Magic Is Relationship
Relationship with the sacred begins with attention.
Welcome back, witches.
Last week we talked about slowing down enough to notice what is actually happening in the body before rushing to interpretation.
That principle will influence the way you relate to...everything.
Nature. Symbols. The Dead. Ritual. Power. Space. Other people. Yourself.
Notice something with me, please: The habit we can all slip into when thinking about magic and everything it can give and do for us. I’m not judging that motivation for practice; I’m saying it’s only part of magical living.
These are valid questions and thoughts we all have:
What does this plant do for me?What is this card trying to tell me?What can my ancestors help me get?What does this sign mean?
These are not inherently bad questions. But if they are the only questions we ask, our magical practice can become surprisingly consumptive and superficial.
Intentional relationship with magic necessitates more.
Attention.
Curiosity.
Respect.
Time.
The willingness to notice what is present before deciding what it is for.
This is especially important in my relationship with Nature. I do not experience the natural world as background scenery or a supply closet for spell ingredients. It is alive with texture, movement, scent, decay, beauty, danger, sexuality, rhythm and intelligence.
I want to be in a deeply felt and physically beneficial relationship with it all.
Witch Wisdom: Relationship with the sacred begins when you take time to notice one another.
Practice the next time you take a walk.
At some point, let one natural object catch your attention without actively searching for it. A leaf. A stone. A flower. A twig. Some strange little weed growing through concrete. There is no “right” object. Notice the impulse to project significance before you actually experience it.
When something slows your thoughts, you’ll know you’ve found it.
Spend a moment with it.
What caught your attention?
Color? Shape? Texture? Movement? Memory?
What happens in your body while you look at it?
Does anything change when you resist the urge to immediately ask, What does this mean?
You do not have to take the object home. You do not need to turn it into a talisman. You do not need to decide the Universe has issued you an urgent botanical memo or threw a rock at you to get your attention. Are those bees or fax machine sounds....?
Just notice.
If you want to continue the exploration inside the School, go into the Vault and choose a practice connected to Nature, symbols, or relationship. The existing work will take you deeper.
You can also talk about the object with Estrellita and ask:
“Something in Nature caught my attention today. Help me explore what I noticed physically, emotionally, personally and symbolically. Do not give me one fixed meaning or tell me this was definitely a sign. Help me stay curious about the relationship.”
The School of Body Magic cannot be only a Vault full of practices and an AI Oracle waiting for your questions
We need relationships with each other too.
So on Wednesday, September 23 at 8 PM Eastern, we’re gathering for our next Witches’ Salon. The last Salon was hijacked by nasty tech gremlins. So I’m making it foolproof this time.
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85431253446?pwd=2z7xqFlB88yc1AfLklj8JmNso7tq4Z.1
Passcode: 008802
The entire student body is invited, so it doesn’t matter what tier of membership you have.
Come curious and with all your questions. I will facilitate a light ceremony and then we can casually chill, practice, talk witchy shit and generally get to know one another. And for the introverts in the room, it’s one solid hour! I’ll make sure of that ;)
Come tell us what you are noticing when the work leaves your screen and enters your actual life.
With you in the dark,
Mel, The Body Witch
