7 Items Every Witch Should Have
I should preface this article with an obvious statement: you don’t truly need these items, or any items really, to be a witch. You don’t need fancy tools or a huge arsenal of ingredients to practice witchcraft, and you shouldn’t feel pressured to! However, when I began my practice I knew that tools helped me feel more connected to my work, and having some basic witchcraft supplies was essential to my craft. If you feel the same way, read on!
A Heat Safe Bowl or Cauldron
If you plan on burning anything in your practice, you need a heat safe bowl or cauldron to contain any live embers or flames. Not only is this for your safety, but it keeps ash and debris in one place for easy cleaning later on.
My favorite heat safe bowl is a mini cast iron cauldron. It fits the aesthetic of my altar, it has a lid and handle, and it can be cleaned. Here’s a witchy tip: place a layer of salt in the bottom of your cauldron so that when you burn things in it, you mix the ash with the salt. Once you’ve burned a few things, transfer that mixture to a jar and you have black salt!
Colored Candles
Candles are probably the easiest tool to find in normal stores and online. Not only are they super versatile, they’re cheap! When I was in the first stages of my craft, white candles played a huge role on my altar. To me, the lighting of a candle represented the beginning of a ritual, and blowing it out signalled the end. Candles can be used for almost any spell you can think of.
Bringing color magic into your candles can amplify the power of your intention as well. For example, black candles are excellent for protection spells and banishing negative energies. Pick a color that corresponds to the topics of your spell or ritual - you can even light different colored candles at the same time for more complex topics.
Herbs and Oils
Herbs and oils aren’t only for green witches! Since you can find most common herbs in grocery stores and markets, they are an excellent accessible ingredient for beginner witches. Essential oils are also fairly easy to find in health and wellness stores. When I began to experiment with creating my own spells, herbs were a super easy way to mix different ingredients together. Because of the variety of correspondences, herbs and oils allowed me to create many different mixtures without breaking the bank.
You can also use essential oils in the same way that incense is used. With a diffuser or in a carrier oil, you can fill a room with whatever oil you choose! My favorite combination is rosemary and mint - rosemary for protection, mint to attract benevolent spirits.
A Few Crystals
Crystals are probably the most popular tool in the spiritual world right now. It makes sense that most baby witches are attracted to crystals. Stones are full of tangible energy, and even the most untrained intuition can pick up on it. While they aren’t a big part of my practice, I do carry pocket stones when I feel my energy needs a boost.
Many people use crystals to balance their chakras or heal their energy before practicing magic. This is an excellent way to get into the habit of cleansing and healing yourself before and after working with energy.
Divination Tools
Divination is, in my opinion, the best way to develop your intuition. Most people start with tarot cards because there are so many options to choose from, but things like runes and pendulums are equally great for connecting to your deeper knowledge. A large part of witchcraft is simply connecting to what’s already inside you and communicating with your higher self and ancestors, so it’s important to start as soon as you can.
A fun way to incorporate divination into your routine is to draw a single card or rune at the beginning or end of your day. Ask a simple question, follow your inner guide, and see what pops up. This is also an easy way to learn tarot, since you get to study a new card each day.
A Notebook
Almost every witch I know has an obscene collection of notebooks, but you really only need one to start with. Writing things down, journaling about your experiences, and being able to refer to your notes is a huge part of learning the ins and outs of witchcraft! You don’t need to start a fancy grimoire or book of shadows if you don’t want to either. It’s more important to document your journey than it is to make your notes pretty.
You can also break your notes up into sections, or buy a few notebooks to separate by topic. For example, I have a notebook just for my sigils, a working grimoire that’s messy and unorganized, and a complete book of shadows that’s pretty to look at. You do you, witch!
A Lighter or Matches
If you’re practicing witchcraft, you’re probably going to need to light something on fire at some point. There’s a lot of options when it comes to lighters and matches, but I always recommend matches because they are more environmentally friendly. Be sure that you are careful and mindful whenever you light anything aflame. Never leave candles or incense unattended for long periods of time, and always put burning materials in something heat safe!