with Juliette Jarvis Dear Juliette, Hello! I am very new to witchcraft, and like many I do not know exactly where to start. But more than that I feel like I am pushing against a wall, like there is something keeping me from pursuing this path fully. I am not consciously fighting myself; I am excited to learn and practice. I feel no guilt, shame, or confusion about being on this path. What could this feeling be? My subconscious or something else? - Wondering Witch Dear Wondering Witch, First off, welcome! May you find a deep sense of homecoming as you walk your path and live your fullest self. There are two parts to your question and I’m going to start with the last part first. There may be a multitude of reasons why you feel resistance, anything from a simple overabundance of sometimes contradicting information, to cellular memory of persecution, to not yet finding right fitting resources to really dive in with. It might be a question of divine timing, a need to repair from injured instinct, or perhaps some soul restoration or energetic clearing work might be the key. A deeply honest self-exploration into the source is absolutely within your power. If these practices are new to you, it doubles as an excellent opening to cultivate your personal practice! Running through a series of Yes/No questions with a pendulum or muscle testing can reveal invaluable insights - just be sure to form questions with great specificity and follow a logical progression. Questions like, “Is the resistance I feel to practicing witchcraft generated from my current self?” if Yes, “Is the resistance I feel to practicing witchcraft generated from my subconscious?” or if it was No, “Is the resistance I feel to practicing witchcraft generated from a past life of mine?” But truly, the source is perhaps less important than finding the Remedy, so questions such as, “Is the remedy to the resistance I feel toward practicing witchcraft found in herbal medicine?” (Or more learning, waiting for better timing, finding practices of greater alignment, meeting a teacher.) You might invite answers to come through night dreaming or meditation or even automatic writing, consulting cards, watching for signs or omens, or seeking a session or reading with a trusted practitioner. Regarding where to formally begin, you may find in many ways you have already begun long ago! Witchcraft takes many forms and often comes so naturally many don’t even realize they are already quite witchy. It might be found in your kitchen practices, the way you wish, how you use words, heal with herbal medicines, or maybe a “curious habit” of picking up stones without really knowing why. My recommendation for a living practice of study however would be to immerse yourself into cycle teachings through the energies, medicines, and archetypes of the Seasons, Moon Phases, and (if applicable) Menstrual cycle. These teachings fit well together and serve not only as accessible experiential guides with ever deepening learning on their own. (Continued next page)
20
37
