Self-Devotion: Magical Letter-Writing for the Self

You are the longest romance of your life. Love of all kinds ebbs and fades, but the relationship you share with yourself is an eternal affair. The love that passes between the heart and the body, the betrayals you let linger, the way you mend yourself—all of it leaves marks. When we come to the end of our lives, we shine with the evidence of how we've loved ourselves. Even as our inner flame reaches the end of its wick, those who've tended themselves as lovers do can't help but warm every space they enter.

Over the course of our lives, we fall in and out of loves with ourselves over and over. As witches, we know even this cycle is sacred. Our devotion to ourselves is transmutational, mutable, and amorphous. You'll love yourself differently at twenty-two than you will at forty-eight. You'll show up for yourself with different convictions, and with varying interest in your dreams. Even when we feel we've lost ourselves, that we've entered some unending winter of love, the flame is still there, smoldering under the ice.

But what do we do when we're ready to re-commit to ourselves, and our connection to self feel dulled, muted, or frayed? We make an act of self-devotion. This letter-writing spell will aid you in the process of reaching out to yourself with gentleness, and a genuine desire to repair self-love.

You will need:

• Paper (the more luscious the feel of this paper, the better)

• A red or gold ink pen

• Candles, incense, flowers, sprays, and whatever else you need to set the mood

Begin by establishing a warm, quiet space for yourself to spend the next half an hour to an hour writing your letter. Fill this space with items that make your body feel good—burn your favorite scented candle or incense, and wipe down your writing surface so it's free of dust. Before you start writing, spend some time thanking your hands for connecting you to your inner voice. Thank them for acting as the vehicle for your spell, and for connecting your heart to your body.

When you're ready to begin writing, choose which perspective you'd like to write from. What part of yourself are you looking to fall back in love with? If you're writing from your body, address this letter to your heart. If you're writing from your heart space, address your letter to the body.

This is a love letter—an expression of your deepest longings, imaginings, and wonderings. Be fearless in your expression. Say only what you mean, and use language that feels tantalizing. Be nonsensical if need be. Logic is less important than passion here. Write for as long as you need, or until your hand is tired.

When your letter is finished, fold it up and slip it inside your pillow. As you drift off to sleep, visualize yourself opening the letter as though you'd received it in the mail. Let yourself pour over the letter as long as you need—sink into the sensory experience of the language, of the paper, of the shape of the letters. In the morning, jot down any dreams from the previous night, then burn your letter in a fire-proof dish and distribute the ashes outside.