Funny that as the earth is bursting with new plants and flora, my practice has hit a bit of a lull. There are no spells I feel like need completing, I don’t really connect with spring sabbats or festivals because I feel the timing is off from where I live, and really there is nothing I desire in a rush. What do you do when your practice hits a lull?
The easy answer is to research, to learn, when you feel like there is nothing else going on in your practice, but I’ve been practicing for about 5-7 years now and a lot of the times it feels like I’ve settled into my chosen path and methods of practice and researching more into it feels like all I’ll get is repeated information and nothing new really sparks my interest.
What I’ve come to ask myself is “Why do I think my practice has come to a slow?”
Is it really that I feel like there’s nothing I want to manifest or draw into my life, or do I need to do some shadow work about my worthiness around these things. Is it because my energy and motivation are low, and if so, if there some low-energy magic I can work to help that? Are the planets in a particular placement? I usually write that down for later reflection to notice patterns.
Or with a lot of us…is it because there are certain people around now that forces us to slow? College dorms, visiting significant others or family…these are all people and places that I feel like force me to slow down in my practice even if I’m really feeling quite motivated.
Usually, once I get the answer to why, I can know what action to take from there.
If it’s just slow, no spells or rituals to really work or nothing I’m really interested in, I just rest. I just relax. I just let it be and wait for the inspiration or motivation or desire. We don’t always have to be wanting, and we are no less of a witch or spiritualist for taking a break. Sometimes interests, spiritual related or not, ebb and flow and come and go and that’s okay.
If it’s something more shadow work related, I usually journal more and get curious, writing down anything that comes to mind. But I also usually let this be and don’t attempt to solve it with magic.
If it’s a person, I usually ask myself why I feel like I can’t practice around this person or in this place. Sometimes it’s a matter of not wanting to adapt and human stubbornness. Sometimes it’s a trust or vulnerability issue, especially if the person really loves us and accepts us. Sometimes it’s a pure safety thing, like for closeted witches or people who are younger and wanting to avoid questions. Sometimes it’s just really hard to meditate when visiting loved ones are yelling at the video games on TV.
If it is boredom with your current practice, I would brainstorm a list of all the things I’m interested in magically, and then pick one to learn about and try out. Allow yourself to have phases in your practice, to experiment and try things out. Not everything has to stick. That’s okay.