Eclectic witchcraft is one of those things in the craft that just doesn’t get defined very often. We hear this phrase bandied about, but in all the excitement of learning how to be a witch, we often just skip right over getting solid definitions of these things. We can kind of infer what the eclectic path is, but it seems pretty vague, so when it comes to figuring out what kind of witch you are, the eclectic designation often gets overlooked or treated as the “I don’t know” category.
This is unfortunate because, in my opinion, this is one of the most versatile and most useful types of witchcraft out there! If you’ve ever wondered what’s up with eclectic witchcraft, this article is for you. Today, we’re going to be digging into what exactly sets the eclectic designation apart, why you might want to consider becoming more eclectic, and how you can incorporate the strengths of eclectic witchcraft into your practice.
Figuring Out What Kind Of Witch You Are Can Be Hard!
Let’s not kid ourselves, the struggle is real when it comes to figuring out what kind of witch you are. Especially when you’re first learning how to be a witch, there is SO MUCH information to take in. There are a million types of witchcraft, various traditions to look into, tons of methods and magical techniques to learn, and everyone is telling you that their particular brand of magic works better than everything else. Are you a solitary witch? A kitchen witch? Maybe you belong with the green witches, or you wonder if this is even for you since you’re not a hereditary witch. There are so many different types of witchcraft, and for the beginner, it’s a lot to take in!
I mean, when you’re brand new, how are you supposed to choose? It’s like going to a buffet filled with nothing but foods you’ve never tried and being told you can only pick one food and you have to stick to that food forever. How would you even pick? More than likely, you’d go for whatever looked safe and relatively familiar and potentially miss out on some of the more exotic, unfamiliar, and exciting flavors that you might like even more than what’s familiar.
You Don’t Have To Choose
My suggestion to new witches and more experienced witches alike is not to worry about what kind of witch you are. Not only is it confusing and hard to figure out, but it can actually be counterproductive! Choosing what kind of witch you want to be when you’ve just started learning witchcraft is like choosing your college major when you’re in kindergarten. There’s no way for you to know what’s actually going to be right for your unique practice down the road! And choosing something too early can prevent you from exploring and experimenting with other types of magic that might work even better for you.
The fact of the matter is, you don’t have to choose! There’s no witchcraft licensing board out there ready to take away your ability to practice magic if you don’t categorize yourself properly. This is where the eclectic witch’s practice really shines. A lot of people assume that labeling your craft as eclectic magic is the same as admitting “I don’t know what type of witch I am,” but this really sells eclectic magic short. This designation isn’t just for the indecisive; it’s for those who are decisively varied in their craft.
What Is Eclectic Witchcraft?
Eclectic magic is a branch of magic that embraces the full breadth of magical practices and personal experiences. Eclectic witches look at the craft and all it has to offer and say, “Yes, let me have all of it!” It’s making the choice to unbridle your craft, to remove the limitations and boundaries, and allow yourself to revel in the incredible variety and diversity that exists in the craft. It takes indecision and transforms it into an incredible curiosity and drive to learn as much as possible.
More than many other kinds of witchcraft, eclectic magic is focused on the individual and finding the right kind of magic for them, regardless of labels. Eclectic witchcraft doesn’t care if you’re using ceremonial magic, or folk magic, or both. It doesn’t care if you’re using green witchcraft with techno magic. It doesn’t care if you’re mixing chaos magic with ancestral magic and pagan religion. The only thing that matters in eclectic witchcraft is finding the magic that suits you as an individual witch and finding the magic that will give you real, tangible results. That’s it. It’s an inclusive approach based on letting go of expectations and limitations and allowing yourself to work whatever magic strikes your fancy and gets you results.
How To Practice Eclectic Witchcraft
All of this sounds great, but there’s one major problem. This approach to magic is so vague that it can be really hard to know where to start! Too many options can actually cause us to stall out and not know how to make a decision, especially for the solitary eclectic witch who’s learning by themselves. How do you choose where to start? How do you know if your craft is actually eclectic?
If you’re feeling the overwhelm bearing down on you, take a deep breath. The process of developing an eclectic style of witchcraft takes time, and it can be very fun! My own craft tends to be quite eclectic, so I’ve got plenty of experience to pull from to help you on this journey. To get you started, here are the top four things you need to focus on to become an eclectic witch.
1. Learn Some Foundational Skills
If you are brand new to magic and witchcraft, this is where you want to start. There is so much magic out there, but there are a few essential skills that almost all branches of magic have in common, and focusing on these skills can give you the foundation necessary to really explore with a lot more confidence in yourself. These essential basics include things like meditation, energy work, the basics of spellcasting and candle magick, beginner psychic skills and divination, and proper magical hygiene like cleansing, grounding, banishing, and protection magic.
By taking the time to learn these basics quickly and effectively, you can set yourself up to dive into whatever form of magic interests you at the moment. I teach an entire beginner series in The Academy that takes you through all of these novice magical skills so that you can approach whatever form of magic excites you most with confidence and a sense of personal empowerment. Learning these skills does not have to take a long time, and it doesn’t have to be difficult. If you’re brand new, just give yourself two or three months to really focus on these basic skills so that you can move on to the more exciting, interesting forms of magic that really spark your curiosity.
2. Be curious
This is the most important part of any witchcraft journey! Your curiosity is your #1 guide in the craft, no matter what kind of witchcraft you practice. Curiosity is what drives us to ask questions, seek answers, learn, and stretch ourselves beyond our current limits. Stoke your curiosity. Write down all of the witchcraft questions that pop into your head, even the silly ones, and use them as starting points in your journey. Be curious about what your witchy friends are doing, what the more experienced witches in your community are doing, and what magicians outside of your typical witchcraft circles are doing. Ask questions, socialize with new people, get involved in other people’s rituals and magical projects, and just try a little of everything. If you find a spell idea you like, try it out. Experiment with spell jars, tarot cards, and whatever different paths appeal to you. Let your curiosity and intuition guide your explorations.
So often, our curiosity is stifled in the modern world. Schools teach conformity, and not knowing is discouraged and punished. We’re taught to only ask the right questions, and if you don’t know something, it’s better to just keep it to yourself and try to parse it out later on your own. We’re taught that not knowing something is a character flaw or a mark against your intelligence, rather than being an opportunity to grow and expand your horizons. It’s time to turn this mindset on its head! Make friends with your curiosity, don’t be afraid to ask questions, and surround yourself with people who are excited to learn and excited to help you learn as well. Ignore the people who make you feel like your questions are stupid or trivial, and allow the joy of exploring something new to guide you in your craft.
3. Learn about anything and everything that interests you
Remove any and all limits and boundaries on what you can learn in the craft. As of right now, it’s all on the table. You want to learn chaos magic? Go for it. You want to learn about the poison path? Have at it. You want to learn geomancy? Have fun! Learning about a witch’s tools, your connection to the natural world, writing your own spells, or shadow work? It’s all allowed and encouraged. I don’t care how weird, how obscure, how different a subject is compared to what you’re doing right now. If it interests you, let yourself dig into it.
This is where eclectic witchcraft really happens. The idea is to pick and choose types of magic, magical techniques and methodologies, learning resources, and spells that interest you, regardless of where they come from or whether they “fit together”. As you explore in this way, you will begin to pick up bits and pieces of practices that work really well for you. You may find some forms of magic that work so well for you that you adopt huge chunks of it into your craft, while in other subjects, you only take a bit here and there to add to your craft. This cherry picking may seem like some kind of magical hoarding, but in reality, you are building a fully personalized magical practice, with every piece carefully curated to fit together with the unique energy signature that is you. Over time, you will find yourself with a fully functional magical system that is tailored to you, what you enjoy in the craft, what you’re good at, and what you need to avoid to be successful in your spells.
To get started with this, make a list of every kind of magic that interests you. Set a timer for 10 minutes and write a list of everything in the craft that you find interesting. Don’t let yourself stop writing until the timer goes off! These can be big subjects, like ceremonial magic, or they can be really small subjects like the use of agrimony in spells. Everything goes with this list. Here are some ideas to get you started.
- Lunar magic
- Using divination in spells
- Herbal potions
- Sigils
- Astral travel
- Animal magic
- Spirit work
- Graveyard magic
- Planetary magic
- Meditation
- Money magic
- Energy work
- Hearth magic
- Crystals
- Defensive magic
- etc.
After you’ve finished your list, choose one or two subjects and start hunting down resources to learn more about them. I like to start at the library and online. Allow your interests to dictate what you learn; don’t be afraid to put down one subject and pick up another one when your interests shift. Your own path is entirely unique to you, so outside of picking up the basics and essential information, you get to choose which witchcraft practices and different traditions you want to explore.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed at how many things you want to learn or you have a lot of the same subjects as my list above, The Occult Witch Academy is probably a good fit for you. The Academy has 50+ classes (including classes on ALL of the subjects listed above!) with a new class every month, and as a member, you get access to ALL of them for just $19/month. I make it easy to explore a wide variety of magical disciplines with straightforward, easy-to-understand classes ranging from beginner to advanced topics.
Click here to learn more about how you can become a student at the Academy! >>
4. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone
It can be hard, especially for new witches, to broaden their horizons and step out of their comfort zone. Witchcraft can be huge and scary and complicated, and it’s very easy to get stuck in a rut without even realizing it. To really get the benefits of eclectic witchcraft, though, you need to expand your horizons and get out there! Don’t shy away from learning something that interests you just because it seems hard or confusing. This is one of the reasons I call myself “The Occult Witch”. Just because something isn’t technically “witchcraft” and comes from more occult practices, eastern philosophy, or contains elements of shamanism, doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate it into your spiritual path!
With a little time and the right learning resources, you can learn anything you set your mind to. Don’t avoid going to group rituals or meetups just because you don’t know anyone there or you’re not familiar with the kind of magic they’re doing. You meet people by showing up, and you won’t know if their magic is right for you until you go and experience it! Fear of looking silly, sticking out, messing up, or just not knowing what you’re doing will only ever hold you back from becoming a better witch and experiencing more exciting, more effective witchcraft. Challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone!
This is the real gift of eclectic witchcraft. It removes the boundaries and limits that we place around our craft and opens us up to a world of possibility. There’s more magic out there than one person could ever learn. Treat the craft as your personal buffet and learn anything and everything that appeals to you. Your magickal path will become a collage of practices that is as unique as you are. As a witch, you are your own high priest or high priestess! You are diving into a spiritual practice that is all about you as a unique individual, and your craft should reflect that. The breadth and depth of your explorations can only serve to make your magic stronger, more effective, and more exciting.
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Updated on September 16, 2025 by Avery Hart
