3 Skeptic-Friendly Witchcraft Practices I Use Every Day

Note: if you’d rather watch than read, you can do so here.

I’ve been wanting to talk about this forever, so I thought: no time like the present right? Right. 

Let’s discuss witchcraft.

I’m not going to get into the history of it, because this ain’t that type of site, but I do want to talk about what people seem to think when they hear the word “witch” these days. Like, sure, they won’t tie you to a stake or dunk you in a lake to see if you float, but there’s still a lot of assumption whizzing around about what it actually means. Like I bet if I tell you that I follow witchcraft, you’re probably already imagining me one of two ways: 

Either I’m stirring a cauldron with a pointy hat and a black cat by my side, cackling and adding a little eye of newt to some sort of unidentifiable green brew (eye of newt was actually mustard seed, by the way, that’s a thing you know now), OR I’m sitting in the middle of a yoga shala surrounded by crystals and blaming your depression on blocked chakras. 

To be clear: I’m NOT trying to shit on anyone who does practice witchcraft that way, but it’s different for everyone – those are only two possibilities. 

The type that speaks to me, that keeps me sane, is SASS witchcraft. And I think — nay, I know – that there are a bunch of you out there who might actually need to hear about it. 

“SASS” stands for Skeptical, Atheist/Agnostic, and Science-Seeking (I also like to sometimes change the “skeptical” to “secular”), and it’s perfect for people who want to practice without mountains of “woo.” 

And here are three ways that I work it into my everyday life that have majorly helped my mental health, my inner peace, and my last nerve. 

One: Reflect with Tarot

So some people believe that tarot cards tell the future, that they’re imbued with some otherworldly energy that knows things that are happening that you don’t. 

I don’t. They’re cards. They “know” what I do. 

What I do believe is that tarot is a fantastic way to get to know yourself, and to help you find next steps you probably already know to take. 

Every morning, I pull three cards while asking what wisdom or focus I need for that day, and then, based on what they mean, I set an intention. But these messages, these intentions, are never outside of my circle of influence or control. It’s things like “I’m clearly feeling grumpy today, and the best way to deal with that is to take time for self-reflection and pause to make sure I’m responding fairly.” 

This, more times than not, makes even “scary” or “negative” draws feel calming and helpful. Because a card that means betrayal, for example, is about warning me not to betray myself or my values, not that I need to watch my back against my husband or my friends. 

Since I’ve started doing this and journaling directly after, I’ve been able to start almost all of my days with a focus and an intention, and it’s helped me to clear the cobwebs from my brain before I do anything else for anyone else. 

Two: Intentional Sensory Design

I dunno if this is what it’s called for anyone else, but this is what I call it. “It” being that I set up sensory signals for task switching, parts of my day, and self-soothing. A lot of adults, especially, are taught to focus on what’s in their heads without taking into account that the hunk of meat we call a brain is often reacting to the stimuli it gets from our other senses. So good scents, nourishing meals, even comfortable clothes are all just as important as the things you think about every day in keeping your mental health steady. 

This is also super important when it comes to keeping up with routines, especially if you’re ADHD like your girl here. A study in 2024 showed that, when people with ADHD were put in an augmented reality, those sensory cues I talked about helped to “reduce cognitive load and aid routine formation.” So…y’know…there’s actually science behind this. 

SASS witchcraft, and modern witchcraft in general, is all about ritual, and this is why I think I run into so many neurodivergent witches. You light the same candles or incense, you say the same words, sometimes you even sit in the same positions. I even have a special set of pajamas I wear when I’m depressed, because it signals to my body that we’re cocooning for the rest of the day. 

The TL;DR of it all is that if you’re purposeful about what your senses take in, and tie it to the right actions, you’re looking at feeling more integrated and more in tune with what’s around you. 

Three: Cyclical Living

Like I said, I’m ADHD. Which means I have the object permanence of a capuchin monkey, and therefore assume that the way things are now is the way they will always be. It can be nice when things are going well for me, but when they’re not…things can get rather dark. 

Cyclical living cleared that up for me. 

Cyclical living is exactly what it sounds like: recognizing that life is, like nature, in a constant cycle. Sometimes, it’s gonna rain like hell outside; sometimes, it’s going to feel like you haven’t seen rain in ages; still other times, it’s going to be perfect. And through it all, whatever it is, you roll with it. Just like you don’t kick and scream at a tree because it’s not growing the first buds of spring yet, you don’t let yourself lose control because you’re in a season where your friends aren’t answering your texts. You remind yourself as often as you can that “the wheel turns,” and you do your best with what’s available right now. 

For those who menstruate, this ties in really well with your menstrual cycle, too. For example, if you’re in your luteal phase and your focus isn’t what you’d like it to be, instead of getting frustrated and trying to force your brain to work like it does during your follicular phase, you lean into what you can do, what the brain is primed for during this time, and remember that things will change in your own time. 

Witches celebrate the Wheel of the Year, which is a perfect example of cyclical living all on its own. Every sabat (that’s a major holiday on the wheel) is meant to celebrate the virtues of that particular season. Mabon celebrates the equinox, and so it celebrates both the dark and the light of things. Yule celebrates the dark and the “death” of the old year. There’s no wailing or gnashing of teeth as seasons change; there’s only acceptance and excitement for what that season will bring. Plus, you get to celebrate a new season like 8 times a year and that’s just fun. Obviously these are celebrated a little differently by SASS witches, but that’s for another video at another time. 

If this speaks to you, if it sounds like something you need, then look into it a bit more; maybe you’ll find something that really helps. If it doesn’t, but you just sat here and read my yapping, thank you. And if you left already…I mean…I’m not talking to you cause you’re already gone. 

Anywhoozles. Is there anything else you’d like to know about SASS? Drop it in the comments!