#glamours

a cleansing ritual does not have to be complicated! this ritual is intended to be as simple or complex as you desire. at its core, it is all about visualization- add herbs, scents, and portions of your routine as you see fit.

what you will need:

your shower, of course

whatever shower items you want to use (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, shower oil, so on. this is YOUR ritual, you can make this as involved or laid-back as you want)

optional: an herb sachet, a shower steamer, candles, crystals (be certain your crystals are safe to have in/around water!)

the ritual:

make your water temperature comfortable, whether you love your showers hot, cold, lukewarm. whatever will make you feel most comfortable. if you are choosing to use a shower steamer, herb sachet, candles, etc, make sure you place these in appropriate places; I often hang a sachet of herbs that align with my intentions from my shower head and let the steam do the heavy lifting.

stand under the water spray and close your eyes. envision the water running down your body, picturing it washing away what you wish to release. every droplet that trickles down your body catches those bits of negative energy, exhaustion, stress, and sends it all down the drain.

begin your shower routine, whatever that may be for this ritual. with each step, continue to envision that every drop of water, every bubble of soap, every granule of scrub latches onto whatever is bogging you down. let the negativity cling to your cleansers, rinsing away under the water, and feel as a weight is lifted with each step.

as you wash away the negativity, welcome in what you wish to see manifest in your life. self-love, joy, abundance, and so on. as you welcome these things in, envision yourself being enveloped in a warm glow; we want to imagine ourselves purified from everything we just released.

when you've finished your shower, as you towel off, finish off with some form of protection. I typically envision that glow entering my body, locking in what I manifest and repelling that which I wish to release. you can also follow up with your skincare, seeing any lotions, oils, and so on as protective barriers against what you wish to keep away.

self-care and magic are very entwined for so many of us. everyday rituals like this can really help you to heal and manifest the life you desire.

I don't think I can help with specific ages, but here is what I came up with:

An ongoing list

Wearing natural fabrics (cotton, wool, linen, hemp, silk)

Wearing jewelry for spiritual protection

Burning incense and diffusing oils

Work on ending my karmic contracts (my Saturn, Pluto, Venus in 12th)

Declutter/dejunk home

Take time to create (poetry, meditative art, crochet, music)

Read, study, devour Uses of the Erotic by Audre Lorde as much as possible

Womanism ✨

Radical subjectivity (value my experiences, practice discernment) Practice redemptive self love (the contract breaker) Critically engage and educate myself Commune with myself, and learn to commune with others

Drink/smoke herbs (hibiscus, dandelion, rose, cannabis)

More mushrooms (psilocybin and medicinal)

Wearing headscarves, hijabs, bonnets, durags, or hats can protect you from the evil eye or if you’re an empath, it can protect your energy from being drained in public spaces. (from @icanseethefuture333)

Listening to spiritual music and frequencies (Cleo Sol, Dianna Lopez, Olivia Dean, Rachelle Ferrell, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Sade)

Working out and movement in general (for my Pluto contract)

share my knowledge and express myself regularly (for my Saturn contract)

guashas/lymphatic drainage massage

finding a signature scent

hygiene (cleansing with incense, finding some good body scrubs and lotions)

Korean body scrub

natural skincare (oats + water for cleanser and exfoliant, turmeric + raw honey for mask)

What is a Glamour?

A glamour is a kind of spell you cast on yourself to change how people perceive you. Glamours aren’t like the kind of magic you see in the movies--the same goes for all the witchcraft we talk about here. It’s not flashy. You can’t use a glamour to change your eye or hair color. You can, however, use them to be perceived as more beautiful, more confident, tougher, smarter, more delicate, the list goes on. I’ve written a couple of glamour spells before--mostly beauty spells like my spritzer or beauty oil. But there are other kinds of glamours and other ways to achieve them.

Oftentimes, glamours are performed along with your getting ready ritual. It’s a kind of magic that lends itself well to the mundane things we do everyday, and to the science of our world as well. You’ve probably heard of the placebo effect. The simple version of it is: if you believe something is happening to you, you’ll begin to feel the effects--it becomes real. The intersection of witchcraft and science is fascinating to me, and glamours in particular are where I see it overlapping the most! You’ve got magic and science working on your side with these, and the end result is often that you feel more secure in yourself, which is something we should all strive for.

How to Cast a Glamour

So you’ve crawled out of bed, or off of the couch, and you’re about to get ready to go out. You want to look a certain way--be perceived a certain way, and you want some magical help with that. This is where casting a glamour comes in, and there are a ton of ways to do it. The simplest way, with no outside preparation or ingredients, is to manifest your intent while getting ready for the day, however it is you do that. Wash away the worries and debris of the day before when you shower and wash your hair. Focus on whatever quality you desire sinking into your skin as your wash your face, moisturize, shave, etc.

Choose your outfit according to what you’re trying to manifest--color associations work well for this, as does jewelry, especially if you’ve enchanted it. If you wear makeup, it’s tailor made for casting glamours. Use color associations on your eyeshadow and lipstick--pink for beauty, red for confidence, a nude if you’re trying to go unnoticed. Think of your foundation as well, the foundation of your spell. Whatever perception you’re going for, infuse the foundation with it and put it on. If you use concealer, use it to “conceal” any faults, or whatever it is about yourself you’d like to downplay today. Weave magic and intention into your hair as your pick, comb or brush it out for the day. Do you have a favorite perfume or cologne? Use it to cover yourself in your intention. And the best part is, after the day is over, you can end the spell by washing it all away!

Of course, you can do a glamour via more hands-on means as well. Potions, salves, baths, charms, enchanted meals, the list goes on. Tea, coffee and smoothies lend themselves well to glamours, as you can take them on the go and let the magic flow through you on your way to your destination. You can create a spray for your skin or hair, an oil to anoint yourself with, or even create a satchel to carry on your person in order to exude whatever quality you’re seeking. As you may have noticed, a lot of these glamours are reusable, as opposed to the cosmetic type glamours listed above. Both have their uses, and you can layer these methods as well to achieve what you desire!

Types of Glamours

What kind of glamour might you want to cast, though? Well, here are a few examples!

-beauty/attractiveness

Probably the most common type of glamour, these are used to make you appear more attractive to people you may interact with.

-confidence

To look more confident, even when you’re not particularly feeling that way. These are good for job interviews, meetings, presentations, etc.!

-toughness

If you’re trying to look stronger or more intimidating than you are, for safety or otherwise, this might be the kind of glamour you’re looking for.

-intelligence

Need to come off as more eloquent and intelligent? Well I’m sure you’re plenty smart, but if people have been doubting you, a magical boost might give them a nudge in the right direction.

There are plenty more, and these can overlap and combine to achieve what you’re looking for! Magic is malleable like that. Just be clear about what you need, or you might get mixed results. This goes for any spell, however. ;)

Tools/Ingredients for Glamours

Not sure what to gather beforehand? Here are a couple of ideas!

Makeup (especially eyeshadow and lipstick)

Perfume

Cologne

Lotions

Jewelry

Pins

Moisturizers/Skin care products

Roses (beauty)

Garlic

Hot Sauce/Hot Peppers

Dill

Banana (Success)

Avocado (Beauty, love)

Apple (Beauty, love)

Strawberries (Love, happiness)

Peaches (youth, happiness)

Cherries, pitted (beauty)

Vanilla

Bay leaf (love, passion, harmony)

Basil (wealth,love, faithfulness)

Oregano (ward against negative energy, happiness, peaceful energy)

Thyme (positivity, prosperity)

Parsley (happiness, passion, protection)

Sage (prosperity, mental clarity)

Rosemary (beauty, love, general magical boost)

Marjoram (happiness, love, money)

Sea Salt (purity, protection)

Pepper (passion)

Crushed red pepper (passion, a spell booster)

This is just a list to start with! You can use the edible ingredients to make teas, baths, smoothies, soups, etc., and infuse other ingredients with your intent. Glamours are versatile, and the way you cast them can be, too! The only real limit is your imagination!