What I have learned about self-care as a witch

I have been a practicing witch for nine months now. One of the biggest things that I have learned as a witch is not what energies crystals give off, or the ways to make spells, or how to harvest plants under a full moon to get the most powerful energy from it, no, it is the importance of self-care.

The essence of witch craft is transfer of energy. When your energy is clogged up and a tangled mess because your stretched too thin, in a rough relationship, allowing yourself to be used and not standing up for yourself, you cant move energy in a good or efficient way.

Self-care for anyone is important. The world is full of energy, our whole lives revolve around a transfer of energy. We eat, absorbing the energy held in that food and transferring it to our bodies, which we then use that energy and transfer it into movement, brain function, and emotions (yes emotions have a lot of energy). It makes sense that, if you are doing a spell, you are putting some of your energy into that spell and directing or adding intentions to the movement of that energy.

When adding spell components, you are using the energy inherent in that component; such as love from red rose petals, protection from rosemary, inspiration from lapis lazuli and adding it to your own energy and giving it more direction.

Every time I research a spell, there is always a point in saying that you need to ground yourself and protect yourself from stray energies or giving too much of yourself to that spell. Afterwards, one must take the time to ground and recuperate and make sure that your energies are in a good place.

In the world of witchcraft, the health of your energy and emotions are extremely important. If you are in emotional turmoil you cannot add proper intentions to anything. Taking the time to relax and understand your emotions before attempting anything is very important. How can you string a bead onto a string if the string is in a jumbled knot. The string is your energy and emotions, the bead is the intention.

Witches call this Shadow work. Your Shadow is your inner self. It is the part that reacts instinctually to something or your knee jerk reaction to an outside force. Shadow work is taking the time to look at your reactions and why you react that way. Shadow work is exhausting and can be extremely emotional. This is something that a lot people do these days. It is called therapy. Some witches prefer to do this on their own or in a coven, while others find a therapist they can trust. I do my work with a therapist as well as on my own.

Every person uses energy and intentions throughout their lives. When you make a point of thinking that you got the job, you are putting your intentions into the world that you got the job. When you say, "today is going to be a good day," you are putting energy and intentions out there that today will be a good day for you. Each person has the capacity to add intentions to the energy they are expelling and use it for good or bad.

Witches are taught to understand the importance of intentions and how to move energy with precision to prevent burnout or excess. I believe every person could use this knowledge. Every person should be taught the importance of keeping your energy in good order. Self-care is the first step.

Self-care can be as simple as taking a breath before starting on something or as complex as a weekend away to pamper yourself or even leaving a toxic relationship or work environment. Being your own advocate is a big part of self-care, especially for women.

On a side note, why do witches scare people so much? Because we have taken the time to learn what is best for us and are working very hard to fulfill that. We understand that being doormats are not in our best interests and we work very hard to prevent that from happening.

That was a difficult lesson for me. I had to learn to stand up for myself and realize that I was worth taking care of. My energy did not need to be snuffed out, stepped on, ignored, or taken advantage of. People that used to like being around me, abandoned me, saying that I was becoming too high on myself or too loud or too pushy, when in fact, I was standing up for myself and no longer let people talk over me or boss me around or volunteer me for things I was not prepared to provide.

When self-care becomes a priority, it becomes easier to stand up for yourself. You see your own worth and are more willing to protect that worth. When that worth is acknowledged and your energies are moving clearly and you are no longer a tangled mess, your intentions are clearer and your more capable of making changes in your world.

I believe that every person deserves to put their self-care as a priority. Just imagine how light the energy of the world could be.