When you are practicing witchcraft it can be easy to get sucked into the idea that you need to spend lots of money on tools for your practice. It would be easy to spend thousands of dollars on herbs, crystals, divination tools, and lots of other witchy goodies that would be great to have on hand. But that’s not necessary. You can have a simple magick practice that is powerful and effective!
During the pandemic, I was laid off from my job. I was looking for simple ways to practice spells without spending money. I was reminded that I didn’t need to have a lot of tools to practice witchcraft. The truth is those things are just tools. You are the real magick. And you are powerful with or without those tools.
Anything can become a spell. All you need is intention, mindfulness, some ordinary household objects, or actions. It doesn’t have to be complicated at all!
Things you can do for a simple magick practice
1. Set clear intentions
The heart of all magick is the setting of intentions. Begin with a focused thought or affirmation. I find that it’s more effective to say it out loud. But you can also hold it in your thoughts too.
2. Incorporate things around your house
You may already have things around the house that you can use for spellwork without purchasing anything.
Candles: Light a candle with a specific intention. Small tealight candles and birthday candles can be used for candle magick! Specific candle colors can be used for specific spells (e.g., green for abundance, blue for peace). Here’s the good news! White candles are a general, multi-purpose candle that can be substituted for any other color! I often use white tea candles for spells because they are easy to find and inexpensive!
Herbs and Spices: Do you keep common cooking herbs in your cupboard? You can use them in your spell work! Use common kitchen items like cinnamon (for prosperity) or basil (for protection) in your cooking. A popular spell at the beginning of each month is to step outside of your door and blow a pinch of cinnamon into your house to call in financial abundance.
Water: Water is a powerful element to use in your practice. It can be used for spells, rituals, and baths! Use water for cleansing energy by washing your hands, taking a bath, or misting a room with charged water. You can also create a simmer pot spell which also makes your house smell amazing. I love using water for healing spells. I set the intention that every time I drink water, every cell in my body is becoming healthier and healthier.
You can use tap water for spells. But many witches also collect rainwater to use. There are so many ways to use water as a part of your practice that this barely scratches the surface.
3. Use daily actions in your magick
Cleaning: I will admit that cleaning my house is not exactly my favorite activity. But I don’t mind it so much when I use daily and weekly cleaning as an opportunity to practice some magick. Do things like visualizing clearing away negative energy while sweeping or wiping surfaces. One of my favorites is to visualize all of the negative energy of others being washed away with every load of laundry I wash.
Showering/Bathing: Most people shower or bathe regularly. This is a perfect time to incorporate some magick! Imagine the water washing away negativity and filling you with light. If you like taking baths, use some herbs, essential oils, or natural bath bombs to create bathing spells.
Don’t want to do a full bath or shower? You can do a soothing foot bath as well!
Walking: Walking isn’t just good for your health. Going out for a walk is the perfect time to work in some magick. With each step, visualize grounding yourself or connecting to the earth’s energy.
4. Create Sigils in Everyday Places
What is a sigil? In witchcraft, it is a magical symbol that you create that represents a specific intention. There are lots of great witches online who have videos that show you how to create a sigil. Once you understand how to create a sigil you can draw them with your finger in the air, on windows, or on your coffee cup with a spoon.
Carve a small sigil on a candle or into soap for a bath, or draw it on a piece of paper.
5. Use Spoken or Written Words
The words you write, speak, and think are incredibly powerful. Your words alone have the power to create your world. It is no coincidence that we call writing word spelling. Because every word you speak casts a spell in the world. Chant simple phrases or affirmations, like “I am safe” or “Abundance flows to me.”
Write intentions on a piece of paper and keep it in your wallet, under your pillow, or in a jar.
6. Infuse Energy into Food and Drink
You eat and drink food every day. But how often do you use your everyday meals to perform magick? Simple ideas to infuse some witchcraft into your day include stirring your tea or coffee with an intention. Earlier I talked about how I set intentions with the water I drink and use it to boost my health.
You can also bless your food with gratitude and visualize it nourishing your body and spirit.
7. Harness Nature’s Energy
So much of witchcraft is connected to the power of nature. It can be an important and powerful part of your practice as well. Place crystals or stones in the moonlight to charge them.
Get your toes into the soil to connect with the energy of Mother Earth and allow her to replenish and recharge you. Or sit or lay down on the ground to connect to the earth. Collect rainwater and use it for cleansing or watering plants with intention. Follow the moon’s cycles and the seasons. Use plant magick, air magick, earth magick, or fire magick.
Use pieces of nature in your altar. My altar is filled with pine cones, leaves that have fallen, feathers that I found, sea shells the I collected, stones that called to me, and crystals.
8. Focus on Energy Work
Everything in our world is made up of energy. That energy flows through every living thing and connects us all. And energy work is an important part of practicing witchcraft!
Witchcraft in and of itself is about the art of manipulating energy. It was about learning how to harness the energy within and around to create positive changes in life. This is also known as manifestation, or mindfully creating the life you want.
Anything you do to mold the energy around you is energy work. Witches use spellcasting and rituals as energy work. The act of setting intentions itself is energy work.
The most common types of energy work:
Grounding- Drawing in the energy of the earth to create a sense of stability or balance.
Cleansing- Clearing negative energy. This is one of the most important types of energy work.
Protection- Creating energetic barriers to protect against negative energy, draining environments, or psychic attacks. Another important type of energy work.
Transmuting- The act of changing energy from one state to another. Example: transmuting negative energy into the energy of love.
9. Using Your Breath
Taking some time to do some simple breathwork can be powerful for your magick practice. Breathe in deeply and exhale with intention, releasing negativity or sending energy out into the universe. Breathwork is one of the easiest things to add to your simple magick practice because you can do breathwork anywhere!
10. Turn Repetitive Tasks into Meditative Practices
Are there repetitive things you do each day? For most of us, the answer is yes. These repetitive tasks are the perfect time to infuse a bit of magick! Knitting, braiding, or even folding laundry can be turned into a spell by repeating an affirmation or focusing your intention while you’re doing it!
Having a simple magick practice doesn’t have to be difficult! You can practice your craft while you’re doing boring, everyday things. The key is to approach your daily life with mindfulness, seeing magic in the mundane. Intention is the foundation of all magick, so even the smallest act can become a powerful spell when imbued with purpose.
