Disclaimer: Although this shouldn’t have to be said, always seek medical advice. I’m not a doctor, and chances are you aren’t either.

Many Wiccans, like most people, do their best to live healthy lives. Unfortunately, we all get sick from time to time. Since many Wiccans like to see themselves as “magical” people, they often like to combine traditional health care with magical practises. There are two basic ways to accomplish this:

• Preventive Care
  • exercise and eat right
  • get regular medical checkups
  • be aware of the state of your body and mind
  • practice meditation and other stress-reducing activities
  • preforms spells and rituals to welcome and promote health, abundance and serenity (notice that this comes last)
• Active Care
  • see a doctor as soon it is obvious that something is wrong
  • learn everything you can about your condition (Some of what you learn might be frightening, but being educated will help you to make good decisions about treatments and symptom management)
  • follow proper medical treatments for your condition
  • lastly, perform any spells or rituals you feel you need

Some other “magical” options for health care and prevention include:

• Medical Astrology
  • This entails interpreting your natal chart to pinpoint possible trouble areas. As I am not an expect in astrology (in fact, I barely classify as a dabbler), I can’t really explain how to do this.
• Aura Reading
  • For this you (or someone else) examines your aura, looking for areas that are discoloured or otherwise unusual. Their location can be a clue to possible health problems.

If you decide to study more about magic and health care, you might hear the saying “A witch/Wiccan who cannot hex, cannot heal.” In general, this means if you don’t know about how to cause harm to someone, then you can’t possibly know how to heal them. I don’t totally agree with this statement. There are many witches and Wiccans who do their very best not to cause harm, either because they follow the Rede or because of their own moral code. They may still understand the mechanics and ideas behind casting harmful spells, even though they have never cast one. And these people can still be excellent healers, usually because they are very empathic.

Banishment spells, which are useful in health care, can be consider a “hex” by some. But I don’t believe this is the case, at least in this application. The spell is being used in a positive way, to rid the body of a disease so it may be healthy again. And, in reality, any type of spell can be twisted and become a “hex”, it is the care and intention of the practitioner that makes the difference.

What about when you health spell fails? Someone may get sicker or maybe even die. Spells fail for any number of reasons, your skill being the least of those. It could be that dealing with illness is a lesson that you or the other person must learn. And sometimes some people just like to be sick, and your magical workings aren’t going to help them at all. This is why education about a disease is important. Mundane treatments should always be used hand-in-hand with magic. Healing yourself through these two means together only reinforces your intentions, and intentions are very important in magic working.

This brings us to another sticky subject: is it okay to cast a healing spell for someone without their permission? If you’ve asked them and they say “No” flat out, then I wouldn’t cast the spell. You could remember them in your prayers (yes, Wiccans do pray), and help them out in mundane ways, but that is about it. Some Wiccans will perform the spells anyway, saying it is for the person’s own good. When you are really sick you don’t have a lot of control over what goes on with your body, so I think it is only right to respect the person’s wishes.

Another option, if you can’t get permission, is to bless a small object with healing energy, and give it as a gift to the person. It is wise to tell them what it is, so you aren’t sneakily trying to heal them when they don’t want it. But this way they can accept your good wishes without feeling like they are losing more control.