Witchcraft Does Not Have to be a Part of your Paganism

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Despite the fact that the two practices often go hand-in-hand, being a Pagan does not require a participation in a magickal practice, nor does being a magickal practitioner require one to be a Pagan (or of any other religion or spirituality, for that matter). While this is merely going to be a bite-size opinion article, I feel that it is a worthy topic of discussion due to the unfortunate amount of gatekeeping within our communities--both magickal, Pagan, and the parts that overlap.

Some view magick as an everyday tool to use whenever and however we see fit (although ethical opinions may differ) while others do not practice magick at all. After all, we do not need spells, charms, or magick ritual in order to find fulfillment in spiritual practices and to worship ancestors, deities, and/or any other Spirit or form of divinity. Those are two extremes on a spectrum. Personally, I tend to find that where I sit on that continuum changes on a regular basis depending on a variety of factors and what happens to be going on in my life at any given time.

While magick is a part of my spiritual practice, it is never my main focus. Additionally, I also dabble in multiple styles and models of magick that tend to lean more into secularism than spirituality or the divine. You may find your faith and practice is similar to mine or entirely different. The point of my writing this is to say, either way, that is 100% valid.

If you are a Pagan or exploring this or a similar path and you are unsure whether or not a magickal practice is for you, there is not harm dabbling a little and seeing how you feel. But if it's not for you, then it's not for you! Whether that's because you simply don't believe in it, don't feel the effort is worth the results, or any other reason under the sun. I understand it is difficult to find blogs, YouTube channels, books, and so forth that cover nature-based spirituality without having at least a little bit of information on magick as well, but that doesn't mean that you're doing anything wrong. (Although, I would say John Beckett's The Path of Paganism {paid link} is not only one of the best general books on Paganism I have ever read, but covers the topic without constantly tying spells and rituals to its observance.)

Just as spirituality and/or religion isn't for everyone, magick isn't for everyone either.