Pittchcraft: How I fit spells and rituals into college life

Being a Witch while attending university can be especially challenging at times. Between the schoolwork, social weekends with friends and just trying to lead a balanced student life, it can be quite difficult to make time to practice Witchcraft. But for Witches like me who have virtually no social life, the weekends can be an ideal time to perform rituals for the upcoming week. I’m often burdened by homework, so taking just a few little breaks between working is enough time for me.

There are plenty of easy tips and tricks like these to sneaking some small rituals and Witchy practices into a student’s everyday life. Many people have daily rituals that they may not pay much attention to — like a daily process of waking up, eating breakfast, washing your face and then brushing your teeth — but that can be infused with a little bit of magick.

Not all Witchy rituals have to involve complicated plans like lighting candles of a certain color at a certain hour and saying a certain spell. Although this is the norm of spellcraft for many Witches, a simple mantra in your head or stirring your morning coffee a certain way can be an equally effective form of spellwork for busier student Witches.

In my everyday life, I enjoy practicing Witchcraft as soon as I wake up for just a few moments. I wake up and throw my feet over the edge of my bed, placing them firmly on the floor. I then meditate for just a few breaths as I ground my energy through my feet and set my intention for the day. Often times I say my intentions out loud to myself as a daily mantra.

In Witchcraft, no matter the religion associated with it, there is generally a great focus on the power of the circle. For example, drawing a circle — or stirring your cup of coffee — in a clockwise motion is representative of creating or drawing in positive things. On the other hand, a counterclockwise motion is meant to banish or destroy negative things from your upcoming day. While stirring your drink in your desired motion for the day, you could also recite some sort of mantra to yourself.

A mantra is simply a repeated statement either aloud or within yourself. If you’re stirring your drink in a clockwise motion in the hopes of bringing confidence into your life that day, your mantra could be something like, “I am worthy, I am strong, I am worthy.” The daily mantra should be a reflection of whatever it is you want to become true on any given day.

If part of your morning ritual is also to put on makeup, then you can also incorporate some spellwork into the application and choice of makeup for the day. One way to do this is to use concealer or foundation to draw sigils reflecting the things that are important to you before blending them in. Colors also have very specific meanings, so the choice in colors and shades of lipstick or eyeshadow can also be used to conjure specific intentions.

The color red, for example, invites passion and desire. If your intent is to speak passionately and powerfully to command others with your words, then a red lip is the way to go. The color green reflects luck and money, so if you’d like to search out the luckiest opportunities in a day,  green eyeshadow is a great choice.

This color theory can also apply to the clothing you choose to wear. If you’re into horoscopes, there is usually a section of your daily horoscope that lists your lucky color for the day. This color is a great one to use to inspire your daily fashion. But if you aren’t fond of horoscopes, simply wearing the color that reflects your ambitions can give your day a little magickal boost. A full list of color meanings can be found here.

Along with small additions to your morning ritual, there are some more beneficial, yet slightly more time consuming practices for college Witches. In the same way that color magick applies to fashion, it also applies to rituals. If you’re a struggling, broke college student in desperate need of money — as many of us are — green candles, crystals and herbs associated with money can be laid out in a quick ritual to attract some moolah into your life.

Rituals don’t have to be long productions at certain times. A ritual for a busy college student can be something as simple as laying out crystals, herbs, candles, cards or any other magickal items on your bedside table and taking a moment to ask the universe, or your preferred deity, to bless you with whatever you are in need of. If your living situation allows it, a simple bath with essential oils or bath bombs can also be a cleansing ritual.

The beauty of practicing Witchcraft is that it is whatever you make of it. Whether you have two hours or 20 minutes to dedicate to your practice, there is always something you can do. There are no right or wrong answers in Witchcraft, which makes it a practice that can be simpler than it may seem for busy college students.