Happy Saturday evening folks! I thought I’d check in with everyone first before commencing the blogpost. How’s everybody feeling? Are we all finding ways to unwind from the news and the panic that some of us are experiencing? In this global climate with a looming crisis on our hands, it can be challenging to decompress. But it has never been more needed than now. So, let’s talk about this for a minute. What does self-care look like to you? Do you read to relax? Binge watch something on Netflix? Get in fuzzy slippers, sip some cocoa or tea, and curl up with a fur baby? Whatever it may look like, I highly urge everyone to take that one hour or more for “just me” time. In spite of being under mandated quarantine, a lot of us are simply not at rest. We are on high alert and our radars are constantly pinging. A slight sniffle or a sneeze can cause even a reasonably composed individual to concoct the worse case scenario. It does not help when the news items on television, social media, and general chatter revolve around the big bad of our time: the Coronavirus or Covid-19. A lot of us know friends and family who have had exposure or others who have the virus. It is distressing to watch these events unfold around us. However, there are many things we can do to minimize risk and boost immunity. We can sanitize, wash our hands frequently, take vitamin C, drink herbal teas, and stay home. Practicing good hygiene and boosting immunity are things we should already be doing, but now we need to be extra diligent.
Beyond cleanliness and preventative measures though, we need to do this on a spiritual level too. One of the things I’ve been doing is holding space and sending Reiki outwards to anyone who may need it. The second thing is taking a break from news and certain types of social media. The third is listening to soothing melodies and guided meditations, which I’ll talk about more later. I also take time out for a spiritual bath whenever needed. These have really helped me when I’ve had those moments of sheer panic. The anxiety is truly debilitating. Some days I would run on adrenaline alone, and it wouldn’t be until the end of the day that I would be aware of how much energy I had expended. And of course, by then I’d be absolutely exhausted, too tired for soul soothing. Those days added fuel to the angst fire. I had to reset, burn some herbs in my cauldron and go within, which leads me to my next point: shadow work in the spring.
Long ago, I used to think that shadow work was only for the winter. But I quickly learned some years back that shadow work waits for no season, and honestly? Shadow work can be constant–awareness is key here. It’s heavy and intense no matter what time of the year we do it. While the shadow does refer to working with the “darker” aspect of us, I like to think of it as introspection with a twist. In order to be a holistic person, we look to find a way to balance the shadow with the visible part of ourselves. It seems seasonally appropriate for such an undertaking to take place during winter—that way we can make room for new beginnings and renewal. But that does not mean that we can ignore shadow work if it’s needed during that time. However, the way we go about it can be positive. This time I have taken spring cleaning to mean a spring spiritual cleansing. I realized I had written all these stories about who I thought I was—and reinforced it over and over. I suppressed a lot over the years but in the end, those parts could no longer be confined to the shadows. I faced some of the fears I had long buried as well. These are things I’m mentioning at the surface level. Going deeper, I can say that I have experienced trance work and meditative journeying that really pushed me out of my comfort zone. I’ll elaborate more in the next post. I want to end on a positive note with a recipe for healing!
- One recipe I like to use is this:
- Take a hot bath with salt, adding almond and eucalyptus oils. If you don’t have a bathtub, use a salt scrub in the shower. You can use the oils sparingly or just lightly dab eucalyptus oil behind the ears.
- Using singing bowls or listen to soothing melodies that relax you. Sometimes, I listen to Hindu mantras and chanting.
- Afterwards, you can continue listening if you want or play ambient music, burn some incense (I recommend sandalwood for healing) and sip some ginger or chamomile tea. If you have allergies to both or don’t like ginger, drink something soothing you do like.
- Use lavender oil behind your ears or on your temples, and do deep breathing–breathe in for a count of four, hold it for two, and then release for four. Repeat at least five times times. This recipe is useful before bedtime but can also be used during stressful moments.
Thank you for reading this rather verbose post! In the next one, I will talk about trance, meditative journeying, and romancing your demons! Yes, really. Namaste.
The Foxy Witch Blog 