Ex Penna

Instructions to Make a Flying Paper Lantern


Instead of my usual explanation, I'd like to tell you a story that meant a lot to me.

On the evening of this past 4th of July, my family and I went into the city to watch the fireworks. As I wended my way through the crowd that had filled the parking lots and side streets which were blocked off for a fair in its honor, I saw lots of things: loud people, various radios playing their own brand of loud music, food on the ground that had been crushed into the pavement, colorful drinks sweating in the heat, kids running and their parents shouting after them, puddles from the recent rain, and precious few clean places to sit.

This surely makes me sound like a puritanical bore, but I had done nothing but work, work, work as of that time for the past several months as I scrambled to get all the illustrations done for the comic book I'm producing with my teammates at MixMinds.  I knew that as soon as I got home it would be time to get right back to work.  It was natural, then, that I cast a bit of a critical eye at the outside world that was both my distraction and my supposed respite.

The sun went down and it was dark, the kind of milky not-quite-darkness that can only happen in the presence of street lights, however dimmed.  Then they were turned off. Things got a little quieter and I sat with my husband and our kids idly watching the sky until the show began.

And then I saw it.

Not far away from where we sat, a glowing orange light, an ethereal ember, was slowly lifting off over sea of strangers.  It was a paper lantern and I was glued to the sight of it.  It climbed softly into the sky, now a denim blue, and I watched until it was nothing but a speck and then was gone.  What a sight!  Like a little leaf riding the surface of a smooth running stream, like a tiny flame that dances on the tips of a log when the rest of it is only char, it was captivating because it seemed pure and calm in a dirty, overwhelming place.  After a few minutes pause, another took to the air on the other side of us, and then another much further away, nearly across the river.  There was an intensity to their burning, too, because we all know they won't burn for long.  But it will burn on nonetheless, and that is all I can manage to think about a life well lived.

Burn on, my friends.

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.

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!

That means no excuses, no better-not's, no I'll-do-it-tomorrow's.  You have to get up and get busy living if you want to live your dreams.  And this will open so many doors to you that you won't believe that the world was made of anything but opportunity.  You will find yourself making magic just by showing up and feeling like something great is going to happen.  If you're ready to have this happen, then you're ready to try. But you must do so every day.  Magic is the work of the practitioner in their regular lives; it's not special reserve only to be taken out when company comes over.  If you want something durable, flexible, and beautiful, you need to work with the everyday stuff.


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

There is one simple method by which you can give strength to any magical object, no matter what its purpose--bury it in the ground.  Let it there for as long as you can up to one full moon cycle.  If it is made of a material that will be damaged by such a long period of time, just leave it there overnight.

To begin, give the object its initial charge.  Give the amount of energy and power that you are able from your visualization and projection; the Earth will do the rest.  Wrap the object in cloth or place inside a box if it's ornate, easily damaged by moisture, or very small.  Otherwise, you may place it directly into a hole you have dug for this purpose.  Give the object one final charge, noting specifically its function.  Cover the object with the dirt you removed while requesting that the earth give power to your work and turn this simple object into a great talisman (or whatever it may be) of uncanny magical strength.  Remember to be humble; this is a request, not a command.

When it is completely covered, mark the place with something you will remember, like a colored stone, a stick stuck upright, or just note the number of paces from another landmark (3 paces West of the maple tree, for example).  Return home and write in your almanac that place marker on the day you are to retrieve your object.  Try not to think about it until that day comes.  Then you may unearth your talisman and receive the strength and nobility of the earth itself.

Mana Energy Drinks

Sometimes video game concepts of magic and real magic overlap in interesting ways.  Actual histories, mythologies, deities, occult concepts and items often figure into the fantasy world of RPGs.  When these concepts come out of the game and back into the real world that birthed them--generally in the form of art, novels, toys, and products--there can be a much wider audience than just gamers.

Case in point, I saw these energy drinks in the form of little potion bottles and knew that magical folk would love them as much as WoWers.  Though they're targeted towards gamers playing long into the night, I can imagine how inspiring it would be to keep a couple in my purse (alongside my ever-present travel book of incantations and a few vials of magic powders) or pass them out at midnight gatherings.  You'll be happy to note that they're caffeine free, sugar free, and full of vitamins so you won't be endangering yourself just for a few extra hours of study and spellcasting.

You know what witches hate?  Being told what to do.  So why the hell do we tell each other what to do?

So we began with the first important point:

1.  It's None of My Goddamn Business


As you can see, I don't subscribe to the notion that every last person you talk to about magic takes some of the blame if you screw up.  That's mostly what I hear online from folks who either just don't want to give away their best tricks or don't have any to give.

I would like to make it perfectly clear that I have never experienced any kind of backlash from helping someone else cast a spell.  I've given spells away, walked people through an entire working, written spells just for their particular problem, sold countless spell kits, and still it has not shown one piece of evidence to make me believe that I reap either benefit or punishment for what others do with that information.

Because of that--as well as my general disinterest in running other people's lives--I am okay with you coming to a conclusion about what your life needs and then taking steps to get it by whatever means are available to you.  That makes sense to me.  I'm okay going on your assessment of your own problem because (barring lengthy digging into your private business) I have no reason to suspect that there's some better alternative that you missed.

2.  Experience is the Greatest Teacher

Now this may be just a bit of bravado, but I think I understand a thing or two about teaching.  I've been teaching and reading tarot professionally for many years, as well as generally handing out magical advice to whoever seeks it.  What works the best with students (and all seekers) is simple: don't carry them through.  The best teachers are ones that let you make a few mistakes.  Trial and error is what it's all about and that applies even if there's someone right there to guide you.  It's also just as true if that guidance is only a brief exchange.


The second part of this thought is that the asker must actually do something.  Even if I write down the most powerful spell I know, it means nothing until it's actually cast.  This is the difference between being shown a door and walking through it.  When you give someone a spell, you offer them the experience of doing for themselves, of fixing their own problems.  Once they have cast it, they will know a new world of informtion: what they really want, what it means to get it, who they are based on their desires, as well as what magic feels like, how it works, and if they're any good at it.  Once its effects take hold, they'll know the deeper reality of causing change and how big (or small) an impact they can have.  A caster is at once a giant among men and a mere mite before the universe.  That's a pretty powerful lesson and it goes way beyond what I can simply tell a person.  I'd rather let it be shown to them.

3.  It's the Most Straightforward Way to Help a New Witch

Giving a spell is easier than planning and casting a spell.  Being a very busy person as it is, I will generally opt for what will be the simplest choice when it comes to the outer edges of my magical community experiences.  Being asked questions out of curiosity, pulled aside on the street, or pleaded with in an online forum all count as casual contributions for me.  It's not that I care less, just that I have less time to offer in these situations.  I give my all in answering the questions, but I can't afford to also give hours and components.



4.  They'll Just Keep Asking Until Someone Says Yes

Especially in the online world, it's easy to say "Oh yes, I understand why you turned down my request for a love spell and I agree completely.  You've showed me the error of my ways....Hey you over there!  Can you give me a love spell?"

Think about it.  Just like having "the talk" with your kids, if you don't do it, someone else will.  Wouldn't you prefer we had a few more well-educated practitioners around?  Then it should start today, with us.  The more questions we answer honestly and completely, the more knowledge we spread, the better the next generation of casters will be.  To give spells, to teach in whatever way you are able, is to give a gift to the whole of our magical people.

It is because of this that I tell the truth to those who ask, no matter what they ask.  If I don't, they'll assume that I know nothing and move on to the next person, possibly one who is manipulative and self-serving.  I don't want to let that kind of "learning" happen in our community.


As a final note, I'd like to add that I don't always give spells just because someone approached me for one.  I don't much care for the attitude that anyone must be a vending machine that stands idle until someone approaches to push some buttons and get what they want.  Instead, I expect a few small things before I will even acknowledge your question.  These requirements are simple: be polite, be honest, be ready to listen.  That is all anyone really needs in order to receive wisdom.    Remember this any time you meet someone who has knowledge you don't; a brave spirit and a simple request will lead you to the world's deepest secrets.


Images from:

multiplemayhemmamma.com/2014/01/successful-parenting-secrets.
luckymojo.com/reconciliation.html
prick-tees.com/shirt_witch.shtml