It is getting cold. I am not a fan of the cold. Very anemic. Very low iron. There are plenty of things besides the cold I am not a fan of when it comes to winter. Another being I am more likely to be depressed. Winter blues grabs me by the throat and refuses to let me go every year. That doesn’t change that I do my best to change my energy, and still enjoy the season.

I try to go to every winter activity around my city they have. Especially if it is free. The best thing I have found to do is force myself to not bed rot. I’ve noticed that, free or not, these activities are still expensive. They are costly if we aren’t getting home early enough to cook dinner. 

The constant need to refill the gas tank. Having to run to the store for little odds and ends while we are out and about. Just things I feel like I wouldn’t have needed to buy if I was at home.

I want to save money and not ‘bed rot’. I also wanted to recenter in my witch and spiritual girl era as I felt like I have been slacking. Here’s some things I started to add in slowly over the years and/or will add in this year.

P.S I am not Wiccan or Pagan I have never celebrated Yule and I don’t know how. I took Christmas and mixed it with the spiritually I already practiced. If you are looking for Yule this is not the post for you.

Christmas Wreath for Protection

Most of us put our Christmas wreaths on the outside of our doors mainly as decoration. It is already on the outside of our door. I think that’s the perfect place to put a protection spell. We can stop negative energy, evil spirits, or hateful people right at the door. We can even block the evil eye without allowing it to enter our homes. Like why suffer if we don’t actually have to right? 

I am a big fan of things being cute and functional. We’re not putting anything in the house and it’s going to have our home looking crazy. At the same time we’re not going to have anything on our door that’s making our yard look tacky either. 

You may not be super crafty. Also, you might not be the best at DIYs. As a result, you might not trust yourself to make this wreath. Go ahead and get one that’s already made and we can just add things to it. It’s not cheating, it’s practical.

I tend to be very busy during the winter. By my own doing I like us to do many activities and things. I also normally travel to visit family. To keep my timing realistic, I use a plastic wreath that just looks real. It looks nice and the price is nice too. It saves on time not trying to make a wreath by hand. Get a blank slate or something decorated. It really wont matter.

How to Decorate the Wreath

I start off with cleansing my wreath, real or fake. Everything holds energy. For this to do what I want it to do I want a clean slate. The easiest method I have is putting Florida Water in a spray bottle. I make sure to get it good front and back. I then let it air dry. 

(Tip. If I bought a lot of stuff, it is because stores tend to be busy. Those items, as well as myself, have probably picked up on a lot of energy. I like to smoke the whole house out. Normally I reach for copal on these days.)

Once It is dry. I start to add in things based on my theme and my intention. For this my intention is almost always protection, but it doesn’t have to be.

There are other things you can add however if you dry or preserve correctly then they look nice. Some things I like to add in are: Jupiter, Garlic, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, Yarrow, Cedar, Carnation, and Mistletoe.

Again which items I actually add in are based on the theme and I do add in some decorative items. I do add in bows and stuff too if I only buy a wreath base. We keep it cute. I just add in things to make it witchy.

Spending time with spirits and veneration

With the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it’s easy to get caught up in trying to get everything done. You also spend time with family. I feel like it’s so easy to forget about our spiritual team. Taking the time to commune with spirits also forces you to sit down and to take a break. If you’re present during the time that you’re at your altar space. It will force you to recuperate and reground and regroup. Spending time with Spirit can be a beautiful experience. It provides you with things you didn’t know you needed in that moment.

As a Hoodoo practitioner our ancestors are suppose to be venerated with everything we do in life. Don’t exclude them on the holidays.

One thing it is that I personally do is I include them in my holiday feast. If I’m having Christmas dinner, or Thanksgiving dinner, or even Sunday dinner. they are getting a small portion of it. I do this to thank them for what they’ve done for me. It also serves as a reminder to myself and them that without their assistance, I probably wouldn’t have this now.

Yes, I do work hard for the things that I have. When I feel like giving up, they remind me that I’m on the right path. They help me realign myself. so I use my altar time as an opportunity to give gratitude.

If you’re unsure of a way to properly venerate your spirits, consider evaluating your practices. You might feel that your spiritual team isn’t connecting with you as you would like. I suggest taking a step back. Regroup and consider looking at my ancestor elevation post. Try doing those steps with that altar to see if things change.

Decorating with Intention

I use my Christmas wreath as an opportunity. It’s a chance to put a protection spell on my door. I like to create spells  all over my home. Sometimes when we light the fireplace, I like to throw herbs. This can bring in money or abundance. It can also just bring me some peace.

I will put a different Christmas theme in each room of the house. This way, it can bring in a different feel, a different vibe, and a different energy.

I like to change the color theme of the Christmas tree each year. I base it on the energy I need to bring in. Colors have associations, and we know that from our candle magic, right?

I switch out the candles that I burned throughout the winter from my everyday scents. I like scents that remind me of Christmas 

Cooking with Intention

I love and hate cooking. When I am in the mood to cook, I swear I am Gordon Ramsey himself. In that kitchen, no one can tell me otherwise. When I am not in the mood to cook, we are eating spaghetti nightly like childhood trauma. 

Regardless of my energy level, cooking with intention is the easiest thing. If you don’t know your herbs, brush up on it. Onions are good for protection. Bay leaves bring in luck. So as I add my seasonings into my food I do it as if it is a spell.

Stir the pot in the direction of your intention. Cursing sickness, counter clockwise to repel illness. Gumbo? That’s the best pot of abundance you can cook up in the winter. It is one of my favorite dishes for when it’s cold outside. Stir it towards you, bring it in.

Incorporate it in the way you dress

Any time I start to slip into my depression, my spirits remind me of a key truth. “When you look good, you feel good.” Remember how I said Winter Blues likes to treat me like I owe her money? Dressing up and putting effort into how I look has made a difference. 

I am not saying, put on a dress and heels. And I am not saying do your makeup. Or even am I saying dress in ways that make you feel good. Feel confident. 

I often like to wear dresses and tops with those long flowy sleeves. Something about that always makes me feel witchy. 

Last Remarks

Nothing I wrote down is the correct way. It is also not the wrong way to bring in holiday cheer. Do the best way that makes sense to you. These are just some things I like to incorporate for Christmas. They help me keep the witchy spirit while also maintaining the holiday spirit. This is true even when I may not feel like my best self on those days.

I know that for some of us this is going to be hard. However, don’t allow yourself to fall victim to the winter blues this year. Let’s combat this together as a group if we possibly can. If you have any encouraging words leave it in the comments.