Walking More Than One Path

Across the globe, people from all walks of life have gravitated to witchcraft and paganism. And with so many witches, there are bound to be a myriad of traditions and pathways to follow. And those pathways are not always singular, straightforward paths to follow. For some, witchcraft is a religion, but for others, it is a supplementary path to another belief in which they practice. In this case, with the Craft, paths wind and turn, often crossing over here and under there. The practice of witchcraft intertwines within belief systems and structures, enhancing components here and replacing others there. It is inherently a practice that changes as our own level of knowledge changes and develops as we gain more experiences and understanding in our own lives.

With so many choices, the question always arises as to whether or not it is possible to walk more than one path. And in true pagan fashion, the answer is both yes and no. While paganism has absorbed influences from around the world, some specific traditional paths do not allow for as much freedom of movement when choosing pathways, and neither do some of the world’s major religions.

It is important to distinguish between various traditions and paths to understand how each of these can be overlapped or practiced in conjunction with one another. A tradition is a framework or structure that defines how the group worships. That might be in a coven with strict boundaries, in a casual group of practitioners, or by yourself. In this case, a path is like a flavor of practice. It focuses more on the application of magick and knowledge gathered in a variety of subjects.

Some of the more traditional practices include Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca. Both traditions focus more on ceremonial magick, emphasizing the duality of the masculine (god) and feminine (goddess). They both follow the thinking that only a witch can make a witch and organize themselves around a strict hierarchy of degrees and ranks within the coven.

Unlike the Alexandrian and Gardnerian covens, Seax-Wica does not have a secrecy oath. And another major difference between them is that Seax-Wica allows room for solitary practitioners, believing that practicing the Craft does not require the gathering of a group. In this belief, Raymond Buckland opposed Gerald Gardner and Alex and Maxine Sanders’s concept that only a witch can make a witch. New members no longer have to go through an existing coven and be ceremonially initiated after years of study within a coven. The Seax tradition recognized that not all witches could find a coven that is geographically close to them (remember, this was at a time before the rise of the Internet). Because of this, there was a provision for lone witches (Solitaries) to join the Craft, which now made self-initiation into the Craft a legitimate means of becoming a witch. So now a witch can make her or himself.

Dianic practitioners concentrate specifically on feminine energy, leaving behind the male god altogether. They are traditionally cis-female covens that are typically very political in their actions, beliefs, and spiritual practice. Focused on female experience and empowerment, Dianic witches can be part of a traditional, hierarchical style coven or a group of loosely gathered practitioners.

A plethora of traditions emerged from here, each with its own unique flavor for the area in which it arose. Practices developed over time, and with each new generation of witches, new pieces of spirituality were woven into the tapestry, each strand of fiber adding to the beauty of the practice as the Craft adapted to political shifts, the opening of gender identity, and the wide world of the technological web.

But within these traditional pagan and Wiccan frameworks, as well as within other religions, there are a number of paths one could choose to follow. Folk witches, also referred to by some as traditional witches, practice the magick of their ancestors or the people that resided close to their current geographical area. Taking a historical approach to their practice, folk witches incorporate magickal practices and beliefs that existed long before Wicca. Modern practitioners often integrate these spells, charms, talismans, and herbal knowledge into their current repertoire. But practicing as a folk witch goes deeper than that as they blend the ancient spirits of the land, customs of the people, and folklore of the region with their own practice. This fusion of old beliefs with modern tools and practices can be applied to almost any tradition or path.

It is much harder to combine a solitary practice like that of a hedge witch with a tradition that relies heavily upon the workings of a coven. Hedge witches simply live their magickal life day to day without the need for a structure or hierarchy to initiate or guide them. In this case, walking both of these paths with a more rigid structural system would be highly improbable but not impossible. However, for some, being a hedge witch translates to practicing herbal magick and working with the natural world. In this definition, blending hedge witchery with other paths works just fine!

Incorporating kitchen witchery into a practice of any kind is much easier. Kitchen witches focus on the hearth and home as the center of their magickal practice. The stove becomes the altar, the preparation of herbs and foods becomes a sacred act, and eating and drinking take on their own form of worship. Kitchen witches can walk alongside almost any religious path as components of all religions focus around the preparation and ingestion of food for sacred purposes.

Blending paths look different for each practitioner. While some may gravitate to herbs and kitchen witchery, others find crystals, colors, or divination much more appealing. These practices can be laid over or intertwined with various religious traditions, including those outside of Wicca and paganism. Specializing in a field of magickal knowledge does not preclude you from practicing—it merely enhances your magickal practice as witchcraft is a set of skills that can be developed in a variety of different ways, which opens the doors for people who have non-pagan spiritual backgrounds.

Keep in mind that what works for one practitioner may not exactly work for another, in which case the blending of paths takes on many different tints and shades. Some people lean towards practicing alone, while others desire to work with a coven. And in choosing to work with a coven, there are many different constraints and limitations that apply depending on the type of coven you decide to join. It is important that if you would like to blend together various aspects of your own Craft, you discuss this before joining a coven so that they are aware of it and you understand their position as well.

While we as humans love to categorize and label the world around us, step outside the labels and know that you can create your own unique practice as a practitioner. However many layers you decide to incorporate into your practice is up to you. But be sensible with your layers, as adding too many things onto your plate can leave you feeling drained in your magickal practice. Take time to fully explore an area such as herbalism or green magick rather than adding path after path. It is perfectly fine to walk a variety of paths, but there is a lot of satisfaction in knowing part of your Craft in a deeper, more meaningful way. It enhances your magick and generates a lot more power when calling on the spirits to align with your desires and work.

Very few of us are pure practitioners as we blend items from various paths and traditions. Eclectic withes do not fit into a specific category of practice. In this path, a practitioner merely gathers magickal practices and beliefs from a variety of pantheons to construct their own perfect path. While some eclectic witches identify as Neopagan, plenty of others do not. And in fact, some eclectic witches don’t even know they are a witch! Eclectic witches walk many paths as they choose what resonates most with them.

And for some practitioners, they do not want to choose more than one path. They prefer the idea of concentrating their efforts and energy onto a single form of worship that delves deeper into a specific area. And there is nothing inherently right or wrong with this approach—it is simply a matter of personal choice. Having a deeper understanding of your path without layering over multiple practices can be just as rewarding as finding several different paths to explore. The beauty of paganism is that there is a path for all witches. We can all find our way in our own uniquely different path or paths.