What Kind of Witch Are You? 60 Witchcraft Traditions

In an earlier post, I mentioned that I recently discovered that there are a myriad of different paths of witchcraft these days. Here’s an article that details 60 of them. Below are summaries from the main article, but it goes into more detail with expanded information on each. Many of these are represented in stylized forms in various RPGs, from Ars Magica and Mage: the Ascension to various racial and regional branches in different D&D settings.

• What Kind of Witch Are You? 60 Witchcraft Traditions

Different Types of Witches and Witchcraft

1. Wicca: A form of modern paganism founded in England in the mid 20th century.
2. Thelema: Founded by famed occultist Aleister Crowley, Thelema centers around ceremonial rituals and interpretations of ancient Egyptian rituals.
3. Celtic Witch: Based on the study and worship of ancient Celtic deities, mythology, earth magic, and ceremonial rites.
4. Druid: Practitioners of the ancient Celtic religion.
5. Gaia: Nature-centric witchcraft based around old European traditions about harmony with the earth.
6. Norse: Known as seiðr or seidh, Norse witchcraft is based upon the ancient religion of Scandinavia.
7. Neo-Pagan: An umbrella term that refers to the resurgence in all kinds of witchcraft and the ‘new’ earth-based customs.
8. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn: An organization devoted to the study of the occult and ancient magic. Founded in England in the early 20th century, the organization helped revive interest in occult studies in Europe.
9. Satanic: A cult of defiance against the constructs of a dictatorial society, the church, and traditional magic.
10. Ceremonial: A term that refers to practitioners of “high magick.”
11. Chaos Magic: A contemporary magical practice that blends all types of magic and is based on strong belief in the magic being used.
12. African: An umbrella term for the many types of magic practiced in Africa.
13. Scandinavian: A type of witchcraft practiced in northern Europe and derived from ancient Norse magic.
14. Sea Witch: Practitioners of water-based magic who normally live in coastal areas.
15. Fellowship of Isis: An occult order based around the worship of the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis.
16. Floral Witch: A witch who works primarily with flowers.
17. Alexandrian: Founded in Britain the 1960’s by Alex and Maxine Sanders and based on ritual and ceremonial magic.
18. Chthonioi: A variation of the Alexandrian tradition that also includes the pantheon of Greek gods and goddesses.
19. European: An umbrella term for all of the witchcraft and magical traditions of Europe.
20. Faery: Based on ancient folklore from the British Isles.
21. Ancestral: An ancient form of magic based around contacting the spirits of the dead and communicating with one’s ancestors.
22. Angel Witch: Practitioners of magic who communicate and work with angels and other divine beings.
23. Sigil: A practitioner of magic who uses sigils and weaves words into their magic.
24. Green Witchcraft: A witch who bases their magical practice around things such as gardening and herbalism.
25. Healer: Someone who uses healing magic.
26. Animist: A witch who is in tune with nature and all living things on the planet. One who sees no distinction between humans, animals, plants, or any other physical object in the world.
27. Art Witch: A magical practitioner who works with art as their primary medium.
28. Arthurian Witch: Magic based around the old legends of King Arthur.
29. Astarte: An occult order that worships the ancient Greek goddess of fertility and war.
30. Astrology Witch: A witch who uses astrology in their magic and lifestyle on.
31. Lunar Witch: A witch who works with the lunar cycles.
32. Musical Witch: A witch who expresses feelings and thoughts through music.
33. Secular Witch: A practitioner of magic that does not worship any deities.
34. Shaman: A broad term used to describe a magician who works magic by deliberately entering an altered state of consciousness.
35. Augury: A witch who divines omens, signs, and symbols.
36. Axis Mundi: The belief in a central pillar that connects earth to the heavens.
37. Hearth Witch: A witch who practices magic that is focused on the home.
38. Hedge Witch: A solitary practitioner who follows their own path and a herbalist, who mixes up potions and brews in their kitchen.
39. Elemental Witch: A witch who works with the five esoteric elements: fire, water, air, earth, and spirit.
40. Stregheria: An Italian form of witchcraft that has a lot in common with Wicca.
41. Tech Witch: Someone who uses modern technology to aid in their witchcraft, such as using a microwave instead of a cauldron.
42. Traditional British Witchcraft: An umbrella term for the many regional types of witchcraft in Britain.
43. Lounge Witch: A witch who restricts their witchcraft to the home.
44. Luciferian: Those magical practitioners who invoke and worship Lucifer, who is revered as the bringer of light and the morning star.
45. Crystal Witch: A witch who focuses on using crystals in their magical practices.
46. Dianic Witchcraft: An offshoot of Wicca which focuses on female deities. It is named after Diana, the Roman goddess of hunting, nature, and the Moon.
47. Law of Attraction: Witchcraft that is based on the now-popular Law of Attraction.
48. Left-Hand Path: Witches who reject normal magical conventions and engage in the breaking of taboos.
49. Divination: A witch who specializes in divination, such as tarot cards, scrying, or other such means of discovering occult and hidden information.
50. Dowser: A practitioner who uses the ancient art of dowsing to locate the ley lines that encircle the globe.
51. Eclectic Witch: A witch that embraces all types of magic and magical traditions, refusing to be pinned down to one type of magical practice.
52. Eco-Paganism: Someone who is an environmental activist who uses magical practices to defend the earth and help raise awareness of environmental issues.
53. Egyptian Witchcraft: Magical practitioners who incorporate ancient Egyptian deities and magic into their arsenal. They may incorporate Wiccan traditions as well.
54. Folk Witchcraft: This magical tradition is closely related to both British witchcraft (and its derivations) and Faery.
55. Gardnerian: A version of Wicca based on the writings of Gerald Brosseau Gardner. The Gardnerian tradition is a highly structured form of witchcraft. It is coven-based and has a formal progression through degrees of initiation. Practices are kept secret, and many members keep their affiliation to their coven secret also.
56. Hellenic: A form of magic and paganism based on the worship of the ancient Greek pantheon of gods and goddesses.
57. Hereditary Witch: Handed down along the family line, hereditary witchcraft is unique to each family and contains many aspects of traditional paganism,
58. Shinto: An ancient Japanese religion that is based around the worship of spirits known as Kami.
59. Kitchen Witch: A witch who practices magic in the home and in the kitchen in particular.
60. Solitary Witch: A witch who conceals their witchiness and works alone.