The Stacks

Note: This blog post is based on the transcript of my YouTube video.

Before working with magic, it’s helpful to have a basic understanding of what magic is and why it works the way it does. Of course, there is no one answer to these questions, but I’ve tried to draw information from a few different sources and present some of the different theories of magic.

A good place to start is by establishing a definition of what we mean when we say “magic” in a witchcraft context.

Aleister Crowley was a racist asshole, but he was an influential racist asshole. His definition of magic was: “the science and art of causing change to occur in conformance with will.” This is still a very popular way of understanding magic among witches today.

A more modern and accessible version of this idea can be found in the book Green Witchcraft by Paige Vanderbeck: “Magic is the art of creating change in ourselves and in our lives through acts of intention and a spiritual connection with all things natural and supernatural.”

Later in the same book, Vanderbeck says: “If you paid attention in science class, you know that everything in existence is made of energy and that it can never be truly created or destroyed, only recycled. When you use magic, you are directing the re-formation, or recycling, of available energy for a specific purpose.”

I really like this definition, and I feel like it’s a great modern take on Crowley’s ideas.

In her book Wicca for Beginners, Thea Sabin says: “Magic, like psychic ability, depends on knowledge of the patterns of the cosmos. But where using psychic ability means attuning to and understanding those patterns, magic means bending or working with them to bring about desired change. The philosophy of magic goes back again to the idea that everything is infused with the divine. If all things contain some divine energy, we can tap into that energy to affect things that seem-to the regular five senses, anyway-to have no connection to us.”

A lot of people who believe in magic think of it as a way of manipulating the energy that makes up the universe. Magic doesn’t create something out of nothing or break the laws of physics — it only directs the energy that is already there.

If you’re going by this definition, magic is very similar to the Law of Attraction, which is the belief that you attract what you give your energy and focus to. This idea was first introduced by Helena Blavatsky, founder of the Theosophy movement, in 1877. The Law of Attraction is all about aligning your mindset with the things you want to attract.

You could also view magic from a psychological standpoint as a form of self-programming. By changing your mindset and thought patterns, you program yourself to seek out the things you want to manifest. This is a more grounded, “realistic” way to think about magic for those who aren’t sold on the idea of intangible spiritual energy.

In the book Owning Your Own Shadow, Jungian psychoanalyst Robert A. Johnson says, “It is possible to live one’s ideals, do one’s best, be courteous, do well at work, and live a decent civilized life if we ritually acknowledge this other dimension of reality. The unconscious cannot tell the difference between a ‘real’ act and a symbolic one.”

So basically, in order to create change within ourselves, we can use a ritual or spell to create an event in our memory that strengthens our mental pathways around certain concepts or desires.

Scientists have proved that imagination uses the same neurological pathways we use when we do something for real, and that visualization is an extremely powerful tool. So powerful, in fact, that visualization and meditation are sometimes prescribed by doctors to supplement cancer treatments.

Personally, I don’t think we necessarily have to choose one definition or the other. I think both explanations make sense and can exist together.

The way that people “do” magic is through rituals, aka spells. These rituals vary from one tradition to the next, and can be elaborate or simple. Any time you perform a set of intentional actions with the goal of creating change in a seemingly unrelated area, that’s a spell whether you choose to call it one or not.

Most people who don’t believe in magic don’t realize that they literally use it every day. Lighting a prayer candle and asking a saint to help you with something is magic. Making a vision board is magic. Making a wish when you blow out the candles on your birthday cake is magic. You’ve already been doing magic your whole life.

If you want to start working your magic, you need to start by becoming more aware of your own energy and the energy around you. For this reason, I highly, highly recommend that baby witches start their spiritual journey by establishing a meditation practice. Having that inner state of peace and harmony that you can always come back to is so important in any spiritual path, but especially in one as active as witchcraft.

Resources:

Green Witchcraft by Paige Vanderbeck

Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin

Practical Law of Attraction by Victoria Gallagher (not explicitly mentioned but I did use it as a reference!)

Owning Your Own Shadow by Robert A. Johnson

Imagination Uses the Same Neural Pathways as Real Action

Visualization in Cancer Treatment

Baby Witch Bootcamp began as a series of informational videos on my YouTube channel. This series is my attempt to meet a need for free, accessible, and well-researched information about witchcraft and other forms of magic. My background is in journalism, and this is the approach that I take with this series — I try to be as transparent as possible about where I get my information, and each episode is always accompanied by a complete list of sources. I also try to keep this series as objective as possible — my goal is not to convince you to practice witchcraft a certain way, but to provide you with the tools and resources you need to create a magical practice that fits your own beliefs, values, and spiritual needs.

This was shared on a Covid survivor group…have heard many of these before but it seems helpful: HOW TO FIGHT COVID AT HOME when you are not hospitalized.

“When the nurse came in to discharge me, I asked her, What can I do to help fight this at home? She said:

1. Sleep on your stomach at all times with Covid. If you can’t sleep on your stomach because of health issues sleep on your side. Do not lie on your back no matter what because it smashes your lungs and that will allow fluid to set in.

2. Set your clock every two hours while sleeping on your stomach, then get out of bed and walk for 15-30 min, no matter how tired or weak that you are. Also move your arms around frequently, it helps to open your lungs. Breathe in thru your nose, and out thru your mouth. This will help build up your lungs, plus help get rid of the Pneumonia or other fluid you may have.

2. When sitting in a recliner, sit up straight - do not lie back in the recliner, again this will smash your lungs. 

3. While watching TV - get up and walk during every commercial.

4. Eat at least 1 - 2 eggs a day, plus bananas, avocado and asparagus. These are good for Potassium. 

5. Do not drink anything cold -  have it at room temperature or warm it up. Drink Pedialyte, Gatorade Zero, Powerade Zero & Water with Electrolytes to prevent you from becoming dehydrated. Water with lemon, and little honey, peppermint tea, apple cider are good suggestions for getting in fluids. No milk products, or pork. (as a singer I know milk products produce phlegm and always advised my students to have none for 3 days before a performance)

6. Vitamins D3, C, B, Zinc, Probiotic One-Day are good ideas. Tylenol for fever. Mucinex, or Mucinex DM for drainage, plus helps the cough. Pepcid helps for cramps in your legs. One baby aspirin everyday can help prevent getting a blood clot, which can occur from low activity. 

7. Drink a smoothie of blueberries, strawberries, bananas, honey, tea and a spoon or two of peanut butter. 

We always hear of how Covid takes lives, but there isn’t a lot of information out there regarding how to fight Covid when you are not critical. I hope this helps you or someone you know, just as it has helped me.”

(Wow, @thetimetostrikeislater  wish you’d had this info when you were ill)

- Laying on your back isn’t dangerous but lying on your belly or side is definitely better for keeping things moving and helping with the shortness of breath; we “prone” patients (put them on their belly) when they are on the ventilator if possible because we’ve found it helps but they still spend a lot of time on their back too. Sleeping in general is more important than the position you’re sleeping in

- Add melatonin to those daily meds - it’s associated recently with improvement in preventing spread and healing. Some people also use elderberry which may or may not help, but it’s got about as much evidence as some of those others do

- More important than the temperature of the fluids you drink is that you drink a lot of them, and have food that is easy to eat/prepare. Being hydrated and fed is more important than avoiding specific things. 

I am a child of Athena. I will fight for science over fiction.

I am a child of Ares. I will fight for those who cannot fight themselves.

I am a child of Hera. I will fight for those who cannot fight for the children at the border. Taken from their homes and families.

I am a child of Apollo. I will fight for healthcare for all.

I am a child of Artemis. I will fight for the women who can’t fight for themselves.

I am a child of Hestia. I will fight for a woman’s right to choose.

I am a child of Selene. I help light a path for others in the darkest hours.

I am a child of Gaia. I will fight for our earth.

I am a child of Eos. I will fight for the dawn of a new day.

5. Walk with your keys in your hands and keep a key between each finger

6. If they put you in the trunk kick out the headlights

E.g.

If your gut is telling you to cross the street or change your path, do it. Don’t risk it. Your body knows.

If you can, buy a large umbrella and walk holding it. Studies say that predators are less likely to attempt an attack on someone that could fight back. Keys around your knuckles is fine but you’ll need to get very close to do damage. Umbrellas are more precise.

Avoid wearing headphones if you are alone on an empty street. Look aware.

Again: Stay. Away. From. Walls.

Entering an uber alone? Call your father (or anyone you trust) and say “hey dad! Yep, I’m almost there, I’m sending you the route.” outloud. Then proceed to send them the route so they can follow the uber drive. This will most likely intimidate the predator.

If you see someone in an uncomfortable or possibly dangerous situation, walk up to them and say “Betty, oh my god, I haven’t seen you in so long!”. If she gets slightly confused, you can whisper and let her know you’re trying to help and that she should follow along. Walk together to another station or away from where you are. The man will most likely not follow. I have done this one 2 times and can be very helpful.

If you are unsure she needs help, you can pass her a note saying something like “hey, I noticed this man beside you is making you uncomfortable. If you’d like help, fake a sneeze right now and I will come up to you and pretend we are friends.” This is a long note, but its an example. Be discrete. If she follows along, proceed with the previous tip. This is helpful when you’re in a crowded train and you notice harassment.

avoid sitting in your car fumbling with belongings LOCK YOUR CAR DOORS

i also wear my hair in a bun when i’m going for a run or skate alone so my hair is harder to get a hold of

Oil Paintings By David Ambarzumjan

I repeated the experiment later, wearing the boots but otherwise my usual clothing and mimicking the expression I thought I’d had at that moment. People parted like I was Charlton Heston.

I now wear that style of boots whenever possible. I recently had a man do a double-take as I walked by and ask me, politely, where I had served because I “looked like a soldier.” I’m not current or former military. I was wearing a flowy purple peasant top and looked as un-soldierlike as possible.

Wheel like you’re gonna win the Indy 500 and don’t care how.

Your crutches are short swords; walk like you can see them buried in the bodies of anyone who crosses (in front of) you.

“We’re vampires. We don’t put down towels.”