When most people think of witchcraft, they picture candles, incense, herbs, elaborate altars, and spoken spells. And while those rituals practices are valid and beautiful, they aren’t the only way to be a witch. In fact, for many of us, ritualistic spellwork can feel overwhelming, forced, or simply not our path.
This is very true for me…especially now. Earlier this year, I discovered that I am neurodivergent. I have both ADHD and autism. And while I worked hard to try to incorporate a more ritualistic witchcraft practice, I find that a simpler witchcraft practice works better for me now. But I struggled to continue calling myself a witch without the ritual. But now I have a different understanding.
If you identify as a witch but don’t resonate with structured ritual or performative spellwork, I want you to hear this clearly:
You are still a witch.
Witchcraft is not defined by how many spells you cast. It’s defined by how deeply you notice, connect, and live with intention.
Your magic is real, even if it’s simple and quiet.
Magic doesn’t have to be ritualistic
Rituals can be powerful tools, but they aren’t required for magic to work. Witchcraft, at its core, is:
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Relationship
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Intuition
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Attention
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Intention
It’s how you move through the world, not what you do on your altar. I do have an altar. But it’s mostly just things I love to collect. Things from nature, like pinecones, shells, and feathers. And some beautiful crystals and candles. But I don’t use it for ritualistic things. And that’s okay!
Some witches thrive with structure. Others are fluid, intuitive, and gentle in their approach. If the idea of planning out steps, gathering tools, or speaking incantations feels unnatural, then your craft likely belongs to the realm of everyday magic.
And that is a beautiful path.
Ways to practice witchcraft without rituals
Everyday magic
This is the magic found in small actions and quiet moments.
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Stirring intention into your morning coffee or tea
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Lighting a candle simply to invite warmth into your space
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Touching the earth when you need grounding
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Opening a window and greeting the day with your breath
Magic can be subtle. It can be as simple as paying attention.
Kitchen & hearth witchcraft
For some witches, the kitchen is the altar.
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Adding herbs with emotional intention
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Cooking meals as a form of comfort and healing
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Preparing tea or broth to nourish yourself and others
You don’t need spells when your care is the magic.
Energy-based witchcraft
Some witches don’t use tools at all. Their magic is sensory and visceral.
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Feeling energy move in your hands
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Humming to clear the heaviness in a room
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Breathing intentionally to release or call in energy
This form of magic is deeply intuitive; it lives in the body.
Nature witchcraft
Your connection to the natural world is your practice.
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Sitting with plants as companions
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Collecting rocks, leaves, feathers, and small tokens that call to you
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Watching the moon cycle without tracking it on a chart
This isn’t ritual. It’s relationship.
Word and thought witchcraft
Words shape reality. And some witches weave magic through language.
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Journaling as spellwork
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Speaking affirmations or truths into existence
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Writing poetry as intention and transformation
Your voice is your wand.
You don’t have to “do” magic to be magic
Some witches don’t cast spells; they become the spell.
They:
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Follow intuition like it is a compass
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Move through life guided by energy
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Let everyday moments be sacred and alive
This is the witch who lives magic instead of performing magic. This is the path of the mystic, the hedge witch, the wild feminine, the intuitive whisperer. And it is just as powerful…if not more.
If ritual feels forced, it isn’t your magic
If you’ve ever felt like:
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Rituals are too structured
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You lose interest halfway through
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You get overwhelmed by steps or materials
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Or something just feels off…
That’s not failure. That’s guidance. Your magic is asking to be lived, not staged.
Your Witchcraft Is Yours
There is no one right way to be a witch. There is no test. No initiation. No standard to measure yourself against. Listen to how the magic is calling you to it. It’s up to you to connect with the magic and define who you are as a witch. And it doesn’t matter what anyone else tells you.
Your magic is valid. Your intuition is wise. And your path is real. You don’t have to perform witchcraft to be a witch.
You simply have to be.
