13 Goals of a Witch

1. Know Yourself
Know who you are. Discover who you are. Go out in nature and reflect on yourself. Know where you've been and where you're going. Know your goals and dreams. Know your hopes and fears. Keep journals.

2. Know Your Craft
Study and learn the Craft. Don't just read one book and call yourself an expert. Take courses, learn from others, read many books. Learn as many points of view as you can, so that you can form your own opinions. It would also be a great idea to attend public rituals to learn how others practice. Maybe they will have ideas and knowledge you haven't thought of. Maybe you can exchange ideas.

3. Learn
You never stop learning. Read as many books from as many points of view as possible. Ask other Wiccans questions. Don't just learn about Wicca and Witchcraft. Learn about other religions, history, or anything that might interest you.

4. Apply Knowledge With Wisdom
As you learn, the best way to solidify the knowledge in your head is to apply it. Always think before anything you do. That way you can be sure you're doing the right thing.

5. Achieve Balance
Too much of one thing is never a good thing. You should strive to achieve a balance between all things. For instance, you have home and family, but you also have a career, and you have your spiritual path, among other things. If you spend too much time in one area, then the other areas will be neglected. In my opinion, this is one of the harder goals to achieve because it's difficult to keep everything in life balanced.

6. Keep Your Thoughts in Good Order
This goal can be taken a couple different ways. Everyone knows about the law of attraction and the famous quote, "Thoughts are things." What you think is usually manifest somehow in the world. If you think nasty things all the time, if you think how bad your life is, then things will continue to not go as well for you. However, if you think positively, then things will start to look up for you. Also, don't think of others badly. If you think of other people badly, then people will not want to be around you, because it can be sensed subconsciously by others.

7. Keep Your Words in Good Order
This goal is similar to number 6. It's better to speak positively for the same reasons. You want people to be happy when you enter a room, not happy when you leave. Others flock to positive people. Also, if you encourage someone, or say nice things to them, it will often make their day. You don't know if they were having a bad day and really needed a pick-me-up.

8. Celebrate Life
Live in the moment. Live every moment. Stop to smell the roses, so to speak. Don't get caught up in the hustle and bustle of every day life. Stop to enjoy it. Take a long nature walk and listen to the animals and the breeze in the trees. Spend time with your loved ones. Do things that you always wanted to do. Don't waste your life sitting around complaining and not enjoying your time here.

9. Attune With the Cycles of the Earth
This is very important. We celebrate Sabbats that are based on these cycles. The reason why we celebrate them at certain times because they all fall on turning points in our year. If you track all the Sabbats and Esbats in one year, and you note the important things you notice in the world around you, especially the natural world, then you will see how the cycles work.

10. Breathe and Eat Correctly
We should eat healthy and breathe the way we're meant to breathe. Too many people eat junk food and fast food. While that's occasionally ok, it's not healthy. And if you're body isn't healthy, it starts to break down and as you get older, you will have problems. As for breathing, most people don't breathe properly. Most people breathe very shallow. You don't take in nearly as much oxygen as you need. You should be breathing deeper, and not just when in Yoga class.

11. Exercise the Body
This is another thing that keeps your body healthy. Regular exercise. Don't be lazy and sit in front of the TV all day. I don't understand how a witch would do that, while following a nature spirituality. You don't have to run marathons, but if you go outside and walk once a day, it's very good for you. As witches, we should try to go out for walks several times a week, and be out in nature. Even if you live in a city, there's still nature around you. I'm glad I live away from the city. I have woods and animals - all kinds of nature.

12. Meditate
Meditation is difficult for many people. In this day and age, the mind is always running. It's hard to still the thoughts. Meditation is great for many things. It's a way to connect with the Goddess or God. It's a way to visualize a place that calms you. It's a way to forget about your daily stresses. People who meditate are often happier because they have learned to let go of the stress. It's advisable to meditate for at least 10 minutes each day.

13. Honour the Goddess and the God
This is an important goal. If you follow a religion, you really should honour your deity or deities. Otherwise, what's the point? It's important to establish a relationship with them. It helps you to become a better person. If you don't know your deity, then why are you a part of your religion? Honouring them should be done every day, not just at Sabbats and Esbats. You don't have to sit down and do daily devotions. If you help someone in need, you are honouring deity. If you pick up litter, you are honouring deity. If you give thanks or say what you're grateful for, you are honouring deity.