Okay, this may not seem like a very witchy topic but I
discovered it to be so only by delightful accident. As a bit of backstory I’ll say that I have
spent the past 10 months giving my body the kind of attention that it should
have been receiving for 30-plus years.
From this I’ve lost 45 pounds the hard way—cutting down on portions,
watching calories, and rigorous exercise every day. I have finally arrived at my ideal BMI (the
top end of the range, that is). So,
needless to say, I’ve gone through lots of changes in a fairly short amount of
time. But some of it really took me by
surprise and I wanted to share these observations with you.
I know that weight problems affect a great many
people--emotionally as well as physically--and the magical community is no
exception. In fact, because the magical
world puts so much emphasis on the realms of the mental, spiritual, and
emotional, the physical is often neglected.
I have never been to a circle, festival, or meeting composed predominately
of fit persons. Now, to be fair, I have
been overweight since I was about 12 years old (and termed “obese” my whole
adult life) and a practitioner of magic since I was 16, so I hope the reader
will understand that I mean no disrespect by any of my statements. When I say I saw witches who were out of
condition, I’m including myself first. I
have spent a very long time in some hefty shoes, and I would only like to
relate what it feels like to finally kick them off.
So, to cut to the quick, here is my list of 7 Magical Things
No One Tells You about Losing Weight:
1. It will enhance your magic
I guess this sounds like a gimmick, but it
is true for several reasons. In the
beginning, the effort that I had to put into working out just to make it
another day was so great that I felt an incredible sense of accomplishment from
one repetition to another. Everything
was incredibly strenuous so my only choice was to only be aware of the
moment. I didn’t think about the next
set, nor the 30 minutes yet on the clock before I could collapse on the floor;
my mind was all about right now. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have managed to hold on
until the end. But this made my focus
incredibly strong, much more so than any mental exercise in the book! As I went, not only did the workout become
easier, but it became easier to think only in terms of this one movement, this one
footfall, this one push of the bike
pedal.
Also, exercise moves a tremendous amount of
energy around. Your body becomes less
like a sluggish creature eking out an existence in the underbrush and more like
a great predator marching through it.
Energy comes in (food, water, air), energy flows out (movement). It becomes a constant tide moving in you,
rushing forward to give, sliding back to receive. So when you call up energy for a spell, it’s
right there and waiting for you at the water’s edge. Put
together, focus and energy are the foundations of powerful magic!
2. You’ll finally get the whole “sky clad” thing
Honestly, I used to have a complacent
attitude towards nudity in witchcraft.
Part of me felt that it was just a cheap thrill for adherents to early
Pagan-revival groups, part of me saw it as a psychological game or a hurdle for
the ego to leap, and the bit left over scoffed at the idea that magical energy
could traverse the world and penetrate any structure…except my clothes. But all of me, every chubby inch, said no
damn way am I stripping down for a public ritual. I saluted the boldness of others who did but
I was more than ready with many excellent reasons why I wouldn’t be joining
them.
But now I get it. Yeah, I knew before this about the concept of
equality in the circle and not letting physical trappings get in the way of
your focus. But for me it was the physical
trapping of my very flesh that was
getting in the way. You see, it’s not
about being nude or clothed; it’s the recognition of the raw power of You.
And you are most yourself when nothing else is there, when you’re
stripped of all the stuff of society and class and status. Then the very core of your self is exposed
and you can feel the immenseness of being a living, breathing, thinking being
filled with power and potential. That’s what they’re getting at. But you have to dump the hang-ups in order to
see it.
3. You’ll learn the art of stealth
As time wore on for me as a witch, I
learned the Big And Bad magic that had thrilled me long before I discovered
that magic was real. I stopped
influencing and started forcing. I grew
impatient at targets who wouldn’t behave and clients who didn’t do as
instructed. When a little rainfall would
do, I would sent a tsunami. People
either did what I wanted or they were washed away by sheer force of will. I became the Veruca Salt of the magical
world: “Don’t care how, I want it now!”
And in my haste, I believed this to be great power.
Well, I suppose it was great power…for a
while. The problem is that when you
consistently go at everything with the biggest weapon you own, you will wear
yourself out until you can hardly bear to pick it up at all. That is a fine way to get burnt out, and can
lead to quitting altogether.
Instead, I have begun to take cues from my
workouts: great change happens by making the right adjustments at the right
time. Instead of berating myself for bad
habits and forcing a stern regimen upon myself, I gave it a little bump. A little less here, a little more there; “I
feel just fine without dessert tonight,” “I know I can do three more
push-ups.” Nudge a situation into place, go at a problem with grace and care. Those small actions will create change that
ripples outward and realigns everything around you. Before long, you’ll see that it has all been
set according to your desires and you retain the calm to really enjoy it.
4. Like magic, fitness isn’t something you do until it’s done…
…It’s a part of who you are, it’s a
lifestyle. I have actually become one of
those people who cringe every time they hear someone say “Oh, no, I can’t eat
that—I’m on a diet!” So, you mean
that one day you’ll be off the
diet? You’ll somehow cross the dieting
finish line and go back to eating whatever you please? Then what?
I’m assuming you’re just planning on gaining it all right back, because
that’s pretty much what happens.
It’s the same with magic. You’re not just accessing an occult power
until you don’t need it anymore; you’re tapping into a current. Sometimes you direct it and sometimes it
sweeps you up and carries you someplace new.
But always you’re a part of it.
You made a conscious decision not to play at magic but to live it. Prepare to do the same with your health.
5. Less really is more
I remember back when I first began casting
spells and I had only a few books and a couple of recycled jars of herbs I
picked in the woods. That was such an
exciting time! Everything was fresh and
new, and the world was mine to explore.
Now I have all the trappings: shelves packed with books that I’ve read
cover to cover, five racks of herbs from around the world, tools purchased and
made, and spell components both common and rare. And yet sometimes it seems a little…blah. But I still have a tender spot in my heart
for those days when I had so little.
Everything was a wonder then and I made the most of each experience.
In contrast to this, I once had a friend
who could afford nearly anything she wanted.
She had fine robes, loads of books, and subscribed to a witches magazine
(which I could not afford to do at the time).
I admit I had a twinge of jealousy.
But her robes were seldom worn because she didn’t know much ritual
magic, she’d never more than leafed through the books in her library, and the
magazines laid on the coffee table more than in her lap. In short, she consumed a lot but benefited
very little.
As you can guess, I liken this to
food. When I ate whatever I wanted,
whenever I wanted, it was never that impressive. But now that I have a precious amount of
calories to spend throughout the day, I’m actively aware of where they’re
going. Before I go to bed (and
especially if I find myself with late-night cravings), I pause to plan my
breakfast in delicious detail. “I bet
I’ll be really hungry so I’ll make oatmeal and brown sugar. And if I still want something else, French
vanilla yogurt. Mmmm! I can almost taste it!” And when I wake up the next morning, that
breakfast is just exquisite. It may not
be impressive by anyone else’s standards, but it’s extra delicious because it
was carefully planned, longed for, and enjoyed.
I don’t need to have the most of everything, nor the biggest or
best. Fully enjoying your own share is
wonderful.
6. Power is more important than appearances
Of course, when we begin learning magic it
is all about results. We want things—a good job, a new love, more
money, more happiness, etc., etc., etc.
But as we go, the source of pleasure switches from the things we get to
the fact that we have the power to get
them. You have what it takes to do
anything you want with your life. Where
would you like to go today? Maybe you
don’t feel like changing anything; that’s fine, you’re the boss.
The same goes for your body. It starts out that you want to be
skinny. You want to look like a
magazine: tight, lean, and smoking hot in whatever you choose to wear. Being “in shape” is secondary—you just want
to look good. That’s not too much to
ask, is it?
Well actually, it’s not nearly enough to ask. And you find it out very quickly. In a short amount of time, every little
accomplishment on the road to getting fit becomes a source of immense pleasure. You did another lap around the block
today? Rock on, you beautiful beast! The exercise video felt a little easier this
time? You are the king of
ass-kicking! Pretty soon it’s not about
looking good, it’s all about feeling
good. Then when you see your clothes
getting loose, you’re almost surprised.
7. Getting what you wished for is seldom what you expect
Yeah, we’ve all heard it before: “Be
careful what you wish for, you just might get it.” I always rolled my eyes, too. When I cast a spell, I completely expect to
get my desires fulfilled. When they do,
I am always pleased, even if it was not in the same way I had envisioned. Whatever gets you where you’re going, right? Who cares about the little differences? You might be surprised.
Now this gets a little personal. Straight out--the first thing I lost was my
chest. At first, it was no big deal but
as I whittled away at my silhouette, it seemed that nature wished to take an
inordinate amount away from my upper half.
I got a little depressed. I was
never all that well-endowed to begin with, and this new lifestyle was taking
its toll on what ladylike curves I possessed.
Then I noticed all the spots that used to
be filled out were, happily, now slimming but not with the precision I’d
envisioned. Anyone who’s lost a significant
amount of weight will tell you that loose skin is something you’ll definitely
have to deal with. But what you may not
know is that it happens to a certain extent at
any size. And it may or may not
bounce back. You’ll just have to live
with the cards that time and genetics deal you.
When you see the ads for weight loss drugs,
the spokesperson is always good looking, smooth skinned, perky, and, like, 15
years younger than you. Know right now
that his/her story is probably wildly exaggerated and (from the reports I’ve
read) often painful and dangerous. But,
from just an aesthetic position, it’s also impossible. You’re not going to turn
into big bosomed vixen with a flawless figure. That’s
okay. You’ll be you—an even
healthier, happier version of you—and that’s better.
Now I look at my reshaped figure and see the marks
of my hard work. They stand testament,
alongside my pale stretch marks from two pregnancies, to my strength and
perseverance. They’re signs of an aging
form, fragile and subject to a changing world, yet bold enough to brave
it. I can’t bear to think a bit of it
ugly.
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