The Modern Guide to Witchcraft (26 page)

The following list of the chakras and the parts of the body associated with them is based on medical intuitive Caroline Myss’s system:

You know someone who’s suffering, and you know a little magick could help that person. Shouldn’t you do a healing spell for her? Well,
maybe
. Physical pain is a red flag that something needs attention—not just the obvious symptom, but the underlying root of the problem. Perhaps the discomfort your friend feels is actually helping her get in touch with the deeper issues involved. If so, it may be a necessary and beneficial part of her healing process.

Respecting another person’s free will is also important when you’re doing magick. You can’t change anyone else unless he wants to change. As well, you may not fully understand the issues involved in another person’s disease. Perhaps an injury is forcing an overachiever to slow down, work less, and spend more time with his family. Unless someone asks for your help, proceed with caution and reserve.

Finally, it’s important to acknowledge that magick spells, no matter how powerful and well intentioned, aren’t a substitute for professional medical care. Although you’ve perhaps heard of shamans who can cure broken bones by tying charmed sticks to the damaged limb, in most cases it’s wise to have the bone set by a qualified doctor. You may have personally witnessed miraculous healings for conditions that orthodox medicine couldn’t cure. But if you break a tooth, you’ll probably be grateful for the skills of a competent dentist. Combine humility, patience, and common sense with magickal belief, for both your own good and everyone else’s.

Healing spells will be more powerful if you do them at the right time. It’s usually best to do spells to increase vitality or repair damage to bone or tissue while the moon is waxing. But if your goal is to eliminate or reduce something, do a spell during the waning moon. Spells to lose weight, for example, should be done while the moon wanes.

The full moon is a high-energy day, and many people experience peak vitality at this time. However, the full moon can also increase stress and bring emotional or psychological issues out into the open. The three days prior to and including the new moon tend to be low-energy days. It may take longer to recover from an illness or injury during this period—don’t push yourself too hard.

Virgo is the zodiac sign of health, so you may wish to do healing spells while the moon and/or the sun is in Virgo. The sun is connected with vitality, and Mars with physical strength. Therefore, you could do a healing spell when the sun and/or moon is in Leo or Aries, depending on your intention.

Spells to limit the spread of disease or to reduce problems associated with a condition should be done on Saturday. Spells to bolster strength and vitality are best done on Tuesday, Thursday, or Sunday.

Don’t undergo surgery or other medical procedures unless you absolutely have to while Mercury is retrograde (meaning the planet looks as if it’s moving backwards in the sky), as mental errors are more common at this time. If you have tests done while Mercury is retrograde and the results are unfavorable or inconclusive, consider having the tests redone. Mercury goes retrograde every four months for three weeks at a time; you can check online astrology sites such as
www.astro.com
to see when.

In recent years, aromatherapy—healing with scent—has entered the mainstream. But witches and healers have known about this practice for thousands of years. The ancient Chinese and Indians used these oils for both healing and spiritual purposes. Scented oils played an important role in the Egyptians’ mummification process. And remember the frankincense and myrrh that the wise men gave Jesus at his birth?

This following list gives some common magickal correspondences for essential oils. If you’re applying aromatics to your skin, be careful—some of these strong scents may cause irritation, and some people may be allergic to certain oils. Dilute them in a “carrier” oil such as olive, grape seed, or jojoba. Don’t ingest them either. Although some are edible, others are toxic.

Aromagick is one of the loveliest types of spellcasting. As you work with scents, consider both their mystical and physical effects. Combine two or more to “customize” your spells.

An essential oil is prepared directly from the plant, which means that it carries the original energy of the plant. Synthetic scents and perfumes don’t. Essential oils tend to be more expensive than perfume oils, but because they’re stronger you only need a drop or two.

Here’s an easy recipe you can use to make a versatile oil blend to boost energy, health, and happiness. If you’ll only use it magickally, say to dot on talismans or to add to a ritual bath, you needn’t dilute the essential oils. However, if you plan to apply the blend directly to your skin, be sure to mix the essential oils into a carrier oil.

• 1 part rosemary oil
  
• 1 part mint oil
  
• 1 part orange oil
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  part lemon oil
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  part thyme oil
  
• 20 parts carrier oil (depending on how you’ll use it)
  

Wash a plain glass jar and let it dry. Then one by one, pour the oils into the container. Swirl them together. Empower the oil blend by holding it in your hands and visualizing your personal energy flowing from your hands into the oil. Cover the jar and label it: Write down the date, the ingredients, and the proportions. Store the oil in a cool, dark place.

For thousands of years, people have soaked in water for therapeutic reasons. Many spas such as those at Saratoga Springs, New York, Ojo Caliente in New Mexico, and Hot Springs, Arkansas, still attract visitors who seek healing through water cures (or hydrotherapy). The ancient Greek physician and Father of Medicine, Hippocrates, believed that “the way to health is to have an aromatic bath and scented massage every day.”

You can put a couple spoonfuls of fragrant dried herbs inside an old sock or stocking, tie a knot in it, and toss it under the running water as you fill the tub. The result in an infusion brewed directly in your bath. Or, you can add essential oils to your bathwater. You’ll probably only need a few drops if you’re using the oils “neat,” more if you’ve blended them in a carrier oil. In the beginning, add only a small amount because your skin may be sensitive to the oils. Mixing essential oils into Epsom salts and adding those to your bathwater is another good way to get their therapeutic benefits—use about
¹
⁄
₄
cup of the scented salts in a bath, and store them in a glass container. You may also enjoy positioning scented candles at the corners of your bathtub and bathing by candlelight.

To do this spell you only need your imagination and willpower. Witches and healers link each of the chakras we talked about earlier with a color—it’s sort of like having a rainbow running through your body.

• First (root) chakra: Red
  
• Second (sacral) chakra: Orange
  
• Third (solar plexus) chakra: Yellow
  
• Fourth (heart) chakra: Green
  
• Fifth (throat) chakra: Blue
  
• Sixth (brow or third eye) chakra: Indigo
  
• Seventh (crown) chakra: Purple
  

Sit in a quiet, comfortable place and breathe slowly, deeply. Focus your attention on the first chakra, and send beautiful, clear red light there. Do this for a minute or two, until you feel warmth at this energy center. Then shift your attention to the second chakra and focus orange light there. Repeat, moving up through your body, sending the appropriate-colored light to each chakra. By the time you reach the top of your head, you’ll feel more relaxed and balanced in body, mind, and spirit. Try to do this every day to maintain personal harmony and well-being.

Once you’ve got the okay to go ahead and cast a spell for someone else, use sympathetic magick to provide healing.

• Something that represents the other person
  
• Sprig of sage
  
• Eucalyptus oil
  
• 1 gold candle
  
• 1 purple candle
  
• 2 fireproof candleholders
  
• Oil burner
  
• Matches or a lighter
  

• As needed
  

Find an object that represents the person for whom you’re casting the spell. It could be a photograph of the person or an item that belongs to her, such as a piece of clothing or jewelry. Smudge your work area and the object that will stand for the other person with the smoke of sage. Cast a circle. Set the item in the middle of your work area or on your altar, and position a candle on either side of it. Place the oil burner behind it.

Pour several drops of eucalyptus oil into your burner. Light it, and then light the candles. After a moment of reflection during which you bring to mind the person’s face and being, say:

“As the oil and candles burn,

Illness gone and health return,

For my [state relationship and the person’s name]

Who is yearning and deserving.”

Extinguish the oil burner. Open the circle and let the other two candles burn down naturally.

If you’re like most people, you hit a slump late in the afternoon. When you need a quick pick-me-up that’s all natural and caffeine and sugar free, drink this magick Energy Elixir to boost your vitality and clear your mind.

• A clear glass jar with a lid
  
• A small piece of rutilated quartz crystal
  
• Spring water
  
• A few drops of essential oil of peppermint or spearmint
  
• A few drops of essential oil of lemon
  
• A few drops of essential oil of sweet orange
  
• The Strength card from a tarot deck
  

• Any time
  

Collect the ingredients needed for this spell. Wash the jar and the quartz crystal with mild soap and water, and let them dry. Cast a circle around the area where you will do your spell. Fill the jar with spring water. Add the essential oils, then the crystal. Cap the jar and shake it three times to charge it.

Lay the Strength card face up on your altar, table, or another surface. Set the jar on the card and leave it for at least ten minutes, so the water can absorb the energy of the image.

Remove the crystal, with your fingers, spoon, or tongs. Open the circle. Sip this supercharged elixir whenever you need an energy boost.