February 15, 2018
There’s no doubt about it: We are currently living through a witchy revolution.
People—especially millenial women—are turning to astrology in the face of personal and political turmoil, performing moon rituals with their friends, and seeking career advice from tarot decks. Witchcraft is having a serious moment.
But what constitutes witchcraft, exactly? Praying to Mother Nature like the Pagans? Connecting with spirits like the Voodooists? Making magical midnight margaritas like Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman in Practical Magic?
We are currently living through a witchy revolution.
It can be all of these things! But it can also be pulling tarot or oracle cards for guidance on what you should let go of during a Full Moon, palming a beautiful piece of Blue Lace Agate when you’re feeling stressed, or paying attention to how certain astrological transits affect you. It can even be as simple as taking a long, barefoot walk in a park to activate your root chakra and reconnect with the Earth. While there is certainly a rich history of intricate witchy practices from religions all around the world, we are lucky to be living in a time where everyday magic is easier and more accessible than ever.
After being introduced to witchcraft at a young age by my magically-inclined mother, I began to develop my own witchy practices in my teens and twenties to help me navigate my burgeoning career. Meditation, astrology, and tarot are all tools that keep me connected to my soul’s deepest purpose: to write books for children. Whenever I start to get caught up in small side projects and new hobbies (my Mars is in Gemini, so this happens often), I can always count on my daily tarot pull or a very powerful meditation to nudge me back to my work-in-progress manuscript. Conversely, whenever I approach a writing burnout, my witchcraft has an amazing way of reminding me that it’s ok to take a break every now and then (this often comes in the form of Mercury Retrograde—yes, sometimes it can be a good thing!)
These magical practices also keep me grounded and focused in an age of hyper-reliance on technology, corporate office life, and over-glorification of external success. Whenever I am feeling overwhelmed at having not yet become a New York Times best-selling author or stressed out from a demanding day at work, I return to my breath, or to my deck, or to the stars to soothe and center me. In this way, my relationship to witchcraft not only helps me live a life dripping with intention, but also one that reveres self-care.
My relationship to witchcraft not only helps me live a life dripping with intention, but also one that reveres self-care.
Whether you are a seasoned witch with a thick spellbook and hella Rose Quartz, or a total newbie who doesn’t know The High Priestess from The Hierophant, I urge you to embrace getting witchy as a form of self-care. Magic gives us access to tools that can help us maintain solid mental, emotional, and, of course, spiritual well-being.
Here are four key things that witchcraft can add to your self-care arsenal:
Intuition
Every single person on this planet has the ability to access their intuition. As we grow older and become conscious of other people's expectations of us, however, our pathways to it can become blocked. Enter magic. Witchy activities open up those blocked channels and reconnect us to our own personal truths.
My intuition—supported by my witchcraft—has guided me to all manner of positive decisions; from small ones like cancelling social plans to go to bed early, to big ones like moving across the country to start a life in alignment with my highest and best interests. Fostering our intuition empowers us to make healthy choices for us and us alone.
Ritual
Witchcraft relies on sacred rituals. Meaning: performing magical acts often, and at similar times of day or night. Repetitive action helps you become better at developing healthy habits. But magic asks you to take simple actions one step further by necessitating gratitude and presence every step of the way.
Magic asks you to take simple actions one step further by necessitating gratitude and presence every step of the way.
Say, for example, that you are lighting a candle to call love into your life. Simply lighting the candle won’t do. You must: 1) acknowledge all of the love that you already have; 2) get really specific about the kind of love that you wish to call into your life, and 3) thank the Universe (or the Goddess, or Divine, or whoever!) in advance for bringing it to you. This way of elevating action into ritual is an excellent way to make gratitude and intention part of your daily routine, increasing your overall happiness and drive in life.
Solitude
Embracing magic is a great way to prioritize alone time, as it requires you to make space for stillness and silence. Before you sit down to make a manifestation altar or draw an oracle card, you must turn off your busy brain and connect to your intuition. When is the last time that you gave yourself permission to savor this kind of deep solitude and connection?
Community
On the other hand, witchcraft can be a gateway to building a supportive, affirming community. No matter what misogynist revisionist history might have you believe, magic has often brought very strong, intelligent women together for the greater good. Having a group—or a coven, if you will—of like-minded individuals who are passionate about spiritual connection in an age of ever-increasing isolation and loneliness is integral to leading a fulfilling life.
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