The Practice of Magic: Why Bother? Here's Why!

Maybe you have a busy, rewarding life with a great relationship and all the money you could want, so why bother with the practice of magic? Magic isn't just about manifesting the things you want in life, it is also about spiritual development, evolving as a human being, and making the most of your time on the planet during this lifetime. The practice of magic can bring you closer to spiritual influences, help you understand yourself better, give you ways to change those things you want to change and be in control of the various archetypes that rule you. The practice of magic is an introduction to a way of living in consciousness rather than rushing through our lives unaware. Here are a few more specific reasons from the first book in our Witchcraft Spell Books Kindle book series, entitled LEARN HOW TO DO WITCHCRAFT RITUALS AND SPELLS WITH YOUR BARE HANDS, to take up the practice of magic.

1. Most people are wrapped up in their To Do lists and everyday mundane tasks. In a sense they are like robots plodding through their days running from one "have to do" to another. The practice of magic can help break us out of robot-mode giving us a way to pause in the day and come from a place of consciousness. This allows us to become aware of who we are, where we are and what our aims are. Consciously performing spells and rituals prevent us from going through life in a purely mechanical state.

2. The practice of magic allows us to stay connected to Spirit which is essential to attracting what we really want in life. Taking the time to quiet the mind, perform daily rituals or get in touch with physical sensation brings us into contact with Spirit. The practice of magic gives us the opportunity to be conscious of all this and take the time to make it a priority in our lives.

3. Becoming a co-creator with the Universe in manifesting what we want in life is another benefit of the practice of magic. We also learn how to connect with and work with higher powers and beings to get help with anything we want help with.

4. When we go through life in the robot state, we tend to be in reactionary mode. That means we are not choosing our thoughts and actions, rather just reacting to stimuli around us. The practice of magic can help keep us on a path of conscious choice and remind us what we really want in life.

5. One benefit I find in the practice of magic is that it helps me be better in understanding and dealing with people. Being versed in the characteristics of the 4 elements, I am able to ascertain which elements a person is exhibiting and which elements I can employ to interact with them for mutual benefit. For example, if I am dealing with an angry person, I know they are high in the fire element. By using a tone of voice full of earth tones, I can damp out the person's fire so that we can now have a rational discussion and find solutions instead of standing around yelling at each other.

These are just a few reasons I can see to engage in the practice of magic. We'd love to hear some of yours. Leave a comment below or on our Facebook page or Tweet us on Twitter and let the magic begin!

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Daily Magic Rituals: Check Your Magical Forecast

Most of us begin our mornings with a cup of coffee or tea, and a quick look at the weather forecast. The weather forecast helps us know how to dress and plan our day.

Since we check the weather forecast on a daily basis, doesn't it make sense to also check our magical forecast for the day as part of our daily magic rituals? Isn't it just as important to know whether the day will be filled with magical assistance as it is to know whether it will rain? For instance, if you know ahead of time that communications will be strained during the day, you can take magical action. You can wear white (the color of communication), hire communication angels, or use your pendulum to "clear the air."

There are many different ways to check your daily magical forecast, so choose one or two with which you are most comfortable. Some of our favorites include:

1. Medicine Cards - pull a card each day and read the meaning and significance in the accompanying book.

2. Runes - select a rune from the bag each day and look up its meaning.

3. Pick a Word - flip a book or magazine open to a random page and point to a word without looking at the page. This word is a single-word forecast for your day.

There are so many different daily magical rituals you could use to forecast your day, in a magical sense. Check out our online store for runes, cards,  and other forms of divinatory tools.

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Life Going Too Fast? 3 Ways to Slow it Down

Is life going too fast and you need to slow it down? In this year of Magic 2012, many people are experiencing this. On top of regular quick paced routines and daily life responsibilities, many are finding time speeding by this year. If you are finding life going too fast, there are ways to magically slow it down.

3 Ways to Slow it Down
1. Cortothalamic Pause
The Cortothalamic Pause is a way to stretch time by creating a bridge between the thalamus (part of the forebrain) and the cortex allowing us to move from reaction to reason. At the thalamic level you can check your reaction to see how you feel about a situation or interaction, then take that information to the cortex level to reason out the best response.

It takes some practice to become proficient at using the Cortothalamic Pause. You will know you have it down when you feel an actual separation from physical time. Here are the steps to practice:

• To start, pick a small thing that is not something you have a passion for. Don't start with something you know is a pet peeve or "touchy" subject for you.
   
• When someone asks you a question or asks you to do something – STOP. Do not respond right away. Shut your mouth and calm everything inside you as much as you can. This part obviously takes practice too.
   
• Wait 2-3 seconds and don't let your mind race ahead thinking of all the things you could say in response. Just absorb the question and stay quiet.
   
• Take a deep breath and now respond to the question.

Practice these steps several times a day. The more you practice, the better you will get at using this technique to slow it down when life is going too fast.

2. Do An Act of Power
Any intentional act is a magical act as well as an act of power. Any act of power restores personal power and grounds you in your life. Being grounded in life puts you in control and feels less chaotic. When we are in control of our lives, grounded and putting aside chaos, our lives are less hectic. Doing an act of power allows us to slow it down. Here are the steps to performing an act of power.

• Choose a simple act and decide when you will do this act.
  It does need to be a simple act and you do need to specify the time you will do it because a complicated act could be interrupted and a non-specific time nullifies the act of power. An example is to decide you will get up from your desk at noon, go to the kitchen and drink a glass of water. An even simpler one would be that at noon you are going to draw an X on a piece of paper. It doesn't matter what the act is as long as it would be easily accomplished without interruption. 
• When the time you specified comes to do your act of power, do it.
  Let nothing interrupt you before you complete your act. That is why it is important to pick something in the first step that you know you will be able to accomplish in your individual circumstance.
• When your act of power is complete, take a moment to review the act and the fact that you have completed the act. This moment of "appreciation" will help you gain all the power you can from your magic ritual.

You can do this several times a day to increase the anchoring in your life and thus slow it down.

3. Start Your Day Over With the Day Greetings
You can re-start your day at any time and as many times as you need by doing the Day Greeting ritual to the 4 directions, Sky Father and Earth Mother. If you are not familiar with how to do Day Greetings, you can find the directions HERE.

If your life is really going too fast you can use all three of these techniques to help slow it down. After a little practice you will find they are easy to do and will really pay off for you.


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What Kind of Magic Are You Looking For -- Quick Fix or Lasting Change?

To me, magic comes in two classes: the quick fix and lasting change. The same is true of the people who seek magic. There are those who want magic spells and rituals to produce a quick fix in their lives, and there are those who want a spiritual path that is focused on true conscious development and lasting change in this lifetime and others.

Both Kinds of Magic are Valid
There's nothing wrong with either kind of seeker, or either kind of magic. Both kinds are perfectly valid. It's just good to be clear about what kind of magic you seek.

If you're into the quick fix, then you just need to find a good set of simple magic rituals that you can use on an everyday basis to fix life "accidents" and solve some smaller life problems. These rituals and spells are easy to learn, simple to use, and will stand you in good stead on a regular basis. They also don't require that much of you, in terms of your time, attention, or dedication. You can use these rituals when you need them, and put them on a shelf when you don't.

On the other hand, if you have looked at your life and realized that you keep repeating the same mistakes over and over, or that you keep attracting the same kinds of situations again and again, your Spirit may be calling you to a different path. This is especially true if you are, as they say, "sick and tired of being sick and tired." Smaller magical rituals may help alleviate the situation on a daily basis, but don't ever get to the root of the problem. If this is the case, then you are quite possibly being called to be a serious magical seeker and seer.

There's Always Time
The good news is that regardless of whether you fall into the quick fix or the serious seeker category, there's always time to explore both options, in this lifetime and in coming lifetimes. Myself, I've come to the conclusion that I am no longer interested in repetition. I don't want to make the same mistakes I've made in this lifetime again, either later in this same lifetime or in future lifetimes.

In truth, that's why I teach these courses, especially the more advanced teleconference classes like Psychic Development and Basic Magic. These kinds of classes definitely help the spiritual seeker grow in consciousness and magical ability, but they also keep me connected with the magic that helps me develop on my own Spirit path.

If you fall into the camp of the serious spiritual seeker, I invite you to learn more about Basic Magic. I welcome you to a deeper exploration of the magical worlds!

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What to Do If You Need Magic and You Need It Now

With current life conditions, people are desperately looking for magical solutions to immediate life problems. In the words of one person, "I need magic, and I need it now! My life is falling apart by the day. What do I do? Just tell me."

No bird. That's word for word a quote from an email I recently received from a buddy of mine who knew I practiced magic. He knew he needed some supernatural help so he contacted me. A lot of people need magical help right now, which is great because it increases the amount of magic being practiced in the world.

So how does someone like my buddy, who knows very little about magic, get the magical help he needs ... right now?

The Magic Ritual of Getting Grounded
Recently I've been ranting about how doing very simple daily magic rituals is one of the keys to weathering the ups-and-downs of the current world change. You could almost just pick a magic ritual, any ritual, and as long as you did it consistently and faithfully, you'd get results. That's because there is a lot of magical energy up for grabs right now (there always is during a world change) so almost any magical ritual produces results.

But the more I think about it, the more I believe that grounding rituals are going to be very effective during this time. Any magic ritual that grounds you, and connects you with the element Earth, will help you weather the storm.

Now why is this? Because there's already a lot of Air, Fire, and Water energies zinging around, and these combined energies can often lead to fear, reactivity, negativity, and other junky emotions. Magically, these three elements represent the following:

Air = thinking, planning, communication. In a highly-charged situation, this could lead to arguments, negative thoughts, or plans for revenge.

Fire = movement, action, desire, will. If you are stressed, increasing your Fire energy by doing a Fire-based magic ritual could lead to road rage, frenetic but useless action, or a fist-fight.

Water = emotions, feelings. If you already feel down about your situation, doing a magic ritual that is too watery can make you feel even bluer, and trigger negative emotions.

The Importance of Earth-based Magic Rituals
That's why using magic rituals that connect you with the Earth element, which is grounding and stabilizing, is so important during these times. Earth reminds us that we are human "beings" and not human "doings" since one of the characteristics of the Earth element is "serenity of beingness."

So if you need some magic, right now, to start stabilizing your life, try this grounding magic ritual, called Rooting. With it, you can literally dump all your negative emotions and thoughts, as well as stabilize your sense of self. As a bonus, this ritual can be done just about anytime, anywhere, as long as you are still. It's not an obvious ritual, so you can do it at your desk, during a board meeting, or sitting on your couch. It's simple, it works, and it's convenient. How much better could you get when it comes to a good magic ritual?

How to Ground Yourself Magically with Rooting
Rooting is great technique for flowing earth energies deep into the ground, releasing excess energies of any kind, pulling earth energies into the body and mineralizing the body.

• Place your palms or heels on the ground. These are the parts of your body from which you will extend "roots."
• Extend your roots out of your body, through the carpet or tile, into the sub floor and down into the earth. Just imagine or "see" roots growing from your palms or heels and reaching into the earth. If you are in a multi-level building, you will need to go through each level until you reach the earth. If you are wearing shoes with thick soles, you may have to extend the roots out the sides of your shoes to avoid the soles.
• Once your roots reach the earth, keep extending them down through the topsoil and deeper layers until you reach bedrock. You will feel the bedrock as a more solid sensation than burrowing through the soil.
• When you reach bedrock, dig your roots in and lock them in.
• With each exhalation, push excess tension, anger, frustration, sadness, distraction, or other unwanted energies through your roots into the bedrock. The Earth will easily accept these energies.
• With every inhale, pull up minerals and energies from the earth for stability and balance.
• Once you feel relaxed and nourished, pull your roots back up into your body. Just see the roots retracting and going back into your body. If you stand up without pulling in your roots, you'll feel a slight "popping" sensation and your body might be sore for a few days.
• This is a very simple but highly useful magic ritual during times like these. I suggest doing this ritual at least once per day to relieve daily tension and negativity.

Learn more useful magic daily rituals with our Daily Rituals ebook or by studying the four elements of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth in more depth with ebooks on each of these elements.

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Magic is a Pain in the Butt or a Habit

When you were little, you may have thought that brushing your teeth several times a day was a pain in the tookus, but no doubt some adult in your life made you do it (hopefully!). After a while, the act of brushing your teeth simply became an accepted part of your life, and you probably brush your teeth these days without bellyaching or complaining. After all, who's going to listen to you, right?

The practice of magic, in the beginning, is the same way. It's a pain in the butt. Remembering to do some daily magical ritual EVERYDAY can seem really difficult. This is especially true if you are really going for the gold and focusing on doing daily magical rituals every day for 40 days ... starting over whenever you miss a day. Yup, that's right. For truly consistent magical practice, you do a chosen ritual every single day for 40 days in a row. If you forget on day 38, you start over again on day 1. Now is that a pain in the butt or what?

It is. It's just like brushing your teeth. And like the practice of brushing your teeth, the practice of magic yields positive results when performed on a very consistent basis. You don't floss every other tooth and expect a good checkup from your dentist, do you? Well, then don't plan on doing a magical practice on average every other day and expecting good results. It just ain't gonna happen! Luckily, once you get into the groove, you don't need to visit an expert to see the good results. Magical occurrences will begin to happen and you will be motivated to keep going with your practice!



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How to Avoid Getting Run Over by a Beer Truck

If you haven't noticed already, 2012 is a year of STRONG contrast! Some manifestations occur with amazing ease. On the other hand, there is a lot more resistance, which pops up everywhere--from the grocery checkout line to getting a permit you really need for your business. Like we said, contrast.

<><> What This Means Magically <><>
From a magical point of view, it means that both the Law of Accident and the Law of Intention are operating with equal intensity on the planet during the year. That's good and bad news.

With the Law of Intention operating strongly, your desires will tend to manifest faster ... and more easily.

With the Law of Accident operating intensely, you are subject to weird "accidents" occurring in your life whenever your intention isn't specifically focused.

The year 2012 is like a magical catch-22.

<><> What to Do About the Magical Catch-22 <><>
To successfully navigate these two major forces operating on Earth right now, the first step is to clearly define your intentions. Dedicate as much attention as you can to these intentions, avoiding negative emotions and thoughts at all costs.

But you also have to cover yourself since you aren't likely to be a perfect angel all the time. You will have moments of negative emotion, unproductive thoughts, and full blown temper tantrums. These are the times when you are most vulnerable to the Law of Accident. That is when the beer truck comes unseen around the corner and turns your car into a road pancake. Whoops! Accident.

So magically you need to take steps to protect yourself from the Law of Accident. Here are two steps that can easily do just that.

1. Wear a Psychic Shield: The seven-pointed Faery Star pendant, hung on a silver chain around your neck makes an excellent protector. The Faery Star has circling energy that never ceases, and, once keyed to your energies, puts a psychic shield around you--repelling beer trucks and other unwanted accidents! Read more about the Psychic Shield HERE. http://www.shamanschool.com/resources/articles/faerystar.html

2. Be Curious Rather Than React: When a moment of resistance pops up in your life, stop yourself before you react negatively. Instead, become very curious about the event. Say to yourself, "I wonder that this means?" Assume a child-like sense of innocent wonder. The state of wonder makes you "invisible" to the Law of Accident ... not to mention helps you rack up karmic brownie points!

3. Practice Daily Magical Rituals: Magic rituals move us out of ordinary time and space ... and thus out of the way of unexpected beer trucks. Done daily, magic rituals help us develop strong relationships with higher beings and powers, who tend to "look out" for us. Check out the Daily Rituals ebook for ideas. http://bit.ly/xOeais

Under the Law of Accident, bad things happen to good people ... and good things happen to bad people. It's just a toss up. But under the higher Law of Intention, events happen that we choose. Much more enjoyable, don't you think?



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Daily Magic Rituals: Check Your Magical Forecast

Most of us begin our mornings with a cup of coffee or tea, and a quick look at the weather forecast. The weather forecast helps us know how to dress and plan our day.

Since we check the weather forecast on a daily basis, doesn't it make sense to also check our magical forecast for the day as part of our daily magic rituals? Isn't it just as important to know whether the day will be filled with magical assistance as it is to know whether it will rain? For instance, if you know ahead of time that communications will be strained during the day, you can take magical action. You can wear white (the color of communication), hire communication angels, or use your pendulum to "clear the air."

There are many different ways to check your daily magical forecast, so choose one or two with which you are most comfortable. Some of our favorites include:

1. Medicine Cards - pull a card each day and read the meaning and significance in the accompanying book.

2. Runes - select a rune from the bag each day and look up its meaning.

3. Pick a Word - flip a book or magazine open to a random page and point to a word without looking at the page. This word is a single-word forecast for your day.

There are so many different daily magical rituals you could use to forecast your day, in a magical sense. Check out our online store for runes, books, and other forms of divinatory tools.

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Why Does My Life Suck So Bad?

This is a question that is on the minds of many people, and while I could give you a lot of different magical or shamanic answers, the truth of the matter is that life has always sucked. Most of us just never noticed it.

Most of us have, in the past, been able to repress or ignore our frustrations about life with all kinds of other "stuff." We poured our energies into extreme sports, frantic activities, or obsessions about things that shouldn't matter on a life or death level (Little League parents going nuts comes to mind), so we have always been able to avoid the "suckiness" of our lives.

No more. Welcome to the preamble of 2012, the Dawn of the Age of Aquarius or whatever you want to call it.

2012 is Happening in Us, Really
As we head toward 2012, we've seen some major weather shifts, some man-made catastrophes, and a lot of assorted mumbo-jumbo about what might or might not happen worldwide. But in our conversations with Grandmother (also known as Mother Earth), we've come to realize that 2012 isn't going to be creating as much havoc "out there" as it is "in here," within us.

No actual pole shifts are going to happen on the planet, but a bunch of tiny pole shifts will happen in us as individuals. So what does a pole shift mean to the average human being? It means that we will no longer be able to distract ourselves from the general "suckiness" of life with extreme sports, self-medication, or other worldly goodies.

Instead, we're going to have to face the "stuff" in our lives that really bother us, and resolve those issues. There are lots of ways to do that, magically and shamanically, but at the core of the issue is a simple question:

"What the heck is bugging you?"

If you can't answer this question then 2012 is going to hit you like a ton of bricks. If you can answer this question, then 2012 is going to be a breeze.

What is Heck is Bothering You?
The answer to this question isn't about making a list of all the complaints in your life. It's about drilling down to the fundamental core, the fundamental issue, around which your life has constantly revolved, whether you know it or not.

Can you answer that question? Do you even have a clue?

If not you might try a question circle, a simple magic ritual in which you ask the Winds of the Four Directions for guidance and inspiration.

Get the directions for a question circle here.
Learn more about Daily Magic Rituals here.

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Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrak75/2715382463/

Magic Rituals: The Art of Calling in the Muses

Uninspired action really sucks, and I mean really, really sucks.

Not just because doing something you're not thrilled about is a total bore, but also because it's a useless waste of effort. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about ... that useless head-banging that doesn't net you anything but a headache?

Yeah, that would be because you are working without the magical benefit of muses, our sources of inspiration. Without that kind of inspiration, action is fairly useless. I believe that the metaphysical teaches Abraham said it best:

"Take time to line up the Energy first, and action becomes inconsequential ...if you don't find the feeling place of what you're looking for, not enough action in the world will make any difference."

That's pretty clear, huh? So if you are feeling dull, lackluster, and totally not into what you're doing, just stop. Do a magic ritual to call in the Muses. When they appear, then it's time to spring into action.

A Magic Ritual to Call in the Muses
Muses do exist in the world, and as magical creatures they bring us inspiration. People call them by all kinds of other names--angels, spirit guides, helpers, totems--you name it. But it's not all that important what you call them, just that you allow them into your life to amplify your heart's desire and call your forth in happy and inspired action.

So how do you call forth a muse? There are several magic rituals that you could use to do this, and my favorite is the simplest one of all:

Just sit there and call for a Muse.

Yup, just sit on your fanny and call for a Muse. You can do it out loud or just ask silently. Use whatever words come naturally to you. Your own Muse is always hovering nearby, just waiting to hear your call, so the words really don't matter. I often just think the word, "Muse."

Then I wait. This is the part of the magic ritual that is the most difficult for most people. If you can master the art of sitting and waiting, then you have mastered the art of control, at least in one area of your life ... and control of your attention and intention is crucial to a successful magical practice.

Why Sitting and Waiting is So Difficult
Did you know that you expend more energy just sitting in a chair doing nothing than you do digging a ditch for a couple of hours? You do. Why is this? Because movement is life, a natural part of life, so it's much easier for our bodies (not to mention our minds) to be in movement than to be still.

When we hold ourselves still, we actually have to exert tension over our bodies to do so. This tension expends a lot of energy, far more than movement, which is why we have such a hard time sitting still. It takes a lot of work to sit still.

But if you can manage to hold yourself still, both in body and mind, while you wait for your Muse, you'll find that you don't have to stay still for long. Muses can only speak to us when we are quiet, both inside and out, so the sooner you can be still the sooner your Muse will deliver the inspiration you have asked for.

Sometimes it helps to stare at a candle flame or listen to the gurgling sound of a fountain as you do the magic ritual. This keeps your mind occupied, which means your body will naturally be still.

For instance, the other day I was having difficult with this ritual. I needed to write the notes for a magic class I was teaching, but could not concentrate. I had asked for a Muse but felt so jumpy that I couldn't hear anything from my Muse. So I plunked myself down in front of the woodstove and simply watched the flames as I waited for my Muse. My mind and body calmed immediately, since flames are notoriously hypnotic. About 15 minutes later, I sprang into inspired action (after, of course, thanking my Muse).

Doing the magic ritual this way works particularly well, especially if you are feeling the pressure of a tight deadline, are experiencing an adrenaline rush, or are downright frustrated with your lack of progress. Just watch of listen to something distracting, call your Muse, and practice the art of waiting.

Patience, my friend, is a virtue ... and luckily one that yields many magical rewards

For more magical rituals, resources, and fun stuff, check out our newly expanded

Magical Online Store

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How Magic is Like a Candy Bar ... and Why the Candy Bar Approach Won't Bring You What You Want

For a lot of people magic is kind of like a candy bar. It is an "impulse" kind of thing. As you stand in line at the check stand, you see rows of candy bars and, on impulse, buy one and eat it. If you hadn't been staring at all the candy bars, you probably wouldn't have bought or eaten one.

Magic is kind of the same way for many people. Something goes wonky in their lives and no immediate solution is apparent. All of sudden they think,

"Maybe magic will fix this."

So they fire off a question to us, a group of magical practitioners, and then forget all about it. When an email response arrives back in their inbox, 90% of the people ignore it, even though it contains valid magical information.

Why?

Because the impulse to "do magic" has been satisfied by sending off the email, just as the impulse to "eat something tasty" is satisfied by downing a candy bar. That's all, it's done. As a result, a lot of people either think that magic doesn't work or that magic isn't real. They think, "Oh, I checked it out but nothing much happened."

Hmmm...

The Problem of Mixing Impulse and Magic
Impulse and magic go together about as well as oil and vinegar ... they don't. Impulse is by definition a short-lived spurt of action that comes and goes in a blink of the eye.

Magic, on the other hand, is the art and science of intention and attention. To do magic successfully, you have to develop the ability to focus your intention and attention on what you want for rather long periods of time. That doesn't sound much like impulse, does it? And yet, impulse is the doorway through which many people approach magic. No wonder people think that magic isn't real or doesn't work.

What Makes Magic Work?
So if impulse is not the best way to approach magic, how should one approach magic so that it actually works? It's simple. Like everything else, magic takes practice. That's why most people who are involved with magic say they have a "magical practice." To be successful, magic has to be practiced the way you would practice the piano or yoga.

Magic takes practice because while every single person on the planet is born with magical abilities, we don't tend to use those abilities (called Spirit perceptics) in everyday like except at a very subliminal level. Occasionally, we may receive "premonitions" about something or experience "deja vu," but for the most part we don't exercise our magical skills much. Hence, when we go to use them by the sheer force of impulse, nothing much happens.

To "practice" magic the way you would a piano, you use daily magic rituals to help you exercise your magical skills and keep you in contact with magical beings. The magic rituals don't have to be complicated, and in fact it's better if they are simple.

A Simple Magic Ritual for a Magical Practice
There are thousands of magic rituals you could use as part of your magical practice, and here is a very simple one to get you started. This ritual will help you exercise your Spirit perceptics, but won't be so difficult that you will avoid doing them.

This ritual exercises both your ability to attract your desire into your life as well as your ability to "see" when something has manifested. To do this ritual, spend 5 minutes each morning sitting quietly. Envision a single thing that you want to appear in your day. Whether you choose a green marble, a handsome man, or a rainstorm, choose something concrete. Spend the 5 minutes of your sitting asking the Universe to bring that thing into your life today.

Oh, and pick something small and insignificant so that you don't overburden yourself with expectation. Don't pick "the love of my life" because that has too much expectation on it. Stick with little things, like a blue bird or the hiccups ... things you don't care much about one way or another.

During your day, keep your eyes, ears, and Spirit sense open for that thing. Many times, it will appear in a form that you least expect. For instance, suppose you chose to call a green marble into your experience. Depending on how specific you were, you may end up standing on green marble tile, or you may hear someone say the word "green" and read the word "marble" in a magazine. At first, your attempts to use this ritual may bring you somewhat "splintered" results, but be sure to acknowledge all of these results and thank the Universe. Your results will get more specific over time.

If at the end of the day you feel you still have not "received" that which you asked for, do another short meditation. Review your day and ask your mind for a "print out" of all possible events that might match your desired "thing." You'll be surprised at how much this "print out" will reveal to you about what you missed during the course of your day. Your mind records everything, and if you review its data carefully you will most likely find what you are looking for.

Do this magic ritual for 40-days in a row and jot down your results daily. Even if you get no results on a particular day, just keep doing the exercise. This magic ritual becomes an anchor-point of intention that will transform you into a powerful manifester. The whole goal of this ritual is to help you hone your intention and attention by starting with small objects. It's simple but ingenious.

Got it? Good ... now go try it!

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Why There are No Muggles, Only Magicians

Are magicians born or made?

Good question. Lots of people ask this question.

Answer: Neither.

Sorry to disappoint all you Harry Potter and Charmed fans out there, but magicians are neither born nor made. In other words, there is no division between magicians and non-magicians. Everyone has the power and ability to be a magician and to practice magic. Everyone!

Magic is the birthright of every planetary citizen. That means you.

Why There are No Muggles
The reason there are no muggles is the same reason that every single person on this planet can practice magic. Here's the reason: magic is nothing more (and nothing less) than following the laws that govern the universe. It's as simple as that.

For instance, once you learn how to use the four magical elements that form this universe (Air, Fire, Water, and Earth), you can do a lot of powerful magic rituals. Here's just a short list of things you can do just using hand magic and the four elements:

• psychic communication
• heal sprains, bruises, and more
• safely get rid of anger, anxiety, and depression
• divine the future
• put up energy and psychic shields

And yes, any old person on the planet can learn to do this kind of magic, nothing to do with magical parents or anything like that. Past lives can give a person an additional magical boost, however. For instance, if you studied magic in your last 17 lifetimes, chances are that the knowledge will come to you much more easily, and your magic will probably be more powerful than that of the average Joe.

Everyone Can Be a Magician
So now that you know that there is no division between magical and non-magical people, there's no excuse not to practice magic. The key word in that last sentence is, of course, "practice." Magic is an art and a science, and like everything else, if you want to be good at it, you need to practice.

Start small, with some daily magic rituals or with our home study courses. We also always have new teleconference courses starting. Check out these resources and see what kinds of magic rituals tickle your fancy:

Free "Real Magick" Ezine
Magic Ebooks
Magic Home Study Courses
Magic Email Courses
Magic Article Library
Current Teleconference Magic Courses

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Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/garethfordwilliams/ / CC BY 2.0