11 Ways Witchcraft Can Boost Your Mental Health

Whether your witchcraft or magickal practice is a part of your spiritual practice or your application of the occult is typically external, magick and witchcraft techniques offer several ways to improve mental health. Below are eleven ways to use your craft to bring yourself emotional wellbeing and balance.

Please always keep in mind that these techniques are never a replacement for professional help and/or doctor-prescribed medication. Do the best thing that you can for yourself and only use magick to supplement professional assistance.

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Centering & Grounding

For many practitioners, grounding and centering is an integral part of their craft. It allows you to connect to the earth and heavens, access deep natural energy to power your ritual work, commune with nature, gather and channel your energy deliberately for your purposes, and dispel excess or unwanted energy.

That's right! Just as you might take in energy so you don't find yourself depleted and exhausted after spellwork, you can also gather any negative or excess nervous/anxious energy and channel it into the earth for what I like to call "energy recycling". Don't feel bad that you're sending negative emotions and charge into the earth, the earth will neutralize it.

This is a technique I use all the time to help get a handle on my anxiety as it can be done quickly, inconspicuously, with zero tools, anywhere at all. You will find instructions on how to begin this practice here:

Crystals

Whether you choose to fashion jewelry out of a crystal or carry a stone in your pocket, there are a plethora of crystals that naturally carry energies that can assist in uplifting your mental health. While I will offer a few suggestions below, believe me when I say that there are literally dozens and dozens more out there for you to discover and put to use.

All you need to do is take a crystal that carries the intention that you need and tell it what you want it to do for you. Each crystal has more than one use and purpose, so it is a good idea to provide it with direction. I recommend taking some time to bond with it, but let it know what is going on, whether through meditating with it or speaking to it aloud.

• Amethyst - Calming, especially nervous and anxious energy

• Black Tourmaline - Deflects negative energy

• Tiger's Eye - Inner strength

• Rose Quartz - Self-love

• Smoky Quartz - Commits emotional alchemy by converting negative energy into positive

• Citrine - Summons positive energy and energizes, which is especially useful if you tend to feel drained and oversleep when in an emotional slump

• Fluorite - Soothes the mind and promotes positive dreams, which on the flipside of citrine is helpful if you're someone who gets struck with insomnia which can create, be caused by, and/or worsen mental health struggles

• Malachite - Brings balance and stabilizes mood swings

Meditation

Studies have shown that mindfulness practices can have a positive effect on the following: the immune system, fatigue, chronic pain, sleep disturbances, memory, symptoms of depression and anxiety, stress management skills, brain aging, maintaining focus, increasing self-awareness, improving imagination and patience, and more.

While meditation is one of the best practices you can pick up to improve your mental health, I don't want to spend too much time going on and on about the research, what studies show, what it does, and how to begin. Because I already did an entire article dedicated solely to that topic that I encourage you to check out here!

Charm bags, amulets, jars, etc.

Let's call these magick mental health accessories. Charm bags, jars, amulets: you can take your pick as to what you would like to make or charge up to either carry on your person, keep in your workspace, place by your bed, or any of a dozen other places these items can work on your behalf.

A few suggestions might be a self-empowerment jar to promote inner strength and resolve; jewelry charged with intentions such as emotional balance, mental fortitude, vitality, calm, or whatever your personal situation needs; charm bags filled with herbs and crystals to either pull you out of a depressive episode or to prevent them by warding depression off. You can make just about any item created and/or charged with magickal intent work on your behalf in a positive manner.

Support Spells

While some negative mental health episodes are brought on by chemical imbalances and other such unpredictable forces, others can be caused by obvious problems we face in our everyday lives. Spells can assist in both of these situations.

If everything in life is going fine and you're suddenly hit with a bout of depression and you can't pinpoint the conditions that caused it, perhaps a general anti-depression spell may be best for you. Or even something like a self-love spell if you find that depression tends to make you spiral into a storm of self-doubt and hatred.

However, if you know your emotional wellbeing is being affected by circumstances, cast a spell to assist you with the situation. Perform a cord cutting ritual to banish the toxic person dragging you down, or try a sweetening jar if the relationship is troubling yet unavoidable. Try a communication spell if you struggle to express your feelings and find them being pent up. Financial troubles, loneliness, legal issues, and so on: all of these can be helped if you think outside of the box and find a spell to help get you out of your current trouble.

Connection

For myself, as a Pagan, finding connection in this world is as simple as going for a nature walk, meditating with my back against a tree, standing on grass barefoot, and bird watching. However, not all magick practitioners are Pagan, observe a nature-based spirituality, or even view their magick practice as spiritual at all. However, I would still argue that most practices require a belief of some form that the self is connected to something greater due to the fact that most models of magick suggest that in order for your words, thoughts, feelings, and actions to have an effect on your reality and the world around you, a connection needs to exist. Whether to you that means the Universe, the ambiguous "All", Spirit(s), energy, the collective unconscious, or other.

One of the greatest struggles in overcoming mental health issues are the feelings of alienation and loneliness. You can be in a room crowded with friends and family and still feel alone. None of them can understand what you're going through. In fact, maybe due to that very assumption, you haven't even told any of them of your struggle. So you sit with a practiced smile and empty eyes, hoping no one will notice.

However, although you may feel isolated with your emotions right now, you are not alone at all. You are always connected, and at times it is important to stop and remember that. People may not understand your specific situation, but we are all experienced with the human condition and we are all tied to something so much greater than ourselves.

At times, we all need a reminder of that, and as magick practitioners, I believe we are experienced in tapping into that vein. To you, that may be going for a nature walk, or it may be attending a crowded, high-vibrational event where you can feel the energy from your fellow humans pulsating around you. You may even want to try a guided meditation that helps you reach out and communicate into the collective unconscious.

Tap into it and know that you're never truly alone.

Nature

I know I just said that not all of you are going to be believers in nature-based spirituality, but hear me out: Spending time in nature is important and healthy for all humans, whatever their beliefs are.

https://e360.yale.edu/features/ecopsychology-how-immersion-in-nature-benefits-your-health

Recent research has shown that spending time in nature has positive benefits on emotional wellbeing, mental health, cognitive function, physical health, overall mood, and general outlook on and satisfaction with life.

I recommend you take this knowledge and run with it. The best way to do so is to spend at least 120 minutes per week in a natural setting and taking care to actually connect with your surroundings by being mindful during that time. Take in the views, listen to the calls of animals and insects, take deep inhalations of fresh air and note what scents you can pick up.

While that is the most beneficial, it isn't the only way to achieve positive results with exposure to nature. Even if you live in an urban setting and struggle to find two hours in a week to get out, studies have shown that even just listening to nature sounds and viewing natural images can prove beneficial, although with less impact. But any improvement is still an improvement.

Shadow Work

While shadow work isn't a prerequisite for magickal practice, the concept designed by psychologist Carl Jung has become popular in witchcraft and occult circles due to the overlap between magick practice and inner workings.

Shadow work is designed to help you face your shadow self and in turn, with time, you will find that you are generally more resilient as you begin to understand yourself and your triggers better and address your trauma. You will find that you are empowered and better able to control how you react to people and situations, taking power away from past trauma and claiming it for your authentic self. Additionally, this work is about acceptance of the shadow self as a part of who you are, not a cure for it as a flaw. Therefore, these practices ultimately lead to better self-acceptance and more compassion and understanding for yourself and others.

If you would like more information on how to begin shadow work yourself, you can check out my video on the topic.

Herbalism

The fun thing about herbalism in witchcraft is that it is much less woo-woo and relies more on scientifically proven medicinal benefits of ingesting, aromatherapy, and topical treatment of herbs. Below is a short list of some herbs that can help with depression, anxiety, and general soothing, but there are plenty more out there that I encourage you to look up. Be sure to research which form is best (and safest) for medicinal use--whether that be tea form, a bath, essential oils for scent, and so on--and talk to your doctor before use.

• Lavender

• Ashwagandha

• Passionflower

• Lemon balm

• Chamomile

• Mint

• Valerian root

Runes, Symbols, & Archetypes

The power behind runes, symbols, and archetypes is immeasurable and I have personally found that the best way to utilize them is to spend time meditating on their images, focusing on what they mean and stand for, verbally invite them to enhance your life, and visualize the image glowing and entering your body.

If that isn't quite your style, you can paint or carve the symbol on an item you may wear or carry, keep a copy of the image in your pocket or purse, hang it where you will see it frequently, include it in spellwork, speak to it, journal on its meaning to you and ways you believe it would improve your life should you embody it and its meaning. But just like with the crystals, be sure to spend a little time with your image or idea and be sure you communicate its purpose for you.

You can use the Runes, the major arcana in tarot, character archetypes, everyday symbols such as the sun to mean joy and the eye to mean clarity, etc. All of these have a natural energy and power that can be touched on and utilized.

Spirit

Deity, ancestors, land spirits, familiars: all of these are examples of entities which you can commune with for support, guidance, and help. If you don't already have an established relationship, I would suggest you begin by making an offering and reaching out gently rather than unloading all of your personal baggage on them the first time you communicate.

However, Spirit is there for you. You may just need someone to listen without judgment. Sit and speak aloud to them (or silently, if that is more comfortable) and use that as a chance to express yourself freely and process your thoughts and feelings by giving them voice as you go. You may also consider asking for assistance.

I find that ancestors are some of the easiest to speak to and most comforting in these situations. They were once human, after all, and understand the human experience. And if you, like myself, struggle with a genetic issue, there is a good chance you will reach someone further up the line that dealt with the exact same thing you're dealing with now.