The Power Lies Within You
One of the things that initially turned me off to magical living was the idea that you have to use special tools to craft things. I’m talking about spell casting. I didn’t believe that any of the tools had any real magical power on their own, and I still don’t believe they do.
Several months ago I broached the subject of spells with a mystical friend and she shut down completely. Didn’t even want to talk about it. What I eventually got out of her was that she has a certain association with that word. In her mind, spells are dirty deeds used to control or manipulate people.
I don’t judge her for that view, necessarily. The Divine knows I have held similar fears at one time or another - not that I would or could hurt anyone or that anyone could hurt me with spell work but, my fears have always circled around what other people might think or say about me. I suppressed a good chunk of my interests and skills for decades because I was afraid of other people judging and ridiculing me.
I don’t look at spell casting as anything more than fancy intention setting. You can do rituals however you want to. As I have mentioned before, I am not allowed to have fire, so candles are never a part of my intention setting or rituals. I do love the aesthetic though and all the pictures of altars with candles set up. And sure, I wish at times I could play with candles too. But, your fancy intention setting won’t be lacking anything if you don’t use a candle or a fresh sprig of rosemary. Our ancestors used whatever they had on hand. They didn’t run to the market every time they didn’t have whatever they thought they needed (although arguably, they always had candles on hand). They infused their intention into what they had on hand and made that the offering in their ritual.
And, you don’t have to use anything at all for tools. If your jam is quiet reflection or writing it down in your journal - do that. It is no less potent than the elaborate set ups you can find on Instagram. And, there are beautiful pictures there, for sure! But they are not necessary.
However, if you really love the fanciness, the glamor and the fun of getting full on into a beautiful ritual, do that too! Everyone’s way is the right way!
The power of these tools though, comes from your decision to use them and to let them symbolize what you are asking for of the Divine. None of these objects have any inherent power on their own. It all comes from you. And, there is nothing wrong with using common symbolism in your work. I just don’t want you to feel discouraged because you believe some fancy spell you found in a book won’t work for you because you don’t have the ingredients or tools it calls for. Make it your own. You are that powerful!
A good analogy that Tess Whitehurst uses in her book You Are Magical, is to picture two different outfits. The first one doesn’t feel very good when you wear it. You feel frumpy and unattractive in it. The second one makes you feel not only attractive but confidence and radiant. Does the second outfit have a superpower? Yes and no. It makes you feel a certain way in it and how you interact with the world and how the world interacts with you. That power is yours and you can access it without that super cool outfit.
You are the powerful magic behind everything you have accomplished. Sure, you had help from the cosmos, but that magic came from you.
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