Coping with the Coronavirus pandemic
Updated: Jan 7, 2021
Stories from people who are suffering or fighting through the global COVID-19 pandemic are everywhere. From heart-breaking images of patients struggling to breathe in Italian hospitals and the elderly not being able to buy basic provisions, to infographics highlighting the number of outbreaks across the globe - fear and pain is unavoidable.
These stories are understandably unsettling. Changing your entire way of life can be overwhelming, but you are not alone.
To keep my household as peaceful and safe as possible, I have been trying to create a greater sense of control. As an empath I absorb other people’s emotions, so it’s extra important that I remain calm and not spiral into full-blown panic from the utter hugeness of this.
I believe it is important for all of us to understand what is happening in the world, and to be informed by a reasonable amount of news, but also to turn our screens off to prevent overload. The news is very negatively biased so I try not to have the TV on during the day. Instead I play the music I love or listen to the world around me. It’s so peaceful not having cars driving past my windows all day long, I’ve even started to hear the birds singing in the morning. When any of us are feeling caged-in or agitated in our home, we take a short, nourishing walk, play a board game or take part in some other activity that we enjoy. Limiting my social media and TV intake to half an hour a day is helping me stay balanced.
Alongside the recommended guidelines provide by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Public Health England, below are a few extra steps I have been taking to keep myself and my family both healthy and stress-free:
Boost your immune system with magickal herbs
Feeling healthy, and knowing I have fuelled my body with nourishment grown for me by Mother Earth, helps me focus my mind on staying strong and fit, rather than worrying about illness. Meat and carbs make me feel sluggish and tired so, particularly now, I am eating as many fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and herbs as I can find. Echinacea tea is a must-have in my cupboards.
Our supermarket shelves are empty, but the ground isn’t. With Ostara settling in in the Northern Hemisphere, now is a great time to go foraging – a little fresh air and exercise is doing my family the world of good.
You can find out more about the magickal properties of herbs in our Magickal Herb Journal.
Read more about immune system boosting herbs in this article by Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/immune-system-bitters-recipe#1
Read more ways to boost the immune system here: https://healthcareinamerica.us/for-a-stronger-immunity-natural-ways-to-boost-the-immune-system-d7aba9ae599b
Get some fresh air to blow away negativity
Many countries are now in total lock down, but this doesn’t mean you can’t get fresh air. If you’re feeling well but self-isolating and social distancing, open your window, stand on your balcony or sit in your garden. Sitting in a stuffy room all day, breathing in stale air drives me round the bend!
For extra freshness in your home, mix a few drops of fresh lemon juice in a spray bottle of water and spritz your curtains. Lemon dispels confusion, lessens worry and helps you release feelings of doubt. It also increases your sense of security, eases fear and clears negativity, so when the breeze blows through your windows, it will bring a brighter energy.
Meditation and crystal healing
At the time of writing, there is no confirmed cure for Coronavirus. I’ve seen some conflicting reports on medicines that can help relieve the symptoms, but pills don’t balance out your body’s internal energy.
I’m not suggesting that crystals can cure the Coronavirus, but their vibrations work with the energy of your body to help fight dis-ease from the inside.
Meditating with loving, calming and protective crystals can reduce feelings of anxiety and tension, and settle your mind. Fear and worry cause stress, which scientific studies show affects the ability for the body to fight off toxins or other antigens. Fear prepares us to react to danger and our body release hormones that slow or shut down functions that we don’t immediately needed for survival, such as our immune system. By staying calm, and not living in fear, your body has a better chance of fighting off infections and viruses.
Meditating daily, even for just 5 minutes at a time, will help to calm your nervous system. By taking long, deep breaths, your body and mind will begin to relax, releasing fear and relieving stress. The magickal life has so much to offer, don’t allow fear and worry to control you.
A helpful list of crystals for relaxation and relieving anxiety can be found here: https://www.energymuse.com/blog/calming-crystals-anxiety
As well as meditating with crystals, you can place them next to your bed or bathe with them in warm water. Crystals can be infused with your drinking water or a cup of warm tea with honey, or you can simply carry them with you in a handbag or pocket.
Follow @world_of_magick on Instagram for more magickal properties of crystals.
Practice your spells
During this unsettling time, let’s not forget that we are witches. We practice magick to turn our intentions into reality. We know better than anyone that everything is connected, and that we can gently nudge and redirect the power of the earth with our craft.
Casting spells for healing and protection will help you feel safe. Use this time to practice your spells or learn a new one; get crafty and do all the things you haven’t got around to doing before; carve candles; sew poppets; mix herbs in your cauldron; start a book of shadows – or add to your existing one; burn incense; learn or write new chants; watch YouTube videos; read a book either online or from your bookshelf; spring clean your home with magickal intentions and declutter the areas you’ve been putting off; open your windows and let the fresh air fill every corner of your home; plant seeds in your garden or in a pot on your windowsill and give thanks to the earth, the trees, flowers, birds and animals around you.
Rest
Take this time to heal, just as Mother Earth is healing. The canals in Venice are running crystal clear and the fish have returned; Dolphins are coming closer to Italy; Japan has deer roaming free in the streets and the air pollution over China has significantly cleared.
Rest and self-care gives your body time to mend. Life can be fast-paced and frustrating. It’s so easy to forget that our bodies are incredible, miraculous creations - not just machines designed to churn out work and chores during our waking hours. Your body is a temple. Your energy is unique. Allow yourself time to appreciate your magnificence.
Live the magickal life
Show love to your friends and family; care for your community and help those who cannot fend for themselves. Leave that third packet of toilet roll on the shelf for someone who really needs it; before you go to the store, ask your neighbours if they need anything; take a long bubble bath and pamper yourself; cast a spell for love and healing light across the world.
We are witches. We are all in this together.