Packing a seawitch suitcase
I traveled more in 2024 than at any other time in my life. After such a stagnant period in 2023, perpetuated with pain and loss, I needed to get out into the world and remind myself of its beauty. And boy did I succeed! From the Italian shores of Cinque Terre, to the deep mysteries of the white spring in Glastonbury, I went on a quest to find hidden waters, and to rediscover myself. Even my brief 3 day stint in Vancouver in early December led me to unexpected water sources! However, I am far more than just an average traveler, and the sea witch in me refused to leave certain items behind on my travels. If you feel the same, then these are the travel essentials that you need when packing a sea witch suitcase.
Blessed Water:
Whenever I go to new locations, it’s essential that I have something on me that can cleanse the area if it needs it, and it was a lifesaver in Venice! This is usually best to keep in a spray bottle, or something with a tight lid to avoid spillage. If you are traveling by plane, make sure that either the bottle is small enough to meet regulations, or that you put it in your checked baggage!
Scarf/ Shawl:
More often than not, the wind can take a turn on you by the water’s edge. A shawl not only keeps me nice and warm, it’s also very easy to enchant for protection and connection with the water source I’m visiting. In a pinch, a good shawl makes a good alternative for a beach towel, an altar mat, and a beautiful accessory when wave dancing!
Crane bag:
This is a newer addition to my sea witch suitcase. I normally carry one bag for foraging and one for picking up trash, but a crane bag can also hold your divination set. My newest set mostly contains sea bone, items that I’ve collected from a variety of beaches over the years. You can also tuck a small altar cloth into this bag to create a border for your reading, or draw out the borders yourself in the sand!
Mini travel altar:
This has been in my arsenal for years, and it contains the absolute essentials that I could not easily find when traveling. The best part is, all if it fits in a recycled mint tin! Inside I have a pendulum of ocean jasper, tiny jars of sea water, salt, and a protection blend, incense matches, and birthday candles. You can keep similar items in your sea witch kit, or swap out anything for what best fits your practice. I keep this tin inside a small zippered bag with a shell of protective salve, and the miniature Rider-Waite Smith deck in case I happen to forget my other tarot cards or simply don’t have the space.
Offerings for the water:
When you travel to a new water source, you’re interacting with brand new spirits. Providing an offering, especially if you plan to spend time there or forage, is always a good idea. You can choose organic offerings to provide to the water such as natural flower petals. Avoid using anything that is store bought or uses pesticides! You can keep these offerings in an additional crane bag, or pack a pair of gloves and a rollup bag to remove trash from the area! You can also use your vial of blessed water as an offering, but make sure if you use water that is not created with salt, especially for freshwater sources.
Enchanted jewelry:
As witches, we love our jewelry! It makes a statement, keeps us protected, and connects us to our magic. Sometimes there is no telling where the waters will lead you, but if you know where you are visiting ahead of time, you may wish to curate your jewelry for your travels. Please, PLEASE remember to be mindful when visiting the water with jewelry on, especially swimming. Water spirits, mermaids in particular, see your jewelry as an offering to be taken, and will take you along with it! To avoid this, avoid shiny jewelry or wearing a lot of it in excess if you plan on swimming. I wear a leather bound cord and shell pendant for this, and anything else is heavily enchanted and warded. Still, I often spend time at the edge of the water to re-enchant it, inform the water spirits that the jewelry on my person is not for them, and leave them another offering instead.
Packing a sea witch suitcase is half intuition, half practice. The more you explore the world around you, the more you will know what you gravitate towards the most, what feels frustrating when it is missing from your personal kit, and what you might like for next time. Start off with a small selection of what you know you use most often, and give the above suggestions a try. You never know where the waters will take you, but if you go with the flow and trust your intuition, you will end up exactly where you are meant to be!
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