Today She Wants Raspberries?

virtual altar to aphrodite

Deer in rose garden

As much as witchcraft amazes me, it also doesn't come naturally. Anything that needs belief, to me, is incredibly hard, be it religion, energy in general or magic.

But it still amazes me, the way fire moves, and that some herbs help you heal, and that we connect to animals and plants, and that dreams sometimes give me little pieces of memories I have not yet made, and That Feeling you get in the middle of a forest, or in a field at night, or before a storm when the first lightning strikes.

Can I be a witch, even if I find believing in the power of magic is hard? Can my practice be held by the awe I feel, by The Feeling of magic under my skin, even if I don't trust it to change my life?

Sometimes self care is telling yourself "this sucks and I don't want to do it, but it needs to get done before I can feel better" and then forcing yourself through it as an investment in your future self.

What causes damage, to which crystals

A cat was in my yard today and my dog cried about it, idk really why he was so upset but he was. I ended up massaging him until he fell asleep 💕

The idea that "water is a very cheap offering" and therefore not good enough to give to the gods or your ancestors is directly tied to your own lack of self-worth and fear that you're not doing enough and therefore feelings of not being good enough to work with the gods or your spirits.

The feeling of needing to get something a lot more expensive or something that requires more effort in order to validate your desire to work with the gods or your spirits is just another way capitalism has conditioned you to demonize basic needs and reject them in order to access your own spirituality.

Until recently, filtered water was inaccessible (and depending on where you are, it still is). Your gods and especially ancestors are fascinated with you having access to cleaner water, something they have fought for you to get.

Offer them water. They really do treasure it.

Self Care and Self Love - But, Make It Magical

If you're like me, you may have a very difficult time with very basic self-care activities and practicing witchcraft regularly. Because of depression, I often have a difficult time motivating myself to care for myself simply and cultivate my craft because I deserve it. So, I try to incorporate magic and deities into it to give me a boost of motivation. Here are some of the things I do and feel free to add your own!

Please note that this is all my own unverified personal gnosis.

Sustenance

Dedicate your meal prep and cooking to your domestic/agrarian diety. I typically dedicate my meal prep and cooking in general to Hestia and Dionysus. Hestia being the domestic goddess; I associate Dionysus with decadence and pleasure, so I honor him by making delicious, higher quality, more nutritious meals.

Make your food a spell. Plan your spices and ingredients accordingly. Food is a medicine; don't underestimate the intentions and power of your food as a spell. I find these "spells" are exceptionally powerful when trying to influence your personality, beauty, and behavior. For example, a glamor or beauty spell made with foods associated with beauty. My favorite is a salad bowl with quinoa, avocado, sweet potato, and tomatoes - ingredients all associated with healthy skin and youthfulness.

Drink water. Honestly, it's the stuff of life. How rejuvenating is water? It also has so many magical associations and properties. Various water deities, it's a natural element, it is cleansing, etc. Staying hydrated will make you feel magical.

Hygiene

Skincare! Washing, moisturizing, and sunscreen! But, now it's dedicated to the deity of love and beauty. You may also want to say a prayer over your products, or perhaps cast a glamour or other spell on them. I always wash my face immediately after work as I feel the cleansing of the face is very energetically cleansing.

Showering/bathing. Easy cleansing. Also, a great time to harness the energy of water, manifest, commune with water deities or spirits, and meditate.

Use scented soap, lotion, etc to your advantage. Use scents that have a correspondence that resonates with you. I love doing this and as a rule, I have different scents for times when I'm at work and when I'm at home. While at work, I prefer energizing scents like citrus or mints. While at home, I prefer sultry or soothing scents like sandalwood or lavender. You can also dedicate the use of a certain scent to specific deities, such as sandalwood being associated with Aphrodite.

Activities

Spend time truly relaxing and doing nothing else. Rest, watch TV, listen to music, anything that is your equivalent of being switched off. For me, this is a time to connect with deities like Hypnos and Pasithea, or even Eriene. You can even watch shows that you think certain deities would like. Don't feel guilty about doing this. Everyone needs rest. Sometimes I envision my figurative battery recharging. I find this time very important for replenishing energy expelled in mundane and magical activities.

Work on your hobbies. Whatever your hobby, you will certainly be able to find some diety to dedicate the time to, or perhaps the product. Hobbies can be a great way to make "sacrifices" to your deities. Depending on your hobby, you can also listen to audiobooks and podcasts that help you learn about witchcraft or paganism. Also depending on your hobby, you may infuse it with magic. For example, you can find many spells involving weaving or knotting if you use yarn or fabric in your hobby. Hobbies have sooo many possibilities for magic.

Exercise. This one is really difficult for me as I really do not like to exercise on my work days, but I work five days a week. However, exercising can be extremely meditative and euphoric. It is a great time to connect with your body, practice controlling your mind, and learn/increase your limits. I find that, personally, exercise is also a good time for shadowwork and introspection. Furthermore, I'm Hellenic, and events like the Olympics are highly associated with Hellenism. So, I've been trying to really associate caring for my body and pursuing fitness as a divine undertaking.

Mental Health

Enjoy the nature around you. Enjoy the natural plants, enjoy trees, birds, the air, storms, etc. Anything that makes you feel connected to the world around you. To me, this is a significant way to replenish and grow my energy. Spending time in nature is really good for our mental health - this will make you a more focused witch. More focus = better casting, manifestation, etc. You can even combine the outdoors with exercise.

Harness your emotions. You aren't going to feel good all the time, you aren't going to feel bad all the time. However, every emotion is valid and carries power/energy. If you're mad, do the hex you've been wanting to do - it will be stronger than ever. If you're happy and finding love and humor in the world - abundance spells and manifestation will be enhanced. Don't be afraid of your emotions. Using them in magic is a great way to confront them directly and learn to be comfortable with having a full range of emotions. I've noticed many people are taught that anger, for example, is bad and many of those people grow up to be uncomfortable with negative emotions.

Journal, especially gratitude journals. Honestly, life-changing, but for me, very hard to commit to. I try to use this time to also speak with and receive messages from my deities. Also to connect with and understand my subconscious more. You can even incorporate this into your grimoire. I often look for themes in my journal entries that lead me to cast spells or direct my research. I use this space to also track the patterns I've been seeing which helps with discernment; recognizing the difference between my mind grasping at straws, coincidences, and signs.

don't settle for someone who isn't proud to have you