Challenge Entry #4
As Above, So Below
What bonds are most important to you and your magickal practice?
The bonds that hold the most significance in my magickal practice are those forged with my deities/spirits. They provide me with a wonderful foundation of trust, wisdom, and guidance.
My relationship with my partner is also crucial, as they support and enhance my journey in both practical and emotional ways.
The bonds with my close friends and the community help, too, since they offer a sense of belonging, shared knowledge, and mutual support. But I will likely continue my journey if, for some reason, I stop being a member of any magickal community for a while (or permanently), so I do have to put it a bit further down in the list.
Are you an Empath—one who feels the needs and emotions of others?
I suppose I am an empath. I just don’t really like giving myself the label, but I am sensitive to the emotions and energies of those around me. This allows me to connect with others, offering compassion and understanding. However, it also requires me to be better at shielding myself from overwhelming or negative energies to maintain my own well-being. It can also put me in an awkward situation where I can see a negative outcome coming for someone else but can’t really do anything about it.
Is a community or other relationships important in your Craft?
For sure. My partner is probably the most important one, for they help me the most in times of doubt or difficulty.
The shared experiences and collective wisdom within a magickal community can be really beneficial if the community itself is made up of wonderful people. In such cases, collaborating with others can provide opportunities for learning, growth, and the exchange of ideas, which is what I’ve found here, so I’m grateful for all of that.
Do you feel a connection with a deity, element, zodiac sign, etc.?
I feel a connection with certain deities/spirits. My pantheon has grown and shrunk and grown again over the past year and a half, but some of the most prominent spirits over the months have been Hekate, Lilith, Belial, Lucifer, Selene, Nyx, Seventh, and Leviathan.
The element of water resonates with me quite a lot. It symbolises fluidity, intuition, and emotional depth, and it is also my lucky element.
The Western Zodiac signs have been a bit of a difficulty for me, even though adding the nuance of having my Moon in Scorpio and so on has helped me with the lack of resonance I have towards my Sun in Taurus. However, if I look at the Chinese Zodiac, where I am a white metal dragon and brown earth snake, I feel a lot more comfortable, so I may divert my attentions that way for a while.
Is healing (yourself, others, the planet, etc.) a key part of your practice?
Whether self-healing, aiding others, or contributing to the well-being of the planet, I believe in the transformative power of magick to restore balance and harmony. This includes physical healing, emotional healing, and spiritual healing, each requiring different approaches and techniques tailored to the specific needs at hand.
What does it mean to be connected—to be a part of the whole? How does this affect our magick?
Being connected means recognising the interdependence of all things and understanding that our actions and intentions ripple through the lives of not just ourselves but also those with whom we live and interact. This awareness enhances our magick by grounding it in a broader context, ensuring that our spells and rituals align with our own belief systems, the rules of our communities, and the natural flow of the universe. By contemplating our connections through meditation and reflection, we can use this connection to deepen our understanding of how our magick interacts with the world, leading to more effective and ethical practices.
Have you built a bond with a higher power—such as your patron deity, a God, Goddess, or other divine being?
As I mentioned above, I have built strong bonds with several higher powers. These relationships are nurtured through offerings, meditations, and rituals of appreciation. For example: