Here’s what you missed last week…
the witches told us about their discoveries
Inside: A discussion about our latest Live Chat describing spell results, and what we learned from the Lion’s Gate spell on Lughnasadh. Note: there’s some extra little morsels and thoughts in the voice over this week which is why it’s a bit longer than the email. xo
Here’s what you missed last week…
Last week we had our Mystery Cult Live Chat, a monthly opportunity for subscribers to connect with each other, get support in their witchcraft practice, discuss what works and what doesn’t, where we’re getting stuck, commiserate, share, celebrate each other, and connect with our “why” (as in: why do witchcraft in the first place?).
This time, we were focusing on the results of our Lion’s Gate Spell, and sharing what we learned in the process of completing it. Part of the spell was to review the results 8 days, 8 weeks, and 8 months after the spell to measure their progress. This is our 8-Week Review.
Spell Results:
A witch who was worried about finding a new job just got a great new job offer!
Another witch who was working on claiming their spiritual wisdom is remembering their dreams much more, which helps them feel confident in their intuition. Spirit is speaking through their dreams, saying, “Now that we know you’re listening, there’s so much we want to say to you!”
A witch petitioning for the success of her artwork got a painting in a major museum! (see the painting above!)
During the spell, one witch sacrificed their fear of being seen (i.e. insecurity, self-doubt, and feeling like they’re “not allowed” to perform), as a result she had an opportunity to dance on stage, took it, and had so much fun! Yay!
Another witch who normally isn’t completely “out” about her witchcraft for fear of judgement “blurted out” that she was in a witchcraft class to a co-worker over dinner and his wife replied that she is also a witch and has a coven! Her risk was rewarded with witch community!
A witch who did the Lion’s Gate spell to release her anger has begun to release her expectations of others, which she’s said has led her to a place of calmness and control.
A witch who lives in a small city apartment felt encouraged to go outside, make their own space in a park and savor the morning and evening light. She used a star gazer app (SkyView Lite - free) to look at Sirius and enjoyed positioning her altar to align with the star. We want to try that next time!
Another witch has transitioned from working in criminal justice to being a healer! Way to go, witch! We love and support you!
What We Learned About Practicing Magic…
Sharing the results of our magical workings can help us feel way more connected, and confident in our practice. On the Live Chat last week, the main challenges we’ve been experiencing in our witch practice were…
Trouble Following Through On Our Spells
One of the main difficulties subscribers spoke of was losing momentum and follow through while doing their spells. For example:
getting distracted during a spell or ceremony and never feeling as focused as they want to be
getting super inspired during a ceremony, but then having difficulty following through by bringing the rituals into their daily practice
losing a connection to the magic and feeling like they’re not “doing it the right way”
Other challenges included worry about not using the right ingredients (substituting cinnamon for rosemary for example), or forgetting to burn their candle, or find Sirius the dog star in the sky and worrying that would mess up their spell.
In response to the challenges listed above, the group brought this wisdom…
First of all, we noticed that because of the dominant culture (white supremacy, patriarchy, capitalism, etc.) we feel urgency and are constantly rushing and pushing everything, including our magical practices. But we reminded ourselves that, we’re practicing witchcraft IN ORDER TO find the strength and confidence to resist such imperatives.
One witch said that when she disassociates, she tries to find microscopic ways to fit in the work, like lighting a candle just to stay connected to spirit, or opening a door to let in the sunlight, wind and air.
Other strategies to bring magic into everyday life in manageable ways include: swirling some incense around with a feather, smelling herbs, playing favorite chants on Spotify.
Your magical practice doesn’t have to take hours!
Another witch suggested integrating witchcraft with other things like pulling a card on a hike or doing a ritual activity from our monthly Witch Guide while out for a bike ride. (See photo above!)
Sarah J. recommended a cookbook, Divine Your Dinner, which has meal recipes for each tarot card. She makes a meal for her weekly card pull as a way of keeping her practice vital.
Overall, the main solution to the problem of struggling to maintain consistency is to remember: witchcraft is a practice.
We aren’t doing it just to get cool new stuff, we’re doing it as a way to stay connected to the beauty of life, and participate in the process of re-enchanting the world. If that were easy, we wouldn’t have to practice witchcraft at all!
Witchcraft is always calling us back to eros, the pleasure of the present moment, and to the joy of connection with the more-than-human world.
Witchcraft is “un-fuckup-able” (as one of my somatics teachers Staci K. Haines says).
When we encounter challenges in our practice, it’s just pointing to places where we *get to* show up for ourselves with greater compassion and care; focus our practice; and find more pleasure in our workings, until, like one subscriber said…
…we find making witchcraft a part of our daily life as easy and automatic as making your morning cup of coffee. (No one has to remind us to do THAT, right? lol!)
Reminders:
Our next live chat is on Tuesday, 11/7/23, 12:30pm PT. We’ll be talking about Samhain and ancestral magic, with an AMA.
Other upcoming events are:
Saturday, 10/14/23: New Moon in Libra [No Witch Guide Download today, I’ve decided to switch the Witch Guides to the beginning of the astro season, but you’ll get ritual instructions for the New Moon instead and your Witch Guide will come out on ].
Tuesday, 10/17/23, 6pm PT: Reading Group. We’ll be reading Apocalyptic Witchcraft by Peter Grey — which I highly recommend you buy, because the whole book is great. But I will work on getting you a pdf ASAP.
Monday, 10/23/23: Witch Guide download for Scorpio Season available.
Wednesday, 10/25/23, 6pm PT: Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Taurus Ritual. We’ll be doing ancestral Samhain practices.
Tuesday, 10/31/23 Samhain. Founders Candle Blessing. Please send in your petitions to clear ancestral wounds or ask for ancestral blessings (for Founders only). 40 words or less to guardian@oracleoflosangeles.com