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The beginning of your spiritual journey can be a beautiful and transformative experience, but it’s also easy to get caught up in misconceptions and unrealistic expectations. When I first started my journey as a witch or a spiritual person, I made several mistakes that added unnecessary stress and pressure. Here, I’ll share these mistakes and offer some ideas on what you can do instead.
1. Believing I Had to Always Be Disciplined with My Practice
Mistake: I thought that being a witch meant I had to be highly disciplined and consistent with my practice. This created a rigid routine that felt more like a chore than a spiritual journey. I thought I needed to wake up earlier, do something daily (or even hourly), and never skip a day.
What to do instead: Allow flexibility and flow in your practice. Your spiritual journey should enhance your life, not restrict it. Embrace spontaneity and listen to your intuition. It’s okay to miss a day or adapt your practice to fit your current mood and energy levels.
2. Thinking I Shouldn’t Have Any Times ‘Off’
Mistake: I believed that taking time off from my practice meant I wasn’t committed enough. This led to burnout and a loss of passion for my spiritual path. I naturally go through seasons where I’m more inclined to actively practice and other times where my spiritual practice is really just living and being. But I thought if I was not doing something daily, I wasn’t spiritual enough.
What to do instead: Recognize the importance of rest and breaks. Your spiritual journey is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s perfectly fine to take time off to recharge. This will help you maintain a healthy, sustainable practice in the long run. Taking days, weeks, or even seasons ‘off’ from your practices is normal – and when you do come back the practices will be even more meaningful because you’re not forcing yourself to do them.
3. Feeling the Need to Do Something for Every Full Moon, New Moon, and Sabbat
Mistake: I thought I had to perform rituals for every full moon, new moon, and Sabbat, which became overwhelming and stressful. That meant at least every two weeks, or more, there was something I needed to be tracking, planning for, and doing. My body does not work that way. You can be attuned to the cycles around us without needing to do anything more than be aware of the cycles.
What to do instead: Focus on quality over quantity. Choose the events that resonate most with you and celebrate them in meaningful ways. It’s better to have a few deeply connected practices than to spread yourself too thin.
4. Believing I Had to Eat Differently
Mistake: I assumed that being a witch required a specific diet, which made me feel restricted and guilty whenever I didn’t adhere to it. You don’t have to be vegan, vegetarian, eat only whole foods.
What to do instead: Honor your body’s needs and preferences. While certain foods might enhance your practice, there’s no one-size-fits-all diet for witches. Eat what makes you feel nourished and energized.
5. Thinking I Had to Watch Different Things on TV
Mistake: I believed that what I watch had to reflect my spiritual path, limiting what was ‘good’ enough and making me feel disconnected from everyday pleasures. I love watching reality tv – I thought if I watched ‘trashy’ shows I was not being a good enough spiritual person and it would get in the way of my healing.
What to do instead: Enjoy a balanced media diet. It’s okay to watch things that entertain and relax you, even if they aren’t explicitly spiritual. Your downtime is an important part of your overall well-being. Watch your trashy tv, live this human life, you don’t have to cut tv completely or never watch your favorite shows again.
6. Believing I Had to Journal Every Day
Mistake: I thought I needed to journal daily to track my spiritual progress, which quickly turned into a burdensome task. I would get anxious by the end of the day if I hadn’t journaled and would feel guilty in the morning.
What to do instead: Journal when you feel inspired. Quality journaling that comes from genuine reflection and insight is far more valuable than forced entries. Allow your journaling to be an organic part of your practice.
7. Thinking I Had to Meditate Every Day
Mistake: I felt that daily meditation was essential, leading to frustration when I couldn’t maintain the habit. And to be honest, meditation made me more anxious when I did it from a state of feeling like I HAD to, instead of doing it from an inspired place.
What to do instead: Integrate meditation in ways that suit your lifestyle. This could mean shorter, more frequent sessions or different forms of mindfulness practices. Find what works best for you without pressuring yourself to meditate daily. I take time to meditate when I feel the nudge to do it or when I’ve noticed my thoughts are taking over and I want to calm them a bit.
8. Believing I Had to Always Be Actively Healing Something
Mistake: I believed that my spiritual journey required constant healing work, which left me feeling like I always needed to dig deeper to find the next thing to fix – which is exhausting.
What to do instead: Balance healing with moments of joy and celebration. Healing is an important part of the journey, but so is recognizing your strengths and achievements. Allow yourself to experience wholeness and contentment as well. There is something inherently spiritual with accepting where you are and allowing yourself to sit in the present without feeling the next to change anything.
9. Only Having One Mentor and Taking Their Word as Gospel
Mistake: When I first started my practice I only had a couple of mentors I made the mistake of relying on a single mentor and accepting their teachings without question. With my religious background I had this preconceived notion that there was only one way to do things ‘right.’ This limited my growth and understanding and also took away my personal power to lean into what was right for me.
What to do instead: Seek diverse perspectives. Having multiple mentors and sources of guidance can provide a richer, more well-rounded understanding of your spiritual path. It’s important to critically evaluate and integrate what resonates with you from various teachings. Take what resonates with you and leave the rest. Just because someone is your mentor doesn’t mean you need to take their beliefs on as your own – remember, everyone is still a human with their own areas for healing and growth and no one is the perfect example of a spiritual being. We’re all figuring it out.
Your spiritual journey is uniquely yours. It’s important to remember that there is no right or wrong way to practice. Embrace what resonates with you, let go of rigid expectations, and allow your spiritual path to evolve naturally. What works for someone might not work for you and that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be.
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