solitary witch 🌲

DON’T YOU DARE PUT SALT IN THE GROUND.

DO NOT CAST SALT CIRCLE IN THE DIRT. DO NOT SALT THE GROUND TO CLEANSE IT. DO NOT BURY SACHETS THAT INCLUDE SALT.

STOP SALTING THE GROUND.

Fatigue looks at things such as tiredness, drowsiness, exhaustion, weakness, lethargy and memory issues and says “I can do all that and more!”. It leaves you feeling utterly trapped in your own body; unable to move, or even think at times. It fluctuates, but is always looming. 

While this post is open for all, it is written for those who truly relate to this all-consuming feeling (due to ME/CFS, other chronic illnesses, mental illness, or undiagnosed causes). Not all of these may work for you, but hopefully they inspire something that will. For general low energy witchcraft, check out my Bedridden Witch Series!

As always: witchcraft is to be used in addition to proper medical care, treatment and medication; not as a sole alternative.

To draw energy:

If you cannot produce your own, magically created will be just fine!

Crystals. 

I tend to use clear quartz for an energy boost, but trust your intuition; if something calls to you, it’s for a reason. 

Keep it near your bedside table, under your pillow, hold it in your hand or place it on your body where you feel the fatigue most strongly centered. 

When on the go, carry it in your pocket or wear as jewelry. If it is larger, carry in a bag and hold it when you need it. 

Charge using a charging board or the elements. 

Crystals for fatigue

Waters.

Physically touching water brings me energy. I keep jars of snow, rain, storm, river, stream (etc, etc.) water and will dip my fingers in it and mark that parts of my body where the fatigue feels strongest. Be aware of pollutants and do not ingest!

The same method can be done with tap water (or water charged under the sun or moon)

Drink sun water or sun tea (start with drinking safe water and let it absorb the energies of the sun).

Some people find moon water to be energizing (same process as above, just with the moon). 

See also: Bedridden witch: Bath edition.

Other elements.

Note what is energizing to you and what is draining to you. Consider: the sun, moon (and it’s phases), weather (rain, overcast, snow, storm, wind), cold vs. hot, the earth, fire, air, etc.

Once you find which elements are energizing to you, find ways to incorporate them into your life. Examples: jars of different waters or soils, rocks collected from places, candles, and more.

I usually draw energy up from the earth by placing my palms flat towards the earth by the sides of my body. So if I was lying down, my arms would be at my sides with my palms facing down.

Expose yourself or protect yourself. I’ll use my personal experiences as an example here… Rain often energizes me. When it rains, I’ll open my windows, and if I’m able I’ll step outside or collect some water. On the flipside, full moons often drain me. I’ll close my windows and curtains, hang an extra blanket over my bedroom window, use water to paint protective sigils on the window and increase my wards.

See also: Bedridden witch: Elements edition and Bedridden witch: Weather edition

To manage symptoms:

Brain fog:

Brainfog lifting

“Brainfog begone” sigil

Fatigue: 

Spoonie spell for energy

Energy gain spell

Energy boost spell

Energy bath

Fatigue recovery spell jar

Headaches (and migraines):

Headache healing

To banish a headache

Anti-migraine spell

Anti-migraine spell bottle

Migraine relief bath

Joint pain:

Arthritis pain relief oil

Joint pain spell

Healing spell for joints

Memory:

Memory masterpost

Memory and concentration spell

Mental reboost tea spell

Muscle pain:

Muscle pain sachet

Warming salve for sore muscles

Crystals for muscle pain (external site)

For more categories of symptoms please see my posts for symptoms relating to chronic illness and mental illness!

Practicing the craft with energy limitations:

Tips and tricks:

I highly recommend preparing things when your energy allows, so it’s always ready to go when you need it (and isn’t dependent on current energy levels). 

Cleansing: Let other things do your work for you. Open your windows/get fresh air, steam or smoke, sound, etc. Bedridden energy cleansing.

Divination: Use apps when physical movement is hard. One card spreads, shorten your pendulum so you don’t need to lift your arm, divine using the elements, etc. Bedridden divination.

Spells: Make your own spell kits. Spell jars and sachets are also an excellent way to already have the spell prepared, set it up so you can simply shake it to re/activate the spell.

Warding: Create physical ties for your wards that aren’t reliant on consistent upkeep (as a failsafe), and reinforce your other ward layers when you have the energy. I create far more layers than I need so when I am unable to reinforce them, they still protect me. 

Worship: Compile prayers and devotions somewhere you can easily find and read them, have a wall altar for easy maintenance, keep offerings simple (a glass of water, for example). Bedridden worship.

Many more tips and tricks in these posts:

Bedridden witch series (masterpost of all my current bedridden witch posts, including some that weren’t linked here!)

Limited hand mobility + witchcraft (divination, spells, working with flames, recording information and more)

Nonverbal witchcraft

You may also like:

Magic to replenish energy

Spoonie witch masterpost

Chronically ill witchcraft: For your symptoms

Mentally ill witchcraft: For your symptoms

Witchcraft & Meds

Sigils: (pain + symptoms) (mental illness + energy) (healing + misc.) 

Drink magic masterpost

Rejuvenating witchcraft

Do none of these posts fit your needs? Let me know, I’m always looking for more ways to make witchcraft accessible!

**Do not repost or share on other platforms - reblogging is okay!**

LITHA

🧀Fruit & veg, herbed bread, cheese, honey cakes, chicken, pork, sunflower seeds, lemonade, ice tea.

🍋Lemon, orange, cinnamon, rose oils.

🔮Moonstone, tigers eye, amethyst, flourite, agate. {Or any crystals in warm colours}.

🌞See the sun rise & set, eat outdoors, make or buy a sun catcher, bake a sweet cake, let sunlight cleanse your rooms, clear cobwebs, wear a flower crown, make honey/sugar scrub, wear warm tones.

🎬Peter Pan, Fairy Tale, Ferngully, Stardust, Tinkerbell, Maleficent.

LAMMAS

🌽Multi grain bread, corn on the cob, bbq meats, fried chicken, potatoes, soup, rice, nuts, black current juice, beer, peppermint tea.

🌹Rose, chamomile, passion fruit, all spice oils/scents.

🔮Citrine, clear quartz, tigers eye.

📖Finish a project, make a bread to share, enjoy nature, take care of plants, decorate or craft, acknowledge what you are grateful for, journal future hopes.

🎬Parent Trap, Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, Cheaper by the Dozen.

MABON

🍇Pies, nuts, smoked or roast poultry [bbq chicken with smoky bbq sauce], soup, corn, apples, plums, grapes, cinnamon donuts, caramel popcorn, peanut butter, butterscotch.

🌲Sage, pine, cinnamon oils/scents.

🔮Amethyst, clear quartz, citrine, yellow agate.

🌾Make scented pinecones, spend time under the stars, donate food or goods [RSPCA], burn bad habits, visit the deceased, harvest take care of plants, bask in nature, meditate.

🎬Open Season, Brother Bear, Spirit, Pocahontas, Brave.

SAMHAIN

🎃Pumpkins, toffee apples, ginger bread, chai, nutmeg or cinnamon spiced foods, hazelnuts, sweets.

🌰Nutmeg, cinnamon scents.

🔮Obsidian, onyx, bloodstone, amber, fossils.

🕯Cook a family recipe, light a fire, remember & honour the deceased.

🎬Hocus Pocus, Addams Family, Monsters Inc, Little Vampire, Corpse Bride, Casper, Hansel Gretel Witch Hunters, Underworld, Van Helsing.

YULE

🍪Cookies, fruit cake, turkey, eggnog, ginger tea.

🕎Cedar, frankincense, myrrh oils.

🔮Bloodstone, citrine, clear quartz.

❄Give or volunteer, bake shortbread or sugar cookies, share a meal with loved ones.

🎬Santa Clause, Rise of the Guardians, 101 Dalmatians, Frozen, Snow White Winters War, Narnia.

IMBOLC

🍩Poppy seeds, pumpkin seeds, bread butter pudding, scones, muffins, garlic, onions.

☕Vanilla, cinnamon oil.

🔮Amethyst, bloodstone, onyx.

🕯Light white candles, plant seeds, bless your pets, declutter & clean your living space, bake orange and poppy seed muffins or cake.

🎬Mr Poppers Penguins, Happy Feet, Balto, Ice Age, Mirror Mirror.

OSTARA

🍌Roast ham & pineapple, eggs, milk, seeds & nuts, banana bread, chocolate milk, green vegetables.

🌹Jasmine, light florals, sweet garden, wild flowers.

🔮Amethyst, rose quartz, moonstone.

🌹Light candles, plant seeds, share a roast ham with loved ones, bake banana bread, finish spring cleaning, lay tumbled stones in your garden bed, take deep breaths [inhale new energy & exhale old energies], wear spring colours whites & florals, collect wildflowers or buy flowers that call to you & research what they mean, walk through nature.

🎬Epic, Strange Magic, The Secret Garden, Spiderwick, A Bugs Life, Barbie Fairies.

BELTANE

🍞Breads, cakes, honey, leafy greens, fruit & veg, seafood, iced tea, lemonade, milk.

🌼Florals, sweet garden, honeysuckle, jasmine, rose.

🔮Amber, citrine, moonstone, red jasper, rose quartz.

🌼Wear a flower crown or flowers in your hair, dress in red or white, make a bonfire & roast marshmallows, garden, take a walk, spend time in nature, pick fresh flowers to decorate.

🎬Moana, Arthur Trilogy, Avatar, Jungle Book, Tinkerbell, Barbie.

HOW I CELEBRATE ALL SABBATS OR ESBATS

☾Sage cleanse the house, light candles, diffuse oils.

☾Clean sheets/bedding/pillowcases/towels.

☾Eat at least one traditional food.

☾Watch a relevant movie.

☾Take notes in my BOS of how I celebrated the Sabbat to look back on next year.

☾Charge my crystals & tarot decks in the full moonlight.

☾Do a tarot reading relevant to the Sabbat.

☾Spend time outside with my dogs 🐶

This right here? This is perfect container for spells.

Is cheap (as little as 2 cents) or even free Can be written/painted on Is inconspicuous Is easily accessible Can be lit on fire Is biodegradable Floats

Budget witches, secret witches, all us witches.

Plain. white. envelopes.

You can even recycle old ones. But don’t use the ones with plastic windows to burn or bury.

It’s not a weird thing to have in your house

They can even be tied around candles if you don’t fill them to much.

Friendly reminder that when someone tells you to consider the mundane and non magical things that can be effecting something, such as a spell candle that won’t stay lit, a trinket shaking on a shelf, seeing certain kinds of animals during certain times of year etc, they aren’t trying to discredit you. They are trying to make sure that what you are seeing is truly magical and not just coincidence.

Sometimes I will say or do something and my husband will give me the strangest looks. Over the years I think he’s come to accept my quirks without question, but I wonder if any of y'all have any traditions/superstitions that were passed down through your family. Here are some of mine:

Never sweep after the moon has risen. If your nose is itching, you’ll soon have good company. If a broom falls over on its own, you’ll have unwanted company. Never say thank you for plants given or they will die. If you drop a pair of scissors and they stick into the floor, don’t pick them up until they fall over. (I don’t know what would happen if you did.) Never lend a needle or salt… charge a penny each. Keep an amethyst by your bed to ward off bad dreams. If you tell your dreams before breakfast, they won’t come true. If the stuffing of your pillow forms a ring, a death is near. Put a piece of wedding cake under your pillow and you’ll dream of your future spouse. A mirror laying flat under a full moon will show you what you need to see. Prick the corners of your bread dough to “let the fairies out” so that the bread will rise high. Bad luck comes in threes. Paint your window sills blue to keep bad spirits away. They can’t cross water, so the color tricks them. Alternately, you can keep a bottle tree in your yard to capture them. When the sun rises, they’ll be banished. Copper by your door will keep insects away. Rain on a wedding day is good luck. If it rains while the sun is shining, the devil is beating his wife. Red sunrise means rain is on the way. Cows lying down means bad weather is coming. You can find clean water by looking for crawdads. Carved wooden spoons given to a new bride ensures a happy marriage. Bread, candles, and salt are traditional housewarming gifts. Hang a horseshoe over the door with the open side up to catch good luck. Rainwater caught during a full moon will cure warts. (among other things) Keep rosemary in the garden to ensure a thrifty home.

April 1st: The Moon at perihelion; Conjunction of the Moon and Venus

April 2nd: Close approach of the Moon and Venus;

Conjunction of Mercury and Neptune; Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury

April 4th: Pluto opposition True Node

April 5th: New Moon in Aries

April 6th: Pallas at Opposition

April 9th: Conjunction of the Moon and Mars; Close approach of the Moon and Mars; Mercury reaches highest point in morning sky; Conjunction of Venus and Neptune

April 10th: Jupiter Retrograde; Mercury at aphelion

April 11th: Mercury at greatest western elongation

April 12th: Virginid meteor shower; First Quarter Moon in Cancer; Mercury at dichotomy

April 13th: Eris at solar conjunction

April 16th: The Moon at perigee

April 17th: Mercury enters Aries; Venus at aphelion

April 19th: Full Moon in Libra

April 20th: Sun enters Taurus; Venus enters Aries

April 21st: The Moon at aphelion

April 22nd: Uranus at solar conjunction

April 23rd: Lyrid meteor shower; Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter; Close approach of the Moon and Jupiter

April 24th: Pluto Retrograde

April 25th: Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn; Close approach of the Moon and Saturn; Close approach of the Moon and Pluto

April 26th: Last Quarter Moon in Aquarius

April 28th: α–Scorpiid meteor shower; The Moon at apogee

April 29th: Saturn Retrograde

Inspired by @murmuring-forests ‘s plant lullaby⬇️⬇️⬇️

This water can be put in a spray bottle to spray around windowsills/doors, simply rubbed on objects, or maybe even splashed somewhere. Some of the items in this jar may not be available where you live, but you could change up the ingredients. 

MATERIALS

a jar of any size

water (can be blessed/charged if you like, but not necessary)

a thorn from a honey locust tree

a sweetgum tree pod

rosemary (can be dried or fresh)

sage (dried or fresh)

DIRECTIONS

Put all of your ingredients in the jar with the water, except for your thorn.

Stir everything with the thorn. This incantation is not necessary (it just kind of came out of my mouth as I stirred), but you can say: “Honey locust, sweetgum tree; sage, rosemary, protect thee; bless this water with the power of protection” as you stir. 

*this lullaby does not replace the care needed for a plant, it is just an aid.

I see you weary

But don’t fret for long

I’ll sooth your roots

With some song

I see your life

Still holding on

And I will help

Don’t fret for long

You still have so much to hear

The breeze in the wind, my gentle song

As you heal, I will keep you near

Little child, young and well

With leaves so lush, you will excel

Right now, you are so small

But with my care, you will grow tall

I’ll sing to you, and you with thrive

Magick can be more difficult for some than others but that doesn’t mean you should give up. I remember when I first started I was terrible, I couldn’t even figure out how to center myself. I constantly had migraines and felt tired and aggravated while trying to cast spells. But I found a way that helped me and I hope it will help you.

First let’s talk about what originally made you interested in magick. For this exercise I recommend finding a notebook or some paper you like to write on and begin well, writing! Here are some things I recommend writing about and thinking about:

What originally got me interested in witchcraft?

What does the word “magick” mean to me?

What parts of witchcraft and magick do I find myself most drawn to?

In pop culture what images of magick are most appealing to me? How do I feel it should look? (this is important for visualization later)

What challenges have I faced? 

What successes have I had? If I havent’ had any yet, what would I like to succeed in?

After you get all of that out on the page, even if its messy and full of run-ons thats okay. This is for you, not anyone else. Read through it and think about the next step. Make a goal list, start small.

Next let’s focus on your concern that you can’t see or feel energy. that’s okay, if you are new at this, it is perfectly normal. You just need to attune yourself so that you can. There are all sorts of ways to start.

Some ways that I first started so that I could begin using energy and feeling it:

Breathing exercises: deep breaths in the mouth and out the nose, its amazing how much this can help you ground and center yourself, this is more for helping you before or during meditation but it works wonders when you are new

Stretching: Hear me out, when you stretch out and count softly during your stretches this helps your body and mind relax, I found it was a good way to help prepare before meditation or centering

Sounds/Music: Many people associate sounds and music with visualization, I personally always do spells with fitting music playing this helps me in my mind visualize the energy of the spell, feel the energy flowing through me and help express what I need for the situation. Many others use sounds like thunder and rain to help them.

Motion: I found that moving, swaying, arm gestures etc can help with feeling the flow of energy, I am a very visual person so it is much harder for me to feel things. But I found if I was swaying or moving my hands to the tune of the spell so to say, it helped me feel it.

Meditation: yes I know the go to for all witches, but its really true, once you start figuring out how to get your mind into the place of time for magick and feeling energy it helps a lot.

Some other suggestions:

Many witches have said that using pop culture examples of how energy looks like witches on tv or superheroes using their powers help them envision their own energy

Sleeping and good rest does wonders, its harder to do magick when you are exhausted

Record your progress, this will help you in the long run trust me. Write down your feelings  and thoughts before and after spells and divination

Please, to all the newbies out there thinking about selling spells: please wait until you know what you’re doing first! If you need to ask someone how to do a spell, you’re not ready to sell your spells. Practice more first until it becomes second nature to you. If you haven’t learned how to clearly communicate with spirits, don’t open a spirit companion shop. Really hone your vetting skills before you even think about pairing someone with an unknown spirit.

In the best case scenario, when inexperienced people sell metaphysical items or services, nothing will happen and the client will just be disappointed (and maybe demand their money back or accuse all practitioners of being fakers and scammers. You might even get into legal trouble if you don’t have the right disclaimers up.)

But in the worst case scenario? If a spell or something goes wrong, you could hurt yourself or your client. When you have no idea what you’re doing, your results could be totally unpredictable.

Metaphysical services like spell work are skills. That means they take practice to master. If you needed surgery, would you want to go to the doctor who claims to be a professional but who’s never practiced the procedure and only knows how to vaguely do it because they asked other doctors?

Whilst talking with my aunt–who is a devout herbalist in another circle in her own town– about herbal remedies, she brought up the word emmenagogue. In this case, the word refers to an herb or plant that can stimulate menstrual flow. For those who may have late menstruation or elongated cycles, this may be quite a helpful remedy, but to uninformed users, it may also have detrimental effects. Most emmenagogues also act as abortifacients, as in, they may harm a pregnancy or can cause miscarriages.

My reason for writing this post is that there are some common herbs that people use for other reasons that may in fact also have emmenagogue/abortifacient properties. Most posts that I see do not address this, and I’d like my followers and the rest of the online witchblr community to be informed as well.

In most cases, you should not take more than the recommended dosage of any herb anyways, especially if you are taking other prescribed medications. If you are pregnant or are thinking of conceiving, please stay away from these herbs entirely and look for alternatives, and please make sure to do extensive research beforehand on anything you decide to use!

The emmenagogues that I have found I will list below along with their common uses otherwise. Herbs in bold are mainly used as emmenagogues and/or are dangerous in anything other than 1 gram dosing.

Angelica (heartburn, insomnia), Bay Laurel (muscle aches), Blessed Thistle (diuretic, bacterial infections) , Bloodroot (emetic, bacterial infections), Blue Cohosh (reducing inflammation, cramps), Catnip (insomnia, headaches), Chamomile (insomnia, stomach ulcers), Slippery Elm (sore throat, heartburn), Feverfew (migraines, nausea), Goldenseal (respiratory infections), Horsetail (edema, incontinence), Lady’s Slipper (insomnia, anxiety), Majoram (common cold), Marshmallow (sore throat, stomach ulcers), Mistletoe (high blood pressure), Motherwort (anxiety, high blood pressure), Mugwort (tonic, sedative), Myrrh (indigestion, cough), Parsley (menstrual flow, high blood pressure), Pennyroyal (antiseptic), Peppermint (common cold, headaches), Rue (neuromuscular problems), Sage (digestive problems, heartburn), Tansy (migraines, stomach ulcers), Verbena (sore throat, depression), Wintergreen (analgesic, cramps).

If you have any questions about this post or about other herbs and their dosing or safety concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me through my messages! I will always respond and try to give as detailed or informed of an answer as I can.

Thank you for reading, and blessed be!