The Witch’s Way of 2024

We’re loosely calling these the principles of 2024, to leave a little space to grow and to be shaped by new experiences in the year ahead. It’s only January, we got 11 months to go.

The point of making these principles was to have a reference point through the course of the year. A little post it of note of a guide that helps shape the course of my path.

• Speak as if there is magic on your tongue.

• Create your own path, write your own story.

• Honor those who paved your path.

• Make a home in yourself.

• Stay curious, stay engaged, stay present.

• Don’t invite sabotage into your workings.

• Be careful what you wish for. Be aware when you’re getting what you asked for.

• Rest is necessary. Rest is not optional.

• Don’t paint yourself into a corner, leave yourself room to grow.

Speak as if there is magic on your tongue means be mindful of what you say as if you’re going to get exactly what you say. So if you believe that all of your workings, your pleas for power are being answered, why would you be reckless with that power? A clumsy sentence could lead to your own misfortune, a off handed comment close many doors.

Create your own path, write your own story means don’t get so deep into conventions, tradition, other people’s ways of doing things that you lose yourself. Some traditions were made by those who benefitted from what other people survived. It might have been what was done up until this point, until you came along with a different set of problems or obstacles or even skills. This does not mean take what’s not yours and claim it as your own. It means be attentive to the story you are writing for yourself. It is possible to lose control of the pen, not know how to write it, but there can also be a part of the story where you got it back, learned how to write.

Honor those who paved your path means recognize what others have done for you. If you took notes from people, put their name in the notes, mention them when you’re talking about what you learned with other people. Recognize those who you have learned from, were inspired by, or could lean on. In this day and age, it is very easy to forget who said what, where we saw something as we are processing a lot of information from the second we wake up to the second we go to bed. That means it’s easy for the human to be erased from the work.

Make a home in yourself means develop security in yourself. Personally, I think about the amount of people who experience impostor syndrome, taking it on as an individual burden as if we don’t live in an environment where safety is leveraged depending on our performance for others’ approval. I could go on about this, but the point is, your relationship to yourself is important. Especially when it comes to spirituality, witchcraft what have you, this relationship will guide your aim in your success.

Stay curious, stay engaged, stay present means ask questions, keep your head up, pay attention to what’s going on around you. Asking questions can be broken down into 3 parts: developing the skill of asking questions, being able to recognize what answer you’re getting, and recognizing what does it mean for that answer to be demonstrated. The thing that stands out the most for me about the second part, is knowing when to disengage and step away from things. Just because you are physically there doesn’t mean you aren’t also tired, distracted, or disconnected.

Don’t invite sabotage into your workings means…okay maybe this one is a little complicated. One part is don’t let other people who love to see you struggle or suffer have a hand in the magic you weave for yourself. Another part is don’t let your fears or desire about other people liking you guide your practice. A third part is thinking things through, if you don’t care about the results or the consequences you’re going to be surprised when they show up later.

Be careful what you wish for. Be aware of when you’re getting what you asked for means watch what you say you want. You never know who is listening, some people are mad quiet about their support or hatred for you. You can say things completely absent minded and someone will make it happen only for you to say “I never asked for that”, when you did and you weren’t paying attention. An example of this is is wishing for someone to love you, and someone can come along and love you…for the fact you don’t have boundaries, are a people pleaser, don’t have enough discernment.

Rest is necessary. Rest is not optional is self-explanatory I think, but some people still haven’t broken up with their grind away at themselves mentality yet. Pushing yourself to impossible lengths is not the flex you think is because all you’ll have proven is that you’ll do a lot for very little and won’t be able to pay a 1/4 of a hospital bill. Things can be expensive beyond money. Rest is not something you earn, it is a part of the systems and routines you create for yourself. You can rest when you pass out, sure, or you can work with yourself to figure out when you rest. Hint the second one is more productive.

Don’t paint yourself into a corner, leave yourself room to grow means don’t get so attached to your dreams or plans going exactly the way you planned that you can’t make changes to it later. The person you are now is capable of creating a plan with the amount of information you currently have. In the course of pursuing that plan you are gaining experience, learning new things, facing new problems that you might not have been able to consider at the beginning. If you get too attached to that end result, you won’t be able to incorporate this new information and update the plan accordingly. Give yourself some wiggle room.

I’m considering elaborating on these more in the future, but for now, I hope the quick summary was enough to give you an idea of these 9 principles.

Until next time,

Tomorrow is coming.

Zakkarrii