Spells and rituals…or maybe you refer to them as prayers and practices, or devotions and celebrations.

Whichever language you like to use, these things are on my list of human needs. We have our basic needs, like air, water, food, shelter, sleep, and sex. Beyond that we have many needs as humans – among them are things like connection, creative expression, spirituality, ceremony, ritual, solitude, community and contribution.

So often we tend to forget that we have other needs besides just the most basic. And as women, wives, mothers, caretakers, we can often get so busy taking care of everyone else we sometimes neglect even our most basic needs, let alone the other more esoteric needs we may have.

I remember coaching a nurse and during our session I had an intuitive hit to ask her if she was drinking enough water. I almost didn’t ask the question because it seemed too basic, so practical, and so, well…non magical. But my intuition kept nagging at me so I asked. It seemed like a silly question until she told me that she often worked a 12-hour shift with only one bathroom break and “really no time to get a drink of water”. This was a women who had devoted her life to taking care of other people and she was struggling to find enough time in the day to take care of even her most basic needs.

In a world where even our basic needs don’t always get met, it seems almost impossible sometimes that we’ll find the time for ritual, or for celebration, or for creative expression.

And yet, when we give those needs the priority they deserve, when we honor ourselves beyond our basic needs, time seems to expand and we enjoy healthier, happier lives, more magic and even miracles.

Vedantic philosophy teaches that there are only two symptoms of enlightenment. The first is that you stop worrying, the second is that you experience more meaningful coincidences – also known as magic, or miracles.

If we are living at such a pace that we can’t find time to drink enough water, or eat right, or get enough sleep we certainly aren’t at a place where we can stop worrying and experience magic.

As human beings we are wired to create miracles, just by virtue of our powerful minds, our energetic make-up, our ability to connect. But we always create from our foundation, and this is where basic needs being met is so important. Our bodies, our minds, our hearts, our health – this is our foundation – this is what we are creating from, so taking good care of ourselves is fundamental to making magic.

Radical responsibility is the first step towards enlightenment, and getting our own needs met is our first responsibility as conscious creators. First our basic needs, then our deeper needs. Once our needs are met we have more energy, and a stronger foundation to work towards helping others get their needs met.

Start with making sure your basic needs are met well, and then see how you can add some of your deeper needs into the mix. Carve out some time to be creative, make sure you spend some time in quiet solitude as well as some time connecting with others, make a point to practice meditation and ritual, follow the moon cycle, create an altar, plant a garden, celebrate even the small victories in your life. Experiment until you find the rituals and practices that feed your soul.

When you take good care of yourself by taking full responsibility for getting your own needs met you send an energetic message to the Universe that having your needs met is important to you. This is some of the most powerful spell-work you can do!

Making magic begins with taking care of yourself. Begin with a deep breath. Magic always happens in the present moment, start now.

Love & Magic,