9 Tips for the Beginner Cottage Witch

Attend the Magic in the Mundane

My dear Beginner Cottage Witch, you don’t have to live in a cutesy cottage to be a Cottage Witch. But, you do need a connection with nature, your home, and your body.

The path of the Cottage Witch might be right for you if…

• You want to live a life filled with magic. 

• You want to feel connected to the rhythm of seasons and the cycles of the moon.  

• You want to study about herbs, cooking, gardening. Tarot, or shamanic journeying

• You want to feel like you belong to your body, home, and land.

Here are my favorite tips for living the Cottage Witch Life.

1. Say Hi to Your Home

In the show, ‘The Art of Tidying Up,’ Marie Kondo greets the home before she tidies up. She kneels in the center of the house and bows to the home. The Cottage Witch similarly honors the home as a living spirit. When our family goes on a trip, we always say goodbye to the house. And, when we get back, we shower her with love and appreciation. Cottage Witches often hang bells on their front doors to announce arrivals and departures. Be in conversation with your home, and listen for its personalities.

Sometimes you may want to focus your energy on a specific zone in the house. At the Fall Equinox, our family ceremonially lit the first fire in the woodstove. We honored and celebrated the stove and gave thanks for all its hard work. Cottage Witches might greet the spirit of the kitchen before making a meal, or sing to the garden before planting seeds. 

2. Listen to the Land

Cottage Witches walk the land and notice changes. Spend time in natural spaces, and listen to the wild spaces. Cottage Witches have favorite trees. Talk to plants and forage honorably. Learn how to communicate with the Guardians of the Land. The Cottage Witch pays attention to the energy of the land and treats the Earth as a teacher, healer, and source of life. In the city this might look like walks in the park or tending a balcony garden. But, it is essential to spend time in large expanses of wildness. Cottage Witches are hikers, backpackers, National Parks visitors, and campers.

3. Study

Let us always stay curious! Cottage Witches are always studying because they are ever-expanding. Study herbalism, moon magic, folklore, watercolor, flower arranging, Tarot, or cooking. Geek-out on podcasts, books, movies, and classes. A Cottage Witch’s knowledge is both practical and mystical. She studies the stars and the soil.

4. Consume Well

“We are what we consume. If we look deeply into the items that we consume every day, we will come to know our own nature very well.” - Thich Nanh Hanh

The goal is to eat food that is physically healthy and energetically clean. If the pickers in the field are mistreated, that negativity is transferred to the produce. When an animal dies in terror, its meat carries the memory of that fear. When possible, buy food that is local, organic, and fair trade. Say a blessing over your food before consuming it to transmute any lingering negativity: “To all hands seen, and unseen, may you be blessed.” Check out this Mindful Consumption Prayer

But it's not just food. Social media, film and television, magazines and books can also be toxic. A violent film brings the energy of violence into your body. When scrolling through social media, focus on consuming beauty and kindness instead of hate and fear. A Cottage Witch chooses media that makes her feel good, inspires creative expression, or critically examines systems of power. 

5. Build a Magical Mindset

Cottage Witches know how to connect with the consciousness of the world. Be sensitive to the energy around you. Be mindful and slow. Listen and notice the quality of the energy. A Cottage Witch can sense the consciousness of trees, clothes, and stones. Cultivate a Magical Mindset by tuning into the magic all around you.

6. Communicate with Spirit

A Cottage Witch may use divination tools like Tarot or tea leaves to connect with unseen worlds. The Cottage Witch learns the language of oracles and devotes herself to communicating with deities, angels, ancestors, plants and more. I recommend working with one technique for 40 days and see what happens. Here are a few of my favorite ways to connect with Spirit; journal, meditate, shamanic journey, meditate, Tarot, pendulum, I-Ching, and oracle cards.

7. Work with Water + Take Responsibility For Your Vibration

Water is a liquid crystal. Its structure is constantly changing, easily influenced by the surrounding vibrations. It is a powerful conductor of energy and emotion. So, be mindful when you work with water. Your thoughts affect the quality of the water. Your emotions shape the structure of water. Take responsibility for your energy when you are around water. Breath in love and kindness. Exhale appreciation. Cottage Witches program water with their intentions. I like to chant the word “love” while pouring my tea water.

8. Tend To Your Home 

Cottage Witches are fixers, makers, tinkerers, and cleaners. You can work magic through your mundane chores like sweeping, patching, and baking. As I sweep, I imagine sweeping away the dense energy along with the dust bunnies. Cottage Witches take care of their homes and possessions, and they choose to repair and repurpose old and broken items. Treat your home with reverence. Decorate with intention. Clean regularly and mindfully. 

9. Tend To The Thresholds

At the heart of witchcraft is the ability to walk between worlds. Witches see the world through many perspectives. Learn to empathize with fungi, octopi, and villains. Create relationships with your spiritual guides to navigate unseen realms. The Cottage Witch sits between dualities and sees both sides of the story. She dwells in the mystery and then bakes cookies. She is embodied spirit. She is a thresholder. She has boundaries and communicates her needs. The Cottage Witch heals and harmonizes. 

So, my dear Beginner Cottage Witch, what do you want to focus on first? Pick one area to focus on! Do 40 days of devotion to that one thing and see how the practice transforms your life. 

1. Greet Your Home

2. Listen to the Land

3. Study

4. Consume Well

5. Build a Magical Mindset

6. Communicate with Spirit

7. Work with Water + Vibration

8. Tend to Your Home

9. Tend to the Thresholds

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FILL YOUR LIFE WITH MAGIC

How can we experience the sacred more often? What magical practices can bring us into relationship with Spirit? What can we do to weave magic into our everyday lives so that we can feel connected to the sacred in the mundane?

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