Fasting has always been part of magick.

A clean body has a way of awakening and enhancing spiritual awareness and experience.

 

Contrary to popular belief, not all fasts are created equal.

 

The purest fast is that which allows only water. Nothing else. No food or drink of any kind except water.

 

Some fasts require that you only abstain from red meat. Others require abstinence from all meat.

Some fasts require that you not eat anything solid, but allow you to have water, fruit juices and/or broth.

There are even fasts that allow the most basic of meals, but require you to abstain from luxury,  and processed foods and carbonated drinks.

 

The fasting ritual that you follow when it comes to magickal workings can depend on the tradition and/or the spellwork you're planning to perform.

Many fasts are done prior to traditional celebrations.

Fasting can be as simple as withholding food for a 24 hour period or it can be as extreme as literally living off of water alone for an entire month.

 

It seems like I've been perpetually fasting in one form or another for as far back as I can remember.

In fact, I fast so often that I have to have a calendar to remind me which fast Im on lol.

 

When I was young, fasting didn't seem to have any real consequence on my body.

I fasted when it was necessary and I binged afterward for as long as it took for me to feel satisfied.

I would usually lose a few pounds during a long fast, but gain it back within a couple of weeks afterward.

I was always a very slender woman and outside of my pregnancies, never weighed more than 105 pounds.

 

In my early 30s, I started to notice that there were times when pure fasting and no meat fasting started to really affect my energy levels.

I saw a nutritionist for a time and with a combination of vitamins and changes to my after-fast diet, I was back to normal, fasting whenever I chose.

 

About 4 years ago, I again started to notice another change. This time, fasting started to affect my body.

At first, during a fast, I would lose a few pounds like I had always done, but afterward, I would gain a few pounds more than I lost.

 

It took me a year to get my body back under control. I went back to the routine that my original nutritionist had suggested and a different exercise routine and though I wasn't really losing the extra weight, I wasn't gaining anymore either and that was better than no improvement.

 

I chalked it up to being older and having my last baby via c-section and just moved forward.

 

Then again, I started to notice that I was gaining more weight (especially around my midsection) after a fast than before even though my diet was natural and pretty healthy. In about 10 months I went from 120 pounds to 135 pounds. On a 5 foot, naturally slender frame, that is a lot of weight. Its 25 pounds more than I was ever used to carrying.

 

I'd been exercising, watching my diet, taking the supplements that the original nutritionist had recommended and there was NO change.

 

After consulting with another nutrition specialist. She believes that because of the extreme amount of fasting I've done over the years, I've taught my body that I will starve it and depry it of what it needs often and in order to compensate, it has taken on a mind of its own and decided to store all of the fat that it possibly can just waiting for the next starvation.

And of course, not sleeping long enough or well enough is also part of the issue.

 

So now, I'm going to be starting a new day and night specific herbal routine (Dr Berg! Google him, he's awesome), a diet that consists of mostly of proteins and veggies, and a low impact exercise routine that is far different from what I had been doing. AND I've promised the nutritionist that I will not fast for 30 days once I get started to see how it goes! The not fasting is going to be the hard part as, like I said, Im always on one fast or another.

 

 

 

I decided to go ahead and share this because I know a lot of you fast and Im hoping that my experience will perhaps help someone else. As women, our bodies are constantly changing anyway, but to feel like your body has completely betrayed you is the worst.

 

Both before and after a fast, your diet should be high in protein every day. On days that you exercise, carbs are more important than fat and on days that you're resting or doing very little, your fat intake should be higher. Unprocessed, whole foods are very important.

 

Remember that you are not like everyone else and you have to learn what works for you.

Some people have a huge meal after a fast, others are fine with a snack or a small meal.

Some people take a period of months to work up to a long fast. Start small and only do what you know you and your body can handle.

Make sure that you are getting a good nights rest. If you're not sleeping, get help.

And finally, make sure that you are not fasting for too long or too often.