topic Witchcraft, Neopaganism, and daily practice in Young people

Witchcraft, Neopaganism, and daily practice

Birdy3 — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 10:01:21 GMT

Hey everyone, my name is Aidan and I’m a Witch. I’ve been practicing witchcraft for 7 years, and during that time I’ve held on to the spark of curiosity and creativity.

I was diagnosed with depression at the age of 16, and Generalised Anxiety Disorder at 19. My spirituality has helped quite a bit in motivation to get better. Like most who suffer from mental illnesses, I go through a roller coaster of good and bad times within. My anxiety causes daily panic attacks randomly which brings about a range of symptoms including nausea, dizziness, lightheadedness, lack of sleep, difficulty breathing and more depending on how long it takes for me to break the cycle.

Back on the subject, The Craft isn’t anything evil, nor is it what Hollywood reveals. My personal practice involves meditation, a lot of nature, magical and medical herbalism, and more spiritual practices like daily devotions, spells, rituals, communication with nature spirits and ancestors, and learning from the land. Seems chill right? Well to me it’s kept me going over the years, and it has motivated me to work towards goals. I was a singer in my teen years, and I will get back into creating music and performing but for now I’m accepting the world around and allowing myself time to gain a better headspace.

I’ll give a single exercise: Spent 5 minutes in nature, whether in your backyard or in a park under trees, or anywhere nature thrives. Breathe and be present. Notice the local wildlife and plant life in your area, and with regular practice you begin to see changes around the place. Maybe you want to find out more about the animals or plants you saw, and maybe your curiosity will lead you towards studying plants and animals or even just witnessing more of life.

Are there any other Witches, wiccans and Neopaganism practitioner’s here that would like to share their story?

Witchcraft, Neopaganism, and daily practice

quirkywords — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 21:50:20 GMT

birdy3, welcome to the forum,

Birdy3

welcome to the forum. This is a friendly caring and supportive place.

Thanks for sharing your story and explaining about what the craft means to you.

Spending time outside in nature can be very helpful and there are threads on here about writing about doing things in nature.

many people find focusing on living things can help with depression and anxiety.

Once again welcome to the forum,

Quirky

Witchcraft, Neopaganism, and daily practice

PbeBeb — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 10:39:40 GMT

Hi Birdy3,

I'd just like to say thank you for sharing one of the methods you have found that has helped you improve your anxiety. Although I'm not too familiar with Witchcraft, I too agree that taking time, concentrating on breathing and grounding can be incredibly helpful in times of difficulties.

Thank you for introducing me to something new and explaining a little about how Witchcraft has helped you!