Feeling tired after spellcasting? šŸ˜“ Here's why - and how to help!

Many people donā€™t think about it, but casting spells requires a lot of energy. Because of this, it is common to feel tired or fatigued afterward, even for several hours or days. The intensity of your fatigue will depend on several things: where you get your energy, ritual hygiene, energetic replenishment.


Image by Alexandr Ivanov from Pixabay

Why am I tired?

When you cast a spell, you are not only raising the energy around you but using your own energy as well. If you have not grounded or centered yourself, you might feel more tired than usual. Itā€™s natural to get tired after casting spells. You use your energy for the movements, the memorization, and the energy work. Of course, youā€™re going to be a little depleted!

Thereā€™s also the case of not using energy from your surroundings. If you only rely on your personal energy and donā€™t draw energy from around you, then you will lose energy and feel tired faster. It is a common practice among witches of many traditions to pull energy from the objects around them. Many witches also choose to call for the aid of the elements and the Earth. This can help with losing energy, but again, it will not prevent the feeling of fatigue.

Can you avoid it?

No, you canā€™t. You can make the depletion of energy less intense, but you will get tired after performing magick and spellwork. Itā€™s the nature of being a magickal person! The loss of energy will also be more intense depending on the intensity of the spell you cast. If itā€™s a small spell, the energy depletion will be small. If it is a larger and complex spell or ritual, the energy depletion will be greater.

What can you do to help?


Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay

Grounding and centering before and after ritual are both good ways to help with your energy. Practicing this before your ritual or spell allows you to remove any excess energy you may have from excitement, nerves, or emotions. It also allows you to center your focus and thoughts on what you want to accomplish with your magick. Then after, ground and center yourself for the same purpose. You might have taken on some flyaway energy in the air during the ritual, or you might be excited from casting your spell. Whatever the reason, grounding and centering are necessary for proper energetic health.


Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

Eat! Thereā€™s a reason that most rituals end with food and drink. Everyone has used up their energy and food and drink are ways to replenish it. Food and drink not only provide our bodies with the necessary energy to keep our muscles and nerves working properly. It also provides energy to our energetic bodies. This is why, when taking part in food and drink after a ritual, you should always opt for healthy food and drink options.


Image by Roy Buri from Pixabay

Sleep is also another way you can lessen the effects of depleted energy. By taking a break - or taking a nap - you allow your body the time it needs to refocus and reset itself. A lot of times, I will do spellwork at night because it is close to bedtime.


How tired do you get when casting spells?
And do you have methods that help you replenish your energy?

16 Likes

Grounding, eating something and drinking tea helps. the more energy you expend during a ritual or spell, the more you will need to replenish yourself.

7 Likes

Like @roxanne said, a warm cup of tea does wonders! :tea: Also a nice, long hot bath :bathtub: or a refreshing walk in nature :national_park: depending on how much energy I have left. And if it was kitchen magick I was working, then of course eating what was made will definitely help replenish some energy too! :yum: :sparkles:

5 Likes

I just did a Google search for ā€œis it normal to be tired after spell workā€, and low and behold the first result was from our own little forum! I have no idea why I didnā€™t think to ask or search here first. Regardless, Iā€™m glad this was posted. I was wondering if maybe I did something wrong because I assumed I should feel energetic and excited after a spell. Iā€™m finding that Iā€™m pretty wiped out. Even after meditating before hand: I will take note of some of the possible reasons why next time and try the suggestions to lessen it!

8 Likes

(Even with my typos,) I was meant to see it :slightly_smiling_face:

7 Likes

This is the one thing I have trouble with especially when I feel called to do spellwork in the middle of something else. The grounding and centering. I just donā€™t take the time to do either. Maybe that is why I am so tired even after a full nightā€™s sleep? Is there any resource or video for both that doesnā€™t take a long time to accomplish? As a part time admin assistant and small business owner I seem to be always working. With an empty nest you would think I had all the time in the world but with the hubby home full time now he seems to need more of my time than the kids ever did lol. Thanks for the advice. I will be working on the grounding and centering over the next 4 days of this moon phase.

8 Likes

Hooray! Thanks for sharing, @robin77- thatā€™s exciting to see :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: I hope you found some of the suggestions here to be helpful- wishing you an abundance of energy as you do your spellwork! :sparkles:


Offering a suggestion from my own experience- you may be experiencing post spellwork exhaustion because its a relaxing and soothing moment, @Magdelina.

During the day, we are so busy with work, chores, errands, and all the other excitement that keeps us going. Spellwork is a step back from the mundane- as you allow your body to relax for spellwork, the adrenaline fades away and your exhaustion catches up with you.

While you can definitely try simple grounding and centering exerices (the articles Centering Yourself in 60 Seconds and How to Ground Yourself in 30 Seconds or Less have some good tips for quick focus), I would recommend a different approach.

Have you considered doing your spellwork first thing in the morning? :sunrise_over_mountains: When you wake up after a restful nightā€™s sleep, your mind is relaxed and refreshed. Take a few moments before you begin your daily routine to incorporate some spellwork, meditation, or grounding/centering exercises.

You may find that doing these practices in the morning actually help to keep you grounded and focused throughout the day! Headspace has a great article on the Benefits of Morning Meditation.

Wishing you the best of luck, CrazyT! May you find your energy and spark for your beautiful spellwork- Blessed be! :sparkles:

9 Likes

I actually found a grounding and centering meditation from Ariel Gatoga that I really enjoyed and it took less than 10 mins so I added it to my morning prayer and ritual time before work. Thanks for the suggestions, I will also be looking at those as well.

For me spellwork in the morning doesnā€™t work out too well. I have to be at work at 10 am and itā€™s a 45 min drive. I am changing up my bedtime and wake up time to earlier on both ends. I am a night owl. Worked graveyard for many years and hubby also worked shift work when the kids were younger. Now that he is working from home and I only work part time we find that going to bed early and getting up around 5 am to work out well. I have plenty of energy during the day, can get some of my own business stuff done, get ready for work, come home and still have time to do my spellwork. Trying every avenue to find what fits our new empty nest :heart_eyes: He is even getting his own meditation room with the last kid moving out.

6 Likes

Usually afterward, I try to rest and watch mindless TV or journal. Sometimes I wind up taking a nap. I remember when this was new to me & I didnā€™t know what to do.

5 Likes

You should never gill tired after a spell that means you are using your own energy. Instead drawn down the moon like this walk outside with your athame point it towards the full moon and say Draw down. Envision a beam shooting out from blade to the moon (I see white) then as that beam touches the moon , the moon sends back along that beam purple or blue energy.
You should have chakras open and see this energy go down your arm and fill up your body. It will pulsate or tingle. When your chakras are full break connection.
You store this energy in your navel chakra and use it for spells. Envision energy coming from your navel chakra going up body and out thru dominant hand.

You donā€™t need flowery poetry to draw down moon and it does no good to just draw it in your circle unless you are very good at energy manipulation. Better to get it in your chakras.

You can draw down star energy the same way. Or earth energy from your roots you send down. And you can draw down the sun too.

Even after spell if you are jittery or canā€™t sleep put hands on earth and give extra energy to the earth.

You can even draw energy from your ancestors thru your palm chakras.

Blessed be.

6 Likes

Nice, @Magdelina! Iā€™m glad you found something that works for you- may it help to re-energize your practice :blush::sparkles:


That is a great point about drawing on outside energies, @ruthann! :+1: I especially love the idea of drawing on the earth to re-stablize :mountain: :two_hearts:

Using outside energies may be a great choice for some- but it may come down to the natural of the spell or an indiviualā€™s unique practice. Some spells or practices may require internal energy or even intense focus. Shadow work comes to mind immediately- a very beneficial but especially exhausting internal magick! Itā€™s important to take a rest and practice self-care after such draining practices :sleeping:

6 Likes

What about after your self-dedication? I just did the ritual two nights ago, and directly afterwards I had superhuman energy for like eighteen hours, and then around midnight last night, I felt so depleted very suddenly that I almost fell over. I barely made it to bed, and I cannot seem to fully wake up today. Iā€™ve slept like ten hours. Is it the same thing? I based my ritual off of Cunninghamā€™s self-dedication in the Solitary Practitioner book.

4 Likes

Hey there Kozmicblue! :wave: Iā€™d say yes, what youā€™re experiencing is the same thing or something very similar. Eating a good meal, getting some rest, and grounding yourself are all great ways to rebalance your energy after a big ritual.

4 Likes