When I decided to start teaching witchcraft, it
surprised me how little of the basics most witches know today. I
didn’t know where to start. To help organize my thoughts on the
matter, I broke them down into categories of knowledge. In this
post, I’ve listed the art and craft skills every witch MUST have.
You may not master them. Nobody masters them all, but you should
have them.
Basic Cooking
You need to know how
to boil water, melt things without burning them, etc. You may
also need to know how to render animal fat.
Basic Hand Sewing and Needlework
Chain stitch, blanket
stitch, how to make and follow a simple pattern, etc.
How to Draw
You don’t have to be
Michelangelo, but you should know how to hand draw hieroglyphs, seals,
and images that look something like what they need to symbolize or
embody. Drawing herbs
also helps you to remember them well.
Soft Sculpture
You may have to make
talismans from clay or shape things in wax.
Making Infusion Oils
You should be making
infusion oils of as many of your local and locally accessible herbs as
you can.
Soap Making
You should know how to make soap. You may
not actually use this much since there is the option of “melt and pour”
with pre made soap, but you should know how soap is made.
Making Pigments and Marking Tools
You should know how to
make paints, inks, makeup/body paint, and natural brushes and marking
tools.
Basic Wood Carving
You should at least
know how to whittle and carve a reasonable shape into wood.
Preserving
You should know how to
dry, how to can, and various ways of preserving things.
Making Music
You should have a
basic skills with some instrument, your voice, or rhythm.
Dancing/Movement
Related to the above,
you should know how to allow yourself to move to music, even if just
the music of Nature.
Other skills that aren’t related to crafting that
a witch should have include, but are not limited to:
- caring for plants and animals
- medicinal herbs, foods, and preparations
- meditation
- divination
- symbols, icons, seals, and signs
- gathering natural talismans
- respectful hunting and gathering
- fire safety
- CPR and first aid
- pre-industrial nutrition and hygiene
- camping/survival skills
The list may get longer as I think of more, but if
you don’t know how to do something on this list, then learn.
These skills are necessary to even start knowing what you’re doing.
So if any of the teachers would like to take on any of these topics,
please feel free to do so. You’re not limited to only witchcraft
specific subjects. We aim to provide a place where students will
find a well rounded source of education in the craft, not just “cherry
pick” what suits them at a whimsical moment. Stretch out a bit.