Tips for Living Wicca: Train Yourself Out of Negativity

I remember a time in my life when I wallowed so thoroughly in negativity, that I didn't even realize I was doing it. I was so deep in over my head, I thought it was completely normal. 

Someone actually brought it to my attention by telling me I used negative words like 'can't', 'won't' and 'don't' a lot. I'd never thought about it before; I had no idea I was doing it, and was even skeptical at first. 

The things that ran through my head were along the lines of: Of course I use those words. Doesn't everyone? I don't use them anymore often than anyone else-- at least I don't think I do. Besides, how else do I say what I mean? I can't even think of a way to say things differently.

Well, this person began to call me out on this habit. She brought a bag of metal bolts and put an empty coffee can on her desk. Every time I phrased things negatively, she'd toss a bolt into the can, making a horribly loud 'clank', and then she made me re-phrase it. 

Holy cow, how I hated that clanking sound! I'm sure you can imagine. At first, there was just a constant clanking sound. Even as I tried to rephrase something, I'd rephrase it negatively and get one clank after another. Ugh, how it grated on my nerves-- even now, a loud clanking sound just makes me cringe.

Though the method was a bit dramatic, it really helped bring my attention to my speech patterns-- and the person was right. I was a total 'negative Nellie'. 

In time, I began thinking about what I was saying and how I was phrasing things, and the clanks lessened-- they grew fewer and farther between. She would congratulate me with a big smile once I began speaking in a more positive way without getting a clank.

More amazingly, as I began to say things in a more positive way, I began to think in a more positive way. I started becoming a more positive person... eventually, with this exercise and other efforts, I went from being a complete pessimist to a fairly optimistic, happy person. The journey all started with a coffee can and a few bolts.  

While this person frustrated the hell out of me at first with every single clank, I came to love her dearly for what she taught me. 

There's actually a name for it, if you want to learn more: operant conditioning.

My Tip for You Today: Start training yourself to stop thinking or speaking negatively.

Wicca teaches us how our words, thoughts and deeds affect us-- as well as everything around us. We create our own environments with the kind of energy we pour into them. Do you really want to live in a pool of negativity and pessimism? I doubt it. We all have the power to change that. 

It's good if you can get a close friend in on this, because chances are they'll point out things you yourself don't even realize you're doing. If you don't have someone to toss a bolt into a coffee can for you, then try putting a rubber band around your wrist and snapping it on yourself every time you catch a negative thought formulating in your head, or negative words leaving your lips. 

You'd be surprised by how, after just a few days, you become much more aware of your thoughts and words, and much more aware of how they reflect on your mood and emotions. A crappy day can be turned into a pretty good day just by shifting your focus from the negative to the positive. 

Tried it? Tell us about it. 

Tips for Living Wicca: Purify your Space

Energy can cling. This is why when I learned Witchcraft I was taught to use rough cut stones and avoid smooth, polished tumbled stones. The rough surfaces are better for clinging to energy.

With this in mind, can you imagine how much energy can cling to dirt, dust, bumpy walls, popcorn ceilings, carpets, drapes and other surfaces? Here’s a good rule of thumb: if dust will stick to it, or static will stick to it, then energy sticks to it.

Negative energy building up in our homes is akin to the proverbial frog in a pot of cold water. See, if you put the frog in hot water it’d realize right away the change in temperature and hop out. But if you put it in cool water and slowly heat the water, the poor frog would sit there and be simmered to death because he wouldn’t even notice the temperature gradually rising. Sometimes you don’t even realize how badly negative energy can build up until you clear it away.

My Tip for You Today: 

Purify your space to get rid of negative energy. Wipe things down with a salt-water solution—wipe the walls with it if you like. Sprinkle salt on the rugs and vacuum. Take the curtains down or gather up the fabrics and wash them with a ¼ cup of salt in the rinse water. Vacuum the upholstery and spray it with a salt water solution.

Another great way to break up and rid yourself of negative energy in a room is to fume it with thick incense smoke of sage, sandalwood or some other cleansing incense (please be sure to open windows).

Once your place is purified you may find yourself breathing and sleeping a lot easier, and the overall mood lifted.

Tell me— have you ever allowed negative energy build up around you? What effect did it have?

Tips for Living Wicca: Find Your Mantra

A mantra is a type of chant. In meditation, you'd use a mantra over and over again to bring yourself to a state of peace and harmony, to deepen your consciousness and direct your focus inward. A mantra is also a type of affirmation that you repeat to yourself over and over.

The human mind is a funny thing... it's easy to brainwash. It really is. This is why some people are so convinced life is hard, or people are bad, etc.-- because they keep telling themselves that and ignoring all evidence to the contrary. This is why a person with a bad attitude is genuinely shocked and perplexed by those who have a more rosy outlook-- when really the thought isn't a 'fact', it's a perspective-- and perspectives can be changed.

If you do research on how mind control techniques work, one element is to expose the person to a phrase, thought, image, etc. over and over and over again in attempts to get them to believe it. This kind of psychological warfare is usually used with bad intentions, but you can turn the principle around and begin using it on yourself deliberately to promote a better outlook and attitude.

My Tip for You Today:

Wicca is a religion that recognizes the power of nature, and part of that is the power of the human mind and what it has evolved to be. It is important to adopt a more positive attitude if you want to attract more positive energies into your life. 

Therefore, find your mantra-- find the one you need most. If you hate work, your mantra might be, "Work offers opportunities and I may seize them at any time." 

If you think life is depressing and always wonder why things happen to you, adopt a mantra like, "I am in control of my life; life is what I choose to make of it."

If you are struggling with a person in your life who is difficult, you might chant, "I cannot control others; I can control how I react to them."

Begin repeating your mantra daily, talking yourself out of your difficulties and into a better frame of mind to deal with them. Use your mantra when you meditate, when you get stressed, when you need to center yourself, etc. Do it daily for a week, or a month-- does it make a difference? Record the results in your Book of Shadows.

My mantra these days is, "In every moment of life, there is beauty to appreciate."This mainly comes from dealing with my auto-immune disease, and the difficulties it has piled on my family.What is your new mantra?