Magick or Magic?
In my psychic practice, and personal spiritual practice - I am constantly holding this inner tension around relishing the joys of the powerful spiritual energies that dance in and around me, and also continuing to stretch myself in my own practice by exploring and learning new ways of engaging that dance with spirit.
The ways in which I know my practices are growing a little “stale” is when I have lost touch with the Magick around me. To be distinguished from Magic. According to Wiki Magick is defined as “"the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with will.” I am just beginning to explore what this statement truly means, and for awhile I will probably offer what I’m learning as we go. However, working with the substance of spirit for the past 20 years, I can say that I have never quite gotten it as deeply as in the past few months. Engaging in new ways with ceremony and ritual has brought about a form and container within which to work with the raw energies of spirit. It is my own special brand of alchemy that has within months transformed my own inner connection with spirit and all that is around me. I suddenly feel as if I am merging with all of creation in such beautiful ways. I feel the willingness of spirit to work together, and to participate like never before.
In my humble opinion: spirit is the substance that holds everything together. The universe is chaotic, it is not ordered. Spirit is the energy that pulls the order together, helps provide the glue that harnesses energy for good. Our minds and hearts are the vehicle through which spirit hears and responds to what is needed earth side. However, we cannot engage in the repetitive asks of spirit without also giving something back. This powerful truth hit me mid-pandemic lockdown. I recognized through my own practices that something big was missing and it hit me: our modern spiritual practices teach us to engage with spirit (loved ones, ancestors, power animals, nature spirits, the elements, the directions) - to include them, and ask for assistance, and rarely encourage a reciprocal giving back to spirit. This reciprocal relationship establishes balance. It restores an even, equitable, give and take.
Spirit is fed by our intentions, prayers, thoughts, offerings, and gifts. Spirit (whether familial or land ancestors, or nature ancestors, or the ancestors of the stars) needs our assistance earth side. We support spirit by going to meditation and prayers, open hearted, to our altars or sanctuaries with devotion and love pouring out to them. This simple shift powerfully transforms and focuses the energetic exchange like a laser. In the space of deepest outpouring of love and gratitude, spirit reaches back through the planes of non reality to our world and their transference of healing, love, and support permeates our very being and everything around us.
This was highlighted and evidenced this spring and summer, as I devoted myself to daily prayers and gratitude to spirit and the directions, to land ancestors and to the wind, water, earth and plant and animal kingdom. My gardens were GORGEOUS well into the fall, even after it should have been thriving. I’d cut fresh flowers, and those flowers would regenerate and grow right back. I am not a green thumb. I actually tend to kill plants more than help them thrive. The only thing I can give credit to is spirit. It was pretty miraculous to witness the thriving of such beautiful plants right next to my outdoors ancestor altar.
This is the time to revive and add to our spiritual practices. Our world is more chaotic than ever before. We owe it to ourselves, to spirit, and to the world, heck the entire universe benefits from our willingness to engage in dedicated practices.