Inner Child Ritual

An excerpt from Spells for the Modern Mystic: A Ritual Guidebook and Spell-Casting Kit by Kelley Knight and Brandon Knight, published by HarperDesign

When you go through trauma as a child, it's common to disassociate from that part of yourself because of the pain, shame, or embarrassment that you correlate with that age or time in your life. But if you disconnect from these more difficult feelings, you also leave behind the gifts that your child self has to offer.

Hiding any aspect of the self makes it challenging to show up in life feeling authentic and ready to make an impact in the world. The Inner Child Ritual from Spells for the Modern Mystic can help heal and reintegrate some of those hurt places. Remember that healing yourself in turn heals your whole lineage.

The ritual utilizes a childhood altar, which can be set up for one time use or used daily for a period if you have more childhood wounds to heal. If the ritual is part of a daily practice, you should keep the altar up for the entire time you intend to use it. Each of the four elements is represented on it, which creates a balanced altar that utilizes the energy of all the elements and directions. This altar faces south, which amplifies the energy of letting go.

SETUP

You will need:

•  Altar or table
• 1 white candle any candle you choose, to represent fire and south
•  Small bowl or glass of water, filled, to represent water and west
•   Rock, crystal, or soil, to represent earth and north
•  Incense or a feather, to represent air and east
•  1 or more photographs of yourself as a child (the images should be of you alone)
•   Long-reach lighter or matches
•   Notebook or paper and pen
•   Small handheld mirror, or ready access to a mirror

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the altar in the southernmost part of the room.

Place the representation of fire at 12 o'clock, the representation of water at 3 o'clock, the representation of earth at 6 o'clock. and the representation of air at 9 o'clock.

1. Light the candle and the incense (if you're using one of them to represent the air element). Make sure you have paper and a pen nearby.
2. Sit comfortably in front of the altar. Inhale deeply, and without moving your head, look upward using only your eyes. Exhale deeply, and without moving your head, look down. Continue to inhale and exhale, moving your eyes accordingly until they want to close naturally, then let them close. This is called Alpha breathing, which emits relaxing Alpha brain waves.
3.  With your eyes remaining closed, take yourself back to a familiar physical space from your childhood. Envision the room. Look at the details, the furniture, the floor. Notice if there are other people there. Trust whatever location and time comes up. As you scan the space, you'll come across a younger version of yourself, whom you'll call "Little You." Do not engage with Little You, just observe.
4. When you feel ready, imagine a bubble of love starting to grow from your heart center. See it growing larger and larger, encompassing your entire body. See it grow even larger until it encompasses Little You as well. Feel the energy of your love filling the bubble, creating a safe space for you both.
5. In your mind, ask Little You to stand in front of you. Ask Little You to express all the emotions they are feeling; ask them to express any feelings of anger, sadness, or loneliness. Keep your heart pumping love into the bubble as Little You expresses their feelings however they choose while you accept them without judgment. Then ask Little You to express feelings of joy, happiness, or excitement.
6. Keep loving them while you simply observe and create the space for Little You to express their emotions. Then ask Little You if there is anything else they would like to say or show you.
7. Once Little You has expressed all their feelings in your mind, say as many "You Are" statements that come to you. For instance, say to Little You, "You are brave. You are strong. You are beautiful." Continue for as many rounds as you'd like.
8. When you're done, ask Little You if you can give them a hug. If they say yes, embrace Little You. If they say no, continue to send love from your heart to Little You. In your mind, tell them, "I love you and I accept you. I'm here now and will never leave you. Thank you for being here with me." When you're ready, open your eyes.
9. Take your notebook and pen and write down as many of the "You Are" statements as you can remember saying out loud. Then, on a new sheet of paper, change the "You Are" statements to "I Am" statements. (For example," You are brave" becomes "I am brave.")
10. If you have a handheld mirror, stay seated and hold it in front of you. If not, take the "I Am" statements with you and move to stand in front of a nearby mirror. Look yourself in the eyes in the mirror and say the "I Am" statements powerfully aloud, one by one.
11. When you're done saying the statements, take a deep inhale and exhale to finish the session.

This ritual can be used daily to help heal wounds from your childhood, from birth through age twelve. You either can begin with infancy and visit yourself at each age in chronological order over a period of days, or you can address whatever age during that period comes to mind.