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Magic in the Mundane: 5 Easy Ways to Make Every Day Magical, by Emma Kathryn

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

Making every day magical sounds a little cliched, doesn't it? But like all cliches, there's a tiny nugget of truth at the centre, like the grit at the centre of a pearl. And who doesn't want to live a life filled with magic? Indeed, magic goes hand in hand with living.

The trouble with wanting to live a little more magically is knowing where to begin. How can we make our lives more magical? What can we do to centre our witchcraft practices within our real, everyday lives? To live an authentically magical life?

It's a good idea to spend some time exploring the things standing between you and your ideal magical life, and as you'll no doubt discover, there isn't one single answer, but rather issues can get caught up in one another and tangled until we just don't know where to begin unravelling them.

One of the biggest factors that can have an effect on our daily magical practice is time, or more precisely, the lack of it. The truth is that we all lead increasingly busy lives. How many of us have to juggle work, family, childcare, chores, and quality time with those you love—and that's all before even thinking about eating and sleeping. We all have different constraints and pressures on our time that all too often mean we end up putting off our daily practice. We tell ourselves that we'll do this ritual or that journey tomorrow or the next day. The next full moon. The next sabbat. And before you realise it, you have missed so much!

But time is not the only factor. What if you are not out yet out of the broom closet, as the saying goes? It can be difficult then to have daily practice simply due to the fact you are limited in the practical sense, even more so if you share your living space with other people. The list of reasons as to why we might put off developing a personal daily practice is long and varied, but it is also valid. It's important that we consider these issues so that we can begin to look for solutions and apply them. It's no wonder it can sometimes seem impossible to forge a consistent and regular witchcraft practice!

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced many of us, myself included, to really look at and reflect on the lives we lead. For me, this culminated in my latest book, Witch Life: A Practical Guide to Making Every Day Magical. Witch Life was written during the first lock down in 2020, just after the time that I realised my witchcraft practice had really become a source of strength and inspiration for me. I noticed it was, quite often, the really small things that were making the most difference and that were actually enabling me to develop and strengthen my daily practice.

Beginning to live a little more magically is easier than you might think, and here I'll share my top five tips on how to bring a little more magic into your life. The steps are small and practical, and you can pick, choose, and adapt these hints and tips to suit your own practice and lifestyle.

1. Build a Connection with the Land Where You Live
   This is so much easier than it sounds! Building a connection with the land and thus nature is a great way of adding a little magic to your everyday life, and everyone can do it. You don't need any special equipment and it costs nothing apart from time and willingness.As an animist, I see the natural world as being imbued with spirit, and this is something that feeds into my witchcraft practice and also into my daily life. Building a connection with land can be as simple as going for a walk every day or at least standing outside for a few minutes at the same time each day, but doing so with the aim of fully immersing yourself in the experience. Give yourself completely to it. Notice the plants and trees, the birds, insects, and other creatures you encounter. Notice the feel of the place, where the sun shines and the shade falls.

   And, the more you get used to the simple act of making time and giving yourself the space to make that initial connection, taking it further is easier. Look after the land around you, tidy it up, pick up litter, become a steward of that place and your witchcraft practice will be the better for it!

2. Grow Plants
   Now I must confess, I am something of a plant hoarder, and so you should believe me when I say anyone can grow and look after plants—it's true!There's a plant for even the most prolific plant killers out there, and once you get the basics of plant care right, you'll be hooked.

   In terms of witchcraft, plants have so many uses and growing and looking after your own plants means that they will be more potent when it comes to using them in your magic. And again, as an animist, working with plants and building that relationship with them will ultimately benefit your magic.

   There are some things you will need to consider. Firstly, what will you grow? Perhaps you like the idea of growing herbs. They are a great way of making the most of your space as most herbs can be grown inside on a warm and sunny windowsill. The bonus is that you can use them in your cooking and in your witchcraft.

   Or maybe you have more space and wish to grow a witches' garden, perhaps with plants you will use to make incense and lotions, or maybe you'll grow plants to honour a particular deity with which you work. The great thing about growing, caring, and using plants is that there is so much choice, there will be something just right for you!

3. Making Your Own Magical Tools
   Now that we're on a roll, why stop at just growing and using your own plants—why not make your own magical tools as well?Here's the thing: we all know that tools aren't necessary for magic and witchcraft to happen. Yet they can make things easier, particularly at first when we might need more help directing our will and intent. And besides, sometimes, we just want things, especially when those tools are so beautifully made by witchy artists and craftspeople.

   Making your own tools means that the time, effort, and concentration taken to do so will rub off on them, making them more powerful and potent when you use them. You can also make things to suit your own aesthetic tastes.

   Collecting natural items when out on walks is a great way of combining building connections to land and nature with making your own tools. Different woods have different properties when it comes to crafting wands, stangs, and staffs. Feathers from different birds will have different meanings and uses. Interesting stones and other items make good altar displays.

   And if crafting is just not your thing, then why not become a bargain hunting treasure hunter? Check out flea markets, second hand shops, antique shops, and fairs for great individual items that you can use in your witchcraft—crystal glasses make good chalices, a silver knife for an athame—you get the idea.

   Shopping second-hand is great for the environment and again feeds back into building a connection with the land and nature by living more ethically and reducing the amount of rubbish that goes to landfill.

4. Take Your Morning Drink Outside
   There's something about sitting in the garden wrapped in a warm blanket or snuggled in a thick jumper or gown, with the cold air on your face and a steaming mug of your morning elixir clasped in your hands.I awake early most mornings and do just this, and you'd be surprised at just how magical this time is. The blackbirds' morning song is melodic and clear, piercing the quiet, still air. If it's the right season and I'm up real early, I'll catch the hedgehog as it returns from its nightly jaunt, heading back to its home deep within the ivy or perhaps the logpile to sleep for the day.

   The point is, by making space, you get into the habit of spending time outside quietly, simply being, just as the blackbird is simply being. You come to realise just how connected we are to everything around us, that we are a part of nature and not apart from it.

   This realisation is truly magical indeed, and while at first it might seem like a little effort is required, particularly on cold mornings, you'll soon be reaping the benefits of making the time to simply be within nature, just as we were meant to.

5. Follow the Moon, Salute the Sun
   Sun and moon worship, or even just working with the energies at different points in the cycles of these celestial bodies, has always had a strong link with witchcraft. There is no doubt that the moon is pure magic and inextricably linked to witchcraft. There are many moon deities from cultures all over the world, again hinting at the magic of the moon. Moon rituals are great fun indeed, poignant and powerful, but they do require time and planning. If you don't have time, or you don't feel confident enough to hold your own ritual, or even if you forget it's the full moon, it doesn't matter! None of that will stop you from using the phases of the moon to add magic to your everyday life.A good place to start is to make an effort to spend a little time outside every night. Notice the phase of the moon and mark it on a calendar. Spend a few minutes soaking up the lunar energies even on those nights where the moon is lost behind the clouds.

   Full moon meditations are a good way of not only marking the full moon each month, but also of getting into the habit of setting aside time each month for a specific purpose.

   Just as the moon is full of magic, so, too, is the sun, and just as we can work with the moon to bring a little more magic into our mundane lives, so, too, can we work with the sun. Sun salutations are a good way of building habit and also a good method of harnessing the power of the sun at different times in its passage across the sky.

   For a sunrise salutation, as close to sunrise as possible, engage in a visualisation activity where you visualise the sun rising across a landscape that inspires wonder and beauty within you. Feel the energy of the sunrise filling you with that energy of a new day, of possibility and new beginnings and opportunities. Do the same for noon and for sunset, again as close to those actual occurrences as possible to anchor the practice in the real, mundane world.

And there you have it—my top five tips on how to make every day a little more magical. We are, after all, witches, and we do indeed live that witch life!

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2022. All rights reserved.

I recently dated someone I liked a great deal but had to break up with him due to the high level of anxiety I got from the relationship. (He kept blowing me off by not calling me back and things like that.) We weren't together long. Most of the time I am fine with my decision, but there are moments when I am suddenly hit hard with a feeling of utter sadness and regret. I have to stop and consciously work through those overpowering emotions. My brother mentioned to me that it's possible I'm being affected by his thoughts and feelings. Since the breakup, I have been consciously sending love and forgiveness back to him. I often think that maybe on some other plane somewhere, we are happy together, which makes me feel better. I'm wondering if maybe these sudden waves of emotion are not really mine, but are feelings of his that I am picking up on. If so, what do I do to move on?

S.

Susyn:

A relationship can remain unbalanced for only so long before the person doing all the giving has to move on. When we give too much, we send the other person our energy and power. While they thrive on this, if we do not receive the same in return, we begin to feel anxious, fearful, lost and drained.

I applaud your decision to remove yourself from a relationship that was obviously unhealthy for you. As it is never easy to let go of someone we once hoped would prove to be a long-term partner, your feelings are understandable. Keep in mind that you are not grieving the loss of this person in particular, but the loss of a dream. While he may have had many qualities you want in a mate, it's also possible that you projected attributes onto him that were not really there.

You mention that you have been sending him thoughts of love and forgiveness. This may be one of the things that keeps you tied to him emotionally and energetically. Whether these sudden thoughts and feelings are originating from him or not, the best thing you can do is to put closure to the relationship and prepare to move forward.

His energy could be holding you back from finding a better relationship. The mind is very powerful; his could be surrounding you with something like a force field that keeps new admirers away. Again, it does not matter if the thoughts are originating from him or from you; the important thing is that they are inhibiting your ability to move on.

It is not easy to control or altogether stop thoughts of a past love. One method I recommend is called corralling, in which you start to construct specific boundaries around your thoughts and emotions. This is like a mental diet, for it involves creating discipline and structure in order to change your habits of thought.

Throughout the day, each time a thought or feeling about your ex arises, stop and tell yourself, I will not think about this now. I will think about it at 9 p.m. Do this throughout the day. At 9 p.m., give yourself 15 minutes to think about him exclusively. When the time is up, return your focus to the moment. If you miss your time, you must wait until the next day at 9 p.m. to think about him. Do this for a few days and you'll see that you are thinking about him less and less.

If the obsessive thoughts continue, you may also want to use my Freezing Ritual to counteract this endless loop of feelings. This will not harm your ex but it will enable you to free yourself from this pattern. The complete ritual is available at my Kajama profile.

*****

Oceania:

I don't think you are picking up on your ex-boyfriend's emotions; I think he triggered unresolved feelings from your childhood! You now have an opportunity to work through them - that's the gift of this brief relationship.

As your brother sounds supportive, you might discuss your parents and early family life with him. Together, you can share memories and determine who this ex-boyfriend reminds you of! From your description, he was inconsistent, unreliable, and left you feeling insecure. Does that remind you of anyone?

You mentioned some overpowering emotions. We usually don't experience that level of intensity in an adult relationship unless it reopens past wounds. As children, we are trapped in our families - there's no leaving. If we can't express feelings or be heard, emotions get pushed down inside us and held there under pressure. Remember when you pushed a Jack-in-the-box back down and slammed the lid shut? When we meet someone in adulthood who reminds us of childhood, it's as if they turned the crank on the Jack-in-the-box; the lid springs open and intense feelings pop out!

We THINK the person who pushed our buttons is responsible for our flood of emotion, but those feelings were packed down inside us long ago. We leave childhood carrying an overflowing suitcase - one we had to sit on top of in order to zip shut.

This baggage is powerful. Until we unpack and sort through it, we tend to avoid any situation that reminds us of what's inside OR repeatedly choose situations that remind us of what's inside in an attempt to work through old business indirectly. Either way, the suitcase is controlling us.

One of our jobs in adulthood is to open the suitcase and honor what we find. We need to view the contents realistically and objectively. Once that lid is open, we stop over-reacting. Unless our safety is at risk, adult emotions tend to be relatively mild because we always have the choice to exit a situation.

After separating your ex from whichever parent he most reminds you of, take a fresh look at what happened in this relationship. Did you stay and suffer too long, leave at just the right time, or give up too soon? Only in the last case would it be worth reaching out to him.

You say you liked him a great deal and when you envisioned being with him on another plane, you felt happy. If you can separate your past from your present, you will be better prepared to enjoy relationship success with him or with someone better suited to you.

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.