Photo: Kiselev Andrey Valerevich / Shutterstock
Plus, how to come out of the broom closet to become a baby witch.
By Crystal Jackson — Last updated on May 04, 2023
As a fiction author, I can delve into nearly any subject and call it research. A couple of years ago, I found myself researching the modern-day practice of witchcraft for a character I was developing.
The research took me down a few different rabbit holes.
The first thing I discovered is that I know an extraordinary number of witches. As I spoke publicly about my research, I started receiving private messages from mostly solitary witches sharing how they practice witchcraft and what it means to them.
My research also took me to a psychic fair where I signed up for tarot card readings, palm readings, and a visit with a spiritual medium. I was surprised to find that the psychic fair resembled nearly any other conference I’d attended.
Practitioners of the craft looked like normal, everyday people. Those in attendance could have easily been browsing the shelves of a local bookstore or farmer’s market. Rather than the mysterious venue I expected, it was bright, airy, and informal.
As I learned more about the modern practice of magick, I noticed a pattern. Many of the practices were familiar to me. I began to ask myself, "Am I a witch?"
Whether or not you practice magic, you may have come across the term "baby witch," which has gained momentum on a subsection of TikTok appropriately called "Witchtok."
What is a baby witch?
Simply put, a baby witch is a beginner witch. Over time, baby witches expand their knowledge and begin experimenting with all different types of witchcraft, whether it's dabbling in nature, herbs, crystals, or even joining a coven.
One Twitter user described baby witches as "inexperienced witches who should only be researching and doing protection work." That's because, with such inexperience, a baby witch shouldn't be invoking magic or witchcraft without fully knowing what they are doing.
Still, you may be a baby witch if you resonate with any of the following signs.
Here are 13 signs you might be a baby witch.
1. You have a collection of rocks and crystals.
If you’re the kind of person who will pocket an interesting rock or collect crystals, this is a subtle sign that you might be a baby witch. While not all witches work with crystals, many are drawn to them. We wear them in our jewelry or use them in spell work.
If you’re a baby witch, you might carry a crystal known for protection when you travel or put rose quartz in your pocket when you’re going on a date. You embrace the symbol and use it to focus on what you want.
2. You have a manifestation practice.
You might be thinking that manifestation has nothing to do with witchcraft, but you’d be wrong. Speaking what you want into existence is a magical practice. Writing down your goals and plans? That’s magick, too.
The modern practice of witchcraft includes manifesting our desires. Witches know the power of the spoken word. We also know that our perception is influenced by our thoughts.
Focusing your will and intentions on what you want is aligned with working toward what you want. Determination is its own kind of magick.
3. You feel drawn to the moon.
Many witches feel deeply drawn to the moon and its cycles. In fact, many baby witches begin to organize their practices to the waxing and waning of the moon. If you have a natural affinity with the moon and always seem to know when there’s a powerful planetary alignment, it’s possible you’re a baby witch.
What’s interesting about modern witchcraft is that there’s a practical purpose in using moon cycles in goal setting. The energy of the new moon is a good time to set new goals and embrace new beginnings. During the waxing of the moon, we put the plan we made into action.
When the full moon arrives, it’s time to reflect on our progress and let go of anything that is no longer serving us. It’s a time of appreciation and celebration, but it’s also a key time to embrace change.
As the moon wanes, we use this time to take action to release what we’ve chosen to let go during the full moon. Then, the cycle starts again with either a new commitment to our previous intentions or new beginnings altogether.
4. You feel deeply in tune with nature.
Have you always felt drawn to and in tune with nature? Does being in natural environments soothe your soul? Many baby witches also bring the outdoors inside with houseplants, pets, or even bits and pieces of nature that caught your eye like feathers or smooth stones.
Modern witchcraft is deeply respectful of nature. We’re the ones most likely to pick up litter, tend to the earth, and step around a spider web rather than knock it down. Our attunement extends to the weather and changing seasons.
If you can find something joyful and sacred in each of the seasons, you could be a baby witch.
5. You love rituals.
Witchcraft, like most religions, is rooted in ritual. Witches often follow moon cycles, celebrate the seasons, and incorporate magical practices into each day.
Not all witches are religious. In fact, it’s even possible for witches to have another religion while practicing secular witchcraft. You might reserve Sundays to attend church while respecting nature, manifesting what you need, and participating in ritual celebrations to honor nature and the community.
Most modern witches aren’t dancing naked in a salt circle in an open field around a fire. For many, witchcraft looks like stirring our coffee clockwise while setting an intention or counterclockwise to focus on letting go.
We might use tarot or oracle cards to think more deeply about challenges in our lives. Kitchen witches infuse magic into meals, and green witches honor our practice of tending to the natural world. Some witches use herbs for healing and others simply use them to drink homemade herbal tea and reflect on their lives. There is no one way to practice.
6. You're an empath.
It’s not unusual for baby witches to also be empathic. Because witches are in tune with nature, that includes other human beings. If you can feel the emotions of others, this is a trait you share with the modern witch.
Many baby witches grew up being told they were too sensitive or too much. Feeling everything all the time can be draining, and it’s important for anyone who identifies as an empath — baby witch or not — to practice healthy boundaries and self-care.
7. You have a gift you cannot explain.
Most witches have a gift they can’t quite explain. Because it’s outside the normal range of human experience, they might not even tell anyone but their closest friends about it. Maybe you dream true dreams or feel the spirit of loved ones who have passed away.
Perhaps you’ve got a gift for reading tarot cards or interpreting tea leaves, or maybe you just know when it’s going to storm long before anyone else could know.
The heightened sensitivity of the average witch lends itself to extrasensory perception and unusual experiences. You might not tell anyone because you don’t want to deal with ridicule, doubt, or questions you don’t know how to answer. Yet, you can’t deny that there’s just something different about you.
8. Animals are drawn to you.
Have you ever been accused of being an animal whisperer? It’s not uncommon for a witch to have an innate connection with the animal kingdom. Perhaps our sensitivity simply flows into our interactions with pets and wildlife, but there’s a sacredness to the connection.
While many people are good with animals, witches often have that special something that helps them connect with all living creatures. This is why many modern witches have a familiar, or an animal companion. It doesn’t even have to be a cat, just an animal you bond with deeply.
9. You have a powerful sense of justice.
Modern witches are drawn toward justice in all its forms. You’ll find them at protests and town council meetings. They’ll sign the petition or run for public office. If they witness injustice, they are unable to stay quiet and are likely to speak up for others.
It’s not that witches believe life is fair. We know it’s not. We simply recognize that we have the power to right wrongs if only we try. We can’t do everything, but we can do something.
In fact, the evolved modern witch is likely to become sensitive to cultural appropriation and will do whatever possible to avoid it. Because respect for all living creatures is hardwired into them, they wouldn’t want to harm anyone by disrespecting their practices.
10. You have a deep respect for living creatures.
If you have a deep respect for all living creatures, you might be a baby witch. It’s not just the animal kingdom that seems to acknowledge the presence of a witch. Insects seem to know, too.
I have a friend who frequently has butterflies land on her hands when she goes for a walk. I had an entire season where wasps would allow me to pick them up and take them back outside when they found themselves lost in the forest of my living room houseplants.
Witches tend to gravitate toward saving living creatures. While some witches are vegetarian or choose a plant-based diet, others avoid killing spiders and other small creatures and look for ways to protect plants and insects in their environment.
While I love being mosquito-free, I had to stop treating my lawn when I realized it was harming the firefly, butterfly, and bee populations.
11. You're drawn toward the esoteric.
Baby witches are often drawn toward all things esoteric.
You might be interested in astrology, herbal remedies, essential oils, automatic writing, or psychic readings. You tend to surround yourself with people who are different, and you don’t judge when other people share their wildest theories, weirdest dreams, or secret psychic gifts. You know it’s possible even if you don’t understand how.
Long before I started researching the craft, I was drawn to its elements. Moon cycles, intention setting, and mindfulness practices in nature appealed to me. I was curious about modern witches long before I had any clue that my practices were so closely aligned with theirs.
12. You feel grounded and soothed by the elements.
Not every witch calls to the elements and casts a circle, but most modern witches recognize that the elements can ground and soothe us.
Bad days send us racing for a long shower or soothing bath. A bracing wind can seem to blow away our negative thoughts. Fire can offer comfort, and the earth can help us remember our roots and strength.
Whether you’re attracted to one or two elements or all of them, you may have noticed that tuning into these natural aspects helps you feel centered and calm. This is yet another sign that you might be a baby witch.
13. You feel drawn to practice magick.
The most important sign that you’re a baby witch is that you’re willing to practice magick — in religious or secular form.
If each of these qualities seems to describe you but you don’t want to practice magick, you’re not a baby witch. You have the ultimate choice when it comes to what you do and how you identify.
You even have the choice to opt for another name to call yourself other than witch. You might say you are an empath or a highly sensitive person. You may feel more comfortable with healer, chef, gardener, or another descriptor that best identifies the magic you practice.
A witch can be any gender and any age, but no one is a witch who doesn’t want to be.
How To Become A Baby Witch
1. Find a support system.
Identify people like you and begin to talk about the practice of magick. Decide how you want to practice and who you feel comfortable telling.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to come out of the broom closet at all. There are plenty of ways to practice without ever telling anyone.
2. Begin to incorporate daily rituals.
Work magick into your routine. Set an intention each morning. Practice gratitude. Connect with your community. Honor nature. Be the witch you want to see in the world.
3. Normalize the practice of the craft.
There’s nothing weird about being a witch — at least, it’s not any stranger than any other form of modern religion. Witches don’t have to look or dress a particular way.
We’re not going to hex you if we get mad... not without drawing harm onto ourselves.
4. Debunk myths about witches.
Children grow up with books and movies that depict witches as being old, ugly, evil women. None of the witches I know fit this description. They are of all ages, all genders, all professions, and even different religions, and they are the kindest people I’ve ever known.
5. Celebrate who you are.
Go ahead and have fun with it. Being a witch can be a lot of fun. So what if other people might judge you? They’re going to do that anyway. Know yourself, and make sure your practice aligns with who you are and what you believe.
6. Learn about witchcraft and make sure your practice is respectful of other cultures.
While it’s tempting to embrace the craft without the knowledge, the number one rule of witchcraft is to do no harm.
Educate yourself, and if another culture tells you that what you’re doing isn’t okay, be respectful and listen. If you want to come out of the proverbial broom closet, you need to know what you're talking about.
7. Choose what works for you and ignore what doesn’t.
The wonderful thing about witches is that witches can be anything.
If you want to practice kitchen witchery and nothing else, go for it. If you’re drawn to crystals and astrology but little else, enjoy it. If you see the need for a deity practice in your craft, do what you need to do.
Find what works and then do that. Others might notice whether you tell them or not. Blessed be, baby witches!
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Crystal Jackson is a former family therapist who writes across genres to encompass blog posts, poetry, short stories, children's books, and literary fiction. Her work has been featured on Mamamia, Elite Daily, Medium, Elephant Journal, The Good Men Project, and others.