Beginner Friendly Witchcraft / Gatekeeping in the Witchcraft Community

I’ve seen a lot of discourse over my years in the realm of witchcraft and spirituality about what is, and what isn’t, beginner friendly. Common things I see labeled as not beginner friendly are deity work, working with the fae, astral projection, spirit work, cursing and hexing, and more.

Honestly, it leaves new witches feeling discouraged…especially if one of these topics labeled “advanced witchcraft” is what got them interested in the craft in the first place.

But, some of these do have their points. Spirit work, deity work, and working with the fae all involve working with things other than yourself. They require lots of research, and energy on your part, and respect towards these other beings. Sometimes as a beginner, it can be overwhelming, and we haven’t learned yet how to protect our energy.

My opinion is, though, that if you’re doing what any witch or practitioner should be doing (cough, researching, cough), you should be fine.

Because part of researching, preparing, and learning how to work with these other beings is learning to protect yourself and your energy.

Even as someone whose been practicing for three years, I still wouldn’t consider myself necessarily prepared to begin working with other beings and spirits like the fae, because I wasn’t interested in it until recently.

So, moral of the story: if something got you interested in witchcraft or spirituality, you are allowed to research and practice it, even out of the gate. Part of researching, learning, and practicing these “gatekept” things involves learning about the basics – protection, energy sensing, etc.

Don’t let someone tell you no. Just be safe and smart about it, and find the resources and friends that will help you out rather than tear you down.

We’ve got an entire blog, Instagram, and Pinterest full of resources for you. And you should definitely check them out.