the ultimate self love ritual
this is a powerful ritual that focuses on everything that goes into self-love and self-acceptance; overcoming guilt, ridding yourself of harmful habits and thoughts, seeing your own beauty, having confidence and courage, and harnessing your inner magick. best done on a full or waxing moon.
❀ three candles: one white, one pink, one red
❀ yarrow (rekindling love, confidence, psychic opening)
❀ cloves (courage and self confidence)
❀ lavender (inner peace, tranquility, self love)
❀ a bowl made of glass, wood or clay
❀ a mirror on a stand, or one that can lean on furniture
before you begin your ritual, take some time for self-care that makes you feel good about yourself, your face and your body. put on some music you like, gently brush your hair, do your makeup (or gently wash your face and moisturize it, if you don’t wear makeup), wear comfortable clean clothes you feel cute and/or cozy in. if you want, anoint yourself with a fragrance or essential oil that makes you feel desirable, intoxicating, or alluring.
rest comfortably on the floor (with a pillow underneath you). ensure the mirror is in front of you and that you can see yourself in it. arrange the three candles so that the white and red candles are to either side of the mirror, and the pink candle is right in front, between you and your reflection.
light the white candle, whispering, “may you cleanse my mind and heart of self-negativity and sorrow.” light the red candle, whispering, “may your flame spark newfound self-passion.” light the pink candle, whispering, “may you inspire tender self-admiration and respect.”
look at yourself in the mirror. take a moment to really inspect your face and pinpoint the things you like about it; its smoothness, its hues, its shapes. after a moment of this, cup your hands together and hold them above the flames of the candles in the order you lit them, letting your hands grow warm. gently run your warmed hands over your forehead, cheeks, nose, chin, and slowly gliding them down your neck.
re-warm your hands with each candle, and gently press them on the places on your body you tend to dislike. show yourself care and love with hands warmed by magick.
place the bowl in front of you, close to the pink candle. take the yarrow in your hands, whispering “may you grant me the power to love myself,” and place it in the bowl. take the cloves, whispering “may you bring me confidence and courage to overcome my harmful thoughts”, setting them in the bowl.
finally, take the bay leaf and pen and write out a wish that addresses something specific regarding self-love that you want to manifest; for example, “body acceptance”, “seeing inner beauty on the outside”, “emotional healing”, or some such thing. place it in the bowl.
let a little wax from each candle drip onto the herbs in your bowl, and leave the mirror and bowl where they are for three days and three nights. each morning and evening during this time, look into the mirror for a moment and think a kind thought about yourself. on the third night, dispose of the herbs and put the mirror away.