A Week of Loss, Love, and a Little Bit of Magic: Honouring Our Loved Ones as a Witchy Family
A Week of Loss, Love, and a Little Bit of Magic: Honouring Our Loved Ones as a Witchy Family
This week has been a tough one. We had a death in the family, and while it’s been a rollercoaster of emotions, it’s also been a time for us to come together.
When you’re a witchy mum, death is just another part of the circle of life a moment to honour, to grieve, and to celebrate. It’s a chance to teach the kids about the cycles of life, the importance of memory, and, of course, how to throw a damn good ritual.
The news hit us on Thursday. We lost someone close to us, someone who had been a part of our lives in ways big and small. The kids took it in their stride, though the 10 year old was quick to ask if we’d be talking to their spirit soon. “Maybe after they’ve had a bit of a rest, love,” I told them, half-joking, half-serious. Spirits, after all, need time to adjust to their new form of existence.
Our first step is to set up a little altar in their honour. We will gather photos, candles, and some of their favourite things flowers from the garden, a bit of lavender, and a special crystal or two that the kids love the most. The kids helped pick out the items, and will help to turn it into a beautiful, if slightly chaotic, moment of connection, a place they can visit when they feel the need.
One of the things I love about raising my kids in this witchy, way is that they get it. They get that death isn’t the end, just a transformation. The 7 year old asked if our loved one would become a tree, while the 10 year old has said she’s convinced they’d come back as a fox (because apparently, foxes are “super cool”).
Even though we were dealing with a loss, life didn’t stop. The kids still managed to find a frog in the garden and decided it needed a “witchy name,” much to my amusement.
We took a walk down the lane later in the week, something we do often to clear our minds and connect with nature. The kids talked about our loved one, sharing memories, asking questions, and speculating on what kind of adventures they might be having now.
As witches, we believe that death is not the end. It’s a passage, a transition into another state of being. Our loved ones aren’t gone; they’re just in a different place, and their energy continues on. We talk about reincarnation, about the possibility of meeting again, and about the ways they’ll stay with us in the wind, in the earth, in the very air we breathe.
That night, we held a small ritual. We lit candles, said our goodbyes, and sent our love into the universe. The kids each made a wish for our loved one, wishes that I’m sure carried more power than any adult could muster. Then, as the moon rose high, after the kids were settled into bed my husband and I sat in silence for a while under her light, feeling the presence of something bigger than us.
In the end, we went to bed with full hearts, knowing that our loved one was at peace, and that their spirit would always be a part of our lives. Grief is hard, but it’s also beautiful in its own way a reminder of the love we’ve shared and the magic that connects us all, even beyond this life.
And so, we carry on. There are still spells to cast, messes to make, and frogs to name. But we do it all with a little more love, a little more magic, and a deep understanding that life, in all its messy, chaotic glory, is a circle that never truly ends.
The Unschooling Witchy Mum