Hi there and thank you for your question. As an empath myself I have quite a lot of experience when it comes to helping myself – and it’s very important that you learn how to or it can be quite damaging to your health in lots of ways.
Here’s some tips for you that have served me well over the years:

1. The first thing to learn is how to protect yourself. There are many techniques you can try for this but my own favourite is a mirrored bubble. Take some time to get a sense of your energy field, also known as your aura. It’s a bubble that expands all the way around you in an egg shape expanding about the length of your arms. Once you have got a good sense of your aura, then spend some time visualising or sensing a mirror that sits on the edge facing outwards. You can use this whenever you feel the need to and the more you practice, the better you will be at putting it in place. It is especially useful in situations where you don’t want to be picking up the energies and emotions of others such as when their energy might drain you or overwhelm you.
   
   
2. Learn to focus on your breathing. Being able to spend a few moments just paying attention to your own breath can be very useful if you feel that you’re picking up on someone else’s energy as it helps to centre you back in your own power. Holding your breath is not a good idea in these situations as it can hold the other persons energy in your body and energy field. If it helps, you can add visualising breathing out anything you don’t want and breathing in clean, white light.
   
   
3. Get to know yourself and your needs as an empath. These vary from person to person just as any other need does. Take some time to think about the situations that get to you the most and then figure out what you need to get through them safely without absorbing energies you don’t need and also what you need the other side of the situation to feel right again. Knowing yourself and your needs is important for anyone but especially important if you are going to function well as an empath.
   
   
4. Get help if you need it. Some empaths are born, and some are made by their circumstances and situations they have lived through. Those that are made in this way may be extra sensitive due to what they’ve been through and it can really help to get therapy to help you deal with those things in order to help you rein in your empathic tendencies.
   
   
5. My last, and perhaps most vital, piece of advice is to learn to set boundaries and healthy limits. That is, learn to control the time you spend around people that add to your stress or place expectations on you that go beyond the limits you set for yourself. Most importantly, learn to say no and use it as a complete sentence. It is easy for empaths to go above and beyond because they understand how people feel but it is not always the right thing to do, especially for you.
   
   

I can also recommend that you look up the work of both Christiane Northrup and Judith Orloff. Both have years of experience in helping empaths of varying kinds and lots of tools that can be of great benefit.
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I hope that helps,
Bright blessings,
Sarah x

QUESTION: I am seeking a spell to attract wealth, and/or one to help me release my blockages to attract it. Any advice?

ANSWER: Thank you for your question, it is one that I get asked quite a lot. I am going to presume that you mean money when you say wealth rather than abundance – I hope I am right with that!
Let’s deal with addressing the blockages first. There are a few things that can lead to blockages when it comes to money so it is going to take some time reflecting on your reasons and once you find the right ones for you, you’ll be able to work on them. You need to be as honest as possible with yourself and it usually ends up being a combination of two or more reasons for most people. Most of these are psychological or emotional and so meditation is my preferred way to find them and challenge them. Here is a list of the most common limiting reasons:

1. Believing that you aren’t worthy of having money
2. Negative beliefs about money such as “money is the root of all evil”
3. Believing that even if you had money you wouldn’t manage it well.
4. Believing that opportunity to make or have money will never come your way.
5. Having an excessive “giving” mindset.
6. Not having set goals to achieve.
7. Fear of success.

There are many ways of doing this work, meditation is the one I would most recommend if you can and there are some great guided meditations online to help you with it.

There are a great many spells out there for attracting wealth to you, but I like the simplest ones best. They don’t have many ingredients and can be done by anyone with things they will find in any home.

My favourite of these is to use the power of a full moon. Place 9 pennies under your front door mat as the moon begins to wax and leave them there until the full moon. Each time you walk over them imagine wealth arriving in the amount you wish it to and when you want it to empowering the energy each time you do it.

A word of warning though, be clear about your intentions and about how you would like this wealth to appear in your life. Wealth spells can come at a cost if you’re not specific about where this wealth should come from.
Bright blessings,
Sarah x

QUESTION: How do I tell if I have a familiar spirit? I have light spirits that touch me, and spirits ask for my help. How do I tell the difference from a spirit needing help (or giving me comfort) and a demon? Can a loved one turn into a familiar spirit if it is attached to me? Please help.

ANSWER: Thank you for your question, familiar spirits is an interesting area of discussion and many will know the concept of familiars in the shape of animals that seem predisposed to practising magic and typically become pets for practising witches. It actually goes much deeper than that and I can assure you that familiar spirits are different from spirits who simply want to communicate with you and there are ways to tell them apart, and even attract them if you are looking for one.

The earliest mentions of these spirits tend to indicate that familiars are in fact demons sent from the devil, but we as witches do not see them this way – firstly because we don’t believe in the devil, and secondly because they always seem tend to be here to help us in some way, usually with magical workings either as a mentor, or as a servant or aide. There are old stories about well-known witches having familiars simply appear and begin to serve them as its said that familiars choose you not the other way around, though you can choose to find one for yourself.

The difference between one that is here to serve and here to find help, is that one who is here to find help will ask for it in some way or show you that they are in need. A familiar spirit is one who will arrive and begin to serve you in some way. It is harder to tell the difference between one who is needing help and one who is a demon, but it is worth remembering that not all demons are malevolent. Your intuition will serve you well in this, if you serve spirit regularly then your intuition will undoubtedly be well practised and highly tuned into what the energy feels like that is contacting you. If any doubt whatsoever then cut off the communication and ensure to cleanse yourself afterwards.

A loved one can indeed become your familiar, as can any spirit, but it does not do this just because it is attached to you through familial bonds. It will only do so if it has purpose to do so and can be of service to you in some way.

If you wish to attract a familiar to you then consider what you would like to attract one for. Is it to be a mentor, serve you in some way or provide some other mutually beneficial relationship? Usually if you are looking for one, you will need to provide an offering in the beginning as well as some ongoing benefits for the spirit such as somewhere for them to live, sustenance such as they require and possibly even things like entertainment. Ensure that should you find a spirit you would like to cultivate this kind of relationships with is one you can get along with having around and that you will both benefit from the relationship before getting started and you should be fine.

I hope that all helps answer your question!
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Bright Blessings,
Sarah x
 

QUESTION: I am a Chinese and I am from Singapore. Unfortunately, in my country, very little people believe in Fairies. If I talked to them about Fairies, people think I am Crazy. But I believe in them and I know that they exist in this world.

May 1st, also known as May Day or Beltane, is a time when the Veil between Fairyland and Earth is at its thinnest. This is the time when magical beings from Fairyland – faeries, elves, gnomes, leprechauns, etc come to visit Earth. I am very interested to Find / See / Meet them.

Can you kindly tell Me How to Find / See / Meet the Fairies" during Beltane? When is the Best Time to See / Meet the Fairies? Due to the Coronavirus Outbreak, Singapore is under a Semi Lockdown. Therefore, all Parks and Gardens are Closed. Where do I Find / See / Meet the Fairies?

ANSWER: Hi there, thank you for your question and my apologies it wasn’t in time for Beltane weekend but here’s some tips for you anyway.

So how to know when you are communicating with the Fae? I’m not a specialist myself but I do know some people who are, and they tell me that you will usually hear them talk with you in your head not through your ears. You will need to be relaxed, in a comfortable place and have an open mind. You might want to put on some music that soothes you or light some incense to help you settle your mind and you don’t need to go anywhere if you can’t, home is fine.

You can enhance your chances with having help from things like crystals such as moldavite and tektite, and herbs such as mugwort. Just hold them in your hands while you are working. You can offer them something such as a sweet cake or a small bit of butter too laid on a plate nearby.

When you feel the time is right and that they are near, say hello respectfully and tell them you sense they are near. Perhaps ask them their name or to let them know they are there. It might take a few tries so don’t be disheartened, keep trying and once they are curious enough, they will let you know. Don’t doubt their answers either, or yourself during the process.

There are places out in nature that you will just know have Fae energy about them. They are ideal spots for catching glimpses of them but they are quite shy and rarely show themselves physically to someone, and especially if they don’t know them.

They can also show up in dreams or meditations and once you have asked for their presence, you may find they show you in small ways that they are there even if they don’t communicate directly.

A word of warning though, the Fae are a mischievous race and are known to play tricks, move things and so on so be sure to make sure you leave something for them – something shiny is always a good bet!
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I hope this helps,
Bright blessings,
Sarah x

QUESTION: I’m not sure who to really ask about this and I don’t really know if this is the right place to go but a few days ago I accidentally killed a spider, it doesn’t seem like much but after that I kept seeing spiders everywhere and then they’d disappear. I also had continuous dreams about them for a few days after, some that didn’t exactly feel like dreams. The odd part of this all is that the other day I opened my sketchbook and found a dead spider it looked exactly like the spider I had killed with the way the legs were and all and when I found it. A really bad gut feeling of fear overcame me, my entire body went cold and I’m still slightly worried if it was something bad or just my mind playing with me. I asked my family if anyone had put or done anything with a spider in my book and they all said no and my book hadn’t moved from the same spot it has always been in since I had last used it before the spider incident. Sorry if this doesn’t mean much but it’s been on my mind and I just wanted to have someone else’s opinion on the matter.

ANSWER: Spiders can mean a variety of things depending on the type of spider, how it is behaving and where you see it. Generally, in daily waking life, living spiders are guardians – friends if you will – who look out for us, provide protection and have the message that we need to be using our own wisdom about a situation that we find ourselves in.

They do seem to get a bad rap given that they look quite scary and can freak a lot of people out but if you find yourself seemingly surrounded by spiders it isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Spiders in dreams can mean very different things as to our subconscious they are enemies to be overcome.
However, in this instance I would say the dreams are prompted by the guilt you are feeling over accidentally killing one. Spiders can and do sneak into the strangest of spaces which would explain finding one in your sketchbook and I would say that the message is perhaps more that you are ignoring your own wisdom in favour of something easier to think or feel about something or someone. Try sitting with yourself in meditation or whatever else it is you do that allows you to clear your mind of all other things and focus on one thing. Ask yourself if there is something you are ignoring that you should be paying attention to. Perhaps there is something you should be wary of happening right now and the spiders are showing up as a means of protection while you figure it out.

I would also suggest as a means of easing your own mind about this accidental death would be to hold a little ritual honouring the spider for his sacrifice in bringing you the message you need to hear right now. Maybe light a candle, say a few words and express your sorrow for its death at your hands and allow yourself to move on and forgive yourself for what was a total accident and could not be helped.
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I hope this helps,
Bright blessings,
Sarah x

QUESTION: So as a newcomer to all of this, I have a question/concern as I’ve been having two different reoccurring dreams/visions and not sure if they are connected.

1. Is of a modern-day soldier lying dead on his back in a corn field there's a farmhouse about 200 feet away and another ghost (looking like he is civil war era soldier) walks up reaches down and pulls this soldiers spirit up.
2. A vast battlefield blades thrust into the ground no terrain features in any direction and looks like it has ankle deep blood all around but no bodies no signs of fighting just blades.

Not sure if this is important but my patrons are Tyr and Aries.

Any advice would be helpful.
ANSWER: It seems to me that your patron deities are speaking to you about your situation right now. Do you feel as if you are fighting a war somehow? Both Tyr and Aries are gods of war among other things. Perhaps there is a situation happening in your personal life that feels as if you are battling somehow and these dreams signify how you are dealing with them.

The first dream seems to indicate defeat to some, but I would say this is more about achieving peace, the war being over and being able to move onto the next phase of life speaks loudly here.

The second dream seems to indicate that this is an invisible enemy you are fighting, one that is not immediately visible or tangible. This could signify your own emotions or perhaps even the current threat we are all facing of a virus that is extremely contagious and can be life threatening.
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I hope this helps,
Bright blessings,
Sarah x
 
 

QUESTION: How do i make a pendulum? Can it be made of any type of string, such as a hoodie string? I'm a closet baby witch who just got into witchcraft and I've been trying to figure this stuff out. Also, what can I use instead of a crystal?

ANSWER: You can make a pendulum from many things, it doesn’t have to use a crystal, in fact many don’t!
I wouldn’t suggest using a hoodie string as it will be fairly thick and stiff but anything that is fairly thin and that hangs well by itself will work as a string. I have used necklaces with pendants, crystal pendulums, even a metal washer on a piece of normal string when times have called for it.

Rather than a crystal, you can use anything that has a little bit of weight to it and holds whatever you’re using as a string straight and swings freely. I prefer metal if I can’t use a crystal and preferably something that is naturally forming such as copper but it isn’t essential to dowsing practice.
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I hope this answers your question,
Bright blessings,
Sarah x

QUESTION: Do you have any recommendations for an online course to complete my first degree in Witchcraft or any courses in Green Witchcraft, I would love to expand my knowledge.

ANSWER: Hello and thank you for your question. I would love to be able to simply list a few links for you but believe it or not, this is not a question with an easy answer.

First, I would like to advise you on what to avoid. Courses that are listed on sites that have large educational variety from website design to ancient astrology are best avoided. They list courses offered by individuals but have little knowledge themselves as to whether the content is valid and worthwhile so find it a struggle to ensure the content is quality. These kinds of courses are usually cheap and may well be great for a little bit of insight or maybe to fire your imagination and give you ideas of what to study but not as in-depth courses that will train you properly and responsibly.

To be honest, I have never studied any degrees of witchcraft online in this way, only using it to seek out information on individual aspects just as I have read books and listened to talks given by other practitioners about things I would like to learn or have found interesting or useful to my practice – but then the internet did not exist when I began on my path!

So how do you choose an online course? Look for either an individual or a coven who have plenty of real and good recommendations. Look through their content, does it seem reasonable for the level you’re working at and are you drawn to work with what they’re putting out? Don’t just settle for the results on page one of any internet search either, the better results for this undertaking will come on pages after that rather than the ones who have paid for their SEO or advertising. The ideal would be that you find a solitary practitioner looking for someone to mentor or a coven who will take you through the levels safely but I do understand the need to look into online avenues so here’s an example of a good course on Wicca, I cannot personally recommend it as I haven’t completed it myself but it looks like reasonable content and has plenty of good, real sounding reviews.

https://www.unclefesters.com.au/Free-Wicca-Course-Home-Page-s/189533.htm

Of course, we have plenty of good information here on WitchPathForward too and will be expanding our offerings in the summer to include some courses and workshops so you can always keep on checking back here too!
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I hope this helps,
Bright blessings,
Sarah x

ANSWER: The short answer I'm afraid is no. Reading the future isn't what most people think it is for several reasons.

The first is that we don't actually read the future when we are reading anything be that a person’s energy, tarot cards, astrology or through any other means of divination. The second is that everyone has free will and is free to choose a different path to the one that may be read while using divination. The last is that any divination is all up to the individual’s interpretation as to what is read from something and that is incredibly personal and likely to not be repeated by the next person along. All of this means that telling someone accurately what will happen to them in the future is not possible.

What we can do is look at the events that have led up to someone asking for a reading and what the reading is telling us to describe a likely outcome given the evidence in front of us within the symbology of the divination method. This will give us a good – possibly accurate - guess at a possible outcome if the person is to keep on being themselves and doing things in their usual way. However, if they act in ways which may drastically alter whatever is seen in the reading then the outcome might well be very different to what might have been described.

I would add that there are those rare individuals who do have the skill of foresight in this manner and might well be able to connect well enough to see what possible path you might have and the outcomes of that path. Usually though most people use methods of divination to find the possible answers to specific questions for those who haven’t learned how or have no wish to for whatever reason.
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I hope this answers your question,
Bright blessings,
Sarah x