Which Magic Rituals Should You Do Now?

It's amazing how, during this economic downturn, people are suddenly confused about what kind of magic spells and rituals they should do now. Sure, more people are unemployed, the economy is pretty rocky, and times seem uncertain, but in actuality nothing has changed.

Here's the deal: we are all students in the Earth school and there are a limited number of problems we need to learn to solve while we're in school. The basic lessons are health; wealth and career; and relationships and sex. Sound familiar? Just about everything else can be put under these basic categories. And, here's the real kicker: we get happy and graduate when we solve these problems.

Your Big Life Lesson
Each person usually has one main lesson to learn in Earth school. If you look back on your life, you can probably easily figure out which lesson you signed up for. You can look at your friends, and do the same. For instance, you probably have one friend who has never had relationship issues but can't seem to get healthy. Then there is your friend who has money problems like crazy, but is as healthy as a horse, which is good because he can't afford to go to the doctor.

No matter which life lesson you have, chances are that the world economic situation hasn't really changed it, right? Maybe the lesson or "problem" has intensified, but it's still the same old problem. In the worst-case scenario, you might still have your major life lesson, but now you have a minor in some other life lesson, too. If health has been your main lesson, maybe the economic crunch has now made it more difficult for you to get the healing you need. But the bottom line is that health is still the main issue.

In short, nothing has really changed.

Magic and Your Big Life Lesson
So what kind of magic rituals or spells should you do now to help you learn about your life lesson? Your first magical act should be to meditate on the fact that, magically, size doesn't really matter when it comes to problems, or their solutions. As our teacher Abraham-Hicks is fond of saying, "It's just as easy to manifest a button as a castle." By the token, it is just as easy (or difficult) to magically solve the problem of unemployment today as it was when the economy was going strong. Your big life lesson is the same as it always has been. So, if you are feeling depressed, fearful, or pitiful, stop it. Get off the pity pot. Nothing, regardless of the gloom-and-doom of predictions of economists, is any worse than before.

The Sun Candle: A Magic Ritual for Today
Now that you've discovered that you are no worse than before, it's time to start using a magic ritual that will help you stay positive, and make forward progress toward learning your big life lesson.

One of the simplest magic rituals you can do to help you stay positive is to use the Sun Candle. Burning the Sun Candle with the appropriate litany on a daily basis will not only nourish your spirit, but give you tangible magical act to do, so you feel like you "doing something" about your situation.

Here's how you use the Sun Candle.

You will need a pure yellow candle (a bright yellow that is not too orange) and wooden or paper matches. You can find pure yellow candles at most grocery stores in the section with the religious candles (in glass containers).

You will also need to know which direction is South. To create sacred space with the Sun Candle, you will need to "charge" it, or program it to do so. Here's how:

• Stand or sit in the South facing North with the Sun Candle in front of you
• Light the candle using wooden or paper matches (do NOT use a lighter)
• Wait until the candle flame is steady and tall
• Hold your hands up to and around the flame, focusing your attention on the candle and flame.
• Say the charge verse below in a voice of command (a strong, powerful voice)

Child of Wonder,
Child of Flame,
Nourish My Spirit,
And Protect My Aim!

If there are other people in the room with you, you can change the "My" to "Our" and the word "Spirit" to "Spirits." Leave the candle burning in the room for at least 30 minutes (be sure the candle is on a protected surface such as a plate and is not a fire hazard).

At the end of 30 minutes or when you feel ready, blow out the flame (don't snuff it). Spend a moment or two in the area to see if you can detect a difference in the level and quality of energy. The area should feel lighter, more harmonious and/or more peaceful to you.

Have fun using this daily magic ritual to regain balance!

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Photo credit: Scent of a Candle Sunflower

The Tower Card in Tarot Readings - What It Means

Recently I did a Tarot reading for a client who has been having a lot of trouble with accidents, like fender benders and such. This client was so banged-up and bruised from all of his recent misfortunes that he asked for a reading to find out what was going on.

Not surprisingly, in both the present-time and progressed Tarot readings for this client, the Tower card showed up, both times upright. A lot of practitioners of magic shudder when they see the Tower card because they think it automatically means chaos. It does, sort of, but it means something more specific than that.

The Tower card talks about complete material disorganization or chaos, caused by spiritual forces beyond one's control. The world is obviously experiencing a lot of chaos and change right now, as we approach the end of a cycle on the Mayan calendar and prepare to enter the next. The Tower card talks about chaos coming into people's life from the outer world. As you can see on the card itself, the lightning comes into the picture from the outside world.

The Tower Card Upright in a Tarot Reading
These days, when the Tower card appears upright in a reading, it means that a big change is coming that you should be prepared for. Sometimes this means a natural disaster, and sometimes death, but in most cases it is just a warning to be prepared for a major change in your environment.

In the case of my client for whom I was doing the Tarot reading, the Tower card indicated that he wasn't being aware of his surroundings. He needs to be more conscious of the Law of Accident at work around him. The Law of Accident says that if we don't have a strong intention and focus, then we fall prey to "accidental and coincidental" occurrences, like fender-benders. The Law of Accident is more at work during these times of extreme change than at other times. Luckily, nothing serious had happened to him, and he is going use some daily rituals to focus his intent and be more aware of his surroundings.

The Tower Card Reversed in a Tarot Reading
If the Tower appears as a reversed card in a Tarot reading, then the implications are different. If it's reversed, then you need to start looking at whether you have broken any Rules of the Road (the laws that govern magical practice) or whether there is something karmic going on. Maybe you've gotten crosswise with a deity.

If you see a reversed Tower card, do some exploration, through divination or possibly a blow-up Tarot reading, to find out what the situation is about. During this time of world upheaval, it's important to correct situations like this as quickly as possible. Luckily, the world is also much more plastic or flexible right now, so correcting situations may be easier than you think.

A Few Additional Notes About the Tower Card
The severity of the change or chaos indicated by the Tower isn't necessarily related to whether the Tower card is upright or reversed. Whether the card is upright or reversed merely tells you what kind of change you are dealing with. Remember that that Tower card represents changes appearing in the outer world, and often reflects deity-level changes. This card has shown up a lot in recent years, tying in with world and galactic changes. Changes indicated by the Tower card can be violent or drastic, and are simply a warning for us to be prepared. The Tower card isn't bad, it's just a warning to be aware.

Want to Learn More About the Tarot?
The Tarot is an infinitely deep study of magic. The Tarot can be used for divination, spells, spell take-downs, and many other forms of magic. If you would like to learn more about how to use the Tarot, consider joining our upcoming Basic Magic class or learning with our home-study Tarot Course.

Basic Magic
Home Study Tarot Course
Recommended Tarot Decks

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True Magical Creation - Leap Before You Look

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary rule - the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans; that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now." -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Goethe's quote above really sums up the difference between true magical creation, and false creation. You see, in this society, we've got a major part of the creation sequence backwards -- we are all afraid to commit to creating anything, and we base commitment on the wrong things.

Don't Be Afraid to Commit
How many times have you come upon an opportunity, but been afraid to commit because you didn't have "all the facts"? Well, guess what? By the time you gathered all the facts, the opportunity has either disappeared or you no longer felt like jumping in with both feet. In a society based around "insurance," we are taught to be cautious, to do good research and to gather all the facts. That's all well and good, but it means that we never create anything real -- and we never get to experience the magic in life.

In the creation sequence that is at the heart of magic (after all, what is a spell but a program to create something you want?), commitment comes from your desire, not from an assessment of the facts. Why? Because in this Universe the facts are quite irrelevant. In this Universe, literally anything and everything you want is possible. If you want something, the Universe will bring it to you. According to Emmett Fox, the Universe is "plastic" or bendable to our wishes. So the "facts" are irrelevant. If you want it, the Universe will give it to you.

For Real Magic, Leap Before You Look
So in the true creation sequence, the steps are "leap before you look." Looking doesn't do anything except slow you down, create doubt and hinder your desire. The so-called facts are only the result of other people's creations. They are irrelevant to your own creation. True creation is the result of feeling a rush of desire and saying "yes" to that desire -- regardless of what society or the facts tell you about the situation. True magical creation is uninhibited, free-flowing, wondrous desire.

So what happens when you stumble on an opportunity that you really want to say "yes" to but lack the resources to jump in? Practice saying "yes" to that opportunity internally. Whether you follow up on that opportunity or not, it's the "yes" part that matter. Leaping before you look takes practice, and saying "yes" allows you to flex that part of your psyche that's been dormant for so long.

The goal is to practice letting that desire flow. If you keep practicing flow, one day a huge desire will come up and grab your attention and you'll literally leap before you look -- and you'll create in a most spontaneous and unbelievable way. Have a wondrous time experimenting with this!

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Photo credit: Leap of Faith

Ask Alan: Why Use Magical Tools?

We just got an email that raises an interesting question. The author of the email says, "We don't need any sticks or wands or anything. We have the powers in are hands just as well in are head."

This raises an interesting question:

Why use magical tools?

This is a great question, and the author of the email is right. Everyone possesses and can channel magical energy using their hands, directing the energy with their intention (head). In fact, most magicians learn to handle the four elemental energies-Air, Fire, Water, and Earth-bare-handed, without the benefit of tools. It is best when you are first starting out in magic to handle these energies directly, with your hands, and throughout your body. We call this hand magic, or the direct handling of elements.

Magical Tools Give You More Reach
However, as you advance your skills, the use of magical tools is important. Magical tools extend our "reach," since they can handle more energies than we can handle with our hands. This greater level of energy means that we can reach further with the elemental energies to accomplish more.

For instance, you can easily to put up a personal magical shield around your body using your hands. It is simple to summon and direct enough energy through your hands. However, if you wanted to shield a house or a large property, you can do it much more easily with a tool, like a Wand. With the use of a properly made and keyed Wand, you can easily shield a property that includes many acres. It's possible to do the same using just your hands, but the level of force is much greater. The Wand saves you quite a bit of exertion.

Each of the four magical elements has its own corresponding tool, as follows:

Air element = Wand
Fire element = Athame
Water element = Chalice
Earth element = Plate

By using magical tools, experienced practitioners can affect situations on many levels, ranging from the personal level to the global level.

Learn more about Tools.

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Photo credit: 4C7H0892

How Do You Know if Your Magical Healing Worked?

Magical healing is one area of magic and shamanic practice that can be truly tricky. Suppose you perform a magical healing ritual on someone or do a remote healing. The person gets better and you feel great.

But then the doubt creeps in. You begin wondering whether you were responsible for the healing or if the person was going to get better anyway. Or maybe your healing and the person's recovery were just coincidental-they just happened to occur at the same time. Or perhaps the person's angels and guides stepped in and performed the healing, and your magic had nothing to do with the person's recovery.

That kind of self-doubt most assuredly will drive you crazy and interfere with your ability to effectively practice magic. When it comes to practicing any kind of magic, here's one rule that will help you keep self-doubt out of the picture:

Never allow your magic to be tested.

People who don't believe in magic will commonly challenge magic practitioners to "prove" their magic by passing certain tests. This does nothing but introduce self-doubt into your practice. This rule applies to you as well. Don't try to "test" your own magical abilities or trying to figure out if you really healed someone.

The best position to take when it comes to magical healing is realize that you doing magic for your benefit and for the benefit of others, should they choose to make use of it. According to master dowser Harold McCoy, who has assisted in many miraculous healings, we are not and cannot be the sole instruments of remote healing. Healing is usually a combined effort between healer, client, and higher beings. If any part of this equation is missing, such as when the client refuses healing energy, healing will not occur. At the same time, when healing does occur, no single party in the equation is responsible. Instead, it's a group effort.

As Harold himself puts it, "I just do these things and the person gets better. I don't know that there is any connection, or what that may be, but it doesn't matter!" This is a failsafe position for magical healing. You know there is a connection between your magical act and the healing, but you don't have to know the exact nature of the connection. This lets you off the hook when it comes to self-doubt.

Need More Magical Healing Help?
Check out Harold's seven principles for magical healing work:

1. Never turn anyone down.
2. Be always 100% committed.
3. Always get permission.
4. Always invoke your guides and angels.
5. Don't charge, but accept donations.
6. There are no failures.
7. We don't diagnose nor cure.

What else would help you in your magical healing work?

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