by Cole Exley
Some of the most useful intentions we can set during more chaotic moments in our lives are internal - while the world around us is experiencing enough transformation, we can look within and see what needs our care. This 4/20 spell is meant to be a cleansing ritual for the self, helping us surrender what isn’t serving us and return to a more aligned state.
Since the recent solar eclipse occurred so close to the most popular day to celebrate marijuana, this ritual was written with smoking weed in mind as a method of clearing your energetic body. However, if you don’t smoke, you can always replace flower with another form of consumption like edibles or wax, or you can use any other method of cleansing. You’ll find that there are plenty of herbal bundles and room sprays available to serve this purpose, such as Banish from the Counter Magick cleaning line!
I always like to remind newcomers to witchcraft that you make your own rules when it comes to your practice, and you can always change aspects of a spell to better suit your needs. Society loves when we follow rules without question, so let’s break a few and make our own!
Materials Needed:
-Weed and whatever tools you use to consume (alternatives can include edibles, an herbal bundle, incense, a room spray, a mug of tea, a gem or herbal essence, etc.)
-Crystals for clearing your energy (or salt)
-Lighter/matches
-Candle (bonus points if it’s Queendom of Heaven!)
1. Charge your weed with cleansing energy.
Begin by placing your bud in a glass jar - amber and blue glass are best for preserving your weed, but clear glass works well for this ritual, too. Then choose a few crystals to put on or around the jar to charge your weed. My favorite stone for cleansing is selenite, which is so powerful that it can actually be used to cleanse other crystals. Gems serving a similar purpose include obsidian, clear quartz, sugilite, amethyst, spirit quartz, black tourmaline, and Herkimer diamond. If you’re not a crystal person, you can pour a ring of salt around the jar instead. Selenite is a salt-based stone, so salt itself can fulfill any of your cleansing needs just as easily!
2. Light your candle.
Make a mini altar for your spell by placing a candle near the jar and stones. I’ll be using Smoke by Putnam Candles to stay on theme! However, you can use any candle for this ritual, as long as it soothes and inspires you. You may want to choose one scented with herbal allies that help cleanse and purify, such as cedar or lavender. Some other scents that align with these are sandalwood, sea salt, citrus, and even fresh laundry.
Take a deep breath and light your chosen candle as you exhale. Speak or think the incantation, “I release all that does not serve me to make space for new, healthy energy. The Universe rewards me with peace. So mote it be.”
3. Show some love to your physical form.
I usually like to let things charge for at least an hour or two so my crystals can fully work their magic. This gives us a moment to check in with our bodies and tend to any needs while our weed is soaking up all that magic. I like to think of it as “recharging while you charge.” We experience a lot of heavy, draining shifts during a solar eclipse that affect us on many levels, so your body could likely use a little extra love during this transit. This could look like an elaborate skin care routine, or just taking some time to lay down and relax. Try not to judge yourself too much for whatever you choose to do. Too often, we are made to feel like what we do to care for ourselves is not enough, but sometimes our needs are simple, or our motivation is low. Go with your gut, and carry it out with love. After all, our physical and mental energies are closely entwined, so our spellwork can only get better with some mindful self care. Make sure you keep an eye on your candle as it burns!
4. Prepare to smoke and brainstorm what you would like to release.
Once you feel like your flower is all charged up and ready for use, sit near enough to the candle that you can watch the flame flicker. Prepare your bowl, joint, or blunt with extra care and thank the Universe for access to the plant. Remember, while most of us probably see marijuana as pretty commonplace these days, it wasn’t always so easy to buy or grow. As you get ready to smoke, consider what you would like to release from your life with your spell. Are you holding on to a stressful memory more tightly than you should? Is your inner critic killing your vibe a little too frequently? Even if it’s as simple as wanting to de-stress, this is a good time to make it clear to the Universe if there is anything in particular you’d like to see less of in your life. Being specific with your intentions is very important when performing any type of ritual. This is how we make sure our spells don’t go awry and affect things counterproductively.
5. Set your intentions and smoke.
Now it’s time to smoke! Before you take your first puff, speak or think, “I am inhaling cleansing, clearing energy.” Draw in and imagine the smoke absorbing the thoughts or feelings you want to dispel. As you exhale, picture it carrying away all of those things out of your energetic field and out of your life. It’s important to stay focused on your intentions so the spell works as well as it can, so if you notice your mind beginning to wander, gently guide it back to the task at hand. The goal is to stay attentive to your work while also letting yourself relax. This is easier said than done, of course, but what better way to hone this skill than with some weed?
6. Banish those vibes once and for all!
When you’ve reached the end of your smoke sesh and you only have one hit left, it’s time to send that negativity out of your space for good. When you take your last puff, blow the smoke towards the candle wick so that the flame is snuffed out. I tend to think that the extinguishing of a flame can be just as powerful as lighting one. Though the latter is definitely more common in witchcraft, I think that this action really aligns with what we’re trying to do. The intentions have been set and the spellwork is done, so we can kind of “close the door” by doing this so none of this energy returns. After you blow out the candle, state or think, “I’ve banished what needed to leave and none shall return to me. So mote it be.” This is also a good time to give thanks to the solar eclipse for lending you its energy, or to a higher power if you prefer. Gratitude will always fortify your spell, no matter what your system of beliefs looks like.
