Bedridden Witch: Garden Edition

Bedridden witch: Discreet edition

I realize not every witch has the luxury of being open about their craft, and this can be doubly hard when you’re restricted to your bed and often reliant on others. Not all of these may work for you, but may they inspire you all the same!

*If you are reliant on a caregiver who may not approve of witchcraft, please be extra cautious.* There are plenty of ways to practice that don’t put your care and health in jeopardy, and some of the things listed may put you at risk. Please use common sense! <3 

Online:

Keep your grimoire in a document or on the notes in your phone.

Make an altar on Pinterest, a tumblr sideblog, in a video game, etc.

Apps! Keep track of the lunar cycle, look at the night sky, use a candle app, pull some tarot cards, draw some sigils.

Emoji spells.

Witchy playlists.

Cleansing:

Open your window

Let the sun or moon wash over you

Manipulate the energy with your hands

Burn incense (or a scented candle), as the smoke wafts around the room let it push away any unwanted energy.

Visualization.

Listen to music that makes you feel calm, channel that. 

Lots of ideas on this post (Bedridden witch: Stale energy edition)

Warding:

Draw sigils using water

VISUALIZATION + energy manipulation

Make a witches bottle that looks like something else

Make/enchant a room spray that boosts protection (and smells good!)

Keeping magic items nearby:

Slowly changing your interests can allow you to have many things without raising suspicion. (Herbal remedies/tea blending = access to herbs, geology + the love of pretty rocks = access to crystals, jars of dirt, etc.). Additionally, the New Age/witchcraft aesthetic seems to be all the rage these days, which normalizes it as a thing many people just incorporate into their interior design!

Keep sigils in your pillowcase or under your mattress

Keep crystals in your pillowcase or nearby (crystals are becoming a common thing to just have/decorate with)

Herb/spell sachets under your pillow/nearby. I used to have one that was stuffed full of lavender but had crystals and sigils hidden in the center.

Make and keep sun/moon water in a waterbottle.

Ways to connect to the elements (often through decorating/mundane objects) can be found in this post!

Candles are great, real or fake! I like the fake ones because if I forget about it/don’t have the energy to access it, the worst thing that happens is the battery dies.

EO diffusers and Himalayan salt lamps.

Plants!!

Performing magic and the like:

Meditation, dream magic, astral projection.

Energy manipulation: Keep an energy source nearby and draw from it when you need it/to cast small spells, enchantments, blessings, etc. Manipulate the energy in the air.

Visualization can be a powerful thing. 

Enchant items in your room.

Plant magic! Bedridden ideas in this post.

Drink magic and enchantments are great, and teas often have correspondences already based on their blends!

Divination:

Tarot: use a mini deck, an app, playing cards or small two card spread that are easy to conceal under a blanket.

Scrying: use a small picture frame with a black background, a small bowl of water or your phone screen. 

Pendulum: they can be pretty easy to conceal! But you could also use one that doesn’t look like a pendulum, a necklace, or anything tied to a string.

You could also do automatic writing, shufflemancy, dice divination or stitchomancy.

Lots of ideas for bedridden divination in this post!

You may also like:

Bedridden Witch Series - All of my bedridden witchcraft posts!

Chronically ill witchcraft: For your symptoms

Mentally ill witchcraft: For your symptoms

My spoonie sigils: (1) // (2) // (3)

Spoonie witch masterpost - contains all of the spoonie posts I’ve made so far!

So, you want to be a witch? #4

Part one talks about spells, wards, sigils, cleansing, divination and more!

Part two talks about grimoires, crystals, wands, altars and more!

Part three talks about this vs. that for a lot of the common terms you hear!

It can be easy to feel super overwhelmed when you’re first starting off. This post is for very new witches who have limited knowledge and would like a broad overview! These are my opinions, feel free to disagree but be polite about it.

Types of witches:

As witchcraft grows more popular on the internet, it’s become helpful to categorize what your practice looks. This helps to share it more easily and find others who have similar practices.

That being said, it isn’t necessary to categorize yourself! If you were to pick a type (or few), here’s some things you’d look at:

What your lifestyle is like. Does where you live affect your practice? (city, country, beach, etc.). Does what you do affect your practice? (work, hobbies, etc.).

What you draw power from. Being outside? Baking in the kitchen? Making your house a home? Exploring the city? Being at the ocean? Etc. Etc.

What you like to do in your craft. What things call to you?

Outside influences. For example, I have a chronic illness so I call myself a spoonie witch. 

If you feel like you’re a lot of different things, you can call yourself an eclectic witch (as in, a mix of types) or simply be a witch!

Gender:

Gender and body type does not affect your ability to be a witch. Anyone can be a witch. It literally doesn’t matter. You want to be a witch? Congrats you can be a witch! Don’t fall for the gatekeeping shit.

Gods, Goddesses, Deities:

There is a common belief that you must incorporate divine beings into your practice. While that is certainly okay to do, it is not required in witchcraft. Nor is it required to believe in them. Religion is not an inherent part of witchcraft!

Many witches are also polytheists. For some, these mix and become a hybrid of witchcraft and worship. For others (like myself), the two stay relatively separate.

Some witches have patron deities/have devoted themselves to a deity. While this can be a very powerful connection, I encourage witches to explore their craft secularly first and build their connections over time. There’s absolutely no rush!

Some witches call upon the powers of the gods to boost their magic. Do so with respect, gods are not spell ingredients.

There is far more to be said on this topic, but this is the overview!

(Click here for the other parts in this series!)

Bedridden witch: Nature edition

Let’s be honest here. Most of us bedridden peeps don’t have an awesome bed setup like this, and our nature exposure can be limited. However, here’s some tips and tricks to staying connected to nature while stuck in bed, with contributions from myself (@heatherwitch), @thewitchofthenorse, @spooniewitches, @persephoneandthepomegranates & @theepagangrace!

Open a window, or crack the curtains

Hang rainbow prisms in your window

Keep a houseplant nearby

If regular houseplants require too much energy: Try cacti, succulents, lucky bamboo, or spiderplants!

Hang nature/forest/plant artwork around

Get air freshener or room spray that reminds you of the outdoors

Watch a nature documentary or shows with people exploring nature – check out nature (photography) videos on Netflix for calming videos

Listen to forest soundscapes [X] 

Set a nature scene as your screensaver

Keep a jar of soil around

Talk with any nature deities you work with

Follow nature blogs

Get sheets, blankets, or pillowcases with leafy designs, flower designs, etc.

Get a star map app on your phone to be more connected to the night sky

Have a vase of flowers (real or fake)

Keep crystals around that remind you of nature (Moss agate, petrified wood, onyx, selenite, agate geodes, etc.)

Use sigils designed to connect you to nature

Use air conditioning or a fan to make it less stuffy in your room

Read and write poetry about nature

Press plants/flowers or hang dried herbs by your bed

Spend some time looking outside of your window

Burn a nature scented candle or incense (Irish moss, myrrh, frankincense, opium, and lavender)

Use astral travel or dream magic to get to outdoor areas

Watch livestream videos of outdoor areas

Make a sachet of grass, oak bark (or whatever tree you like), quartz, and salt. Hang it near your bed.

With help from others:

Get someone to collect rainwater for you, and use it to wash your face

Ask a friend to take some pictures of cool places they go in nature and send them to you

Have someone collect rocks/plants/feathers etc. from each day and bring them back for you 

Have someone pick wildflowers for you

Drink some herbal tea

Have someone you trust harvest wild edibles/berries for you – or at least bring fresh fruits and veggies!

Skype or video chat with someone while they’re outside

Take the scenic route/detour to some natural areas the next time you need a car ride

Click here for the other posts in this series!

So, you want to be a witch? #6

Click here for all the other posts in this series!

This post is all about how the mundane can broaden your craft, and what topics you might consider researching!

Why bother with the mundane?

The mundane is the base for witchcraft. It includes basic skills, information and abilities. One must have an understanding of these things before influencing them/incorporating them into magic. For example: you need to know your way around the kitchen if you want to be a kitchen witch.

It tends to be less biased. Any resource with information on witchcraft will be influenced to some degree by the person’s experiences, view of the world, and the way they built their craft. It can sometimes appear that there is only “one true way” to be a witch—this is not accurate! There is great value in learning from experienced witches, but there is also great value in learning things for yourself.

Where to research?

Please do not rely on tumblr for accurate information! It’s an excellent place to hear about personal experiences and to get ideas, but it often lacks sources.

How to find credible sources: (here) and (here). (Links are for finding academic sources, so they may be a bit more strict than what you need)

Websites

Published books

Videos (Online lectures, YouTube, TedTalks, etc.)

Free classes/information sessions

Are you a student? Be strategic with which electives you choose!

Also consider: clubs, talking with people who are experienced on the subject, etc.

What to research?

This highly depends on you and where you want to take your craft! These are just a few starting points to get the ideas flowing. I always recommend starting with whatever called you to the craft, and letting it naturally flow from there!

The natural world:

Learn local plants (natives, “weeds”, etc.), and how to ethically forage them.

Get a small calendar and note the dates of phenological changes. This can be helpful if you use the plants in your craft/life.

Where to research plants (apps, websites and field guide suggestions)

Learn local wildlife. Get to know your neighbors! Look at range maps.

Do they stay all year or move with the seasons? Some animals make startling noises. Do you have any of those in your area? (Think: wildcats, owls, foxes)

Learn geology, or at least how to identify some common rock types in your area.

Here’s a post on using rocks you find in your craft.

Learn weather patterns and some ways you might predict them.

Find a moon phase calendar for the year. Learn the moon phases and the science behind them if you aren’t familiar with it!

Same with the sun! What time does it rise and set? Where will it be in the sky this time of year? Learn the science behind it.

Constellations, and which ones you’ll see as the seasons change.

What natural phenomena might occur in your area?

Do you live near the ocean? Find some tide charts. What knowledge gaps do you have?

Live near a different type of water? Where is its source? Can you trace it on a map?

Do you garden? Pay attention to your zone and frost dates. Learn which plants are beneficial for your area and which may be invasive. How can you benefit the beings in your area with your garden?

What is the natural history of your area?

In the home + odds and ends:

The basics of tea: how to make your own blends, what temperature the water should be, etc.

Herbal remedies: how herbs can boost your health, which ones can already be found in your kitchen, and herbal interactions/side effects.

Cleaning and tending your home: learn how to safely make your own cleaning supplies, create routines to keep your home feeling clean and comfortable.

How to fix things and build things, how to use basic tools (hammer, screwdriver, etc.), how to mend clothes and simple sewing.

Crafts: learn how to make your own supplies (candles, wands, etc.)

Kitchen: learn some basic cooking and baking skills.

Crystals: how to identify them, how to ethically source them (and their properties).

The flow of your world; familiarize yourself with the routines of life around you. Orient yourself, begin creating a map in your mind of the area. What routines do the birds have? The people around you? The bus schedule?

What is the human history of your area?

How much do you know about your personal/family history?

LAWS: know what’s legal and what isn’t. Can you harvest here? Is it okay to have those animal bones or feathers? Are you allowed to be in certain areas? It’s on you to be informed.

There are so many more things I could’ve included, but I didn’t want this post to go on forever!

Hopefully this has given you some ideas; you may be surprised by how much newly acquired information can begin to influence your craft. Go forth, and enjoy learning something new :)

Bed magic (for my spoonie witches):

Note: this post inspired an entire series that goes into far more detail! Click here!

The setup: 🌟-Sigils placed under your mattress for pain-free rest and anything else you need! 🌟-Place crystals under your pillow (or in the case) for restful sleep or a specific use. I often place amethyst and Quartz under my pillow for headaches! 🌟-Hang herb sachets above your bed. 🌟-Keep any supplies you want nearby in case you become bedridden.

Bedridden witchy things: 🌸-Play with spare bits of energy in the room. 🌸-Listen to music that makes you feel witchy/powerful. 🌸-Wash your face with a pre-prepared cleansing spray (add herbs and such). 🌸-If possible, open a window for at least five minutes and soak in the sensations of the outside world. 🌸-Read a witchy book/write in your grimoire. 🌸-Hold your crystals or keep them near you. 🌸-Washing your sheets/blankets/pillow case = the ultimate cleanse. 🌸-Meditate and work on breathing. 🌸-Spend some time with your tarot cards or pendulum (you don’t have to use them though!). 🌸-Do some dream magic. 🌸-Drink some herbal tea.

Remember, your witchiness isn’t based on your ability to practice all the time. It’s perfectly acceptable to take as long as you need when you aren’t feeling great.

(This is okay for everyone to reblog and use btw.)

A spoonie witch is...

A spoonie who practices witchcraft. Simple!

A spoonie is someone who for whatever reason (usually a physical illness/disability - but it can also be due to a mental illness) doesn’t have as much energy as everyone else. The Spoon Theory [X] is a handy way to explain this to others and remind us of our limitations. It also shows us that we can ration our “spoons” (energy) to a certain extent. An important thing to note is that identifying as a spoonie is a choice, not all ill/disabled people do.

Bedridden witch: Stale energy edition

Anyone who’s been stuck in bed knows how quickly that stale feeling can build up! Here’s some tips (both witchy and non) for clearing some of that unwanted energy. Thank you @tealeavesandpapertrees for requesting this post!

Open a window.

Hang wind chimes outside.

Hang a rainbow prism by your window, let the light cleanse your room.

Keep a small fan.

Flip over your blankets and pillows.

Use a Himalayan salt lamp.

Clean one area per day (can be minuscule or massive)

Let the moon wash over your room.

Burn candles, let the flame burn away any unwanted energy

Make a spritz with scented herbs or infused water.

Let the weather cleanse your room, no matter what it may be.

Manipulate the energy with your hands.

Do at least one hygienic thing per day.

Set out a bowl of water to absorb the energy, dispose accordingly.

Wash all of your bedding, place some cleansing sigils or herbs underneath your mattress.

Wash yourself, even if it’s just with a cloth.

Speak out loud (or communicate in some form) what things you would like to invite into your space.

Use a wax melter with some cheery scents.

Get a bouquet of fresh flowers.

Play music.

Burn incense, as the smoke wafts around the room let it push away any unwanted energy.

Visualize a light clearing out the energy.

Switch which side of the bed your lying on.

When it rains, imagine the rain washing away or drawing out the energy.

Laughter is the best medicine. Watch a funny or heartwarming movie that makes you feel content.

Keep a jar and write down anything you want to let go of. Destroy accordingly.

Change what clothes you’re wearing every couple of days.

Hold a crystal and imagine it sending out positive energy.

So many, many other things!

Click here for my other posts in this series!

Bedridden Witch: The Setup

A revamp of my very first bedridden witch post, which now pales in comparison to all my themed ones! This post is all about setting up your bedroom/space to aid in witchcraft while bedbound. See my other bedridden posts for ideas on performing witchcraft while bedridden (click here!).

The Bed:

Pillow:

Pillowcase color correspondences

Sigils in pillowcase

Scented (or not) sachet under pillow

Crystals under pillow or (small ones) in pillowcase

Tarot cards under pillow

Mattress:

Sheets/bedding color correspondences

Sigils under mattress

Spray with scented mist (I have one from a local lavender farm)

Wash with scented (or not) detergent that has specific correspondences/components

Under the bed:

Tie a sachet underneath the bed

Place/secure a physical tie for your wards under each corner–if you spend a lot of time in bed, reinforcing the wards specifically on your bed can be helpful

Keep a crate/drawer of frequently used witchy supplies you can easily access; crystals, herbs, divination tools, spell components, etc. 

Keep a stack of witchcraft books you want to read

Bedside table:

Store supplies: crystals, books, sprays, etc. 

A surface for candles; flame or electric, or a Himalayan salt lamp. Wax melters are also fantastic.

A surface for a EO or reed diffuser

Keep a charging board there for the crystals you use

Keep your favorite divination tools nearby

A nice spot to keep your grimoire/journal

Create a small altar

Spell jars

Walls:

Hang….

Herb and/or spell sachets

Artwork that relates to your craft

Devotional work/prayers

Star and moon phase charts

Witches ladder

Herb/flower/plant garlands

Plants to dry

Fairy/twinkle lights along the top of the walls

Physical tie for your wards in each corner

A hanging altar

Window/Windowsill:

Curtain color correspondences

Hang a rainbow prism to let the sunlight scatter through your space

Place some houseplants or herbs on the windowsill

Hang windchimes outside

Hang bird feeders outside

Place a rain gauge outside 

Other: 

Decorate with seasonal things (flowers, leaves, paper snowflakes, etc.)

Keep jars of the different elements and/or their correspondences (water, earth, air, fire)

Keep spell bottles nearby. 

Having a bed tray (typically used for food) can make a great working surface

Technology can also help tie everything together: ambiance tracks, videos of things like a fire crackling, snow falling, a stream, a forest, etc. 

This post remains fairly neutral/vague, but designing your space with a certain theme can influence your craft!

You May Also Like:

Bedridden witch series (all of my bedridden witch posts)

Bedridden witch: Stale energy edition

Bedridden witch: Discreet edition

Spoonie witch masterpost

Housewarming magic

Making your room magical

**Do not repost or share on other platforms - reblogging is okay!**

Bedridden witch: Worship edition

Sometimes as someone who is stuck in one spot, it can be hard to feel connected to your gods/goddesses/deities. However, it’s not as hard as you may think to find some solid methods! Please note that your deities understand your situation and don’t expect you to suffer for them or consistently do things for them!

Burn candles or incense that remind you of them. If you are unable to do this, try an oil diffuser or room spray.

Use blankets, sheets, pillows, etc. that have colors you associate with them.

Make an online devotional blog or altar. I do this [X]

Chat with other people who work with them. 

If your body is okay with it, eat foods that are sacred/connected to them.

Hang pictures or decorations that correspond with their sacred animals, plants, or what lessons or teachings they present to you.

Write devotional poetry, or make drawings for them.

Draw sigils for them and hang them on your walls, ceiling, or put under your mattress.

Find a stuffed animal that you feel captures their essence or reminds you of them, and hold it close when you need the support.

Research them/browse their tag on tumblr.

Keep stones and crystals you associate with them near you – on a bedside table or under your pillow.

Use astral travel or dream magic to connect with them.

Listen to music that makes you feel closer to them.

Watch shows or movies that remind you of them.

Pray to them, talk to them, write them a letter. Stay in communication with them, especially in times of need.

Meditate.

Drink something warm or cool that helps you connect with them.

Make a spell bottle/jar that you feel captures their essence. Charge during good days, use for connection and support during the not-so-good days.

Make emoji spells to feel more connected to them.

Expose yourself to natural light (or gentle artificial light) or complete darkness, depending on the deity.

Devote small, everyday tasks to them. (Example for the Greek + Roman pantheon.)

Read books about them, or that remind you of them/their values.

Make herb sachets for them, keep them under your pillow or hang on your wall.

Wear scented oils, perfumes, lotions, or pick a shampoo with a scent or ingredients that make you think of them.

@thewitchofthenorse also has a post on this here!

And here is a post about nature connection while bedridden, which is great for nature deities!

Again, please note that you don’t need to do anything to be connected to your gods/goddesses/deities. They know and understand what you are going through, and are patient. 

Click here for the other posts in this series!

So, you want to be a witch?

It can be easy to feel super overwhelmed when you’re first starting off. This post is for very new witches who have limited knowledge and would like a broad overview! These are my opinions, feel free to disagree but be polite about it. 

Spells:

It’s okay to start by using other people’s spells and build the confidence to write your own! Spells can be spoken, or thought (in my opinion). Sometimes speaking spells into existence isn’t always possible.

Casting circles. Many witches cast circles to do spellwork. It involves calling energy from the four directions and building the “omph” to preform the spell. Most of these involve calling upon a deity/deities but you could easily alter them to avoid this, it is not necessary. 

Ingredients. The most important ingredient for a spell is… you! Most spell ingredients can be substituted with more common ingredients, following correspondences. What did that ingredient bring to the spell?

I’ve written a whole “so, you want to be a witch?” post on spells!

Names:

Many witches feel names hold power. 

I personally choose to not share my birth name/everyday name for both this reason, and to protect my privacy. A lot of witches choose a witch name (mine is Mouse!)

Wards: 

Wards are something that I feel are very important for any witch to have. They can be on your being and on your home, and protect from undesired energy and spirits. Picture them as a shield. 

Warding yourself. For me, my wards are my armor. I envision armor forming around me with specific forms of protection and use my energy to make it so. You could also view your ward as a bubble of energy! If you have a hard time with envisioning things, carry something physical (a necklace, crystal, etc.) as your ward.

Warding your home. Again, you could envision it (however you like). I picture light washing over the floors, walls, and ceilings and use my energy to guide it. I also have physical wards. An example would be to make a paper pocket, fill it with herbs, crystals, and sigils, and place in the four corners of your home.

Sigils:

I simply adore sigils, they are like little spells in a physical form (symbols). It’s okay to use sigils created by others.

Sigils are created with a certain phrase in mind, such as “I am happy”. You can then draw them on yourself or on something to carry with you.

Once drawn, you’ll need to do something to activate it. This can be done by forgetting about it, using your energy, or fun things like using the elements or your favorite song. To keep the sigil working, you’ll need to charge it every once and a while. This is the same idea as activating it!

Cleansing:

The ability to cleanse your space and yourself can be extremely valuable, whether it’s in preparation for a spell, or to get rid of the funk of a bad day.

Smoke cleansing. Can be done with sage, bay leaves, or any type of incense. Waft the smoke over yourself or your space.

Water cleansing. I enjoy making a spray with some lovely herbs (like lavender and mint) and spritzing my room or myself. 

The elements/natural world. The wind, the moon, the sun and many other things can act to cleanse as well. 

Divination:

Divination can be overwhelming at first - there’s so many different types! You don’t need to practice divination to be a witch, and you certainly don’t need to learn all of the ways!

Tarot. Tarot cards are cards that have drawings on them and an assigned meaning (usually more than one). They are often used as a way to get advice. The average deck has 78 cards, and a lot of us still use cheat sheets!

Pendulum. Pendulums are often depicted as a crystal hanging from a string, but they can be anything hanging from a string. Different movements mean yes, no, and maybe. Some people use them to communicate with spirits, but this only happens when you invite them.

Runes, scrying, and tasseomancy are also common forms of divination, but ones I am less familiar in! 

Tools:

Crystals, candles, tarot, incense, herbs. All tools. 

They all can boost your abilities and aid your craft, but are not needed. You have all the tools you need in yourself, and in your life. Don’t feel pressured to spend a lot of money on fancy tools right away! It can be beneficial to build your abilities without them, in my opinion!

Using your intuition can lead you to finding/creating some really awesome tools and methods! Let your instincts guide you. 

(Click here for the other parts in this series!)