Types of Witches
Do you know what kind of witch you are? Maybe you do!
And maybe you’ll find out right here!
So, as a Pagan mentor and a witch myself, I do a lot of research in this community.
That being said, there are SO MANY types of witches that follow SO MANY different paths.
This is going to be a brief overview of major types of witches. If you see yourself here and want to add anything or you don’t see yourself, be sure to message in the comment section and give your fellow witches a shout out!
And remember: you don’t have to be a witch to be any of the following, but it’s always nice to narrow down your belief system!
This is going to be a long one.
In no particular order, let’s get started!
Wiccans
Probably one of the most common type of witch. About 50% of the witches I encounter are Wiccan.
This is a Neo-Pagan generation of contemporary followers of the craft developed by Gerald Gardner in the 1950’s.
Although, the practice has changed enormously since then, but he can be considered the great-grandfather.
Beliefs:
This can vary widely, but there is a general emphasis on the divine feminine and the divine masculine, or one over the other.
This can manifest differently depending on the practitioner. Wiccans can worship the divine directly or view them as a catalyst for the universe.
This faith follows the Wiccan Rede which celebrates nature and the ability to believe freely as long as it doesn’t harm anyone else.
Mind the Three-fold Laws you should three times bad and three times good.
-An excerpt from the Wiccan Rede
When misfortune is now wear the star upon your brow.
Be true in love this you must do unless your love is false to you.
These Eight words the Rede fulfill:
‘An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will'”
In this system the Three-fold Laws follow the tradition that, whether positive or negative, anything you put out into the universe will return to you three-fold.
In this same way, a lot of Wiccans are vegetarian or vegan.
Practices:
Each Wiccan has their own practice, so it’s a trick to narrow this down.
Most have an altar for the divine figures.
Some have a Grimoire or Book of Shadows, which essentially holds rituals, spells, basic theory, and reference.
They generally follow the Wheel of the Year, which you can find more about in my blog.
Wiccans use magick and energy in their work based on the elements and work in tune alongside nature.
Druids/Bards/Green Witches
Druids are all about nature.
In the classic D&D game, these are nature-based spellcasters, and this is not too far from the truth!
Druids are often Celtic Neo-Pagans connected to the earth in a very meaningful way.
Beliefs:
In the Druid’s eyes, every part of nature is sacred and needs to be protected.
The interesting thing about Druidry is that they don’t have any fixed set of core beliefs that can apply from one person to another.
Traditional Druids often worship the Celtic pantheon of one or more gods and goddesses, but agree that not one Druid holds a monopoly on truth.
Although diverse in nature, the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids does maintain a belief in reincarnation and a spiritual realm called the Otherworld.
Practices:
Druids are heavily focused on environmental activism.
Meaning, their connection to the earth as sacred often lends to protecting it.
For the same reason, Druids are commonly vegetarians or vegans and try to reduce waste and impact on the planet.
All the same, Druids and green witches harness all the power of ethically sourced nature in their everyday life.
Pagans/Neo-Pagans
I’ve mentioned that the previous two religions were Neo-Pagans.
This can be used as an umbrella term for nature-based religions, but some witches just prefer to identify as Pagan.
This doesn’t mean that Pagan witches are non-religious, but rather not specifically affiliated with Wiccans, Druids, or other nature-based religions.
Beliefs:
The term Pagan was first coined in the fourth century to set people apart from Roman Christians.
Originally this just referred to them as country hicks or bumpkins who held to the polytheistic worship of the Roman pantheon.
Neopaganism of today observes pre-Christian polytheism.
Practices:
While Wiccans, Druids, and Pagans all seem quite similar, it’s important for some to make the distinction.
Modern Pagans don’t have to have beliefs or rituals or practices at all.
There is no rule book, major text, or ruling body for Pagans.
Although many still celebrate the Wheel of the Year to honor and mark change in the seasons.
And many still have the trappings of many nature-based animistic and polytheistic religions without the need for the structure of a body of believers.
That being said, a lot of Pagans are solitary practitioners and generally keep to themselves.
Atheists
In fact, witches don’t have to be convinced in the divine at all!
It’s less common, but it doesn’t make them any less relevant to the witchy community.
Beliefs:
Atheist witches don’t see enough evidence of a god or goddess, don’t adhere a pantheon, and instead follow their own path.
This can vary widely and manifest under different labels, but are unique and independent all the same.
Practices:
Atheist witches generally originate from a religious background and don’t feel comfortable going from 60mph to 0mph on the religion scale.
This isn’t that much different from non-practicing atheists, but some have transitioned into the witchy community, and have been welcomed with open arms.
That being said, the only divination that atheist witches practice is turned inward to ask questions to the self, not the divine.
Satanists
Satanists, specifically practitioners of The Satanic Temple, do not worship Satan or any demon figure.
They are an activist group which separates itself from Christianity and attempts to be what the church should be but currently is not.
Beliefs:
Here are the seven fundamental tenets held by Satanists:
1. One should strive to act with compassion and empathy towards all creatures in accordance with reason.
2. The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions.
3. One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.
4. The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To willfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo your own.
5. Beliefs should conform to our best scientific understanding of the world. We should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit our beliefs.
6. People are fallible. If we make a mistake, we should do our best to rectify it and resolve any harm that may have been caused.
7. Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word
Practices:
So, Satanists don’t want Abrahamic religions to burn.
But they are very politically active in making sure all religions are considered equal, and that no one belief system gets preferential treatment under governing bodies.
Where does witchcraft fit in?
Satanists desire equality and manifest their beliefs in bodily autonomy and religious freedom in an active role.
Their desires have slowly become a reality through hard yet important political work.
But they still have a lot a lot of hard work ahead of them!
Gardnerian/Traditional/Alexandrain Witches
Gerald Gardner was a priest and writer who launched the successful campaign to socially and legally recognize the Wiccan religion.
He was a Wiccan himself, but there is a group of witches who strictly adhere to his personal rites and priesthood.
Beliefs:
There is the Horned God and the Mother Goddess, often represented by the priest and priestess of a thirteen-member coven.
These witches follow the Wiccan Rede and advocate heavily upon free will as long as there is thought and intention beforehand. This is often symbolized by throwing a pebble into a pond and watching the cause and effect of the ripples in the water.
Practices:
The Gardnerian tradition follows Wiccan practices, but insists on group participation and discourages solitary practitioners.
Although the leaders of each coven are considered teachers and not authority, there is a hint of hierarchy among the group.
Members are initiated and the priest/priestess often leads the discussions, administer homework, and organizes rituals.
This allows new witches to learn and practice with a guide.
Hedge Witches
The wise women of old were the healers and mediators in the family.
They used their botanical and social knowledge to help the rest of the community.
Hedge witches look to these healers and modernize the practice.
Beliefs:
Hedge witches work primarily with the spiritual world, or the hedge between this life and the next.
This helps the witch to better understand the natural world and the self, as well as to cast protection from any unwanted forces.
Practices:
Hedge witches practice astral projection through dream work, meditation and the higher self, gaining insight through visions, enhancing spiritual sense through natural mind-altering herbs, and shapeshifting through trance into a small creature in order to navigate undetected in the more dangerous realms of the hedge.
Kitchen Witches
Like Hedge witches, kitchen witchery appeals to the ancient community leaders who housed, fed, and healed the village.
This practice has a lot to do with what enchanted elements you put IN your body.
As such, there’s a lot of food and festivals involved!
Beliefs:
Kitchen withes can be from literally ANY belief system.
Practices:
Blessings, luck, prosperity, you name it!
All can be brewed or baked or stewed or shaped into your consumables!
This is where I should note that a handful of kitchen witches are stoners and make tasty edible treats!
Enchanted herbs, oils, and tinctures. Kitchen witches are truly the potion masters of their craft.
Abrahamic Witches
This is referring to the Abrahamic traditions.
Specifically Christian, Mormon, Catholic, Muslim, and Jewish witches to name a few.
This can also include the West African spirituality of Hoodoo!
Beliefs:
These practitioners believe in the God of the Bible, whether that Bible is Old and New Testament, Hebrew Bible, or Quran.
They generally believe in bringing hope and freedom to the people around them based on these scriptures.
Practices:
These witches practice what is called syncretism: the attempt to blend one or more religious beliefs or ideologies into one cohesive narrative.
Oftentimes this can get messy and step on more than a few toes, as with Eclectic witches, which we’ll get to next.
Abrahamic witches find their own way to bring Pagan or other roots into their religious practice as a way of forging their own path.
So, the practices of these religions have the deity as the focal point while also incorporating elements of witchcraft.
Eclectic Witches
You’re a free spirit and you also forge your own path!
You see where the universe takes you and go with the flow.
Beliefs:
Eclectic witches choose from all types of religions and find what brings them joy.
These witches have to be very careful about cultural appropriation because their journey includes fragments of any and all faith traditions.
They govern themselves and answer to no one unless they decide to do so.
Practices:
As the social magpies of witchcraft, Eclectic witches work with a kaleidoscope of tools and tricks that weave and form their practice.
Don’t like something? Don’t use it!
The world is full of possibilities.
Basic Witches
Okay, so this is kind of a joke.
These are the witches that use witchcraft as a finsta persona and nothing more.
Now, I consider my coven to be the witches I interact with on social media platforms.
But this light mockery basically applies to aesthetic accounts that take the beauty of witchcraft as a soy latte without doing any of the hard work of actually learning and practicing.
It’s witchcraft when it’s in vogue.
Baby/Questioning Witches
To preface this, I want to mention that I am not insulting baby witches.
Baby or questioning witches are those who are still finding their path and are fairly new to their practice.
I see “Baby Witch” as a title all the time.
But listen, witches. ALL of us are constantly learning and questioning our faith and practice.
We’re all baby witches compared to someone with more experience.
But I get it.
It can take a lot of time to find your exact niche.
That’s part of why I started this blog!
Never stop questioning!
Holistic/Reiki Witches
I’m not sure if this is a subcategory of another type of witch, but I’ve seen enough New Age alternative medicine practitioners to give them their own limelight.
Beliefs:
Holistic and Reiki witches believe in the healing properties and energy within the body.
This healing can be channeled through the mental, emotional, social, and physical properties of life and spirit.
Traditional doctors seem to only treat the symptom and not the person.
Practices:
These witches use stress relief methods (nature, music, energy, physical touch) to promote relaxation and jump start the body’s natural healing process.
Hereditary Witches
These witches were born into their craft. I’m so jealous!
Beliefs:
Hereditary witches generally follow their family’s belief system, and sometimes improve or expand those beliefs generation after generation.
Practices:
They typically have a Grimiore or collection of books passed down.
These books can even be cook books!
Family tradition often lends to a lot of time in the kitchen.
E-witches
These witches reside almost entirely online.
They might be still in the broom closet to a lot of family.
This is most certainly a subcategory, so why did I list it here?
Because I made it up and it’s something that I consider myself to be!
My coven is the witches I surround myself with online.
The beauty of witchcraft is that you can be whatever you want to be.
You can define yourself however you want!
Start something new.
Bring pop culture into your practice.
Redefine what it means to be a witch.
Mermaid Witch? Yes!
Lovecraftian Cultist Witch? Fhtaghn!
My Little Pony Witch? That’s Magick!
Unicorn Witch? I’ll never say neigh!
Hag or Swamp Witch? You can’t do that… Just kidding! You totally can!
How did I do?
Did you see yourself here?
Do you want to add anything to one or more of these categories?
Don’t be a stranger!
Comment who you are and anything you’d like to contribute!
This post is sort of a work in progress because there’s always something new to learn.
As always, you can always message me privately, and you can subscribe to my work so you always get updates on all new witchy content.
Blessed be!
Cat
