Do you believe in magic? What even is magic? The dictionary defines it as “the power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces.” Wikipedia says that its “an ancient practice rooted in rituals, spiritual divinations and/or cultural lineage—with an intention to invoke, manipulate, or otherwise manifest supernatural forces, beings, or entities in the natural world.” According to The End of Magic by Ariel Glucklich, magic is based on “the awareness of the interrelatedness of all things in the world by means of simple but refined sense perception.” In other words, magic is simply life and the ways in which we interact with the world as it appears around us. It sounds so enchanting, so extraordinary, yet we still find ourselves burning each other at the metaphorical stake.
Witchcraft has been loosely defined as “the working of magic.” Historically, this has been overwhelmingly used as a measure against women and a way to control their behavior and their interactions with the natural world. These witch trials are still going on, we are just doing it in a more technologically advanced way. While our society no longer deems it okay to physically burn people, we are still effectively killing each other none-the-less.
Ten is when we learn how to be good girls and real boys. Ten is when children begin to hide who they are in order to become what the world expects them to be. Right around ten is when we begin to internalize our formal taming.
Untamed, Glennon Doyle
I can look back through my life like an old movie. I can pause at the parts when I see the pieces of me falling away. I hid parts of myself, not only out of safety for the self, but also because Eve’s original sin was forced onto me, the one that told us never to reach for something better, the one that told us to be grateful for all that we already had. Shame is one of the most manipulative tools that we against each other, and one that has proven to be quite effective over the years. It tamed me. It taught me that my worth was wrapped up in this presentation of quiet, pretty passivity. This has led to a life of performing for the approval of others, to the point where I am still trying to uncover exactly who the hell I even am underneath all the masking, all the covering up.
I was born a princess. I made myself a queen.
During Midsummer, the Summer Solstice for the Northern Hemisphere, we have the longest day of the year or the shortest night depending on how you want to look at it. This means that the intensity of the sun will be at its maximum, and with that comes warmth and vibrancy, and the push to let your inner light shine. Ruled by both fire and water, the Queen of Wands gifts us with the courage we need in order to aid us in realigning with our most intimate knowings. She is one of charismatic compassion, a natural-born leader who actively inspires others. She is a channel, a magician who contains and dispenses energy. The Queen of Wands is considered to be the witch of the tarot deck.
A black cat sits at her feet, eyes forward, almost as if it is looking directly at us. Meanwhile she looks out over the horizon, her gaze in the direction of the sunflower she holds in her hand. She makes the determined choice to look toward the sun, toward the light, the dawn of a new day. She cares not for the shadows at her back, as she has already contended with what was hidden away. Bringing forth new life from what seemed to be a void, she is confident in her creative potential, even when it seems as though there is nothing there. You are like this queen.
You can’t wait for inspiration; you have to go after it with a club.
Jack London
When we allow ourselves to be a vessel for the Divine to come through, life becomes a ceremony. Our deep rituals and practices become a part of us, they become the medicine for our souls. They bring us home again; they call us back into the wild.
Mad love, Jenna
