When I started using substack I chose to only publish once a month because I wanted to make sure I committed to my writing and didn’t pressure myself to meet a goal that would cause me stress. I like to take my time with things so that they can become part of my life without too much tension or turmoil.
Over this past year, I’ve enjoyed sharing my learnings with ya’ll and because of that, I wanted to share a little more about other parts of my world that bring me insight and joy. So, I’ll be doing two new monthly columns! Both will be shorter than my usual writing, but still full of intentionality and thoughtfulness.
First up we have ‘Practical Magic’, named after one of my favorite films, and focused on all things witchy. It will include a Tarot card for the month described through the lens of Jessica Dore’s (licensed social worker and teacher) book ‘Tarot for Change’. I’ll also share some practical musings on astrology, and one little spell that you can keep in your back pocket to help support the life you have/want.
Enjoy!
Tarot Card for March
In this section I will pull a tarot card on behalf of the collective to answer the following question: What should we keep in mind this month?
The card: Four of Cups Reversed
Reversed, the Four of Cups indicates that we may start to finally consider/clearly see the opportunities that we previously overlooked or dismissed. It points to breaking through dissatisfactions and apathy, while taking stock of the abundance we already have and or is being offered to us by those in our lives. So this March, be on the look out for what you’re dismissing because it’s not exactly what you want. What have you taken for granted that deserves your attention? Where have you had the blinders on?
Tarot for Change says the following:
I think about this card as having to do with the human problem that we’ve forgotten how to listen. The comforts of domesticated life require less attunement than ever before, and the more comforts we have, the less we need to rely on cues from the world around us.
We’re constantly projecting our inner worlds — beliefs, desires, fantasies — onto the world around us. We decide what we want to eat for dinner without considering what’s in season. We build homes in areas that are not meant for human habitation. We extract natural resources without ever stopping to ask what we can give back, unless giving back means we’ll ultimately get more.
Maybe it’s less that we don’t want or know how to be receptive, and more that we’re just scared to be. We’re scared to let go of our agenda and listen for what wants to happen. We don’t know how to tolerate the emotional reality of things not going our way.
But what if there was another way? A way where we could listen for what’s being offered, uncross our arms, hold out our hands and accept it?
Spellbound
This corner of Practical Magic will be dedicated to spells that you can tap into on your own (without it feeling scary). I believe that we cast spells everyday with the things we say out loud (I’m the luckiest girl!) and rituals that we practice (like spraying on perfume), we just don’t call them by that name.
Candle magic 101
We can trace the history of candle magic through different civilizations and belief systems. For example, in Ancient Egypt, candles were often used in temples dedicated to various deities, and played a symbolic role in ceremonies related to life, death, and rebirth. In the Middle Ages, candle magic became intertwined with Christian religious practices and were used in churches, cathedrals, and monasteries for prayer, meditation, and spiritual protection. All of which we still see today. While specific techniques and traditions may vary, the underlying principles of using candles as tools for manifestation, intention setting, and energy work remain central to candle magic practices. I mean, think of how we make a wish before we blow out the candles on our birthday cake. You’ve been casting spells baybee!
As I researched candle magic for this post, I came across an abundance spell from TipoftheMoon founder Bre Comiskey. I’ve done candle magic in the past, but have never been given such detailed and simple guidance. You can use a new candle you have at home (the size does not matter, but I recommend a short one), or purchase one with a crystal from Bre here (btw I don’t know Bre, but I like her vibe and pricing).
The Spell:
This candle magick ritual is best performed as a series of rituals starting on the new moon and performed daily or weekly until the full moon. The best days are Wednesday, ruled by Mercury for luck and money-drawing. Or on a Sunday, ruled by the sun and good for active change, wealth, and hope.
When setting up your ritual space, gather items that make you feel rich. Dress in clothing that makes you feel happy and confident. You might want to surround yourself with pictures of friends and family as well.
Sit with the candle for a moment and connect with it. Hold it in your hands. Meditate on what you have now. In which ways is your life already abundant? Abundance is twofold. It is gratitude for what you have and the attraction of more. You could have all the money in the world and not feel satiated. We are looking for that balance of desire and gratitude.
As you light the candle speak of the abundant life you desire. Be specific. What does it feel, taste, smell, and look like? Speak and fully visualize this life. At first, this might seem silly, but as you start speaking, you'll feel something release in you. As you talk, let your words drift into the flame. Imagine them as literal fuel for the fire. Keep your mouth closer to the candle without getting burned. You want to have your words and your breath reaching the flame. Speak and breathe your desires to life.
After you have run out of words. Sit for a few minutes with your eyes closed. Feel this life around you. Draw from this powerful place. This is a little beyond meditation or visualization. I want you to feel that you are in this abundant life. That if you opened your eyes, you would actually be where you wanted to be.
Now is an excellent time to sit with the candle and journal. You could reflect on what abundance means to you, offer gratitude for what you have or write affirmations. When you blow out the candle feel that energy release into the air around you.
When the candle is gone keep the stone on your altar or in your pocket.
Safe spell-casting, and if you try it please send me a note or drop a comment below!
Lunar Lore
I saw this tiktok not long ago where the creator said something like “men like to say astrology is fake, it’s made up, and women are silly for believing it… but what do you want me to believe in? The stock market?” and that made me cackle.
Astrology can be traced to ancient civilizations such as Mesopotamia (3000 BCE and earlier), Egypt (3000 BCE and earlier), China (2nd millennium BCE), and India (2nd millennium BCE). Meanwhile the New York Stock Exchange traces its origins to the Buttonwood Agreement of 1792.
So yea, I’m gonna stick by the astrology and it’s thousands of years of experience.
(There’s an obvious joke here about Hillary losing to Frump in 2016)
Anyway, something I’ve been thinking about lately is the way Saturn impacts the house that it’s placed in on our birth chart (what’s a birth chart Yari?!). Saturn is often referred to as the "Taskmaster" or "Lord of Karma" due to its association with discipline, responsibility, limitations, and life lessons. I have Saturn in the 5th house. The 5th house is associated with creativity/self-expression, pleasure, romance/love affairs, children, risk taking/entrepreneurship/gambling, and hobbies that bring us joy.
Having Saturn in the 5th house is not … easy. I imagine it’s not easy in any house, as it can feel like a drill sergeant that nobody signed up to listen to (more like Jack Nicholson in a ‘Few Good Men’ and less like Shelley Long in ‘Troop Beverly Hills’). But having it in the house of pleasure has to be its own little brand of hell.
I think about how much shame I had about sex and self-pleasure for example. Therapy helped with that. Or the amount of things I used to be so rigid about because it allowed me to “keep things in order”. Only issue with that was that when I got tired of the limitations and self-discipline, I would swing so high to the opposite side I’d fall off the swing and usually feel very guilty post face-plant. It wasn’t until my 35th birthday that I started to find balance in this area of my life. Teaching myself to be more carefree while not losing the valuable lesson of how being a disciplined person pays off. Which I suppose is exactly what Saturn wanted me to learn in the first place.
What’s interesting is that astrologers say that you master Saturian energy the older you get, especially once you hit your 40s. Shout out to people with capricorn and aquarius placements (placements are planets), which are the two Saturn ruled zodiac signs. I know ya’ll be deep sighing at least once a week (I know because I have my mars in capricorn). It’s called “delayed gratification”, and yes we hate it. Thanks.
Where do you have Saturn in your chart?