Witches for Ukraine
Hey Witches,
It’s been a while since I last popped into your inbox. As we travel through this season of Imbolc — which means “in the belly of the Goddess” — I feel very much like the seed that was planted and has been waiting silently in the dark for the right moment to uncurl and reach towards the light. The season of my deepest grief has coincided with the darkest time of the year (as a writer, I can’t help but admire the pathetic fallacy), and even though grief continues to walk by my side as a close and constant companion, I can feel a stirring within. I’m ready to break out of my protective shell and start reaching for the light.
And the first thing I wanted to do was reach out to you, dear Witches. I’ll admit that I’ve stepped somewhat away from my craft these last few months. I spent last year devouring every witchcraft book I could get my hands on and practicing my spellwork at every opportunity. But these days, I struggle to read two pages, and my magickal efforts don’t go much beyond lighting a candle every morning and taking a few minutes to breathe and connect with myself and my guides.
But as I received news from friends in Ukraine that they were heading into the mountains with their dog to escape the shelling, I knew I had to do something. Fortunately, as Witches, there are many things we can do to help. This includes real-world action, such as donating to aid organizations and buying digital products from Ukrainian Etsy sellers. But it also includes our magickal work.
The more people perform these spells, the more effective they will be, so today, I’m sharing with you two of the spells that I will be doing this week to help my friends and all the people of Ukraine and contribute to stopping the war. The New Moon in Pisces this Wednesday will be a supportive time to perform these efforts, but you can do them any time as long as the Moon isn’t void of course (you can check here).
Protection spell
This protection spell is adapted from the Llewellyn 2022 Magical Almanac, and the original is by Raechel Henderson. It’s most effective when directed at specific individuals — it also works for groups and organizations, but the effect is less powerful. So if you know people in Ukraine, you can cast the spell on them by writing their names on the bay leaves. To help all the people of Ukraine, I suggest breaking it down by city, for example, “The people of Kyiv/Chernihiv”, etc.). Use this map of the areas under attack to help you focus your energy:
Materials
Black candle
Blue or black fabric, cut to 9 inches by 11 inches (23 cm by 28 cm)
As many bay leaves as people/groups you want to protect
Black pen
Light the candle and take a moment to ground and centre, connect with your guides or deities, and call on them to assist you. Write down the names of the individuals or groups of people you want to protect in Ukraine. Then, place the bay leaves on top of each other in the middle of the fabric.
Start by folding the fabric towards you. As you fold it, say, “They are protected from violence, they are protected from retaliation, they are protected from opposition.”
Alternatively, take a piece of paper and draw or write a representation of Ukraine on it. Draw a protective sign or sigil on it (a circle is a simple protection symbol). Place it under the candle and say: “As I call forth this flame, so too do I call forth energies of peace and sovereignty for Ukraine.”
Freezer spell for Putin
Hexing is not my cup of tea (although there are Witches who do it), but a freezer spell makes a great alternative. It prevents the object from taking action as if they’ve been frozen. So let’s all put Putin in the freezer!
Materials
A photo of Putin
A waterproof container (can be a freezer bag)
Water
Place the photo of Putin in the container and fill it with enough water to cover the picture. Put it in the freezer and say, “You are frozen. You can do no harm. You cannot move forward. You cannot progress.”
Advice from my guides
We’re living in strange times, Witches. It can be easy to get dragged into the fear and anger. Take time to check in with yourself multiple times throughout the day, take a few deep breaths, notice where you might be holding tension in your body, and let it go. Return to your heart centre as often as you can. Keep your heart open, no matter how tempting it is to close it. We are witnessing the death of the old paradigm to make way for the new.
This is a defining moment in history, and we will all collectively contribute to the outcome. Focus on what you want to birth into this New Earth, keep your vibration high, and stay in love. Don’t give more energy to the chaos.
Make self-care a priority. Drink lots of water, ground yourself at least once a day, practice gentle movement and breathwork, and do anything else that soothes your nervous system. And please consider sharing these spells so more Witches can join the cause.
Blessed be!