The Magic of Clothes

One of the distinguishing features of the human species is that we fashion (if you'll excuse the pun) clothes for ourselves out of materials found in nature. Our clothes project a statement about ourselves to the world; we can garner information about a person's wealth, interests, ethnicity, religion, and much more from the clothes they choose to wear. 

Now, as a Witch, I am always on the lookout for ways to imbue more magic into my life and to live with more magical intention. There are already countless historical examples of magically-charged items used in ritual - robes, veils, crowns, and jewelry come to mind. This post is not the place to discuss these more obviously magical items. Rather, I wish to discuss how we can use our ordinary clothes in a magical way. 

So, how can we magically charge clothes to aid in spellwork? Here are some examples that I have come up with:

- When washing clothes, charge the washing powder and conditioner to wash away all that does not belong in your life.  

- When ironing your clothes, visualise yourself having a smooth and easy life. Literally, iron out the wrinkles in your life. 

- Place spell-papers or petitions inside your shoes, so that you walk your spell. 

- Charge a scarf for protection, and seal the spell when you knot it around your neck. 

- Choose clothes of colours that relate to your goal. Hold the item of clothing before you put it on, and charge it with your desire, sealing the spell when you put it on. 

- A hat can be charged as a devotional item to your Godsoul. Charm the hat to bring your Godsoul closer to you. 

- Sew mojo bags into the seams or hem of your skirt or trousers so that you consciously work your spell as you walk. This is particularly good for spells involving movement. 

- One spell that was given to me in a dream by an old hoodoo woman (who I believe to be one of my spirit guides) involves making mojo bags out of work underwear. A euphemism for underwear is "intimates" - given that underwear is in contact with a person's most private and intimate part of their body, cutting a square out of their used underwear is a fantastic way to influence them via a mojo bag (with their permission of course...wink wink). 

Is there anything you are wearing right now that you can charge for a magical goal? 

Simple Spells for Daily Life

Part of my Seven-fold Feri practice is the path of spellwork, which I associate with the East, given the necessity of clarity, focus, vision, and intention in spellwork. 

Nevertheless, I find it very easy to relegate spellwork to big rituals or special occasions, when it should be fully integrated into daily life. We can take inspiration from other traditions to see how they incorporate spells into daily life. 

One of the best spells to do on a daily basis is to cast a shower spell for purification: 

Using whatever method you choose, create your own magically charged soap containing herbs and oils such as hyssop, lavender, and peppermint. Charge this with mana before showering with the intention to purify yourself in all your parts. 

Lather yourself with the soap, then say the following, visualising yourself as being underneath a waterfall:

Spirits of water, now appear, 

Cascade and fall, I draw thee near, 

To cleanse me and leave me pure and clear. 

Visualise all negativity going down the drain. 

Other every day spells include;

- lighting incense and candles to draw specific influences

- locking the front door with the intention of protecting the home from intruders 

- charging food with mana for prosperity 

- spraying your clothes with charged water to work a glamour for a specific purpose 

- carrying a charged stone or crystal for a particular intention 

Enjoy bringing more magic into your every day life! 

The Gods in Ritual

Okay...so this post may descend into a bit of a rant, but please indulge me just this once. 

I have participated in many Neo-Pagan rituals, both as part of a group and as a solitary practitioner. I have participated in an Alexandrian ritual, Reclaiming celebrations, initiates-only Feri circles, and many more. From all of these, I have reached the conclusion that the way we treat the Gods is often horribly, hideously wrong. 

Semantics aside, we worship the Gods because they are worthy of our respect, honour, and love. They are the awe-inspiring manifestations of the Unknowable Divine that our human brains can begin to grasp. Whether or not you are hard-poly or of the "All Goddesses are one Goddess" camp, for all intents and purposes you treat the Gods as real beings in a ritual. And the way we treat these real beings often falls short. 

So...how does this happen? 

In Feri, we say that the Gods are real (albeit incorporeal) Beings, not merely aspects of the Goddess (although, paradoxically, that is also true!). When we invite them to participate in a ritual, they should be treated as honoured guests visiting the home. 

Consider this scenario: your best friend comes to visit your home for the evening. You greet her at the door, invite her to come in with a hug and ask how she is. You tell her how great her new haircut is and ask her where she bought that fabulous coat. You make her something to drink, probably a cup of tea (or something stronger!) and ask her if she'd like something to eat. So, you start cooking her some food, all the while engaged in conversation over a glass of wine, and then you finally settle on the couch and watch a film together. During the film, you're still chatting and having a giggle, until it's time for her to go home. You give her a hug and a kiss as she leaves, thank her for coming, and maybe give her a bit of food to take home. 

This would be considered being a great host. 

Now contrast this with what we do with the Gods in ritual:

We generally prepare the space for them, with an altar and perhaps a magic circle of some kind. We will then invoke the Gods, usually with some kind of spoken invocation or maybe an action. This will last a couple of minutes. 

And then that's it.

They aren't mentioned again, or talked to, or interacted with until it's time to "thank them" and asking then to leave. What's wrong with this picture? 

I firmly believe that we should treat the Gods as we would a beloved friend. Here are my suggestions as to how we could do this (some of this was influenced by Deborah Lipp's excellent book "Elements of Ritual):

1. Invite them to your ritual ahead of time. This could be a written invitation that is burned, a spoken invitation to Their image, or something similar. 

2. Do your research! Don't just invoke any God you think sounds cool. Chances are they won't actually come if there's no prior relationship. 

3. When in ritual, treat them as if they are the most important person in the room. Direct every action towards them, mention them in every spoken prayer, ask for their aid in spellwork. 

Basic courtesy goes a long way...you do not need to pick and choose different Gods to work with as if you were making an iTunes playlist. Get to know a God in a deep and meaningful way, treat them right and have faith that they will reciprocate.