A Witch's guide to surviving the holidays
Hey Witches,
As the holiday season gets into full swing, it can be a tricky period for many of us.
The usual shopping and travel stress are compounded by wondering if Miss Rona will let us all get home for Christmas — for the second year in a row.
If we do make it back, we may risk arguing with relatives who don’t share our political views or dealing with toxic family dynamics.
And those of us in the midst grief, heartbreak, and loss just want to hide under the covers until it’s all over (but, unfortunately, that’s not an option).
Needless to say, this time of year brings up all the feels for many of us. Plus, we’re still recovering from the Sagittarius Full Moon and total Solar Eclipse, making self-care extra important at this time.
Fortunately, having a few Witchy tricks up your sleeve can help keep a festive breakdown at bay. So let’s take a look at a few ways you can keep yourself sane in mind, body, and soul this holiday season.
Witchy ways to get through the holidays
Protection magic
Use protection magic to protect yourself from verbal and psychic attacks that can leave you feeling energetically depleted. Here are some suggestions:
Sigils — sigils are magical symbols that can be used to enhance our intentions. Sew or draw a protection sigil such as the one below (you can find one online or make up your own) into your clothes before wearing them. As you do, say an incantation for protection.
Protection pouches — a protection pouch is a charm that you can carry with you at all times. To make one, use a 20cm by 20cm piece of fabric in a protective colour, such as black, blue, or purple.
Add to your pouch protective herbs such as lavender, chamomile, star anise, cinnamon, or pepper. Then, place a protective stone such as obsidian, hematite, or amethyst on top of the herbs. Finally, add a piece of paper with your written intention. As you add each ingredient to your pouch, say an incantation to seal your intention.
Gather the four corners of the fabric together and tie your pouch with a ribbon of the same colour. Light a candle and place your pouch in front of it with a clear quartz crystal. Once the candle has burned down, your protection pouch is ready for use.
Protective crystals — if you don’t have the time or inclination to make a protection pouch, simply carry protective crystals on you — they can be in your pocket, bag, or bra. For best results, charge the crystal with your intention before use.
Magic forcefield — One of the easiest ways to do protection magic is simply to imagine a protective energetic bubble or forcefield around you. You might want to imagine it made of golden light or any colour you like.
Meditation
The holidays can be triggering in so many ways and it can be easy to slip back into old roles and family dynamics that you thought you had transcended.
Taking five minutes to go inward and centre yourself each morning can help you be more mindful of your reactions and stop you from acting out your pains and patterns when faced with a trigger (it’s okay if you still get triggered, but meditation will help minimise it).
You might also want to visualise yourself having calm and peaceful interactions with your family members.
Get grounded
Connecting with the Earth’s electromagnetic field soothes your nervous system and restores energetic balance.
Take a mindful walk and carefully observe everything around you. Connect with the four elements by observing how they manifest in nature. Sit on the ground and meditate, hug a tree, swim in living water if you’re feeling brave!
Tree hugging can be particularly powerful if you turn it into a meditation. When I hug my favourite tree, I imagine an energetic exchange taking place. The tree absorbs negative energy from my body and transmutes it while filling me with positive energy.
For best results, practice grounding daily or as often as possible.
Shower magic
Sometimes a good scrub is all you need to wash away any negativity or heavy energies.
Take a shower and imagine the water washing away any negativity from your body, mind, and aura. Visualize a golden light washing over you as you incant: “stress and strain go down the drain, leave me feeling well again.” You can even use protective herbs for added effect.
Are you traveling for the holidays this year? Will you be using any of these protection techniques? Do you have any others you would add? Hit reply and let me know!