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Visualization in Witchcraft: The Basics

I’ve gotten many, many requests for more information for beginning witches or those who are just curious, and I’ve decided it’s time I start writing and posting such things more often. This article will be (one of) the first in a series where I’ll talk about common beginner issues an techniques for those just starting out, skills that I personally found useful early on, and anything else that comes up. My plan is mostly to write based on questions I receive, and address topics as needed. Here we go.

Today, I’ll be writing about visualization, and I’ll just be explaining the basics as I see them. I recently got a message from someone interested in studying witchcraft who was concerned about how to begin practicing without having to buy things. This is a common sentiment, and I get questions about it a lot. There’s not too many authors who address it, except in passing. The books that do talk about practicing witchcraft without tools often suggest learning to astrally project and creating a sort of sacred space in the astral realm containing all the tools you might need. This never seemed practical to me, as many people who are just starting out won’t necessarily be able to fully project, and heck, even many experienced witches never quite pick up the skill. 

A far better approach than trying to astrally project right away would be to study visualization and develop it as a skill. Visualization is the art of manipulating your own imagination in order to create vivid experiences within your own mind. This practice sharpens your intuition and magical acuity. Even many rituals and spells in books (with or without suggesting tools) will call for the witch to visualize, though they may not call it that, and sometimes say “imagine” instead. 

It’s perhaps best explained by way of examples, and can take many forms with varying levels of complexity. Sometimes, you might want to visualize something as existing within your physical space. In other words, you would want to strongly imagine it appearing to you as if it were physically in front of you. In one particular ritual I used to perform regularly (it was for banishing), part of it entailed my strongly imagining a pentagram in a particular color left in the wake of my ritual actions. That’s a form of visualization. This may sound like a simple thing, but it does take practice. 

After a while, though, I got to the point where yes, I could “see” the pentagrams surrounding me in the ritual, though I knew it was actually a visualization sprung from my imagination rather than a physical object hanging in the air. Techniques like that are pretty common, and they aren’t a new thing - books written in the Victorian era and earlier will often recommend doing this, though the word visualization itself wasn’t often used. 

Many witches and magicians incorporate visualization into simple symbol and sigil magick. In the image below, I’ve listed the planetary symbols and associated colors. While many people, when working with symbols, would assume they’d need to carve, draw, or sketch the symbol on a physical talisman or something similar, there are other ways.

One technique using visualization would be to trace the symbol in the air with your finger. You would visualize light in a particular color (of your choice, or relevant in some way) flowing from your fingertips and forming the symbol hanging in the air. The length of time you’ll be able to visualize will likely vary based on how long you’ve practiced, as well as whether there’s anything breaking your concentration. In some settings, I can only “hold” the symbol in my mind for a few seconds before it’s interrupted by something in my environment. Conversely, I can think of a ritual I recently did with a partner that involved visualizing symbols. We did this in a quiet room and with much mental preparation, so I was able to “see” the symbols for much longer than in other situations.

All of that, of course, is going to be done with your eyes open, visualizing objects in your physical space. Things can get pretty interesting if you close your eyes, though! Obviously, you wouldn’t be moving around doing a ritual with closed eyes, but it’s possible to work magick while sitting (or even lying down!) with your eyes closed performing an intense visualization. Some people find this easier than open eye visualization, but for others, it’s the reverse. It just depends on the person.

One mistake I made when learning this type of visualization was trying to make my visuals too complex too quickly, not realizing that these things take time, and complicated, immersive scenes are something that has to develop slowly. One way of beginning is to start with, again, symbols, visualizing them projected on the back of your eyelids. 

Simple shapes, like line drawings, are great to begin with, too. Slowly add color and depth, and eventually you’ll be able to build a proper scene inside your mind. This could consist of imagining the workspace you’ve always dreamed of with everything you would need for any kind of spell, but for many witches, the visualization is the spell itself. I find that method more productive than just imagining tools. Experimentation is key, and you’ll find something that works for you, but one common method of using visualization in spellwork would be to visualize the goal of the spell manifesting in an efficacious manner. For example, if I were visualizing as part of a spell to help a friend’s wedding go smoothly with no mishaps or delays, I would visualize exactly that happening.

There is, naturally, a strong connection between visualization and scrying, and usually improving your skills in one will improve your skills in the other. In the image below, I discuss how scrying can often be much more than just seeing images, and that is true of visualization as well - you can experience any sensation or impression via visualization, be it auditory, visual, olfactory, or really anything else.

Finally got new business cards, thank you cards and print outs for packaging!

Love changing things up every few months, excited to package this next batch of orders

Artifacts🦴🪶

When I create a layout like this, I like to take a moment with each object to think about the life it lived before it came to be in my possession. Each of these small items have traveled and changed throughout time.

Each of bone was once part of a living creature with its own emotions, needs, dreams, and desires. It had thoughts and experiences, and therefore knowledge.

Each of the small plant specimens once grew and thrived in nature. They played an important role in the ecosystem providing food, oxygen, and shelter for many creatures.

Antiques such as the key and tiny clockwork gear have passed through many different hands before finding a home with me. They have years of stories to tell.

Each of these items are special to me for many reasons. What are some of your favorite treasures? Do they have a story behind them? 🌙🌿

Instagram- @delicatelydeceased

The owls are not what they seem. If the elites want to play with pagan gods, let the pagan gods awaken in them care for the environment and compassion for all peoples and living things…

Sansevieria trifasciata Cow's tongue or also called mother-in-law's tongue It can be placed in the corner of your home or on the door of your home to stop gossipers or gossips.

🌙 Simple Everyday Things You Can Do For Protection Source | https://www.instagram.com/mariathearcane/?hl=en

What are some simple things that you do that you think would help another witch? 🌙 My list of daily or easy practices requires little to no prep-work •Use a protection plant ally like a witch’s burr, cloves, thorns, motherwort, black pepper, garlic, or onion. Close your eyes and place your plant ally in your hands. Ask the spirit of the plant if they will offer you protection to see you through the day. Carry it with you. •Alternatively, you can also use crystals. My go to combo is black tourmaline and red jasper! •Use a protection archetype tarot card like the Nine of Wands. Nine of Wands, for myself, symbolizes boundaries and protection when it comes to our growth/life path. Place it on your altar with intention since it is a portal to our intentions, our guides, and the liminal, or carry on your person. •Smoke cleanse the thresholds in your home, yourself, and your loved ones. I personally like rosemary and lavender for this purpose. •As you leave an offering for your guides/ancestors/deities during your daily conversation with them ask them for their help when it comes to protection. •Write the word protection or a symbol of protection on a black candle with intention and light.

Making Your Room Magical

Hi everyone! So, I’ve mentioned before that there are a million different ways to incorporate magic into your every day life. I think that making magic part of your everyday routine is important, but you can also add a magical boost to your bedroom! Here are some ideas for making your room magical. Enjoy!

The Bed:

Draw sigils on the bed frame (maybe underneath the bed so that it’s out of sight) for good sleep or to ward off nightmares (or to add a little extra spice for when you bring guys from the bar home…I don’t judge.) 

Or you could stitch sigils into your pillow case or sheets instead.

When you lay down to go to sleep, create a big energetic shield around your bed to protect you while you sleep

The Windows:

Enchant your curtains/shutters/blinds to keep out prying eyes

Place tarot cards, crystals, and other tools on the window sill to let them charge with the power of the moon/sun.

Open up the windows every once in a while to release all of the excess and negative energy out of your room and into the air.

The Carpet:

Make cleansing “floor washes” for your carpet by making a powder with herbs and baking soda. Sprinkle it over the carpet and vacuum to remove. If you have wood floors in your room, you can make a liquid floor wash instead.

The Shelves, Side Tables, etc.

Create a small altar on top of a shelf, side table, or other surface in your room. It can be to honor the deities that you worship, or it can be for something else like drawing in prosperity or good fortune.

Dedicate shelves to different purposes by anointing them with different magical oils.

The Walls:

Magically program the walls with protective energy, like a giant shield around the entire room

Enchant posters or paintings of people/celebrities/etc to watch over the room or give the room a certain desired vibe.

Create a “vision board” with pictures of things that you would like to have in the future (vacation destinations, dream jobs/houses, etc). Every time you look at it, send some energy into it. Over time, the build up of energy will help draw those things to you.

The Closet:

Write down things that you would like to keep secret from the world or things that you would like people to not notice. Hide the pieces of paper in the closet to hide them from the world like “skeletons in the closet”.

Charge your favorite clothes to help bring confidence, motivation etc. to you when you wear them.

These are just some ideas that you can play around with to keep magic alive in your everyday life :) If you have any questions, feel free to send me an ask. Thanks for reading,

Livi