Just Breathing

  Most of us, when muddling through our Wicca 101 phases, are constantly searching out spells. Now, I've been as guilty of this as anyone, but unless you're already an accomplished ceremonial magician, complex ritual spells are most likely going to fall flat for you. So, what magical working can we begin with? Grounding and breath.
  These two practices are the foundation to any magic, no matter how advanced. The easiest way to begin building your magical mind is to start a daily breath practice. Whenever I have free time throughout my day, or whenever I feel the need to rejuvenate and connect to good 'ol Gaia, I sit down and breath. Focus on the processes of inhaling and exhaling, taking in the energies of life around you, sending out a connecting thread to everything else that is.
  Envision a thread of energy, coming up from the earth, running through your spine and out into the limitless heavens. This cord is always there, just waiting for you to notice it. As you breathe in, pull in energy from above and below. As you breathe out, allow that energy to fill your body, relaxing your muscles, revitalizing your mind and strengthening your breath.
  Building the right mindset for practicing the Craft is a never-ending process. Once you really begin to dedicate your will to it, you might realize that you never want it to end. Every step you take toward expanded and connected consciousness is a step toward realizing your inherent divinity.

The Dao of Manual Labor

I'm a landscaper. At least, that's what I do to pay my rent and feed myself. So today, like most other days, I was outside, digging holes and planting trees. Now you may not know this, but the temperature here in sunny Austin, TX has been firmly in the triple digits for a few weeks now. All this is to say: physically, my day was miserable. So, why do I continue to put myself through these kinds of days?
To be fair, I think it's partially an inherent masochism that all Texans are born with, living where we do. But it's also because manual labor has become part of my spiritual practice. In fact, I've found that by applying my attention, or energy, to anything can make it into a magical experience. So by tuning in to my Will while I labor in weather most sensible people refuse to even go out in, it can become a crucible for the development of my connection with God Herself.
So, having learned that, it follows that the same principle can be migrated to other areas of life. Typing this blog post is magical practice, as is drinking my coffee, as is feeding my cat. For me, what truly makes any experience a bridge to divinity is the presence of my own divine mind. By drinking coffee and feeding my cat with intention, I shift those actions out of the realm of the supposedly mundane, and into the realm of mystery. And isn't life so much more interesting that way?