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What Magic Is...and What It Isn't

Belief in literal magic can be cruel.

When Lady N. was diagnosed with cancer, she wasn't worried.

She knew she was going to beat it. She believed in magic, you see.

All over the country, night after night, people of her lineage and tradition cast circles and raised cones of power to heal her.

They didn't work.

She had given her life to the Craft, but in the end, the Craft failed her. Her magic failed her. Even her gods had failed her.

A dear friend was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is a cruel disease. At worst, it can end in the butchery of prostatectomy, leaving a man stripped of dignity, sexual function, and even sense of identity.

My friend is someone given to expecting the worst. He's not from a magical background, but in our conversations I've found myself, in effect, discussing the basics of magical thinking.

Your job now, I've heard myself telling him, is expectation management.

Expectation shapes outcome. That's the heart of real magic.

You've seen it; I've seen it. All the studies show it. If you expect a bad outcome, you're more likely to get one.

Fortunately, the converse is true as well.

Belittle it as magical thinking; dismiss it as self-deception. If a little self-deception can win you a better outcome than otherwise, then, me, I'm all for it.

Of course, there are no guarantees. You may get the bad outcome anyway, as Lady N. did.

But, in the end, that's not necessarily failure. There's magic, and there's magic.

When Old Lady Manygoats was dying of cancer, her family held a ceremony of healing for her.

They hired a ritualist to lead the ceremony. Friends and family converged from all over.

Fire is heat and is the most visible form of energy. Fire is a powerful element, as it can transform and change the other elements. If you watch the flicker of your candle flame, the embers of your incense, or the blaze of your council fires, you will see a constant transmutation of matter. Fire has the ability to both excite and incite us, and fire is necessary to bring about change. Fire signs Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius are known for their strength and vibrancy. They can maintain this by employing their personal element of fire. Candle magic is a simple, powerful, and direct way you can invoke your native element of fore. 

Light the Fire of Self-healing

Tinctures have also been used for millennia  and can be considered precious because they are so concentrated condensed.  Tinctures are concentrated liquid extracts of herbs. They are very potent and are taken by the dropperful, most often diluted in warm water or juice. Because they are so concentrated, they should be administered carefully and sparingly. (For chronic problems, use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of a tincture three times daily.

Most tinctures are made with alcohol as the primary solvent. Do bear in mind that though the amount of alcohol is very small, many people choose not to use alcohol-based tinctures for a variety of sound reasons. Excellent tinctures can be made apple cider vinegar as the solvent. If you use alcohol, go be 80 to 100 proof and the best options vodka, gin or brandy. Because it will be diluted,  Half of the proof number is the percentage of alcohol in the spirits: 80-proof brandy is 40 percent alcohol; 100-proof vodka is 50 percent alcohol, as example. If dried herbs are used, a common ratio is 1 part dried plant material to 4 parts liquid) If fresh herbs are used, a common ratio is 1 part plant material to 1 part liquid. The fresh herbs have much more potency.

Amulets are protective adornments that date back to the beginning of human civilization. Evil eye amulets are perhaps the most globally popular, believed in most cultures to be capable of warding off a hex by reflecting it back to its origins. In some cultures, amulets were devoted to a god or goddess, and the wearer was protected by that divinity. Horns, hands, and the phallus have all been popular amulet shapes throughout history. We know from archaeological discoveries that the inhabitants of the ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia wore amulets. People in that time wore cylindrical seals covered in precious stones, as well as animal talismans to inherit the qualities associated with different animals.

 Ancient Egyptian amulets are on display at museums everywhere. They used their amulets in elaborate burial practices. To make the charms, they used faience, which is glazed ground quartz that is usually colored blue-green. The Egyptian royals and priests also wore precious and semi precious gems and crystals as amulets. The eye of Horus was the most significant, and usually this was made of lapis lazuli. Other creations included the lapis lazuli scarab, symbolizing rebirth; the frog, symbolizing fertility; and the ankh, representing eternal life.

We live in the age of anxiety. There is so much stress, bad news and soul-crushing chaos; it is hard to know how to get through each day. But here’s the thing; ancient wisdom is the best way to approach to deal with modern troubles. Try the following tried and true rite. Gather together:

2 blue candles