How to Do Magic for
Power, Wisdom, and Joy

Everything Is Magic.

I try to choose magics that make me happy.

Do not fall asleep in your enemy’s dream.
—John Edgar Wideman

I painted a border for the above quote because it echoed my core. Here is the painting:

Art is Magic.

While I paint, the process automatically casts a spell on me:

While painting, I live in my own world, with all its joy, hope, power, and wisdom. I dream my own dreams, escaping the snares of other people’s fantasies, nightmares, and visions.

When I finish painting, my special world, sense of purpose, and control of my destiny remain.

Making art is magic.
Looking at art is magic.
Cooking food is magic.
Eating food is magic.
Walking is magic.
Breathing is magic.
Everything is magic.

Casting Spells Is Magic. Everything Is Magic.

Casting spells is magic.

I love casting spells. I cast spells a lot. But I don’t have to limit my magical life to casting spells. (Or at least not to casting them in the usual sense.) Casting spells is magic, and so is everything else. Everything is magic, and I want to live accordingly.

Some Magics Hurt Me

Some enchantments are not healthy for me. For example, obsession is magic, everything is magic. Obsession about my problems makes them bigger. I don’t mean bigger only in my mind. I mean they become worse in quantitive measures.

There are healthy obsessions. When I indulge in them, they improve my mindset and circumstances.

Magic Changes Constantly

I need different magics at different times. I constantly change, and moments change every moment.

Magic is real. Magic is a science. It has rules. I respect them. Otherwise, magic can be dangerous. Following rules and letting my ego-driven rigidity rule are not the same. All flowers are flowers. But some are blue, some are yellow. Some are annuals, some are perennials. Some on vines, and some on trees. In the same vein, magic is magic everywhere, but I try to notice the specific ways it manifests so that I can draw on the moment’s magic. This requires flexibility, which in turn requires letting go of my ego-driven attempts to control life.

It’s funny that when I stop trying to exert ridiculous amounts of control, the cosmos gifts me with incredible control.

All Shamans Are Not Alike

Different people need different magics. What helps one Shaman can hurt another Shaman. Two equally powerful Shamans might not be able to use each other’s magical styles safely or effectively. We all have our strengths.

Magic as a Discipline

Magic can be approached as a discipline. This can help some practitioners and hurt others. And I imagine different Shamans might define the discipline differently.

For me, the discipline has many aspects. It is also a necessity for a number of reasons. Here is one that is relevant to this post:

I seem to need more magic than most people—a goodly amount every day. This includes spell-casting. Otherwise, I unintentionally live in other people’s fantasies, nightmares, and visions. When consistently doing a lot of magic, I am in my own world, determining my own fate. Being far from perfect, I don’t always meet my ideal daily amount. But the discipline of ardently striving toward that ideal helps me do enough to be happy.

I do not think everyone needs as much magic as I do. … Or perhaps they do. Perhaps a big reason most people have so many problems is they don’t view magic as an underpinning of reality and therefore don’t think practicing a lot of magic is a necessity. I don’t know. … But my dwelling on my ideas about what some people might need to do would rob me of time I need to do enough magic. Plus, I want to support people to find their own answers. Facilitating that is a focus of my shamanic work in the community.

What Magic Creates Your
Power, Wisdom, and Joy?

What magic settles you into your power, purpose, joy, beliefs, magnificence, or dreams?

Please tell me in the comment field at the bottom of the page.

If you don’t know a single magic that settles you into everything I listed, tell me a magic that fosters one thing on the list.

If you cannot do “a good job” expressing your thoughts to me, express them poorly. Sometimes, one of my students can’t find the words to convey something during class. I advise, “Just say it poorly.” Almost every time a student tries that approach, they are articulate and brilliant, even if they don’t realize it.

Finding Your Magics. Remembering Your Magics.

Answering the question can be a good Shamanic exercise: It might help you remember one or more of your magics. Or help you realize what your specific magics are, or at least what one of them is. The possible benefits of this exercise make it worth a try.

Answering the following question is a good exercise too:
What actions do you want to avoid because they are magics that lead you away from your power, purpose, joy, beliefs, magnificence, or dreams?

Authentic Connections

It’s okay to be the only person commenting on this post. In Traditional Shamanism, people connect as individuals. That is what my Fey-touched heart wants.

Asking questions is magic.
Answering questions is magic.
Asking the right questions is loving magic.
Answering those questions can be self-love magic.