I want to learn WITCHCRAFT! And I want to be a Good Witch.

You've started out on the right foot already - by asking questions. Two of the main goals in Witch Craft are wisdom and knowledge. My best reccomendation as a first text book is Raymond Bucklands "The Complete Book of Witchcraft" affectionately known in the witchy world as "the big blue book", it will give you a firm foundation to build upon. After that the direction you decide to take, in your life, and studies, is your own.

Keep asking questions of the witchy community we are generally a pretty patient group of people. Find other witches and Wiccans in your community most would be more than happy to help you.

In Africa, Witchcraft is seen as a destructive practice that is responsible for an array of societal woes. Even the Witch is a victim in that she is possessed by a spirit that ultimately leave her destroyed in the form of Death, Lunacy or rejection by the larger society. But Witchcraft may vary as evident in the contents of the other response.

If you really want to be a witch, you have to come to this town where real witchery exists, or so many believe. If you ever get to take the trip this October, go to Salem, Massachusetts. That is where the art is really around all year, but its displayed then. Theirs a shop, I forgot its name but its famous, where a witch lives and she shares her knowledge and how to do them. You can buy real potions and even have your future told, the scary part is it normally comes true. I dared not have mine told. Google the town, there is a lot of history as it was where the witch burnings were.

~thranax~

so you said that you were interested in the witchcraft religion? a good book i have read when i was starting out was called "Wicca" by Raven Grimassi Buckland's is always good too. they have a sort of textbook style to their books which is good for beginners. be sure that you have read books of many of the other religions too, you want to have a clear view of what else is out there before conforming to one thing. be sure to be educated before beginning to actually practice the craft as well, it is not something to simply toy with.

I have been an initiated witch in the Gardnerian tradition for 30 years and I recommend that the first step is to think about why you want to become a witch. Good reasons are: seeking spiritual balance, looking for a religion without shame, want feel in tune with nature, etc. Inadequate reasons: the ability to take what you want, need to control situations with magic, feel powerful instead of helpless. In my experience, using the Craft for the wrong reasons can be very dangerous and can do spiritual damage. To be a witch, one must examine one's motives and follow the Wiccan Rede - "An ye harm none, do what you will."

If you are seeking to nourish yourself, then asking questions is the next step. There are many books, people and other resources available. I recommend that you check out the web site 'The Witches Voice' at witchvox.com as they are a useful portal to the Wiccan community. My favorite authors are Starhawk (The Spiral Dance) and Scott Cunningham. They are easy to understand and have no hidden agendas about making money by enticing you to buy the next new book of shiny spells to make you rich and famous like the author. Be well, do good works and keep in touch with the earth. (with a nod to Garrison Keillor)

I think the best thing is to start with a journal the first step to any meaningful path is self discovery. I agree with Miriam Benson's advice. The book Witchcrafting by Phyllis Curott is my favorite, because she goes into why to do things not just how, I personally don't like Buckland's big blue but each person to their own. After doing reading you might begin by reaching out to people in your local community-if you are under the age of 18 some groups will be more hesitant to be involved with you, but their is lots you can do on your own like learning to meditate or spending time in nature. If you have read some of the better known authors you are more likely to be taken seriously.