I’ve also been learning about the folklore and beliefs of my ancestors, especially Welsh, Scottish, Anglo-Saxon, and Germanic beliefs. I’m a member of two druid orders and a local pagan organization, but I’m excited to join this site and learn more!

Areas I’m particularly interested in are herbalism, tea magick, folk magick, hermeticism, esotericism, Tarot and Lenormand, Runes, psychic/ESP abilities, spirits and hedge journeying, mantra and chakras (I only work with Indian gurus who openly share their knowledge, such as with Sadhana and Sattva apps), folklore and fairytales, and animal guides. My areas of magickal interest focus on self-improvement, healing (including land/community healing), and protection. I’m still very new to spellcasting though!

I read a LOT, so I hope I can be helpful when providing resources to other witches.

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Greetings from New Mexico!

Welcome @bethany!

It sounds like you are interested in a lot for being so new! We’ve got you covered! People from all over the world have gathered here, each with their own specialties, so feel free to ask about or share anything. I’m looking forward to learning from and with you. Enjoy your time here.

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Nice to meet you! To be honest, I’ve been researching occult lore, mythology, and folktales since WAY before I was comfortable calling myself a witch. Probably about 20 years haha. I’ve been a pagan for about 2 months and I was reading about witchcraft during most of that time. Finally took the plunge :slight_smile:

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Yeah, that sounds like me, too. I read a lot of mythology as a youth, but didn’t hear of witchcraft until I was in college. That was in 1990. Our culture has changed quite a bit since then. I spent a lot of my time writing philosophy, and only found the forum when I was in the process of losing that “career.” There is so much more out there that I’m sure I’ll be busy a long time, just learning more.

Did you come across Chinen when you were reading fairy tales? He was one of my faves, taking the tales and mixing in some Jung to come up with some pretty cool stuff for ordinary use.

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Welcome, @bethany and Merry Meet! We’re so glad you decided to join us!

You’re well on your way to exploring lots of different avenues and interests - congrats to you for all the research! I’m Feathertip, from SE Michigan. I’m a lifelong Pagan, with a very Nature-oriented practice. I love gardening, growing herbs and caring for all my non-human backyard residents. :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: I also practice Yogic meditation, and use Lenormand cards for divination.

The site here is huge, with lots of information and articles, so please don’t hesitate to ask questions about anything! We all have various paths here, but we support one another. :heart:

Enjoy your journey! I look forward to seeing you around the forum. :sparkles: :feather:

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Hello @bethany and Merry Meet! :sparkles:

I´m Katharina, an art-witch and art therapist from Vienna, Austria! I´m practicing magick very much through art making! I love altar craft, candle making, poppet work, spell boxes, jars and all kinds of creative magic shenanignas. Working in my Book of Shadows is a big part of my practice. I love all things tarot and practice this art since many moons.

The forum is huge and it takes time to get to know everything. The people here are very sweet and helpful, so just make yourself known if there´s any questions, someone will certainly show up to help you.

If you want, take a look at the 13 Goddesses Thread, it´s a project I´ve started this year to deepen the understanding and connection to female archetypes and how they are represented in deities.
Feel free to join the creative fun!

Brightest blessings! :dizzy:

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Hello and welcome. I’m Tracy from England. My practice is Nordic witchcraft Runes and Demonolatry. My patreon deity is Loki. This is a beautiful coven make yourself at home lovely.

Skal :clinking_beer_mugs: :green_heart:

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@bethany

Merry Meet

I just wanted to welcome you the Forum you have a well rounded approach covering many areas. There are many lessons to explore have a good look around.

I am from a small village in Lancashire, England. :united_kingdom:

I am an Eclectic Hedgewitch and my divinations are the 5 Elements. I am drawn to the Moon in particular but also align with the Sun, Planets, Astrology, Crystals, Candle Magic, Tarot, Anglo-Saxon/Runes, Forklore Magic/Angel Numbers, Lenormand, tending outdoor, indoor plants and growing herbs, garlic, I write and create my own spells which is both exciting and rewarding

I try to simplify, balance and live intentionally to create a calm, peaceful, relaxing home for my family, two German Shorthair Pointer Dogs. Millie & Bronte and our Koi Fish. I also practice Slow Down Living and listen to Witches Celtic Music which aligns beautifully

Everyone is very supportive, caring and helpful with anything you need it is a wonderful coven to be part of.

Blessings to you :waning_crescent_moon::green_heart:

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Hello @bethany,

Welcome to the forum! It’s always a delight to meet a fellow eclectic :blush: I’m Bry, an Eclectic Witch and one of the moderators here in the forum. Just wanted to stop by and say hi. It’s very nice to meet you!

Congrats on embracing your path and also on the first spell - that’s awesome! :tada: It sounds like you have a treasure trove of magickal interests and areas that you’re exploring. Please feel free to browse both the forum and main Spells8 site, there is a lot of content and resources to peruse. I hope you find many things to help your studies!

Make yourself at home here. Blessed be! :heart:

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Being an art witch sounds so interesting! I doodle but I’m not especially gifted when it comes to art.

I’ll be checking out the goddesses thread!

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Hi @bethany! I’m Amethyst from Southern West Virginia. Welcome to the forum! :infinite_roots:

It’s lovely to meet you! And such a wonderful intro! Congratulations on casting your first spell! You’re over the hump, you’ll just gain more confidence from here on out.

And it sounds like your library is just as weird and fun as mine is! LOL! I jump from one subject to another, too, whatever takes my interest. You never know where you might find a hidden gem of knowledge!

Anyhow, it’s nice to talk to you! I look forward to getting to know you better!

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Welcome!
My name is Sharon and I’m from Utah. So happy to meet you.
Blessed Be

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Welcome Bethany!! So glad that you found us! It sounds like there are going to be a lot of areas of interest for you in our lessons here! Look around and if you have any questions, just let someone know. Anyone around here will be happy to help or answer questions.

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Hi Moonbeam, I’m so interested in your practice! Are there any books about magic/witchcraft as practiced in Lancashire or England in general that you’ve enjoyed? I have ancestry in Wiltshire, Cumberland, Surrey, Norfolk, Suffolk, South Yorkshire, and Dorset. I also have a lot of ancestry in Scotland and Wales, so I’m really interested in exploring folk magic and folklore beliefs from those areas. Wiltshire is where Stonehenge and Avebury are located, so that’s really exciting! Seems like Yorkshire and Cumberland aren’t too far from Lancashire.

I’m trying to embody Slow Living myself. Seems like we have a lot of common interests. I like poetry and I’m also interested in writing my own spells eventually. I am really brand new to actually practicing magick though.

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@bethany Hi Bethany, we do have a lot in common. It is a difficult question to answer as I don’t have any books for reference. All of the British Isles has a deep history in Forklore magic depending on the timeline I would think some would be widespread and others would be as you say regional.

They generally used what they had avail to them, cowslip flowers, heather, bones, pins, were very valuable in Lancashire they would forage. It would depend on what spell they would want to do. In Lancashire and Yorkshire there was a lot of iron and so I did a binding spell to release pain for my Husband it is on the forum under Transfer of arthritis

You might have heard of The Witch Trials of the Pendle Witches, information on this is on the internet. There were witch trials throughout the UK.

I can only suggest that you continue with your research. I will try to answer any questions. I have completed the recent Witch Challenge- Catch Up which hopefully will give you a little more detail on Forklore Scotland and Dorset.

As a Hedge Witch it is difficult to explain it just comes to me.

With Love & Light

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Merry Meet, Bethany :crescent_moon::sparkles:

Congratulations on casting your first spell! That first step into active practice is such a powerful moment, especially after years of questioning, studying, and trying to find where your spirit truly belongs. The fact that it felt right says a lot!

I’m Stephanie or Eira of the Living Hearth, an eclectic witch from California. My practice centers around hearth and green witchcraft, divination (tarot, runes, oracle, Lenormand), ancestry work, shadow work, kitchen magic, gardening, self-care rituals, and creating spiritual tools like soaps, candles, spell jars, and oracle decks. I’ve also been diving deeper into Norse paganism and ancestral traditions lately, so a lot of what you shared really resonates with me. :herb:

Honestly, your path sounds incredibly rich and thoughtfully explored. I love that you allow yourself to move fluidly between traditions while still staying rooted in your Norse/Germanic pagan identity. The combination of Druidry, folk magic, animism, herbalism, and ancestral study feels deeply grounded and alive. And your focus on healing, protection, land/community work, and self-improvement tells me your magic comes from a very intentional place. I love it!

Also, another book-loving witch who can’t stop researching? You’re definitely among your people here :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes::books: Your knowledge and resource sharing are going to be such a gift to the forum!

I’m especially excited seeing your interest in runes, Lenormand, tea magic, folklore, hedge work, and psychic development, those are all areas I love, and they have such depth that you can explore over a lifetime.

You sound like someone who’s finally stepping fully into alignment with yourself, and that’s beautiful to witness.

So glad you’ve joined us, Bethany!
Blessed Be :herb: :dizzy:

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Thanks so much for the warm welcome! I love finding fellow witches who have so much in common with me :slight_smile:

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Sorry Im late to the party! Merry meet. Im a baby witch just starting out. It seems you have many interests (don’t we all :grinning_cat_with_smiling_eyes:)

this is something Im currently working on. Im looking forward to learning with & from you!:sunflower:

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