Many of us live in challenging times and circumstances. We’re witches, druids, and magicians and we can do spellwork, but the popular depictions of magic and spells often involve a lot of props and materials. But what if you are struggling paycheck to paycheck? Or day to day? What if you are in a situation where you are concerned about basic survival? What if you don’t have the time or money to do those suggested spells? What if you are in a dangerous situation and can’t get out of it? How do you feel when you hear gurus who say that you can magic yourselves out of your tough circumstances?
Magic has limits. As much as I sometimes wish that magic worked as it did in the movies and in stories, it doesn’t. We can do magic to change ourselves and the way we view the world. Magic may also allow us to affect other people – but it’s mostly through their attitudes and perspectives. So, what do you do when you really wish you could just magic up some cash to pay the rent, or to become invisible, or to make someone go away?
Simple magic is sometimes the best magic, and if you’re in a challenging situation, it’s sometimes the only type of magic that you can do. Here are some ideas of magical workings that you can do with minimal or no cost, and are pretty easy to keep under the radar of anyone you are concerned about. In all of these cases, try to identify any mundane activities that you can do to support the magic. If you’re in a position where your life is in danger, please seek help! I’ve included some resources at the end of this article.
Make Offerings
You can make offerings of your food or drink. Water makes a great offering – especially if it’s water that you are sharing with the gods and spirits. Take a moment while standing at a bus stop, walking on the street, standing in your yard, or hanging out on a patio and pour out a bit of your drink – it doesn’t have to be a lot. As you pour it out, say a prayer (out loud or silently) and ask for assistance from whatever spirits you work with.
Put Your Issues on Ice
If you have something that’s bothering you, or someone bothering you, and you can’t do anything directly about it, try putting your problem on ice. Write the specific thing that you’d like to stop or slow down on a slip of paper and put it in a cup or plastic bag. Focus on the paper and imagine all of your emotions around that issue going into the paper. Add enough water to cover the paper and stick it in the freezer. Once the problem is past, you can defrost and burn the paper.
Bind and Bury It
Similar to putting your issue on ice, you can bind and bury it. Write a phrase or sentence that describes what you’re trying to push away or stop on a piece of paper. Focus on the paper and imagine all of your emotions around that issue going into the paper. Fold the paper up and wrap it with some kind of string or twine. If you have the option to use red string, do that. It’s preferred that you use yarn or string from natural materials since you will bury the item, but use what you have. Once you have wrapped the folded paper, tie a knot three times, and bury it. If you don’t have a yard, burying it in a large pot is also okay. If neither of those is an option, stick it somewhere that it won’t be found – the back of a closet or at the back of the junk drawer can be good locations. Leave the paper there and let it rot.
Do Some Candle Magic
This will cost a little bit. For this spell, a tea light candle or a birthday cake candle will work just fine! There’s no need to go out and buy a big candle for this. You should use an unused candle. There are many different ways to do candle magic, and this is one way. Think of the thing that you’d like to do – either something to push away from you or something to pull towards yourself. Let yourself feel all the emotions around what you’re trying to do. Hold the candle in both your hands and bring the candle close to your mouth. Focusing on what you’re trying to do and the emotions around it, breathe those emotions into the candle. I recommend doing three breaths to push the energy and emotions into the candle. Put the candle into a firm holder and let it burn. You can stick a birthday candle into a bowl of salt, sand, or dirt to keep it stable. Let the candle burn down, then dispose of the remains as respectfully as you can.
Make a Sigil
There are several different ways to make sigils. The TravelingWitch talks about one method where you write a phrase, remove the vowels and repeated letters, then use those shapes to create a combined symbol. You can use this sigil in a lot of different ways. Some people say that you have to destroy them, but I prefer to put them somewhere where it will keep subtly reminding me about what I’m trying to do. You could write the sigil on a piece of paper and stash it in your wallet (if it’s for money) or stick it in your pocket or purse. You can also draw it on your body with a ballpoint pen, so you see it occasionally (or maybe only when you’re changing). If you can put it up somewhere, draw it on a sticky note or on a piece of paper and stick it on the edge of your bathroom mirror. When the magic is done, burn any paper sigils or wash them off if you have written them on yourself.
I hope that you find these simple but powerful spells to be useful to help your situations.
If you are in a situation that is life-threatening – either from external or internal sources – please seek help! You are unique, you are special, and you deserve to be loved.
Here Are Some Resources to Find Help:
http://www.211.org and http://211.ca can help with jobs, housing, mental health, human trafficking, and more through governmental programs.
If you’re considering suicide, please reach out to one of these agencies or google for suicide help: Beyond Blue (Australians); Suicide Prevention Hotline (Native Americans); International Association for Suicide Prevention
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please reach out to The National Domestic Violence Hotline or google domestic violence assistance in your area (use a library computer if you are concerned).
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