Empathy for the Mystically Inclined

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Raven Digitalis, author of Goth Craft, Shadow Magick Compendium, Planetary Spells & Rituals, and the new Esoteric Empathy.

It’s crazy to think that after 6 years of research, writing, and spiritual introspection, my book for empaths has finally come to fruition! I’m pleased to say that this book, which also happens to be my most important and socially relevant piece, is now available wherever books are sold! Its title is Esoteric Empathy: A Magickal & Metaphysical Guide to Emotional Sensitivity. My book is a culmination of living 33 years as an empath, and it’s a blessing to share the material with fellow empaths and emotionally sensitive spiritual practitioners. It is my hope that this book can help fellow empaths in their lives—and with praise from the likes of Raymond Buckland, Lon Milo Duquette, Janet Farrar, and many others, I feel a sense of humble accomplishment.

What can I say? It can be ridiculously challenging to be an empath, as fellow empaths can certainly empathize… but it’s worth it. The world is in desperate need of empathy. We need to heal our wounds as a species and as a planet, and empathy is where it begins. The experience of empathy is one of “stepping into” the emotions of another person (or animal, or emotional environment).

Empaths, then, are people who experience empathy more frequently than the average bear. Empaths are often drawn to spirituality, magick, and mysticism because these paths affirm our emotional openness and give us an opportunity to channel our emotional energy in productive and cathartic manners. By recognizing our mental and physical cycles, and by purposefully connecting with the cycles of nature through ritual and meditation, we can more accurately understand our amazing emotional capacities.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with emotional energy throughout the day because, well, emotions are everywhere. Because empaths have a deep well of emotions ourselves, it can at times be challenging to understand whether the emotions we feel are ours or if they’re someone else’s. Personally, I don’t feel that the “source” of any given emotion is the most important component of the equation to solve. Sure, it’s essential to get to the root of emotions that continually reappear, especially if they cause ongoing distress, but it’s vital that we regain emotional equilibrium from moment-to-moment—especially if we are doing deeper work like ongoing therapy, counseling, or metaphysical training!

There are a few things that I personally like doing when I find myself empathically overloaded. First, I choose to remember that not everything can be solved right away; it’s okay to give things time and to re-examine situations later, from a more balanced state of mind. If I have time, I’ll take a bath or shower. I’ll journal. I’ll smudge. I’ll meditate and perform Hatha (physical) Yoga. I’ll pray to guides, gods, and guardians. I’ll light a candle, weave a spell, or play some calming music. I’ll touch the earth or a tree. I’ll cry if I need to, but will invoke light and strength afterward. Deep breathing is beneficial. Creating art of any kind can do wonders. It’s also essential to keep perspective about other people’s life struggles.

Everyone has different activities (even brief ones) that can instantly help one’s emotional state—it’s just a matter of discovering what they are, and of course remembering to put them into practice when life throws its inevitable curveballs.

Our thanks to Raven for his guest post! For more from Raven Digitalis, visit his author page for his books and other articles.