CRAFTING A DAILY

PRACTICE
By, Archaic Honey

Cozy up. This guide isn't a book, but it is densely packed.

Chances are, if you're reading this and took the time to download this, you're probably a
witch, or other, or something of that vein.

I want you to know that I honor this and see you. It takes guts to want to go deeper and
integrate in a daily way. This path isn't for those who want to tow the line of mediocrity.
Doing this practice is in direct opposition to our dominant culture and capitalism who would
serve to numb and eventually eradicate your sensitivities. To them, they are a danger. Doing
this work is radical.

We must protect these sensitivities and cultivate them.

When I was first starting out on my path, I was dazzled and enraptured by the idea of high
witch holidays, sabbats and esbats. To honor the tides of the moon, to mark and celebrate the
solar movement and seasonal shifts. To get lost in some old world fantasy that felt more true
and right than our current reality... but something felt missing and giving into escapism
didn't feel right.

Was I only supposed to be a practicing witch on these high days? To haul out all the garb
which, quite honestly often felt very materialistic and meaninglessly flashy, do a performance
and then say goodnight?

No, I knew that couldn't be it.

I needed to connect to the here and now.

I scoured and looked high and low to find a way, to see, feel and experience magic and
connectedness each day of my life. To gain the skills of stroking the veil, and to part it.

To peer in.

What I found on daily practice, wasn't much at all. Little snippets here and there. I branched
out into community, but I found it noisy and distracting to what I desired to reach. And
usually information gatekept by an old crotchety misogynistic white man who would
inevitably deny that I was even “acceptable” to the craft.
I was a lone but aspiring practitioner of witchcraft.

I felt self-conscious and shy.

I had no teacher, or at least so I thought.

For some strange, fucked up reason. I felt unworthy of my desire. My calling.

I didn't even know what my calling was. I just knew I needed to do the work.

What I was and even am still seeking, cant rightly be named.

I needed to find a way to connect daily to otherness, to root down into the land I live in,
invite in spirit and open up.

So, what I am about to share with you isn't actually ground breaking or even unique. It's
basic practices that are being denied to you, called frivolous and perhaps even demonized.

Being a witch takes work, and these practices will take work, time and dedication.

These actions and spiritual tools, require no tools at all. Except for maybe a simple journal to
record your experiences and what comes through to you.

The most powerful tool you can wield is yourself and most especially, knowing yourself.

Here's what it looks like:

1. MEDITATE
2. DOWN, UP & CENTER (grounding & centering)
3. OFFERINGS
4. CULTIVATE THE DREAM

Now, we'll break each of these down.

MEDITATION
This one might have you eye rolling, or feeling uncomfortable, or letting out a slightly
annoyed sigh of, “I thought so” well, it's true! Meditation works.

What is meditation?

It's the simple act of sitting, standing, being quiet in your body, finding a point of focus
(usually the breath) and maintaining contact with that focus, while not grasping at
distractions the mind will bring up for you.
When you do get distracted by thoughts burbling up, you simply come back to that point of focus without
shaming or judging yourself.

What I just said there, is meditation. Getting distracted and then coming back. Over time, this
skill builds and builds until you can become quite good at it. Think of it as working an
atrophied muscle.

Start with 10 minutes a day. I usually find it's when I hit the 8 minute mark, that I get into a
good groove and space. Give yourself time, care and patience. You can expand or contract
this time as needed to suit you.

Some tips:

focus on a calming, healing plant ally or tree. They can sense us and support us. You don't
even need to be near the plant or tree. Lately, my own personal ally has been western peony.
I see myself resting in her white roots, deep in the soil and all melts away.

Stones are helpful here too. As are clear creeks and rivers. Imagine your head filled clear
cool and refreshing water, flowing, not grasping at anything.

Another suggestion is flower essences. Here is a simple breakdown of the most commonly
available essences and what they can help with.

DOWN, UP & CENTER

(grounding & centering)
I call this down, up & center because that is the direction these movements take. As a whole
however, this is a grounding and centering practice. For me this is the core of my daily
practice. This, above all is what brings me into my center, connects me to spirit of place and
fills me up.

This practice can actually be used as a vehicle and an exercise to travel to the otherworlds.

It can also be utilized to feel into a place in the land, to gain a sense of it, to connect with it
and its more than human inhabitants. This is very helpful for connecting with trees, plants
and rock.

So, we're going to talk about trees...

Yes, our tree kin.

The World Tree is found throughout many cultural mythologies, cosmology and folklore.
There is the underworld, where we find the roots. The middle world where we find the
trunk. The upperworld, where we find branches and leaves. You can reference the picture at
the top of this section.

This structure can easily be mirrored in our own body and in our our spine. Our spine being
the trunk with which we can move up and down from to reach the upper, middle and lower
worlds.

So, settle yourself quietly in a comfortable sitting position. Preferably you will be directly on
the ground and not in a chair. What is important here is to have an upright erect spine. Do
what is most right for you and your body. You can lean up against a wall for support and also
use a cushion or pillow under you.

Take a few deep breaths, feel into your body. Begin to bring your awareness to your spine.

Visualize being able to energetically move up and down here. As you do so, move into your
pelvic bowl. This is where your root begins.

Like a tree, or a plant send roots down into the soil. You may need to pass through the wood
of your floor, the concrete of a city, steel beams and sewers. You can pause here in these
places to feel what they're about. Move further until you hit the soil.

Feel its texture. Is it cool and damp? Warm and dry? Are you crossing paths with a nearby
tree, plant or mycelial network? If so, give them a nod.

Keep moving down.

You may begin to push through solid rock, a water-table, an aquifer.

Keep moving down, down and down.

Eventually it grows hot, the earth here may rumble.

Keep moving until you reach an orange red heat.

Pass through until you've found the hot white core.

The heart beat of the earth that sustains all life on our planet.

And it is pulsing.

Give thanks and share any words you feel compelled to speak.

From here, draw up this energy back into your body. It is snake like and red.

Allow it to fill you completely, from toe to tip of your head.

You may sit here for a moment if you like.

Now, you move up. Up through your roof, or whatever is overhead of you.

Into the sky and our atmosphere.

Is it raining? Are you passing through clouds? Is it morning, or night? Which direction is the
sun, and where is the moon?

The sky gives way from blue to black, flecked with stars and our planets.

From here, I suggest to touch with our star-kin. Or any heavenly body you feel called to.

Give thanks and share any words you feel compelled to speak.

Bring this celestial light down into the crown of your head. It is dove like. The color can look
silvery white, glimmering. Allow it to fill your whole body, mingling with the red serpentine
energies from the earth.

From here, place your palm over your heart and place your other hand on top of it.
Gather these energies here together at the center of your heart. See them forming into a ball
that contains your heart, then have this expand around your whole being – like an egg or
circular shape. It can look a light golden color, or however it manifests for you. Set this with
your intention to protect you, call on any guardian spirits if you wish.

This can serve as a protective energetic barrier.

By no means will this exercise looks like it does for me, for you. You will have your own
experiences come up, find your own inclinations and preferences and that is how it should
be!

OFFERINGS
This can serve as a good gesture to spirits of place, your own personal spirit familiar (you
have one, even if you haven't met them yet) and to your ancestors. The point of this practice
is to cultivate good relationships. Just as you'd befriend someone, or give loving gifts, treats
or care to a lover or pet, you want to do the same with spirit. Doing this each day, will really
bolster your relationship to spirits and keep a good connection going.

This is super simple. Have a small incense dish and a glass of fresh water. If you don't have
incense, the water can do. Honey also makes a good sweet offering. I wouldn't offer anything
more complicated than this. Keep it simple.

Call to who you wish to make offerings to, invite them to enjoy of the incense. You can
commune with them for a little while and then, say a farewell.

Here is a variation of what I say when I make offerings.

I call to you, spirits of this land and of this place. Please come and partake of this incense.

Enjoy.

I call to you my ancestors and my spirit allies who walk with me and watch over me. Come, partake of
this incense.

Enjoy.

I call to you vapors of the air, fire who shape this land, water who nourishes and carves it, earth who is
the foundation that holds us. Come and partake of this incense.

Enjoy.

(at this point, I call to specific plant, tree and animal species of my own bioregion. Here you
can call upon the plants, trees and animals that you know of if you wish. I say it in rather like
a chant, so it would look like this:)

I call to you, ponderosa, tamerak, firs, spruces, to you, aspen and alder, to you, Elder Mother so wise, I
call to you rose, chickweed, cleavers, nettle, sagebrush and arnica. I call to you western peony and
hawthorne, to you, ceanothus and oshala.
I call to you wolf, wolverine, bobcat, cougar and lynx. To you, elk, mule deer and pronghorn. I call to
you, bear. To the red tailed hawks and the golden eagles. Mountain chickadees and wrens and to all
insects that would pollinate our food. Come and partake of this incense.

Enjoy.

(here, you can commune with the spirits you've called or end the ritual)

Thank you for being here and taking part in my offering. I bid you farewell.

CULTIVATING THE DREAM

“Our aim is wakefulness, our enemy is dreamless sleep.” - TOPY

This may, or may not be the hard part for you. Even if you feel you don't dream well, I can
assure you that you have the ability and capacity to do so. It is a natural human ability that
we all posses, it is your right.

Our dominant culture has deemed dreams meaningless, frivolous.

“The process will not go unopposed … Remove value from vision, disenchant, dispossess,
criminalize, and marginalize what is at the heart of human experience. This is the real
poison path, that of cognitive sovereignty, we plainly state that we will gain control of our
dreaming. Witchcraft says, we will not cut out our own hearts.” - Peter Grey, Apocalyptic
Witchcraft

Dreaming is where our spirit can wake and travel off into the otherworld. Here, we can
learn, be informed and make contact with spirit. Some say this is how we learned to use
plants as medicine. Some others also say this is the true heart of witchcraft.

Sleeping is something we do everyday, for the most part. So it is wise to make this time
mindful and sacred. There are some ways to increase the opportunity to dream. Depending
on your lifestyle, sleep and care around it needs to be prioritized. This might mean some new
habits and adopting new practices.

Being well rested is where we can really launch into some serious dreamscapes. So you will
be wanting to aim for 7-9 hours a night. Not only is this good for dreaming, but also your
health!

So, we'll break this down into bite sized pieces.

1. Create some calm space one hour before bed and have a set bed time. Limit your use
 of a computer screen, phone or TV. The light that is emitted from these can keep our
brains too active to move into sleep mode. Some smart phones have a timer for this,
and will remind you it's time to prepare for bed.
2. Limited caffeine 5-6 hours before bed. Even if you're die hard about your coffee (I
totally am) this can impact your sleep and the kind of rest you can get.
3. Keep a note pad and pen near your bed, or if in a pinch I've used the recording app
on my phone if it's a very import dream that I need to remember.
4. Start that dream journal and write it all down.
5. Employ the use of herbs, stones and other items to encourage dreaming (more below)
6. What you consume with your eyes, often ends up in our dreaming landscape. Be
mindful of social media, advertisements, gaming and other such activities. I'm not
saying don't do them, but limiting them can help.

This practice can take time. It ebbs and flows. But it should always be tended to and
honored. Sometimes the current is strong, other times it is weak. If you're a person who
menstruates, a few days prior and during can be a highly powerful time to dream. It's also a
time when your body is wanting extra rest and sleep. Give this to yourself if you can.

The dream journal, is most important here! I personally get dizzy thinking about having
multiple journals, so, I have simply one journal where I write everything down. I don't
separate my dreaming life from anything else in my life. Work, dreams, magic, tarot, my
emotions, all go into the same place: A simple Leuchtturm1917.

When it comes to interpretation, dream symbol books can do little good.

The key to interpretation is developing your own relationship to symbols and their
meanings. For example, what could be a good sign for one person, may be a bad omen for
another. Being bitten by snakes is rather a... well, somewhat positive omen for me. For me, it
relates to good things. Others may find a snake terrifying and to be bitten, even worse.

While the best way to make dreaming happen is to just do it, some supporting allies can
help.

Burning mugwort, drinking chamomile, burning rosemary.

Moonstone and lapis lazuli.

A glass of water by the bedside that you pray into that you wish to receive dreams.

Working with the Moon.

Overall, the point is to cultivate regular remembrance and recording. Over time, themes will
show up. Allies reveal themselves to you, animals and plants give you their wisdom, ancestors
show up. This is a valuable place and practice to go deep and gain knowledge of yourself.
Well, this concludes what I have to share with you. In this, I hope that you find some
resonance, encouragement and maybe a few new tools and practices with which to take you
deeper into your practice, to connect you with the land and spirit.

In the next few months, I'll be launching a 12 week course to guide you, give you tools and
deepen your existing practice.

Till then,
Britton