The Place of Thoughts and Emotions in Witchcraft
Raven Digitalis
Our thoughts and emotions make us who we are. I’m happy to say that the majority of Witches and magickal practitioners I’ve met are deep-thinking, emotionally sensitive individuals. That’s a fact I’m very grateful for, because we all have such uniquely important roles to play in the world. Regardless of how we discovered the Craft, we find our hearts beating to the rhythm of nature. We also find that the natural world is reflected within us, through the cycles and stages of development of our bodies and minds. Like our plant and animal comrades, we are extensions of the natural world. Yet unlike plants and other animals, our thoughts and emotions tend to be particularly complex. Nonhuman animals exhibit emotions, of course, but what sets us humans apart is our level of attachment to our experiences. We emotionally and cognitively process things somewhat differently than other animals—there’s no denying it! While we do indeed function like other animals in terms of biological instincts and basic emotions, we humans are a distinctly complex species of overthinkers and overfeelers.
I think it’s safe for me to assume that you, dear reader, have a decent understanding of what thoughts and emotions are. Because thoughts and emotions are experiential, rattling off descriptions here and now would not do the subjects justice. In fact, numerous philosophers and theorists catalog the spectrums of human emotion and cognition in a multitude of ways—sometimes vastly different ways! However we choose to define them, our thoughts and emotions require recognition, responsibility, and awareness. If we own our thoughts and emotions, we own our magick.
Thoughts, we find, are often directly linked to our emotional responses. For this reason, a magickal practitioner has a unique responsibility to exercise emotional awareness and mental precision, whether in daily life or in formal ritualistic endeavors.
Spellcasting, meditation, and prayer operate on both interior and exterior levels. Intentional focus in these scenarios, and indeed in life itself, resonates both cosmically (esoterically) and psychologically (mentally). The famed Hermetic axiom “As above, so below” may also be applied to the saying “As within, so without.” Because of this connection with the micro (self) and the macro (universe), the ways in which we conduct our thoughts and emotional responses have an effect both on our personal perspective and on the global spiritual landscape. Thoughts, we find, are often directly linked to our emotional responses. For this reason, a magickal practitioner has a unique responsibility to exercise emotional awareness and mental precision, whether in daily life or in formal ritualistic endeavors.
Emotional Awareness
We humans, witchy or otherwise, are creatures of feeling. Emotions enrich our experience of life, deeply influencing our daily modes of thought and, for us, our regular magickal work. Aside from individuals who may suffer from a medical condition that directly relates to affective functioning, the great majority of individuals have access to the full, beautiful spectrum of human emotions. It’s simply a matter of what we are tapped into at any given moment.
Everyone is psychologically wired differently from birth and from experience (and undoubtedly from those of previous lifetimes), which is why no emotional issue ever has a single solution or remedy. Everyone connects with emotions in a different manner. Emotions and emotional responses are a personal thing. Everyone has different emotional strengths and hindrances.
Emotions are fragile, it’s true, but we are powerful beings. As dedicated magickal folk, we must strive to be honest with ourselves as much as we possibly can. This includes emotional honesty. No one can be expected to function at 100 percent self-awareness 24/7, but if we can keep our emotional tides in check on a regular basis, we soon find that life’s ups, downs, twists, and turns don’t have to overtake us every time.
Witches regularly practice “seeing through the veil,” which also ideally applies to our own veil! The mind can play tricks at times. Emotions can feel all-pervasive if we don’t take a step back and be come an observer. This is why Buddhism and other Eastern spiritual paths stress the concepts of mindfulness and present-moment awareness. They’ve got a point!
Positive Thinking
While it might be easier said than done sometimes, positive thinking really is a key to our survival—not to mention our magickal success. If we can train our minds to default to optimism rather than pessimism, we find that the world is a beautiful place despite its dreadful challenges.
Choosing to think positively doesn’t mean that we should put on happy masks or pretend that we’re fine even when we’re not. We can acknowledge our own troubles and simultaneously choose to shift our mental focus to a lighter and less somber state of perception.
Mindful redirection requires humility, one of the most valuable spiritual assets in the world. By remaining humble, we can easily learn from our mistakes and exercise forgiveness for ourselves and others. Through humility we can gracefully step back from our mental and emotional bodies so that we can redirect ourselves in a more spiritually and magickally conscious manner—and we can encourage others to do the same.
It takes practice to incorporate positive thinking into our daily routine. We need to exercise consistent self-awareness so we can make the spiritual choice to reroute our mind’s reactions as necessary. Maintaining good humor and lightheartedness even at the worst of times can go a long way in helping ourselves and others.
Just like pessimism, optimism is contagious. As Witches and magickal practitioners, it’s our duty to be constantly aware of our effect on the world and the people with whom we interact. The more we work on our own thoughts and modes of communication, the more we can help turn the world in a positive direction, bit by bit, moment by moment—and that’s some very powerful magickal work.
Magick: Follow Your Thoughts
When people first find themselves attracted to Witchcraft and magickal spirituality, a great many of them are allured by the sense of power that can be gained from the “practical” applications of the magickal arts. I know I sure was! Eventually, this perspective tends to shift to a focus on empowerment rather than power or control. Increasing self-control and self-awareness is a million times more spiritually relevant than “doing magick” to get something. But still, sitting down and performing a spell to change one’s own reality has its time and place.
In a sense, spellcasting occurs every day. Everyone actively co-creates reality whether they realize it or not. Spells, prayers, and intentional magick are not limited to occult ritual. Ritualistic procedures can be fulfilling, potent, and transformational, but I strongly argue that the most important ritual we perform is our day-to-day experience. For this reason, we must follow our thoughts.
Because thought is linked with intention, we find that magickal energy follows the flow of our thoughts. Thinking about something invokes its presence on some level; it’s simply a matter of what we do with those thoughts. As a general rule, fearful thoughts attract a fearful experience, and loving thoughts attract a loving experience. In many ways, we magickal folk get to choose our experiences by intentionally directing our subtle energies on a daily basis.
Magick’s Cognitive and Emotional Influences
Because our daily thoughts and actions are directly linked to our emotional responses, having an acute awareness of our emotional reactions will allow us to trace our thought patterns and distinguish illusion from objective understanding. Our thoughts influence our emotions and our emotions influence our thoughts. In an effort to gain emotional awareness, we can begin by actively choosing to focus on how we think. An easy way to do this is to regularly take a step back and consider how we perceive life, including ourselves, in any given moment. It’s also worth considering that spellcraft is greatly accomplished by way of emotional energy. We are much more able to influence reality through intentional emotional projection than we are from simply “thinking” a spell or going through the motions without the emotions. Drinking a single drop of rosemary tea with the emotional intention of healing and protection is significantly more effective than drinking a whole gallon of the stuff without any emotional focus behind it.
Have you ever heard that old saying “Cast a spell and then forget about it”? It seems clear enough: weave your magick into the universe and then stop feeding it mental energy.
Have you ever heard that old saying “Cast a spell and then forget about it”? It seems clear enough: weave your magick into the universe and then stop feeding it mental energy. The reasoning behind this idea is simple: if you forget about your magick, you leave it in the hands of the gods and spirits. In theory, this ensures that the magician won’t agitate or nitpick the energy that has already been projected; it’s been put out there and doesn’t need to be influenced any further. The mere idea of “forgetting” about a spell implies that a person’s everyday thoughts have an effect on the already cast spell. I believe that most practitioners would agree with this perspective. But at the same time, does “forgetting” about a spell really work as well in practice?
A Witch’s thoughts and emotions can either reinforce or unravel their magick. That’s a huge thing! We can be our own best magickal cheerleader or our own worst enemy. As our thoughts and emotions interplay in our daily lives, we can choose to have them reinforce our magickal work or have them undo it. Truly, this is not something to be taken lightly. If we actively channel our daily thoughts and emotions concerning our magick, we can add a boost of daily power to spells and rituals that have been performed. This is why we see things like seven-day candles in Santería and similar traditions. Daily reinforcement goes a long way. If we want to empower our magickal work, we need to channel our thoughts and emotions as they arise, whether they are attached to our current magickal work or not. As many readers are aware, magick is not about doing; it is about being.
Mental and Emotional Overload
Life is tricky. It’s easy to become emotionally overwhelmed to the point of hopelessness, but many of the tormenting thoughts that inspire these emotional states are illusory. It can be challenging to work ourselves out of emotional overload, especially if it has become a routine activity, but where there’s a will, there’s a way. Sometimes this means making lifestyle modifications and working more diligently with techniques of self-awareness. The following are a few options to consider on your own journey to cognitive and emotional well-being.
Counseling
I believe that everyone deserves counseling and therapy from time to time. When life is just too overwhelming, individuals who are
professionally trained in the workings of the mind can be of great assistance. There are many different styles of counseling, therapy, and life coaching to choose from. Many professionals have online biographies that can help seekers get a better idea of their counseling style, specialties, and personal values. (Please also note that free or discount therapists are available in most cities.)
Journaling and Art
Possibly one of the most underrated psychological activities, keeping a journal or diary can greatly assist in getting thoughts and emotions “out there.” By expressing our thoughts and emotions in a private manner, the energy becomes externalized so it doesn’t have to run amok in our head. Similarly, artistic expression of any type serves to creatively channel our innermost thoughts and emotions. Both journaling and art can also be transformational acts of magickal intention.
Medicine
I should note that none of the advice herein is a substitute for medical advice. For many emotionally sensitive individuals, a combination of medication and lifestyle changes can produce dramatic healing effects. This category of “medicine” is not limited to Western pharmaceuticals; many people find naturopathic and herbal medicine to be extremely effective. Everybody has a different constitution, so there is no “right” medicinal answer for everyone. If you feel that this option might benefit you, I encourage you to speak with a physician and other healthcare professionals to determine if medicine would aid in your own mental and emotional balance.
Mindfulness
A term frequently used in both Buddhism and psychological circles, mindfulness implies self-awareness. To become mindful is to take a step back from our thoughts and emotions in order to gain greater psychological equilibrium; in this way, we can take a moment to detach from our mind and emotions without actually disconnecting. Mindfulness encompasses the idea of present-moment awareness: to focus on the events of the now rather than stress out about the past or the future. If we can train ourselves to observe our thoughts and emotions as frequently as possible, we can more easily detach at any given moment. We are not our thoughts. We are not our emotions. These are components that help create this thing we call “self,” and with the aid of daily mindfulness, we can take a step back and choose to be the one in control.
Ritual
Who doesn’t love a good ritual? Solid ceremonial standards like the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram can balance our cognitive and emotional bodies while simultaneously invoking the spiritual realm. Even a powerful recitation of the Witches’ Rune, the Wiccan Rede, or another magically poetic text can have instant calming effects. If you are creating your own ceremony, consider incorporating visualizations focused on dumping excessive energy into the earth. Similarly, it’s wise to practice grounding by performing visualizations such as tree rooting. For those who are especially emotionally sensitive, you may wish to perform a self-made ritual or spell in the bathtub or shower or in a body of water.
Sleep, Diet, and Exercise
One cannot underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep, regular exercise, and a healthy diet. Our bodies are the divine temples in which our spirits have the pleasure of incarnating at this moment in time; taking care of our bodies is tending to our souls. It may take time to discover your unique needs and preferences in all of these realms, but the mind and emotions can greatly shift toward the positive once a personal balance is realized and diligently maintained.
Yoga and Meditation
Yoga and meditation have profound benefits psychologically, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. There are numerous styles, schools, and philosophies of both yoga and meditation; many would say that the two practices are inextricably linked. Integrating any measure of these practices on a regular basis can help balance any spiritual seeker emotionally and mentally. While yoga and meditation can seem intimidating to newcomers, they are much easier to practice than is commonly believed. In many ways, these practices are inherently wired into our brains and bodies; it’s just a matter of learning the techniques. It’s no wonder that the various styles of yoga and meditation have been practiced since time immemorial and will most certainly continue to be practiced.
Sources
Aron, Elaine N. The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You. Secaucus, NJ: Birch Lane Press, 1996.
Bennett-Goleman, Tara. Emotional Alchemy: How the Mind Can Heal the Heart. New York: Harmony Books, 2001.
Digitalis, Raven. Esoteric Empathy: A Magickal & Metaphysical Guide to Emotional Sensitivity. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn, 2016.
Farrar, Janet, and Stewart Farrar. A Witches’ Bible: The Complete Witches’ Handbook. Custer, WA: Phoenix Publishing, 1981.
Goleman, Daniel. Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. New York: Bantam Books, 1995.
Lewis, Michael, Jeannette M. Haviland-Jones, and Lisa Feldman Barrette, eds. 2nd edition. Handbook of Emotions. New York: Guilford Press, 2004.
McLaren, Karla. The Art of Empathy: A Complete Guide to Life’s Most Essential Skill. Boulder, CO: Sounds True, 2013.
Mesich, Kyra, PsyD. The Sensitive Person’s Survival Guide: An Alternative Health Answer to Emotional Sensitivity and Depression. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, 2000.
Raven Digitalis (Missoula, MT) is the author of Esoteric Empathy, Shadow Magick Compendium, Planetary Spells & Rituals, and Goth Craft. He is a Neopagan Priest and cofounder of an Eastern Hellenistic nonprofit community temple called Opus Aima Obscuræ (OAO). Also trained in Eastern philosophies and Georgian Witchcraft, Raven has been an earth-based practitioner since 1999, a Priest since 2003, a Freemason since 2012, and an empath all his life. He holds a degree in anthropology from the University of Montana and is also a professional tarot reader, DJ, small-scale farmer, and animal rights advocate. Contact him at www.ravendigitalis.com, www.facebook.com/ravendigitalis, www.opusaimaobscurae.org, and www.facebook.com/opusaimaobscurae.
Illustrator: Rik Olson