As many know, I have been going through my archive and have been reflecting on previous thoughts and posts (I've made it into 2018!). This post was prompted by an older post. The original post happened to be a reminder that:
All witches are valid
It went on to speak about specific moments where someone may not feel valid. Statements like this always fill me with a positive feeling. When I read this or similar statements, I take it as a truly important reminder that I am valid, my craft is valid, my practice is valid. This reminder is even more important when I find myself in a moment of lower mental health.
The human brain has a tendency to go a little haywire, get a little wonky. For some people, this moment doesn't last lon; they are able to move about their day, pretty much unencumbered. Meanwhile, other people can fall into these moments and dwell in these feelings, allowing them to infiltrate their lives and cause them to go through a downward spiral. When this happens, it feels easier to remain in negativity.
Don't worry. This is actually a normal thing.
This phenomena, called "Negativity Bias", happens because our brains find it easier to latch onto criticism and negative aspects in comparison to compliments and positive aspects. This is called "Negativity Bias" and is most likely an evolutionary trait. Just as humans evolved to like petricore (the smell of the earth while/after it rains) because it meant we could find fresh water, we evolved to have this bias to survive our environments (though, we don't entirely need it anymore).
It is even easier to let a negative mindset truly settle in and take hold when it comes to witchcraft and our various practices. One reason why this mindset could happen is due to having a decent amount of Unverified Personal Gnosis experiences. Without someone backing our experiences up, we can start believing that something must have been wrong; we must have been wrong. We didn't actually experience what we thought we were. It happened by chance. It was a fluke. It can also come from periods of downtime. You may feel as if you aren't doing as much, which can cause you to view yourself or your practice in a negative light. This can cause you to feel as if you, and therefore your practice, aren't valid because you, literally, aren't doing anything that you consider makes you a witch (or whatever you choose to label (or not label) yourself as). These moments can be brought on by physical illness or mental health taking a backseat. We can be our own worst enemies.
What Negativity Bias doesn't do is define us. Only we can define ourselves. Seriously, we do that. I define myself. You define yourself. Everyone defines themselves. As we are the only ones who get to experience our lives as we experience them, only we can define ourselves.
A piece of advice that has been floating around for as long as I have been practicing is:
You are a witch because you said you are a witch.
The moment you choose to call yourself a witch, you have become a valid witch. Your practice is a valid practice because what you do is valid.
Sometimes, the most important thing to do is to take active steps.
So, what can we do to help us feel valid when our craft doesn't *feel* valid?
There are so many different ways to help you feel valid! First thing's first, claim your power back. This is the easiest way to begin to feel valid again: Stare at yourself in the mirror and chant that you and your craft are valid. This step helps work on the mental health aspect of things by helping you see yourself in a more positive light.
Other things to do to help you feel valid:
✏️ Go Back to the Basics: Test your knowledge on basic topics that all beginners would benefit from knowing.
🔥💧🪴🌬 Touch Base with the Elements: Sometimes, we want to *feel* something physical/tangible to help us connect with our crafts. Go outside and touch the ground. Feel the air on your skin. Touch a body of water or feel the rain. Use a match or lighter and light a candle. Experience the elements and feel your self reconnect.
🧹 Cleanse: Take a shower. Clean your living space and where you practice your craft. Cleanse your spirit. Cleaning can make things feel "new" or "ready".
🪷 Ground: Connect your soul, your energy to the Earth and remind yourself that you are here, you are valid.
✨️ Cast a Spell: Whether it be a protection, cleansing, or a glamo(u)r spell. Just cast a spell. You may not feel valid until you actually put your craft to use.
There are so many more ways to work on helping yourself feel valid again. Remember: Be kind to yourself as you work on dealing with these feelings. While Shadow Work can provide beneficial reflection, it can have the ability to trigger other mental health effects or disorders. If you feel you may have a poor reaction, uss common sense and either do not do it or do it with the guidance of a licensed mental health professional. If you find yourself having persistent negative thoughts that begin to affect your every day life, please talk to a mental health professional in your area.
You are valid. Your feelings are valid. Your practice is valid. Your craft is valid. *You are valid.*
