I became fascinated with witchcraft long ago mostly because there are many different ways to practice and to be connected to that energy source without ārules and regulationsā.
Yes, there are certain rituals, beliefs, and shared ideas that connect us, but the sheer fact remains, in witchcraft, you can take what empowers you and leave behind what doesnāt resonate with you.
You will not be smited down for this, trust meā¦Iāve been practicing this way for over a decade and Iām still here to tell the tale.
So when you are conversing online or in person with your fellow witchesā¦do not pass judgment on what other witches choose to do.
Donāt start your sentence with āWitches donāt do thatā¦they do XYZā¦ā Maybe SOME witches do XYZā¦maybe SOME witches donātā¦either is GREAT!
Having the freedom to practice what you want and how you want is a large part of what I find to be so beautiful, essential and practical about witchcraft.
So reminder, have soft ears to listen, and an open heart to keep learning. Take what resonates and leave behind what doesnāt.
I pick and choose knowledge advice from everywhere. And I toss out that which I think wonāt be conducive to a helpful or healthy mindset. All that āif you donāt do this, you will sufferā goes straight into the bull$#!t bin.
Although, I guess there are some exceptions. I donāt believe intention is everything. I think itās about 50% and using the right ingredients take up the other 50%, when there are any. (So when the spell or ritual requires consumable things, rather than tools like crystals.) Which is a common belief in physical magick, I believe.
I mean in the sense that I canāt pick any ingredient I feel like and expect it to do what I want ā I try to follow some ārulesā there. So for example, if I want to do some prosperity magick, I will pick up basil, bay leaf, ginger, and so on. But I wonāt expect things outside of my long list of options to work, if that makes sense.
That being said, Iām not going to tell someone else that their ingredients are wrong, unless theyāre toxic or otherwise going to cause harm.
I too also believe this - I look at witchcraft like a cookie recipe ā LOLā¦
You have intentions of baking cookies - intentions alone do not get cookies madeā¦you have to add ingredients - when you choose the right ingredients you get the perfect outcomeā¦a delicious cookie!
Witchcraft, to me, is the same - I COULD have intentions of XYZ ā but Iāll have a better outcome (in my opinion) if I use all the ingredients (moon phases, plant spirits, crystal energy etc)
My opinion (on that topic) is that intentions are over 70% and the right ingredients are the rest of your ritual/spell. But I do not insist on that opinion, as it resonates only with me as a practitioner.
As a Moon Goddesses worshiper I think having a moonstone, fancy mirrors, quartz, beautifully decorated chalice on my Altar is a good thing, but not mandatory, and taking into consideration the prices of natural stones, rocks and other wicca ingredients in my region, I might go broke and be a sad witch. Same with oils and incence, as long as they bring the effect I need, I can switch them and not follow a strict instruction.
And, regarding moon phases, I follow them not because each moon phase has a strict effect, but because I have respect for my Moon Diety and know when itās best for any specific ritual
I have the only exception with ingestable items like teas and food. Most teas have the real physical effect and must not be switched if you want the real deal.
As the author mentioned, we all take a practice and convert it as it is comfortable for our method , by changing a little or even more of it.
For me, I definitely change a lot in my practice, to make it authentic, more personal and truly resonate with my soul.
Thatās a good point. I need to edit my post to state that Iām talking about consumable ingredients because for me, itās the same as what you say. I donāt fret over having crystals and all of that either, especially considering how expensive they can get. Even with incense, I usually just use what I haveā¦ Which recently has been dragonās blood mostly.
Then thereās maintaining them, and I feel I donāt have the energy to give a massive collection the love they deserve.
Itās such a beautiful and genuine way to do things.
Hmm. Many of these posts went straight for the correspondences, whereas my initial thought was the āThou Shalt Notā¦ā with which I grew up. I guess I still have some purging to do. To me, correspondences are more like suggestions of tools which, if you have them or arenāt allergic to them, may be helpful- not requirements. After all, any spell can be cast without any tool other than what is within you.
It gets really hard to think of actual ārulesā outside of correspondence, to be honest.
I mean, without getting really out there with it, like, āwitches donāt kidnap people and sacrifice them at altars, they do it in their basementsā and āwitches donāt eat people, they just turn them into pies and sell themā because, of course, we donāt.
Uh, we donātā¦ Right? Do we?
(Or maybe my imagination is just terrible. Thatās a pretty good possibility. )
Yeah, I donāt think anyone is saying theyāre requirements. Just that if we do use them, we canāt make up what their uses are and expect things to work. So, like, I will totally skip cinnamon in drinks, coriander (cilantro), and a few other things out of taste preference, but I look for something else with the same purpose, rather than picking something at random.
Here I am doing all this rambling when @MeganBās latest video does a wonderful job of talking about the importance of learning to substitute (and some other really important things.),
Itās like, āyou do you, but actually think about what youāre doing yourself first (and ensure itās safe).ā
I substitute all the time, (I find substitutes very useful as theyāre easily accessible, and normally half the price of the fancy stuff). I donāt follow any of the rules but I donāt make up stuff either. I was thinking the other day what kind of Witchcraft do I practice. Chaos yes but how does the Magick work and to be honest I think Iām a chaotic demon witch. I see a need, say a prayer, rumage through the house to see what Iāve got, and Loki does the rest, I spend most of my time in Thankyou rituals (I do alot of rituals and talking to entities/demons etc, not much spellwork), could just be me
I feel like thatās what I do most of the time, too. I donāt really have anything to ask for ā I feel as though Iām already receiving all I need and all thatās left for me to do is act. So I just say my thanks and appreciation and then my mind wanders because Iām like, well, I got nothing else! The rest will come naturally.
Yes, I love this! Itās such a great reminder that witchcraft isnāt a structured religion and everyone practices a bit differently. From folk magic to Wicca, thereās room for all of us here. And itās also a good reminder that just because someoneās practice seems magical (looking at Granny Magic) doesnāt always mean they are witches or claim that title.
This is where my first thoughts went, too. I spent a lot of time trying to rid myself of the ingrained ādo no harmā from my time studying and practicing Wicca. I no longer feel at home with Wicca, so I had to do some shedding. However, it sometimes gets stuck for me but I do find that it helps me think through a spell more thoroughly before casting it!
I think having a moonstone, fancy mirrors, quartz, beautifully decorated chalice on my Altar is a good thing, but not mandatory, and taking into consideration the prices of natural stones, rocks and other wicca ingredients in my region, I might go broke and be a sad witch. Same with oils and incence, as long as they bring the effect I need, I can switch them and not follow a strict instruction.
Even with incense, I usually just use what I haveā¦ Which recently has been dragonās blood mostly. 
Itās such a great reminder that witchcraft isnāt a structured religion and everyone practices a bit differently. From folk magic to Wicca, thereās room for all of us here. And itās also a good reminder that just because someoneās practice seems magical (looking at Granny Magic) doesnāt always mean they are witches or claim that title. 
but I do find that it helps me think through a spell more thoroughly before casting it!