Our lives in this century are so busy. We have work. We have children. We have parents or people to take care of. We plan elaborate (or simple) rituals and spells, but then life happens and our plans get thrown to the wayside. We have to learn to adapt and change when those wrenches get thrown in our plans. How, then, are we supposed to find the magick in the mundane? And is it as effective?
I am recently out of the corporate world. I quit my job a few months ago to help take care of things around the house for my mom. That doesn’t mean that I have loads of free time, though, like I wish it did. I’m still doing work here and there. I’m taking care of a house every day now, keeping it clean, cooking all the meals, and doing any necessary things that need to be done during the day. I also have my child, and we all live together in the same house.
Let me tell you what I wish a normal day would look like for me. I’d wake up in the morning, sun shining through the windows, and I would do some yoga and meditate. I would journal for a bit, then wake up my daughter and get her ready for school. She would go to school and I would have the day to garden, to write in my Book of Shadows, to create spells and potions, candles, and anything else my heart desires. I would have a time of day set out specifically for communion with my Gods.
I bet you know what happens, though. I get busy with the household chores, the cleaning, cooking, taking care of a child, and making sure all the mundane tasks are done for the day. I’ve had to find time to squeeze in a bit of magick every day - in everything I do - to bring me closer to myself, my Gods, and the world around me.
I had a long-ish commute to work. I drove 30 minutes there and 30 minutes back five days a week. I used this time since I was already driving and sitting still - normally alone in my car after I dropped my daughter off at school or daycare - to do some musical devotions to the Gods. Now, I’m a Celtic Pagan, so the Gods I worship are from the Celtic pantheon. This makes the music I listen to perfect for my devotionals to Them. If I’m feeling like I need to honor Ceridwen with a song, I add Ceridwen and Taliesin by Damh the Bard to my playlist. I also enjoy music by Erutan (doubly because their music is good and their name is nature spelled backward). Listening and singing along to these songs in the names of my Gods helps me feel connected to Them, even when driving in a metal box down an asphalt road. This is also a time that I used when, if I don’t want to listen to music or do a musical devotion, I just talk. I’m alone in my car anyway, so I commune with the Gods and physically speak to them. Its one of the only times I’m alone and quiet enough for me to do so.
Now, even though I don’t commute to work anymore, I still do this. I’ve just changed the scenario. Instead of singing devotions to the Gods while I drive, I sing while I clean. If I have to go anywhere that requires a longer drive than five minutes, that’s another five minutes of song devotions I can squeeze in during my day.
Cleansing is another thing that I practice several times a week. I have a few mental illnesses, so doing a daily cleansing helps to keep me in a good mindset, especially when coupled with my medications. Since I have to shower anyway, I use the time to do a mini-ritual cleansing. The only thing I use for this is myself, the water, and some music on my phone. Other things can be added, like candles and incense, but we have allergies in the home so I don’t use those. Water is a powerful element, even when coming out of the shower-head, which a lot of us take for granted. When washing my hair, I scrub away any spiritual gunk that might be leftover from the day before. I scrub away any negativity from my body, and I let the warm water wash everything away so I can start the day fresh.
Being an avid coffee drinker (as I’m sitting here writing this, drinking my coffee) means that I have an extra opportunity to direct the energy of my day in the morning. If I feel like the day is going to be a little difficult, I add some chocolate stevia to my coffee to sweeten up my mood and give it a bit of a boost. If I’m feeling a little downtrodden and tired, I pop in a sprinkle of cinnamon to give me little kick of energy, both physically and mentally, to get my day started right. I love to add and experiment with the things I put in my coffee in the morning, and its a little way of bringing magick into your morning. This is especially true if you create a little spell at the same time. Sprinkle your ingredients, stir it in, and say a little spell. Ta-da! Magick to your morning!
Find the time - or make it!
Don’t underestimate the time you have in your day. Doing little things during your day is an effective way to bring magick into your life without having to perform elaborate rituals that you don’t have time for. There’s no point in stressing yourself out over not performing a ritual when you do smaller things during the day to honor your Gods or bring magick into your life. Magick is about changing and adapting, and we can learn a thing or two from it. If magick can change and adapt, why can’t we?
So, how do you find time to mix your magick in with your day?
Do you take advantage of the daily devotionals?
How about daily protection spells or meditations?
All images are from Pixabay.
