I'd like to present a new feature to go along with the herbs, charms, formulas, and spellcasting shortcuts of Witch Tips Wednesday--Unpleasant Truths.
In a practice that so often tries to be above the muddle of ordinary life to the point where we should all be levitating under the power of our own enlightenment, it can surprise folks to hear about the very real, gritty, unadorned, un-charming parts of magical living. But I'm here to drag them all out into the light and show them off! It's okay, though, we'll all be better for it.
So this week's unpleasantness is about the magical community at large--it can be a very rough place. It's not, as is sometimes claimed, "safe space" away from society; it is a society. You're just going to have to accept that there will be a notable presence of cliques, prejudice, and criticism. Even here, no one is obligated to like you.
Think on that one for a moment, if you would. If joining the magical community is like joining any other, then that means that the rest of the world isn't as horrible and soul-shattering as you may have thought. You are just as likely to find good people living on your block as you are to find them in your new coven. And, likewise, rotten people can be in both as well. Despite having every reason to play nice, there will always be those folks who see themselves as separate and above. They won't join the club, they'll hide behind it. It's best you know this now.
Witch Tips--Unpleasant Truth: Our Community
Author: Quill / Labels: Unpleasant Truths, Witch Tips Wednesday
Quick Link--Seals of Solomon
Author: Quill / Labels: Quick Link Monday
Seals of Solomon
These ancient images are among my very favorite tools of magic. While they were originally intended to be inscribed upon metals corresponding to their planetary influence (and, of course, they still can be), even if you only have pen and paper you can make good use of these talismans.
I recommend that you become friendly with this style of spellwork especially if you are strapped for cash to buy magical goods or space in which to house them. However, nothing beats their use by an experienced caster of any variety. If you are needing a little boost to your practice, peruse this list and think of the kind of delicious witchiness you could concoct with Solomon's work as your aid! Casting is a witch's bliss--get to it!
Now you must believe me on this--I want you to have it all. I want you to feel powerful and fulfilled and alive with a billion realized dreams. And you can have these things either way you want to play it--hard work and luck, or well-practiced, well-placed magic. I don't really care which you choose, but you must choose. If you pick magic, you will have to do one thing in order to make this all happen.
You will have to try.
So how do we do start? Maybe you're ready to find a teacher, take lessons, read a bunch of books, or go it alone and listen to your intuition. You're ready to try but what does that mean? It means that you must start now to put in effort that will have definite results. You need to make a plan, a set of objectives, and take the little steps that will lead you there. In short, you must be productive.
It's no surprise that I am deeply interested in both magic and organization. Witches have a lot of information to keep in order (and being a shop owner, professional spellcaster/tarot reader, and writer means that I have even more to sort!) and having some skill in this field really helps. So, to this end, we'll be borrowing from a type of motivational article ("Increasing Productivity" by Steve Brunkhorst) usually reserved for managers and other corporate types. I've followed its excellent advice ever since discovering it in 2005 and am happy to pass it along to you in this updated format just for spellcasters. A link to the original can be found at the end of this post.
1. Set Priorities in Your Magic and in Your Day
Make to-do lists. Know what kind of spellcaster you hope to become. Break everything down into steps. Check things off your lists as often as possible.
Maybe you're really busy and you can only manage to squeeze in one step a day. That's okay. Just do that step and cross it off the list. It counts as doing something. You're making progress to goals far more important than made beds and washed dishes.
Who do you plan to become? What talents would you like to turn into a career? How can you assist your magical community? What kind of fixing does your life need? What do you need every day? Get started with lists and plans.
Right now, all my lists are about my shop and my latest major side venture as a comic book illustrator. They are both a part of the fulfillment I feel in my life so I'm happy to scratch off another item or three every day. Even when I don't feel well, even when I'm tired, even when I'd rather stare at the walls with not a thought in my mind for the future of it all, I get to work. I do it because I know I love it--good days and bad--and that I will hate myself if I abandon what I love just because it became momentarily inconvenient. Don't do that to your dreams either.
2. Keep Your Skills Sharpened
This is my main reason for telling all my students that they should be casting more instead of less. If you have lots of practice at casting spells, you'll know just what to do when the big situations crop up.
Other skills that a spellcaster needs include single-minded focus, inner quiet, memorization,
and quickly raising a large amount of energy.
My spellcasting skills have been on a shelf for a little while since I don't need to fix things as often as I used to (which is a very good thing, by the way). But that means, of course, that I'm not doing the one thing that makes me a witch--making magic. So I find other ways to include it in my life: I make magical items for the shop, I cast for others, I write about casting (which is how you got here, of course), and I use little works in my day such as spoken charms and consulting with my Fetch. There are lots of ways to stay in touch with your work and keep your talents honed.
3. Focus!
Make your space full of intention. Get rid of things which derail your flow of thought, that make you think negatively about yourself, or remind you of painful memories. A magical life must be lived with purpose!
Remember that we're not just talking about objects in your house, but also distracting projects, unhelpful people, painful relationships, and anything which give you the "I can't" feeling. Dump that garbage and get back to the good stuff!
I've had to cut extraneous things from my life at many points, and then again quite recently. It can be a painful process realizing what has become familiar without being helpful in any way, particularly when people are involved. Once you notice the harm it's doing to keep your life the way it is, you'll know what needs to be done. Soon, my family and I will be moving into a new house and the process will begin again, welcoming in everything that brings us closer to the sources of our happiness and tossing out all distractions.
4. Be Flexible
No success story ever went straight from "I think I might just have a great idea" to "How about that? I'm a millionaire!" so stop expecting any timeline to run smoothly.
In magic, we're taught that the ability to roll with the changes is a virtue beyond all others. Cultivate this! Get rid of what makes you rigid and unbalanced. Don't expect things to be easy every time. Do the hard work for the big picture, get help for the small stuff, and don't mind when your perfect course must find a detour.
Along the way, I've had lots of jobs and each time I thought that this one would be the one to define the rest of my life. I'm a seamstress! I'm a professional baker! I'm a soap maker! I'm a writer! I'm a teacher! I'm an artist! Some stuck, most didn't. That's okay. It was a journey and there were no truly wrong roads. I'm happy to say that I didn't become hardened by failure--I learned from it and used it to try something new. Perhaps I never will settle on just one thing. That's okay; I don't have to, and neither do you.
5. Act Decisively
There's nothing quite so wonderful as being able to acknowledge the potential risks and rewards but make a decision anyway. Have faith that there's something great lurking in every opportunity. Asked to lead a workshop at the Pagan Pride Day? Yes, please! It's okay that you're scared of public speaking, but this could be fantastic. Someone wants to pay you $200 for an important spell? You can do this! Go get 'em!
Making a decision is one of the scariest things you can do but there's no good reason except cowardice to turn away. A proper magic user delights in the challenge! It's what makes you powerful, what shows you your mettle, what gains you the admiration of others. You have no idea how high you can climb. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
It was many years ago that the originator of our coven decided to leave to pursue another direction. All the while, I'd been doing the majority of the work, anyway; everything from writing the rituals to leading them, heading workshops, making incense and other formulas, and maintaining the coven website was my domain. But now the group was in need of a new leader and it looked like I was the only option. Though I was well familiar with the coven organization, without that figurehead I felt like I was too exposed. Isn't it comforting to be the power behind the power? No stress, no pressure, no expectations. But now, there would be no one else to look to but me, no one else to blame if things went sour.
Even so, I took up the gauntlet. Though it was a job I never wanted, it was the one I got--the one I chose--and I made a fine leader, if I do say so myself. Many good students and friends have flourished in our coven and I owe it to the decision I made to step up and do my very best. What would happen if you did that? What could you achieve if you decided that today is the day to give it everything you've got?
I won't dilute this important message by summarizing what we've just discussed or giving you further ideas. I'd much rather you go out into the world and use this key to open the door--all the doors!--which lead to unlimited magic. Nothing can stop you if you learn to put it to proper use today and every day hereafter. Of every great witch, mage, warlock, wizard, and sorcerer whose name you've ever heard, whose photo you've ever seen, whose books you've ever read, and whom you've ever admired--they all have this key and use it constantly. May it be as useful to you!
The original article can be found here.
Images from:
zmescience.com/science/physics
worth1000.com/entries/704754/the-witch-s-potion
portercontemporary.com/women-of-power-katarzyna-majak/
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