#shadow work witch

The journal prompt below is lengthy, but I really think it’s worth trying out. When I did it for myself, it put a lot into perspective for me. Of course I’m no psychologist and the prompts I share are simply just what I come up with for myself. But I share just in case… just in case it can help someone else like it helped me.

This pact might not be for everyone. With the new year approaching, I’ve been reflecting on my journey thus far. I’ve been stagnant and stuck, mostly financially, my whole life. I know that I need change and to develop better habits in the realms of financial and physical health. I decided I’d ask the Gods for a little help on the upcoming night of October 31st, the Witches New Year, a sacred time for a lot of people.

Then it dawned on me. I’ve been asking for, and receiving, blessings my whole entire life. But what have I done to give back? I can’t even count the number of times that the 6 of Pentacles and the Queen of Pentacles have shown up in readings for what seems like a year now. There have been other signs and omens, too. It’s time to give back.

I think I’ve received more blessings than I deserve, and it’s time that I start giving blessings in return. I take more than I give, and I already have everything I need to be successful and move forward. I’m stuck and stagnant because of me. And maybe giving back is that fuel I need to begin showing up for myself, accepting responsibility and taking accountability for my lack of growth as of late. There are many things I don’t like about myself, and a part of me feels like I’m not worth the effort. Maybe giving back will help me feel a little more valuable and worthy of living a healthier, happier life.

More importantly, giving back is my way of saying thank you to the Gods, who have never left me to fight alone. If I can give back to others, in even the smallest way, I guess my life is worth living. And maybe the person on the other end of the blessing will feel the same way about their own life.

I am not perfect. I never will be. I can be selfish, gluttonous, unreliable, irresponsible, I’m a true escapist and a recovering addict. At least I know my darkness well, how else would I be able to replace it with some light?

A positive habit I’d like to instill this year is generosity. Giving blessings when and where I can.

Well it’s that time of year again! I just wanted to tell anyone who might find this post a little bit about myself and who I am. Im literally just a small town nobody who shares her own ideas and practices on the internet. I am no teacher, in fact I’m still a student. I’ve only really had my hands in the craft for 6 years, and in truth I think that still makes me a baby. Take all that I post lightly, I only post the ideas I come up with for myself in hopes it might inspire others.

When I first started doing spells and rituals (I usually refer to spells/rituals as “altar sessions”) I would copy other rituals and spells I found online and in books. This helped me to get an understanding of what I was doing, which magical tool is used for what and the art of writing incantations. But copying rituals and spells stressed me out. I had to have everything prepared ahead of time and If one thing went wrong, if I didn’t do it exactly the way it had to be done, I believed that all the magic would be lost and the spell/ritual would be ineffective.

One night, after a busy week, I looked up at the night sky and saw that the moon had gone completely dark. It was a New Moon night and I’d forgotten all about it. I didn’t prepare or look into any spells or rituals to preform. At that time, I was doing all these intricate spells and rituals every new and full moon. Something I learned eventually was not all that sustainable. Anyway, that night I sat in front of my altar with zero preparation for what I was about to do. I had no choice but to let my intuition call the shots, and that’s what I did.

That was the altar session that helped me to realize that all the stress and preparation that I did every month, twice a month, was what was really draining the magic from every altar session I’ve ever had until that night. This altar session was the most powerful one I’d ever had, and I walked away feeling more connecting to the higher powers that, I believe, pull the strings. With all the knowledge and information I acquired from the spells and rituals I’d found online and in books, I decided to start letting my intuition do the work, and I’ve been doing that ever since.

The things I share are all the spells/rituals I’ve done using my intuition. I go back to these rites often and I reuse them because they work for me. Last year I decided to start sharing them. I don’t share them because I recommend that this is what you have to do. I share them because when I was just starting out, it was the information I found online and in books that helped me to start crafting my own altar sessions. It is my hope that maybe my posts can help inspire others who are just starting out, like I was 6 years ago.

You do not have to copy anything to a T. You can switch things up and make it your own altar session using the things that speak to you the most. Let your intuition be your guide and remember that the magic is not lost, as long as you believe in it. Don’t stress yourself out over perfection, because perfection simply does not exist. To me, the craft is essentially the act of using earthly materials, (whether it be tools, herbs, words, images, visualization or meditation) to connect to the divine, or whatever higher power you believe in. You have complete freedom to mix and match whatever you’d like in order to establish your special connection with the divine.

If someone tells your you’re doing it wrong, don’t take that to heart. As long as you are not harming others or the earth, there is no wrong way to practice your craft. You are doing just fine and you’ll only get better as time goes on.