Using Energetics as a Parent

I live by animist principles (every thing is alive in its own way, has a purpose, and a specific energy pattern that can help or hinder the things around it (depending on context and setting)). As a Witch,  I also work on moving and controlling those energy patterns for my own purposes in many ways: herbalism, conjure, reiki, other forms of energy healing, astral projection, and divine possession. All of these things to me are energy work on some level.

How does this benefit me as a parent? How do I use this knowledge and understanding to benefit me and my family, in particular my son?

Herbalism and Diet:

Thyme is one of my favorite herbs.

If all plants and animals have their own energetic resonances, we can use them to tweak our when we are out of whack or maintain a state of health. From chamomile tea (medicinal grade, not the bags from the grocery!) to tinctures for gas, colic, teething, and colds or flu, to herbal baths, my son has benefited from me learning the skills of a green Witch. He gets gentle, effective remedies that help his own body heal itself. His immune system is robust not just from breastfeeding at an early age but also because now that he eats solids I strengthen it with probiotics every morning in his kefir.

When I was in herb school, we learned many ways of working with and relating to the plants. While learning the medicinal properties and making medicines were important, so was communing with the plant (rooted through nature walks and wildcrafting and also harvested), learning what it does in myriad bodies (including our own), and listening to that plant. We were given tinctures each week and told to dose ourselves in ever-increasing frequencies to learn the effects in our bodies first hand. Sometimes effects would increase along similar lines, sometimes completely reverse themselves with increasing doses, and sometimes completely new sensations would arise as I increased the dosage. We were taught that lower doses work on a more energetic level, while larger ones work on a physical level. So the same remedy can do myriad things, depending on the dosage.

Scrappy Manzanita

We were taught traditional medicine as well as how to listen to plant spirits (and unless you work on this gift, it is a hard one to maintain and use!). I remember well the lesson of Manzanita, as I sat under a large bramble of it on Mount Diablo: "I was the first", was what She told me. Then She showed me pictures of a vast red clay and rock desert with little to no life. Manzanita and Madrone were busy moving throughout it, populating it, taking root in hard rock and breaking it down into soil for the plants to follow them. I did research after that experience and found that what She told me was true. Pretty awesome!

My theory is that the first Witches and Shamans (who were the first healers) had the ability to listen to plants and learned about what plants do to our bodies and spirits from the plants themselves. They had the ability to shift their energy patterns down to listen to plants.* I continue to listen to plant spirits for both medicinal and spell work to benefit my family.

Conjure and Spellwork:

Witch bottles

From his conception, to my complicated pregnancy, to his everyday life- he has been impacted and shaped by my making my Will manifest in this world. I carried a specific talisman around with me while trying to conceive. It called to the child who visited me in my dreams and also worked to make my uterus ready to be a home to that child.

When I conceived, I also had several spells going during the pregnancy- as I had a complete placenta previa that was keeping me from delivering naturally. Me and my whole magical community prayed and worked to move move move that placenta- and it did. Rowan was born vaginally.

I regularly do small bits of conjure to benefit my family and friends- if it is done right- with a theological context, conjure (also known as rootwork) acknowledges the spirit in each of the ingredients in your spell: be it an oil, bath, bag, or bottle. Each plant, rock, coin, or curio adds to the mix its own energetic essence that helps to create the outcome you are seeking.

Reiki and Energy Work:

I am a level three Reiki practitioner, and use it when needed. It helps soothe upset tummies, reduces too high a fever, takes away pain, and generally feels good. I recently read this study about the healing effects of touch, specifically kissing an injury on a child and its long lasting effects.while it doesn't surprise me, I am delighted to see the research is finally being done on energy healing, the laying on of hands and other therapeutic touch.

I also work to keep Rowan safe from harm with types of energy work and manipulation. I have protection surrounding my home all the time. When he has bad dreams, I cast circle and call in protectors for him. He is sometimes put to sleep using gentle energy work (when he gets overtired and has trouble getting to sleep himself).

There are so many ways I manipulate energy! What are some of yours in the context of your family?

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*For those unfamiliar, I think of humans operating at a fairly rapid energy frequency. To communicate with non-human animals, you shift down a notch or two, depending on the animal (mammals and birds are higher than reptiles and amphibians, in my experience). For plants, you must shift down more, to become even slower.

Tangible Witchcraft: Healing, Medicinal, & Magickal Herbalism

Witches have long been known as the village healer. Many were also midwives. It should come as no surprise then that I am profoundly interested in herbalism, energy healing, holistic medicine and nutrition, and energy work.

I am a Reiki "Master" (which simply means I have all three attunements and can pass Reiki on to someone else via attunements), and also do another type of energy healing taught to me by my patron. It is also a laying on of hands, but feels different and works differently than Reiki.

I went to herb school for a year (and would love to return one day) and continue to study on my own. I treat my family and friends and make recommendations to others when asked. I sometimes wildcraft, although that is an additional skill that I need to work on- I am great with medicine making, less so with identification (although getting better!) Northern California, where I live, has some amazing healing plants growing here, some only grow here.

This time of the year means colds, flu, and malaise for many- and my family has caught a nasty chest cold like many people we know. Rowan, my partner, and I have been snotty and coughing up gunk for about a week now. Poor Rowan lost sleep due to waking up coughing (which means mama and papa lose sleep too). So what do I do?

For our particular malady, I have used a specific elderberry cordial with great results. In addition to elderberry, the cordial has mullein, echinacea, eucalyptus oil, thyme oil, honey, and alcohol. Each of these ingredients has been selected for very specific reasons and work together well:

Elderberries. Delicious!

Elderberry (only use blue elderberries, never red ones) is safe for pregnant women and children and is an amazing for bringing down fevers and helping the body fight infection. Because of its high vitamin C content, it is often used as a winter tonic to prevent illness. Magickally, Elder is a very important plant for protection, especially of home and children.

Mullein I selected for its expectorant qualities- we needed to cough all this gunk up and out! Mullein is excellent at most lung ailments- including asthma and allergies. While coughing is never fun, it has a specific purpose to make us well. Since Rowan cannot smoke the leaves (which is the most effective way to take it), in a cordial would have to do.

Echinacea is probably the most overused herbal remedy that I know- most people simply do not know how to take it. It is only effective if you take it at a maximum of two weeks then STOP. If you need to redose, you should wait at least a week. Yet so many take it all season-long, to ill effect. But used correctly, and echinacea is a powerful immune booster that gets you back on your feet.

Many use eucalyptus oil for coughs. It soothes irritated throats like magic!

Thyme, also delicious!

Thyme is my favorite herb, hands down. Not only does it taste great in everything (eggs, chicken, fish, everything!), but it has some of the most amazing anti-microbial properties ever. I not only use it internally to kill infection, but I steep thyme in vinegar for a powerful cleaner that is so much more effective (and cheaper and more eco-friendly) than store-bought germ killers.

Honey is well known for its amazing healing properties. While many say not to give babies honey before a year of age, that is a botulism scare. If you know that your honey is clean, it can help babies. Many cultures around the world give honey before breastmilk when a child is born! And it soothes scratchy throats and tastes great!

Alcohol isn't just a preservative. Grandmas everywhere know that to fight a cold, a little shot of whiskey or brandy is just the ticket (in my family, it was blackberry brandy for the kids).

What do you use to get you through the "sick time of year"?