10 Days of Reflection: Defining Magic and Witchcraft
Day seven: "How does your definition of magic influence the way you practice it?" @pathandpractice
The more my definition evolves, the more my practice changes. I still do spells and sigils and hexes and all that, but the more I develop, the less stuff I do. Now I only do those things to amplify my magic for an extra oompf.
Over the past two years, I've been journaling and writing like crazy. I've been experimenting with a Black Book (I recommend Aiden Wachter's book, Weaving Fate). I've found that writing is my most potent and essential form of magic. Even simply expressing myself in my personal BOS and diaries, I've noticed changes. I've now left the Black Book for the more massive life changes and milestones. Which I find really interesting, because one of my deities told me a long time ago to write more, and I now dedicate my craft to them.
If you go back and read [https://www.tumblr.com/a-page-of-cups-tarot/800874370295840768/10-days-of-reflection-defining-magic-and?source=share|day one], I discussed how I view magic as a natural part of cycles. The craft, to me, is about symbiotically harnessing those cycles and recognizing them as a type of relationship. I ensure that my practice is a give-and-take. Spirits and energies will use me just as much as I use them, so maintaining a respectful relationship with them (and ensuring I'm also respected) is crucial. This was a challenging concept to grasp at first. I know I often revisit my old beliefs. But, as a fundamentalist, Genesis 1:26 was used to validate conquering and bending creation to man's will. That since man is higher than nature itself, in a way, we're like mini gods to do whatever we want with all of creation. So learning how to stop controlling the flow of magic and letting it do what it's naturally intended for was hard. It was also a hard lesson to understand that I'm a part of nature too, and just as filled with magic as the herbs, plants, and spirits I was encountering, and that I didn't need to be above nature to practice. Perfectionism was something I struggled with (and still do tbh) because being sinful and imperfect was inherent. I felt like I needed to be perfect at witchcraft. If I didn't have the perfect herb, or sigil, or method, then I wasn't doing anything worthwhile. It wasn't until I accepted that I'm only human and fall into natural human cycles (not sins) that I was able to evolve my magic into what it is today. I had to learn that I was powerful, but also that the idea of where power comes from (being perfect) was wrong, and I was no bigger or better than the bugs and worms that would one day eat me when I pass.