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ISBN: Print 978-1-64739-793-7 | eBook 978-1-64739-478-3
R0
For all the radical, subversive, wild women in my world.
you know who you are.
Contents
CHAPTER 1
The Healing Roots of Witchcraft
CHAPTER 2
The Benefits of Radical Self-Care
CHAPTER 3
Herbs, Oils, and Moonlight: The Healing Tools of a Witch
CHAPTER 4
Calm Your Mind
CHAPTER 5
Empower Your Body
CHAPTER 6
Heal and Awaken Your Spirit
CHAPTER 7
Embrace Your Community
CHAPTER 8
Make Your Home Your Sanctuary
Life is chaotic, isnt it? You probably spend so much time running from place to place, from obligation to obligation, that you miss how that busyness impacts you, on a spiritual, physical, and emotional level. But the busier we get, the more we neglect ourselves. Thats why embracing a philosophy of radical self-care is so important.
Ive been a practicing witch for more than three decades. Over the years, my practice has evolved significantly, and in entirely positive ways. I have worked magic for prosperity, healing, protection, and all kinds of other goals. When I first found myself drawn to witchcraft, I was at a point in my life where I had no clear sense of direction. I was struggling financially, I had no goals or life plan to speak of, and I was spending a lot of time with people who ultimately made me question my self-worth. It was time for change. Magical practice taught me the focus and self-discipline I needed to get back on track.
I learned early on that there was no limit to the ways I could help myself and improve my life by practicing witchcraft. It wasnt just that I could help myself directly by performing magic; it was also that magics transformative, empowering nature allowed me to develop skills I needed to be successful in other, non-magical aspects of my life.
Except, for a while, I stopped helping myself. I got wrapped up in my family, jobs (often more than one at a time), and community work. I didnt want to be selfish, so I put everything I had into other people. I spent so much of my time and energy focusing on the needs of others that I lost track of who I really was. Its easy to lose your sense of who you are, and what your purpose is in the world, when youre defined only by your relationshipsbeing someones mother, spouse, or child. For women in particular, who are often societally conditioned to put the needs of family over their own desires and wants, this can be soul-crushing.
Eventually, I went back to focusing on my magic. But this time, I approached it from the radical notion that I deserved better from, and for, myself. I worked magic focused on developing my self-confidence, my divinatory skills, and my intuitive gifts. I dove into studying and research, learning about witchcraft and magic of the past. I also realized that I needed non-magical things that were mine activities that didnt revolve around my spouse or my kidsand so I began to find ways to explore who I was as an individual, rather than being defined solely as someones wife or mother.
And it worked. I figured out that this act of radical self-care was the best thing I could have done, not just for myself, but also for everyone around me. It improved my relationships as well as the way I felt about life itself.
Engaging in self-care means reclaiming your time and energy, and approaching life in a more mindful way. The term self-care has become trendy lately, and for some people, it simply means treating yourself to a bubble bath, indulging in some hardcore retail therapy, or snarfing down a gallon of ice cream while you watch a movie. For others, it means focusing primarily on exercise, healthy eating habits, and treating oneself to nice things now and then. But theres so much more to self-care. Radical self-care means making the quality of your own life a top priority, by making changes that impact not only the body and mind, but also the spirit.
Radical self-care is subversive because you put yourself first. Instead of focusing on all the things other people want from youas many of us have been taught to do our entire livesyou set your sights on your own needs. Self-care isnt selfish at all; its transformative. And how better to transform than with a bit of magic?
This book is designed for anyone who wants to reclaim their power and rebuild their life from the ground up. You dont have to be an experienced witch like me to perform the spells and rituals in this bookand there are no spiritual prerequisites, either. All you need is a desire to eliminate that which no longer serves you and embrace what does, while working to make your life more satisfying.
