returning to witchcraft after burnout?

[heron]

this was my first year at university, and although it was really rewarding academically, the course was so intense i ended up basically unable to do or even think about anything outside of my studies. as a result i burnt out and lost touch with my practice, and have been really struggling to get back into it ever since.

so, does anyone have any advice for returning to witchcraft after burning out? or just anecdotes to share?

also, i would love some advice on keeping up with witchcraft while studying for a really demanding degree, and any spells/working recommendations which might be useful at university.......

 

[hollowglasd]

i dont do witch craft but i did take a long break from magick a few years break and came back refreshed open to knew ideas and dedicated
best advice. take your time. there is no rush to return. when you do. do it on your terms of whats in your best interests. magick and witch craft will still be there for you

 

[ambientorb]

i have also been in your position as well, and just recently transitioned my career into metaphysics and witchcraft full time so that is the only reason i have freed time now, but my whole life was spent trying to divide it between life and my practice.

try to integrate parts of practice into your daily routine. anointing yourself with oil as you get ready, if you do deity work integrating prayers daily, and trying to read a bit each day even if it’s before bed. also sigil scribing is my go to part of practice when things get busy. it doesn’t have to be incredibly elaborate, just intentional.

 

[ghouldigger]

I've dealt with this before too! I'm currently in a bit of a rut practice-wise.
I hope you feel proud for pursuing your education and working so hard, but also take care of yourself when you can.

I've noticed it's gratifying for me to just stay connected in ways that I can. Like ambientorb said, adding things to your mundane routine with some intention is great! There are a lot of enjoyable ways to incorporate things into your daily life, but you'd have to see what feels good for you. Especially with burnout, I would focus on the things you like. I meditate or divine during my lunch break at work lol! It's tied to something that already happens, which helps me enforce the habit, and I also just like it so I keep doing it! It's something I can look forward to. There's no rush to dive into an elaborate daily ritual.

Also, chants and hymns are pretty great if you're into those. You can play them when you're doing something repetitive or just whenever. If you go to school on campus, maybe just playing something in your headphones while you walk from class to class. I also tend to listen to a lot of occult audiobooks throughout the day, and I feel like it keeps my mind fresh even if I'm not doing anything. (Shoutout to my library! That's how I get my audiobooks.)

 

[BBMage]

For me taking salt baths and doing weekly clearing on myself with a burn bowl were the most helpful things. Other than that, being gentle with yourself and don't push it. I have a daily spell that takes me less than 5 minutes that I do every day to keep the energy flowing, but if I don't feel good that may be the only thing I do magically for the day.

 

[Frater M.M.]

Lots of good advice in this thread. My current take is:

(1) I don't follow any punitive paths. So there have been times in my life where I've taken breaks from doing anything really for months or years or switched paths or whatever. It's no big deal. There's no one going to send me to hell for it, no magick police to tell me off, etc. So I just try and relax and let go of things, if I feel they're not working or I'm burnt out, until I feel like doing something again.

(2) Nowadays, I don't really see any distinction between mundane/profane and spiritual/sacred. So if I'm working on coding, tidying my room or playing guitar, for example, these acts can all be offerings to appropriate deities or I can work/collaborate with deities on these activities. Also, I can just do magick to enhance my abilities to do these activities or maybe do divination to explore how relevant they are to my life or what direction they should take, etc. I don't really section off bits of my life, as such, into [real life time] and [magick time], if that makes sense.