#witches book

Me: I got you fam.

While it is nice to have a fancy leatherbound, beautifully inked and decorated grimoire...

It is not a necessity. Before I could afford to have and had the time to make one that is as pretty as mine is now...

My grimoire was a damned plastic folder stuffed with notes on notebook paper. Which turned into a plastic binder just the same.

Witchcraft is demanding, inconvenient and shows up sometimes without being invited. It forces movement when you’re not always 100% ready, and sometimes it can scare the shit out of you. Not just because it shows up when no one else does, but sometimes it’s eerily accurate and even a bit creepy. 

If you feel overwhelmed, pushed too hard, or scared and need a moment to decompress there is something called ‘active stillness’ or ‘active waiting.’ It’s a term used to describe a point in time when you are still moving forward with where you want to be, but you are taking a break, and processing in the calm. 

How do you know if it’s time to pull your energy back and take some time away from Witchcraft? 

If your energy is zapped for no reason. 

Have you been exhausted? Or requiring so much sleep but for no reason? Passing out at all hours of the day? This is a sign that your batteries are low, and you need a recharge. Take a break, read, write, do some art. Anything that makes you feel whole again. 

Having restless dreams or dreams with too many meanings.

Your dreams represent how your subconscious feels and if you are all over the place then your peace can’t catch a break. Listen to your dreams and if you’re struggling with the meanings and pacing of your sleep it could be a sign that you need a break from magic. Wait a few days or a week and see how you feel. Most likely your energy is just misfiring, and you need a reboot. 

Feeling out of sorts. 

Your feelings are the number one indicators that something is wrong. If you are feeling off then something is off. If this is happening to you, pull your energy back and take time to reassess. Ask yourself are you following your true path? There are many avenues of Witchcraft so make sure you are staying true to yourself.

Reading too much tarot or doing too many spells. 

Have you been bombarding yourself with too many spells or reading too much tarot? The energy needed to do these things is A LOT and if you're have not  been taking care of yourself or taking time to recoup then you could be feeling magical hangover. Take a break in between rituals and give yourself time to recharge. 

Scaring the shit out of yourself from a ritual or spell. 

Sometimes you summon spirits during a séance AND THEY FUCKING SHOW UP. Now most of the time Witchcraft is working with yourself and your manifestations, but sometimes it’s about other elements too. And those things can be overwhelming and scary. If you feel like you've gone too far and need to take a step back DO IT. Don’t let your magic or anyone push you into feel like you aren’t doing enough. Everyone has their own path and if you need to take a break to process or decompress, do it. You are the only rule in your magical journey.

Life is demanding. 

This is the one that I see everyone struggle with the most. Magic is demanding and that means time-consuming. If you’re juggling school, work, life, kids, baby, marriage, family, hobbies, friends, passion projects and more it can get out of hand. If you are experiencing a big uptick in what you are doing or going through a stressful time, sometimes Witchcraft gets pushed to the end of the line. And that’s totally OK, it happens. Just remember it’s not forever, just for now. 

You’ve been sick or ill. 

A (witchy) use for those 5 million empty notebooks you have lying around:

• Divination Journal - Tarot, Pendulum, Oracle Cards, etc.

• Psyche Journal - Aspirations, Goal Tracker, Mood Tracker, etc.

• Dream Journal - Sleep tracker, Dream entries, etc. Working Grimoire - Spell drafts, note taking, etc.

• Correspondence Index - Sections for Crystals, Herbs, Colors, etc

• Astrology Journal - Horoscopes, Astrology Charts, etc. Witch's Planner - Moon Phases, Sabbat Planning, Esbat Planning, etc.

• Garden Journal - Track plantings, waterings, harvests etc.

• Occurrence Book - Keep track of the things that happen to you.

• Body Journal - Period tracker, exercise tracker, meditation tracker, etc.

•Morning Pages - A daily stream of consciousness journal.

Practical Magic - book review on Instagram!