Open Letter to Baby Witches Everywhere

1. You are not a baby anymore, sister. You are a maiden, maybe a mother, or even a crone- but you are not a baby. Your power is immense and your intuition exists, you just need to learn to listen to it. Don't talk down to yourself. This isn't a “judgment” of your “choices”. This is acknowledgment of your status. You need that power. Harness it.

2. Try not to appropriate other culture's magic to suit an aesthetic. The craft is found in all places, in all time periods. Almost any craft calls to those of its kind... and you have a story. Engage in your ancestry and learn about the customs of your own people. We all have rich and colorful histories- no need to be stealing from anyone else.

3. Purchasing sacred herbs and tools from conglomerates is contributing to deforestation, and is more than likely appropriation! We don't NEED white sage when we don't live in or come from an area that used it. You have a local alternative! You have a custom that is your own! This plays heavily into #2, but I highly encourage anyone purchasing herbs and minerals, to search where they come from (and if they are being ETHICALLY sourced!).

4. A Book of Shadows, or Grimoire, is a lot more personal than you seem to think it is. Outside of Hollywood, those demons are your PERSONAL demons. Those spells are your self affirmations, and concoctions that worked for YOU. Any practicing witch should be journaling! This is why books were not often passed down to children (this is a common falsehood)- they are very dark and personal things! Get all up in yourself- no one can tell you what it should look like or what you should have in it.

5. You are good enough. You are intuitive enough. You are perceptive enough. Other eyes are always helpful for a coven witch, and finding people you trust is always grand- but learn to trust your intuition. You should be spending a lot of time with yourself. The real magic is the power you have over yourself and your own environment. Focus less on what you see and more on what you are feeling.

6. Intent is everything.

7. Remember that the words you say have an immense power over others, as well as yourself. Chanting is a form of affirmation. Remind yourself every day who you are. Don't allow yourself or anyone else to strip you of those things. If you want to know something, demand the answer. If you want someone or something to leave you alone, demand your space.

8. Deities don't work for you. You work with deities. Listen closely and ask a lot of questions. It doesn't matter how you ask... they have a funny way of giving you the answer, when you are looking for it.

9. No number of herbs or stones or statues will ever replace your intent. If your heart isn't in it, you'll invest hundreds of dollars into a broken concept. Worry less about how it looks, and worry more about how it feels. If you're not crying a lot, and laughing at nothing, and seeing parts of yourself you haven't seen in a while- if at all? You're probably just buying home décor. Pay attention to what moves you, and go with it.

10. Food is magic. Sex is magic. Communication is magic. Silence is magic. Get real with yourself... everything is magic. Looking for it around every corner isn't the purpose of divine intervention, or being given signs/opportunities. The purpose, is to remind you that EVERYTHING IS MAGIC. Get ready to talk some mad trash to yourself until you're ready to embrace all of it.

Sincerely,

AJ Ryan; Your Friendly Kitchen Witch