One thing many people strive for is daily practice. And by this, they often mean "finding moments of spirituality in my everyday life." But we can approach daily magic in the opposite way, using magic to enhance our mundane actions...not just to make them magical, but also to make them more effective.
Learning to find the sacred in the ordinary is definitely a skill, but learning to infuse our everyday actions with intent, to make them more than 'just' chores or necessary actions, helps us transform things that we might otherwise shy away from and make them meaningful to us.
I think of it as a way of reaching down instead of looking up. When we search for spirit in every moment, we are looking up. We want to elevate every action and make it sublime. But when we reach down, we are appreciating the very ordinary, everyday things. We are making them more of what they are, more vital and basic and wholesome.
Let's consider washing up for a moment. We wash (or clean) stuff all day long, every day (or at least I hope you do...I do!) Whether it's washing our hands, washing dishes, showering or cleaning the house, the very act of living means that we are creating a need to wash. When we lean into the washing, we look to see the purpose of our cleaning.
I kind of dislike cleaning. It's one of those never-ending chores that pretty much needs to be done again as soon as you finish it. But I love it when things are clean. I get an intense sense of satisfaction out of that moment when you realize that the thing that was grimy is now shiny. Clean things just feel better, they feel lighter, they make you happier (and the inverse is true!)
I've talked before about how I elevate my cleaning, and tie in cleansing to my cleaning...working the energetic as well as the physical. And that definitely is important! But it's also important to not get so focused on the ethereal that we skimp on the mundane actions. It doesn't matter how much I shake the bells on my broom, that won't get rid of the dust bunnies under my kitchen table.
Now here's the interesting bit. When we focus our energetic intentions on the physical actions, things loop back around. If I'm scrubbing a pot, and I am saying a little chant to help me stay focused on the task, I'm also engaging those higher energies. I'm adding in layers of energetic cleansing, I'm shifting my mental state...and I'm getting rid of those burnt on bits. Using magic to enhance our physical actions brings us more benefit than doing both halves separately.
Everything we do, throughout the day, can be enhanced by magic. And the best thing about adding magic to mundane actions is that most of the time simple is better. If I am adding intent to washing my hands, I don't want to have a five minute ritual with a bunch of supplies....I wash my hands a bunch of times throughout the day, I don't need to over complicate it.
Instead, think about what you are doing and it's purpose. Think about how you can entwine magic or energetic practices with the mundane stuff you are already doing. Remember, the key is to enhance the actions, not detract from them.
Often, simple mindfulness is all it takes. If you are stirring something, what are you stirring in or how are you mixing things up? If you are locking something, what are you protecting it from (and if you are unlocking something or entering in a password, what are you opening up to)? What are you taking into yourself and what are you getting rid of?
Sometimes, changing the atmosphere creates a magical environment that makes it easier to stay connected. Lighting incense or some candles, putting on theme music, ritualizing your actions...these can all be triggers to help you focus and work with intent.
And a quick note on ritualizing actions. In this case, I'm talking specifically about creating a particular order of doing things. We can ritualize anything, and you don't have to be religious or magical to ritualize something. Most people have an evening ritual, a particular way they tend to get ready for sleep. It might involved doing things to specifically shut down the day or it may include things designed to help make your sleep better.
I find that by ritualizing my prep-work, any task becomes easier. In cooking it's called 'mise en place' or literally 'putting in place'. It basically means get everything you will need assembled and prepared so that when it's time to do the thing, it's easy. When cooking this not only means making sure you have all the pans and utensils you need, but also getting everything chopped and ready before you turn the stove on.
This has saved me SO much fuss when cooking, and it's something I do tend to try to apply to other areas of my life. When I am putting my laundry away, first it gets sorted into piles by type (and where it's going). I've learned (through experience lol) to sort and fold my socks first...as they tend to get lost in other clothes, and it's much easier to find that runaway sock in the clothes on my bed than to try to remember what I have already hung up in the closet, pulling everything back out, and trying to find the lost sock.
Even full on magic ritual is much aided by this concept, and having all the things you will need for a working at hand (and prepared!) before you start makes things go smoother. I definitely do this when I do divination as well, gathering up my deck, laying out a reading cloth, grabbing my journal (for recording the spread), the guidebook (if the deck has one, so I have it handy if I want to check something), my phone (if I am taking a photo of the spread to share). If I don't do all that first, it makes things feel disjointed if I have to go and fetch the guidebook or my phone.
Another simple way to keep focused is to do one thing at a time. Just like you wouldn't try to work two different spells at the same time, you should focus on one mundane task at a time. Many tasks have natural stopping points, and it is fine to swap focus then, but if at all possible, stick to one until you get it done, then do the next. This helps you keep your energy together instead of wasting energy trying to keep track of what step you are on in each thing!
By applying magic to your mundane tasks, you are doubling down on them. You are approaching your life with a holistic intent, and creating something truly magical. Instead of dreading the less exciting tasks, you will have a way to enhance them, and appreciate them for what they bring into your life. Soon, you will be looking for more ways to mix in a little magic, in everything you do.
No comments:
Post a Comment