Working magick can transform your life, but the last time you felt its full power was…well, a while ago. Burnout happens.
No matter how experienced you are, or how dedicated you are to your Craft, sooner or later you will find yourself stuck in a rut. You may feel uninspired or disconnected from what drew you to magick in the first place. It’s time to get back to basics, re-charge, and reconnect with your super-awesome witchy self.
There are dozens of simple rituals and practices that can help the erstwhile Witch recover their mojo. Most people hear “ritual” and think of an elaborate ceremony with candles and chants, but it doesn’t have to be that way. For the sake of this guide, I’ve stretched the definition of ritual to include any purposeful action, no matter how small. The actions are the 55 items in this article, and the purpose is getting you back in step with your personal magickal path.
I compiled this list with the intermediate practitioner in mind. But beginners can use it, too. If you don’t know how to work with energy, draft a sigil, cast a circle, and so on…don’t worry about it. Those are skills you can learn later. In the meantime, just do any of the exercises that appeal to you.
Some of the items on this list require an investment of time or money, but most are things you can do with little planning ahead. The focus is on feeling more magickal right now—not in the future, and certainly not in the past.
A few of the items on this list may not seem specifically magickal, because they’re focused on the basics of self-care. Remember the Hermetic axiom: As above, so below. As within, so without. If your body, mind, and spirit aren’t in top condition, then any metaphysical work that you attempt will yield subpar results.
So here are some tried-and-true ways to invite more magick into your life. You can do these little rituals in any combination and in any order:
1. Get moving! Physical activity clears out blockages and sluggish energy. Finish a home project, go for a run, take a yoga class, have sex—anything active.
2. Take an inventory of your magickal tools and supplies. Refresh and re-consecrate your favorite items. Retire anything that no longer serves your magick.
3. Visit with an elder in your spiritual tradition.
4. Treat yourself to a new magickal book (or revisit an old favorite).
5. Spend time with an animal familiar or pet.
6. Do a solo meditation or energy session. If you have trouble getting motivated on your own, download a video or podcast to guide you through it.
7. Update your altar. Out with the dust, in with fresh items that fit the season and your current magickal mood.
8. Make yourself a cup of tea or coffee and read/scry the tea leaves or foam.
9. Take the scenic route. The beauty of the world outside is inspiring, whether it’s a tree-lined road or the marvelous lights of the city at night.
10. Don’t wait on the calendar to do magick: Take note of the current season, moon phase, day of the week and select (or write) a simple ritual that you can do today.
11. Take a sacred bath—complete with salt, candles, and anointing oil to make you feel like the God and/or Goddess you are.
12. Re-visit your dream journal or Book of Shadows. Sometimes, seeing how far you’ve come can be the push that helps you keep going.
13. Soak up some sunlight or moonlight (Witch’s fuel)!
14. Find a devotional poem or invocation that inspires you and read it out loud. (Stumped? You can’t go wrong with the Charge of the Goddess.)
15. Write a note of gratitude to someone who has helped you on your magickal path. This could be an author, teacher, spirit being, or friend.
16. Charge a Quartz crystal under the full moon and place it under your pillow to encourage lucid dreaming.
17. Identify a magickal skill you’ve always wanted to learn (pendulum dowsing or writing chants, for instance) and take the next step. Sign up for a class, grab a beginner’s book, or track down someone who has the knowledge you seek.
18. Teach a beginner’s class or chat with someone who’s just getting started in the Craft. Newbies have an enthusiasm for magick that’s simply unmatched.
19. Smudge your house, altar, or yourself.
20. Practice guerilla magick: Create positive sigils and omens and leave them in unexpected places for others to find. (Please no graffiti or outdoor litter.)
21. Heal your heart. Identify someone or something that has hurt you and perform a ritual to put them/it behind you.
22. Cook a healthy, energy-rich meal with fruits and vegetables from a garden or farmer’s market. Wash it down with a big glass of water.
23. Create a work of art or poetry that honors a favorite deity, place, or person.
24. Go someplace new in your city or town. Keep your eyes open for signs and oracles. Magick can enter your life in many ways—from a found object to a chance encounter with a stranger.
25. Choose an attribute of your zodiac sign (good, bad, or neutral) and give yourself permission to fully embody it for an entire day. Enjoy being an impulsive Gemini, brooding Cancer, or sexy Aries.
26. Do a daily draw from your Tarot deck or rune set.
27. Attend a Pagan festival, Pagan’s Night Out, or Witch’s meetup.
28. Start decorating for Halloween (yes, even if it’s only February)!
29. If your health allows for it, consider a brief fast. A day or two without food can be energetically and creatively stimulating.
30. Clean house. Clutter and unwanted junk can cause energy to stagnate in your home, mind, and body.
31. Browse social media for new witchy ideas for your home or altar. (One caveat: Only do this as long as it feels inspiring. If you start feeling overwhelmed or envious from altar porn, disconnect from Instagram and reconnect with what you’ve got right in front of you.)
32. Create a labyrinth with stones on your property. A labyrinth is a tool for contemplation that can be big or small, indoors or outdoors. Walk it with your feet—or fingertips!
33. Practice automatic writing or drawing.
34. Visit a craft store or vintage market and dream up magickal uses for mundane items. An old planter could become a magickal faery herb garden, a piece of costume jewelry might be your new scrying ring.
35. Do a simple prayer/ritual to thank your ancestors for the blessing of life and for your magickal gifts. (Don’t worry if you don’t know who your all your ancestors are—they know who you are.)
36. Create and charge a sigil that represents a current goal.
37. Energy practice is like kegels—you can do it anywhere, anytime, and (probably) no one will know. Flex your chakras on the bus, at the grocery store, sitting in traffic.
38. Cast a circle (or your version of sacred space) just because.
39. Hug a tree. Play in the dirt.
40. Re-watch a movie that inspired you to become interested in magick, and feel the thrill of discovery all over again. (Was it Practical Magic? I bet it was Practical Magic. Mists of Avalon? Harry Freakin’ Potter? Go ahead, we won’t judge.)
41. Visit a cemetery or memorial park.
42. Explain something about your path to a person who doesn’t participate/believe in witchcraft. Get in touch with your own convictions. Practice not worrying about what others think.
43. Choose a special outfit or piece of jewelry that you will only use in a magickal context. Bless this item and store it in a safe place.
44. Burn something! Fire evokes transformation and change—so meditate with flame, whether it’s a single candle or a backyard bonfire.
45. Get excited about the next Sabbat. Select recipes and words for a solo ritual, or plan ahead to celebrate with your community.
46. Make friends with your neighborhood Fae and nature spirits. Make gifts of your labor, reverent attention, and material offerings (when appropriate).
47: Choose a Tarot or oracle card that stands for something you want to draw into your life and display it on your altar.
48: Learn about the magick of a group or culture that’s unfamiliar to you. Read a book—or, if possible, sit in on a ritual. Every civilization in history has had its own Mystery traditions and studying another system can put you in touch with what’s true about your own.
49: Get a psychic reading from a friend or professional.
50: Create a special ceremonial beverage with ingredients that are significant to you and your magick. Charge the mixture and consume it alone or with (consenting) others.
51: Craft a mojo bag or talisman and carry it with you. Try a Lunar charm for psychic awareness, Mercury for increased energy flow/communication, or Jupiter for wisdom and opportunity.
52: Take a trip to your local metaphysical shop and see what’s new.
53: Your body is a temple—remember to treat it that way. Gift yourself with a new outfit, haircut, orgasm, massage, favorite food, or whatever else makes your vessel feel fabulous.
54: Light some incense: Frankincense-Myrrh, Copal, or Amber are all magickal fragrances that call up deep ancestral memories.
55: Meditate or do energy work with a partner. Afterwards, take a few moments to talk about your experiences.
56 (extra credit): Create a simple magickal routine that feeds your spirit and that you can—realistically—stick to. Try your damnedest to make it a daily practice.
As you perform the rituals on this list, I hope you will seize the opportunity to fall in love again with your spiritual self. When you’re stuck in a blah daily existence, you may wonder where the magick went. The answer, of course, is that the magick has been there all along—it was you who stepped away for a bit.
Living in the mundane world doesn’t make you less of a Witch, it makes you a balanced human being. Psychically dormant and latent periods are part of learning and growing in the Craft.
Above all, don’t blame yourself for lapses in your magickal practice. Guilt and regret are enemies of the ecstatic self-love that is the basis of all constructive magick. Just pick up where you left off, and coming home will feel all the sweeter.
Much love (and welcome back),
Michelle
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