The Witch's Book of Self-Care: Magical Ways to Pamper, Soothe, and Care for Your Body and Spirit - Arin Murphy-Hiscock 2018
Magical Journaling for Self-Care
Self-Care and Magic
Journaling is a therapeutic practice. It’s also a valuable part of working magic. Keeping records of your work allows you to consult notes regarding herbal or incense blends, timing, successes and failures, origins of ideas, references, and experiments with energies of various supplies and components. Partnering or uniting the concepts of reflective self-care journaling and magical journaling in pursuit of self-care just makes sense.
You’ll have more than one magical and/or self-care journal in your life, so don’t get too caught up in finding the perfect one to last forever. Any blank journal or notebook that is pretty and makes you happy or relaxed when looking at it is great.
Do you already keep a magical journal, recording your energy work, spells, and rituals? Decide if you want to have a separate self-care journal or if you’re going to use your existing magical journal for that purpose. Do what feels right for you. You can always start one way and switch later if your initial choice doesn’t work for you.
A self-care journal tip: glue an envelope to the back cover, or use washi tape to tape the bottom and side of the last two pages to make a pocket open at the top. This allows you to keep loose things in it.
The following rituals will help get you started with your journaling practice. The first is a simple technique to bless your new self-care journal. The second establishes optimal conditions to allow a productive journaling session.
Self-Care Journal Dedication
Before you start using new tools, it’s a good idea to cleanse and bless them or dedicate them to their intended purpose. This ritual calls for a candle and incense that will be used for your future self-care journaling sessions as well as this initial blessing. Why not start using a new pen as well? Keep it just for use with your self-care journal.
What You Need:
♦ Candle in a color you associate with clarity and self-reflection (some suggestions: white, pale blue, pale yellow) and a candleholder
♦ Incense of your choice (suggestions: sandalwood, frankincense, lavender, jasmine) and a censer
♦ Matches or lighter
♦ New notebook
♦ Pen
♦ Markers, stickers, washi tape, and so on (optional; see instructions)
What to Do:
1. Center and ground.
2. Light the candle and the incense. Sit or stand in a relaxed way, eyes closed, and let yourself be in the moment for a minute or so.
3. Pick up the notebook and pass it over the candle, then through the incense, saying, “I cleanse you of negative energy.” Repeat with the pen.
4. Hold the book and close your eyes. Take a few slow breaths. Say:
May this book encourage me to value myself,
To care for myself as I deserve,
And to celebrate myself.
It is my friend and my support. May it be so!
5. Write this (or a blessing of your own creation) on the first page of the journal. Decorate it as you like with markers, stickers, washi tape…whatever makes you feel warm and happy when you look at it.
Tips:
♦ You can use a series of small candles or you can dedicate a large pillar candle to your journaling sessions. If you do the latter, you can pierce holes in the top of the candle and carefully drip essential oil into them or load it with powdered herbs to add their energies to the experience. (See the Enhancing Home Energy Pillar Candle project in Chapter 5.)
♦ If you’re using stick incense, you don’t have to let a whole stick burn every time you light it. If you’re finished before the incense stick is, just tamp it out gently in the censer and slip it back in the packet for next time. Or break one in half and use only one half at a time. Experiment and see what works for you.
Journaling Framework Ritual
Using magical ritual is a way of setting an action or sequence apart from the everyday world. Repeating a certain sequence of actions also allows you to become very familiar with what comes next in the sequence. In the case of this framework, it trains your mind to quickly slip into the calm headspace that is ideal for reflective journaling.
This framework is designed to allow you to slip into the optimal frame of mind for the several journaling exercises throughout the book. Why not brew a cup of tea to go along with it, or pour yourself something refreshing?
This framework calls for a candle and incense of your choice, preferably in colors and scents you associate with peace and clarity. Use the same candle and incense for your self-care journaling session each time. The familiar setting will act as a trigger to help you reach a relaxed, self-reflective state more easily every time. You could use a meditation incense here as well (see Chapter 5).
What You Need:
♦ Your journaling candle in a candleholder (see earlier in this chapter)
♦ Your journaling incense and a censer (see earlier in this chapter)
♦ Matches or lighter
♦ Your magical self-care journal and pen (see earlier in this chapter)
What to Do:
1. Center and ground.
2. Light the candle and incense, saying, “Peace surround me; I am present in the moment.”
3. Sit in a relaxed way, eyes closed, and let yourself be in the moment for a minute or so. Then open your eyes, open your notebook, and journal whatever you intend to record.
4. When you are done, close the book and say, “I thank the universe for my many opportunities to reflect and explore my spirit. May I always be blessed.”
Tip:
♦ Try playing the same album or playlist of relaxed, meditative music while you journal, to further create the self-care atmosphere.