Basking in Your Glow: Creating Relationships With Spirits Around You

Have you ever been on a walk and felt the caress of wind weaving through your hair? Or looked at a tree and felt a pull when you saw the way their branches and leaves swayed in the wind? These are signs of a spirit calling to you — and they're all around. Spirit is the link between the ethereal realm and earth, a tether to your intuition. They can be perceived as our guides, our allies, or simply a joyful energy basking in our presence. There can be an uncertainty and fear around engaging with spirits, partially because of sensational media painting pictures of catastrophe, and partially because there’s an expectation of clairvoyant superiority required for engaging. Banish the thought that you have to be a stellar psychic in order to have a relationship with spirits, babe; it’s not true. Everyone practices magic differently, and you should absolutely show up wherever you're at! Spirits are all encompassing, and the ones that exist in your life would love to get to know you. 

The first step to learning about the spirits in your life is making space to establish a relationship. The societal norms we are familiar with are incredibly fast-paced and action oriented, but (no surprise) this is not conducive to much. Witches not only bear this burden but also fall trap to the concept of ritual being of pomp and circumstance, of grandeur. While those certainly can be joyful, there is a lot of magic that gets missed when we don’t take time to bask in the simple moments. Slow yourself down and activate observation mode, starting with your physical self. Establish a care routine that has you regularly checking in with your body and observing your physical and emotional needs and desires. Grab that glass of water just because, move a little slower and stretch because it feels good. Understanding the waxing and waning queues of your emotions and physical being can help you decipher when something outside of you is taking place. It creates space for spirits to be witnessed. 

Now you can cast your attention to how outside energies affect your body and may be interacting around you. What types of extraordinary experiences have you encountered? Call to mind scenarios where you’ve smelled something that doesn’t belong in the situation, or perhaps an electric thrill that courses through your body when the wind blows in your hair. Think of objects and beings you encounter on a regular basis. Perhaps this shows up as a particular tree you always walk by and are drawn to but don’t know why, or rabbits that always hop along your yard when you walk outside. Before jumping into specifically naming these spirits, remember to cast protections around yourself before exploring so that you aren’t drawing in spirits that mean you any harm. 

Follow that thread tugging you towards something outside of you, and trust yourself. Maybe you’re feeling a spiritual connection to the hydrangeas outside of your house. Maybe it’s a houseplant, a neighborhood cat, or even a spirit living in an object that you use regularly — all of these connections are valid and you get to name the relationships you’re forming. If there’s any uncertainty, pendulums are an excellent tool for identification, and a simple “Is this a spirit that wants to work with me?” can give you the clarification you seek. 

Spirits can form alliances with you that offer wisdom, support and guidance, a tether to your intuition when you want to trust outside yourself. Many witches form connections with ancestral spirits and strengthen their practice with ancestral guidance. 

Once you’ve identified your spirit or spirits, take time to cultivate a relationship. Partner with your favorite oracle or tarot deck, or sit down and journal, and ask these questions: 

What does this spirit represent for me?

What would this spirit like me to know? 

How would this spirit like to work with me? 

How would this spirit like me to show up for them? 

Creating space for reciprocity is the surest way to tend a relationship. Find ways to incorporate the last card's answer into a practice that honors the spirits. Take time to be curious and investigate — if your spirit embodies an object, where did this object come from? What is the history? Take space to reflect and speculate. Get lost in the deep depths of research, stoke your curiosity to its fullest. 

Magic is everywhere around you. Give yourself permission to be present in the small moments and witness life, make space for spirits to make themselves known. Tend to these relationships and partner with their energy around you as often as feels good, babe.