Witchcraft in times of deep stress
Fellow wyrd ones!
I write to you as the moon nears fullness and I am stretched well past my capacity. The lilacs and iris are blooming in my garden. My body feels like it is underwater, slow to respond and heavy. My cups are running over, and not with spiritual nectars of my choice, but with several “shoulds,” missed communications, and many unregulated emotions. My breathing is shallow, even as I take in the dappled sunlight filtering through the maple tree outside of my studio window. The past two weeks have been some of the more stressful in recent memory, as a caregiver for a family member bouncing from the ER to the ICU and navigating all the medical terminology and consent conversations in between. Today, I smell the lilacs in my garden and they bring me inches closer to being back in my body.
Just sitting down to write this note to you all feels like drawing back on the tether that connects me with my center. Oftentimes in moments of heightened stress we lose track of ourselves, our needs, and the values that keep us nourished and connected. As a witch, and as someone that reads signs and seeks guidance from the natural world, these moments of stress are challenging to the ways we tend to spiritually regulate. When in hyper activation, I tend to shift into urgent problem solving mode, and slip out of the slow listening mindset that helps me to make healthy decisions and stay spiritually aware.
As a witch, I am no one's guru and I have never been asked to be put on a pedestal. I navigate moments of extreme stress as best my body and spirit can, with my personal history of trauma and mental illness. I require breaks and time to process. In moments of extreme stress I do not turn to my tarot cards. I forget to feed my ancestors and brush my hair. My dreams become more murky and more fear based. AND as a witch and a human, I also know that the spiritual tools I have acquired over my lifetime are waiting for me whenever I am able to access them.
In the moments when my spiritual tools have felt accessible to me lately, I have:
Cuddled with my crystals. Right now I am working with fairy stones and fluorite, for grounding and mental clarity respectively. Mostly they comfortably fit into the pockets of my jeans and feel lovely to hold.
Taking Five Flower Essence blend of managing stress created by Dr. Bach. It’s truly a life saver.
Knowing the phase of the Moon, what sign it is in, and what aspects it’s making daily.
Milky oat tincture for stress management.
Prayer.
Sharing this list not because I think it’s what you should also be doing to manage stress, but as an honest illustration of how our spiritual tools and practices do not have to be grand or ground breaking. Sometimes, and especially when managing high stress, we have to be gentle with ourselves in how we reconnect, ground, and support ourselves. Spiritual practices, if done in earnest and with discipline, help us to build up resilience for these times when we are massively taxed by the world, our circumstances, and our relationships. Lean on whatever it is that is going to be easiest to access and most comforting in the moment.
Due to life complications I have been less tethered to my writing practice than I had hoped. Whenever I do return to the word my soul receives respite and revitalization. Without promise I hope to share more missives with you this month as we navigate a particularly activating Gemini season. Please tune into the Modern Witches Podcast for more on the astral weather of the zodiac season ahead. And above all else, please do a little sweet something to tend to your center.
<3