The Modern Witchcraft Spell Book: Your Complete Guide to Crafting and Casting Spells - Skye Alexander 2015

Health and Healing Spells
Spells for All Reasons and Seasons

Our ancestors didn’t have the advantage of modern medical procedures and pharmaceuticals, as we do today. Instead, when people became ill they relied on plant-based remedies, magick potions, and healing spells to treat ailments and injuries. In many parts of the world, that’s still the case. But even in the United States, herbal medicine, essential oils, and various types of holistic healing are gaining popularity. Doctors also acknowledge that our thoughts and emotions have a lot to do with our physical well-being. Numerous studies show that meditation, visualization, and prayer can have a positive effect on health, too.

To some, that may sound like magick—and perhaps it is. As you already know, harnessing your mental power is the key to spellworking. You also understand that working with the forces of nature—plants, minerals, and so on—and tapping the energies inherent in them can help to bring about the conditions you desire. You’re aware, too, that you can call upon spiritual beings to assist you in your spells. So it makes sense that magick spells can influence your health and other people’s. In this chapter, you’ll find spells to aid a variety of problems. But remember, before you cast a spell for someone else, ask that person (either directly or through psychic communication) if it’s okay to use magick to help. That way you won’t interfere with his or her free will. Just to be on the safe side, it’s a good idea to end a spell with a statement such as: “This is done for the good of all concerned.” Of course, spells are not intended to replace professional medical care.

Steps for Successful Spellcasting

Whenever you cast a spell, remember to use a few tried-and-true measures, as described in Chapter 1. These precautions can help you avoid complications, mix-ups, delays, or disappointments:

1. Remove all distractions.

2. Collect the ingredients and tools you’ll use in your spell and cleanse them.

3. Purify and sanctify your space.

4. Quiet your mind.

5. Cast a circle around the area where you’ll do your spellworking.

6. Perform the spell.

7. If you’ve called upon deities or spirits to assist you, thank and release them.

8. Open the circle.

9. Store your tools in a safe place until you need them again.

COLORS TO USE IN SPELLS FOR HEALTH AND HEALING

To enhance the spells you do for success, incorporate the colors green and blue into your magickal workings. White signifies purification and protection, so you can use it in healing spells, too. Consider burning candles or crafting talisman/amulet pouches in these colors. You may also want to carry gemstones in these colors as talismans or amulets, and wear green or blue clothing while performing health and healing spells. Add green or blue botanicals to mojo bags, ritual baths, sachets, or potions. Many of the spells in this chapter use these color associations.

How Healing Spells Work

When you do a healing spell, you first clear away the obstruction, disruption, or negative energy that is causing the problem. Then you impart positive energy and harmony to the person seeking aid, to support his or her immune system so the problem doesn’t return.

ABRACADABRA

Everybody knows the magick word Abracadabra—if you say it aloud, will it make your troubles disappear? Actually, it’s better if you write it the way ancient healers did. This spell is thousands of years old, but it’s still powerful medicine today.

INGREDIENTS/TOOLS:

✵ 1 blue candle

✵ 1 candleholder

✵ Matches or a lighter

✵ 1 piece of paper or parchment

✵ 1 pen or marker

BEST TIME TO PERFORM THE SPELL:

✵ During the waning moon, preferably when the sun or moon is in Virgo or Pisces

Fit the candle in its holder and light it. On the paper or parchment write the word Abracadabra as a descending triangle, like this:

ABRACADABRA

ABRACADABR

ABRACADAB

ABRACADA

ABRACAD

ABRACA

ABRAC

ABRA

ABR

AB

A

When you’ve finished, extinguish the candle and open the circle. Place the paper on the afflicted part of your body for a few minutes. Envision the illness or injury being transmitted into the symbol. Then remove the paper and take it outside. Tuck the paper in the cleft of a tree, where it will be exposed to the elements. As the word and the paper perish, your discomfort disappears.

WEIGHT LOSS POTION

If your jeans are getting tight and you’re not sure you want to be seen in a swimsuit just now, what can you do to shed those unwanted pounds? This magick potion works at a subconscious level to calm hunger pangs and help you stick to your diet.

INGREDIENTS/TOOLS:

✵ Spring water

✵ Unsweetened green apple tea (not spiced apple)

✵ 1 bright pink ceramic cup

✵ 1 bright pink candle

✵ 1 candleholder

✵ Matches or a lighter

BEST TIME TO PERFORM THE SPELL:

✵ During the waning moon, preferably on a Saturday or when the sun or moon is in Virgo or Capricorn

When you feel hungry, instead of eating something you shouldn’t, brew a pot of green apple tea. Pour the tea into the bright pink cup. Fit the candle into its holder, set it on the dining or kitchen table, and light it. Sit and gaze at the candle while you inhale the refreshing scent of the tea. Drink the cup of tea slowly, keeping your attention focused on the candle. Feel your hunger pangs gradually subside. Repeat as necessary.

PAIN, PAIN GO AWAY

After a stressful day, does your head feel like someone is tightening a clamp around it? The key to this spell is detaching yourself from the pain, rather than resisting it.

INGREDIENTS/TOOLS:

✵ None

BEST TIME TO PERFORM THE SPELL:

✵ Anytime

Sit in a comfortable place. Close your eyes. Acknowledge the presence of the pain, rather than fighting it. Don’t identify with it, however. Try to envision it as something that’s not a part of you. Mentally step back, so that your awareness is slightly above and outside your head, and simply observe the pain without emotion.

Press your thumbs on the back of your neck where it joins the base of the skull, with one thumb on each side. Apply firm but comfortable pressure for a minute or more, while you breathe slowly and deeply. Each time you inhale, imagine taking clear light blue air into your lungs. See the soothing blue air rise into your head and gently swirl around inside your skull.

After a minute or so, let go of your neck and press one index finger to your “third eye” (located between the eyebrows where the nose and forehead join). Continue breathing in blue air for a minute or two. Release the pressure on your third eye and hold your index fingers to your temples. Apply pressure for at least a minute, while you inhale healing blue light, then release. Open your eyes. Repeat as necessary.

SPELL TO EASE A HEADACHE

Here’s another spell to soothe a headache—especially one caused by tension or sleeplessness. Performing this relaxing ritual every day may also have a beneficial effect on blood pressure, anxiety, insomnia, digestive complaints, and other stress-related conditions.

INGREDIENTS/TOOLS:

✵ 1 smoky quartz crystal

✵ 1 piece of rose quartz

✵ Lavender-scented incense

✵ Incense burner

✵ Matches or a lighter

BEST TIME TO PERFORM THE SPELL:

✵ As needed

Wash the stones in running water, then charge them by letting them sit in the sunlight for several minutes. Place the incense in the burner and light it. Sit quietly in a comfortable spot and begin breathing slowly and deeply. Hold the rose quartz in your left hand and feel it gently emitting loving, peaceful vibrations. Hold the smoky quartz crystal to your forehead and imagine the quartz dispersing the pain. Spend as much time as you need in this calm, relaxed state. When you’re finished, cleanse the stones again and set them in a sunny spot.

SPELL TO RELIEVE MOTION SICKNESS

Whether you’re sailing, flying, or winding around the mountains in an RV, motion sickness can turn your dream trip into a nightmare. Motion sickness usually occurs when you feel you are out of control—notice that the driver of a car rarely gets sick. This spell helps balance your equilibrium and calm nausea.

INGREDIENTS/TOOLS:

✵ Sea-Bands (available online, and at some health food stores or pharmacies in packages of two)

✵ 1 small vial of peppermint essential oil

✵ Gemstone Necklace for a Safe Trip (see Chapter 11)

BEST TIME TO PERFORM THE SPELL:

✵ As needed

If you start to feel queasy—or worry that you might—slip the Sea-Bands onto your wrists. They should fit snugly, with the nub pressing firmly against the middle of the underside of your arm about two or three finger widths up from the bend at your wrist. Inhale a few whiffs of the peppermint essential oil—you can pour a little oil on a handkerchief or sniff it directly from the bottle.

Don your Gemstone Necklace for a Safe Trip. Feel its magick protecting you, keeping you safe despite rough seas, air turbulence, or treacherous roads. Envision yourself surrounded by a ball of pure white light that shields you from harm. If you wish, visualize guardian angels or other deities on all sides, guiding you to safety. Repeat the affirmation “I am safe and sound at all times and in all situations” until you stop feeling upset.

HEALING MILK BATH

Nearly 3,000 years ago, Hippocrates, the “father of medicine,” recommended baths for all sorts of ailments, and for centuries people have “taken the waters” to remedy health problems of all kinds. This simple milk bath soothes body and mind—adapt it to your special needs by adding appropriate herbs or flowers, essential oils, bath salts, and other ingredients.

INGREDIENTS/TOOLS:

✵ 1 cup cornstarch

✵ 2 cups milk powder

✵ 2 tablespoons dry herbs (see the table at the beginning of this chapter for suggestions)

✵ 1 glass jar with lid that will hold 3 cups (24 ounces)

BEST TIME TO PERFORM THE SPELL:

✵ As needed

Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until combined and reduced to a fine powder. Pour into the jar. To use, add ¹⁄₂ cup of this magick blend to bathwater while the tub is filling. (Store the rest in your fridge.) Soak in the tub as long as you like. Alternate suggestion: Substitute essential oils for dry herbs: eucalyptus for colds, sandalwood for aches/pains, etc.

MAGICK HEALING BREW

You’re feeling under the weather and could use a little magick to soothe what ails you. When you drink this healing brew, you nourish your body, mind, and spirit with herbal medicine and loving energy.

INGREDIENTS/TOOLS:

✵ Mint herbal tea

✵ 1 chalice (or cup)

✵ 1 echinacea capsule (available in health food stores and some supermarkets)

✵ Lemon juice, to taste

✵ Honey, to taste

✵ 1 spoon

BEST TIME TO PERFORM THE SPELL:

✵ As needed

Brew the mint tea and pour some into your chalice or cup. Open the echinacea capsule and sprinkle the herb into the tea. Add a little lemon juice and honey. Stir the tea in the chalice three times, in a clockwise direction, to charge it.

Gaze at the chalice and imagine a ray of pink light flowing into the chalice, infusing the tea with healing energy. Then slowly sip the tea. Feel its loving vibrations being absorbed into your body. Let them spread out from your stomach into your arms, legs, and head. Feel a tingling warmth radiating in your heart chakra. Allow the healing herbal blend to ease your discomfort and restore your sense of well-being. Repeat as necessary.

SWEET DREAMS SPELL

When you lie down to sleep at night, does your mind keep racing like a hamster on a treadmill? If you can’t stop thinking about all the things you have to do tomorrow, try this bedtime ritual—it helps you relax and get a good night’s sleep, so your mind and body can rejuvenate themselves.

INGREDIENTS/TOOLS:

✵ 1 piece of amethyst

✵ 1 dark blue votive candle

✵ Matches or a lighter

✵ White Chestnut flower essence (available from health food stores or online)

✵ 1 glass of spring water

✵ 1 piece of paper

✵ 1 pen or pencil

BEST TIME TO PERFORM THE SPELL:

✵ Before going to bed

Wash the amethyst with mild soap and water, and pat it dry. Light the votive candle and spend a few moments gazing into the flame to relax your mind. Put 4 drops of White Chestnut flower essence in the glass of water and sip it slowly. On the paper, make a list of all the things you must remember to do tomorrow. Once you’ve written down these tasks your mind can stop reminding you of them.

When you’ve finished noting everything you can think of, turn the paper over and draw the I Ching hexagram “T’ai/Peace” on it. This symbol consists of six lines stacked one on top of the other. Each of the top three lines looks like two dashes side by side. The bottom three lines are solid. Lay the piece of paper on your nightstand with the I Ching hexagram facing up. Set the amethyst on top of the symbol.

Extinguish the candle. Get into bed and feel the soothing resonances of the flower essence and the amethyst quieting your thoughts. If your mind strays to worrisome matters, gently stop yourself and replace those thoughts with a mental image of the symbol “T’ai.” Additional suggestion: Do this spell at least 15 minutes after brushing your teeth, as mint toothpaste or mouthwash will nullify the effects of the White Chestnut.

SWEET DREAMS POTION

According to WebMD, lack of sleep can lead to coronary problems, stroke, diabetes, and automobile accidents. We need our sleep in order to thrive, yet a huge number of people report not getting enough quality shuteye. Here’s another way to quiet your thoughts and emotions so you can sleep better. This magick potion also inspires prophetic dreams that can offer guidance in your waking hours.

INGREDIENTS/TOOLS:

✵ 1 bowl (preferably silver or clear glass)

✵ 1 moonstone

✵ Spring water

✵ 1 glass bottle with a cap or stopper, any size

BEST TIME TO PERFORM THE SPELL:

✵ On the night of the full moon; however, if you can’t wait that long, do the spell as needed

Wash the bowl and the moonstone with mild soap and water, then place the stone in the bowl. Fill the bowl with spring water. Set it on a windowsill, countertop, table, or other surface where the moon will be reflected in the water. Allow the water to sit overnight. In the morning, remove the moonstone and pour the moon-imprinted water into the bottle.

Each night before retiring, sip a little of the potion to help you sleep better. Pay attention to your dreams, too—they may hold answers to daily dilemmas or offer glimpses into the future. Make a new batch of Sweet Dreams Potion at each full moon.

SPELL TO HEAL A MINOR WOUND

This spell uses a poppet or doll to represent the injured individual—whatever you do to the doll manifests in the person you seek to heal. Remember to obtain the permission of another person before you do the spell for him or her. (This spell is intended to assist healing, not to replace professional medical care or to treat serious injuries.)

INGREDIENTS/TOOLS:

✵ 1 piece of cotton or silk cloth, 12" × 12", that matches the skin color of the person who seeks healing

✵ Straight pins

✵ Markers in a variety of colors

✵ Scissors

✵ Needle and thread to match the cloth

✵ Filling to stuff the poppet (cotton batting, wool, straw, or other material)

✵ Yarn that matches the hair color of the individual (or, if possible, actual hair from the person for whom you are doing the spell)

✵ Paper or parchment

✵ Herbs and/or flowers that correspond to the nature of the wound

✵ Green, blue, or white cloth

BEST TIME TO PERFORM THE SPELL:

✵ As needed

Fold the skin-colored cloth in half and pin it together. With a marker trace a basic human shape on the top layer of the cloth. Don’t make it too small; use as much space as you can on the cloth. Cut out the human shape, cutting through both layers of cloth at the same time. You will have two flat, human-like shapes. Match the edges and pin the two shapes together. Sew them together with a small running stitch (it’s better to do this by hand rather than with a sewing machine, because it’s more personal and gives you more time to focus on your intention). Leave one side of the “body” open between the hip and the arm.

Stuff the poppet with whatever material you’ve chosen. Pin the hole shut temporarily. With the markers, personalize the poppet to look like the individual who will be healed. Add yarn for hair, or attach clippings of the person’s real hair. Draw eyes, nose, mouth, and other features. Add any physical markings such as birthmarks or tattoos. Enrich the poppet’s appearance with colors that correspond to the individual’s own characteristics. Write the person’s full name and birthdate on the slip of paper, and fold it up. Unpin the hole and tuck the folded paper inside the doll. Pin it shut again. Hold the doll in your hands and look it into its eyes. State aloud the person’s name with confidence and awareness. Visualize him or her whole and well—don’t focus on the injury.

Unpin the hole, and gather up pinches of the herbs you have selected to correspond with healing the wound. Tuck them into the doll. Sew the hole up, as you say:

“Needle and thread,

Knit bone to bone,

Flesh to flesh,

Cell to cell.

[Name], you are well.”

Hold the poppet in your hands and hum a single note. (You may choose to hum a note that corresponds to the chakra linked with the injury; see Chapter 2.) As you hum, visualize healing energy flowing down your arms and into the doll. When you feel as if the doll holds as much energy as it can handle for the moment, wrap it gently in the cloth whose color you’ve chosen to represent healing. Place the poppet in a safe place.

You may repeat the healing hum once a day if the individual requires it. When the person has recovered and is well again, thank the doll for its help. Then hold it in your hands and look it in the eyes. State aloud, with confidence and awareness: “This is no longer [name].” Burn or bury the doll to symbolize that the healing is complete and the poppet has served its purpose. Alternate suggestion: If the individual is chronically ill, do not destroy the doll, but keep it as a focus for ongoing healing work. You may ask the person if he or she would like you to keep the poppet in order to strengthen the healing process.

EASY DOES IT LOTION

You’ve overdone it and now your muscles are making their displeasure known. This herbal balm helps soothe sore muscles and relieve minor aches and pains.

INGREDIENTS/TOOLS:

✵ 1 glass jar, bottle, or other container with a lid

✵ 1 small clear quartz crystal

✵ 4 ounces of olive, grape seed, or almond oil

✵ A few drops of camphor essential oil

✵ A few drops of clove essential oil

✵ A few drops of lavender essential oil

✵ 1 small amount of fresh ginger root, grated very fine

BEST TIME TO PERFORM THE SPELL:

✵ As needed

Wash the jar or bottle and the crystal with mild soap and water. Pour the olive, grape seed, or almond oil into the bottle. Add a few drops of each essential oil. Add the fresh ginger to the oil mixture. Hold the quartz crystal to your “third eye” (between your eyebrows) and send a vision of soothing, healing energy into the crystal. You might see it as blue or green light. Then put the crystal into the oil mixture and cap the jar/bottle. Shake the jar/bottle three times to charge it. Rub the healing lotion on your sore muscles to alleviate pain. Repeat as necessary.

HEAVEN AND EARTH RITUAL TO INCREASE VITALITY

This ritual invites the nurturing, supportive energy of the earth and the enlivening energy of the sun to blend within your body and bring balance. If possible, perform this ritual outside, in a safe place where you can burn candles.

INGREDIENTS/TOOLS:

✵ 4 bayberry candles in holders (votive candles in glass containers are good choices)

✵ Matches or a lighter

✵ 4 clear quartz crystals

Best time to perform this spell:

✵ As needed

Place the candles at the four compass directions. Set the crystals between the candles to form a circle. You’ll notice this eight-point circle resembles the Wheel of the Year (discussed in Chapter 8). Step inside the circle and light the candles, beginning in the east and working in a clockwise direction. Stand facing east, with your arms outstretched at your sides, parallel to the ground, palms up.

The candles represent the fire element and the masculine force. The crystals symbolize the earth element and the feminine force. Feel the balanced energy around you flowing into your body from every direction. Receive it in your open hands and allow it to fill you up, energizing you. Draw Mother Earth’s nurturing energy upward through your feet, into your legs, torso, arms, and head. Feel the sun’s vitalizing energy flowing into the top of your head and down through your body, all the way to your feet. Envision the two forces—yin and yang, heaven and earth—blending and balancing one another in your heart center.

Stand in the center of the circle as long as you choose. When you feel invigorated, extinguish the candles in a counterclockwise direction to open the circle, and pick up the crystals. Carry the crystals with you to continually charge yourself with positive energy, or place them at the corners of your home to provide extra energy. Repeat this spell as often as needed. If you wish, you can invite other people to join you in the healing circle.

KEEP YOUR COOL POTION

This magick potion helps you beat the heat, whether it’s physical or psychological. The secret ingredient is aquamarine, a pale blue gem whose name comes from the Latin word for seawater. Wise men and women used this stone to calm anger, ease stress, lower blood pressure, and bring down fevers.

INGREDIENTS/TOOLS:

✵ 1 aquamarine

✵ 1 chalice (or clear glass)

✵ Spring water

BEST TIME TO PERFORM THE SPELL:

✵ Anytime

Wash the aquamarine and chalice/glass with mild soap and water to remove any ambient vibrations and/or dirt. Place the gem in the bottom of your chalice, then fill the chalice with water. Swirl the water in the chalice in a counterclockwise direction to charge it, while you chant the following incantation:

“I am healed

In body and mind

Of imbalances

Of any kind.”

Remove the aquamarine. As you drink the potion, imagine you are immersing yourself in a refreshing pool of water to help you keep your cool. Store unused water in the fridge, preferably in a clear glass bottle, and keep some on hand for emergencies. Additional suggestion: You can also soak a clean cotton cloth in this magick potion to make a cooling poultice. Lay the cloth on your forehead to ease a headache, over your eyes to soothe eyestrain, or on your abdomen to aid hot flashes or menstrual cramps.

RITUAL TO RECLAIM YOUR ENERGY

Do you feel worn out at the end of the day, especially if you have to deal with a lot of people? When you’re around a difficult person, do you notice your energy diminishing? According to ancient Toltec teachings, you leave a bit of your own vitality behind with every individual you meet during the day. This ritual lets you reclaim the energy you’ve given away, so you don’t get depleted.

INGREDIENTS/TOOLS:

✵ None

BEST TIME TO PERFORM THE SPELL:

✵ At the end of each day, before going to sleep

Sit in a comfortable chair and close your eyes. Start breathing slowly and deeply. Begin recalling all the people you encountered and all the incidents that occurred during the day, one at a time.

Turn your head to the left and remember something that happened in which you participated in some way. Inhale as you revisit the thoughts and feelings you had, as well as the actions that took place. Then turn your head to the right and exhale, releasing the experience with your breath. Continue doing this until you’ve recapped every event of the day, from beginning to end, the little things as well as the big ones. Feel yourself relaxing and gaining strength with each memory you cast out.

HEALING CHICKEN AND VEGGIE SOUP

Soup is a delicious way to warm up in the winter—especially if you’re suffering with a cold or flu. In this recipe, the chicken and vegetables support the immune system to fight illness. The magickal secret to this soup’s healing power comes not only from the vitamins and minerals in the ingredients, but also from the positive, loving vibrations you focus into the brew while you’re cooking it.

INGREDIENTS/TOOLS:

✵ 4 tablespoons butter

✵ Large saucepan

✵ 1 large white onion, chopped

✵ 3 cloves garlic, diced

✵ 3 tablespoons brown sugar

✵ 2 tablespoons flour

✵ 4 cups chicken stock

✵ 1 (14¹⁄₂-ounce) can of diced tomatoes with juice

✵ 2 large carrots

✵ 2 large potatoes

✵ 1 small bunch of kale, chopped

✵ 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

✵ Water, as needed

✵ Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

^· 1⁄₄ cup sherry or port (optional)

✵ Baguette (French bread), or croutons

✵ 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1. Melt the butter in the saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, and sugar and cook over medium-high heat; stir constantly using a clockwise motion (to boost the soup’s healing energy) for 15 minutes or until sticky and caramel-brown. Remove from the heat.

2. Stir in the flour. Slowly add the stock, again stirring constantly using a clockwise motion. Return to the heat and bring to a boil, stirring regularly.

3. Add the veggies—feel free to include or substitute other vegetables if you wish (see tables in Chapter 16 for magickal correspondences). If soup seems too thick, add water (or more chicken stock or vegetable juice) until you get the consistency you like. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Cover and simmer gently for a half-hour (or longer if you wish), stirring occasionally. Add the sherry or port (if using). Taste and adjust the seasoning if required. Serve hot in bowls. Garnish with a slice of toasted baguette or croutons; sprinkle with grated cheese and chopped parsley.