Mental health practices

 Mental health is not only a topic that's receiving a lot of attention lately, but also a field in which we've progressed quite a bit in recent history.  I always find it interesting to see how many mental health techniques (from books targeting specific mental issues) overlap with witchcraft practices.  

Let's first talk a bit about what mental health is.  Mental health does of course include how you think, but it also addresses how we feel and our social interactions.  Honestly, it's everything that isn't only a physical thing (because we definitely know that many physical ailments include mental health issues).  As such, it can include things like anxiety or depression, but it can also mean a lack of mental stimulation or feeling spiritually disconnected.

The thing about mental health is that it's very much like our physical health.  Most of the time, we are relatively 'healthy' in the sense that we aren't in crisis.  Which means we may be functioning (barely) or not even aware of what we are struggling with.  But just like how eating healthy and getting some good movement in helps our overall physical health, having healthy mental habits helps keep us out of mental health crisis.

There are a lot of parts of magical practice that are very good for our general mental well being.  Some of the first things many of us learn, when starting on our path, is how to ground, center and meditate.  And these are excellent tools for mental health practice!  Grounding is a way to deal with excess energy (and can be used for emotional energy as well, not just spiritual energy!), centering is a way to focus (great for when you are all over the place mentally), and of course meditation encourages us to regularly sit with ourselves (and whatever comes up).

Many witches include journaling as part of their practice, and journaling is such a wonderful tool for mental health.  The great thing about journaling is that it be what you need it to be.  If you have something you need to vent, pour it out on paper.  If you have something you want to say to someone, but are afraid to...write it out (and either burn it...or bless it and send it).  If you are trying to figure out what's going on in your head, explore it on the page.  If you are feeling down you might want to write about a better place (or time, or situation).

 

A lot of spiritual practices involve mindfulness, either as an exercise on it's own (like when you take a moment to focus on every aspect of eating an apple) or as a way of life (trying to spend as much time being in the moment as possible).  For many of us, moments out in nature, just existing, are deeply spiritual, and something to be sought out throughout the year.

Another wonderful tool is tarot (or any form of divination that can be used for personal reflection).  I love that a lot of the focus on using tarot is less about external stuff (which job should I take?  will I marry someone rich?) and more on internal stuff (what will make me happy?  why is this thing bothering me?).  There are TONS of wonderful spreads out there that can help you explore just about anything you might want.

Of course, we can't talk about mental health without talking about shadow work.  Shadow work is basically taking those bits of yourself that you keep hidden away...and exploring them, bringing them into the light (with the goal of integrating them back into your whole self).  It often involves unpacking things that we've been told since birth or rooting around in traumatic memories.  The fact that shadow work is a recognized part of so many magical practices says a lot about our spiritual community (in the best of ways!)

A lot of both spell and ritual work also involves mental health practices.  Think about the setup to do a spell.  You have to tune into (and often fine tune) your desires (when you work out the purpose and details of the spell).  You look at it from many angles, seeing different aspects that you want to call on (when gathering ingredients).  You take time to get into the right headspace (preparing to do the work), and then focus on one thing intensely (a form of meditation).  Doing these actions regularly (and often for a wide range of subjects) is a form of mental health practice.

If you are someone who works with the cycle of seasons in any form (or astrology, or moon phases...any 'over time' kind of practice), that is another way to tap into mindfulness.  We are looking at the world outside and then checking in with ourselves and asking what we need right now in time.  We are thinking about the times that have just passed and recognizing what they have given to us, and we are looking ahead and planning for the future times.  

All in all, almost every aspect of Paganism includes some form of mental health practice.  And this is one of the reasons why I feel like it is such an appealing path for so many...because we can each get from it the things we need to work on our mental health and thus improve our life.