10 Easy Protective Habits

Basics

New Moon Ritual.

1 Sage

2 Take a ritual bath

3 Make a list of wishes

4 Set intentions and goals

5 Burn candles

6 Ground yourself

7 Practice Gratitude

8 CHARGE YOUR CRYSTALS

9 Set up/ Rearrange your altar

10 Organize

“—how wonderful to be who I am, made out of earth and water, my own thoughts, my own fingerprints— all that glorious, temporary stuff.”

— Mary Oliver, excerpt of “On Meditating, Sort Of”, in Blue Horses

Things you think you have to do as a witch that you don't have to do.

You have to wait an x amount of time before you can do–

No. You don’t have to wait. There is no prerequisites for being accepted into witchcraft. You wanted to be a witch and now you’re a witch. End of story. Now, I would advice you work on meditating and protection because you’re just gonna need it on your journey, but to flat out say you’re not allowed to do anything else but protection and meditation for a disclosed amount of years or whatever, that’s ridiculous. Do what feel is calling you.

You shouldn’t hex or curse because–

You shouldn’t tell people how to work their damn craft. If they want to hex or curse you let them. Hell, a few practices see cursing and hexing as major part of their ancestors history. If you don’t want to curse/hex don’t. But you don’t get to tell me or anyone else what to do like that. So try again. 

You have to do the spell in this exact–

Absolutely not. No you don’t. It is your magic. Yours! You know your limits, your strengths and what you can do. The spell will adjust. Use what you can. Do not worry about doing it down to the letter. Yes there are main components to a spell but even they can be altered to what you have. It’s about intent! INTENT! Do not think for a moment that you have to bend over backwards to a spell “correctly”. That’s just how they did it and that’s okay. Just follow the main points, I assume you know common sense, and you should be fine. 

New Age Things That Bother Me, A Witch

New Age Chakra. It totally ignores the actual history of Chakra and talks about it in ways that make little to no sense. It's not actually Chakra.

Light & Love rhetoric. Not everything is good and happy and nice. It is toxic positivity and it makes me so uncomfortable. It is also very harmful to people in general.

New Age Manifestation. It promises things that cannot happen and promotes this idea that when bad things happen you just don't try hard enough to manifest change and you need to try harder. It also doesn't tell you that you actually need to act on whatever you're manifesting.

Energy Healing. Pretends it can heal mental illness, physical illness, chronic illness, disabilities, and disorders. It cannot and never will be able to.

Crystal Healing. Pretends it can heal mental illness, physical illness, chronic illness, disabilities, and disorders. It cannot and never will be able to.

Spiritual Awakening. Pretends that your mental illness is actually just your psychic powers coming into being. It's not and this kind of rhetoric enables psychosis, delusions, and is extremely dangerous for mentally ill people. Do not romanticize us and pretend we have super powers. We don't.

Indigo Children. This straight up just romanticizes Autism, ADHD, and neurodivergency. It also dehumanizes people who are neurodivergent by making them seem like alien star children. Also is a way to ignore neurodivergency and prevent neurodivergent kids from receiving help.

Essential Oils. Pretends it can heal mental illness, physical illness, chronic illness, disabilities, and disorders. It cannot and never will be able to. These are only good for making rooms smell nice.

Autumn Healing Brew

(Standard Disclaimer: I am not a physician. This is purely a suggestion and is not meant to circumvent, supersede, or replace modern medicine. Please consult your doctor before trying any new medication or treatment and take all proper mundane measures to care for your health. Avoid or replace any ingredients to which you are allergic.)

This is my favorite recipe for recovering from cold and flu. I made a batch of it this morning for some of my officemates who haven't been feeling well and I thought I would share in case anyone needs a pick-me-up.

You will need:

Black tea (I usually use Earl Grey for this recipe)

Honey (local is best if you can get it)

Ginger paste

A fresh orange

Cinnamon stick (if desired)

Brew the tea on the strong side and fill your favorite mug about 2/3 of the way. Add a pea-sized amount of ginger paste plus honey to taste and stir well. Slice the orange into wedges. Select a piece and prick the rind with a fork before adding it to the cup of tea. Macerate the orange a little to release the juice and pulp. If you want, you can also add a cinnamon stick for flavor.

Breathe in the steam while the tea is hot, then sip slowly once it's cooled to a drinkable temperature. It's best to drink it while it's hot. I find this really helps with cough and sore throat, plus it's tasty and comforting. Nothing like a good cuppa to put oneself right again.

Pro-Tip: If you want to make a decongestant version, add a pinch of cayenne pepper. Your nose will run like a faucet, but it helps.

Happy Witching! 🤧