Your Cord-Cutting Guide

Picture all of your emotions, connections with friends and family, your home, pets, your job... everything that makes up who you are on a daily basis as a beautiful chalice. In theory, we want all of those things to fill our chalice until it is almost overflowing. Unfortunately, more is not always more. Sometimes we feel like our chalice is overflowing with things we do not need- soured friendships or relationships with our partners, obsessive thoughts about someone who wronged us, or creating our own negative space so nowhere feels like a safe space. You no longer have space for things that make you happy or make you feel fulfilled. Cord cutting rituals are a means to scoop the negative out of your life's chalice and give room for more positivity to take up that space. Cord cutting is for YOU. We cannot change the people around us, but we can help clear our own minds for newer and brighter beginnings. 

For starters:

• Try to clear your head. Meditation is a great place to start. Before you start any cord cutting rituals you need to ground yourself in the present and give yourself a moment to take a few deep breaths. Rituals are less effective when you are bringing too much harsh negative energy to the table (or altar). 

• Gather your tools:

- If you are looking for the traditional method by using a candle almost any will do. Avoid using large candles since they take too long to burn but ritual candles or even birthday candles work just fine. Different colored candles represent different things so if all you have is white you are starting at a great point! You don't necessarily need to over think the color.

- Paper and a pen/pencil is also a great tool if you need something to physically represent what you are trying to clear out of your life. 

- Carving tools are great if you are planning on carving your name or another's name into your candle or anything you are going to burn. THIS IS NOT DARK MAGIC! Carving tools are not to be used to harm anyone or anything! 

- The fire-free methods are ribbon, cords, string, or twine in a cord cutting ritual. Cutting these objects are more literal ways to represent severing ties to something weighing you down. You can burn the cord if you would like, but it is not a requirement. You will want scissors or something sharp to physically cut the cord and anything will work. 

- Cutting a picture of you and the person you are trying to cut ties with is another more literal way to represent your goal. Binding the picture with a cord or string and cutting through the string and picture simultaneously also works for cord cutting. 

- Nothing! if you are able to visualize cutting ties with the person/people you are looking to separate yourself from you do not need any tools at all. Visualize your future self without this person. Will it open your life for more positivity? Will you feel more freedom and happiness without the thing that is weighing you down and occupying the majority of your inner dialogue? You do not require anything physical to release yourself from negativity. 

- Get a kit. There are cord cutting kits and oils if you are feeling like you need a little assistance in the cord cutting process. They also include guides and all the essentials for a novice or even the well versed cord cutter. 

• Clear your space. Whether you burn sage, ground yourself through clearing your chakras, holding onto selenite to neutralize your mind, there is no wrong answer. Whatever method works best to start in a calm and neutral place is going to help with the impact of your ritual. 

• Go for it! You may be more comfortable reciting a spell or a mantra while you perform your ritual. You may want to breathe in the negative and expel the positive literally by taking deep breaths in and out while sitting in a quiet space. Cord cutting is about healing YOU. Focus your energy back on yourself and releasing yourself from everything and anything the person who you are cutting out did to make you feel less-than. You deserve the best. Keep it in mind while you work on moving forward. 

• Discard of any and all objects that were used in your ritual. You can throw everything in the trash (as long as you will not be tempted to re-use them or reflect back on them). If it helps- bury the objects back into the earth. Mother nature will help you heal.

The aftermath: 

You have performed the ritual any now you may be wondering "what now?" Now, you are going to move forward without obsessing about the negativity you felt. You are ready to move forward not back so doing something that is entirely for you is going to help ease you into filling your chalice back up but with positivity and self-love. Go for a walk in the sunshine, curl up with your pet, wrap yourself in a soft blanket, or even hold your healing crystals. Anything that brings the happiness you were missing back into your life is going to be what helps you after a ritual like cord-cutting and is going to be what makes it stick. 

LOVE YOURSELF! This is key! It is okay to remove negativity and pain from your life. Of course it is a difficult task and may take some practice but never forget that you have earned the right to be happy.