Witchy self-care is a practice that incorporates elements of witchcraft and spirituality to prioritize and nurture one's well-being. It involves intentional rituals, spells, and activities that promote self-love, healing, and personal growth. One aspect of witchy self-care is connecting with nature and the elements. Spending time outdoors, whether it be in a garden, forest, or near water, can help ground and recharge oneself. Engaging in practices like forest bathing, where one immerses themselves in nature, can help relieve stress, reduce anxiety, and improve overall mental well-being. Another important aspect of witchy self-care is mindfulness and meditation.
So there you have it, the biology of Owl House magic, courtesy of two hours of my brain rambling in unholy morning hours.
Bile magic is cast using a spell circle without any additional internal instructions, perhaps because witchlings evolved to give those instructions using their minds. All I know is that my family was in the middle of streaming the second season when it went on an abrupt hiatus in August 2021, disappearing for seven long months.
Another important aspect of witchy self-care is mindfulness and meditation. Taking the time to be present and engage in mindful activities can help relieve stress and promote relaxation. Meditation can be enhanced by incorporating witchy rituals such as lighting candles, using crystals, or burning herbs like sage or lavender to cleanse and create a sacred space.
Mourning the End of The Owl House
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When it comes to family-friendly programming, my fam gravitates toward animated shows with a sense of humor we can all appreciate, whether we’re 8 years old or middle-aged. The shows we watch also tend to use serialized storytelling, allowing us to follow along with a strong and exciting narrative arc. Also, they tend to be magical AF.
Unfortunately, all serialized shows must come to an end. For that reason, we have wallowed in melancholy after watching the finales for everything from She-Ra and the Princesses of Power to Gravity Falls to Star vs. the Forces of Evil… before eventually accepting that it was time to move on.
But when The Owl House came to an end, it just hit different.
What in Hecking Heck is The Owl House?
The Owl House is an animated fantasy series created by Dana Terrace that premiered on the Disney Channel on January 10, 2020 (though my family didn’t start watching it until sometime in 2021, when we streamed it on Disney+). In its very first episode, Luz Noceda, a teenage Afro-Latina human who’s obsessed with magic and witches, is about to be sent off to a summer camp that’s intended to help her fit in with her peers. She’s bummed about it, as she’s never really felt accepted for who she is. So when she accidentally stumbles upon a portal to the Boiling Isles, located in the Demon Realm, it seems that fate has provided her with an alternate path.
She immediately falls in with Eda, a rebellious witch who practices wild magic, and King, a tiny, dog-like warrior. Instead of looking for a way home, Luz decides to take advantage of the fact that her widowed mother assumes she’s made it to summer camp. She stays in the Boiling Isles so she can learn magic and, as the season continues on, Luz collects a bunch of magical friends and begins to come into her own.
Why We Love The Owl House
The rich animation used for The Owl House really brings to life the effed-up Demon Realm, a place populated by characters who make my horror-loving heart squee (especially Hooty, a truly unhinged, sentient, owl-like… door?). The humor is layered enough to entertain both my 8-year-old and us adult-types. And, well, my child loves anything set in a world in which magic is the norm.
But what I love even more about this show is its diverse cast of characters, which gives strong representation across race, gender, sexuality, and ability. The show isn’t about these various, overlapping identities. Rather, diversity just is.
This runs counter to what the latest wave of real-world book banning and educational censorship attempts would have you believe. In a world in which even just acknowledging the existence of LGBTQ+ folks or racism is considered a crime, a show that presents folks as being fully themselves is a revelation.
Finally, beyond some really important lessons about friendship and making mistakes and asking for help, etc., I just really dig the overarching theme around the importance of being yourself, rather than making yourself smaller in order to conform to a majority.
Sure, my kid spends her time after episodes drawing glyphs (I have been forced into glyph battles) and making incredibly elaborate palismen. But at the same time, she’s being exposed to a world that normalizes the things that are different about each of us.
What Happened to The Owl House
So why am I so peeved that The Owl House came to an end when, naturally, all good things must come to an end?
Here’s the thing. The Owl House was allegedly canceled before the first season even finished airing. This despite the many accolades it received, and an incredibly enthusiastic fandom. At the time, the second season had already been produced, or was in production. I’m unsure of the timing. All I know is that my family was in the middle of streaming the second season when it went on an abrupt hiatus in August 2021, disappearing for seven long months. When my family and I attended New York Comic Con in October 2022, we learned there would be a third season. This was apparently announced at the show’s first and only Comic Con panel ever (a panel we, sadly, missed), an event that drew a shit-ton of of cosplaying fans, hundreds of whom were turned away at the door. What we didn’t find out until much later is that the third season would not be comprised of the usual 20 half-hour episodes. Rather, it would be made up of three 44-minute special episodes. And they would be the last episodes ever.
Why Was The Owl House Canceled?
There has been a ton of speculation surrounding the cancellation of The Owl House. Some accused Disney of canceling the show because of the company’s discomfort with LGBTQ+ characters and storylines. Others wondered if the show hit the financial skids during the thick of the pandemic.
With all of these fan theories swirling across the internet, showrunner Dana Terrace eventually took to Reddit to give her take. “Was it the LGBT+ rep?” she wrote. “While we have had issues airing in a few countries (and are just straight up banned in a few more) I’m not gonna assume bad faith against the people I work with in LA.”
Terrace also expressed skepticism that it had anything to do with budget/financial issues related to COVID-19, or with ratings. The ratings were good. People loved the eff out of The Owl House.
“SO WHAT WAS IT?!” she asked. “At the end of the day, there are a few business people who oversee what fits into the Disney brand and one day one of those guys decided TOH didn’t fit that ‘brand.'”
Terrace went on to write that part of this brand incompatibility had to do with the fact that her show’s audience skewed older than was ideal for Disney higher-ups. Also, these days, Disney seems to prefer shows that are not serialized, something gone into at length in this video by The Roundtable, an entertainment-focused YouTube channel.
Wherever this brand discordance stems from (and I am still side-eyeing the fact that an LGBTQ+-friendly show was done dirty), it’s truly a shame that a show that so masterfully celebrated folks being their truest selves was ended prematurely.
What Now?
The Owl House’s final episode aired back in April. I’m writing about it now because we finally watched it. Afterward, Em (my own magic-loving kid) began sewing her own palisman. In October, she plans to cosplay as Eda for New York Comic Con.
As far as TV goes, we’re not sure what show to watch next as a family. Recommendations are always welcome in the comments. (Please. God. I do not want to suffer through endless YouTube videos of other people playing Minecraft because we’ve run out of good shows. Save me.)
What I can do is recommend some all-ages comics that have similar vibes.
First of all, check out the entire Lumberjanes series, which I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned eleventy-billion times on this blog. It’s about a group of summer campers who get up to various hijinks in a forest filled with mythical creatures. And there are a ton of volumes to work your way through, so you’ll be good for a while.
Another one I’ve for sure mentioned before is Snapdragon, a graphic novel about a young girl who befriends her town’s witch, managing to find herself along the way. In addition to the similar themes about witchcraft and coming into one’s own, the diverse representation rocks.
Then there’s The Backstagers, a series I started reading soon after discovering Lumberjanes. It follows a group of high school outcasts who find their people in stage crew. There is romance. There is drama. There are Emotions. And then there’s that door backstage that happens to lead to…a magical world?Another dimension? Hard to say, but this series is charming as hell.
A few runner-ups that skew only slightly older are Hollow, Specter Inspectors, and Nimona. The queerness. The supernatural. The conventional tropes turned on their head. These comic series and graphic novel have it all.
Leave your own recs in the comments. And while The Owl House may be over, we’ll always have its fandom.
Steph Auteri is a journalist who has written for the Atlantic, Pacific Standard, VICE, and elsewhere. Her more literary work has appeared in Poets & Writers, Creative Nonfiction, Southwest Review, and other publications. Her reported memoir, A DIRTY WORD, came out in 2018. She is the founder of GuerrillaSexEd.org. Favorite Genres: horror, comics, horror comics, and narrative journalism.
She immediately falls in with Eda, a rebellious witch who practices wild magic, and King, a tiny, dog-like warrior. Instead of looking for a way home, Luz decides to take advantage of the fact that her widowed mother assumes she’s made it to summer camp. She stays in the Boiling Isles so she can learn magic and, as the season continues on, Luz collects a bunch of magical friends and begins to come into her own.
Practicing divination is also a common part of witchy self-care. Tarot cards, crystal balls, or other forms of divination can be used as tools for self-reflection, personal insight, and guidance. These practices can help individuals gain clarity, set intentions, and make decisions in their lives. Incorporating herbal remedies and natural healing into self-care routines is another prominent aspect of witchy self-care. Utilizing the power of plants, herbs, and essential oils can promote physical and emotional well-being. This can include creating herbal teas, herbal baths, or using essential oils for aromatherapy. Lastly, self-care rituals in witchcraft can involve practicing rituals or spells to support personal growth and healing. These rituals can range from simple acts such as lighting a candle and setting intentions, to more complex workings such as creating and charging spell jars or performing full moon rituals. In conclusion, witchy self-care combines elements of witchcraft, spirituality, and mindfulness to prioritize self-love, healing, and personal growth. By connecting with nature, practicing divination, utilizing herbal remedies, and engaging in intentional rituals, individuals can support their overall well-being and create a sense of balance and harmony in their lives..
Reviews for "Crystal Therapy for Self-Care: Tapping into the Magic of Gems"
1. Samantha - 2/5 - I was really excited to try "Witchy Self Care" as I am a huge fan of self-care and witchcraft. However, I was quite disappointed with this book. The information provided seemed very basic and didn't offer any unique or insightful tips or practices. It felt more like a beginner's guide to self-care with a witchcraft theme, rather than a book specifically for witches looking to incorporate self-care into their practice. Overall, I found it to be quite lacking in substance and originality.
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3. Amanda - 2.5/5 - While I appreciate the effort put into "Witchy Self Care," I found the information to be quite superficial. The book touched on a variety of self-care practices such as meditation, journaling, and self-reflection, but there was no depth or exploration of how these practices can be specifically tailored for witches. It felt like a missed opportunity to delve into the unique ways witches can incorporate self-care into their spiritual practice. Overall, I think this book would be more suitable for beginners who are new to self-care and witchcraft, rather than those looking for advanced and specialized guidance.
4. Michael - 1/5 - "Witchy Self Care" was a disappointment for me. The content seemed to be a mishmash of cliched self-care advice with an occasional sprinkle of witchy terminology. It lacked originality and provided no new insights or practices for witches seeking to incorporate self-care into their daily lives. I was hoping for more in-depth guidance and a strong connection between witchcraft and self-care, but this book fell short and left me feeling unimpressed and unsatisfied.