what I mean by 'magic' ✨
this post was originally shared on substack on october 15th, 2024
The other day, someone commented on an Instagram post of a Magic Vest asking “what makes it magic” and at first my gut response was: “it just is”. And then I realized it actually might be a good idea to spell (get it, ~spell~) it out a bit and clarify what I mean when I saw “magic”.
Maybe some of what I am about to share will resonate with you and maybe it won’t. And that’s ok. As with anything, I feel it is important to encourage you to take what you like and leave the rest.
When I speak of magic, I mean a few different things. First, there is the magic of everyday life and the world around us. Magic as wonder and awe, mystery and miracle, romance and enchantment. The fact that we exist feels like magic to me. The existence of mycelia, of baby birds, of hot chocolate, of waves, of black holes, of changing leaves. These things are magic. They are also nature and science.
Magic is just kind of the lens I view the world through; to enchant and romanticize life and to see meaning, beauty, love and wonder in all things.
Then there is magic as a verb. Magic is a tool to bring about change and to create. The very act of creating anything is magic. Making something out of nothing or out of disparate, unrelated parts to be something new… that in itself is magic. It’s alchemy. It’s transformational art. It’s incredible.
And beyond the physical act of creating something, I see magic as a way of tapping into my own innate power and using the tools of intention, presence, mindfulness, imagination and wonder and awe to get me (and my community) to where I would like to be.
“Magic is the energy, the spark, and also the mystery. Magic is prayer and ritual. For many, magic is a religion and a spiritual practice. It is a timeless art and has been with us since the dawn of humanity. It has the ability to change and alter a course of events using unseen forces… magic can help you tap into your personal potential and amplify it… intention is what matters most along with the willingness to make and create change, and the desire to work toward what it is that you hope to manifest.”
- Nicole Privirott, author of “Color, Form, and Magic”
When I practice “magic” it is much the same as how I grew up praying in the Episcopalian church. In fact, it’s basically the same except for these days I have a slightly different approach to religion and God (maybe I’ll share more on that at another time).
I get very quiet and centered. Or, at least I try to. I am still a very anxious and distractable human being, so I do the best I can.
I bring my intention to the great creator, to God, to Spirit, to the interconnectedness of all beings (choose what word resonates most with you) and I set an intention. It is important that when building my intention I am very clear on what it is that I want and what my priorities are. Then through “spell work” that is done within the container of a ritual (which could be a prayer I write out or say silently in my heart or through a piece I create, like a vest), I send that intention out into the world/the universe, which then channels energy toward achieving that goal. And then it is up to me to actively work toward achieving my goal. It’s not enough to just to say I want something: like for there to be peace in the world and greater respect for human life, or that I intend to love myself more, or that my goal is to achieve a certain level of abundance but then think that it will just “magically” happen. I have to also put in work towards making the thing come about.
“The universe can only do so much without you also meeting it in the middle”(Privirott).
Is putting my intention out there helping me on some cosmic level? I am honestly not totally sure, but what I do know is that it helps me get very clear on what it is I want, what my goals are, and the empowerment required to pursue it. And if I end up not actually pursuing it, that’s a pretty clear message that my intention wasn’t totally in alignment with what I really wanted to do or have. So then we go back to the cutting table and we try, and try again.
And that’s it. That’s what I mean by “magic”. It’s the mystical and enchanting parts of life that can be used as tools for manifestation — which is a word I use sparingly, its overuse and washed-down version gets mixed up with “magical thinking” and ends up just being “wishful thinking” tied up with denial and avoidance.
Does it work?
Well, maybe. I have had my own experience of these things working and have seen it pan out in the lives of my friends, so I believe in it. I believe there is something really incredible and potent in the power of prayer, spells, ritual, and yes, magic.
There are lots of resources out there that expand on these ideas. If you’d like to dig deeper, here are some resources you might like:
Books
(these are affiliate links)
Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom by John O’Donohue
The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief by Francis Weller
The Scent of Lemon and Rosemary: Working Domestic Magick With Hestia by Raechel Henderson
Color, Form, and Magic: Use the Power of Aesthetics for Creative and Magical Work by Nicole Pivirotto
Journal of Radical Permission: A Daily Guide for Following Your Soul's Calling by Adrienne Marie Brown and Sonya Renee Taylor
Podcasts
Moonbeaming (especially the latest two episodes on Magical Thinking)
Instagram Accounts
Thank you for being here and for sharing your light and magic with the world!
xoxo
Justice