Placing Your Procrastination Away

    Do you ever find yourself struggling to find the motivation to go about your day and get things done? All of us find ourselves procrastinating some point in our lives and more so during the sunny summer season that makes you just want to take a siesta. Well today I will be sharing with everyone a simple magickal recipe from the newest edition of the Kitchen Table Magick Series, NoCrastination Magick!

    This recipe is called the Placemat Exercise. It will help you start off your day productively without feeling overwhelming!

The Placemat Exercise

Time Required: 15 Minutes

Ingredients Needed:

• A paper and pen or pencil
• A quiet place and some time to be alone

Recipe Steps:

1. Start with a clean sheet of paper and draw a line down the middle of the paper.
2. To the left of the line write "Things I Want to Be, Do or Have Today".
3. To the right of the line write "Things I Want the Universe to Bring Me Today".
4. Then start writing on the left side of the paper all the things you really want to be, do, or have. This is not a to-do list for the day, so don't write things you have to do or should do or that you don't want to do. Only write down things that inspire you, that you are anticipating with joy, or that are pleasing to you.
5. After you've taken a few minutes to write on the left, switch to writing on the right side of the page. Write what you want the Universe to do for you today or to bring you. This could be things you feel you have no control over, things you don't want to do but are required to for some reason, or things you don't even want to think about. You might ask for the Universe to bring you inspiration or willingness to face and do these things or ask the Universe to take care of those things for you or you might just ask for being joyful or peaceful for whatever situations you have to face today.
6. After you have finished the lists on both the left and the right side of the paper, take 17 seconds to focus on each item on the list with a feeling of pure positive emotion. Envision those things you want being a reality and already yours, focus on the vision of those things you weren't so wild about already completed and out of the way. Just beam with positive energy and emotion for those 17 seconds and you'll find the rest of your day will be more carefree and less stressful.

    There you have it! A quick and easy way to start off your productive day with a little help from the Universe! Be sure to thank the Universe for helping you out!

    If you want to find more recipes to help you overcome your procrastination, check out the NoCrastination Magick book on Amazon!

Remembering the Solution

This magic tip is so simple you're going to say, "Duh!" after you've read it. In fact, it's so simple that you might even be tempted to think it won't work. But don't be fooled... most magic follows the principle of Occam's Razor, where the simplest solution often turns out to be the best solution.

So what's this eeezy-peezy magical technique? Hold your breath... here it comes... it's the Art of Remembering. And here's how it works. Whenever you find yourself presented with a problem that you can't seem to solve by direct means, don't try to "create" a solution from scratch. Instead, tell yourself to "remember" the solution.

This is actually an old esoteric principle, often attributed to the study of Buddhism, and has been taught by many masters. When you try to create a solution, you often doubt whether you can. After all, what if you don't know what you're doing? What if you – heaven forbid – "get it wrong"? Oh no... woe is you!

But if you are simply trying to remember the solution rather than create it, your mind is fooled into believing that you already know the solution. This allows you to be open to many options and... voila! Solutions tend to come to you that are out-of-the-box... or at least out of the arena of your usual thoughts.

To paraphrase Einstein, solutions can never come from the same level of the problem. Unfortunately, when faced with a problem we usually try to solve it in the same way we've always solved all problems – within the context of the problem.

But solutions need to come from higher levels. So telling yourself to "remember" the solution opens you up to hearing insight from higher levels. Esoteric teachings tell us that our higher centers (some would say higher selves or guides) are always speaking to us, but that we can't hear them. Remembering allows us to hear the voices from on high and the solutions are... you guessed it... truly magical.

Remembering is one of the purest and simplest of magical techniques. Now, if you can just remember to remember!

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Plan For Abundance

How do you feel in the morning compared to the middle of your day or the end of your day? Do you wake up full of optimism in the morning, only to find yourself stressed out by lunch and exhausted by dinner?

If we stop and really assess how we feel at the beginning of our day as compared to the end of our day, it's no surprise that we get off track when it comes to our goals. Most of us know that "energy attracts." In other words, when we feel optimistic and happy we tend to attract positive experiences and people into our lives. When we feel down and out, all kinds of unhappy accidents cross our paths.

So if we feel happy and upbeat early in the day, then get dragged down as the day progresses, we're attracting abundance and positive events early in the day and accidents and negativity later on. For most of us, that averages out into a neutral score so that we stay exactly where we are in life-stuck!

What can we do to get moving and attract the abundance we really want in our lives? We can plan for it. For instance, if you know that you tend be stressed by lunchtime, plan to take some time at lunch to restore your energies. Or, if you realize that you feel tired by 3 o'clock in the afternoon, plan to take a 5 minute break to revitalize yourself and remember your aims.

Your energy boosting break doesn't have to be a big production, just a short period of time dedicated to feeling good again. The key is to plan ahead for those times when you know you tend to feel tired or stressed, and to take breaks when you plan to, whether or not you feel tired at that moment.

In certain esoteric traditions, these pre-planned "stops" in the day are called moments of "remembering ourselves." When we get wrapped up in work, expectations, fears, and stress, we tend to forget all of our aims. When we take the time to remember ourselves, we get back on track and every event takes on a new meaning and new light. The key is to stop yourself before you get too far off track. Plan to stop, and stop when you've planned it!

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Esoteric School Discovery Guide to Magic – Part III

A Strong Relationship with the Universe is a Crucial Key to Successful Manifestation.

Would you ask a huge favor of a total stranger? Probably not. You might ask to borrow a section of the newspaper while riding the subway, but you wouldn't ask them to babysit your kids. On the other end of the spectrum, your best friend will do anything for you and vice versa. The same is true of the Universe. When you just begin your relationship with the Universe (with the Beauty Way or working with angels), ask for small favors. With each successful co-creation with the Universe and mutual appreciation (the Universe thanks you and you thank the Universe), the relationship deepens, which gives you the leeway to ask for more and bigger favors. One key is to thank the Universe right after asking the favor and also when the manifestation occurs.

Daily Rituals to Form Connection
Daily rituals are one way to start forming a relationship with the Universe and higher beings. They create a channel for us to spend some time each day connecting with the higher which could include our own inner guidance, totem spirits, angels or other higher powers and beings. Pick a daily ritual to do consistently each and every day. It doesn't have to be long or complicated; just something that connects you with the higher. If you don't have a ritual you already use or want to use, you can find lots of them on our blog or in our Daily Rituals for Attracting What You Want in Life ebook. The daily ritual you use should be one that gets you away for a time from your busy day so that you can hear the quiet voices of higher guidance. You may or may not know that there are guides speaking to us all the time. They want to help us manifest what we want in life. We just can't always hear them over all the noise that surrounds us with cell phones, TV, gossip, etc... Doing daily rituals gives us that quiet time to hear and connect with these higher beings. It is important when establishing a relationship with the Universe to do it with as much consistency as you can. Those in spiritual circles know that the consistency of doing a ritual at the same time every time increases the level and quality of the connection with the higher.

Here are some things to remember as you start using daily rituals to connect with the Universe.

• You can be, do, and have everything and anything you want.
• The Universe is friendly--it's on your side and will help you succeed.
• Be grateful first--you'll then receive.
• The Universe delivers whatever you put your attention toward--what you think and feel. It can't go against that.
• If you've asked for something that isn't coming to you, ask for help shifting your energy into a more allowing and receiving mode.
• Don't try too hard--relax. The more relaxed and joyful you are, the faster the things you want will come to you.

Now that you know why daily rituals are important and what they can bring to your life, get started and pick one to do. Do it daily and consistently and watch the magic of the Universe unfold in your life.

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Stretch Just a Little to Get a Lot

If you're ready to have a lot more of what you want in life, here's a nifty little surprise for you: you don't have to sell your soul or sit at the feet of a guru for the next 20 years - you just have to stretch a little more. Most of us think that doing more, working harder, or having a stronger will can get us what we want. Maybe, and maybe not.

There's an esoteric principle that says when we really want something and we throw the entire might of our will behind that desire, we run into a brick wall. We arrive at resistance rather than paradise. It's called second force. We've all felt the frustration of running into second force.

So how do you get around second force? By being crafty. Instead of going full tilt at what you want, reserve a certain small part of yourself for doing another exercise. This exercise should be very simple in concept, but require you to stretch and be conscious throughout the day.

For instance, if you normally open doors with your right hand, start opening doors with your left hand. If you usually look straight ahead or down as you walk, start looking left and right as well as forward. If you resist exercise, take a 5 minute walk twice a day. Do something simple that is the opposite of what you normally do.

This exercise asks you to stretch just a little - how hard can it be to open a door with your opposite hand? But it gives you a lot of mileage toward your goals. The exercise does two things: it forces you to be conscious, which increases your ability to manifest, and it diverts some of your attention away from what you want, avoiding the second force.

Most importantly, though, this exercise is simple. With life getting more and more complex every day, wouldn't be nice to do something simple that really works? For more simple magic that works check out our Daily Rituals for Attracting What You Want in Life ebook and be sure to get our free Magical Quick Fixes ebook.


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Magick to the Rescue Part 7: Lost? Find Your Way with Magickal Bread Crumbs

Earlier in this series Magick to the Rescue:
Part 1 
Part 2 
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

The Esoteric School receives frequent requests from people asking for guidance and answers along this life journey, be it answers to questions about career and family or guidance on Spirit paths. While many schools of magickal or esoteric teaching tend to charge high prices for such services, the Esoteric School is more about offering many different wants for the "every man and every woman" to find their own answers through simple magickal rituals and options. Through our blog and newsletters, our article library, and inexpensive self-paced courses, our goal is to allow as many people to bring magick into their lives as possible.

Of course, if you feel lost in your life then browsing through our online article library can seem a big overwhelming task. Knowing where to begin in your use of magick can be as important as the use of magick itself. The following section offers five different ways you can discover answers and find your way on your path magickally, step-by-step... or if you are into fairy tales, bread crumb by bread crumb. If and when you feel lost, scan through the following list and find the option that attracts your attention. Your attention--and your intention--will get you started in the direction you need to go. Then all you need to do is follow the first bread crumb to the next, and the next, and the next... and before you know it you will be striding with confidence down a pathway lit with magickal help and guidance!

Magickal Solution #1: Follow the First Answer You Hear
Whether you are completely lost and have no idea what you want in your life, or you are just a little muddled about your next step to reach your goal, the Universe is always happy to deliver answers to you instantly. Many students have tried this approach with surprisingly positive results. The Universe will answer any question you ask deliberately with an immediate answer.

The steps to this ritual are simple. Simply say to yourself or out loud in a voice of command: "Universe please provide me an answer to the question I will ask. I will follow the first answer I hear, trusting that you know exactly what I want and will not lead me astray. [Ask your question here]." You don't have to use these exact words, but follow the intent of the words and phrases, and announce to the Universe that you want and need guidance to a certain question. The question could be as big as a new direction for your career and as small as to whether you have a cup of coffee in the morning.

The key is to follow the first answer that the Universe provides, which will be the first answer you hear. You might hear the answer as a voice in your mind (and even in your own voice). You might hear a snippet of a conversation from a passing group of strangers. A song lyric may possess the answer you seek. The important thing is to take and follow the FIRST answer you hear. The answer may seem crazy at the moment or not in sync with your question, but just use your best judgment as to how to use that answer. You will be amazed at the results. At the next crossroads on your path, ask the Universe the next question. This will lead you from bread crumb to bread crumb until you find your way along your path. More importantly, you will have developed a relationship of trust with the Universe. You will have greater trust with each answer you receive, and proceed with ever greater confidence!

Magickal Solution #2: Pick a Card, Any Card
Just as a magician doing stage magic might invite you to pick a card, any card, and then guess the card without looking at it, the Universe also invites you to pick a card to find answers to questions you seek. Only there's no smoke or mirrors when you play the "pick a card" game with the Universe... just the answers you seek. You can use Medicine Cards, Angel Cards, Tarot Cards, Sacred Path Cards... whichever set of cards calls to you.

First, ask your question to the Universe, either out loud or in your mind. Next, pick up your deck of choice and shuffle the deck until the mix feels "right" to you. Then fan out the cards on a table and choose a card. Or cut the deck and take the top card. Or use any method you like. Just remain consistent in your approach.

This card is your "theme of the day" as well as the answer to your question. Most of these decks come with books that explain the meaning of each card, often with each card having two different meanings depending on whether the card is upright or reversed. Choose your card, note its position (upright or reversed) and then read the meaning of the card. As with all the methods offered in this article, follow the advice offered by the card as best you can. Most of the time the answer will mesh neatly with the question. If not, hold the answer in mind as you go about your day. Chances are that the meaning of the card will appear more clear as the day goes on. If not, sleep on it and see what your dreams tell you about the card. Answers may trickle through your mind and consciousness in the most amusing and interesting ways.

Magickal Solution #3: Create Your Own Method
Ancient proverbs, wise gurus, and other spiritual teachers have often said that we know what is best for ourselves, and that the answers we seek can be found within our own hearts. If this be true, one of the neatest magickal ways to gain answers is to create your own method for the Universe to deliver answers. One person took seven different books, opened each book to a random page, and underlined a word or phrase. She then arranged the seven books in an ordered stack. Finally, she opened each book to the page she had marked and wrote down the word or phrase. The combined words and phrases from the seven books made up her "answer" from the Universe. Invariably, though there were missing words, the message was quite complete and readable. More importantly, the message made perfect sense to the person. She continues to use this method to this day to gain the answers she seeks. Other people have asked people they encounter what's happening in their lives. The answers may be deep or shallow (depending on whether the people were strangers or friends), and the answers have always shed light on the asking person's situation. The person may have had to "dig" or "decipher" the meaning, the answer was always there to find.

Magickal Solution #4: Reach Out and Touch Someone
This method is similar to the one just previously discussed. Only, this time, instead of asking a bunch of different people you encounter about what is happening in their lives, you reach out to a person with whom you have not had contact for a very long time. Perhaps a friend who was also a neighbor moved away and you lost contact over the years. Or maybe you changed jobs, and you now move in different social circles. Dig back through your old contacts and see if one jumps out at you. If so, then ask the Universe your question and request that the answer come from the conversation with the person with whom you are about to speak. Then pick up the phone and reach out to that person. However you go about choosing a person from your distant past, the Universe will find a way to send the answers you seek humming across the telephone wires or into the internet chats. The Universe encompasses all methods of technology, new and old.

Magickal Solution #4: Astrocartography
Those who have been members of 12-step programs have probably often heard that "geographic moves" won't solve life problems since "everywhere you go there you are." It is true that we carry ourselves and unique personality quirks with us wherever we go. At the same time, it is also magickally true that there are different places on Planet Earth that are more or less beneficial to us in a variety of ways. Some places are better for our health, while other places are better for finances or relationships. Spiritual development can be easier in certain locations, while our careers may flourish in yet other locations. Some locations have multiple benefits with few drawbacks.

Astrocartography, which is the science of mapping our astrology onto a global map, can help us find the best places for certain areas of our lives. Astrocartography can help us locate "power places" for various aspects of our lives. Many sites on the internet offer this service, and the cost is inexpensive. Some sites offer you readings on three places around the globe, while other sites offer you a global reading, which tells you where different lines from your astrological chart cross on the globe, and offering pros and cons for each location. If you are looking for a new and interesting method of finding magickal answers to your questions, consider browsing around astrocartography sites to see if they pique your interest!

Magickal Solution #5: The Good Old Coin Flip
The Universe is just as happy to offer answers through complex rituals such as Question Circles as it is through simple methods such as flipping a coin. If you are looking for a simple "Yes or No" answer, sometimes flipping a coin is the way to go. One of our students uses the coin flip for the most important decisions in his life. And guess what? The answers have never led him anywhere other than where he wanted to go. You, of course, may not be ready to put major life decisions in the result of a simple coin flip. Instead, start small. Prepare your coin by holding it in your dominant hand and flowing energy into the coin until the coin feels warm, energized, or charged. Decide which side of the coin means "Yes" and which side means "No." Also decide how you will flip your coin. Will you flip the coin with one hand, catch it in the same hand and then place the coin over top of your other hand? Or will you simply catch the coin in the same hand and see which side faces up? As with all of these magickal "bread crumb" methods, choose a method for your magickal work, and then consistently use this method every single time. Now you are ready. Ask the Universe your question, again aloud or in your mind, and flip your coin. Note the answer and go with it.

Even if the answer seems contradictory to what you expected, follow the answer that appears. Along with following a consistent magickal procedure, trusting and following the answers provided by the Universe will help you develop a strong relationship of trust with the Universe. If you second-guess every answer you receive through these methods, then you might as well seek the help of a counselor or business coach. All of the previous methods, like much of the magick we teach, is aimed at helping you develop your own personal relationship with the Universe, without the need to seek the help of a magickal practitioner. While there is certainly a time and place for seeking guidance and help from others, how much more magickal would your life be if you could directly ask the Universe for the answers you seek? Wouldn't life be so much more magickal, more fun, and more miraculous?


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Esoteric School Discovery Guide to Magic – Part II

You may be familiar with the esoteric principle that a small change in the present can create a larger change in the future, but it's also true in magical principles that a small change in the present makes a larger change in the present. Small changes can have a great impact and by changing some small habit you have, you pave the way for larger changes in your future and your present life can change. In other words, magic happens in baby steps. It's like the idea that a butterfly can flap it wings in one area of the world, and create massive effects in a place on the other half of the world.

Magical Baby Steps
Making tiny changes can have a large impact because they change your habitual thought patterns enough to allow you to access a whole new scope of ideas and inspirations and since they are small changes you are not as likely to run into the resistance that often comes with change. Why is it important from a magical perspective to be able to change your habitual thought patterns? Abraham-Hicks (www.abraham-hicks.com) explains this well by saying that your ability to access certain thoughts and feelings depends on the thoughts and feelings you have now. In other words, the happier you are, the more happy thoughts you are able to access. The more depressed you are, the more depressed, sad and blue type thoughts you have. Adjusting your stance just a bit gives you access to a whole new scope of thoughts and feelings. Making any small change in your habits shifts you to this new stance and what you are able to think and feel.

Reduce Resistance Factor
Making these small changes also reduces the chance of resistance to change that we can encounter. Large changes tend to make us uncomfortable and doubt ourselves. We become self-conscious wondering how the change will make us appear to others and if they will accept the change or not. For example, how would you feel if you went to work one day not in the conservative type suits you normally wear, but in some on the edge, brightly colored fashion design totally out of character with your usual style of dress? Compare that to a less noticeable change of maybe moving your pinky ring from your right hand to your left hand. The smaller change would probably cause you less concern, less resistance and be more comfortable for you. This smaller change is probably something that no one else will even notice. But you will notice it. You will notice the feel of it on your finger, the sound it makes tapping on your desk, that it is there when you pick up the phone and so on. The fact that you have made a small change that you are comfortable with and that is noticeable to you will shift the place you're standing inside yourself. Give some thought to the small changes you can make that will accomplish this shift for you. A few examples to get you started include:

• use a different hand to do an activity than you normally would (ie. – open door, brush teeth, eating)
• wear socks wrong side out
• sit in a different seat at the dinner table
• get up on opposite side of the bed

You get the idea, right? So pick some small changes and get started on your way to changing your habitual thought patterns to open the way for magical changes in your life. After all a small change in the present not only makes changes in the present but also in your future. It's never too late and nothing is pre-determined. Making any small change now can drastically change what you experience in the future and now. 

For a deeper look into the discovery of magic check out our Kindle book series - Witchcraft Spell Books.

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Image courtesy of suphakit73 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Esoteric School Discovery Guide to Magic – Part I

There is no problem that cannot be solved magically. At the level of life, we sometimes paint ourselves into a corner, get that feeling that there is "no way out." Say goodbye to the feeling of hopelessness. Magic is all about reaching up to a higher level of life, and higher beings, for whom miracles are everyday occurrences. As Einstein said, the solution to any problem never exists on the same level. The solution exists on the next level up.

Here are three basic rituals that you can try out for yourself to connect with the higher and reach up for a higher level of life.

Today – Begin working with the Universe as a co-creator. Take the first step by making contact and ask the Universe to manifest something today, from cherries to the word NASA. For more on how to do this see the blog article here.

This Week - Ask Owl about a loophole or blind spot in your current solution. Not sure how to work with the Spirit of Owl? Check out this article.

This Month – Do a come-along with a Sun Candle reinforced by a talisman and a mantra you create. Add the talisman and mantra onto the come along when you burn the Sun Candle for 30 minutes each day. Haven't done a come-along before? See the directions in this article.

By starting to use these simple daily rituals and work them into your life, you will begin establishing a magical relationship with the Universe and higher level beings. You will soon find that by making these a part of your everyday life the level of your own being will increase. And magically speaking you know that the level of your being attracts the level of your life. That's a well-known magical principle. So the higher your being, the higher the level of life you will attract. That's how magic works!

For more daily rituals get our Daily Rituals for Attracting What you Want in Life ebook. 36 more simple daily rituals offered in it will help keep you on the path of magical discovery.

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Image courtesy of sattva / FreeDigitalPhotos.net