As the heady rush and corresponding jovialness of January 1st tapper off and we settle in for the rest of 2020, now is an excellent time to take a solid look at the coming year.
I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions. Never have been, doubt I ever will be. If the need to resolve or change something in my life is present, I’ll start putting in the effort, leg work, time, intention, and supportive magickal workings to implement that change at any point in the year.
I can see the value in New Year’s resolutions and are not dissing them or saying they don’t hold merit. I firmly believe that they do for some people, but for those of us of a witchy ilk, we know that we have the ability to change, grow and transform our lives within us 24/7.
One of the best ways to help support ourselves, our spiritual paths and our magick all year round is to ensure that we make these things an important focal point of our lives.
Today, I’m going to be sharing twelve effective ways to help you create a more magickally focused year.
It doesn’t matter if you’re the witchiest witch who has ever witched, a complete witchy newcomer, or anywhere in between. We can all continue to add to, finetune, and hone the ways in which we actively and consciously work to foster magick in our lives all year through.
1. Stop comparing yourself to others, both inside and out of the witchy/Pagan community
This is a subject that I’m passionate about. If you follow me on Instagram you may have heard me talk about it in depth there before, as it’s something that becomes all the more crucial to me the older I grow.
You are you, plain and simple. When and why this stopped being not just “enough”, but “good enough” is up for debate.
The fact of the matter is that many of us currently live in a world where we are under more pressure than possibly ever before in human history to “live our best life” 24/7/365 and to make sure that every Tom, Dick and Harry on the planet knows about it.
Enough. Seriously, enough.
Free yourself. Let go of impossible standards, of factors that comprise other peoples’ lives not your own, of the sense that you’re failing, when chances are, you are not.
Own who you are. Accept who you are. Love and nurture who you are.
Take that energy, that worry, that thought, that anxiety of comparison and transform it in creating a life and spiritual journey that you yourself adore with all your heart, regardless of if it will ever generate a single social media like.
This can be easier said than done, I know, and may not occur overnight. However, you owe it to yourself to start now. Literally right now. Just think about the progress you may be able to make come this time next year.
2. Eat well. Really well.
As adults, we’re usually free to eat whatever our budget, health and taste buds permit. There are pros and cons to this, and in the latter camp is the fact that it can be dangerously easy to eat food that barely warrants being called as much.
You’ve likely heard the classic adage before that our bodies are temples. They truly are, but moreover, they are machines and like any machine that we want to have function at the best level that it possibly can, we need to take care and treat our bodies with love and respect.
One of the best and most effective ways to do this is to eat as well as we can on a regular basis.
The better you eat, the healthier you stand to be, the more energy you are apt to have, and – depending on your own personal diet – the more you may be able to help the planet in the process.
Aim to eat clean, whole, healthy, nutritious foods as frequently as possible. Build (or further cement) loving, mindful relationships with your food. Try to eat on the run as little as you realistically can. Turn off the TV, set the table and eat your meal mindfully. Create and partake of food with those you care about.
Weave kitchen and cottage witchery in your meals. Grow, if possible, some of your own food. Learn about the magickal properties of what you’re putting into your body. Share some of your food as offerings to the deities, ancestors, spirits, fae, etc that you work with; use food as part of your sabbat activities, stop eating anything that makes you feel poorly.
3. Tie up loose ends and ditch clutter
You know that mountain of junk mail and old bills on the dining room table or kitchen island? What about those spells you started on your altar, didn’t get immediate results with and just sort of let peter out over time? How about the closet cleanout you’ve been promising yourself you’d do ever since you read Marie Kondo’s book?
Yep, that, all that and so much more weighs on us in ways both subtle and more perceivable.
Anything that steals joy, impacts your mental, emotional, physical or spiritual well being, causes you undo stress, and takes away from time and/or mental focus that doesn’t have to be a part of your life needs to go.
Trust me, you’ll be surprised how much having a clutter-free dining table impacts your happiness levels and how renewed you will feel when you can look around your house, your sacred spaces, and your life as a whole and know that you’ve unburdened yourself from things that serve no meaningful purpose any longer.
4. Set limits on the amount of time that you spend online – especially on social media
Our time is one of the most precious, sacred and limited resources we will ever have. There is no getting a moment back. As soon as it has passed, it becomes part of the collective memory bank of the universe.
This year, why not set daily limits on the amount of time that you spend online, including on social media, which is one of the biggest time sinks of modern life for countless people the world over.
Personally, while the amount of time I spend on the web varies most days, for about two years now, I’ve maintained strict limits on the amount of time I spend on social media (which for me, primarily consists of Instagram and Pinterest) each day.
I set the cap at three hours all total per day, but do not feel that I must “use up” all this time. I also intentionally have 1 – 2 social media free days per week and at least one wholly internet free day each week.
I set my own cap at three hours, because that is just over 1/10th of the total number of hours we all have in each twenty-four day. I’m presently okay with allocating that much of most of my days to this activity, but I have no desire – or need – to live on social media around the clock.
My time, just like yours, is invaluable and while I enjoy many aspects of the web and social media, it is vital to me that I spend ample quantities of time focusing on off-line activities as well.
From going outdoors to working at my altar, enjoying time with our dog, reading books, creating craft projects, doing spellwork and rituals, meditating, writing snail mail letters, and much more, it is imperative that the online side of my life never eclipses my offline one (believe me, I’ve been there before and I’ve long vowed to never let it happen again).
Only you know what is good amount of time to spend online and on social media is in the scope of your own life.
You may find that a 2 – 4 hours per day feels right for you and still allows you time to focus on other areas of your life (while continuing to do the things we need to accomplish in our days, such as working, tending to our homes and families, and making time for our spiritual well being).
Or you you might prefer 30 minutes, 5.5 hours, or zero time at all. Social media may be exceedingly commonplace, but it that does not mean that it has to be a part of your life. Not for a moment.
5. Read non-witchy books to foster your witchiness
I’m the first person to delve into a great witchy book and am not, in any way, advocating that you don’t read such titles.
Instead, I encourage you to also read about other subjects that will foster your path, deepen your knowledge, broaden your mind, and provide you with knowledge and/or helpful skills that you can put to work in your spiritual journey.
Nearly any non-fiction book could potentially relate to at least one person’s path, but in general, some topics to consider reading more about are:
-The history and environment of where you live (all the better to know the genius loci in your area by)
-The history of countries that you have ancestral ties to
-Forest bathing
-Forging
-Wildcraft
-Traditional ways of living
-Candle making
-Religions/faiths/spiritualities other than your own
-Cooking and food history
-Astronomy
-The weather
-Earth science subjects
-Animals and insects
-Mycology
-Cemeteries and the broader subject of death in general
-The history of the Burning Times and the persecution of witches in general
-Cunning folk
-Alternative medicine
-How to make your own personal care and/or beauty products
-Herbology
-Substantial living
-Arts and crafts
-Personal growth
-Living mindfully
-Time management
-Paranormal topics
-Philosophy
-Psychology
Reading doesn’t have to mean a physical book either, though many of us do prefer this classic information delivery method.
Audiobooks and ebooks are great options, too, and countless titles abound in both camps.
6. Be grateful and count your blessings
You know the fact that you’re currently alive? Do you happen to know what the astronomical odds of that happening are? (About 1 in 400 trillion.)
Start with the miracle of your existence and then take time on a regular basis to reflect on the blessings in your life and to give thanks for the positives that you are fortunate to have.
I know that this can be tricky at times, especially if your life is in turmoil right now, but that is often when it is even more imperative that we focus on whatever good/positive things are part of our current reality.
Being grateful doesn’t mean that you’re accepting your current lot in life and throwing in the towel.
It means that you acknowledge those rays of light that are still managing to shine through the darkness of this bleak and difficult time.
No matter if things are going well or not for you right now, consider creating an altar or designating part of your existing altar (or other sacred space) specifically to giving thanks, keeping a gratitude journal, or meditating on your blessings.
You might be surprised to realize just how many blessings and reasons to be thankful there are in your life already.
7. Cleanse on a regular basis
While it is a good idea to shower or bathe regularly, in this instance, I’m talking about your home.
Whether we live on our own, with a partner, or ten other people, a certain amount of energy naturally accumulates in a house over the course of time. Some it is good, some of it, well, not so much.
The lingering energy of stress, medical challenges, arguments, heartbreak, bad news, and conversely, yes, even the OTT exhilaration of special events and important milestones can all impact the energy flow and levels of where we reside. As do all of those seemingly mundane things, from cooking to putting the kids to bed, that fill our daily lives.
If you’re not already cleansing your home on a regular basis, consider doing so once a month (or more often as needed – though if you need to do so on a highly frequent basis, you may need to deal with the root issues that are calling for a cleansing in the first place).
You can smudge, use incense (always ensure fire safety when using any lit item), sweep with a broom or besom, use purposely created cleansing sprays, singing bowls or drum beating, salt, charged water, essential oils (ensure you either wipe them away after or use oils that are safe for pets and children, if there’s any risk of little ones coming in contact with the essential oil you’ve used), crystals, or whatever method suits your needs.
Remember after every cleansing to allow the negative/stale energy that you’re riding our house/living space with to escape by opening up a door or window and directing the undesired energy out of that opening (otherwise you stand to have it linger in your home, potentially rendering the cleansing ineffective).
8. Set, and complete, small spiritual-related goals on a regular basis
A lot of times people experience spiritual burnout or begin to feel disconnected from their practice because they think that they need to turn every spell, BOS writing season, sabbat, full moon and visit to their altar into some grand, elaborate production that requires copious amounts of time.
While I believe that it’s important to devote larger swaths of time to spiritual-related workings, when realistically possible, if one feels inclined, I also believe that it is vital to engage with our witchery and/or Paganism on a regular basis.
Look for ways that you can set and keep spiritually focused goals that don’t require heaps of time or larger goals that you can break down into smaller, easier to tackle pieces.
Examples of small, meaningful goals could include things like doing one spell that requires 30 minutes of time or less a week, planting a some herbs in pots on your deck or a window box, spending 15 minutes three times a week outdoors to mindfully connect with nature in your area and grow more familiar with how each season and type of weather looks and behaves where you live, performing a five-minute tarot or oracle reading, scrying for a few minutes, changing up your altar, creating a no-cook or no-bake dish for a sabbat or other spiritually important event, creating a witches jar or bottle, or putting your crystals out to charge.
There is so much positivity, happiness, sense of accomplishment, renewed energy, and mental clarity – not to mention, creativity and inspiration – that can come from setting, carrying out and completing goals.
Honour yourself and your practice by experiencing these wonderful benefits, while focusing on your spiritual journey at the same time.
9. Figure out what actually works for you and ditch the rest
No matter when you began your magickal journey, chances are that along the way, you’ve added things to your repertoire that you thought you needed to do (or be), often because just about every witchcraft or Paganism or Wicca 101 book told you to do/be/practice/believe/buy those things.
Even if you were born into a family of witches/Pagans already (aka, hereditary witchcraft), it’s highly likely that there are still things you picked up from others along the way that don’t actually jive with your own unique spiritual path.
And sometimes, the things that once did the job for us, may no longer serve us in the ways that we want and need them to function in our lives.
This is totally normal and perfectly okay.
When we’re just starting out with something that we enjoy and feel passionate about, it’s practically part and parcel that we throw ourselves (and often our pocketbooks, too) into trying and buying all manner of things relating to that area of interest.
As time goes on though, we may find ourselves doing or holding onto practices, beliefs, and physical items out of habit or the fear that we won’t appear “witchy enough” we don’t do or own certain things.
This, I can wholeheartedly assure you, is not the case. In fact, I would argue that the more you concentrate on those areas of your practice that feel most align with your heart and soul at the present moment, the greater your power, energy, and spirituality stand to be.
So if you’ve been pulling tarot cards and just not feeling it, no matter what you try, or you’ve been meditating like it’s going out of style but feel like you’d rather have a root canal instead, try stepping away from those things and focusing your attention on the areas of your practice that spark joy and which you’ve had success with instead.
10. (If you celebrate them… ) Get to know the sabbats better
While there is no shortage of witches, Pagans, and even a percentage of Wiccans who do not actively observe some or all of the eight sabbats that comprise the Wheel of the Year, plenty of us do.
If that includes you, why not make this the year that you learn even more about the history, traditions, correspondences, changes in nature, foods and other elements that comprise Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas, Mabon, Samhain, and Yule?
Humbly, I consider myself pretty well versed on the sabbats at this point in my life. I’m the first, however, to actively seek out further information, particularly when it comes to the historical roots of these days that are a sacred and integral part of the lives of many 21st century witches and Pagans.
Think about ways to put the knowledge that you acquire to work in your practice, use them to help you connect all the more with the sabbats, and let them support your magickal workings all through the year, not just on these eight highly meaningful points in the year themselves.
If you do not observe the sabbats, consider learning more about, and deepening your connection, with the days that you personally hold as sacred instead (including, if applicable, the key lunar cycle stages).
11. Hone your intentions
Chances are you’ve heard or read that intention is at the heart of most successful magickal workings. I don’t generally disagree with this statement, but I think it is important that we approach intention knowing clearly and concisely what it is that we’re being intentional about in the first place.
Just as a recipe wouldn’t be overly successful if someone told you to just add any six ingredients together in whatever proportions floated your boat, so too do magickal working operate most effectively when we lay out specific perimeters in terms of what we want and how we’re going to help make those things happen.
It is important to be as specific about our intentions as possible. Be mindful of what it is you truly want and need, what steps you’re going to take to try and make those things happen, what you wish to manifest in your life, and how you’ll respond if things do or do not go as you’d hoped or intended.
12. Be kind to yourself and others
If there’s one thing our world is in serious need of as we enter this new decade of human history, it is more kindness. Towards our planet itself, toward one another, towards animals, towards ourselves.
There are many scientifically supported benefits of being kind. I personally think that there are scores of spiritual benefits that stem from kindness as well.
Kindness is a gift that we have the ability to source from a never-ending well inside ourselves.
This doesn’t per se mean that we should spend every second of every day focusing solely on kindness (taking this approach can potentially backfire and cause burnout or even a sense that one is being taken advantage of), but rather that we have it within ourselves to be kind in a multitude of ways all throughout our lives.
Whether one personally believes in the Threefold Law or not, generally speaking, we tend to experience positives in return when we’re kind.
Can doing something nice come back to bite us in the behind? Sometimes, yes. That isn’t fair, but it’s life. Thankfully though, for most of us, such occasions are the exception, not the norm.
Acts of kindness are a vital part of life. I firmly believe that we’ve made it this far as a species and a planet in no small part because of kindness. It is a fundamental building block, part of the glue that holds society together, and just a flat-out lovely thing to give of yourself.
And speaking of yourself, be sure to extend kindness your own way throughout the course of your daily life.
We’re often our own harshest critic and toughest taskmasters. We let our inner monologues say things to us that we’d likely never sit ideally by and take on the chin if someone else said the same words to us.
In many other ways, we can be unwittingly or unintentionally harsh on ourselves, too. Find methods to be kinder to yourself, such as listing at least three things a day that you did which you’re proud of yourself for, engaging in acts of self-care, carving out time to focus on your deepest passions, ensuring that you’re spiritual needs are being looked after, connecting with nature, making your health a priority, and doing things that are just plain fun.
How to stay magickally focused this year (and beyond)
Much like with New Year’s resolutions, which are notorious for starting strong and fizzling out long before the intended goal was reached, it is possible to head into a brand new year with the aim of making it a more magickally focused one and quickly lose steam.
To help prevent this from happening, I encourage you to be realistic. You do not need to do all of the entries on this list, nor do you necessarily need to do more than one of them at a time (though some do have a natural degree of overlap).
Start with the one(s) that speak to you most powerfully or which you’ve already been meaning to incorporate into your spiritual path to a greater degree. Consider approaching some now and others later in the year.
If, as the year progresses, you feel overworked, overwhelmed or like you do not have enough time, scale back, but stay mindful of ways to apply the guiding principles that appealed to you in the first place to your life and magickal workings.
Consider keeping track (journaling, social media posts, book of shadows/grimoire entries, etc) of which approaches you’re currently engaging with and what sorts of results you’re experiencing.
Use these ideas as jumping-off points for other ways that you can continue to make this one of your most meaningful and magically focused years.
And remember, to have fun, be realistic, never stop growing and evolving, and to celebrate each day that you’re blessed to draw air.
Here’s to 2020 and all of the magick it holds in store for each of us!
While I am not even a witchy newcomer, I found myself nodding vigorously quite a few times while reading your post, as many of the things you write so eloquently about are true for all of us, witches and non-witches, so to speak. Stop comparing yourself with others is sound advice, and especially so in this day and ages, when so many of us are putting our lives on display on social media. Therefore, considering the time you are prepared to spend on social media is so important for one’s well-being. If like you and me, you use social media to connect with people and share your passions with them, rather than as a “look at me” stage, spending time on social media is a positive. If not, it can lead to unhappiness and ill-health, in my humble opinion. Be grateful and count your blessings, and be kind to yourself and others, are both things to strive for, not just for yourself, but in order to make the world a better place. Here’s to 2020, and all the years to come! Love, Ann.
Thank you immensely, dear Ann. I am with you 110% regarding social media (and the web in general). I think that a part of the reason why it ultimately proves to be a negative in some peoples’ lives is that they’re not using SM in the way(s) that best suit their lives, needs and goals. It should be a tool to help and inspire, not a metric against which one is forever comparing themselves.
I’m an ardent believer in Theodore Roosevelt’s classic quote that “comparison is the thief of joy”. Sure, we almost all stack ourselves up against others sometimes or use people we admire to help us measure our own goals or achievements, to a degree that’s normal and healthy, but when SM becomes a constant source of negative feelings and an endless cycle of striving for likes/comments, instead of focusing on the healthier benefits (e.g., creative outlet, kinship with like-minded people, support, helping others, sharing our passions, etc) it stands to hurt us more than help our lives.
I hugely appreciate that we feel much the same way here and that we’re both firm believers in the importance of counting our blessings, being kind, and working to make the world a better place.
You are an awesome person and I’m so happy that we’re in one another’s lives, my sweet friend.
Much love & an abundance of blessings from my heart to yours,
♥ Autumn
What a great list! Truly. So many witches, new and old, get caught up in the glamour of being a witch, that they forget to live an authentic life! This is a great reminder, for all of us, to take time for ourselves and to stop setting unrealistic goals. It’s okay for our lives to be messy and imperfect; that’s what makes us human. Thank you for sharing, Autumn. 🙂
Thank you deeply, dear Willow. How right you are – and I’d argue that SM has only deepened the collective obsession with looking or presenting as being witchy all the more. I’m not anti-“witch aesthetic” at all and firmly believe that many people who focus a lot on this area do “practice what they preach”, so to speak, but at the same time, there are certainly others who know how to look the part, but may not feel it in their heart of hearts or know yet how to fully witch in the offline world.
I am absolutely huge on authenticity and on being true to oneself – indeed, that was a major driving force for me in both coming out of the broom closet (in September 2017) and in launching this blog. It’s also at the heart of many other areas of my life, from how I dress to how I manage my life as a long-time multi-chronic illness fighter.
Authenticity is a key component to inner happiness. It can decrease stress and anxiety, spur creativity, and so many other positives. I adore and admire that it is something you cherish and actively live big time as well.
Here’s to being authentic souls – however and whatever that means for each of us and our respective paths.
♥ Autumn
The social media/internet break at least once a week is definitely something I should be looking into … an eBay break would most definitely be a good idea. 😉
Seriously though, social media can be such a vicious place sometimes. I’ve been very fortunate never to have been on the receiving end of that viciousness, but I have certainly seen it on other posts and it’s pretty disheartening. Even my favourite – Instagram – seems to heading down that path. Have you ever experienced any of that negativity online yourself, Autumn? I hope not. 🖤
Thank you so much, my very sweet friend – on all counts.
How right you are regarding the darker sides of social media (and the web in general). It’s downright astonishing how unkind, hurtful, disrespectful, abusive, etc some individuals can be – especially when they’re able to hide behind a computer screen.
While I have encountered a few folks who clearly were not ardent believers in the Golden Rule throughout the course of my time online, and I’ve experienced the loss of followers when I’ve shared certain things about myself (such as when I came out of the broom closet in September 2017), by and large, thus far, I have been fortunate to primarily deal with polite, lovely people who were either outwardly kind or at the very least, refrained from saying or doing negative things.
I’m not so naive to expect everyone to be as friendly as the moon is bright to me (or others), of course. I do hope though that since I myself try to always be kind and respectful, and I rarely go anywhere near provocative or hot button topics, hopefully, most folks I encounter online will continue to be the friendly sort (just as I sincerely hope the same always rings true for you as well).
♥ Autumn
Dear Autumn,
I applaud all of these suggestions – each and every one and so many of them I am currently practicing and always have, as my Scottish mother did before me – the cleansing, open doors and windows, decluttering, setting intentions, eating well and making time for what matters! I would really like to investigate the special times of the year this year and you’ve inspired me to have a go at that!!
Thank you for sharing dear Autumn!!
Donna 🧚🏻♀️❤️🐝
https://donnadoesdresses.com
Hello sweet Donna, you’re sincerely welcome. What a blessing that you learned the art and merit of a thorough cleansing from your mom. I sometimes worry that these sorts of acts and the importance behind them are no longer passed down to the degree that they once were. We’re very fortunate to have come of age in generations when such was (to a degree at least) still the case.
I’m elated to know that I’ve helped to inspire you in regards to further investigating the Wheel of the Year. It’s a subject that I’m profoundly passionate about and which is wonderfully dear to my heart, life, and practice. If you ever hav any questions or would otherwise like to chat about this topic, please don’t hesitate to zip a message my way.
Thank you again deeply for everything, beautiful soul.
♥ Autumn
Excellent suggestions, for witchy folk and non-witchy folk alike. Reading through all the above comments, I was struck by your statement that you lost followers when you revealed your religion (is that the preferred terminology?). Seeing as witchcraft is certainly no more, and probably far less, violence and hate-centered than many mainstream religions (or atheism, for that matter) I’m not surprised that some non-adherents would turn away in ignorance and intolerance. A shame, as they’re only further limiting their own knowledge and understanding. But in the end, you’re likely better off without them.
Thank you very much, Liza. While I do not personally identify as “religious” (as I am not a Wiccan or otherwise a member of a more organized faith/religion and do not subscribe unifying religious dogma), I am quick to say that I’m a highly spiritual individual whose beliefs are rooted in nature, history, self-empowerment, and magic of daily life.
I don’t fault or feel the slightest bit of negativity towards anyone who unfollows me (for any reason) online. I knew going into things, when I “came out of the broom closet” publicly in September 2017, that I’d lose followers. The sheer number of Christian members of my audience at the time ensured that would be the case (though, I do want to clarify, that both Christian and non-Christian folks unfollowed and am not singling Christians out here).
It didn’t phase me then and happily it has never bothered me since. At the time, I lost several hundred people on Instagram and about 5K on Pinterest (where I had, and continue to have, my largest social media following). Within a few months, I’d regained those numbers and have continued to keep on growing (my numbers) on both fronts ever since.
People come in and out of our lives for all manner of reasons, just as they’ll follow and unfollow us for just as many reasons. It’s all good and not something I usually stress about (ditto for social media numbers themselves).
I hugely appreciate everyone who connects with me online in any positive capacity, be that for a day, a month, a year, or for decades.
In the time since I “came out” as a witch, I’ve been blessed to connect with many fellow witches and Pagans, some of whom are now dear friends. That is such an incredible gift in my life – especially since I am what is known as a “solitary witch”, meaning I do not belong to a coven or other group of fellow witches/Pagans. I practice alone by choice, but do adore connecting with other witchy folks, and the web is an incredible way to do just that.
Thank you again. May you have a beautiful transitionary week as January melds into February.
♥ Autumn
What a great and long list of lovely common sense. But perhaps that’s what witchery is all about. Two things struck me here, the beeing offline, which I think is healthy for so many modern people, but I had to laugh at the limit of 2-4 hours per day. Sorry, but how on earth does some people have time for that!? I think I need to be more off, and I am on SoMe about 2 hours per week in total. No wonder people think they’re busy and don’t have time for anything nowadays. And to this you can add a lot of bad TV time. Sorry, I’ll have to stop ranting.
The other thing I noticed and want to learn more about it the cleansing of my house. I’m only cleaning, but that’s something else, I now understand. I love to air out my home all year, even in winter when it is bitterly cold I open the door and let it open for as long as my family permits. But is it enough? I have been down with stress for a month and am going through a tough time right now, I will mail you about it, so I suppose a cleansing is needed. I hope you will go into this procedure in another blogpost one day. Have a nice day, dear. 🙂
Hello dear Sanne, thank you very much for your comment. My sincere apologies for the lag time in replying to you here. Tony had emergency kidney surgery in Vancouver last week and his care has been (and continues to be) at the forefront of my days at the moment (he’ll be having another surgery, most likely closer to home, however, in a few weeks). As a result I’ve not been online most days and just for a few minutes at most, when I have managed to hop on the ol’ interwebs for a little bit.
The amount of time (or lack thereof) that we each spend online can be influenced by a wide range of factors, including our jobs, if we blog or run another type of site, the volume of emails and DMs receive, and many other things. There’s no universal right or wrong amount of time to spend online, just what works for each of us at present (while hopefully creating the least amount of stress/negativity possible in our lives). I am very mindful of how I use my online time. I rarely idiolly browse or scroll mindlessly. If I’m on the computer, I’m being productive. Writing, researching, replying to people (comments, emails, DMs, etc), sharing content, and otherwise trying to put that time to work as effectively as I possibly can.
There have been stretches of my life – especially when I ran my vintage blog (and vintage shop) – where I was online too much for my own liking, so I’m very consciousness now to ensure a healthier online/offline balance and to purposefully set aside one or more days a week when I don’t go online at all. These digital breaks are revitalizing and allow me to be inspired (by) and connected all the more to the offline world.
With all of my heart, I’m deeply sorry about the difficulties you’ve been experiencing lately. This year is only a few weeks in, but it’s already delivered many challenges, curveballs and surprises our way as well.
I appreciate your interest in ways to cleanse and recharge the positive energy in your home beyond the literal act of physically cleaning it. That’s an area I’m sure I will delve into further here in the future. One thing I would say on it right now though, is that it’s important to not just cleanse, but to then invite positive energy to fill your home after you’ve gotten rid of the negative that was filling that space.
House blessings, various magickal and spiritual workings, herbs and crystals that promote positivity/safety/happiness/serenity/etc, cleansings and smudgings with positivity charged materials, and allowing natural light to flood your home are all ways to help achieve this.
Specific questions, much like post requests and ideas themselves, are always welcome, so I sincerely appreciate you letting me know that this is a topic you’re keen to read more about. Duly noted, my lovely friend.
Sending warm hugs, immense strength, and endless positive energy your way,
♥ Autumn
Dear Autumn,
Thank you for your, as always, super kind reply. Of course I didn’t meant those who has a professional blog and IG, as you did. I have always considered your blog, IG, and Etsy shop a job and your career, so no doubt it takes times. Please accept my sincere apologies if I hurt you. <3 Who I aimed at was the majority of people who spends enormous wasted time on nothing, like scrolling IG, FB, Pinterest and/or watching silly TV, and then complain they haven't time for anything.
PS: Tony is the most important "thing", I know that. Have a lovely weekend, dear, and hugs to all three of you. 🙂
Hello my dear friend, bless your caring and considerate heart. It’s very thoughtful of you to further clarify what you meant. I understood what you saying and the type of internet users that you were referring to.
I promise you that you didn’t hurt or offend me in the slightest and (I) hope, in turn, that my reply didn’t read as defensive in any way. That was the furthest thing from my intention.
You know me and my life better than most people online. This is a point that means a great deal to me and which has no doubt helped to cement our multi-year friendship all the more.
Thank you deeply for your heart-touchingly kind reply.
♥ Autumn
This post provided just the message of life- changing information that I needed. Your wealth of suggestions certainly gave me the inspiration I need to make a few necessary changes.
I love that you listed exactly 12 ideas. That works perfectly into taking on one suggestion a month…very doable. So I believe you’ve just set my intentions for the year.
Thank you for taking the time to pen such a thorough and inspirational post!
Hello sweet Debi, thank you so much for your heart touchingly lovely comment. I’m delighted to know that this list of twelve entries resonated with you. Please feel free to keep me abreast, if you’d like, of how the year unfolds for you – I suspect 2020 is going to be quite the wild, sometimes rocky, sometimes amazing year for many of us. Having the sense of grounding that comes from mindful focus on our spirituality and deepest sense of well-being can make a world of difference as we navigate the unpredictable waters of life.
Warmest blessings for every day of this exciting year,
♥ Autumn
This felt like reading the guide that i had been looking for! Thanks dear Autumn for being a wise guide ♥️
You are immensely welcome, my dear friend. Thank you very much for your heart-touchingly kind comment.
I’m really happy to know that this post resonated deeply with you. I myself will definitely be referring back to it both this year and well beyond.
May you have an enchantingly lovely 2020 from start to finish!
♥ Autumn
This sounds like some very good advice for all, regardless of their beliefs,
Pauline – Crafting with Cotnob
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Hi Pauline, thank you very much for your lovely comment. Absolutely! My posts – be they focused more on paper crafting, spirituality related topics, or anything else strive to be inclusive and as open to a wide range of people from all walks of life as possible.
Wishing you a fabulous weekend & start of March.
♥ Autumn
Thank you from 2022! I really appreciated every thought you carefully crafted into this article. I found it at a time when I’ve been trying to really own my life and what I can control, let go of those things that I can’t control, and steer myself in a better direction for my own sake and for that of my loved ones. I hope you are doing very well since writing this, and I plan to take this article with me on my journey to wellness.