A traditional witchcraft practice

Traditional Witchcraft

For some traditional witchcraft is a land and ancestral based craft. Here is one way of working. It is not the way but only one type of practice.

By tapping into the energies of the land knowledge and wisdom can be gained and utilised in witchcraft and spell craft. Spirits of the land can be communicated with - that’s if the spirits want to communicate with you, they may be the ancestors of a place, the old ones, spirits that have progressed to a high level and have chosen to return to the land to help protect it.

Traditional craft is related to shamanistic workings - trance state techniques are used to gain access to the underworld. Places such as woodlands, grave mounds, crossroads, rivers, springs, lakes, hills and hollows can be used as entry points into the underworld. Sacred sites such as henge's are excellent underworld openings too.

The heathen ancestors of these lands - the British Isles would have honoured the gods of the Northern European tribal folks. Again gods can be honoured as part or separate from the craft. Or not at all, including the gods in the craft is just one way of working.

Rituals in trad craft differ from those that are wicca and ceremonial based in that they are not scripted; they are spontaneous and spoken from the heart. There is no circle casting and quarter calling as such but a compass-ring or round is traced widdershins with as stag or besom or simply using your hand or a stick found on walks.

The Compass-Ring or rounds function is to create a space between this world and the underworld and unlike wicca - the spirits do join a ritual but the witch is joining them through journey work / riding the hedge

The compass round acts as a portal and a way of working between the worlds, it is not simply used as protection, it is a way of stepping through into the other worlds