Make yourself ready for magic.

What fuels our magical workings? Our intentions. And how do we project our intentions into the ether? Through our thoughts, feelings, and visualizations. To help us with this, we may use any number of things: incense, candles, herbs, words of power, crystals, and so forth. The more we practice, the more we tap into our ability to create and transform reality. As magical practitioners, we learn to concentrate and direct the power of our thoughts and emotions in much the same way a mirror can concentrate and direct sunlight to start a fire.

As magic-users, it is vital for us to become conscious of the thoughts, feelings, and visualizations we are experiencing and projecting; not just when we’re performing a spell or a ritual, but always. In order to manifest the things we want in our lives, and to cultivate a mindset that fuels and enhances our magical workings, we must concentrate on relaxing, de-stressing, staying positive, and tuning in.

Eight Steps to Better Magic

1 Yoga. As we practice a form of spirituality that believes in the value and reality of the physical realm, it’s wise to begin with the body. All forms of exercise can help you release stress and tune into your body. But yoga is an ancient modality developed over thousands of years to help harmonize and align mind, body, and spirit. You can try different videos and classes to see which type of yoga works best for you; I’ve found kundalini yoga to be especially helpful for tuning into your intuition, releasing negativity, and creating an immediate sense of power and overall well-being. Kundalini also offers highly-effective meditations and mantras for creating specific conditions such as prosperity, beauty, and protection. Hatha and Vinyasa yoga (the more popular forms) are helpful for creating alignment, clarity, and stability.

2 Strategic journaling. I’ve discovered a great journaling method that helps you connect with your mental and emotional landscapes, raise your vibrations, and attract the conditions and experiences you want. It’s adapted for magical purposes from Julia Cameron’s book, The Artist’s Way. I like to do it first thing in the morning because it helps me release any fears and negativities left over from the day before, clear the way for positive experiences, and tune into the vibrations of happiness and success. It’s simplicity itself: all you need is a notebook and a pen.

Here’s what you do: write three pages without stopping. Don’t worry about what you write; just anything that pops into your head or that’s on your mind. Don’t censor yourself; just write. If you’re angry, write that. If you’re afraid, in love, tired, bored, inspired, or at a loss for words, write that. Many mornings I end up writing a lot of “oh, um, well, let’s see, anyway…” It doesn’t matter. You don’t have to speed-write, just write at a comfortable pace without stopping. Then, when you’re done with three pages, stop.

At this point, you probably have a pretty good idea of what’s going on with you. If you’re not happy with something in your life, or out of balance in some way, there’s a very good chance you’ve just written about it. Maybe you’ve discovered that you’re still spitting mad about something that happened the day before. Maybe you’re uneasy about something, or crazy excited, or maybe you’re having a hard time making a decision.

Whatever you discover, now it’s time to choose a positive statement to help balance or heal the condition. Even if you don’t have something specific to heal or balance, you can still choose a statement to help improve your general mental state. For example, say you’re angry about something. You could choose the statement: “I now fully release all thoughts, feelings, people, and situations to the light where they are purified and transmuted for the good and happiness of all.” Or say you discover that you’re really concerned about your finances, and that you’re visualizing disaster by continually wondering what you would do “if worst came to worst.” This would be especially important to turn around, so that you don’t end up creating the negative conditions that you’re envisioning. You could choose the statement, “I constantly receive abundance from an infinite source.”

If everything in your mental landscape is a-OK, choose something to further strengthen your positive attitude, such as “I experience magic and miracles at every turn.” Whatever you choose, write that statement at the top of a page, and write it over and over until you get to the bottom of the page.

Here are some sample statements, but feel free to make up your own personal ones.

• “I am grounded and centered in the pure light of love.”

• “It’s safe to feel my feelings. The God/dess supports me as I allow my feelings to flow through me and transform into love.”

• “I am nourished by the God/dess within. I give thanks for my radiant health and vibrant energy.”

• “I am bathed in the bright healing light of love. I fully release the past and claim my true perfection and wholeness.”

• “I am a fountain of good fortune and success.”

• “The God/dess perfectly provides and orchestrates all things, and I now happily experience infinite good fortune.”

I’ve found this to be a highly effective practice, especially when done regularly. I’ve also found that the free writing portion of the practice can help you discover creative ideas, healthier perspectives, and solutions to problems.

3 Meditation. Meditation allows us to connect with the infinite: that conscious stillness that underlies all things, the place where our power resides. For a long time, it was difficult for me to meditate. I felt bored or antsy, or I would just sit cross-legged for twenty minutes, mentally berating myself for letting my mind wander. But then I discovered meditation CDs. I found that they’re great tools to help you get in the habit of meditating, because they provide something for your mind to focus on. Experiment and see if you can find a few that work for you. But, whether you use a CD or not, the important thing is that you find a way to sit quietly for at least twenty minutes a day, allowing your mind to simultaneously focus and relax. If twenty is too much at first, you can start with ten and work your way up.

4 Express creativity. I believe that every Witch is an artist; by our very nature we are non-conformists, free thinkers, and inspiration junkies. Even if you don’t practice art as a profession, there’s something creative you love to do, whether it’s paint, draw, cook, sew, write, compose spells, tattoo, dance, sculpt, drum, strum, sing, or something else. Expressing this love is a way of opening up to your divine nature and letting the God/dess work through you. Practicing your art can help you release stress and tension, work through difficulties, and bring joy to yourself and others.

You can create works of magic through your art. For example, say you’re a painter and you want to meet a romantic partner. You could light a pink candle for romance or a red candle for passion, light some incense, play sensual music, and paint a picture of two strawberries or two roses or something else that represents a happy and passionate relationship to you. Then, hang it on your wall, so that every time you saw it, you’d be reinforcing the power of the ritual. Or maybe you’re a cook and you want to manifest more abundance. You could light a green candle and cook something up with prosperity herbs like basil and parsley, and maybe for dessert you could have some green tea ice cream with a saffron garnish. Eating your creation would then allow you to internalize the energy you’ve raised. Artistic rituals are wonderful ways to become a channel of pure magical energy.

5 Spend time in nature. Humans evolved outdoors and we naturally feel comforted and connected while we’re surrounded by nature. A quick walk, a trip to the ocean, or even placing your office desk where you can see a natural outdoor environment can all do wonders for your state of mind. Even if we don’t realize it, a subtle communication takes place when we pay attention to nature as we receive messages from the elements, animals, plants, and nature spirits. Time in nature will renew your spirit and renew your relationship with the living Gaia. Since magic is all about making connections between self and the multiverse, reaffirming your place in the Web can’t help but improve your magical functioning.

6 Refresh yourself with a magical bath. If you aren’t feeling up to doing spellwork you may be experiencing the magical equivalent of writer’s (or artist’s) block. Magic blocks have a number of causes, and very few are caused by the timeworn shibboleth, the “hex” or “curse.” More likely you are just emotionally drained, a condition that happens to the best of us. Fortunately, there are many ways of refreshing your springs of magic.

If you’ve been overextending yourself, a sea salt bath is a great way to reconnect with your ability to receive (rather than give), which opens up the channels of both intuition and abundance. Here’s a basic ritual you can do.

You will need:

One cup of sea salt

A white candle (beeswax or soy, please)

A stick of incense (cedar, sweetgrass, or frankincense are good choices)

Large bottle of fresh drinking water

(Optional) An aquamarine (if you’re feeling especially toxic) and/or a rose quartz (if you’re feeling like your mind is overly active).

Draw a very warm bath. Light the candle and incense. If you’re using a crystal, place it in the bathwater. Hold the drinking water in both hands and say something like: “Goddess, infuse this water with vibrations of healing and love.” Put the salt in the bathwater. Hold your hands over the tub and repeat the prayer. Relax in the bath for at least half an hour. Drink water as needed to stay hydrated and release toxins.

7 Banish negativity. To cultivate a healthy magical mindset, it’s important for us to find clear and healthy ways of letting go of (or even more vigorously, of actually banishing) that which does not serve us. An example: a friend just told me about a “ripping party” she had. Guests were told to bring disposable objects or symbols of the things they wanted to release. For example, it could be a picture of an old lover, a phrase or word written on a piece of paper, or a credit card statement as a symbol of debt. During the party, she played music and lit candles as her guests burned, shredded, or otherwise destroyed their chosen objects. After they left, she disposed of the remnants and burned white sage to break up and release any lingering negativity.

On a more witchy side, here’s the world’s most basic banishing ritual.

1. Get your timing right: all banishing should be done during the waning moon.

2. Form a clear intention. Prepare for the ritual by making a list of all the things you’d like to let go of and personally draw pictures that represent these conditions. (If you don’t like to draw, you could just write words on strips of paper. But for most people, drawing will be more intensely emotional and visceral, and the resulting banishment will be more effective.)

3. Light a Fire. Use a cauldron, fireplace, or fire pit and burn them. A fire you light yourself (as opposed to one that you turn on with the touch of a thermostat) is best. Engage all your senses. Burn your drawings and, as you do, feel these problems being released and know that you’re being powerfully purified. When the fire is out, mix the ashes with salt to neutralize any remaining negativity. Flush the ashes down the drain or (if there is only a tiny amount) scatter them across moving water, and when leaving the site, turn your back and don’t look back. When you get home, take a shower or bath.

8 Cultivate Forgiveness. Nothing diminishes our magical power like blame. When we blame others we are literally giving our power away. We are saying, “You have power over me.” From a magical perspective, forgiveness is not some altruistic thing that we cultivate out of the goodness of our hearts. It’s an important key to embodying the fullness of our power.

Just for the record: forgiveness is not the same as saying, “everything’s all okay.” And, regardless of the saying, forgiving is not forgetting. Forgiving is the emotional version of a psychic cleansing: it is clearing connections between you and the source of your pain. Forgiving means that you aren’t forever driving forward while looking in the rear-view mirror. Forgiveness isn’t for wimps: it is tough, even wrenching, emotional work.

Here’s a technique you can do to help with forgiveness. Ask yourself: “Who is it hard for me to forgive? Whom do I blame?” Now write down your answer(s) and, make another list about all the things you’re angry with those folks about.

Once you’ve described what makes you so unwilling to forgive your target, ask yourself if you’ve ever done the thing you’re angry with them about. Be willing to forgive yourself for any similar faults, character traits, or mistakes you might have made. Once you’ve done this, go through the list once more and see if you can can look at the situation in a different light. This process prepares you to release these areas of pain.

After you’ve done this, close your eyes and picture the person(s) standing in a meadow in the center of a large circle of people. The circle is made up of your friends and allies; take your place among them and feel their love lending you strength. Now visualize the target of your resentment in the middle of the circle receiving everything they’ve ever wanted. Allow yourself to feel happy for their good fortune, then mentally gather your friends, bid the person you are forgiving goodbye, and walk away, surrounded by your allies and friends.

Finally consider announcing your forgiveness to the person who wronged you. Tell them, “I fully forgive you now. I reclaim the power that I have given to you. I completely release you and let you go.” Remember: forgiveness is a lifelong process. Just do what you can do, and come back to the exercise as it feels right to do so.

As we cultivate our magical mindsets, we spiral ever closer to the center of our power. Take your time, enjoy the process, and let it be what it is: an adventure.

Tess Whitehurst is a distant descendent of the faerie folk of the British Isles. To learn more about her work and to sign up for her free monthly newsletter, visit her online at www.tesswhitehurst.com