Let’s talk about: Bath spells

Bath spells are very common for witches today, and with good reason.  Who doesn’t love a nice relaxing bath, and using candles and herbs to set the mood has been done for years.  Like a lot of magic the main difference between a bath spell and a bath with candles and good smells is intent.  I’ve heard of a dozen ways to do bath spells, mostly involving putting different herbs in the bath to enhance it.  This is something you can either do loose in the bath, as a sachet, or as an incense burned nearby; I’m a fan of the sachet method for myself, just for the ease of clean up.

Adding candles and stones around the edge of the bath can also be a great way to bring magic to your soak, but of course if you’re doing anything with fire always put your safety first.  If you can’t place a candle safely on the edge of your bath, a nearby counter top with line of sight can work just as well.

Now you’re probably saying, “Hey! You promised us a masculine witch blog, baths aren’t very manly”.  To which I can only say, “So?”  While it’s true that baths don’t fall under the typical view of masculinity that doesn’t mean they should be avoided,  I like to use baths to loosen my muscles up after tough workouts, or meditate in a relaxing environment.  

That being said, here’s a few ways to make your bath spells more manly:

1. Take a shower instead of a bath, you won’t be able to enjoy it for nearly as long, but if you put your herbs in a sachet and hang it from the shower head you’ll get a similar experience.

2. Use scents that you consider more masculine, I don’t use scented candles often but when I do my favorite scent is tobacco; basically what I’m saying is you don’t have to come out of a bath smelling like flowers if you don’t want to.

3. Drink beer or whiskey while you bathe, obviously don’t do this one if you’re underage, but I find a nice rye while I’m soaking is a wonderful way to get me to relax and let the spell do its job.

4. Listen to a podcast, a lot of people recommend music to relax in a bath, but I always find I don’t like any of the usual “relaxing” music because it’s too slow; instead I’ll listen to gaming podcasts.

5. If none of those are masculine enough for you then I recommend this: Don’t bathe alone, you won’t get much magic done, but a soak with a partner never fails to relax me.

That finishes up my ramble on bath magic.  Practice safe and Ret'urcye mhi!  

Modern witches can be anyone

This is a fact we’ve all know for a long time.  Anyone who practices in anyway is ultimately a witch, as long as they’re comfortable with the title.  When I first started my practice I avoided calling myself a witch, since I felt it was too feminine of a title for the kind of person I am.  After some meditation and talk with other witches of the world I saw how the term is meant to be used and started my journey on the path of the masculine witch.

My journey started in college when I first discovered the Celtic gods and the druidic practices that they were associated with.  I felt an immediate connection, and after many weeks of research and soul searching I decided to become a Celtic Druid, somewhat to the dismay of my parents.  It wasn’t long after that that I was writing my first spells and crafting my first sigils.

At first I was extremely rigid in my practices; I followed spells to the letter and used formulas to write anything of my own.  While this was great for me to learn as a beginner, it ultimately left me limited in what I did with my practice.  It wasn’t until I finally broke a mold that I saw the possibilities.  The first time I did anything completely original was when I learned how to meditate while I sparred.  I had been inspired by Star Wars: Knight’s of the Old republic’s  concept of a battle meditation and did it literally as I fought.

This led me down many rabbit holes as I found my personal best way to practice.  I made my first altar at which I pray daily, I joined my first traditional martial arts school since middle school to train my body, and I started exploring the fandoms I loved for things to bring into my daily life and practice.

Today that has turned me into the person writing this blog:  I practice Celtic Druidry using Chang Quan Kung Fu for active meditation, while trying to live my life in a way that fits my Mandalorian values.  This might not be the best way for everyone to practice, but it is for me, and I hope my sharing it here will give other people the jumping off point they need.    

AsgArt