Your past is a big part of what makes you who you are, but it can also anchor you in thoughts and feelings that no longer serve you. You might be dealing with trauma, an event, a person, a bad habit, or a mindset, but everything must pass eventually. There is no spell that can make you forget something entirely -- you will always have your memories -- but even a small ritual can help you begin to release negative feelings and move forward.

A Fire Spell for Letting Go

Fire is a powerful ally. It empowers spells, carries prayers on its smoke, and symbolically destroys things. You can either kindle a fire outdoors or light a red candle. On a piece of paper or parchment, write down everything that you wish to let go of -- names, situations, feelings, everything. Light the paper or parchment in the candle flame and place it in a fireproof dish. As it burns, say...

I release these people/thoughts/feelings/events.
I let them go, and move forward into peace.

Sprinkle lavender flowers, mugwort, sage, vervain, or your favorite cleansing and peace-promoting herbs over the burning paper. Allow the fire to consume the things you wish to release, and let the smoke carry cleansing and peace.

A Spell to Release Past Trauma

Cypress is a tree associated with death, and is often used in spells for dealing with grief, pain, anxiety, or when something needs to rest in peace. Dress a blue candle with cypress oil and mullein. Blue is the color of healing, while mullein is used for strength and to lay things to rest.

List everything you wish to release. Cry if you need to. Hold the candle in your hands, and let your pain fill it. Ask the universe, your guardian spirits, or your deities to speed your healing. When you are ready, light the candle. Sit and meditate beside it, bathed in the light and warmth of the flame. Picture your trauma as a dark presence in your body, and let the fire flood it with bright light. Allow the candle to burn as long as you need, then snuff it and repeat the spell as necessary.

A Bathing Spell to Let Go

Water is another powerful ally for releasing the past. Fill a tub or basin with fresh water, and add a generous amount of sea salt. Sea salt alone is cleansing. When added to the water, it is similar to the tears shed when we feel grief or pain. When you are ready, sit in the bath and let the salt and water cleanse you. Say...

I am alone.
I am uncovered.
I am free to feel whatever I need to feel.

Say whatever else you need to. Splash in anger if you want. Cry if you want. Express whatever emotions come up that need releasing. Let the water take your tears, dilute them, and carry them away.

When you are ready, drain the tub and let your sorrows go with it. Allow yourself to air dry, and dress yourself with Peace Sachet Powder, Peace Oil, or White Lavender Water.

A Ritual for Releasing Bad Habits

Bad Habits can cause just as much pain as trauma does. One old way to break a bad habit is to write it on a piece of paper and bury it in a pot of soil under a clove of garlic. As the garlic grows, the habit will diminish.

You can also use a black candle to banish your bad habit. On the first day after the full moon, take the candle and carve a symbol of your habit in the wax. Sprinkle it with asafetida powder (be careful not to use too much -- asafetida is powerful. Hold your hands over the candle, and say...

With this flame, I banish my flaw.
I shall [name your habit] no more.

Light the candle. As it burns, come up with a statement that redefines yourself. If you are trying to quit smoking, it can be something like, "I choose not to smoke." Every day for the next twenty-one days, write this statement three times. If you need to, repeat this spell the next day after the full moon.

The past can strengthen us, but sometimes it holds us back. If you have unresolved emotions, situations, or bad habits that need to be released, spells and rituals can allow you to free yourself.