When do you do magic? Is it something that is a part of your regular daily routine, or is it something you only do when you identify a problem (or need) that you want to address?
A lot of modern sources portray magic as a tool that is used to fix things. If you are lonely, use a love spell to find a partner. If you are being attacked, use protection spells to defend yourself. If you can't pay your bills, do money magic to boost your income. If you are sick, do magic for healing.
But very few offer suggested for regular practices to keep things running smoothly. The main one that is suggested is grounding/centering, but rarely much beyond that. Sometimes there will be a moon related working for a general blessing over you and yours, but even then, it is less emphasized compared to other spell work.
I don't think this has always been the case. If you think about what we know about the purpose of early religious practices, there was a much bigger emphasis on working to keep things going as they were intended to. In fact, I believe that the great celebrations (like the Sabbats) were intended to be sort of yearly maintenance to keep the universe running smoothly.
Also, many cultures spoke of household gods or spirits and regular (often daily) offerings made to them. Not just when you needed something, but a regular thanks and recognition of life progressing as it should.
Recently I have been reminded of the value of proper maintenance work. I read an article on the Roman deity of plumbing and how she would get offerings made to her to ensure that the plumbing continued to function well (and if anyone has ever had plumbing issues, you know this is a pretty big deal!) Also, our electric company recently swapped to a new billing system which requires more, regular attention to when and how we use our power (to avoid outrageous bills).
There is so much in our modern life that we have to be grateful for. We have regular access to food, year round. We have transportation that gets us to our destination quickly and hassle free. We have homes that protect us from the elements. We have clothing to keep us warm (and stylish)! We have countless forms of entertainment at our fingertips.
And we are quick to ask for help when anything goes wrong with these things! I have seen spells for about every problem imaginable. But I could probably count on one hand the number of 'keep everything running smoothly' spells or rituals I have seen.
We know it is a good idea to keep our energy body cleansed, balanced and recharged. Many of us do regular work to likewise cleanse and bless our living space. But why not take it a step further.
Take some time to think about the things in your every day life that you would be miserable without. What do you do everyday that when you can't do it, you just don't feel as good. I had a tooth pulled yesterday, and it has made me very mindful of eating (as I can't just shovel food in my mouth today, I have to be careful how I eat and what I eat). Any day where I don't get my proper amount of sleep I am halfway useless the next day.
How can you honor these energies in your life? I loved reading about the Roman goddess of the Sewers. It made me want to do more research on other deities that might be helpful to honor around the house. It also made me think about incorporating more maintenance work into my schedule. I already try to approach the house cleaning as spiritual work, not only to clean our house energetically but to honor the spirit of our house by working to make it an enjoyable environment. I definitely respect, talk to, and honor our car, as I know how much ease it brings to our life.
Not only do I think that this type of maintenance work will help life run smoother, but when something does happen, you will already have a relationship with the beings involved, so getting the problem resolved will come easier. It is like having a regular store you shop in every week, where you talk to the employees and they know you well. You will get much better service there than from the place you just walked into for the first time.
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