Types of Witches
Types of witches are the recurring paths modern witchcraft organizes itself around: what a witch works with, where she practices and what her craft is for. Here are the 12 paths people actually follow, each with its own full guide.
Green Witch
The witch of plants and seasons. Green witchcraft works with herbs, gardens and the living land, and treats nature itself as the source of the craft.
In her toolkit
- Dried herb bundles
- A mortar and pestle
- Seed jars
Kitchen Witch
The witch of hearth and home. Kitchen witchcraft turns cooking, baking and daily chores into magic, with recipes as spells and the stove as the working altar.
In her toolkit
- A wooden spoon worn smooth
- Cast iron pans
- A recipe box of handwritten cards
White Witch
The witch who only heals. White witchcraft is blessing, healing and protection work, carrying on the tradition of the village healers once called white witches.
In her toolkit
- Healing salves and teas
- Blessing water
- A white candle habit
Sea Witch
The witch of tides and weather. Sea witchcraft works with salt water, shells, storms and the moon's pull on the sea, from tide pools to open water.
In her toolkit
- Hag stones
- Knotted cord
- A jar of seawater
Hedge Witch
The witch of the in-between. Hedge witchcraft is solitary and half wild, working herbs, dreams and omens at the edges of the map, and sometimes crossing over entirely.
In her toolkit
- A dream journal
- Mugwort
- A drum or steady rhythm for trance
Eclectic Witch
The witch who builds her own path. Eclectic witchcraft borrows from many traditions, keeps what works, and answers to no rulebook except experience.
In her toolkit
- A well-worn practice journal
- A shelf of mismatched books
- A tarot deck and a pendulum
Cosmic Witch
The witch of the night sky. Cosmic witchcraft is built on astrology: birth charts, planetary hours and retrogrades turn the heavens into a working calendar.
In her toolkit
- A birth chart
- An ephemeris
- A planetary hours table
Lunar Witch
The witch of the moon. Lunar witchcraft runs on the phases: new moon intentions, full moon release, moon water and esbats, one bright cycle at a time.
In her toolkit
- Moon water jars
- A lunar calendar
- Selenite
Crystal Witch
The witch of stones and minerals. Crystal witchcraft works through cleansing, charging and arranging crystals, and treats every stone as a tool with its own character.
In her toolkit
- A cleansing bowl
- A grid cloth
- Tumbled pocket stones
Hereditary Witch
The witch who learned it at home. Hereditary witchcraft is passed through family lines: grimoires, kitchen-table lessons and tools that arrive with history in them.
In her toolkit
- A family recipe box
- A grandmother's mortar and pestle
- Inherited jewelry with rules attached
Solitary Witch
The witch who works alone. Solitary witchcraft means self-initiation, self-teaching and a practice built on your own judgment, no coven required.
In her toolkit
- A self-written book of shadows
- An altar the size of a shoebox
- A dedication ritual of your own design
Gray Witch
The witch of both hands. Gray witchcraft works protection and banework alike, weighing each situation on its merits instead of following a fixed rule.
In her toolkit
- Black salt
- A small mirror
- Cord for bindings
Got questions?
How many types of witches are there?
There is no official list: witchcraft has no central rulebook. But modern practice keeps settling on the same recurring paths, and the 12 covered here are the ones people actually identify with, from green and kitchen witches to hedge, lunar and eclectic witches.
Can you be more than one type of witch?
Yes, and most witches are. The types describe centers of gravity, not fences: a green witch who cooks her herbs is half kitchen witch already. Most practitioners blend two or three paths and lead with one.
Do you have to be religious to be a witch?
No. Some witches practice within Wicca or other pagan religions, and many are entirely secular. The types on this page describe what a practice looks like, not what anyone has to believe.
What kind of witch are you?
Take the free witch quiz to find out which of the 12 you are.