Although I don’t have children, I can imagine that the first day of school for any child and their parent(s) is filled with many emotions. Maybe it’s excitement, nerves, fear, or a host of other feelings. This is a simple ritual that a parent (or family) might do with their child to help ease their transition as they embark on their next journey as a student.
Preparation for ritual: 1. Prepare the altar with a cloth that you associate with success, luck, and happiness. It might be green or perhaps yellow or another color you associate with success, luck, and happiness.
2. A candle of an appropriate color (green or yellow, again, or even just white)
3. Crystals that you associate with success, luck, and happiness, such as green aventurine, emerald, moss agate, yellow citrine and some crystals that you associate with dispelling fear and negativity such as smoky quartz.
NOTE: You may wish to have some for the ritual on your altar and a couple to put into the herb pouch later.
4. Herbs that you associate with success, luck, and happiness. I recommend basil, orange peel, oats or beans, perhaps a bit of sage for wisdom; cinnamon and nutmeg are also great! Save some for the spell and use some to make an incense blend (see #6).
5. Oils for dressing the candle – basil & orange or lemon would be perfect.
6. Grind a bit of some of these herbs for a quick incense.
7. Have a small herb pouch handy.
8. I like to make a batch of cookies to bring good luck, such as oatmeal with cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla to eat after the ritual. Some orange juice would also be great!
Smudge you and your child (and other family members if participating) and the space around you. Cleanse the candle and crystals and other altar items.
Stand before the altar and reflect on the meaning of this transition in your child’s life (and your own as [a] parent[s]).
Light altar candles and incense following your tradition.
Statement of Intent: We come here to ask that (child’s name) has a happy, successful, smooth transition as they embark on a new journey as a student so that learning is productive and they make lots of friends and adjust easily to this new environment.
Along with the child, if they are able, sprinkle some of each herb around the candle (not yet lit) and charge each herb with your intent. As you do so, place some in the herb pouch. You can say something simple like, “I charge this herb with my intent to bring (child’s name) a smooth transition as they begin their new journey as a student.” You can revise this to fit the particular energy of the herb.
After the herbs have been charged and are around the candle, charge the crystals you’ve chosen. If you have one or two to pop into the herb pouch, do so as you charge them. I find it best to charge each crystal individually, because they each carry their own unique energy to lend to a spell. Again, you can say something if you wish similar to the suggestion with herbs.
Dress the candle with the oil and charge it with your intent.
Place the herb pouch on the altar beside the candle. Light the candle and say :
We light this candle and ask for good luck
So that (child’s name) will have a wonderful beginning at school.
May they learn lots of new things,
Make lots of friends,
Have lots of fun,
And be filled with happiness and success each and every day.
As we will, so mote it be!
When finished, extinguish the candle (or allow to burn out safely).
With the child, eat some of the cookies and drink juice and offer words of encouragement, excitement, and happiness to your child.
After the pouch has charged on the altar based on your own intuition, with your child, choose a place to keep it – beside the bed, in a secret compartment in the child’s backpack, or some other appropriate location.
image from Robert Collins on Unsplash