(From 6/26/2024 SWP Episode)
IF YOU JUST WANT TO GET TO THE RITUAL ALREADY AND SKIP ALL THIS EXPLANATORY STUFF, FEEL FREE TO SCROLL DOWN TO THE SUGGESTED MATERIALS SECTION TO GET STARTED!
This ritual has been heavily revised to fit my particular practice, but I want its origin to be credited, or, at least, the origin from which I found it to be credited. The original spell is called, “Litha Spell for Happiness,” and was taken from a beautiful card deck I was given called the Wiccapedia Spell Deck created by Shawn Robbins, Leanna Greenaway, and Charity Bedell. I’ve included a photo of the card at the end of the ritual.
Inner-child work is advantageous for anyone, not just those of us in recovery. As we grow older, sometimes we allow societal expectations and influences to attach to us–little pieces sticking and accumulating. Overtime, these pieces calcify and thicken so much that we are unable to even see our core-self anymore.
This ritual is meant to melt away those attachments so that our core-self can be illuminated again!
If it’s possible to do this ritual within the light of the sun, wonderful. Sitting by a brightly lit window or outside will allow us to connect more deeply to the solar energy we are trying to call in.
The most crucial item needed for this ritual is a clear image of your childhood self. You can see my childhood picture in the photo above, which shows me in a white dress and bloomers on a wet concrete patio. I suppose the heavy rains already passed, but it looks like it still might be sprinkling since I have my arms outstretched in the air. I love the look on my face in that photo. My eyes are just entranced by the raindrops, and I have the most unencumbered, joyful smile on my face.
That is the Molly I want to embrace and remember during this ritual. That Molly has no fear or anxiety because she has no cause for those things yet. That is the Molly before all the Big Terrible Things would occur, the first of which would happen when I was 4. So, this photo of me at the age of 1 is perfect.
I mention all this because I know not all childhoods were good. So, I want to encourage those with childhood trauma to please practice self-awareness. Perhaps, just envision completing the ritual prior to actively embarking into it. Revise as necessary, perhaps changing child-self to core-self or using whatever verbiage calls to mind your true and higher-self.
Also, please ensure that you are in a safe space where you will be undisturbed. It is important that you perform this ritual in a place where you can allow yourself to be completely vulnerable.
As we enter into the ritual, as much as possible, put to the side all the walls you may have a built, all the layers of protection, all the defenses you may have had to put up due to the harsh lessons of life. Rest assured they will still be there when we are done. Many of them are useful and necessary and aid our journey through life. You will be able to pick up and put back on those layers of protection that serve you well. And, perhaps, leave behind those layers that are no longer necessary.
Know that you are safe now and that you are able to experience innocence, hope, joy, enthusiasm, all in their purest forms in this space with only yourself and your chosen deities as witnesses.
Be sure to perform a protection ritual prior to the main ritual, noting that you are not putting any of those protective layers back on, but that you are calling on your guides/deities/spirits/the elementals/whatever you wish to call them to encircle you so that you can be alone in your vulnerability, knowing nothing can get through their protective circle.
Set up your space so that your bowl is in front of you. If you have a photo of yourself and/or the Sun tarot card, place it safely behind the bowl in a manner that will protect it both from water and flame.
Sprinkle the chamomile into the water, bringing to mind feelings of peace and healing.
Place your floating tea candle into the bowl of water, but don’t light it quite yet.
Begin a breathing pattern that works for you, and that allows you to sink into a state of natural trance or a meditative state most effectively.
The 4-2-5-2 breathing pattern is my go-to where you inhale-2-3-4, hold-2, exhale-2-3-4-5, hold-2, and so on. But use whatever pattern works best for you.
SUGGESTED MATERIALS :
- A photo of yourself as a young child (if available) and/or The Sun card from tarot preferably based off the Smith-Waite imagery with the joyful child with his/her arms outstretched towards the Sun. If you don’t own a deck, you can always print out an image of The Sun card from the internet
- Glass bowl filled halfway with water
- Floating tea candle
- Matches
- A little bit of chamomile to sprinkle into the water (you can always rip open a chamomile tea bag.) Chamomile is a Litha herbal correspondence associated with peace, relaxation, and healing
- A scrap of paper with the provided chant written on it or a chant that resonates more with you
- Journal and pen
THE RITUAL STEPS:
Ensure everything is set up: bowl of water with chamomile sprinkled in it in front of you preferably at eyelevel, photo of childhood self or The Sun tarot card placed safely behind bowl, tea candle in the water but unlit, and matches close by.
- Complete a simple protection spell/ritual.
- Light the candle.
- Dip your finger in the water and touch your forehead, connecting yourself to that source of healing.
- Close your eyes and begin your chosen breathing pattern.
- Once fully in a ritual state of mind, open your eyes and allow your eyes to focus gently on your candle. Your focus may shift to the photo or the tarot card and this is fine. However, as much as possible focus in on the flame.
- When you feel ready, begin to slowly but purposely recite your chosen chant 9x. The one I use goes:
“Sun-self, child-self,
Wanderlusting and innocent
With joys passed but unforgotten.
I illumine you
And hold fast your light
Embraced this Litha season.”
7. Remain seated until the candle burns out, meditating on how you think your child-self would feel about you as you are now. You might even write in your journal your thoughts on the following journaling prompts:
- Would your child-self be disappointed about anything?
- What things would they want you to do more of?
- Are any of those things possible for you to do?
- What things would make them incredibly proud?
- How can you allow your child-self a little more time in the sun on a regular basis? Can you commit to doing that thing more often?
8. Before closing circle, think about all those layers of protection you took off before beginning the ritual. Consider which ones you look forward to putting back on if any and which ones you don’t. For those you don’t, can you leave them in this space? Can you alter the fit of any them so that they are more helpful and less harmful to you and/or others?
9. When you feel ready, thank any deities you invited in and close circle. Make any notes in your journal.
10. Pour the water used in this ritual into a flowerpot or your garden as chamomile can be a great antifungal and/or pesticide.
11. If you are able to keep your photo or The Sun card on display, keep it somewhere you will see it to remind yourself of your commitment to your child-self.
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