Is Meditation Necessary in Witchcraft?

12/17/2021

Meditation: It’s one of the oldest debates in the metaphysical community. Even when I was practicing magic in my hometown–where you only shared your Craft with the five other people who practiced–people argued over whether meditation is necessary. Hell, even chat rooms on Usenet blew up over the meditation debate.

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Proponents argue that meditation has upgraded their Craft or that they cannot imagine magic without it. Opposers claim that meditation doesn’t work for them, and they practice fine without it.

Both sides make valid points. For beginners, this debate is especially confusing, so they often ask content creators for their opinions. I’ve received dozens of messages asking about meditation.

Here’s what I think:

People Are Hyper-Focusing on One Specific Practice Instead of Observing the Bigger Picture.

What do I mean by that?

Meditation is one example of the broader magical practice that I will call trance work. Trance work is intentionally entering a trance to calm the mind and emotions.

Meditation is one method of trance work, and it does not work for everyone. To put this into perspective, imagine if someone argued that every magician must use tarot cards. In doing so, this hypothetical person is ignoring all other methods of divination: scrying, runes, pendulums, osteomancy, etc.

As a community, we would benefit more from discussing trance work instead of arguing about meditation specifically.

What’s the Point of Trance Work?

Trance work intentionally dulls the mind. Emotions will relax and stabilize; intrusive thoughts will occur less frequently. While in a trance, the magician is more susceptible to receiving messages from spirits and deities. Trances are especially important in spirit work. Witches use trances to communicate with spirits, receive visions, and hedgecross (travel to another spiritual domain).

If you’re familiar with psychology, this might remind you of mindfulness. I would say that mindfulness is the halfway point of trance work. Mindfulness practices (including meditation) assuage the body to calm a person’s emotions. Trance work doesn’t just calm people down–it also slows your thoughts.

To be clear, you can still think during a trance. And this state is temporary. But if you’ve ever performed magic and wondered, “Is that my thought, or a message from something?” then you might benefit from trance work.

Magicians use a trance to prevent themselves from interrupting their own experiences. It decelerates anxious thoughts and doubts and allows them to just experience the moment. After the spell/divination/hedgecrossing finishes, they can interpret what happens.

What Methods Can You Use Besides Meditation?

If meditation doesn’t work for you, you’re not alone. Magicians have been practicing other methods of trance work for centuries.

In many historical records–from ancient Greek writings to ceremonial grimoires of the Middle Ages–writers mention the use of hallucinogens. Practitioners would often burn certain plants and experience visions. DO NOT copy these grimoires without proper research. Some of the plants are poisonous, and I do not recommend substances like datura.

That being said, there are some mild hallucinogens and herbs that can contribute to a trance state. And smoke was not the only method. Let’s explore a few others:

Music. Music noticeably impacts our emotions; it can excite us, anger us, or relax us. Certain music can assuage your emotions and mind. I often listen to music along with meditation; you can find plenty of free meditation music on YouTube.
Chants. A chant is a rhythmic phrase that you repeat over and over. Those who have used a Catholic rosary know what I’m talking about. While a chant can be a prayer, it doesn’t have to be. It can be an affirmation, quote, or song lyrics, as long as it is rhythmic and appropriate for the situation.
- A lot of Pagan and witchy music includes chants (i.e. repeatable lyrics) for the purpose of rituals.
Dance. The stereotype of naked women dancing around a bonfire has some historical precedence. Dancing can give you a break from your thoughts, especially in a group. For rituals, most people perform repetitive dance moves that do not require too much energy.
Breathing Exercises. Have you ever noticed that your breath hastens when you’re nervous or stressed? This is because breath impacts the mind and vice-versa. Specific breathing exercises can prepare you for a spell. I will provide two examples.
- Slow Breath - This method slows down your breathing to relax your body and mind. Breathe in and count to a certain number; when you breathe out, increase that number by 1. For example, you can breathe in for 4 seconds, and then breathe out for 5 seconds. By focusing on your breath, your heart rate will slow and anxious thoughts should calm down.
- Fire Breath - Unlike Slow Breath, Fire Breath speeds up your breathing. This method can make people dizzy or lightheaded, so proceed with caution. Breathe rapidly for a few seconds, and then take one deep, long inhale and exhale. I usually make noise during this. Repeat until entering a trance state.

Incense. Witches don’t just light incense because it smells good. The incense serves a magical purpose (such as spiritual protection) and mesmerizes us with its smoke.
Ritual Baths. Many writers recommend ritual baths for cleansing, but it can also mentally prepare you for a large ritual or spell. It will relax and refresh you. Many witches make and sell bath bombs, salts, and herb mixtures for these baths.

Be VERY careful with essential oils; I’ve heard horror stories of people feeling delusional from soaking in wormwood oil or something similar. Always do your research beforehand.

Magical Teas. People have created magical tea recipes for divination, meditation, spirit work, inducing visions, and more. These teas usually contain relaxing herbs that open your psychic senses, such as lavender, mugwort, and yarrow. Here's a full list of tea correspondences.
Herbal Smoking Blends. I will cover this topic in a later post, but for now, know that magical smoking blends don’t necessarily involve weed or tobacco. Generally speaking, herbs that you can drink as a tea can also be smoked. But some might harm people who are pregnant, nursing, or have allergies. ALWAYS RESEARCH BEFORE PRACTICING.

Returning from a Trance

As long as you’re not using hard drugs, everyone’s trance goes away eventually. But it might take a little bit. Personally, I have found that deep trances for hedgecrossing take longer to end, and I might spend a while “coming back to the room.”

If you want to speed up this process, use a grounding technique. Any method of grounding will work, but here are some ideas.

Focus on a textured object such as a crystal, plush doll, or fidget toy.
Play upbeat music.
Have a snack or drink.
Describe objects in the room, either out loud or in your head. For example, you might think, “There’s a shelf right there. Those are my books. Those are my essential oils,” etc.
Perform a “body scan.” Focus on the feeling of the top of your head, and migrate down to your toes.
Give yourself time. You don’t have to feel 100% grounded right away. Returning from a trance is like waking up from a deep sleep; you won’t feel awake right away, but you’ll get there.

What Did I Miss?

What do you think about meditation in magic? Is it necessary? Are there other methods of trance work that I forgot about? Please let me know in the comments below!