How to Improve Magical Potency in Your Daily Life
I can remember meeting many people of the course my life who possessed a certain something – a glamour, an extra element of self-assuredness or a feeling of power and control. Many of them were witches, even if they didn’t class themselves as such. I was greatly influenced by these people to look into witchcraft, because they seemed in control of their lives, and contented. I didn’t realise then that contentment does not necessarily go hand-in-hand with control. In fact, the most powerful people can maintain contentment and peace even in the face of great turbulence.
I envy them sometimes, particularly when I find myself disgruntled for several days at a time, or more. It’s a rare occurrence these days, but still something that I feel shouldn’t happen, because I live a charmed life. I never want for anything for very long. I never go hungry. I never go a day without being told that I’m loved. This is the way it should be, for everyone. Still, negativity and frustration can creep in, even when we are blessed.
Sometimes I know in my bones that the world is infinite, possibilities endless, and that everything crackles with the magic of creation. At others, when the mundane world has bogged me down so badly that I can’t see the wood for the trees, I find myself slipping back into old habits – complaining, becoming tactless or even aggressive, overeating, and focusing on the negative are my particular failings.
I’m sure many of us get so bogged down in our jobs, families, friends, and problems, that magic sometimes seems very thin on the ground. It can be difficult to muster the energy for magical workings, and even harder to see magic in the mundane. People affect places, and before you know it, the atmosphere itself becomes negative.
So what’s the solution?
The famously pragmatic occultist, Dion Fortune, said:
“…while we need to recognize the very potent effect that a mental atmosphere can have upon us, let us remember that atmospheres are things which are made by human minds, and that we need not, and should not, yield ourselves inert and unresisting to their influence, but can do something towards the making of atmospheres on our own account.”
– Dion Fortune, Practical Occultism in Daily Life, The Aquarian Press, Northamptonshire © 1985. (First published: 1935.)
This is the kind of magic I aspire to practise every day – the magic that starts within, and eventually floods our environment with a powerful positive force, affecting loved ones, and even strangers, for the better.
Nowadays, resistant magic is rife, and harmonising is rarely considered. By resistant magic I mean protection spells, binding spells, banishing, and anything else that attempts to force people or situations to do our bidding. How many of us have been tempted to cast boundaries around our loved ones when others are attacking them? But the focus should always be on building strength from within, not raising strong walls without – unless they’re in immediate danger.
Serge Kahili King, PH.D., in his book Urban Shaman: a Handbook for Personal and Planetary Transformation Based on the Hawaiian Way of the Adventurer, advocates a magical path that creates harmony, not resistance, because resistance is a major cause of stress, which in turn affects or minds, spirits and bodies.
Here’s an example. If you ran a 3 hour workshop which needed to begin promptly at 9am every Saturday, so that you could get home in time for a family lunch, but some of your attendees were persistently late every single session, would you constantly try to enforce your ideas of promptness onto them? Perhaps a simple solution would be to run the course from 8.30am to midday, to allow for late arrivals, (and squeeze time for an extra cup of tea). Alternatively, you could run your courses on Sunday, instead. This is the kind of attitude needed to follow the way of the adventurer. This example might not feel very magical, but some of would think it was magic if they could cut down the stress in their lives and make positive progress.
Obstacles to Peace include work, relationships, and stress-creating situations, but in reality, the only obstacle to happiness oneself. It’s not situations or people that cause frustration, it’s simply the reaction we choose to go with. Still, it’s not always easy to remain zen-like in tough times. Rather than trying to force myself to feel peaceful when under pressure (resistance), I prefer to work with my strengths and forgive my weaknesses as much as I can (harmony).
Attaining Peace is not instantaneous, but once a more balanced approach is achieved, it is possible to exert more control over situations likely to create stress and resistance. As Dion says:
“…the control of environment must begin with self-control, and until we cease to be influenced by surrounding conditions we cannot hope to exercise any mental influence over them. Paradoxically, it is only when our environment ceases to matter to us that we have the power to change it by mental means.”
– Dion Fortune, Practical Occultism in Daily Life, The Aquarian Press, Northamptonshire © 1985. (First published: 1935.)
Here are my top 5 tips for creating Peace and removing Resistance:
- Keep a Journal – Keeping track of situations that really get your goat will not only relieve some tension, it will also reveal patterns in terms of how moonphases, your energy levels, diet, sleeping habits, and commitments affect your stress levels. It’s not a bad idea to incorporate this information into your book of shadows if you prefer. You could even note the astrological changes at play in your life if you’re a star-gazer.
- Time-Manage Effectively – Your journal will become a handy tool to help you reorder your life so that you get more out of your time. This isn’t about doing more work! It’s about prioritising, and changing your schedule to match your energy levels, booking in some time for rest, and of course, magical progression. Remember, make progress during your peak times so you can rest when you’re at a low ebb.
- Worship – A change is as good as a rest, so if your altar has been collecting dust for a while, re-dress it with fresh flowers, colourful altar cloths, and seasonal things such as leaves or seeds. Light candles and incense, and drink in the beauty you have created. It might only take 10 minutes to complete, but Peace will soon begin to steal over you.
- Take the Magic with You – Talismans and Charms were invented for this purpose! Fill a pouch with Peace-inducing herbs and crystals and wear it around your neck, under your clothes if you like, or practise a little crystal magic or aromatherapy at work – a quick sniff of an uplifting essential oil can be just the boost you need during a stressful day. I vary my crystals at work depending on whether I want focus, positivity, friendship, or success.
- Visualise Positive Outcomes Every Day – Never underestimate the power of positive visualisation. I’ve even heard it called ‘Cosmic Ordering’ – very New Age! Set yourself a checklist for how you want each day to turn out, whether the night before or in the morning, always focusing on what you want and not what you don’t want. If I’m doing something particularly dull, I can even practise visualisation at my desk at work. Few things put me in a better mood than imagining all my dreams coming true. Give it a try!
Happy Peace-hunting!
