About Lisa

How My Journey Began

I was born into a Catholic family but, to put it mildly, Catholicism never resonated with me. My childhood was punctuated by frequently being chastised in school for daring to question the religion I was being taught. I went through all the standard Catholic milestones, but I had already mentally stepped away by the time I was seven.

I respect anyone’s right to believe in whatever religion works for them. For me, that was not Catholicism. It felt restrictive, like a chore that was forced on me. I couldn’t get a straight answer to the most basic of questions, prayers felt like hollow words that went nowhere, and nothing about it felt empowering. I felt like I was going through the motions, without understanding or connection.

Discovering My Gifts

My awareness that there was an alternative path for me came at around age fourteen. I had been able to sense and communicate with spirits from a very young age. At fourteen, I began reading Tarot, prompted by a wonderful Tarot reader who recognised my gifts.

Around the same time, in a bid to help a friend who was experiencing some frightening spirit activity, I started researching spiritualism and mediumship. This helped me to embrace my psychic and mediumship abilities. Spiritualism made more sense to me, especially in terms of my experiences with the spirit world, but it still didn’t quite fit. Learning about the spirit world was fascinating though, so I kept researching and experimenting with my abilities.

Discovering The Craft

While hunting for information on mediumship, I stumbled across a book about witchcraft and Wiccan beliefs and practices. Instantly, I felt like I’d found something that finally made sense. I kept searching, even though information wasn’t easy to come by back then. I snapped up every book I could find and scoured every early website I could access.

By the time I was fifteen, I knew this was my path. I didn’t know any other witches or have access to a coven, so self-dedication was my only option. I gathered what supplies I could, mostly everyday objects and a few finds from the handful of New Age shops in my city, and created my own little dedication ritual.

A year and a day later, after much more study and practice, I reaffirmed my commitment to the witchy path that had already become home. While my early practice was influenced by Wiccan principles, I’ve always felt a strong pull toward the land, lore, and cycles of my Celtic ancestors. Over time, I naturally blended what I was learning with spiritual elements rooted in my own Irish heritage, from honouring seasonal festivals to working with local spirits, deities, and the land itself.

Witchcraft, Ethics, and a Non-Traditional Path

I’m an eclectic witch. I’ve never followed a rigid, one-size-fits-all approach to practice, and I’ve always believed that labels matter far less than understanding, responsibility, and lived experience.

Some of my early ethical framework was shaped by Wiccan principles, particularly the emphasis on personal responsibility and restraint. Those values still inform how I work today. For example, I don’t view the Threefold Law as a literal system of cosmic punishment, but I do see the principle as a useful guide rail. It encourages proportion and discourages escalation and reminds you to pause before reacting, which seems especially important in recent years when some of the discourse around defensive or retaliatory magick would have you believing the most minor of slights justifies a nuclear magickal response.

It’s also important to say that Wicca isn’t the only path, or the only ethical path. Many traditions and personal practices place a strong emphasis on accountability, balance, and responsible use of power. Wicca simply happens to be one of the frameworks that helped me develop those values early on.

I’m not part of a Traditional Initiatory Wiccan coven, and I’ve never claimed to be. Closed traditions have their own knowledge and practices, and I respect their right to protect them. I’m not privy to those teachings, and I won’t teach what isn’t mine to teach. This guide shares what I’ve learned through experience as a solitary, eclectic practitioner, not coven-based traditional initiatory material.

Why I Chose a Solitary Path

As I mentioned, at first, my solitary path was a necessity rather than a choice and I would have jumped at the chance to join a coven. However, shortly into my solitary journey, I had a chance meeting with an older, more experienced witch. She cautioned me about being mindful of who I worked with. She told me that, while there are great covens out there, I had more energy and potential than I understood at the time, and not everyone drawn to that would have good intentions.

Her intention wasn’t to put me off covens, and she didn’t. I still have the utmost respect for them. However, in the months and years that followed, the offers I received to join covens never sat right with me. Every one of them came from male practitioners I’d only just met, offering to ‘initiate’ me privately — with no mention of their actual covens or community.

Even back then, I recognised those offers for what they were: an attempt to use the promise of initiation as a way to manipulate or take advantage. That experience didn’t turn me against covens, but it did teach me the importance of discernment, boundaries, and listening to my intuition. Later, I realised that my meeting with her wasn’t a coincidence. It was engineered to protect me until I better understood my own power. By then, I’d realised I was much more comfortable forging my own path.

Community of Covens

That’s not to say that covens don’t have their benefits! The right coven can offer a fantastically nurturing environment, especially for a new witch. Even as a solitary practitioner, I love working with like-minded people when the occasion arises, and the sense of community and support that comes with that. However, I’m discerning about who I work with and know how and when to protect my energy.

My advice to those considering coven membership is, if you do join, do so in perfect love and perfect trust. But, just remember, perfect love and perfect trust doesn’t mean you blindly trust anyone and everyone. Get to know your prospective coven well before you join. Don’t allow anyone to overstep your boundaries. Don’t underestimate the power you have. Above all, if your intuition tells you something isn’t right, listen to it! You can learn more about the benefits and pitfalls of coven membership here.

The Purpose of The Witchy Guide

Witchcraft helped me to embrace who I am and to lean more fully into my psychic gifts. I eventually became a professional Tarot reader and founded The Witchy Guide’s sister site, The Tarot Guide. When I was new to Tarot, I struggled to find clear, practical information on the cards, so I created a resource to make learning easier for others. It continues to flourish today.

As it has continued to grow, my guides have frequently brought my attention to the struggles of new witches, and the similar challenges I faced starting out on this journey. Navigating a witchy path alone isn’t always easy. Although, in my experience, guidance will find its way to you when you really need it, and that’s what this guide is here for.

The Witchy Guide is, primarily, for all those new witches who are on the path alone, like I was. Experienced witches or covens looking for help or inspiration are also welcome!

Discernment

The Witchy Guide is a curated collection of the eclectic knowledge I’ve gained over decades of practice. Whether you are solitary or part of a coven, your path is your own. This site shares what has been useful to me, but we are all different. Not everything here will resonate with you, and that’s okay. Use your discernment, take what works for you, and leave the rest.

My only request is that any discourse, whether with me or other members of the community, remains respectful. Everyone has the right to their own beliefs and practices. We don’t have to agree on everything. If The Witchy Guide doesn’t resonate with you at all, I hope you find a resource that does.

Whether you are committed to a solitary path, still searching for the right coven, or simply looking for inspiration, I hope The Witchy Guide supports you on your journey. While much of my learning has come through eclectic and Wiccan-influenced sources, my Celtic roots and Irish ancestry have deeply shaped how I experience magick and spirit. In recent years, I’ve come to understand that some of my gifts are inherited, passed quietly through generations at a time when such things couldn’t be spoken about openly.

For me, magick isn’t just spiritual. It’s ancestral, cultural, and a way of reclaiming part of who I am. I encourage you to explore your own heritage and see how it might support or deepen your magickal path. You may be surprised by what’s waiting there to be remembered.

Blessed Be,
Lisa
xxx