Junk Magic
What do you wish to achieve? When you know this first, you work with the magic and elements available to you rather than trying to create some interesting mystical tableau of artifacts and rituals and clouds of smoke.
Begin your magical workings with an intention. It can be really, super specific like “I want to overcome my addictions” or “I’d like to honor this ancestor who recently passed” or “I’d really like to be in a nicer and more comfortable home within a year.” Or it can be general: “I’d like to raise this community”, “I wish to be more grounded” or “I want to generate abundance.”
Ritual Magic
In magic, rituals become a bit more critical to the workings in part because they are not typically a personal act. Many magic rituals are intended to be done exactly the same way by every person. Yes, there is some room for interpretation and for nuance and personalization, but there is a powerful connection you are forming between yourself and all magicians who came before you and those who will come after you, by replicating these ceremonies and rituals and yes, spells.
Essences
For thousands of years, people have been using essences or liquids from natural products in magic and other mindful practices for a number of reasons:
To enter altered states of consciousness.
To ground the body or focus the mind.
To cleanse.
To clear.
To heal.
We’re talking about everything from herbal salves used on skin conditions, to drinkable potions used by shaman in order to achieve visions for their tribe, to essential oils that we inhale during yoga, to gingko biloba tea brewed to improve memory.
Intuition
All magical practices, all rituals and ceremonies, all readings and routines, all studies and relationships that we seek in magical work can be described as developing intuition. Working with crystals, chanting, cleansing space, invoking energy. The common denominator is that we all want to be wiser, clearer, stronger, surer, safer, more powerful, more intelligent, more joyful, more blessed, and more ourselves. Intuition is the process of achieving all of these and ascending to our highest divine genius.
Sacred Space
The first rule of creating sacred space is that you get to define what is sacred and what is space. You’ll find lots of books and articles and Instagram posts about beautiful decorated altars, and amethyst bowls for bathing, and elaborate candle patterns, and exactly what kind of silk you should cover your altar, and what kind of cushion you should sit on for yoga or meditation.
Don’t waste your money on those books. It’s fine to seek out ideas and images, to inspire you, but ultimately you get to decide what your sacred space will look like.
But first, I want you to decide what you want it to feel like.
Spirit Magic
The Element of Spirit is closely aligned with many of the Major Arcana in the Tarot, including the Magician, the High Priestess, the Hierophant, the Chariot, the Wheel of Fortune, Death, and the Tower. When you pull one of these cards in any Tarot spread, you are asked to look to a deeper and higher meaning than just the obvious lifelong pursuits and struggles.
There are no astrological signs associated with Spirit, but all life and all matter everywhere has Spirit infused. We are made up of stars, of substance, and of Spirit.
You will often hear me refer to the Divine Source and just to be clear, I am talking about God. There is no God but God, no matter what name you give to them, to him, to her or your choosing. We may not all recognize the same god but the same god recognizes each of us.
Water Magic
The Element of Water is closely aligned with the suit of Cups in the Tarot. Cups represents our emotions, our spirituality, our sensuality, and sense of wisdom and wonder.
We use the element of water to represent the idea of becoming.
The astrological signs of Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces are all Water Signs.
The Element of Water is called upon when we intend to cleanse, to purify, and to embody. Water is used in rituals that are very emotional, that draw upon our most feminine abilities and is more powerful than most people imagine. Just picture the strength of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami if you want to understand a fraction of the power that water has. Water is also very closely aligned with Earth energy and not surprisingly – 71% of the earth is water and on average, 60% of the human body is water as well.
We have a highly symbiotic relationship with water. We absolutely need it to survive.
Fire Magic
The Element of Fire is connected to the tradition of alchemy, the transmutation of raw ingredients into precious metals but more importantly, the transmutation of our physical self into our spiritual and higher self.
We use the element of fire to represent transformation, as well as power.
The astrological signs of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are all ruled by Fire.
The Element of Fire is called upon when we are intend to transform one thing into another, or to heal. Fire can also represent passion, romance, sexuality, and is used to cleanse negative energy in a powerful way.
Earth Magic
There are many rituals and ways to honor the Earth and bring her energy into your practice including gardening, using crystals and other natural elements, constructing an altar, movement – even walking, burying a time capsule, gardening, etc.
The astrological signs of Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn are Earth signs.
The Earth grounds us, so this is energy you want to call upon when you are feeling rootless, restless, untethered, disconnected, motherless or adrift.
Earth energy is associated with the Autumn Equinox because it is literally when we reap our harvest and remove our plants from the ground. It reflects the natural cycles of life, of agriculture, of weather and reminds us to slow down as we approach the colder months but to collect the bounty and use it in its wisest ways.
Earth and humans have a symbiotic relationship – she sustains us and we sustain her – so we may use earth elements in rituals designed to create balance and foster relationships, as well as to nourish our souls.