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Moving means leaving behind a bunch of stuff.
Obviously, I can’t jam everything into three suitcases when moving to the UK, so rather than getting a ton of stuff shipped to England, I’m instead pulling a Marie Kondo and doing the life-changing magic of tidying up.
Unfortunately, I’m the type of person who attaches sentimental value to every single object they own. But it’s all good- I just gotta get over that.
And it’s never too early to do some home organization. The storage organizers in my house were overflowing, so it was about time to hit up the Savers near me to drop off some donations.
Here are some ideas to get started on how to declutter your home, and where to give charitable donations.
Credit: Making Lemonade Blog Where to Donate Clothing Near You
I have never thrown away clothes in my life.
Aside from things that are irrevocably damaged, I always make sure to hit the clothes donation centers near me. I’m in New England, so Savers is always a great spot.
I’ve been a thrift shopper for as long as I can remember, and I love being sustainable. Fast fashion is cheaply made and bad for the environment, so I think secondhand is the way to go.
You can also check in with your local women’s shelter. They don’t always take used clothes, but if you have anything you’ve never worn, you’re more likely to have your clothing donations received.
How to Find a Little Free Library
Credit: Londonist Lately I’ve been super into Little Free Libraries. There are so many in New England, and if you get to the bigger cities like Boston, you’ll find entire stands of free books for you to peruse.
I love donating books to my favorite local charity, Red.Lined.Period (they also take menstrual supplies and give them for free to schools). It feels good to get books into the hands of (mostly) young people for free. I’ve always been a big reader, and it feels good to share the love.
Yesterday’s donations! You can also sell your books at your local used book store. NYC has The Strand, which is one of my favorite bookstores in the world. Now that I live in Rhode Island, I usually hit Symposium Books in Providence.
Most bookstores don’t offer a whole ton of money for your books (they gotta make a profit obviously), but if you’re getting rid of a ton of books at once, it might be your best bet with selling.
Have a bunch of unused notebooks and craft supplies? Try this!
One of my favorite places to give stuff away at is my local Little Free Craft Library. It’s similar to the Little Free Library, but rather than books, it’s craft supplies!
You can find almost anything in these libraries, so even things you may not consider crafty, they’ll take. Stuff like old yarn, stickers, empty notebooks, fabric, coloring books, and even broken pieces of pottery (mosaics, anyone?).
You never know what someone is gonna need. I’ve found googly eyes, buttons, beads, markers, paper flowers, origami kits- you name it, they got it!
Definitely consider donating to these craft libraries. I can confirm that as starving artists, we could use some freebies when it comes to creating neat art projects, especially students.
Credit: Rhode Island Monthly The Best Place to Donate Canned Goods
If you’re cleaning out your fridge or pantry, I highly recommend donating unopened food to your local community fridge. These are designed to allow people in need to get free food easily, without going to a traditional food pantry.
This is one of my favorite places to donate. Not only does it feel good to help the community, and it gives you an excuse to do some extreme couponing at the grocery store. It’s fun, I promise.
Community fridges are popping up all over the country, and it’s a wonderful way to help people who may not have as easy access to food.
Credit: National Today How to Use Your Local Buy Nothing Group
If you have stuff that may not fit any of these categories, your best bet is to give things away on your local Buy Nothing Facebook group. You can literally list anything on these pages- you never know who may need exactly what you’re giving away. I’ve even donated those gift cards for free Hello Fresh boxes on these.
Some cities, like NYC, also have Buy Nothing stands open to the public, similar to the Little Free Libraries. I’ve found a ton of cool stuff at the Chelsea location- Simpsons postcards, an ET drinking glass, an empty roll of film- all useless, but fun.
You never know what you’re gonna find at these places. I once donated a perfectly good pair of Converse shoes there, and you bet it got swooped up real quick.
Better than an overfilled storage organizer!
When it’s time for you to make that big move, don’t just throw things away. You never know who may be able to use those things you don’t want, and sustainability is the key.
Plus, you won’t contribute to capitalism. Consider that an added bonus.
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Okay, so I’m gonna start by saying that I hate The Secret. Like, really freakin’ HATE The Secret. And here’s why.
The Law of Attraction, or whatever you want to call your manifestation journey, is a lot more complicated than you’d imagine. There are many other universal laws that coincide with Law of Attraction, including the Law of Action.
What is the Law of Action?
The Law of Action states that we have to take action in our lives to make change happen. Whereas the Law of Attraction is more focused on creating an energy open to accepting the things we desire. They may seem like opposites, but they work hand in hand.
It’s way more than the 369 manifestation technique. Because what The Secret leaves out is the actions we need to achieve our manifestations. That’s why I not only use witch spells to help guide my journey, but also take tangible steps to accomplish my goals.
So here’s a few witchy things you can use to guide both your spiritual and physical manifestation methods. I’ve included Amazon links, but I highly recommend checking out your local witch store.
Modern Witch Tarot! First up are tarot cards. Tarot readings have been the driving force of my manifestations. A lot of times we aren’t 100% clear on what we actually want, and I’ve found that tarot (or any other kind of divination) helps process the deeper meaning of WHY we want this, and what exact journey is needed to accomplish the more intricate parts of our manifestation. Runes are also helpful if you know how to read the Runic alphabet (which isn’t terribly hard to learn!).
I also recommend some sort of manifestation journal. I really like the 555 Challenge, which guides you through the manifestation method of writing your manifestation 55 times, five days in a row. This may seem like a typical manifestation method, but it’s more of a psychological training that allows you to keep your mind focused on your goal. It triggers the Law of Action more so than the Law of Attraction.
Next is anything to keep your mind creative. And I’m not just talking about things specific to what you are manifesting- having some sort of creative outlet can help open your mind and welcome in all of your goals. Hell, creativity could even be a part of your manifestation if you choose to monetize it. That’s what I did with my handmade earrings!
My earrings! Books are also incredibly helpful. I really love the book Manifest Now. It’s a good alternative to The Secret, as it has more tangible visualization exercises and meditations that, in a way, tidy up your mind. Reading in general also helps give me a clear and strong mind- I’ll make a separate post about my favorite witchy books, but here are a few.
Lastly, use anything to keep you motivated towards your goal, holding yourself accountable every day to keep working. Whenever I don’t feel like working, I just remember that the harder I work, the closer I am to moving to England. It can be a vision board, or affirmations you keep on your mirror, or any sort of motivational thing you can look at every day. Trust me, it helps.
Remember, the Law of Attraction only works if it coincides with the Law of Action. Remember this, and for God’s sake, stop reading The Secret.
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Y’all, I have my own town in the UK.
Sort of. According to my research, my last name has roots in Lancashire, a city in England. So while I may not be hella distinguished, I am actually a at least a little bit British.
My maiden last name is Sather, and in doing some digging via houseofnames.com, the name originates from the British surname Satterthwaite. And since the English language is so wack, it spun into a million different last names depending on pronunciation. Thus, Sather.
My family crest! The Satterthwaite clan was first found in Cumbria, Lancashire. They emerged as Lords of Manor, and in the 13th century achieved the status of distinguished Lancastrian gentry. My American ass has no clue what that means, but I assume it’s pretty fucking cool.
Like, the Satterthwaites literally have a village named after them in Cumbria. How lit is that? Plus, we have a cute lil’ house in Castle Park.
Archaeologyuk.com Pretty fucking sick, my dude. Can’t wait to jump into all of this UK travel when I move to England.
Anyway, all of this research and prep is getting me super hyped for the move next year. Every time I pound the pavement and earn money, all I think about is England. Do it for England. If I was more graphic design-inclined, I’d remake that ”do it for her” scene from The Simpsons.
tfw The Simpsons makes you cry I’m not a fan of hustle culture. Don’t worry, I’m taking breaks and setting boundaries. But I can’t help but get super motivated every time I think of the move. It makes work and saving money fun!
Plus, the more I save, the more likely I am to live in a creepy haunted castle. I anxiously await wearing a flowing dress and running through countless hallways in the middle of the night like a fucking Guillermo de Toro ingénue.
Maybe I can get the hookup with my cool last name. Probably not, but it’s worth a shot. Then I’ll finally learn how to be a ladylike princess. Unlikely, but possible.
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I felt called last night to do a money manifestation spell. I got out of bed at 5am after giving up on going to sleep, and I felt called to do a quick little witchcraft spell to make money fast.
Passive income has never come easily to me. I’m always looking for more ways to make money from home, whether that be by tarot readings, custom spellwork, selling crafts, whatever.
So at 5am, I put on a money manifestation meditation, dressed a green candle with spearmint and bayberry, wrote my intentions on a bay leaf, and burnt it in the flame.
Less than six hours later, I had $1111 in my PayPal account.
A typical bay leaf spell. Here’s the thing- I don’t believe in the Law of Attraction. I think The Secret is bullshit. I don’t believe that we are responsible for bad things happening to us because we aren’t ”aligned” to the positive or whatever. I find it ableist and classist.
But I do believe in the Law of Action. I believe that if I not only align myself with money energy, but also take solid steps, rather than just waiting around staring at a vision board.
I manifested creative ideas. And that’s when I got one that made me over $1000 in six hours.
I reached out to one of my regular tarot clients, and simply asked if she would potentially be interested in doing witchy coaching with me. She immediately said yes and to name my price. It was the easiest sale I’ve ever made- I’ve had a harder time with $15 sales at the flea market. I started my day worried I wouldn’t be able to make rent this month to paying all of my bills in full, plus saving $600 towards taxes and my England fund.
This was truly serendipitous. First the travel voucher, then the $1111 from my client, paid in full. Maybe manifestation is going to be my key to moving to the UK.
I will keep you guys posted on all of my spellwork. This shit works, you just gotta believe or something.
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I’ve always been really bad at saving money. Didn’t know how to save money, how to stop spending money, how to curb my shopping addiction- I am probably the least financially literate person I know.
It doesn’t help that I’m a freelancer. The gig economy and endless side hustles mean unreliable income, so saving properly is still hard for me. It’s worth it though, my handmade earrings made from vintage beads, broken jewelry, crystals, and charms are pretty fly (@lizardkingwitchshoppe babiessss).
But we gotta save up for that big ol’ move to England!
The office, aka the Providence Flea Market. I’m challenging myself to curb my spending. I have BPD, and impulsivity is a major thing to work on as a borderline. So every dime I make in my side hustles, my antique shop, my tarot readings– going right to my savings account.
Where to begin?
Right now, I’m saving via Stash. It’s an amazing app the teaches you about the stock market, and gives you stock back with every purchase you make on your Stash debit card. It also has saving options! You can sign up with my referral link– we’ll both get $20 in stock when you sign up and add cash!
So far I only have about $220 saved in my Stash, split between my taxes and my move. It’s not much, but its a start.
For a while, I was also using Ibotta to make extra cash. It’s a couponing app, where you submit receipts to get cash back on all of your purchases. I also have a referral link with this one– sign up here and after submitting your first receipt, we both get $10! Cool!!!
Money spells galore! On the witchy front, I’m doing plenty of spells to continue to promote money flow. One of my ongoing spells is my little money jar at my front door. I put all of my change in here, along with a little bit of cinnamon bark (great for fast money spells!) and a citrine stone. I try to keep this money moving, whether for work investments, charity, or supporting a small business.
You can also mix moonwater and spearmint oil and wash your front door to promote money manifestation, burn bay leaves with your intentions written on them as a fast money spell, or sprinkle bayberry under your rug to manifest wealth in your home. I tagged some Amazon products to get you started, but I also recommend supporting your local witch shop.
Mixing the practical and the magickal is something I love doing. The more the ~money energy~ flows, the more it comes back to you.
Back to saving. What’s the plan?
- Stop spending money on weird Facebook marketplace finds, except for shop inventory.
- With every sale I make, put half of it into savings.
- For our pre-moving trip to the UK, find a host on mindmyhome.co.uk to save money on hotels (you can trade house/petsitting for a place to stay!).
- Do research on the cheapest places to live in the UK (so far Norwich is on the top of the list!) and make a plan.
- Use Google Flights to find the cheapest airfare I can find.
- Find other ways to be impulsive.
I have to save at least $500 for my half of the plane fare for the initial trip, not to mention moving costs and whatever my rent is.
Not only am I manifesting the money itself, but I’m also manifesting getting better spending habits, and learning to save money and become financially literate.
Let’s get saving!
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As someone who practices witchcraft, specifically as a green witch, spell jars that utilize herbs are kind of my favorite things in the world.
I’ve done countless manifestation spells in my witchcraft practice, but never one for my own European vacation. So I took my herbs, and started manifesting some travel plans.
First and foremost, before we move to England, we have to explore the UK a little more. Cheap flights are hard to come by, but after scouring Google Travel, we found a flight that worked. So we’re saving up for a trip this summer.
What is a witch to do?
Do some witchcraft, obvi.
For those of you looking to make a manifestation spell jar for yourself, here’s my typical process.
- Cleanse all materials, the room that you’re working in, and yourself.
- Pick a candle based on the color of your intention.
- Carve your intentions into the candle. This can be symbols that are important to you, runes, words, angel numbers, whatever. Also be sure to include your name in the carving.
- Dip or wet the candle with moonwater or an oil based on your intention. I like to use orange E.O. Personally- it’s great for manifesting.
- Dress the candle. I like to use cinnamon while dressing, as it’s known to speed up spells. You can also use black salt or eggshells to dress a candle for a protection spell.
- Light the candle.
- At this point, you can start to create a spell jar with the corresponding herbs. You can use any jar as long as you smoke cleanse it first.
- Seal the jar with the wax from the candle. It might be scary to handle fire, so be extremely careful.
- At this point, I like to infuse my own energy. You can do this any way you want- I like to wave my hands near the candle and really feel the energy of the flame.
- Take the feeling you get while implementing your energy, and visualize your goal. Then imagine that energy expanding through the whole room, the house, your street, your town, until eventually it covers the whole world.
- You’ll know when it’s done. Trust your intuition.
I have a massive collection of herbs that I got from a nice lady on Facebook Marketplace. But instead of using them for the usual herbal remedies (I love making tea potions), I’m using them for European travel. Pretty lit.
A quick note- if you don’t have one of these herbs, rosemary is a good overall herb substitute. But you can find most of these at your local witch store.
First up was bayberry. I had a powdered version, so I also used this to dress the candle. This herb is really good for manifesting money- some sprinkle it under their rugs to help them make money fast. A great manifestation herb. Also good for manifestation spells are basil, patchouli, and bay leaves.
Next I used heather. This is a luck-related herb, also promoting passion and aiding protection spells (because who doesn’t need travel protection?). I also read that it’s associated with bringing forward rain- something that seems to happen a lot in the UK.
Then juniper berries. I love these- they’re so pretty. These symbolize transitions and new beginnings, which is the whole reason why we decided to leave America for the UK. These are also good for general recharging- perfect for starting a new life.
Calendula was next! I LOVE calendula flowers so much- they always perk me up when I put them in my tea. This herb is perfect for sun-related energy, which is something I always need more of. The Sun is my favorite tarot card- whenever I do tarot readings for myself, the card always flies out of my deck. So I infused some of that energy into the jar.
Lastly, I put in agrimony. This herb is not only good for eradicating negative energy and overcoming fear, but according to my research, it’s also an herb native to Norwich, my top choice when we move to Britain. It just seemed right.
I topped this with some citrine crystals (my faves), sealed it up, and did my thing. I love using spell jars for manifestation spells.
The next day, my manifesting efforts already started paying off.
I got an email from American Airlines telling me that I had a $200 flight credit!!! Totally serendipitous, totally manifested. While $200 won’t get me too far when it comes to getting flights to England, it’s a step in the right direction.
I’ll keep y’all posted on the results of this manifestation hack. Witchcraft works, babies.
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It’s the start of a journey that ends with fish and chips.
Hey everyone! My name is Rachel, and I am a professional witch (yes, it’s a real job) based in Rhode Island.
A little about me: I’ve lived on both coasts of the US. Born in New York City, raised in San Diego, moved back to New York for college for five years, and am now living in Rhode Island. And while New England is cool, I’ve had an itch to go to OG England since I was little.
My husband and I are adventurers. We love travel and spontaniety, and we’re thirsty for a new experience and a new life.
For years, I haven’t felt right being in America. To be honest, I’m over it. The two of us are planning to start a family in the next few years, and we’d much prefer raising a kid in a place that has free healthcare and a ton of culture.
I’ve been an Anglophile since I was six and saw Harry Potter for the first time (I know- cringe). I grew up watching British TV, and I am absolutely fascinated by the culture. Even now, the musical theatre nerd in me can’t resist following all of the neat West End shows on Instagram (Hello, Six??? Heathers??? Come on.).
My husband and I have spent the last two years just kind of floating through life. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, especially considering we experienced a few traumatic events throughout our five years of being together. So I proposed the idea to him, and he is completely on board.
The more we thought about it, the more it made sense.
In 2019, we made our first, and so far only, trip to London. I had never even been to Europe before, but at that point we knew it was time. Well, that and we wanted to go see The Rocky Horror Show. Like I said, musical theatre nerd.
While London was nice, it was too much of the city life that I was desperate to leave when I moved from New York to Rhode Island. However, we did take a bit of a day trip to Maidenhead, a village about an hour outside of London, so we could visit Oakley Court (aka the castle from The Rocky Horror Picture Show- see a pattern yet?). I absolutely fell in love, and became obsessed with the idea of moving to the English countryside.
Recently, I started seriously researching where in the UK to move. As a Pagan, I knew that most areas of the UK were full of magickal, medieval history, so it truly seemed like the perfect place. So far, on the top of our list is Norwich, Norfolk. It’s an area rich in witch history, and actually has a lot of connections to Salem, Mass- a city my husband and I know very well (Chris even lived there for many years).
Also on the list of places to check out are Chester, Bath, and Cardiff (yes, also considering Wales- still counts as British if I’m not mistaken). We’re looking for affordability, easy public transportation, work opportunities, and places with lots of history. I’m still a noob when it comes to researching the UK, so if any Brits out there have advice, I will happily take it.
We are planning a trip to visit these places in August. Until then, all we can do is research. I plan on detailing our journey right here, so if you wanna stick around for some annoying American witch trying to figure out how to get her ass to the UK, then I’d love for you to follow along!
UK, I love you. Even if you sell hot dogs in pickle jars.
Chris modeling some good ol’ fashioned American hot dogs.
AN AMERICAN’S JOURNEY MOVING FROM RHODE ISLAND TO THE UK 