Desert Magick

Join me for a workshop on magickal practices for a desert environment. You needn’t live in a desert to benefit from this information. I’ll be using some of my desert-inspired spiritual practices as a reference point, but the main takeaway is adapting a magickal practice to any specific location. This event is from the Wiccan standpoint, but all relationships are honored and welcome. Blessed be.

Transcript

Although this talk is about desert magic,

You don't have to live in a desert to be able to apply anything I'm going to cover.

I do live in a desert,

So I'll be using that as a reference point in sharing some of my practices that are specific to this region.

But the main takeaway is practicing magic specific to a natural environment,

Whatever yours might be.

So what kind of magic is specific to the desert?

The desert speaks to us with harsh summer heat,

With frigid winter nights,

Both extremes,

Showing us the necessity of balance.

Owls and coyotes call out at night.

The crows caw in early mornings and throughout the day.

As the moon rises above this precious land,

Javelinas prowl for food.

The earth slumbers,

Awaiting rain.

When the rain finally comes,

Both creatures of this land and those of us who share this sacred space with them rejoice.

Many people who have never visited or lived in a desert picture it as an almost lifeless land,

Completely lacking character.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Granted,

The climate can be challenging,

But there is an abundance of life,

Energy,

And wonder in the desert.

The uniqueness of the desert offers a variety of tools for a practitioner of magic.

If you are accustomed to working with the energies of the sun and the moon,

The desert offers you unparalleled access to both resources.

Sunlight is often the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the desert,

And we have an abundance of it here in our world of prickly pear and saguaro cacti.

A wonderful way to incorporate the sun into your practice is by working with pagan solar deities,

Such as Sol,

The Norse sun goddess,

Helios,

The sun god of the Greeks,

Or Lu,

The sun god of the Celts.

Also,

Making sun tea is a fun and easy practice.

This is done by infusing a container of purified water with teas or herbs of your choice,

Sealing the container,

And leaving it outside to be brewed by and absorb the sun's energy.

As with any environment,

Wildlife plays an incredibly important role in the desert.

While all wildlife should be respected,

And some should be given a very healthy level of respect,

Desert animals can be spiritual allies.

A common example of this is through divination.

With divination,

Many people immediately call to mind a crystal ball,

Tarot cards,

And so forth.

Those are wonderful tools,

But so is wildlife.

One of the best ways to practice this form of divination is by simply observing wildlife.

If you are seeking insight,

Be mindful of the question you are asking as you are taking a walk in the desert.

Wildlife might very well give you the answer.

A coyote's howl could be telling you to speak out.

A group of javelinas searching for food could indicate a need for food.

A coyote's howl could be telling you to speak out.

A group of javelinas searching for food could indicate a need for teamwork.

Ask the question,

Then actively look for the answer.

One word of advice,

Frame your question in a way that has you co-creative in the outcome you're seeking.

Instead of asking if you'll get a promotion,

Ask instead what you can do to help yourself get the promotion.

Framing your question this way not only sets the stage for a more clear answer,

But it will leave you feeling more empowered.

Becoming familiar with desert animals and their magical correspondences can be of great spiritual benefit.

For example,

Scorpions correspond to protection and strength.

Coyotes,

Adaptability and playfulness.

Javelinas symbolize resilience and adaptation.

Obviously,

Deserts are not known for robust water supplies,

Yet water is an important part of desert magic.

One way of experiencing desert magic through water is by conserving it.

Individual harvesting of rainwater is one way of doing this.

One of the core beliefs in general magic is that what you send forth will return three times over.

As a strict adherent to that,

I practice only positive magic,

And that applies to water too.

That comes down to taking only what you need and sharing what you have.

That comes down to taking only what you need and sharing what you have,

Especially with nature.

When practicing magic,

There are times when speed or emphasis is needed in a working.

A wonderful way to accomplish that is by using storm water collected during the summer monsoons and adding it to your working.

Be that giving a drink of it to an indoor plant that needs a little extra boost,

Or mopping the floor with it to give the foundation of your home the strength of lightning and thunder.

These are just two examples.

Please feel free to explore your own,

But I do not recommend consuming that water.

In southern Arizona,

The monsoon season occurs each summer,

And that's when we get the majority of our rain for the year.

As the saying goes,

When it rains,

It pours.

The downpours are usually heavy,

And winds can be violent.

Lightning streaks across the sky.

Thunder claps.

It might sound odd for me to describe monsoons as beautiful,

But they are.

Each time I observe a monsoon,

I have the privilege of witnessing strength and might.

That same strength and might exists in the water that is produced from the storms,

And it can be added to your magical practice.

In many magical practices,

Our ancestors are honored,

Especially when casting a circle.

Ancestors can be blood relatives,

Familiars,

Or what I prefer to call adopted ancestors.

Even someone who has inspired you,

In whatever form,

Can be considered an ancestor.

Each time you take a walk in the desert,

Or anywhere,

Your footsteps intermingle with your land ancestors.

They can be people who walked the native soil thousands of years before you did.

Land ancestors can also be animals.

As I take my daily walks through our beautiful desert,

I am constantly aware of those who were here before me.

I am mindful of the steps that the indigenous people also took along my path.

I observe the footprints of native wildlife,

And,

In both cases,

Their footprints.

I observe the footprints of native wildlife,

And,

In both cases,

I respect the fact that this was their home before it became mine.

Those who walked the land before us,

Those who walked the land at the same time we are,

We are most definitely kindred spirits.

You can honor your land ancestors by holding space for them at a place of your choosing,

Leaving nature offerings,

Or simply calling them to mind in the practice of your spiritual path.

Even the way you cast a circle can be influenced by your particular region.

I would like to share with you a circle casting I wrote specifically for Desert Magic.

Guardians of the East,

Element of Air,

You who carry our dreams skyward and cool us under the bright sun,

Guard this circle with your sacred breezes,

And guide us on this path upon our arid land.

Hail and welcome.

Guardians of the South,

Element of Fire,

Born of lightning,

You teach us power and respect.

Bring your energy and might into our circle.

Hail and welcome.

Guardians of the West,

Element of Water,

Pour forth your cleansing rain upon this circle and our desert so that creosote will spring forth as new incense,

And this land will be restored with wonder.

Hail and welcome.

Guardians of the North,

Element of Earth,

We celebrate the crystals and stones that you bring forth to give healing to us and shelter to the commodities of nature within this place we call home.

Grant this healing and protection to our circle.

Hail and welcome.

Beloved Lord and Lady,

You have set forth everything within this sacred circle.

We burn herbs,

Sage and rose,

In your honor.

We ask that you watch over us this night and every night as we draw down your energy for our working.

Using herbs and plants native to your area for magical purposes is a great way to connect with the spirit of your home while practicing the craft.

One thing I do regularly is make desert magic incense.

In my recipe,

I use sage,

Rose petals,

Patchouli,

Fennel,

Cumin,

Nettles,

Jalapeno leaves,

And rosemary.

Each of these herbs will need to be charged with your intentions,

And after you do so,

Thank the plant for being part of your working.

Ingredients such as cinnamon and ginger are like afterburners in a mixture because they add heat and fire to the intention.

But since we're working with desert magic,

I have chosen dried jalapeno leaves instead.

I grow an assortment of hot peppers in my garden every year,

And at the end of each harvesting season,

I dry out the leaves of the plants and add them to my incense blend.

I selected each of the herbs in this blend because they are associated with protection,

Love,

And healing,

Which is what I always want to bring about.

After the herbs have dried,

I grind them down with a mortar and pestle.

If you don't have those,

A bowl with an ice cream scooper or a spoon will work just fine.

Whatever you use,

Have good intentions while blending,

And stir the mixture clockwise.

Once your herbs are blended,

You can choose to burn them in a fireproof container or a cauldron,

Or you might choose to dress a chime candle with a carrier oil and roll the candle in the mixture before lighting it.

Again,

Everything I mentioned is specific to the desert,

But it's completely adaptable,

Too.

I hope that you will find inspiration in some of these ideas,

And apply that to fit your own home.

Wherever you live,

Blessed be.