In a world constantly expecting perfection, it’s easy to let that energy seep into your magical practice. The bells and whistles, the elaborate setups, the perfectly arranged altars, the picture-perfect photos, are wonderful when you have the time and energy. But what about those days when you just wrinkle your nose at the thought of following all the long-winded steps? That's when your practice starts to feel like a chore when it should be as easy as breathing sometimes.
I say this with love and kindness: it’s okay to have a messy practice that works for you. No one else is like you, and no one else will do it the way you do. It might not be Pinterest perfect, but it gets the job done --and having it done is far better than not starting because of burnout.
In this post, I wanted to share some practical magic tips and tricks I've picked up along the way to make it easier to implement in a daily life.
WORK WITH LESS HERBS
It’s crazy, right? We always see those beautiful home apothecaries with jam jars filled with herbs that most people haven’t even heard of. Make no mistake about it, building an herb collection can definitely be something to work towards, but is the stress of learning every herb and figuring out which to use for spell work really worth it if it means not touching your practice at all? Just because you don’t have *checks notes* Tulsi down yet?
In herbalism, there is a saying that says it is better to know a few herbs with a few strong properties than to know hundreds of herbs for just one property. With how many plants there are in the world, you'd go mad with trying to remember them all. Pick 5 to 10 herbs to stick with in your arsenal that covers these categories: Protection, Cleansing, Health, Prosperity, Love or Self-Love, Banishing, Clarity, Relaxation, Divination, Balance.
You can always grow and add more later (yes, that was a gardening pun).
NOTABLE OGs AND THEIR MAGICAL PROPERTIES:
Lavender: Peace, Protection, Sleep, Calm, Purification
Rosemary: Protection, Cleansing, Mental Clarity, Banishing Negativity
Basil: Prosperity, Love, Courage, Protection
Chamomile: Healing, Relaxation, Happiness, Purification
Lemon Balm: Emotional Balance, Mood Lifting, Stress Relief, Uplifting
Sage: Cleansing, Protection, Wisdom, Spiritual Healing
Mint: Prosperity, Healing, Protection, Energy Boost
Thyme: Courage, Healing, Strength, Purification
Calendula: Protection, Healing, Happiness, Success
Cinnamon: Prosperity, Love, Energy, Spiritual Power
BONUS TIP
When you’re in a pinch, common spice blends like Italian Seasoning or Herbs de Provence can work surprisingly well for many of the spell categories listed above. Just charge them with your current spell intention at the time of use. Also, don’t underestimate the power of plain salt or pepper.
BEDSIDE MAGIC FOR LOW ENERGY DAYS
Somedays, even hopping in the shower feels like climbing a mountain. I know this from experience. And for disabled witches or those with chronic illnesses and flare ups, that's not just a bad day -- it's reality. Just because the body is limited, doesn't mean magic is. Magic rises to meet you where you are, and it doesn't care if you get out of bed or not. It wants to connect. Here are some ideas on how to achieve that:
1.) Breath Work and Visualization
Our breath is a magical tool. Use it with purpose. As you inhale, draw in protective or energizing energy. On the exhale, release stagnant, heavy energy that no longer serves you. To deepen the practice, visualize the energy you're breathing in as a color -- something soft, radiant, or strong -- and imagine it filling your body, gently overtaking the tiredness. If visualization doesn’t come easily (and that’s okay!), you can hum the negativity out or speak your release, it works just as good. Here are some sayings to get it started:
For Healing or Release:With each breath, I release what no longer serves me.
With each breath, my body softens and repairs.
With each breath, pain loses its power.
For Energy & Clarity:
With each breath, energy returns to me.
With each breath, I become clear and focused.
With each breath, my fire is rekindled. 2.) Keep Charged Items Close By
Crystal grids are amazing, and they don’t have to be elaborate. A simple piece of clear quartz can do the job beautifully. You can charge it yourself or ask a trusted witchy friend to do it for you.
The purpose of keeping charged, meaningful items nearby is to create a supportive energetic field; one that gently gives back when you’re running low. Especially when programmed to transmute stagnant energy, these tools help shift your space and allow you to soak up replenishing, aligned energy that supports both body and spirit.
And it’s not just crystals; you can charge anything with intention:
-- A poppet filled with herbs
-- A plant on your windowsill
-- A cup of moon water for sipping
-- A piece of jewelry or sentimental object
3. Energy Sending:
Got an issue? Send energy to it through a method called focused intention. You don’t need a full ritual, just a few moments of quiet focus. Close your eyes, take a breath, and imagine the best possible outcome happening for the situation. If visualization doesn’t come easily, simply speak your desire aloud or write it down in a petition
Writing a petition is another powerful tool. It can be as simple as scribbling a sentence or two on a scrap of paper or typing it in your phone notes. You can say for instance:
“I ask for clarity and resolution for this situation.”
“This conflict is dissolved and brings peace to all involved.”
Once your petition is written, you can fold it, place it under a candle, crystal, or cup of water. You can also keep it near you and trust that the universe or whatever power you harness has set it in motion for you. If you're using a cellphone with notes for your petition, be sure to tuck the phone under your pillow with the app open but the screen off.
4. Play Magical Audio:
Podcasts, meditations, and spiritual music can completely shift the energy of a space, especially on low-energy days. They help you stay encouraged and connected to your practice, even when you’re not actively casting. Need to do a spell but can’t muster the energy? Just search for an affirmation that aligns with your intention, pop on a pair of headphones, and listen with focus and repetition. That’s it! You’ve just done a spell from bed!
USE BIRTHDAY CANDLES FOR SPELLS
Candles can get pretty expensive, especially the ones made out of beeswax. It's perfectly okay to use small chime candles that you can get for under a dollar a piece. But sometimes, you just have to use what you have on hand. Those little birthday candles in the junk drawer can sometimes conjure up the best results during spell work and here's the possible reasons for that:
- Small candles for spells can enhance meditation and focus. Instead of waiting for a larger candle to burn down, the quick-burning small candle helps keep your attention sharp, which can make your spell work more effective.
- Perfect for low-energy days when decorating or preparing a large candle feels like too much.
- Great for those pinch moments or emergency spell situations.
- Come in a variety of colors too. Those gold or silver ones can be used for divination!
- Affordable and accessible for almost everyone. I think you can get a pack of birthday candles for less than a dollar for a whole bunch of them.
- Portable and easy to tuck away--perfect for those who need to keep their practice discreet.
TURN HOUSEHOLD CHORES INTO SPELL WORK
Chores are always going to be there. You can never truly get rid of them, so you might as well find magic in the mundane and turn that to-do list into spell work. The key to doing this is always setting the intention whenever you do your routine. For Instance,
- Sweeping or Vacuuming gets rid of unwanted or stagnant energies within the home. While completing the task, visualize sweeping or sucking the energy up. Start from the back of the house to the front, sweeping out the door or dumping what the vacuum sucked up in an outdoor garbage can. You can say a spell or affirmation during the process.
- Doing the Dishes cleanses your emotional state. We tend to do a lot of thinking during the dishes. What better way to release emotional energy and heaviness and let them wash down the drain? Focus on the energy inside you flowing into the plate, the energy you want to cleanse. Then wash your dish counterclockwise and wash the energy down the sink.
- Washing and folding laundry can provide blessings and protections. Laundry soap smells good and if you use essential oils, even better. Using essential oils and creating a habit of imbuing your clothes with blessings and protective energies will help you ward against nasty energies that drain or harm. Use soap with intention. When folding the clothes later, say a spell over them.
CREATE AN EMERGENCY SPELL KIT
An emergency spell kit is a handy dandy tool when you're on the road or out in public. You can grab a small Altoids tin, pencil box, or pouch to hold your items. Here are some things you can put in the spell kit:
- Birthday Candles
- Matches, a few sticks (you can put the striker taped into the lid of your kit to light matches)
- A small quartz crystal
- Those tiny tarot card you get at Five Below that are keychains
- Tiny Salt and pepper packets, like the kind you get at restaurants
- Perfume roller of essential oils with a combination of herbs OR
- 2-3 herbs in a small tube.
- Those tiny composition notebooks for petitions or sigils
- Tiny golf pencil to write with
YOUR FINGER IS A WAND
This is the entire reason that Sally tells Kylie in Practical Magic to not cast. Because your finger has power. Your dominant pointer finger is definitely a substitute for a wand. You can use it to cast circles and influence spells. You don't need the special wand made from an ash tree. You are a conduit yourself.
Ways to use a finger as a wand:
- Drawing in the air: You can draw a sigil, pentagram, or rune above your altar, door, self, teacup, and practically anywhere. Visualize the energy like smoke following the movements of your finger and locking like a seal.
- Trace on your body: Draw protective symbols on your heart, crown, third eye, and wrists. This is good for when you have low energy, and you can even combine this with glamour magic by adding lotion to draw sigils before rubbing it in.
- Directing energy: Point your finger to an object, crystal, rock, herb, or candle to charge it with your intentions.
- Cast a circle: Extend your finger and turn in a clockwise circle to create a protective barrier around yourself, this is good for everyday life before leaving the home or protection during workings.
CHARGE THE HERBS YOU COOK WITH
Every time you enter into the kitchen, you enter in a sacred space. When I cook, I cannot have someone in the kitchen with me, it influences the energy of what I am creating. It can get messy, but it can be very fun. The best way to add magic is to set intentions with the herbs you use when making food.
To do this hold the herb in your hand or point at it with your dominate finger. Close your eyes and focus on what you want to invite to it (love, peace, happiness, money). Visualize what color the energy is that it is associated with. Push the color into the herb to program it.
PULL ONLY ONE TAROT CARD A DAY
When first getting into divination, especially something like tarot, it can feel overwhelming to learn all the card meanings and their reversals. But here’s the truth: you don’t need to know everything right away. One of the most helpful ways to start is by creating a daily card pull practice. Just one card. No pressure, no perfection. Just you and whatever message you need to hear for that day.
You can do this in the morning to set the tone for your day or in the evening to reflect how your day went. Before looking up any meanings, take a moment to meditate on the card. What symbols stand out to you? What emotions or thoughts come up? Jot down your own interpretation first.
Always ask what lesson could this card be teaching me today?
Because at the end of the day, your intuition will always matter more than any guidebook. Tarot isn't about getting it “right," it’s about building a relationship with your deck, and with yourself. The simpler and more connected your practice is, the more powerful it becomes.
USE TECH FOR YOUR PRACTICE
Don’t let anyone gatekeep how you use tech in your spiritual or magical practice. Just because it’s not a physical book, pen, paper, or traditional spell tool doesn’t mean it isn’t valid. Tech is a tool, just like anything else, and when used intentionally, it can enhance and simplify your practice. Here are some cool ways to add it in:
- A digital grimoire: If you have perfectionism, like me, and writing your spells/thoughts into a book sounds exhausting, there is no shame in making a grimoire that you keep online. I use Notion for mine and add pages that I've made on Canva to it. If I need a physical copy, it will always there for me to print out and stick it in a binder later. Having this option helps focus on the craft not the aesthetic if that is what you are needing.
- Send spells in text messages: Got a friend that has a job interview? Write them out an encouraging message and infuse that message with your intentions to aid them in their job-hunting quest. When you hit send, it's like saying "so mote it be."
- Create a spell playlist to raise energy: Compile a list of songs and instrumental music that sets the tone for what you are trying to achieve spiritually. I don't know about you, but I feel more confident blasting metal music when I have to do something out of my comfort zone. Change the energy by changing the song.
- Make your lock screen a sigil or affirmation: Simple magic, but the easiest. You will see it daily and recharge it as you swipe to open your phone. You can also use this to ward people out of your phone as well, especially if you have privacy concerns.
USE THE TOOLS YOU HAVE AROUND YOU
It’s not all about the fancy tools. Sometimes, the most powerful magic comes from what’s already around you. This world provides us with everything we need and if we honor it, it will give back. Use your household items, use what is provided in nature. You don't need that $60 dollar cauldron for a spell, you can use any fireproof dish in your cupboard.
Out of bay leaves? Step outside, find a leaf, and whisper your wish to it. Let the wind carry it for you.
Need a protection petition? Tell your favorite tree what you’re going through, it's been standing strong for years. It will be strong and protect you.
Don’t have the perfect apothecary jar? That leftover Red Raspberry Smucker’s jar? Still cute. Still works.
Witchcraft and intentional living aren’t about curating a Pinterest-perfect aesthetic. It’s about connecting, improvising, and infusing meaning into the everyday when practical magic is needed. Waiting for it to be perfect will make you wait forever. Life is full of mistakes and imperfections; that's the law of the universe. It can be as messy as you want it just as long as its yours.
I invite practicing witches, new and old, to do one thing in their practice to simplify it. I am not saying doing away with aesthetic practices because sometimes we need the beauty in those too. I am saying if you are having anxiety around a specific aspect of it, then start there. Start small. Just start and do it unapologetically.
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