Metaphysical Self Care

Successful Magickal work often depends on you more than it does circumstances. Unfortunately, many practitioners neglect themselves, whether by forgetting basics or simply not preparing. However, there is another crucial aspect that is overlooked even more, and that is upkeep. While daily meditation, offerings, and so on are a great way to keep building yourself up, self care is equally as important. The things that fall into the category of self care for me personally are: shielding, grounding, centering, cleansing, and healing.

Shielding, or protection work, has many applications, but regardless of your method, it is extremely important. While most people do not deal with witch wars, hexes, and the like on a regular basis, there is still the standard negativity of the day to consider. People and places that you encounter that carry a negative charge, are psychic vampires, or are themselves under attack can influence anyone, especially if they don't have strong protection up. Many people deal with this by carrying a protection Talisman, but there are other ways too, such as creating energy shields, using candle spells, or wearing protection oils.

Grounding is the act of connecting yourself to earth to release excess energy and to recharge yourself. This can be done by visualizing a cord traveling from your root chakra into the earth, walking barefoot on the earth, or even hugging a tree (yes, I know, but it's actually a valuable practice). Grounding yourself helps keep your energy body in check and can remove negativity you've accumulated.

Centering is essentially the reverse of grounding, in that you are bringing your focus back to yourself. It is most useful when preparing for a ritual, but it is also ideal when your thoughts are scattered and you need to get control of yourself. Focusing on the center of your chest for a moment while considering that you are the precise center of the universe at that moment is an excellent way to center yourself.

Cleansing is perhaps one of the most important self care practices you should maintain. There are many ways to do this, such as with smoke, water, cleansing baths, and so on, but one of my favorite simple practices is the candle cleansing. Roll a white candle over your entire body while focusing on releasing any negativity you've accumulated, and then light it and let it burn all the way out, burning away that negativity as it goes.

Finally, healing is an ideal follow up to cleansing. Think of it as closing the wound after removing the infection. Reiki, Candali, Seichim, and other practices are simple healing methods you can use, but there are other methods as well. Healing baths are common, but a simple one is a blue candle. Carve your name into it while focusing on it being the healing light of the universe. Then let it burn out, releasing that energy into you.

It is important to remember some things with these practices. Chiefly, your subtle body is intangible, and ultimately cannot truly be permanently damaged. All things heal over time if they are left alone, but usually they aren't left alone. That is why these practices matter, as they will enhance and accelerate the process of getting your subtle body back into shape. Additionally, attacks that harm your subtle body are ultimately magnified by your focus on them. You should not ignore curses, negativity, and other things that target your subtle body, but neither should you obsess over them. This can create a thought form that is much harder to deal with, as it is feeding directly upon your focus, fear, and pain. Rather, acknowledge the attack, do your self care, and then move on. Finally, it is also important to remember that lasting damage can occur from major curses and such, and in these cases, you will need to do a bit more than some simple candle work. If you think you are going to need that level of assistance, I highly advise studying some protection and reversal Magick now so you are ready.