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| Photo credit: Eric Soto |
When I first started reading about the subject of magick, it seemed that most of what I encountered was an emphasis on the theories while only a small amount actually described how to do magick rituals. Additionally, there wasn't much discussion on life in between your spells, meditations or whatever the prescribed mode of focus. Many authors suggest that once the magical working is complete, you should put it out of your head and get on with the regular stuff for the day --much like planting a seed in the ground and allowing it to take its natural course uninterrupted. While I think this is good advice, I've still found myself yearning to have a more comprehensive view of magic outside of the altar.
For example, sometimes when an aspect of life isn't quite the way I'd like, my inclination might be to dwell on the negative. While I believe it is healthy to let myself experience the full gamut of human emotions, I try to remember that I still have control over how far I travel with a particular train of thought. I can choose to be completely overtaken by an unwanted emotion or I can let myself feel it before finding a way through it.
At some point, I need to move forward enough to put my intention into something that might improve my circumstance --whether it is a ritual, filling out a job application or something else. Much like the Magician card in the tarot, I find inspiration in the idea that we can transform ourselves from our current station by balancing ourselves between the four elements or aspects of our soul or psyche (something I'd like to write about in future posts). However, I think it takes acknowledgement of this inner power in order for that idea to have any meaningful effect in my life.
I've also found that while I enjoy the theatrics of elaborate rituals, they just aren't always necessary or practical in a modern, 21st century lifestyle. If I'm on my university campus and getting ready for an exam, I'm probably not going to break out a wizard robe, complete altar and start chanting in front of a bunch of people I don't know. For me, I find it more practical to set my intention and find/create a mantra that coincides with that. If I am taking a music performance test, perhaps I can download an illustration of a musical deity, like Apollo, and silently ask him to supply me with his knowledge in this area*. Any phone or internet-capable device has instant access to a large source of mystic symbols and music, so I think I can utilize this more to a magical advantage.
Visualization is another exercise that I've found to be helpful for quick, on-the-go magic. For instance, I found it challenging to memorize and perform chords fluidly on the piano. So, I felt that it might benefit me if I tried to visualize myself performing those things to the level that I desired. Overall, I didn't become a virtuoso yet by the end of the class, it seemed my playing was more smooth and I was able to remember a lot more chords and melodies. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that I also tried to practice a bit more and got some general music tutoring half way through the semester --magic doesn't excuse one from taking physical action towards a goal. However, I do think repeated visualization can help give your mind something to aim for.
There are a wide array of small ways in which a person can incorporate magic into the rhythm of everyday life. I feel the key is to plan ahead when possible and experiment with the symbols and mantras you feel might help in your situation. In closing, I'd like to quote the Book of Runes, "if you are undergoing difficulties, remember: the nature of your passage depends upon the quality of your attitude, the clarity of your intention and the steadfastness of your will."
*I don't claim to know what deities are or claim that they literally exist. However, I do think they may exist on some plane of the mind or what Carl Jung called the "Collective Unconscious". At a minimum, I find psychological benefit in focusing my mind on certain predefined archetypes.
