chapter 6

Healing

Healing is a fantastic magical practice. It really is awe-inspiring to magically heal someone of illness or speed the healing of injury. The witches’ theory of illness is that it is caused by imbalance. This seems to be confirmed to some degree by modern science, since it is now believed that chemical imbalances in the brain can create mental disorders and that other bodily imbalances create blockages, illnesses, and disorders—everything from depression to gall bladder issues to certain cancers, etc. Witches are taught in the practice of magical healing that we are sending energy to heal the astral body, which then filters down to the physical body and helps it to heal itself.

The body alone is an incredibly wonderful organism that continually heals itself everyday. New cells are born every minute; old cells wither, die, and make room for the new. We filter out waste and excess and renew ourselves constantly. When the body is overwhelmed by too great an amount of illness, however, it cannot battle back from it alone and needs our assistance to become whole once more. That’s where modern medicine and our own practice of magical healing come in—no matter what practice (modern medicine or healing magic) is employed, it works by empowering the body’s own healing abilities to restore itself. Sometimes, in strong cases such as chemotherapy, modern medicine employs destructive means in order to destroy the illness, after which the body is allowed to resume its own restoration process.

For the most part, magical healing methods involve only the restorative techniques to allow the body to return to a state of wholeness. These are the ones recommended and practiced by myself and everyone else I know. It must also be stated that magical healing is not a substitute for modern medical attention; each school should be used for their respective good points and also to balance what the other one lacks. Witches do not have a disdain for conventional medicine—we use what works! We use magic and science together with the understanding that magic is a science in itself, and that each is a part of the greater whole. The colors I use in magical healing are white, for universal energy to be sent wherever it needs to go, such as when the actual cause of the illness may be unknown; light blue, for specific healing energy sent to an injured body part or when the cause of the illness is known (like the flu); and red-orange, as energy for critical healing sent for severe illnesses and to help mend broken bones or wounds. There are many magical means to speed healing, from brews and potions to magic oils to special foods. Luckily, a large portion of the ingredients we need are readily available at the grocery store.

Brews

Healing … what a fabulous use for a witch’s brew! As I said before, a bubbling cauldron filled with some magical elixir is personally extremely satisfying, not that you have to use a cauldron; you could use a regular kitchen pot. There are several recipes which are easily made and used to promote general good health, restore strength during illness, or even remove specific ailments. This first potion may be brewed and drunk regularly to maintain and strengthen general good health.

Good Health Potion

Honey is a magical substance, lemon is connected to the lunar energy and is purifying, ginger is good for digestion, and tea contains many healthful properties. All these combine to make a wonderful, vitalizing combination.

Heat the water and brew the tea in your preferred ma-nner. Next, pour some of the brewed tea into a cup and squeeze the juice of the lemon half through a small sieve (to avoid seeds) into the cup. Add the honey and a tiny pinch of ginger. Seriously, make sure it is tiny—just a whisper—since too much ginger can be overpowering. Stir to combine. Finally, holding your hands over the cup of tea, will your energy into the brew. Concentrate your desire for good health into the liquid, and drink it in for good health.

Healing Potion

The herbs in this recipe not only impart their nutritional and physical properties into this potion, which aids overall health, but their magical healing properties as well.

Heat the water just below the boiling point (tiny bubbles appear at the bottom of the pot), then remove from heat. Add the herbs, cover, and let sit. Cool for ten to thirteen minutes, and then strain into a cup. Add the tablespoon of honey to the cup and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon over a sieve to catch seeds. Hold the cup of liquid in both hands, and send your energy into the potion along with your desire for healing. Slowly sip the potion, and visualize yourself in a strong, healthy state of being. Repeat daily as desired.

Stomach Tonic

This tonic helps to ease an upset stomach. The mint is added primarily to dull the flavor of the other herbs, but if you don’t care for it, it may be used in lesser quantities or omitted entirely while keeping the tonic’s overall effectiveness intact.

Heat the water to just under boiling point. Add the herbs, cover, and remove from heat. Allow it to cool for at least ten minutes. Sweeten as desired, and sip slowly to bring relief.

Healing Bath Brew

Heat the water to just below the boiling point and add the herbs. Cover and remove from heat. Allow to cool for ten minutes, then strain. To use: run a bath and add a cup of sea salt (optional) to the water along with this brew. Step into the bath and soak for as long as desired while envisioning yourself in a healthy state.

Oils

Magical oils are not only excellent for dressing candles in ritual and magical work, but also a good means of receiving magical energy directly through the skin for issues such as muscle aches or healing of bruises or other injuries. That being said, do not apply magical oils to burned skin as the ingredients could be irritating.

Healing Oil

Mix the herbs in a bowl and empower them with your desire for healing. Pour the olive oil into a small pot and add the herbs into the oil, swirling them in. Over very low heat, warm the oil until you can smell the herbs in the air. When this occurs, remove from heat, cover, and allow it to cool for at least half an hour. When cooled, strain the oil into a bottle. Hold the bottle in both hands, and mentally (and emotionally) pour your energy and desire into the oil to charge it with healing power.

Extreme Healing Oil

This oil is called extreme for two reasons: it is a strong healing oil that should only be used when necessary, and its ingredients—namely tobacco—which, come on, you’ve got to admit is an interesting (if not ironic) idea. Tobacco has indeed been used for many magical purposes in the past, including healing, but nowadays I would not suggest any of the methods that involve smoking or ingesting the herb in any way. Using it in this form, however, is a safe alternative, provided you use only a pinch added after the oil has been bottled and you never use it as an anointing oil on the skin. Nobody needs nicotine soaking into their skin; that heals nothing. The oil is used, however, to anoint talismans and candles to speed healing of injuries and severe illness.

Charge the herbs and mix them in a small bowl (except the tobacco). Pour the oil into a small pot, add the herbs (again, except for the tobacco) and warm over low heat until you can smell the herbs in the air. Allow to cool, then strain and bottle. Add the pinch of tobacco to the bottle and charge the completed oil with visualised red-orange light and the intent of strong healing.

Remember that casting spells, even healing spells, on other people is unethical without their permission. No one should use magic to coerce another, even toward healing. Working against someone’s free will is dangerous and opens us up to magical backlash, not to mention that doing so can interfere with the important lessons and future direction of someone’s life. Always ask first before performing any magic on someone else. If that is impossible, a safe thing to do is send general energy to them as pure white light with the intent that if they subconsciously wish to accept it, it will go where it needs to be. Sending energy in this way can be a wonderful boost to somebody’s own strength and can help in their healing and recovery. Assuming you have their permission or you are working for yourself, there are many magical possibilities for healing.

Healing Oil Spells

Using oils in your magic gives you several options, such as personal anointing and candle magic as a means of casting a spell. This first spell is for the healing of illness (as opposed to injuries) and is designed to be used for people only. A separate spell will be given for the healing of animals.

Basic Candle Spell for Healing

Calm and center yourself. If desired, take a simple cleansing bath by pouring a cup of salt into a warm tub of water. After your bath, take a white candle and anoint it with Healing Oil while visualizing the person in need of healing in a perfectly healthy, strong, whole state. See this energy of pure, white light being poured into the candle and will it to be held there in the wax until it is released by the lighting of the candle. Once the candle is ready to be lit, set it on a low table and sit before the table. Strongly visualize a beam of white light coming from above, pouring into the body of the person to be healed. See the person as being filled with the universal white light and being fully healthy and strong. When you feel you have reached a peak, that the target of this spell is fully empowered by the light and healing energy, light the candle to send forth your spell while chanting the following:

Clear the block, imbalance purged.
Healing power, flow and surge!
Spirit power, beam of light,
Infuse the strength on one this night.
For good of all, for good of
She/he/me (depending),
As I do will, so shall it be!

Candle Spell for Speeding the Healing of Injuries

This spell is a bit more precise in that it targets a specific injury as opposed to sending energy toward healing of the whole body in general. Thus, before casting this spell, you need to have an understanding of what is injured and where on the person’s body so you are sending the energy to the proper place. Once this is determined, you are ready to begin.

Obtain a red-orange candle, or if that cannot be found, one red candle and one orange candle. If using the two candle method, charge both candles with red-orange light. Red-orange is a color used to treat severe illness and injuries and is ideal to use in this type of magic.

When you are ready, first take a cleansing bath. Afterwards, set the candle(s) unlit on a low table. Incidentally, if you are using the two-candle method, place the red candle on the left side of the table and the orange candle on the right side. This keeps the energy flowing in the proper direction. If you are working for someone else, have a picture of them or a personal object such as hair, nail clippings, worn clothing, etc. on the table between the candles (if using two) or in front of the candle (if using one). Anoint the candle(s) and fill them with red-orange light. Settle yourself in front of the table and go into a meditative state. When you are ready, visualize the person with the injury, and see the injured part of the body surrounded by red-orange light and—this is very important—see the body part as completely whole, perfect and functional. Do not visualize it healing or becoming whole at all. Don’t focus on the process, see only the result! When you feel the energy reach its peak, open your eyes and light the candle(s) to release the spell’s energy. If you are using two candles, light the left one first, then the right one. As you light the candles, say the following spell:

Surging strength, red-orange light;
Rebuilt, empowered, healed, and mended.
Flesh and bone filled with might,
Strong and perfect; suffering ended.

Candle Spell for the Healing of Animals

Since they cannot talk, healing animals can be tricky. Under most circumstances, we can’t have a regular dialogue with them to find out what the issue is. So, our main strategy should be to offer our animal friend energetic healing designed to heal whatever the trouble is.

First of all, if any animal (or person for that matter) has a serious illness or a broken limb, take them to the proper doctor. Magical healing is best used to speed recovery after the proper medical procedures have been employed. Our use of directed, empowered energy is an excellent tool to help the body ward off infection and strengthen the body’s own healing abilities, but let’s face it: you need to put a limb in a cast if that is what is required.

Here is a wonderfully simple spell to help empower an animal in distress so it can recover from an illness or injury. First, you will need the basic Healing Oil and a brown candle. You will also need a picture of the animal and/or a lock of its fur or feathers, depending. If the animal in question is in a cage or aquarium, cast the spell in the same room as the animal. It is recommended that you do not cast the spell near the animal if it is not confined, as it may knock over the candle and start a fire.

To begin the spell, take a cleansing bath in blessed, salted water. After your bath, go to your working area, anoint the brown candle with the Healing Oil, and hold it. Gaze at the animal if present, the photo, or the lock of fur/feather, etc. Visualize the animal in a perfectly healthy, strong state of being. In your mind’s eye, see it surrounded by a bright brown light with white edges; see the animal glowing with this energy, being perfectly happy. During the visualization, infuse a feeling of joy and relief (if that is how you want to feel when your healing goal is reached) into the image. When you feel ready, open your eyes, set the candle on the table, and light it as you chant the spell:

Fin and feather; flesh, fur, and bone;
My animal friend with healing imbued;
Healthy and well, strong and whole,
Encircled in light; restored and renewed!

Powders

Healing powder can be used for a few different tasks: making a simple version of herb candles, pouring in a ring around a spell candle, or sprinkling as a powder to generate an aura of healing energy. Powders are easy to make and are good to have around as simple, convenient magical items to use on a moment’s notice.

Healing Powder

Charge each herb with the quality of healing and grind each separately before combining them all with the cornstarch. Once the cornstarch has been added, bottle the completed powder and dedicate it to the purpose of healing.

Healing Powder Spells

The first spell you could use is a candle spell using herb candles. To make a simple herb candle, all you have to do is take a white candle, a light blue candle, or a red-orange candle (for critical healing), lightly anoint it with either Healing Oil or pure olive oil, and then roll the candle in the Healing Powder to create a perfectly coated herb candle. One word of caution: only anoint and coat the sides of the candle, not the bottom or the top by the wick. When the candle burns, you don’t want the powder to catch fire; you just need the energy from the powder to absorb into and combine with the power of the candle. The powder itself doesn’t need to burn. The herb candle can be used in the following spell.

Herb Candle of Healing Light

Create the herb candle (wax of the proper color; white, light blue, or red-orange, depending on the ailment) and charge it with your desire for healing (whether for yourself or another) by seeing a clear mental image of yourself (or the chosen recipient) in perfect health. When this image is built up strongly in your mind, send the energy down to your dominant hand and into the candle, charging it with power. When you wish to cast the spell, set the candle on your spell table and again focus on the desired goal by visualizing a perfectly healed state. When you are ready, light the candle and chant the following spell:

Current of power, shining light;
Healing energy, burning bright;
Healed and strong, imbalance ceased;
React and respond, purge and release.

Once the spell has been cast, allow the candle to burn itself out if it is safe to do so or just let it burn for as long as possible before extinguishing. If desired, you may recast this spell over several consecutive nights until the candle is completely used.

You can modify the above spell: instead of making an herb candle with the powder, charge the candle as is and then pour a ring of the Healing Powder around the candle to lend its energy to your spell. This is ideal when you are out of the proper oil and don’t have the time or ingredients to make more right away. It is best if you set the candle and circle of powder on a large plate or pentacle platter so as not to ruin the table with the powder. After this is done, continue with the above spell as described.

Circle of Magic

For this spell, you will need a considerable amount of Healing Powder, at least quadruple the recipe. The structure of this spell is to create a circle of Healing Powder large enough to sit in and absorb the healing energy. This is best done outdoors for two reasons: first, to minimize any damage caused by pouring powder around (no ruining carpeting this way) and second, to draw upon the healing power of the earth herself. First, once you have made the appropriate amount of Healing Powder, go to an outdoor location where you can sit for a while (at least fifteen minutes) and work the magic. Choose a day that is not too windy, or you could end up with a billowing cloud of powder in the air. When you arrive at your location, pour the Healing Powder carefully onto the ground in a circle roughly three or four feet in diameter in which to sit.

Once you have the completed circle on the ground, step in and sit down. Close your eyes and relax. Do the Autumn Tree Meditation (see chapter 2) and when you reach the inner door, step through and see either a bluish-white or (for critical healing of severe problems only) a red-orange circle of light glowing on the ground. In your mind’s eye, see yourself seated within this glowing circle. Watch the circle’s light flowing up to you and being absorbed into your body. Float with this energy for a time (fifteen minutes to half an hour is ideal). When you are ready, visualize the circle of light sinking into the earth to ground and dissipate. Then bring yourself out of the meditation.

How this particular magic works is that you are physically within a healing circle of charged Healing Powder. Mentally and spiritually, you are placing yourself within an energetic healing circle of light (the astral equivalent of the circle of powder) to fully absorb healing energy at all three levels of the psyche: mental, spiritual, and physical. As a result, you gain magical aid to help heal the body at all levels. If you wish to tailor the energy to a specific goal, instead of absorbing it into your whole body, visualize it being absorbed into the location of the actual trouble and concentrate it there.

Charms

There are a couple of charms that can be easily made from supermarket items. First, you can make a healing herb bath sachet. Using a coffee filter, add equal parts dried rosemary, thyme, basil, and sage and secure the little bundle with a twist tie. Charge the sachet with healing energy and store in a jar in a cool, dry place. To use, simply place the sachet in the bathtub before running the water. As you fill the tub with warm water, the essence will be steeped out of the herbs, making the bath basically a giant brew. By bathing in it, you transfer the healing essence from the herbs into your body.

Nutty Healing Charm

Another good healing charm can be made from a walnut. Nuts, being seeds, are loaded with the generative energy of creation. This energy is concerned with growth and the building of cells and physical strength. This is the ideal type of energy to be used in healing or fertility magic. All you have to do to activate this energy is charge it with your intent of health, healing, or fertility and carry it with you wherever you go so that you will absorb its essence. If you wish to conceal it in a charm bag, use the colors green or white. This won’t diminish its strength in any way. Walnuts are good ingredients (whether in food or magic) to use when wishing to heal the mind or brain. It has been said that walnuts help to cure madness. While this has not been an issue for me, thankfully, I do know that walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids which indeed are good for the brain. Maybe walnuts really do help with such ills.

Foods

Ah, food. Where would we be without good, real food? My definition of real food is a little different from that of most people: for me, food has to be nutritious and as close to whole as possible in order to qualify. Cake is not real food. Since this chapter is on healing, we need to discuss some fundamental truths about food. We need food—good food, real food, and a lot of it—in order to be healthy. This of course is not a diet and exercise book, but since we are talking about healing, I feel impelled to state three very important things.

  1. 1. If you gain nothing else from this book, know—truly know—that you need calories and nutrients to live and thrive. Never cut calories, even to lose weight. This is a dangerous practice that throws the body into starvation mode and leads to loss of muscle tissue and the actual storage of body fat. Unless you are totally sedentary, you should take your current body weight and add a zero; that number is roughly how many calories you should consume daily to stay metabolically active.
  2. 2. There are three sources of food energy: carbohydrates at 4 calories per gram, proteins at 4 calories per gram, and fats at 9 calories per gram; fats have more than twice as many calories as the other two sources of energy.
  3. 3. If you wish to lose weight, increase aerobic activity to a minimum of 30 minutes four times a week and cut the amount of fat in your diet to between 10 and 30 percent. Do not lower your caloric intake! Don’t do it! NEVER! Fat must be burned off, not starved off. If you starve yourself, you lose water first and then lean muscle. If your body is deprived, it holds on to fat as long as it can in order to survive. Diets don’t work—cutting out dietary fat and burning off your stored fat works.

Okay, rant over. The reason I state this is that any practitioner must be relatively healthy in order to be successful with magic. If you are starving all the time; you place yourself in a weakened, non-magical state. It is very difficult to manifest your desires on the material plane when you are weakened and malnourished.

If you eat whole, real food, you are more likely to maintain overall good health than if you eat the mostly processed, chemically preserved kind. Our bodies are designed to metabolize and use food as fuel to power all the functions and processes that keep us alive. The healthier the fuel, the healthier the person, generally. Our bodies have no need for chemical preservatives, processed and bleached starches, or overly fatty food products. Since we have no need for these things, your body must cleanse itself of what become impurities in the system.

All whole, real, natural foods have healing ability. Things that we transform into food do not. Apples and carrots help the body to restore itself whereas candy and cheeseburgers don’t. Things like that make the body work even harder to maintain its balance and rid itself of toxins. Whole foods are foods eaten in their complete state (or as complete as possible) such as peaches or baked potatoes in their skins. Keep in mind that whole doesn’t mean raw. Whole foods can be cooked and eaten to bring their healing properties within.

My recommendations for healing foods are onions and garlic as often as possible, and fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains as you can fit into your diet. Culinary herbs and spices are also good items to add to food as often as you can. Cinnamon, for example, helps lower blood sugar. If you have a problem with high blood sugar, you may want to add a little cinnamon to your shopping list. Also, fresh herbs like basil or marjoram can be added to salads and sandwiches for their flavor and added nutrients.

If you are ill, cut out heavy, oily, sugary, and/or starchy foods, since these take energy away from your body while providing little to no nutritional value. Soup, of course, is a wonderful healing food since it is warm, soothing, and keeps the body hydrated and nourished while not being overly filling. People can usually tolerate at least a little soup, even if they are having trouble eating during their illness. The following recipe is my own creation and is filled with many healing ingredients. It’s my take on a classic healing food: chicken soup.

Chicken Soup à la Furie

Cook the cubed chicken pieces lightly (about two to three minutes on each side, turning once) in a frying pan with the garlic, and drain away any excess grease. Next, add the water and bouillon cubes to a stock pot along with all the other ingredients except for the chicken. Cook for about ten to fifteen minutes until vegetables and noodles are tender. Add the chicken and cook for five more minutes. Remove from heat. As the soup cools, hold your hands over it high enough so as not to give yourself a steam burn, and visualize healing energy (blue and/or white light) coming from your hands and third eye pouring into the soup. Declare to yourself that the soup is a healing food according to free will and for the good of all. The soup is now ready to serve. Note: if you are a vegetarian (as I am), you could swap out vegetable broth for the bouillon and 3 cups of cubed potatoes for the chicken.

Healing and Fertility

Restoring fertility is a wonderful and truly magical act. So many people have fertility issues but don’t have the thousands of dollars needed to pay for special medical treatments. A wonderful and much less expensive route to try first is using magic to revive the body’s fertility. Since fertility magic is an act of restoring balance to the body, I have grouped it in this chapter. If your healing goal centers on fertility, you can add a hazelnut (also called a filbert) and some poppy seeds to the healing walnut charm mentioned earlier. Place all these into the charm bag and charge it with your desire for fertility: hold the bag in both hands and breathe your desire into it before tying it shut.

As previously stated, Supermarket Magic is not intended to be a cookbook, but when healing and fertility are concerned, food is of utmost importance. Here are two wonderful recipes that combine several fertility restoring ingredients: figs, eggs, coconut, and hazelnuts.

Olive and Fig Tapenade (dip)

Put the figs and water into a pot and bring them to a boil until the figs are tender and liquid has reduced. Use low heat and let them cook for 10 minutes or so. For me at least, it is a good idea to use kitchen scissors to cut up the dried rosemary in little pieces and add it to the boiling figs so they soften in the water as well. Remove from heat and stir in the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, herbs, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Add olives and garlic and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours to overnight. Before serving, place both hands over the bowl of tapenade and charge it with your desire for fertility. Visualize a warm glow in the area of the body needing to be restored (depending on gender) and feel the joy and relief of healing. When you are ready, mentally transfer this energy into the tapenade. Next, unwrap the cream cheese and place on a serving plate. Spoon the olive mixture over the cheese and sprinkle walnuts on top. Serve with slices of toasted french bread, crackers, or vegetable sticks.

No-Bake Fig and Hazelnut Balls

Mash together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and milk (if needed) to make a thick, frosting-like paste. Beat with electric hand mixer on medium speed, about a minute or until combined and a bit fluffy, like meringue. Stir in figs and hazelnuts. Chill the mixture for 30 minutes to an hour or until it’s firm and easy to handle (a bit like making chocolate truffles). Using your hands, a small ice cream scoop, or a melon baller, depending on the size you want, shape mixture into balls. Roll the balls in the coconut flakes. Once all the balls are made, charge them with your desire for fertility as in the previous recipe. Serve immediately or cover in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until serving time.

Magic Snack

For a healthy snack that also improves fertility, combine sunflower seeds, chopped hazelnuts, raisins, and chopped dates with some sweetened coconut flakes to create a kind of magical trail mix. Charge the mix with your magical goal and eat as desired.

Bath Salts

Bath salts are an excellent means of relieving sore muscles and a way to absorb magical energy that has been placed into the salts. Soaking in a tub of warm water softens the skin,
and the bath salts help to make it more receptive to cleansing and absorption. The following recipes are combined to make a bath salt to relieve stiff muscles and aches and pains.

Peppermint Oil

In a small pot, swirl the peppermint into the oil, and warm the mixture over very low heat until you can smell the herb in the air. At this point, remove from heat and allow to cool. When cooled, strain and bottle the oil. If desired, add the peppermint extract.

Peppermint Bath Salts

Mix all ingredients together and empower with your desire for healing and relaxation.

To use, add from ¼ cup to 2 cups of bath salts per bath. If you have dry skin, use ¼ cup at first and experiment with lager amounts as desired. Soak for 20 minutes in the bath, and feel the muscle ache and stiffness improve. 

Shopping List

Here’s a short list of the ingredients used in the spells and recipes in this chapter.

Almond

Cream cheese

Peppermint

Anise

Dates

Poppy seeds

Apple

Egg noodles

Potatoes

Balsamic vinegar

Epsom salts

Powdered sugar

Basil

Figs

Raisins

Bay leaves

Garlic

Rosemary

Black pepper

Ginger

Sage

Butter

Green juices

Salt (sea salt or regular)

Baking soda

Hazel nuts

Spearmint

Candles (white, red-orange, brown, light blue)

Honey

Sunflower seeds

Carrots

Kalamata olives

Tea

Cayenne pepper

Lemon

Thyme

Celery

Lettuce

Tobacco

Chicken breast

Marjoram/oregano

Tomato

Cloves

Milk

Vegetable bouillon cubes

Coconut

Olive oil

Vegetable oil

Coffee filters

Onions

Walnuts

Cornstarch

Parsley

Water

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