So the post below blew up on Reddit. I posted it trying to help others in need, on a witchy subreddit. I was not expecting the overwhelming support it received. I got awards, tons of comments and upvotes, even a few direct messages thanking me for sharing because they were at their wit's end. I thought I would share it here as well, because if the more this is spread, the more people it can help.
Original Post:
Maybe not quite witchy, but it helped myself and my daughter through some hard times, so thought I would share a meditation/visualization technique. She was especially struggling with a lot of very dark stuff, and this helped. Maybe it could help someone else as well.
Cleaning Your Mind House
Get in a comfortable position, and then focus inward. Visualize you are walking toward a house. This is your mind house. Pay attention to what you see, inside and out. DO NOT FOCUS ON ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF YOUR FENCE. Open your gate, notice what it looks like, if it is strong or weak, if it has sharp edges, etc. As you walk up to your house, notice what it looks like on the outside. (Mine was white picket fence, and nice porch, pretty windows, paint job, etc. I am a people pleaser that will pretend I am happy and fine) Now is the hard part: open the door and go in.
Not everyone goes through the front door at all times. As you continue working, things will change, inside and out. Note how you got in, as well as what you are seeing/feeling. My first time was sludgy and dark. Your goal is to go from room to room, and clean. Sometimes you will find people: take notice of who they are, how they make you feel. If you are afraid of them or feel they need to not be in your life, kick them out of your house. If the room they were in was dedicated to them, redecorate it.
You may find people come and go on their own, or help you with your work. You may also find that a room you have cleaned previously is disheveled when you come back. You just have to keep going. For instance: the kitchen-my daughter saw 2 people in the kitchen, and she described them as 2 people she had never met, but I had. They helped her clean, and held her hand when she was afraid to move forward. The next time she went in, glass was broken, and one was hurt (from someone deeper in the house). She cleaned up, and the next time they said goodbye and she saw them in the house next door. So still there, but in the distance.
There will also be doors that cannot open until you face something else. Everyone's house is different: it is essentially you, your life, your trauma and triumphs, fears and loves. You embrace what serves you, and renovate the rest.
