Love Thyself - Crisis of Faith, Self Care and Ramblings of a Lesser Witch

2020 was a year that deprived us of many things: those who lost their jobs, those who lost someone dear, those who lost their freedom. We knew from the beginning that it would not be a year like any other, given the astrological picture that has accompanied us in recent months.

And we are not yet at the end of this mad rush! In December another important planetary conjunction awaits us: on December 21st Saturn and Jupiter will unite under the progressive sign of Aquarius, bringing further shocks to the current global situation. We also remind you that the 21st December will mark also the Winter Solstice (or Summer Solstice, depending on where you are), another very important date from an esoteric and energetic point of view.

If you have been bored so far between climate change, pandemics, riots, social justice and international political crises; fasten your seat belts well because we are flying one more time.

Yet, despite all this fervour on both the subtle and the mundane planes, not all of us felt electrified by this energy boost - for better or for worse.

I myself, despite having tried to inspire souls to take a position in a year so unique in its terrible singularity, I have often found myself helpless in the face of all this, losing my feisty attitude.

My altar, although it is still decorated for every sabbat, has been waiting patiently to be used for months - apart from sporadic magical work.

And that's okay.

Why am I telling you this?

Because, like probably many of you, I felt guilty for my negligence. Inadequate. Weak. Not worthy of the practice.

There are heavy energies all around: the Earth suffers, humanity suffers.

So many of us have found themselves dealing with anxiety and depression at best.

This feeling is further amplified by the omnipresent and oppressive media presence of pagan influencers, pass me the term: instagram, pinterest and tiktok (or "witch-tok", if you are part of the community) are studded with #aesthetic photos, always on the hunt of the perfect chromatic combination and the most captivating font.

Like everything, spirituality has become the object of pride and consumerist accumulation of trendy witchy items, bought from famous e-shops.

We must remind ourselves that not all that glitters is gold: the web is a flashy showcase, but it is not a window to the real world.

Just as we cannot compete with the influencers, queens of Photoshop, in the same way ostentatious spirituality is probably not a mirror of a person's personal practice.

A jumble of magical tools nicely arranged in a #witchaesthetic photo doesn't suddenly make us enlightened gurus.

We must learn to accept it and, above all, to accept ourselves.

You cannot expect to be able to practice on the subtle level if you are not healthy on the material level, both from a physical and mental point of view.

Does this make us witches worse than others?

Absolutely not.

Each of us is a different person, with a unique story behind them, with different problems and situations. We cannot in the least compare ourselves to another person, as each of us is unique in the world - and fortunately, because diversity is what makes us wonderfully human!

The main thing is to get to know yourself and know your limits, on every level.

It seems like a cliché, but the first step to love ourselves is acceptance.

This does not mean, of course, giving up on continuously improving (we’re living this life to learn a lesson, after all) but I also invite you to love yourself and not be a slave to such a competitive world. Especially in a historical moment like this, where we are all inclined to jump to the throat of others for the most futile reasons.

What other things can we do next, then, to help us feel better about ourselves?

☽ Disconnect from the media! It is important to stay up to date on what's going on in the world, but if you are feeling low and have anxiety problems, surely the last thing you need is more negative news, over which we have no control, and the usual biased debate between users. As explained above, they increase competition anxiety and a sense of inadequacy if we don't feel fit to practice as we would like.

☽ Another thing probably trivial but worth mentioning: connect with Nature. In general, our society has detached itself from the sacredness of Mother Earth in the name of the god of capitalism - causing deep generational wounds. The one and only underlying cause of racism, climate change, any pandemics and so on: the lack of empathy that connects us to the thin energetic web of the cosmos.

And if you live in a populous city, don't despair: Gaia can be found everywhere, even in the smallest corners of a metropolis. You don't need to be in an impenetrable forest to connect to Earth.

**Click here to learn how to reconnect with Nature**

**Click here to learn about Genius Loci**

☽ Furthermore, we are going through a very delicate period: Samhain (or Beltaine) is approaching and the veil that separates our world from other dimensions, is thinning more and more. This year, in particular, will be even more challenging than usual given today's climate.

It is natural that the energies in circulation are heavy and not particularly positive, so an energetic cleaning is recommended - in order to lighten the environment around you.

**Click here for some useful tips on how to cleanse your house from negative energies** 

☽ A method that can help us get back into the magical perspective is to fix a routine, without too many complicated rituals: just light an incense in the morning, as a small thanks, or a moment of meditation in the evening.

The third eye is an organ like any other, the more we train it, the easier it will be to practice. I, for example, am a creature of habit who only works with a list in front of my face and having a magical routine helps me a lot in staying anchored to the practice.

☽ If you feel like it, this is a great time to start doing Shadow Work. While it is natural to want to return to light and carefree, one must take note of one's dark side: darkness is part of us, as much as it is our bright side. Don't try to hide it under the rug, hug it.

☽ Seek professional help, in case you feel the need. These tips are designed to help you but do not substitute medical help or therapy you are following in the slightest.

This feel-good society has taught us that only light, goodness, life and love are positive and
useful, completely ignoring that grey area that sooner or later will catch up with us. 

In fact, in this modern age, we no longer know how to manage emotions that are considered "negative" such as anger, sadness, grief, etc. And when there are times when we feel down, we don't know how to react.

So, why do Shadow Work? This practice helps us to identify our weaknesses and the skeletons hidden in the closet, through a real inner journey. And what better time of the year than during the descent into darkness?

And therefore, during our journey towards the darkest part of the year, I hope that the advice above has been useful to you and I wish you a peaceful - however complex - descent into womb of Mother Earth. Have courage, embrace it: make it your ally to improve yourself.

♃Ludna

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