Okay, so I'm very into reading as much as I can when learning about something (such as witchcraft). Grasping the fundamentals of that thing, knowing the history of it, making my own notes on what I'm interested in, etc.... Trust me, I live for that stuff- sometimes I'm so absorbed in theory, that I forget to actively practice or...do things. I often need something to happen/change before I remember to pay attention to what I feel and sense. Which is what happened this morning.
Around 7 a.m two local ravens were sitting in my yard as I was drinking coffee at the window, and I felt compelled to go out there to watch them (even more than I usually do 😂). After pulling The Fool as my card of the day, I finished my coffee and decided to let my instincts guide me. My feet urged me on to follow their croaks and calls around the neighborhood. As I was walking, one began to fly overhead, and it lead me to where it nests in a nearby expanse of field and pine trees. I watched it do it's thing before leaving something shiny for it, and scavenging for anything that might have stood out to me. After about two hours, my offering was gone, and I'd found five bones, two coins, and a feather. I also covered a TON of walking distance, identified numerous types of trees, saw at least 14 hares, 2 magpies, a couple more ravens, and discovered where all the best moss grows in that area. Essentially, I walked in a giant circle, and everywhere I went from the moment I left the house to the moment I returned, there were ravens nearby, flying, croaking, or sitting in the direction I walked. The space felt like home- and also kind of secret, special, magical, even though the occasional person could be seen on the bike path. One spot in particular felt like the perfect place to do outdoor magic, it was so warm and welcoming. I know I'll be back on warmer days when no one else is out and about.
My point is, instead of constantly planning, reading and contemplating, it's also good to let inspiration and intuition pull you along. It's obvious, and repeated constantly, but part of learning really is about applying that knowledge into practice, and experimenting for yourself. Even if it's not what some people consider "productive" magic or "magic with a purpose", experience can still be gained, and connections are still made when you put time aside to just experience things. You don't always have to be performing a ritual or cleansing, or casting a spell in order to be practicing your craft. Sometimes you've got to take a step back, and let things flourish or occur naturally. Like noticing that the dark green color of the sweater you wear 3-4 times a week, is actually significant to what you've been feeling and needing recently. Or, perhaps you need to say the little rhyme that's stuck in your head out loud before you realize it's a perfect chant for a spell you've been planning. Maybe you don't understand just how important your natural surroundings are to you/your craft, until you're already out there interacting with it.
Oftentimes, magic will find you, and pull you into it's deep pine and black wings, (or whatever your jam is), and reveal itself in the plain of day- you just have to remember to let it.
