Author and practicing witch Deborah Lipp shared insights about witchcraft and Wicca. Witchcraft is a practice, while Wicca is a religion, she explained. Worshipping nature and a male and female God are the tenets of the religion, and there are currently half-a-million pagans (many of whom are Wiccan) in North America, she stated.
Magic is pushing the improbable to make it probable, rather than making something impossible happen, said Lipp, who noted that the best target for a spell is typically oneself. Spells involve clarifying what you want, raising your power, and then directing this power towards your goal. The timing of spells interacts with lunar cycles with a waning moon best for decreasing something, and a waxing moon for increasing. Healing is one of the primary goals that witches deal with, she added.
Invoking magic can make a person more vulnerable to psychic energies, said Lipp, who recommended creating a "psychic shielding" around oneself: Visualize a beneficial shield around the body (often a glowing white light) into which no negative energies can enter. She also spoke about her use of Tarot cards-- the symbols of the cards can help the reader find a path to their psychic ability.