My Witchy Tricks & Tips

Every Witch I know has a boatload of things they constantly and consistently do to keep the space around them free from outside and unwanted noise from invading and taking root. The following is just a few of the things I personally do to keep the nasty away. I’m not telling any one of you that these are the only things that work, each person has to find what works for them and then find the best way to soak up and actually practice what works for them. ,

SHIELDS UP! This is the most important of all. You have to protect yourself before you can protect the space around you. Shielding removes the ability of what you don’t want to occupy your space, your mind, and your life. Shielding is not an easy thing to learn to do. It starts with meditation and once you can completely master the ability of locking out the noise of your surroundings to where you hear absolutely nothing except your own breathing and heartbeat, only then will you be able to incorporate the shield around your person. Once you master this, you will need to reinforce your shields multiple times until you can actually feel the strength of them. In the beginning, building your shields takes intense concentration, and everyone does this differently. I used to visualize a dome around and over me, but now I have the shield wrapping closely around me without restricting my movements.

Before I even get out of bed in the mornings, I check to see how my shield made it through the night and then add another layer to what is always there before I make a move on anything else. And honestly, it has taken me a whole lot of years to create the shield around me to be as strong as it is.
Meditation: Every morning while I’m drinking my coffee (or the magic bean potion as my Lil Sis Rae calls it) I slowly wake up while stilling the thoughts running rampant in my mind. My mind listens to the Goddesses I am connected to. Some mornings it is only one of them, and other mornings all of them have a message for me to work on throughout the day.

Meditation does NOT have to be a long process, simply clear your mind and then listen intently for whatever message is coming to you. You also have to be receptive to those messages. Once received, it’s totally up to you to interpret the message and act accordingly on the words you have been given. You can also do your meditation any time through out your day, it’s not a restrictive or time sensitive activity.
Sacred Space: I share a small one bedroom apartment with my guy and my little dog, so actual sacred space, like a room or alcove is not available to me. So, I have my altar set up in the living room on one corner of the dresser sitting under the wall mounted TV. And speaking of Altars, there is no one specific way, manner or orientation for how your altar is supposed to look. Yes, those who are Wiccan will disagree, but I’m Witch not Wiccan, so I have mine set up intuitively. I have placed things as I feel I have been directed and the items move or are replaced as needed. I light the candles daily with the intentions for the day and burn incense or Palo Santo constantly.

What I actually think of as my sacred space is in reality my side of the dual recliner we have in the living room, with the small table sitting next to that. That recliner is not only my sacred space but also my comfort and nest on the days the Fibro makes it impossible to move. On that table is a small lamp to be able to see at night, my iPad with its keyboard cover, the Apple Pencil and my AirPods. On the shelf under neath are my physical journals and planners, there are 4 A5 wide rings with leather covers that contain my entire offline life. Everything from my personal journal entries to our daily chaotic life. In the drawer under all of this is my collection of various pens and colored pencils and my coloring books. Yes, I am 70 years old and I still have coloring books. They are a way to quiet my mind and keep my anxiety under control.
Outside space: Most Witches I know have some kind of outside space where they are able to just sit and BE. It can be a patio, a small patch of grass or a rocky place where they can ground themselves with Nature. I used to have a yard where I planted lavender and rosemary, and a large deck where I had containers full of flowers and herbs. Now I live in Los Angeles in an apartment with no designated outside space, so I take my little dog Lily on walks various times of the day and feel the earth and grass under my feet. There are so many trees and various plants I am learning about, and I have a new murder of crows that live in the trees around me.
Words: Everything you say has some sort of intention behind it. Words are spells, no matter what you are saying. If you constantly say negative things, your life is going to be messy and chaotic. If you are constantly complaining, you will have negative results. If you say “I can’t do that”, you won’t. So, instead of always thinking negative or what I figured out was MY wrong way of doing things, I learned to find the positive in every situation. And for the sake of the Goddess, stop and think for a split second before anything comes out of your mouth. In all things, LISTEN. Listen to answer, not just to respond. When you are having a conversation with someone, give them your full attention and let them finish speaking before you jump in with your response.
Deities: You do not choose your Deities, they come to you. If you feel the pull of a specific Deity, stop and open your heart and mind to them. Actually listen to what they are trying to show you.

When I started my Pagan path, I thought I had to follow the Celtic path. I was oh so wrong! I am a daughter of Hecate, chosen by Persephone, taught to be strong and free by Lilith, shielded by The Morrigan and walk through the shadows with Nyx. Each one of these powerful Dark Goddesses came to me on their time, not mine. They didn’t come together all at once, but separately when I needed their guidance and love. They are not gentle, they are bold, fierce and protective of those they have chosen.

I could go on and on, but I’m going to stop here for this time. These for some reason seem to be the things that needed to be said or pointed out. I usually write what the Goddesses put on my heart, the things they think need to be written for someone out there that might come across my blog while searching for clarity. If any of these things resonate with you, please don’t ignore that nudging you are feeling.