Re-Wilding Walking Ritual for Witches
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Do you ever find it hard to connect with the natural world and the magick of Mother Earth? So many of us live in urban environments with little to no yard for a garden, let alone wild spaces where we can freely practice our craft and commune with the spirits of the land. Being a cottage, green, or forest witch and living in a city may seem completely at odds with each other. How are you supposed to dig your feet into the earth when everything has been paved over? Even for those of us in suburban and rural areas, our modern lifestyles may have created a distance between us and our wild, witchy natures. Let’s look at a simple morning ritual to help us re-wild ourselves and our magick, regardless of where we live.
What does re-wilding mean?
Simply put, a return to a more natural way of living and seeing the world, embracing our more authentic selves, stripped bare of social conventions. Re-wilding is a practice that takes time and which we can build slowly upon - relying on intuition, natural cycles, and simplifying our choices in a day. As witches, re-wilding is an important part of tapping into that deep well of magick within us, as building relationships with lies who will amplify our magick and make our working both stronger and more effective.
Observing the Weather and Seasons
How often do you check the weather app on your smart phone? I know I have been guilty of doing this before even getting out of bed in the morning. So let’s try something new. First of all, the phone has no place in your hands before you have even brushed your teeth. Set it aside somewhere you won’t be tempted to look at it. Now, go to your window and look out it at the sky. Maybe even open the window. What do your senses tell you about the day ahead and how you should dress to stay comfortable during the day? As you practice your powers of observation, consider adding in the following pre-coffee walk and ritual.
Re-Wilding Walk Ritual
Dress appropriately to take a walk around your neighborhood. The walk portion of the ritual can be as short as ten minutes, but as long as you would like. Make sure to plan out a safe route before setting out. I recommend walking in the hour after sunrise for best results. Consistent practice will bring the greatest results.
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As you take your walk, I want you to look for one natural item to pick up and carry with you. This could be a leaf, an acorn, a feather, a rock, . . . see what you can find!
Breath: Step outside and pause, closing your eyes and breathing in through your nose. Feel the air on the insides of your nostrils and against you cheeks. How does it feel? Is it cold and sharp, languid, humid, does it smell fresh and crisp? What can you smell on the air? If you live in a suburb area, you may smell grass, your neighbor’s dryer sheets, or autumn leaves. Urban dwellers often encounter other, sharper smells such as pavement and exhaust fumes. Without judgement, observe these smells and try to identify them. Before setting out, offer a small prayer of gratitude for the day.
Observe: Open your eyes, and begin your walk at a measured pace. Look around you. What are the signs of the season? How do the leaves on the trees look, the sky and it’s clouds, the quality of the light as it strikes buildings and trees. Is it warm and golden, cold and grey, bright? The clouds can tell us a lot about what the day will bring. Continue to observe the natural elements along your walk. Look for the birds and squirrels, what are they doing, how do they move?
Listen: What sounds can you hear in the early morning? Are the birds singing or silent? Do sounds seem muffled? Temperature and wind both effect how sound waves travel. Practice your listening skills and see if you can distinguish the differences on various types of days. The quality of sound is often one of the first signs of summer I notice each year.
Touch: The final step along your walking ritual is earthing or grounding yourself. As you walk, notice how each step feels as you place the foot. If you have the option, remove your shoes and spend a couple moments barefoot on a bit of grass or dirt. If going barefoot is not an option, find a tree to rest your hand or cheek against. Notice the difference in sensations between your feet in shoes as you walk, and being barefoot, or placing a hand in direct contact with the natural world. Allow yourself to feel the energy of Mother Earth flowing through your bare skin and into the body.
Reflect: When you return home, place your found object on your alter, use it as a bookmark in your journal, or carry it in a pocket throughout the day. If time allows, journal your observations of the morning. Anytime you wish to come back to yourself and your inner wisdom, re-visit your object of the day. This may be as simple as placing a hand in a pocket with a found pebble, and spending a few minutes exploring it’s texture. The next time you go out for a re-wilding walk, return that object back to nature and find a new item to acquaint yourself with.
We live most of our lives so removed from nature, it is often easy to forget that are children of the earth. Nature’s embrace is where we can live life as our most authentically, human selves. Even those who live in dense, urban areas can look around and find nature, see the sky, and breath in the wind. Re-wilding will help us sleep better, move better, and hear our own inner voice of wisdom when we need it most.
Try to take a rewinding walk a couple times a week, even daily if you can. The art of active observation should be practiced regularly, and you will be amazed at how quickly you begin to pick up on patterns and signs specific to your area. You’ll soon be predicting the weather long before any storm clouds appear. But of greatest importance, you will become more deeply a part of the place you live, the real place, here on Mother Earth.
Suggested Reading
Many people these days feel a sense that something is missing from modern-day life. They feel a yearning for something that is not met by money, possessions, human interactions or even by religions. Alongside this may be disenchantment with consumerist culture, and concerns about the impact we humans are having on the natural world. If this in any way describes you, then this book is a must-read!
Observational walks are only one, small way in which we can re-wild ourselves a bit each day. You might also try living with no electricity after dark or growing a small, windowsill garden. And if you yearn for even greater wildness, how about sleeping on the ground or bathing in a lake? Give re-wilding a try and let me know how it goes.
