magical practices

when it comes to a magical practice, i feel like it's something everyone is so scared of actually initiating. there's this fear of "not doing something right" or messing it up in some way. but the most beautiful part? you're fucking making it up the whole time dawg! there ain't no right or wrong unless you say it's right or wrong. if you're like me and you're just picking up things along the way that seem right or interesting to you, you're writing your own rules. because once you're consulting other people about what and what not to do, it no longer becomes your practice.

your intuition is the most important thing. plants, crystals, times of day, and colors all have their traditional correspondences, but if it feels right to you to add this or that to a spell or ritual, fuckin do it! because the fear of mistake is what holds people back the most. at the end of the day, your intention and the energy you put in is what's important. all that other stuff is just atmosphere and a vessel for your intention.

but before getting into spells, i think the most important practice to master is meditation. yeah yeah i know, throw tomatoes at me, but i'm dead serious. you cannot begin manipulating and harnessing your own energy, before you know how to even feel and be aware of your energy. meditation is more about becoming aware of your physical body, and how your spiritual or etheric body moves around in it.

meditation and the glowing orb

meditation is the foundation of a spiritual practice. it trains your attention, makes you more aware of your body and energy, allows the channeling of divine information, and quiets the mind for those revelations. if you're waiting on signs from your guides or ancestors or whoever, it's never gonna come if you don't shut your brain up for five seconds to receive it! it really is such a fundamental practice to begin implementing.

meditation also isn't just about sitting in a quiet room and chanting mantras. you can meditate anywhere, at any time. it's really just about sitting in the moment, absorbing it, being aware of the weight of your body and the sensations inside of it. going on a silent hike, watching the trees go by, not thinking about anything, is meditation! sitting by a waterfall and letting the sound of rushing water fill your mind is meditation! taking a shower (WITH NO YOUTUBE... i see you) in the dark and letting your mind wander is meditation!

however, the difference between letting your thoughts cloud out wisdom and meditation, is how you react to them. did an embarrassing memory from elementary school come up? acknowledge it, make the feelings it illicits known, and let it go. this happens to me a lot (with the amout of times this happens to me in a day, i've learned this is actually something called silent tics), and the way i've dealt with it is...

become aware of the thought or emotion that has emerged. pause and view it in your mind, feel the emotion that comes with it. embarrassment, shame, fear, anxiety. notice where it lives in your body. does your stomach drop? does your heart race? do you feel a lump in your throat? notice this.

once the thought has concluded, repeat this to yourself. "i release all shame. i release all guilt. i release all fear. i give my younger self a hug. they are safe now."

repeat this to yourself as many times as you need to. but really, truly believe the words you're saying. really believe the emotions are being released. they are no longer taking control, or hold any power over you.

it's surprising how effective this is once you try it. like, it doesn't sound like much, but you do really feel the emotions slipping away. and then, continue on with your meditation. this practice can go deeper into shadow work if you really want to break apart traumatic events or limiting beliefs, but for every day intrusive thoughts it is super effective.

so on to the glowing orb! the glowing orb is your center of energy in the middle of your chest you're focusing on when you meditate. it's your heart chakra. when meditating, you want to imagine that with every inhale it grows, and with every exhale it shrinks back down. this glowing orb is what you want to work on visualizing move throughout your body and limbs when directing energy. try visualizing it go down your arms and into the center of your palm or your fingertips. once you get really good at this, you will feel physical sensations there.

there are lots of guides on meditating properly and guided meditations for specific purposes, but i really find that making your own is best. you set the intention, you can have some audio in the background, or nothing if you want. i usually pick out some binaural beat or singing bowl video tuned to the hertz i want, depending on the purpose. if i'm focusing on root chakra, something deeper. throat, third eye, or crown something higher pitched. there are lots of playlists and channels on youtube with all the different frequencies for each purpose.

invocation and channeling

this is sort of related to meditation - because you need to be in a state of meditation for this - but not really. because the goal isn't to just sit in the quiet of the mind, it's to invoke the presence of something and then listen for the response. if you didn't know, everyone has a spirit team whose goal is to assist with every day life, and help align you to your greatest potential. they can be ancestors, archetypes, or other beings that are meant to guide you in different areas or trials through your life.

it's not immediately obvious who your guides are (unless you've felt called to anything/anyone in particular), so to meet and familiarize yourself with them takes some visualization meditations. i can share the meditation i did at camp, which was for introducing yourself and meeting your guides in this "realm of ancestors". not all of them may appear, simply because it's not their time to emerge yet, which is why it's so important to regularly practice this. different guides will show up for different reasons, and some may leave once a life achievement or phase of your life has concluded. but everyone will have their core team of guides who stick with you.

the meditation to meet your guides and ancestors goes like this...

if you have an altar, now is a good time to take a seat in front of it. if there's anything you'd like to offer your guides and ancestors at this time (water, food, flowers, etc.), you can have it in front of you. first begin by saying out loud "i call upon my guides and ancestors to be present with me in this moment."

close your eyes and begin some measured breathing. begin with a simple body scan of your physical body. start at the top of your head, slowly scanning your attention down your head, shoulders, arms, stomach, etc. until you reach the bottom of your feet. sit in the feeling of your physical body, notice any sensations that are making themselves known. now, begin your measured breathing and focus on the glowing orb of energy in your chest. notice how with every inhale it grows, and with every exhale it shrinks.

foster that feeling of energy in your chest. once you feel like you have enough of a grasp in visualizing it, take your a large inhale. bring your hands up to your mouth in the shape of a triangle, and gradually breathe out, bringing your hands over your offering, and exhaling over it. while doing this, visualize your energy imbuing the offering. say out loud "i invite my guides and ancestors to take part in the offering i bring before them."

enter into measured breathing again, eyes closed. acknowledge any thoughts that may come up, then gently let them pass. sit in this feeling of stillness for however long feels comfortable. allow the boundary between your physical body and the outside world slowly blur. you are simply you, your etheric body, your soul.

visualize now, that your etheric body slowly stands and leaves your body. you are outside of your physical body. look down at your physical body, sitting in the position it is in wherever you are. slowly walk around yourself, taking note of the details of your body and familiarize yourself with how you look outside of your body.

imagine your etheric body saying aloud "may a stairway appear that leads me into the other side". at your feet, a set of stairs going downward into a white void appears. there are ten steps on that staircase going down. begin your ascent downward, being aware of the feeling of your feet on each step. count down on each step, beginning with 10 and the last step being 1. take your time, maintaining your attention on each step.

once you are at the bottom of the stairs, you are now in the other side. the white void is endless. once there, visualize your etheric body saying aloud "may a doorway to meet my guides and ancestors appear before me". imagine a doorway appears. this doorway should appear before you. take notice of how it looks. are there any symbols on it? what color is the door? solidify the appearance in your mind, and how it looks. these details are all important to remember.

approach the door, place your hand on it, and visualize your etheric body saying aloud "i would like to meet my guides and ancestors.". open the door, and step inside. once again, take notice of how the space looks once you step through the door. where are you? a field? a room? is there anything on the walls? how does it feel inside? is it inviting and warm, or cold and desolate? keep note of these details.

now that you are in there, your guides should appear. there may be very clear being in this room, or you may just feel the presence of someone in there with you, or even just the outline of a person. that's okay, some may not want to introduce themselves yet, or it may not be the right time to meet them. but who is very clearly visible? is it a deceased loved one? or someone you've never seen before? do they approach you, say anything? how many people are even in there with you?

take as much time as you need with them. ask them anything you would like to know, anything you need advice on, or simply just introduce yourself to them. you can ask if anyone else is there with them, and maybe they will invite them in. use this time to become familiar with the feeling of this place, as how you feel here are indications of the state of your inner world, and can give hints on what you need to work on.

once you are finished, you can say your goodbyes and then address your guides and ancestors with "thank you for being here, you are all free to go now." you can now turn back towards the door, exit, and close the door behind you. you should now be back in the white void. visualize your etheric body saying "may a stairway back to my body appear". that same staircase from before should appear, take care again with the sensation on each step. on your way back up, count down beginning from 1 and to 10. once you reach the top of the stairs, visualize you see your body again, sitting in its same position. you can now imagine your etheric body sitting back down, and entering your body again.

so! this is a pretty long one, and this also isn't the only way to address and speak to your ancestors. for an every day meditation that you can do quickly, simply asking your guides and ancestors to be there and sitting with their presence for 10 minutes is enough. remember, they're always with you. it's just about you opening up to feeling them there. you also can do this same meditation but instead ask to meet your healers, or warriors, protectors, etc. it's about whatever archetype or emotion you're wanting to interact with. your mind is the limit, literally.

this is all i've got to share for now! i think i may separate this page out into individual pages for each practice, just to make it easier to navigate. so i think i'll leave it here for now until i work on making that happen!