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Manic Pagan Dream Grrl

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Magick Without Spoons

Magick Without Spoons

Last updated on: August 3, 2023 at 9:18 am by Katie Gerrard

Magick Without Spoons 2023-08-03T09:18:34+00:00 Katie Gerrard

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Image credit: Katie Gerrard @ Manic Pagan Dream Grrl for Patheos

Paganism and magickal practise are a big part of my life. Witchcraft and meditation have helped me through some of the hardest times I’ve lived through. Yet there are days my energy levels are so low engaging with magick takes more inner battery power than I can muster.

For those of you unfamiliar with the ‘spoons theory’, it goes like this. A person has a bunch of metaphorical spoons. These spoons they can assign to tasks. A healthy person might have 1000 spoons so can easily go through their day without worry. Someone with an energy level disorder might have days when they have 50 spoons. If it takes 10 spoons to make a phone call, 20 to cook and eat dinner, and 20 to post an overdue parcel there are no spoons left to shower.

I prefer to think of it as battery power. Some tasks charge the battery, some use it up. It’s true walking in nature, talking to friends, and eating a nice healthy meal recharge my battery. But the reality is getting to nature, listening to friends, and cooking depletes it. If I woke up with 20% and the essential tasks related to hygiene and parenting used 15%, that remaining 5% is not going to get me to the park.

I have cyclothymic bipolar. On bad days it can feel similar to something like Fibromyalgia or ME. I experience epic tiredness, all over body pains, headaches, and brain fog. I’ve never experienced “just” depression (without the associated hypomania of bipolar) but I assume those who have this would suffer similarly.

Yes, ritual and magick can be amazing pick me ups.

The reality for someone like me is the effort it takes to start the ritual is just too many spoons before the recharging and healing can start.

So, after that rather long introduction, here are some low starting energy magickal activities you can do to help recharge and stay connected to your spirituality during low spoon days.

Bless your tea

You still have to make your cup of tea I’m afraid, but you can also use a glass of water. This idea comes from one I borrowed from Freyja Aswyn’s Leaves of Yggdrasil.
Draw the rune Uruz (for energy) into your drink whilst intoning it. Drink it. Feel recharged.

The Blanket Bubble

Throw a blanket (or duvet, or cloak) over your head. Breathe into the darkness for as long as you need before visualising the blanket being infused with golden earth energy. This works even better if you’re sitting outside and can draw the energy in from the sun’s rays. Visualise the glow of the blanket entering your aura and infusing your body with energy.

The Tree Meditation

You don’t need to cast a circle or set up incense for this. It comes from an original meditation in Magick Without Peers by Ariadne Rainbird and David Rankine.

Sit quietly and visualise your spine as the trunk of a tall tree. Visualise roots growing out from beneath you and pushing down into the ground where they draw up the earth energy. Imagine branches reaching up above your head to the sun/ moon energy to draw it down. Let the energy infuse your body and then allow your branches and roots to rescind and your tree to once more be body.

Ancestor Anchoring

Close your eyes and chant the Othala rune. If you’re really tired you can do this in your head. Runic energy is better harnessed through sound but don’t use up the last of your spoons thinking you have to use your vocal cords.

Use the energy of the Othala rune to call out to your ancestors and visualise them circling you, giving you unconditional love, support, and healing.

Light a candle/ incense stick

Whilst it’s great to use these things just to help you get into a calm headspace, you can also use the candle flame/ smoke to visualise transference of energy. Visualise the light or smoke charging your aura.

Mirror affirmations

Self-love doesn’t have to be rose petal baths and baking. On a good day, write some simple affirmations on post it notes and stick them to the mirror. If you can’t be bothered to find post it notes use eyeliner straight onto the glass (that is if you have eyeliner of course!)

It can be as simple as “I love you”, “you deserve to be happy”, or “you’re a great person”. Similarly, it can be specific such as “every day you wake up and shower you’ve achieved” or “this person and this person love you and you make their world better”

On the bad days simply read the messages.

Magick and ritual doesn’t have to include all the things you learnt in your training. Just five minutes when you’re feeling low is enough.

There will be days you can’t manage those five minutes. Don’t make these rituals an everyday thing. They’re a gift to yourself when you’re ready to enact them. A beautiful energy charge at the times you can achieve it.

Some days they’ll give you the extra spoons to help you achieve more, some days they won’t.

Use magick to be kind to yourself.

About Katie Gerrard

Author of "Seidr: The Gate is Open" and "Odin’s Gateways", Katie Gerrard is a witch working as a hypnotherapist, yoga teacher and workshop facilitator. You can read more about the author here.

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