Traveling with Witchcraft: What you should be packing + witch travel tips!
https://youtu.be/-R5BHdQZyeg
Packing to go on a trip can be an adventure in itself. I’m the type of packer that tries to organize everything, separate outfits by day/event, goes through checklists multiple times and then still is always worried I forgot something. Adding a magickal practice to that, particularly if it normally involves tools, can feel a little stressful! Here’s some tips on traveling witchcraft and what’s in my travel bag this summer:
You don’t need to bring anything!
I do sometimes feel naked without having my tarot cards on me or protection stones shoved into my bra or pockets, but I don’t need them. I can and have packed a bag with seemingly non-witchy items inside and my craft or identity as a witch isn’t invalid for it. All you truly need in your practice is yourself! Traveling witchcraft only actually needs a traveling witch.
Plan for what type of trip you’re going on
If you’re taking a road trip to a secluded area in the woods where you plan on focusing on ritual work s a part of your trip, you’ll be packing a lot differently than if you’re going on a plane to Disney World and have to go through multiple security checks. Make sure you’re packing/planning for what you are allowed to bring with you in mind! And also consider what items you can easily and cheaply pick up on your journey.
Realistically consider what type of workings or rituals you may do or may need to do
I always want to be the over-prepared when I’m traveling, but that also means I dramatically over-pack for things I didn’t even have time for. If you’re honest with yourself about how much time you’ll have and what priorities you want to maintain in your practice, you’ll get a better idea of what’s potentially excessive.
What can you source from your journey/destination?
Always consider where you’re going and how you’re getting there! Candles, matches and many herbs can be picked up at any grocery or dollar store. Will you be near a natural resource of water? What local plant energies can you work with? Of course don't forage a whole plant, be respectful to nature and the residents, but if you find a sprig fallen on the ground or ask permission to borrow a leaf or two, that's likely all you need. Another more urban example is to grab some extra salt packets from the drive thru to later put by your air BnB’s front door to absorb negative energies. In the past, a continental breakfast in a hotel lobby has come through as my resource for teas and also elements that come inside them. For example, chamomile can be used in a variety of magickal ways beyond just drinking it’s infusion!
Do what makes you most comfortable
Traveling can already be a stressful time, so if the thought of going without an item feels totally unnatural, just bring it with you or find a way to fulfill that need if you can’t. For me, the thought of bringing my tarot cards actually brought me a sense of dread that I was going to lose one or bend up my cards in my duffel bag. Although they often travel with me during my day-to-day, they stayed safe at home at my altar on this journey and that made me feel much better.
What’s in my travel bag this summer:
Amulets/Evil Eyes for protection. Warding amulets don’t have to be obvious if you’re in the closet or if you just want to travel witch incognito. I have a post on how you can make anything a warding amulet here.
Charmed sunscreen. Add a protection charm to your bottle or tube of sunscreen! You can also apply lotions by drawing protection symbols/sigils before rubbing them in to your skin. Protect yourself and your skin!!
Negative energy absorbing magick jar. I went on a road trip and did not need to worry about security. Kept a car full of people in pretty good spirits even after 10 hours of being crammed together. Anytime it needs a refresher, just give it a good shake! Pro tip: put any oils (magickal or not) in a ziplock bag. No matter how sealed you think a jar is, they like to leak.
Travel altar:
I made a travel altar in inside of a mint tin. I created it to both hold a few items and to create a sacred/altar space that reminds me of my altar at home so I feel like I have a safe space to work in if I needed to. What your mini travel altar looks like will vary pending your path, practice and preferences! Here's what I put in mine:
Pendulum. my divination tool of choice this trip because it was the smallest, I didn’t have to worry about losing any tarot cards or runes along the way and I was able to pack it inside my travel altar. I also brought my D20, as I’ve been working with it as a divination tool too (you can find my post on that here!).
Safe travels spell jar. Again, I wasn’t taking this through any security because it stayed in my bag on a road trip the whole time. I made a special tiny spell jar that also went inside my travel altar to promote a safe journey.
Tigers eye stone. Rather than weighing myself down with a whole pocket of rocks, I chose one that I wanted to focus on. This trip in particular was the first I’ve been on in years, the first time I’ve traveled with this group and also one that would mean a lot of hours in a car. Traveling as an introvert and “post-pandemic” while cases are going up times was also a huge scary factor for me. I felt that inner strength, endurance and grounding would be important so I chose tigers eye.
Coffin nail. Another item inside my travel altar. It was the smaller iron item I had on hand to pack. Coffin nails are often used for making/breaking hexes and also for protection. Iron is also good for protection, and it also wards many potentially unwanted spirits and entities. For example, the fae are less likely to mess with your stuff if you have iron around.
Do you have any travel witchcraft tips?
