For those of you who have been to my house you'll know that one of my favourite hobbies is Origami. I love to fold paper and make different things. I'm not amazing at it but I love it none the less. It's also something that from time to time I utilise as part of my spiritual practice both to inspire creativity and promote mindfulness. I suppose in some ways it can be a meditation but that only happens periodically during a good fold. Of my favourite uses of origami is actually in my wish making/wish casting process. I like to grind up herbs and actually fill the birds with them. Sometimes I keep the birds with me for a while like a talisman or totem and sometimes I burn the whole thing on a charcoal block like an incense. It's a beautiful and symbolic thing that I like to do that's sort of become a part of affirming to myself what my intentions are. We all have a process of creating our own magic. There's a million and one little things a lot of people do to engage in a conversation with the universal mind. My mum likes to burn candles, an old friend used to throw stones into the sea, one of my aunties once put 5 tomatoes into a bowl of water with silver coins...don't ask but I personally like to use paper!
So what type of magic do you use? Spell books are always fun to dip in and out of to get ideas but failing that traditions are full of them. It's just a more flavourful form of prayer that engages a fun side. Spells, lightcasting, inner workings are all different expressions of intention and manifestation. Sometimes they can really help you to get clear on what it is you are calling to yourself. I find that during the process of “creating” my spell I am thinking about the energy that I am putting into it and clarifying the vision of what I would like to come out of it. So I do suggest giving it a go. I don't take the whole thing too seriously but that doesn't mean I don't acknowledge it's sacred. I think that whatever you need to do to inspire a dialogue with the Universe is helpful and making a little bit of your own magic is always fun.
This time of year we tend to put up trees, stockings on the fireplace and hang lights anywhere that won't make the house fall down so why not use this time to create a little? What is it that you want? What do you want to create more of? Ritualise the process and have a little fun with it. Want more love? Create a love alter! Want more money? Design a spell to symbolise wealth. Get creative. You can use what I do if you like, eventually your own style of it will come through and eventually it will develop into it's own thing! I have a few birds to make this week ready for next year. I tend to set up a full alter this time of year to ritualise and symbolise what I want to draw from the Universe over the coming year. It's a great way to connect, also listen and just engage in an intimite way with the world around me. Give it a go!
Thank you,
Big Love,
Ryan James x