Introduction to Witchcraft and types of Witches

Witchcraft definition:
Witchcraft (also called witchery or spellcraft) broadly means the practice of, and belief in, magical skills and abilities that are able to be exercised by individuals and certain social groups.Witchcraft is one of the world's oldest spiritual traditions and yet it is also one of the most misunderstood.
Television and movies around the world often give a wrong picture about what it means to be a witch. The witches portrayed on the screen are very different from the witches, wizards , sorcerers and ceremonial magicians in real life. Real magic isn't nearly as dramatic.
Witchcraft is basically a spiritual practice that can be done by one person or in a group. It is a way of life.It is the study and use of magic and this magic comes from the Earth. 
People who go on and become great witches have deep connection with the Earth and everything it offers and very big respect for it.
Witchcraft is NOT a religion. Wicca is.
Witchcraft is different than Wicca.
Not all witches are Wiccan and not all Wiccans are witches.
The word "witch" is used for both male and female magic practitioners. 
Witchcraft is often missunderstood to be evil or witches are being called "devil-worshippers" , normally because it goes against the beliefs of the Catholic Church and because the word "witch" ,in earlier times, was a term for devil-worshippers. 
Sometimes people call Witchcraft , "the Old Religion", because they believe it is connected to the beliefs of people in pre-Christian Europe.
Just like any other tool Witchcraft can be used for both good or bad.Unfortunately, too many people use it to fullfill their desires for lust , power and greed.
Witchcraft is mainly used to help heal illness, encourage fertility, attract abundance,to increase your self-confidence,for inner peace and protection , to strenghten your relationships and so on.
To become a witch, you simply have to begin learning about your own spiritual power and energy and how to use it effectively, learning how to raise your energy and release it toward the creation of a specific outcome.

There are lots of different types of witches out there in the world , here are some of the most common types of witches:

• Traditional Witch:
  Traditional witchraft is a magical practice based on historical accounts of witchcraft. Often, traditional witches gather their knowledge from folk tales, witch trial documentaries , grimoires , various witch lore and historical accounts to acknowledge how witchcraft might be practiced by their ancestors.
  Mainly traditional witches focus on working with the nature and history of the place where they live and with the local spirits.
• Gardnerian Witch: Gardnerian Witches follow the belief system of Guardian Wicca, which was created by Gerald Garner in the 1950s who is often considered to be "The Father of Wicca".
  Many witches who practice Gardnerian Wicca promote strong feelings for nature , challenge social norms and have many rituals that are the foundation of their practice.
  Guardian Wicca is hierarchical system that consists of a high priest and priestess as well as various initiations.There is also an incredibly structured system of advancing as a witch and with your practice as you grow and learn more about your craft.
  You can only become a Gardnerian Witch by initiation, you cannot initiate yourself.
  
  
• Alexandrian Witch: It is a formalized belief system which contains its own traditions and initiations.
  It was founded in the 60s by Alex and Maxine Sanders.It is very much based on the Gardnerian Wicca practices but it incorporates ceremonial magic and Qabalah, too.
  Alexandrian Wicca is more eclectic and is less structured than the Gardnerian Wicca. They follow the belief: "if it works,use it".
  There are three levels of witchcraft , following an initiation , that an Alexandrian Witch can attain.
  Their covens meet on new moons , full moons and during Sabbat festivals.
• Correllian Witch:Or Correllian Wicca , was founded in the late 20th century by Caroline High Correll who claimed to come from a line of hereditary witches and was a psychic, spiritual healer and herbalist. She was head of her church until her death in the 1940s.Corellian Wicca was not recognized as Wicca until the 1990s , and was seen more as eclecticism and universalism.
• Kitchen Witch:A kitchen witch enjoys making their home and surroundings a sacred place. They often like to incorporate witchraft in their cooking and put their energy and focus into the food and meals they create. They are also known as a hearth witch or a home witch. When practicing they combine their own personal magical energy with essential oils, herbs , food and everyday objects to create their spells and rituals. They care deeply about the ingredients and may have their own herb and vegetable garden.
• Hedge Witch:A Hedge witch works with the spirit realm.They practice what is known as "hedge jumping" which is venturing out of this world and into the Otherworld. Thus, the Hedge Witch is recognized as a powerful healers or midwife.
  Hedge witches can coomunicate with the spiritual world and can send messages between both worlds. It is a very much Earth-based practice of spirituality.
  In the past , a "hedge" would mark a boundary of a village or settlement , and thus represents the boundary between our physical reality and the spirit world.
  It's thought that the "flying on a broomstick" legend was a misunderstanding based on hedge witches "flying" into the spiritual realm.
• Dianic Witch:The most feminist of all Wiccan movements , the Cult of Diana focuses primarly on the worship of the Goddess through all three of her aspects: Maiden, Mother and Crone.
  The followers are all women , so no men allowed.
  Rituals and worship can vary, but all have feminist aspects and come from a feminist standpoint.
• Elemental Witch:Elemental witches study and practice based on the four elements: earth , air , water and fire.
  It is based on honoring each element. An elemental witch may have an altar for each element. They call on the elements when casting spells and performing rituals and may even have an element that they personally identify with and work towards finding.
• Ceremonial Witch:Ceremonial witches hold ceremonies and rituals in high esteem.Ceremonial magick is worked into most of the elements of their practice. They often call on specific beings and spiritual entities to assist them with whatever they are casting.
  They are likely to get their practices from a book and follow a ritual or a ceremony to the letter when executing it. They might have a Book of Shadows and they might also draw on their knowledge of more scientific approaches, such as sacred mathematics and quantum mysticism.
• Green Witch:Also called garden witches or forest witches, green witches are highly connected to the earth and energy that it possesses. They are likely to be in-tune with the seasons and often use natural materials to create their own magical tools. They most likely try to perform their ritual and spellwork outside in nature when possible. They may have their own garden where they grow their own herbs.Green witches use plants/greenery in their spells and magic and sometimes , even cooking and in their home. They like to be in nature and to be as close to Mother Earth and the spirit she encompasses , as possible.
• Hereditary Witch:A hereditary witch is someone who was born into a family that practices witchcraft.Usually their knowledge is passed down through generations and each family may have their own traditions and belief system.You can only become a hereditary witch if you consciously accept the practice, no one can force it on you.
• Cosmic Witch:A cosmic witch incorporates astrology and astronomy into their witchcraft. They closely follow the alignment of the planets and they will often coordinate their spells and rituals based on the location of the planets and the moon. They are also called "star witches".
• Secular Witch:Secular Witches still cast spells, use crystals , herbs , oils and candles , but they don't attach spirituality to their practice. A secular witch believes that the materials she uses and the energies that she connects with come from the natural world and the Earth, but she doesn't necessarily worship any deities or spirits. Their practice is entirely non-religious.
• Solitary Witch:As the name suggests, a solitary witch does not belong to a set practice, group or organization. They perform their rituals alone and without a coven. This could be by choice or because they haven't found a group to work with yet. There are also legends that solitary witches are reincarnations of witches who have been practicing for generations and at puberty, their knowledge is awakened. Since they already remember and understand the craft, their need for a coven is less than a newer witch. A solitary witch can incorporate various different paths based on their interest and may or may not use witchcraft as part of a wider spiritual path or religion.
• Eclectic Witch:An eclectic witch does not have one set religion , practice , tradition or culture that they pull from. They use various witchcraft traditions for their spellwork and rituals.They tune into their own intuition ( or some like to call it their Higher Self) and engage in practices that work for them alone. They rely on a variety of different cultures , beliefs and systems to formulate their own personal witchcraft practice which may change and evolve over time. Eclectic witches may worship a higher being or their practice may be primarily secular, or it might be its own kind of spiritual. An eclectic witch ultimately makes their own "rules" with their practice, it is entirely unique based on the individual witch.
• Augury Witch:The Roman term "augurs" stands for someone whose task is to find out whether the gods approve of a particular course of action taken by an individual. These witches can find this out by interpreting sacred signs and omens that the individual has encountered on their spiritual journey. An Auguri Witch is an interpreter between the mysterious cosmic forces and a person on a spiritual quest.
• Shaman:A Shaman is someone who can reach altered states of consciousness by engaging in certain shamanistic practices. When a Shaman enters a trance state , they have access to the spirit realm, and they can communicate with and sometimes even influence both benevolent and malevolent spirits. They can channel their messages , as well as performing divination and healing.
• Druid:Historically, we don't know much about Druids, as not many written documents about them have survived. Druidry is explained as somehow organized religion, with their own rites and rituals, and a priestly class who acted as guardians of ancient laws and could execute judgement over other.
  Neo-druids take most of their practices from sources stemming back to the Romanticism Movement of the 18th century.These druids do not follow any sacred text or dogma, but they have a spiritual vision of life.
  They believe that another world exists that we're not always able to perceive. Many Druids worship nature, engage in prayer, meditation and ceremonies that mark important passages in nature.