The Debilitating Power of “I Can’t”

I have been hearing and seeing a lot of variations of the phrase “I can’t” in witchcraft lately. What really astounds me about this is that is starkly pushes against the grain of what witchcraft is. One of the reasons that I work so hard in my own path is that witchcraft gives me the power to stand up and say “I can, and I will.” At what point are we feeding so much into what we believe we can’t do, that we are essentially cutting off and limiting our own ability?

Now, don’t get me wrong. I have struggled with a lot of things in my life that made me want to give up. One of the things I have really been seeing lately is the attitude of limiting your practice to work around energy limitations and mental health. These things are both near and dear to me, I understand. I too am someone who deals with a chronic illness that saps the energy out of me. It is because this that I can’t conceive of a reality in which I did not have my practice.

I think that a lot of the problem is is that people are seeing their witchcraft differently than I do. For me, witchcraft isn’t something that diminishes my energy. Witchcraft should be a constant give and take, a balancing of energy. If you are feeling drained after doing your daily practices then perhaps a reevaluation is needed. Where are you drawing your energy from? What are you putting energy into that isn’t necessary or healthy?

To Limit or to Empower

This is a choice that you need to make for yourself. If your goal is to have a nice little mundane relationship with your local spirits and charge a few rocks, then have at it. I know that I personally want more out of my witchcraft though. For me witchcraft is a way of constantly pushing my limits and seeing how much I can grow. I want to create change in both the world and within myself, and in order to do that you need to put in the work.

What is your reason for practicing witchcraft? What is your drive? Be aware of your limitations and push past them.

I’ve included a list of some of the things that I have found help with nourishing energy levels throughout the day below. Do with these as you please, should you have other suggestions you would like to share please do so in the comments below.

Become Ecstatic

For those of you who are physically capable, get up and move. I have found this particularly helpful when falling into a mental down spiral. One of the best things that you can do is simply get up and do the work. If you have never participated in a group ecstatic ritual, then I highly suggest it. Nothing compares to dancing around the sabbat with other like-minded witches until your heart threatens to beat out of your chest and your legs threaten to collapse.

This is also something you can fully do on your own as well! One of the best ways to tune in and do the work is to engage with the primal self, or lower body. One of the best ways to do this is through ecstatic work, whatever that may mean for you. You could get naked and dance in your wooded backyard, join a morning zumba class, or go to the gym. Whatever you do, do it with the intent of building up and storing that energy. This is particularly helpful during times in which your energy isn’t particularly low so that you can essentially store it for later.

Indulge in Your Passion

What brought you to witchcraft? Really think back about what that spark of inspiration whispered in your ear and made you pick up you first book. Have you lost touch with that in the pursuit of an everyday practice that you autopilot through? If you are not consciously engaging with your work then you are not giving or receiving anything out of it. There is something to be said for discipline and repetitive ritual, but if you are not connecting with it then it’s not serving anyone.

Go back to your witchcraft roots and reevaluate what changes you may need to make. This may be changing your regular practice, or it may just be choosing to reconnect with the one that you have. Either way make sure that there is a reason that you are doing it.

Do the Damn Work

I have found that I am never more mentally healthy and energetically sound than when I am doing the work that I am truly called to do. If you feel as though you are being drained by your work then perhaps you have strayed from your true path, or maybe that path isn’t for you anymore. Do some digging and really listen to what it is that you need to be doing at this time and place.

This isn’t to say that you will never have challenges, or that you will never be pushed out of your comfort zone. These things need to happen in order for us to grow and reach new heights. Acknowledge these bends in the road as you come across them and access the best way for you to approach them. They will pass and you will have learned from them.

Ultimately witchcraft is a path of being self-aware and the best path for you is something that only you will know. Just be aware that you give your thoughts and words power and if you go throughout life believing that you can’t, then life will prove you right. So go out and challenge the world, straighten your crown and say “I will.”