Erica Feldmann is the owner of HausWitch and author of HausMagick: Transform Your Home with Witchcraft. She lives in downtown Salem, Massachusetts and her days are full of magick, but maybe not in the ways you think! Every witch does it differently, so let's take a peek at a typical day in the life of our HWIC!
Morning:
I didn’t know just how magical mornings could be until I started planting an herb garden on my porch a few years ago. Oh sure, I’ve taken a power shower or two (thousand) in my time, and of course, I’ve been dropping Pyrite essence in my coffee for years! But there’s something about waking up and tending to my herbs that grounds me for the day and helps me align with intention. Not to mention the pleasure of it all!
After I’ve greeted them with a “Good morning! Welcome to a new day babies!” I give them (mint, basil, lavender, rosemary, lemon verbena, oregano chives, parsley, and thyme) each a little water for the day and tell them how much I love them. Then comes the most magical part of all, I stick my little nose in their leaves and take a big whiff! The smell is heavenly, green and fresh and the perfect way to start the day. Once everyone is watered, I enjoy my pyrite coffee with my familiar Salem, because if there’s anyone who enjoys this ritual more than me, it’s my porch-loving feline bff. Sometimes I plant witchier herbs like sage or mugwort, but this year I went strictly culinary. I love using them to make simple fragrant bouquets, simmer pots and hydrosols to take some magic off the porch and spread it around!
Mid-Day:
In the afternoons I like to make space for a little nap when I can. Since I have a couch in my office (named Cheetarah) and I live very close to work I can usually carve out a half hour for a magical disco nap somewhere. I like to use Oprah’s method of only closing my eyes for 20 minutes to keep me from falling too deep into REM but still giving my brain a little rest, relaxation, and a chance to reset for the rest of the day. I usually refer to it as “lay down time” because even if I don’t fall all the way asleep (but I usually do) I still consider it valuable mind quieting meditation time. Both Cheetarah and my green couch (Which I refer to as my “Rip Van Winkle spot”) induce some pretty serious snoozing. I love to spray our Astral Linen Spray for dreaming onto my pillow and blanket for a sweet smell sleep spell. These little rests help me to call back any of my own energy that has gotten scattered throughout the day (shoutout ADHD, multitasking, managing, etc.) and come back to my center. I believe we are much more powerful as witches when we are coming from a grounded and centered place.
Evening:
Finally at the end of the day I cast a spell for protection from nightmares and split ends simply by braiding my hair! My bestie is a hairdresser and once my hair grew long enough she told me to braid it at night to keep it from getting damaged. I love my long hair so I definitely want to keep it safe while I sleep. As with anything else in witchcraft, my intention is the secret ingredient and thank goddetc because my actual braiding skills are super basic. But 3 is such a magical number that I try to infuse each section with a magical property while I braid. For example, to release the day I just had, to cultivate good dreams and sound sleep, and to forge a path for a powerful tomorrow. If I’m feeling extra anxious or like some intrusive thoughts may come through in the middle of the night 9 of Swords style, I’ll work in a few drops of Black Tourmaline essence as I go!
