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From cleansing rituals to protective spells, there’s no need to bring your entire apothecary on the road.
Traveling opens us up to new experiences, cultures, and yes…spirits. But maintaining our rituals and magic work while on the road (or up in the air) isn’t always an easy task. Especially for those of us who work in the spiritual arts (or with psychic proclivities or intuitive sensitivities), it’s important to protect our energies while also staying grounded when we travel.
While witchcraft doesn’t necessarily require tools (remember that you have the power to perform most spells through your will and intention), I never leave for a trip without a few essential supplies in my arsenal.
Over the years, as a witch and travel journalist, I’ve found myself in some pretty wild, energetically-charged situations, a few of which I’ve written about in my recent book Wonderment. Whether it was exploring Mayan ritual sites in Yucatán, hearing the call of the Goddess in Ireland and Cuba, or performing emergency cleansing/protective spells in truly haunted places, I learned early on that it’s always best to be prepared.
I’ve also made plenty of mistakes along the way and found myself in certain energetic situations where I either knew better or the spirit world taught me a quick lesson, almost like a reproachful grandmother. One of my mottos is “the spirits know you when you come,” so it’s best to come correct. Yet some of those ‘spiritual travel lessons’ ended up becoming catalysts for new discovery and awakening, anchoring me in ways that I never thought possible.
But I do have one disclaimer to add before diving in: Every place we travel to has its own distinct spiritual energy, deities, and histories. We never want to use magic or spellwork to recolonize lands. That’s why petitioning the spirits of the land and showing reverence/respect for the existing (and buried) spiritual culture is extremely important in any magical work.
Blessed be and safe travels.
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Take a Piece of Mother Earth With You
When I’m on a plane, I like to keep something in my pocket or purse that represents the earth element. That may mean a small twig found in a local park during an enchanted walk, a rose quartz crystal (for the heart chakra), a piece red jasper (for the root chakra), or a small bundle/bag of herbs like lavender (for calm and protection). It’s not only a reminder of home, but also the grounding, nurturing, and protective qualities of Mother Earth.
If you’re an anxious flyer, for instance, you can hold the object in your hand and visualize your feet planted firmly on the ground, settled in the grass or dirt, absorbing the energies of the earth up through your toes and soles. I find this technique to be especially helpful for long-haul flights or as a general reset whenever you feel a bit unsettled or unbalanced.
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Make Your Own Cleansing/Purification Spray at Home
Since we can’t always burn incense or herbs in hotel rooms, I take a sacred, handmade cleansing spray with me on my travels. When you arrive at your hotel (or Airbnb), spritz the room with the intention of clearing away any negativity, lingering spirits, or low-energy vibes. Be sure to speak aloud your intention or recite a simple incantation as you spray the room.
Here’s how to make it: Take a one- or two-ounce spritz bottle (preferably amber-colored to increase the longevity of the ingredients) and add a few drops of essential oil related to your intention to the bottle. Then fill it up ¼ way with witch hazel, add a little sprinkle of herbs or tiny crystals of your choice, and fill the rest of the bottle with spring or tap water. Close the bottle, shake vigorously, and then add a few more essential oils to your desired scent.
As you add each ingredient to the bottle, focus on your intention for the spray: To clear away negative energies and purify your surroundings. Oils and herbs that are good for this include rue, rosemary, lemon, lavender, frankincense, and cedar, amongst many others. Or you can simply add Florida, holy, or orange water to a travel spray bottle and use that instead.
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Cast a Grounding and Protective Spell While You’re on the Go
This is one of the simplest, yet most powerful spells in my psychic arsenal. It’s from my book Wonderment, and I love to recommend it because anyone can do it anywhere, anytime — no tools required. If you ever feel like you’re in a dangerous situation, simply overstimulated/overwhelmed, or encounter something unsavory or “heavy” during your travels, try the following spell (and also practice it as much as you can to strengthen it).
Visualize a white, golden light about five feet above your head or crown chakra. As the white light grows in intensity, visualize tiny particles of this light raining down on you and purifying your aura. Then, imagine this light radiating outwards from your body, like the protective membrane of a cell, pushing away anything harmful or not aligned with your highest good. Keep the light visualization going until you feel safe and grounded again.
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Bring Cone Incense
It’s simply not practical (and magic should be practical!) to carry around a ton of herbs, resins, and incense while traveling, especially if you’re a carry-on-only person or backpacking in a new country. Plus, your host or hotelier may not want their rooms filled with herbal smoke, or it can bother other guests with sensitivities. Instead, bring a few small incense cones for your magical work, which produce much less smoke than full sticks, resins/charcoal, or herb bundles.
INSIDER TIPKeeping with the rule of “Do what thou wilt, but harm none,” smoke cleansing should be kept to a minimum indoors while traveling as a guest in others’ homes. But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, so when in a pinch, head to the local market for herbs to bundle on your own.
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Keep a Packet of Sea Salt (or a Sea Salt Blend) With Your Toiletries
Sea salt is one of the most ancient ingredients used for a variety of spells in cultures around the world. Sprinkle a bit of sea salt across door thresholds and windowsills for protection, all while saying something along the lines of “No one can cross here who has ill will or wishes me harm.” Similarly, you can use your packet of sea salt for a psychic cleansing ritual bath in the evenings or add it to a cup of water to douse yourself in the shower. As you do so, envision any negativity being washed away and going down the drain.
INSIDER TIPTalismans can be anything that you ascribe power or meaning to. They can be charms, necklaces, stones, mini statues, sigils, or any object that represents/has spiritual power, as long as you psychically charge and enchant them beforehand with your specific intention.
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Charge Your Talismans and Wear Them as You Travel
Before you leave for your travels, light a small candle and/or sacred herbs in a fire-safe dish and wave your talisman over the candlelight and smoke, speaking your intention aloud. Whether your talisman is for safety, blessings, protection, or a mix of all three, be sure to charge it with intention before jet-setting. Wear or carry the item throughout the duration of your travels.
INSIDER TIPCertain crystals, resins, and unpolished gemstones like selenite, raw obsidian, and amber should never be placed in salt water. Look up the material before deciding on your cleansing technique/ritual so as not to damage your object.
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Say a Prayer of Gratitude and Respect for the Indigenous Spirits and Ghosts of the Land
Not all spiritual energies, religions, deities, or otherwise are the same everywhere, and we don’t want to impose our individual practices and traditions on any given place. Remember, magic should never be used to recolonize spaces or places.
For instance, if you’re used to bringing offerings to your deities at the seashore or riverside, maybe don’t do that while traveling in a new land without researching the existing history and Indigenous traditions. Or at the very least, take your devotional offerings with you when you leave. One of my spiritual mottos (and continuing theme in my book!) is “The spirits know you when you come.” Respect the dead, respect the Indigenous spirits of the land, and acknowledge the spiritual lineages of the land you’re visiting.
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Set an Intention for Your Trip Using Candle Magic
Perhaps you’re looking for a spiritual awakening or adventure. Or hot sex with a stranger and really good food. Or maybe you’re looking for a particular item, life experience, or just want to have a good, safe time exploring a new land. All intentions are valid.
Whatever your specific intention is, focus on manifesting what you’d like to get out of the trip before you leave. Write it down (as a single line) on a slip of paper and set it under a small candle for a few days. The night before the trip (or on the full or new moon before the trip for an extra boost), burn the paper with the flame of the candle while using your will to focus on what you’d like to come to fruition on your travels.
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Pack Only the Essential (Oils)
Again, we can’t take the whole kit and caboodle — aka our personal apothecaries — on our travels. It’s just not sensible. Instead, take only what you absolutely need and trust that anything that’s “missing,” you will find in a local market on your journey. Witches are used to working with whatever they have at-hand. It’s never about fancy supplies. And leave your personal Book of Shadows at home. Instead, maybe bring a small pouch with one or two oils, palo santo (if you already use it), a few cone incense, a sea salt packet, a couple tea packets for herbs, and a journal.
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Cleanse Your Sacred Tools When You Arrive Home
After you return home, cleanse your talismans, tools, and magical items in a bowl of sea salt (as long as the material will not be damaged) under the full moon light, in bright sunlight, or dunked in a bowl of salt water. Leave it to cleanse for at least 24 hours before recharging it with your intention and wearing or using it again. Remember to say “thank you” to your talismans and sacred objects once you’re home safe.