It’s no secret that Naomi Campbell, Katy Perry, Victoria Beckham and Adele are all fans of crystal healing, nor is the fact that Lana Del Rey is known to cast the odd spell or two. But when you’re not yet an established Hermione Granger, how do you start your journey to becoming a white witch, to improve your mental, physical and spiritual well-being? Allow these health and beauty hacks to heal you.
Defined as someone ‘who uses magic for benevolent purposes or without malicious intent’, white witches don’t cast wicked spells, fly around on a broomstick or have a stereotypical black cat (ok, maybe the cat can stay). Basically, it’s not a Sarah Jessica Parker in Hocus Pocus situation.
Being a white witch is actually about the power to heal our bodies and minds — and those of others too.
Have you ever desired to ‘clear the air’ after an argument because you just can’t sleep on it? Or helped a friend in need of a beauty pick-me-up after a break-up? It’s these everyday situations where being spiritually attuned can help to turn things around for you and your BFFs (aka ‘your coven’).
Ok, a spoonful of sacred herbs, a dash of positivity and a touch of magic (all mixed-up in a cauldron, of course) might not solve all your problems straight away, but we all have to start somewhere.
Forget wiggling your nose, waving a wand or even reciting ‘the magic words’ — instead, channel your inner powers into these health and beauty hacks for today’s modern enchantress…
1. Make crystal healing elixirs
The Alice in Wonderland ‘Drink Me’ potion contained magical powers and so can home-made elixirs with a little help from your crystal collection.
If you’re still unsure about the difference between Rose Quartz, Bloodstone and Tiger’s Eye — fear not — here’s a list of the hard, non-toxic stones and their healing energy properties that are perfect for making elixirs:
- Rose Quartz (universal love; trust; inner peace; matters of the heart)
- Lapis Lazuli (enhances dreams; third-eye opener; serenity; communication; honesty; compassion; love and friendship)
- Chrysocolla (tranquillity; balance; communication; expression; empowerment; wisdom; phobias)
- Tiger’s Eye (good fortune; growth; practicality; determination)
- Bloodstone (banish negativity; intuition; creativity; grounding; protecting; reduces irritability, aggressiveness and impatience)
- Citrine (cleanser; happiness; protection; support; creativity; confidence)
An elixir is a hydrating potion made with cold water and crystals. The crystals’ invisible vibrations charge the water with their energies — some are more beneficial for matters of the heart, whereas others can be used in times of upset or where a positivity boost is needed.
How to super-charge your water:
- Cleanse your chosen crystals: basically, wash them. You don’t know who else has touched the crystals before you, which can cause imbalances to its properties, so it’s important to clean them beforehand. Hard-stone crystals won’t dissolve in water, so rinse the crystals under a cold-water tap then gently pat dry. You should use no more than three medium-sized stones per potion. Rough stones tend to have stronger vibrations, which can be better for elixirs, but smooth polished stones can also be used.
- Charge the crystals in moonlight: it’s best to do this at night, so that you get double-benefit from sleeping near to the crystals whilst they charge. Charging means to heighten the energies of the stones which is often done under moonlight, so typically a window sill is the best place to do this overnight.
- Making the potion: take a transparent jug and gently place your chosen crystals in the bottom. As you place each one, state either out-loud or in your mind why you’ve chosen that particular stone. Finally add the cold water and leave it to brew for at least 30-minutes.
- ‘Drink Me’: pour the crystal-charged water into a glass and imagine invoking it’s properties as you do so, making sure the crystals stay in the jug. You don’t have to drink the jug in one go, but it’s a good way to remember your daily water in-take by having it on-hand. Bottoms up! Once finished, repeat the cleansing process of your crystals and place them back in your collection.
2. Stimulate healing with reflexology
Frankie Sandford raved about the benefits of reflexology during her pregnancy, but you don’t always have to go and see a professional to get the benefit of this ancient practice. In fact, there are some techniques you can do yourself to magic-away common body woes from making your ears pop on a plane, to alleviating tension headaches due to stress — the power is in your hands, literally.
In a nutshell, reflexology is a complementary therapy that involves a pressure technique on the reflex areas of the hands and feet. Using our thumbs and fingers, we have the power to help stimulate our own bodies’ healing process. Yes, you heard correctly — every part of the body is connected and by working on our reflex points, you can stimulate the corresponding body part.
So, next time you feel stressed at work, it’s worth taking time-out for a few minutes to massage your head reflex, located on the top part of your thumbs.
3. Banish bad vibes with smudging
Ever walked in a room and been overwhelmingly unnerved? Or felt the tension of a past argument days after it happened? Bad energies and negative vibrations can linger in the air in even the most harmonious of homes, so it’s important to cleanse your living space, most importantly, your bedroom. It’s often the room where you spend most of your time, be it asleep or not, and your body is sensitive to the vibes in the air.
The art of smudging is a Native American tradition, commonly used to purify energy. It’s becoming more and more popular in the Western world, as it’s also been found to be a natural way of killing bacteria.
So, what is smudging all about?
Picture of a bundle of dried herbs wrapped-up together into a small bunch — a ‘smudge stick’ — that’s then set alight and slowly wafted around the room whilst placed in a fire-proof bowl.
Smudge sticks can be bought ready-made or be home-made, by foraging for healing herbs whilst out and about. Typically, sage and cedar are mainly used in smudge sticks for their purifying properties, but other herbs can complement these as part of the smudging ritual.
Remember, in the name of magic — stay safe! It’s always important to extinguish the smudge stick properly in either sand or water after use and keep it in the fire-proof bowl until cooled.
4. Feed your skin with nature’s finest from your witch’s garden
Forget the sheet masks, if you fancy making your own fantastical concoctions using Mother Earth’s properties, from avocados to eggs, there’s no better place to start than your own home.
The drizzly British weather is actually ideal for growing lots of earthy botanicals with little effort — or for the non-green-fingered witches amongst us, the supermarket can do the hard work for you.
Many food items harbour their own natural beautifying properties:
- Turmeric – anti-inflammatory, antioxidant
- Garlic – strong antioxidant
- Avocado – soothing, moisturising
- Banana – vitamin C, antioxidant
- Honey – antibacterial, moisturising
- Rosemary – cell regeneration
Cauldrons at the ready! Here’s how to make your own DIY spa-worthy face mask at home.
5. Aromatherapy ‘therapy’ using essential oils
Ex-Victoria’s Secret model Miranda Kerr claims aromatherapy helped her to overcome depression following her divorce with Orlando Bloom, but how can essential oils have such a dramatic impact on our lives? The term ‘aromatherapy’ was coined in the early 20th century when talking about the healing powers of essential oils.
Diffusers and burners are commonly used to aid the release of the oils’ properties, but oils can also be placed on directly parts of the body. It’s always worth seeing a professional aroma-therapist to discuss your needs, but here’s a flavour of what to expect from these natural oils:
- Lavender oil – relaxing and sleep-promoting properties released in a diffuser. Alternatively, the This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Talk Spray will send you to the land of nod
- Tea tree oil – antibacterial when used spots and bites, always use diluted
- Clary sage oil – alleviate the symptoms of PMS – from pain, to stress and anxiety
- Peppermint oil – help reduce the severity of headaches
- Rosemary oil – used to stay awake, be more focussed and alert
6. Mood-improve with positive chanting spells
When you chant out loud, is it a spell? In witchcraft, spells and charms are used to create a magical action. The art of chanting is very much separate to this, but it can be used to positively and instantly improve our moods, which we think is, err pretty magical, no?
The power of ‘om’ doesn’t need to be performed in a protective salt circle, in fact it’s a very wide-spread practice around the world performed multiple times a day in some cultures. Chanting — or mantras — can be done anywhere often part as meditation practice. So, next time you’re practicing ‘mindfulness’, think about taking it to a vocal new level.
We’re sure the neighbours won’t mind…
From: ELLE UK
