Spells/Rituals for "Letting Go"

[RubyRose]

Well, it seems to me that now is the right time to truly begin letting go of all the negative energies weighing me down, as well as other mundane aspects of life.

But I'm not exactly where to start with some a process. Ideas?

Bendithion,
RubyRose

[Godgifu]

Well, I would consider "letting go" and "detaching from negative energies" two different things, so I'd give different suggestions for them.

As I was taught, work for letting go and distancing ones self from people, habits or ideas that are no longer desired or helpful would tend to involve ingredients like lemon verbena or eucalyptus (or both.) There are premade formulas like Cast Off Evil and Cut and Clear made for this too. I'd say something like ritual bathing seems especially appropriate in a case like this -- maybe mix a salt or an infusion of herbs and bathe in that.

For removing negative energies, I'd suggest an egg cleansing. It's simple, you need an egg, and optionally an incense like Dragonsblood or something with some uncrossing properties. Burn the incense, and sweep the egg over your body (you probably want to be stripped at least to your underwear) while praying or commanding the negativity be gone. Sweep the egg over whold body, working from the head down. I often repeat this three times. Then dispose of the egg in a crossroads or storm drain (not in your own house.) If there's a lot of negativity you can repeat this for multiple days.

Hope that helps and gets you started. Good luck!

[RubyRose]

Thanks. Some interesting ideas. :)

[feralmama]

Basic candle magick is great for this kind of thing. There are various ways.

A black candle, which absorbs and burns away the energy you don't want, you coat it in olive oil and herbs- olive oil for peaceful energy in the spell, and herbs that have to do with destruction of what you want to let go. Certain herbs are always nice for that- sandalwood, myrrh, mugwort (mugwort is great for ridding of the bad), and it's always nice to throw in a little Dragon's Blood powder for oomph.

If there are specific things the energy is associated with, you might consider naming that in the spell.

And because negative energy is still energy, and if the negative energy you are dealing with is general, consider neutralizing it instead.

"I hereby call upon the energy of negativity surrounded me or within me, and neutralize it." Something like that. You could burn a white and black candle at the same time, you could get a black and white reversible candle. You see the idea.

Neutralizing means you still have it at your disposal. Of course, if you have not really dealt with whatever caused the negativity in the first place, the neutral will just reabsorb whatever it is you have not dealt with and be back where you started. Ridding the negative energy when you haven't dealt with something can also mean it manifest in other ways.

[brymble]

Basic candle magick is great for this kind of thing. There are a couple ways.

A black candle, which absorbs and burns away the energy you don't want, you coat it in olive oil and herbs- olive oil for peaceful energy in the spell, and herbs that have to do with destruction of what you want to let go. Certain herbs are always nice for that- sandalwood, myrrh, mugwort (mugwort is great for ridding of the bad), and it's always nice to throw in a little Dragon's Blood powder for oomph.

If there are specific things the energy is associated with, you might consider naming that in the spell.

And because negative energy is still energy, and if the negative energy you are dealing with is general, consider neutralizing it instead.



Personally, I would put my attention on breaking the attachment to the negative energy, not on "destruction of what you want to let go of." Destroying something does not break attachment, and can even create unwanted, energy-draining attachments, or strengthen pre-existing ones. How often have we been plagued by leftover negativity from a relationship, job, or situation that's long been over?

Break the chain, rather than throwing more energy at something that's already draining you of vitality in an attempt to "destroy" it.

Mugwort is good for trancework, which is how it can be helpful in releasing attachments. You are changing your orientation towards whatever is sapping your energy, and that involves a shift in consciousness.

Nettles are good for breaking attachments; their "sting" shifts and purifies energy rather rapidly, jolting your attention back to a grounded, present state. Try nettle tea, or mopping or bathing with nettle vinegar.

Mullein is also good for releasing no-longer-helpful energies. I would take a hike in a lonely place where it grows, pull a dried leaf off an old stalk, crumble it in my hand, and let the wind blow the "graveyard dust" away, taking the old attachment with it.

Myrrh and sandalwood are a good combination, because the myrrh evokes spirits and energies, and the sandalwood purifies them. I second that myrrh, sandalwood and dragon's blood are a good combination for this kind of work. I used to make a similar "Witch's Altar Incense" from frankincense, myrrh and dragon's blood in equal proportions. (I added orange and cinnamon for festive, prosperous sabbat incense.)

Another blend I used contained red sandalwood, black salt, and dragon's blood powder. Salt is an excellent purifier and grounding agent. Try a "triple salt" blend of white sea salt, grey Celtic salt, and Indian black salt (which is actually pink, not black, or use they dyed black salt available at occult shops.)

Physical exercise, getting adequate sleep, healthy diet, and cool showers are practical mundane steps you can take to to manifest newness and positive change.

Of course, I'd advise that if you need help moving on and breaking strong attachments, consider hiring a qualified hypnotist or empathic consultant, but then, I'm biased. :boing:

Edited to add, actually, neutralizing and energy means that you shift your consciousness or orientation to it so it just doesn't affect you one way or another. If you are still concerned with "having it at your disposal", then the attachment is not really broken as you're still holding on to it (even at arm's length), and the energy is therefore not really neutralized. You can't hang on to something and let go of it at the same time. No psychic bungee jumping here, please!

[Scott Hill]

I can see you've already had some good suggestions on this topic. I will say that I think ritual bathing is a wonderful way to cleanse, and I often use it to prepare for a ritual or spellwork. Personally, I like to make sure I'm including each of the elements, so I bath while burning incense (for air and fire) and rub sea salt on myself (for earth). The incense I choose depends on my purpose for cleansing, but you have excellent suggestions in the threads above. I find this wonderfully refreshing.

As far as what you wish to banish, think it through. Where does it come from? Is the negativity there to teach you something? If so, try to make sure you are aware of the lesson that arises from your hardship. Also, are you doing anything to keep the negative energy from returning? Simply banishing it will do little if you haven't removed the source of the negativity; the same energy will return - or different negative energy - if you haven't created something in your life to fill the void you will create with your banishment.

That having been said, I'd like to add a meditation that I have successfully used in the past for letting go of energy I no longer needed in my life.

First, center and ground yourself. Make sure you are relaxed and breathing deeply. Picture yourself at the top of a steep hillside. The landscape rolls downward beneath you to where a river furiously churns and froths, but your vantage point is quite peaceful. Take time to absorb the sensory details of this scene. Can you smell or feel grass? Are there other plants here? Is there a breeze or is the day/night still? If it is night, you will probably want to picture a waning moon - or no moon at all.

Once you have immersed yourself in the scene, concentrate on your negativity. Give the negative energy permission to be here, with the understanding that it can no longer affect you. See the energy coalesce in your banishing hand (the left hand for most people) as a putrescent black ball - a sludgy black rather than a glossy black. When you feel all the energy is contained in your hand, set it down on the ground - do not cut the energy, especially if any of it is flowing from your solar plexus area. Just let it flow out of you naturally until you can see all of it outside yourself. Then casually push it down the hill, where it will roll to the bottom and be reabsorbed into the cosmos. Don't shout at it or kick it - just let it go. In fact, on a couple of occasions, I even thanked the energy for the lessons it taught me before giving it up. You don't even have to watch it reach the bottom. Then turn around and walk away back into your body.

When all this is done, center and ground again. Then journal your experience in your BoS or magical journal.