Gabriela Herstik is a writer, fashion alchemist, and witch living in Los Angeles and the author of the book [“Bewitching the Elements: A Guide to Empowering Yourself Through Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit.”](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/611473/bewitching-the-elements-by-gabriela-herstik-foreword-by-alexandra-roxo/9780593086216/) She publishes ritual guides for the full moon, new moon, and holidays of the witch and has been practicing ritual and witchcraft for more than thirteen years. She is a devotee of Venus and believes that magic is for everyone.
A spiritual manifestor and perspective shifter, Herstik dwells and thrives in the mystic ways of seeing and living. Her new book is a dynamic and accessible guide into how to awaken to the natural elements that are always guiding and speaking to us.
Courtesy
**How did your practice with witchcraft begin and evolve?**
I have been a practicing witch since I was 12, and I discovered witchcraft (in this lifetime) the year prior to that. I grew up in a home that fostered my curiosity about religion and the universe and the unknown; themes I have been exploring for as long as I can remember. My dad is a reform rabbi and always gave me space to ask questions about god and religion and death and souls. He always supported my curiosity. My mother, who’s from the Jewish community in Mexico City, has been interested in spirituality for decades, since before I was born. Because of her, I grew up familiar with crystals and breathwork and yoga and the idea of energy; she even caught me when I was around three with one of her crystal pyramids in my hands telling myself to “breathe in, breathe out” because I was angry at my sister and was self-soothing. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t believe in magick or faeries, or have an innate knowing that there is something bigger then myself out there. I have always longed to be held by the universe and by the divine.
When I was 9 years old I went to Salem, MA for Halloween with my twin sister, my grandma and my aunt for my aunt’s birthday, which is on Halloween. It was magical and visceral and I saw a ritual and I ate pomegranate seeds, and I remember going to a store owned by the official witch of Salem, Laurie Cabot. We also went to the witchcraft museum, and I remember standing in front of a wax figure of witches and hearing them describe witchcraft and Wicca, the rule of 3 (three times what thy sends out comes back to thee) and the wiccan reed (do what you will as long as you harm none.)
Not long after this, I started working with Goddesses and different faces of the divine feminine. Even as I went through my Bat Mitzvah, I knew I was Pagan, that I was a witch, that this was my truth. IAlthough I identified as Wiccan at the time, I don’t identify with that anymore. Wicca is a religion and a sect of witchcraft, but not the whole thing. I identify as an eclectic neo-pagan witch, because I draw from many sources with my practice and because I worship and work with multiple Gods and Goddesses.
Now my practice is based around the cycles of the earth and the wheel of the year, the cycles of the cosmos, and is heavy with Goddess worship, sex magick, glamour magick, meditation, energy work, and lunar magick.
**The foreword of your book talks about a return to the divine, a return to the feminine.. Can you elaborate on this intrinsic marriage of the feminine power and what it means to reclaim it?**
Absolutely, and I would just like to say as a female identifying person, the word feminine works for me. But that distinction doesn’t work for everyone, so I also like to describe this as the receptive and intuitive counterpart to the active and intellectual “masculine” energy. For me, a return to the feminine means a return to the intuitive, to the etheric, to the subtle. Feminine energy is intuition and trusting your gut. It’s a return to the ancient practices of those who lived alongside the earth before capitalism and patriarchy. It means ritual, and paying attention to the cycles of the earth, the cosmos and the self. It means honoring death as a form of rebirth.
In matriarchal cultures, it’s not that women make men subordinate; it’s not the opposite of patriarchy. Matriarchy means collaboration not competition, it means honoring the wisdom of both women and men, of elders and the medicine they carry. So in this way, a return to the feminine is a return to the balance. It means we have the chance to honor that which we know with our heart and body; which says we are all connected. That we must work in tune with the earth and not destroy her for selfish gains like money or property or food we don’t need. It means supporting the collective, honoring the power of the Goddess who was been shunned and vilified and demonized for hundreds of years. It means connecting to our sexuality as a pathway to freedom and love and spirituality, and not as a tool of control or power. A return to the feminine means a return to magick, to mystery, to living by the cycles of the planet. It means that capitalism and patriarchy are going to fall.
**What are you hoping your readers will take away from this guide?**
My hope is that after reading this book, readers will feel connected to the elements in new ways. That they will have the tools and resources to create balanced and informed rituals of self-care and connection that help them align with the cycles of the earth and the self while offering a sense of empowerment. My hope is that readers will be able to find inner peace no matter how chaotic the world around them is. I wrote this book to help guide witches into the core teachings of this path; that nature is all you need. While it’s nice to have crystals and cards, they are add-ons and not necessities. Through this book, a witch has what she needs to harness the elemental powers of earth, air, fire, water and spirit in a way that feels aligned, affirming and in integrity to their truth.
Photographed by [Alexandra Herstik](http://instagram.com/alexyael).
**As someone who is challenging people's perspectives on how we relate to the natural elements, what do you think is most important to keep in mind when supporting people's spiritual growth and awakening?**
Wow what a thoughtful question! I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that this is a practice. This isn’t something you do once to reap the rewards and cash in and then never do it again. We create rituals and spiritual practices for ourselves so we have a foundation of support when things get rough. This takes dedication and work; it isn’t easy to walk this path, especially when you’re walking this path and aren’t living in a monetary up in the clouds; we are asking to be embodied in our spiritual practice and to bring the magick to the material world we’re in. This commitment to growth and awakening means that we will have plenty of moments of self-doubt, of questioning, of being near our breaking point. But before there’s expansion, before we are met with growth or an awakening, there is always fear, there is always a sense of closure. We are creatures of habit and it’s when we are outside of our comfort zone that we grow. So before these monumental shifts, we will often be met with fear or panic, because we don’t know what’s going to happen, because we don’t know what will shift, and that feels scary. But trusting yourself, and trusting your path and the universe makes it easier.
**Who are some of your teachers and heroes?**
I have so many! My parents were my first teachers and I am so grateful for them. I learn a lot from my [twin sister Alexandra](https://www.instagram.com/alexyael/) as well (she took the photos for all my books!) My teachers are many and include the Goddesses and Gods I worship, the ascended masters and secret chiefs. Venus, Isis, Hecate, Babalon, Lilith, Kali. Naha Armady and [her school 22 Teachings](https://22teachings.com/) has been a huge part of my magickal career and I am so thankful for her and her magick and what she shares. Mitch Horowitz and Damien Echols are also other teachers that come to mind, whose belief in my work has shaped me and made me a better occultist. I am so lucky to have had many teachers along the way, but my greatest teacher has always been Goddess and the divine. My heroes are my grandparents, my paternal grandparents who both survived over three years in concentration camps. Vivienne Westwood is one of my heroes, and has been a huge influence on me and the way I move through the world. The witches who came before me, who died for the privilege that I know have of being able to practice publically and openly, all the occultist who have shared their work and taught despite the repercussions; they are my biggest heroes.
**What was your process like for writing this book?**
I wrote this book over a period of six months, and I had already established a non-negotiable daily meditation practice for myself. So right off the bat, I had more commitment to my magical practice than I did when I wrote my first book [“Inner Witch: A Modern Guide to the Ancient Craft”](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/577018/inner-witch-by-gabriela-herstik/) in 2017. Since this wasn’t my first rodeo, I already knew what did and didn’t work for my book writing process which also made it easier. After writing the outline for my book proposal, I figured out how long I would need to write each chapter, including how much time I would need to edit. From there, I would make an excel document for the chapter I was working on at the time, and divide it into what that chapter included and what each section would include. I then scheduled time to write each section, usually writing a few sections of the book a day. So I got very, very micro managed about how much I had to write and when I had to write it, since I also had other assignments and things to write. It doesn’t work for me to just allocate a chunk of time to write and write as much as I can; I organize myself so I just do bit by bit each day with a clear direction of what I need to get done. It doesn’t work for everyone but it works for me!
I am also always constantly reading books and trying new things and learning and researching. Writing books makes my own practice go deeper into whatever I’m studying, so I continue to learn and evolve with my work as I’m writing it.
**What are some ways you keep yourself grounded and aligned in your energy sphere?**
I love this question, because as someone who is always in their head and tends to future trip, it is vital for me to find practices that help me ground. The biggest one is daily meditation. I hit 500 days of daily meditation last week, and my morning ritual practice is something that has really helped me be present in my body. This practice includes a ritual called the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, which aligns you with light in every direction and invokes the archangels. Then I do 16-20 minutes of seated meditation and usually do some EFT tapping before this. My practice also includes tarot, journaling, reiki, affirmations and gratitude.
I perform a protective visualization every morning, visualizing light penetrating my body from every direction (up, down, left, right, front, back and within) and then visualize a sphere of protective light circling me, where no negative energy or anything that doesn’t work in 100% light can pass through. These are my daily rituals! I have found that EFT tapping really helps my anxiety, as does breathwork, which I practice while I do my seated meditation.
Besides this, I go to therapy weekly, and work with cannabis to help me feel embodied and grounded. Going to Pilates and dancing are huge for me as well, helping me feel safe and protected. I also love taking baths with salt and herbs, and find this really helps me center in my Self in moments of stress or tension.
**What methods do you acknowledge and cultivate boundaries within this high level of care and support you bring to the world?**
I don’t think I will ever stop learning how to support myself, because just as my work evolves, so must how I take care of myself. But the big things for me are saying no to things that feel out of alignment and not in integrity. I don’t answer emails on the weekends and I don’t reply to every DM I get on social media. I do my best to not compare myself to others and instead I stay in my own lane. My spiritual practice, witchcraft, goddess; these are my saviors. These are what help me create and maintain boundaries. I say “no” a lot and I don’t spend time around people who are negative, who complain, who make me feel bad about always seeing the silver lining and doing what I can to create and cultivate the life I desire. I am and will always be an eternal optimist. I am a social AF introvert, so though I love being around people, I need alone time to recharge or I get moody and cranky. My daily meditation practice, going to therapy and surrounding myself with people who love me and support me and my vision help me feel taken care of. Spending time in nature and connecting to Gaia is also a must.
**What music are you listening to currently?**
I’ve been listening to Dana Dentata on repeat, and have been blasting Boy Harsher as I take photos of myself to collage. I love Lana Del Rey (but not the fact that she dated a cop) and Marilyn Manson, and have been loving FKA Twigs new album. Most of the time when I’m writing or meditating or sleeping I’m listening to Solfeggio Frequencies- I love Kev Thompson’s music for that. If I’m masturbating or making out I love the soundtrack for “Only Lovers Left Alive.” For magick or kink, I love Bjork’s Vespertine.
Photographed by [Alexandra Herstik](http://instagram.com/alexyael).
**What practices or resources would you urge readers to utilize in this shifting and uncertain time?**
Meditation and ritual are more important than ever. Practicing a simple grounding ritual or clearing visualization is huge! Feeling roots moving from the base of your spine into the core of the earth, and feeling them feeding you white, healing, protective light is a wonderful and simple meditation to practice. Visualizing standing under a cascading waterfall of healing, cleansing, white light is also another powerful one.
I use the app “Insight Timer” to track my meditation practice and it’s full of simple guided meditation’s, whether you’re a beginner or avid meditator. My biggest advice though is to create a ritual you can return to everyday; whether it’s reading an invocation or prayer every morning, lighting a candle, burning some sacred smoke, or drinking tea in silence. Find something that feeds your soul and commit to it.
There are lots of resources for witches nowadays; use Instagram and twitter to help! I love The Hoodwitch, Witch Wave Podcast, astrologers like Jessica Lanyadoo and Chani Nicholas, teachers like Damien Echols and Mitch Horowitz and schools like 22 Teachings. There’s a wealth of information and my biggest piece of advice is that magick and the craft should fit into the life you already have. They should complement the structures you have in place; do what feels right for you and what feeds your soul and you’ll be off to a good start.
**What other hobbies do you have?**
My background is in fashion writing and journalism- I moved to Los Angeles to intern with le dame Vivienne Westwood in the US office under the head of PR- so fashion is a huge part of my life. I guess this is also a profession since I still do some fashion writing and write a lot about the crossover of style and spirituality and glamour magick. But dressing up and taking photos of myself, creating a character or just with the intention of feeling sexy, has always been a part of my adult life. Lately I’ve been taking nudes and collaging them into baroque-esque pieces of art for a series I’m calling #quarantinecollage. Turning myself into art using fashion and beauty is one of my favorite things to do and one of my favorite hobbies.
I love learning, so taking classes on magick and reading about magick and the occult and Goddesses and fashion theory is also one of my hobbies. I always read like ten books at a time. Kink and BDSM are really important to me as well so finding those communities and learning about those worlds has been really inspiring to me, and I’m learning more about shibari and how to self-tie right now during quarantine which has been feeding my soul. I love cemeteries and am dreaming about Hollywood Forever and going on picnics there and watching movies there with my best friends when Cinespia hosts their events. Writing poetry, falling in love with the universe, spending time with friends and dancing and connecting over a joint or just sharing and going deep is one of my favorite things as well.
**Can you share a powerful spiritual experience and what it taught you?**
It sounds weird but the Covid-19 pandemic we’re all collectively going through feels like a scary initiation where we are all being called to step up collectively to support one another and to point out faults in the systems at place. It feels like a collective initiation and spiritual experience.
I feel like this really showed me how important it is for healers and mystics and witches to be doing the work they’re doing. In my own personal sphere, this pandemic has shown me the value of what I have to offer, of what I have to help others find their own power and sense of agency within the self. Witchcraft is for the collective, something that benefits all beings, and I feel like this experience has shown me the reason there’s been such a resurgence in witches the past 6 or 7 years; because we needed as many witches as possible to help create a new infrastructure for the support of the collective. When this is over things won’t be the same because things weren’t working before.
**A SIMPLE HEALING SPELL FOR THE COLLECTIVE**
You’ll need a white candle (a chime, tea light, votive or taper is great), a candle holder (or a small plate you can use), a lighter, and somewhere where you can sit in solitude and contemplation for at least 5 minutes.
Before you begin set up your space. Have your candle, lighter and holder or plate near you. Make sure your phone is on silent, pets are taken care of and roomies or partners know not to disturb you; or better yet, invite roomies and partners to perform this simple spell with you. Light some incense and candles if you wish, and put on some ambient music if you’d like (I love solfeggio frequencies for this.) Then as you feel ready, you will find a comfortable position sitting up or laying down.
Close your eyes and come back to your breath. Find an even and steady inhale and exhale, as you start to find some peace in the present moment. Feel any worries or fears or anxieties being released from your body with each exhale. As you inhale, feel your body drawing in warm, protective, healing golden light from the cosmos around you.
Now begin to visualize your friends, your family, your self and your community drenched in the same white, healing, gold light of the cosmos. You can envision this as a cascading waterfall or as a sphere of white protective light encircling all those you care about. Breathe into this and feel this light expanding and expanding; encircling your community, your city, your state, your country, until you see and feel the whole world and the whole globe drenched in this protective and healing light from the universe, that rids us of disease and worry and pain. This is the divine light of the universe. Hold this visualization in your mind as long as you can. Then when you’re ready, open your eyes and light the candle (if you’re using a plate, melt the bottom of the candle and then stick it on the plate and make sure it’s secure) and then say the following incantation.
_From the earth below_
_To the heaven’s above_
_I stand in alignment with the energy of divine love_
_I stand in the power of 100% light_
_And bid this working with clear and fair sight_
_Healing for all, for the individual, for the collective_
_To rid the planet of this pandemic_
_May we create a new paradigm to support all the earth’s children_
_To support the most marginalized and all of capitalism’s victims_
_May there be health, security and food for all_
_Love and support and abundance and art._
_This or something better for the highest good of all involved_
_So mote it be the spell is done!_
**You can clap when you’re finished with this incantation as a way of declaring that the working is done.**
Let your candle burn all the way down, leaving it in the sink if you have to. If you can’t leave it lit, snuff or fan out the flame- NEVER blowing it out because this is said to blow out the spells power. Relight this candle as you refocus on your intention. If there’s any excess wax you can dispose of it at a garbage can at an intersection- the modern witches crossroads. And so it is!
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You can keep up with her magick on Twitter and Instagram at @gabyherstik and find her online at [gabrielaherstik.com](http://gabrielaherstik.com/)
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