4 Ways to Work with Crossroads for the Modern Witch
If you open any book about spellwork, rituals, or metaphysical practices, chances are good that at some point you will come across the archetype, idea, and physical place that is the crossroads.
Crossroads are significant for a variety of a reasons:
- Crossroads represent where possibilities can take any chosen direction to create different results
- Crossroads represent where multiple energies or forces are simultaneously drawn together and apart
- Crossroads represent the journey of transformation through choice and action
- Crossroads and specific entities can be found together (Hermes, Hecate, Eshu-Elegbara, and more) and worked with to gain knowledge, the path towards purpose, or clarity (Illes 68)
There’s just one problem……
Most crossroads now are busy intersections where cars, people, buildings, concrete, and other forms of infrastructure and modern living have taken root. Even in some more remote areas, finding a physical crossroads to work with for your spellcasting can be hard. I live in the Colorado mountains, and I have yet to find a physical crossroads where I feel safe and able to use it for my own spellwork.
Safety is, and should be, a main component of magickal practices and spellwork. No spell should substitute your safety or soundness of mind. Another thing to consider is the open visibility in working with physical crossroads. As mentioned, many of these are now in spaces where there are many people coming and going. The energies are permeable with the hustle and bustle of people trying to live their lives, and the endless forms of technologies that we have implemented for safety, convenience, or needed continuity that comes with living in larger populations.
If you can find a crossroad or intersection that you feel safe to perform your magick and work your spells, that is amazing. If it can be shared in a visible space with others who craft their own magick, or at least will hold the space for you to craft your own magick, that is equally amazing. If you are badass and just practice your craft, damn who sees or shares in the space, that is amazing. However, if you are like me and need a private space to craft your magick, but you don’t have access to a physical crossroads, keep reading for some tips in incorporating and working with crossroads in new, different, or modern way.
The Tips and Pros and Cons
Working with a door or window can bring a lot of the threshold energies that are associated with crossroads
- Pros: doors and windows are already in a physical space or home, and you can add to the spell with oils, sprays, smoke, candles, music, etc.
- Doors and windows are also something that when you walk through, open, or engage in any way can be a grounding moment from the spellwork you have done previously.
- Cons: Many crossroads spells speak to burying items (candle stubs, pictures, etc.) and that is obviously not available in working with a door or window.
- Doors and windows also don’t have the four directions often associated with most crossroads.
Visualization of yourself at a crossroads going through the spell
- Pros: Visualization is truly an evergreen method in spellwork. It allows your spirit to be there, even if your body isn’t, and spirit is where it matters most.
- It grants your freedoms to do things not capable or applicable in the physical world.
- Cons: Some witches (myself included) sometimes need the physical grounding or act of doing the spell to really feel connected to it.
- Visualizations can be hard at times, and the images can come and go. It is more fluid than being in the physical space.
Drawing or illustrating a crossroads
- Pros: Through drawing or illustrating your crossroads, you can make it whatever you want it to be. Your artistic freedom can really contribute to the spell, and you can add anything you want (words, mantras, quotes).
- The visualization can also be included here, but drawings and illustrations can make the images more concrete.
- Drawings and illustrations (like the doors and windows) can be a powerful and lasting reminder of your spellwork
- If you are not artistically inclined, this may be more of a hassle then it is worth.
- Judgements and choice of execution can lead your artistic freedom into a state of tension, rather than peace or acceptance
- Drawings and illustrations can take as much time as you want, so if you want it be a detailed, big, or very artistic image, plan ahead if you want to work in accordance with any moon phase, or other significant time or day.
Creating a physical crossroads in your house, on your property, or in a place that is available to you.
- Pros: Creating a physical crossroads can bring all the intention, encouragement of directions, or transformative energy to you without having to find one that is safe or right for your spellwork.
- Allows you access to crossroads energies continuously.
- Allows for artistic freedom to bring in chosen things for your crossroad (crystals, stones, sticks, feathers, etc)
- If you rent, share space, or don’t have access to an outside place, it needs to be indoors which can become a cumbersome thing when not in your spellwork.
- Speaking of sharing space, if you have children or other people in the house, it would be best to keep it simple and small so you can pick it up when you are done, and it’s not getting damaged by other people.
- If you do have access to backyard or piece of land to work with, you still want to make sure you are either going to make it to endure, or small enough that it can be taken down when down.
- Again, many crossroads spells ask you to bury something. If you have a crossroads on your yard, and keep burying things, soon you are going to run out of room.
So, there are 4 ways for you to work with crossroads energy if you don’t have the ability to find a crossroads where you feel safe and / or able to perform a crossroads spell. Take what works for you; leave what doesn’t.
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