Getting in the Flow of Magickal Work
Raven Digitalis
We all know the phrase getting in
the flow. It has an encouraging
tone, one lacking stress and boosting confidence. Unlike going with the flow, which tends to be passive, getting in the flow implies action and involvement. When it comes to magickal work and spiritual work, this is a must: we must be in a deeper creative flow than usual in order to create, manifest, and project our intentions into reality.
As spiritual artists, we co-create and build our experiences of reality through intentional magickal work and through our daily thoughts and actions. Spiritual rituals of all varieties—including life itself—rely primarily on the practitioner.
Our attitudes and approaches are the most important components of our work. Regardless of how many sigils we draw, how many deities we call forth, and how rare the ingredients are that we use in a spell, the success of our work depends primarily on ourselves as the crafters, the architects.
As I sit down to write this article, I feel a certain confidence in creating the piece. I am in the flow. For that reason, this article comes easily. It flows; it’s not forced. The words write themselves, and I am merely the conduit. The same holds true for other works of art and for works of magick. Besides, is there really a difference between the two? The illustrious, revolutionary, and ever-controversial occultist Aleister Crowley once said that all magick is art. As all artists know, art cannot be forced; the same goes for magickal work! We can try to force it, sometimes successfully, but the most successful and least stressful method of creation is to get in the flow to see where—and how—we are taken.
What Is the Flow?
Energetic flow occurs when we feel aligned, balanced, and confident. This makes a huge difference in our intentional work and in our lives in general. But it’s not always easy to get to this place. There are times when life sucks—or at least appears to suck. Life can be dreadfully stressful, amazingly beautiful, and everything in between. Even when we are sad or stressed, we can count on life to pick us back up and align us once again with that spiral flow that assures us everything is all right. From this mental and spiritual state, we can intuitively feel that everything is happening for a reason and that we are exactly where we are supposed to be. From this place, a sense of universal trust, compassion, and spiritual connectedness has a chance to develop and flourish.
Everyone has a baseline personality, and this baseline can change with time. It’s a noble goal to work both for personal happiness and for the happiness of others. If, however, you feel that your baseline personality is attached to ongoing fear, anxiety, sorrow, and pain, or if you experience extreme highs coupled with extreme lows, I encourage you with all my heart to seek counseling, therapy, and even prescription medication from a local mental health clinic (many of which even work for free or on a sliding scale). Life is much too short to live in a perpetual state of darkness, and we all deserve the healing it takes to reach a general baseline of happiness in life.
Reactions and Responses
Our responses to life’s challenges are what define our energetic state. If we live in a constant state of stress, agitation, or depression, we are certainly not in the flow. And while it’s rare that a person can remain in a perpetual state of confident bliss, everyone has moments of “okayness” and universal connectedness to varying degrees. These are the moments to take advantage of, magically and creatively.
As you read this article and others in this book, is your mind wandering to other things, or do you feel pretty focused and in the moment? Do you feel connected, engaged, comfortable, at ease, and single-minded? If so, consider yourself in the flow.
The brain is an intricate piece of equipment, processing both subtle and complex information at speeds that surpass even the world’s greatest supercomputer. Our minds are capable of feats that we may never fully understand. Metaphysical practitioners recognize the mind’s connection not only to physical senses but also to the psychic world, the spirit world, the dream world, past lives, and genetic memory. The list is endless, and we find our perceptions continually returning to the eternal moment of now.
So where are you now? As you read this article and others in this book, is your mind wandering to other things, or do you feel pretty focused and in the moment? Do you feel connected, engaged, comfortable, at ease, and single-minded? If so, consider yourself in the flow and totally receptive to the information on these pages—and the dance of life around you. If your mind is currently wandering or stressing about other things, then you’re not quite in the moment. But with a bit of intentional focus, this can change.
We must learn to train our minds. Our thought processes are intricately linked to our emotions. Both of these things are linked to our past experiences, primarily in this lifetime but undoubtedly in past ones as well. As we react to life’s various experiences, it’s essential to examine the reasons behind our responses. What is the basis for our mood at any given moment? The more frequently we choose to step back from our thoughts and emotions, the more clearly we can view ourselves. The more frequently we can simply observe life without dramatically emotionalizing even the smallest things, the deeper we grow in self-awareness. Self-awareness and mindfulness help us get in the groove of positivity, lending immeasurable strength to our magickal lives and our works at hand.
The Cosmic Dance
Most Witches reading this book are undoubtedly familiar with Starhawk’s Witchcraft-revival classic The Spiral Dance. Affirmed in this groundbreaking book is the fact that everything in life is constantly in flux. Nature’s spiral dance is reflected in the cycles of the sun, the moon, and the planets, and in the cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth. We dance the spiral of life in everything from hunting to ceremony to social interaction. All around us and within us is life’s spiral dance. Dancing the spiral can be considered a core practice of our Craft.
When we are in the flow, we are flowing with life. Moreover, we are dancing with life much like India’s Lord Shiva in his aspect of Nataraj. As one of the most common aspects of Hinduism’s alchemical god Lord Shiva (also called Rudra, Mahadeva, etc.), Nataraj is seen as an emblem of the perfect Lord of the Dance.
Like all Vedic gods, goddesses, and devas, Shiva Nataraj is depicted in a manner that is rich with symbolism in order to both convey the deity’s qualities and provide a focal point for devotees. Indeed, Hinduism is a mystical, magickal, and ancient path of wisdom!
Nataraj is portrayed within a burning ring of fire (Agni) and also holds a lick of flame in his left hand; this symbolizes the god’s alignment with life’s nature of change, often termed “destruction.” However, Nataraj stands atop a lotus pedestal, representing life’s perpetual experience of rebirth. Directly under his right foot we see him “taming,” or overcoming, what is often called “the demon of ignorance.” A snake (Naga) coils around his waist (representing shakti/kundalini power). He wears the clothing of an ascetic (sadhu), signifying the power of renouncing worldly attachments. He is depicted holding a damaru drum to represent the constant rhythm of life. His hands and feet are depicted in significant postures and mudras, and the holy river Ganges flows outward from his dreadlocked hair.
Shiva is regarded as the ideal yogi, swami, and Brahmachari (renunciant). In his avatar of Nataraj, he is the perfect spiral dancer who is entirely in the flow of evolution and awareness. In this aspect, Nataraj is not preoccupied, is not distracted, and is not anything but present. By performing his dharma (or “True Will,” as a Thelemite might say), Shiva Nataraj is very much in the flow of life and existence. We can call upon Shiva and other blissfully enlightened deities in order to help ourselves remain in the flow of life, devoted to equilibrium.
Reflections on Infinity
Let’s get abstract for a moment. We humans do not have the capacity to fully understand the concept of infinity. But infinity is a real thing, verified by science and mysticism alike. Generally we think about the infinite nature of time and space when we contemplate this concept. However, infinity is much deeper than this, penetrating every moment, every cell, every above and every below. We, as humans existing with these limited sensory capabilities, cannot accurately feel, experience, or comprehend infinity unless we invoke this experience through mind-altering, mystical, and gnostic activities such as deep meditation, trance dancing, the safe use of certain drugs, and so on.
In terms of normal-functioning consciousness, we need to find ourselves grounded and centered in any given moment. To survive this paradigm of experience, we must stay anchored to the present moment most of the time. We cannot feasibly live in a perpetually transcendental state of oneness. However, it serves us well to be aware that infinity exists in any given moment and in any given direction.
Think about what you are doing at this very moment. For starters, you are reading this article in these pages of The Witches’ Companion. That’s an easy one! Now, consider how you are sitting, where you are sitting, and where you find yourself in time and space. Check! Next, bring to mind even more details about the present moment. Perhaps you are reading this on a bus. Or maybe under a tree, facing west. Or maybe under that same tree, facing east. There are many options and many possibilities, but in reality these potentials are endless and you could have chosen to alter any of these “realities” at any point in time.
Within the present moment, there is literally an infinite number of choices we can make. At this very moment, you might choose to move the pinkie of your right hand, or maybe the index finger. You might choose to take a deeper breath than normal or maybe hold your breath for a split second. You might choose to look out the window for a moment, or you might glance to your left. You might choose to do any of these things at the same time right now, or maybe three seconds from now. Each of these choices is a “new reality” that you create; we cannot go back and change even the smallest actions. Within life’s tabula rasa (blank slate), you are writing the book of reality from moment to moment. Again, the possibilities we can choose in any given moment are literally endless; we can choose anything at any time. Life is like a “build your own adventure” book of monumental proportions.
It’s overwhelming to realize that we can literally craft our reality at any time. Even seemingly inconsequential, everyday things are moments that we consciously dictate—and let’s not even get into theories of the butterfly effect! It’s also worth contemplating to what extent we craft our own reality versus the extent to which it is “prewritten” or predetermined. These deeper aspects of theology and existential philosophy are journeys we embrace as our metaphysical practices take shape, advance, and evolve on a personal level.
Spells, Rituals, and Healing Work in the Flow
Magickal work relies on the choices we make in any given moment. If we are connected to the present moment, aware of the nature of infinity, and feel at the top of our game, we can tap into the projective force of evolution propelling all energies forward in space and time. When we dance with life’s progressive metaphysical flow, our magick and our art become crystal-clear; we know what to do and how to do it within our unique realm of knowledge and capability. From this space, we are riding the progressive wave of conscious evolution. When there is magickal or spiritual work to accomplish, we can achieve a high level of success when we are in the flow.
There’s nothing wrong with research; it’s essential to methodically craft our magick. However, the entire process of piecing together information and writing a spell or ritual becomes nearly effortless when we are in the flow.
We’ve all been there: poring laboriously through loads of books and websites to search for the right ingredients, incantations, or symbols to use for a spell. There’s nothing wrong with research; it’s essential to methodically craft our magick. However, the entire process of piecing together information and writing a spell or ritual becomes nearly effortless when we are in the flow. Rather than poring over research in frustration, our intuition will guide us to the resources we need. When we are in the flow, we will know which websites to click on and which symbols or words to use. When we are in the flow, we will know which herbs to add, subtract, or substitute during magickal work, and we will find that our intuition (and perhaps our spirit guides and guardians) easily communicates components and procedures of spells or rituals. When we are in the flow, we know what to do, where to look, and how to accomplish our magickal or creative goals, whether for ourselves or for others.
There are times when I will get a request for a healing spell or prayer but will not engage in the request until I have a moment of being in the flow. When this vibrational alignment occurs, the magick simply creates itself, because I am not preoccupied with stress over time, money, food, or any other sort of distraction. From this energetic flow, I intuitively know which herbs and stones to use for the sachet I’m crafting. I know which gods or spirits to work with for a particular issue. I know how to perform a ritual with confidence and clarity.
When aligned with the flow, we can more easily see the bigger picture of any given situation, and can be of much better assistance as a result. Whether it’s Witchcraft, ceremonial magick, hands-on healing, prayer, meditation, or artistic work of any kind, everything makes sense and comes easily when we are in the flow with life’s infinite dance.
Finally, for those who would like to study dharma and the yogic process of aligning oneself with life’s greater purpose, I earnestly refer you to Kauai’s Hindu Monastery, which is searchable on YouTube (try the video “What Is Dharma?” on Kauai’s Hindu Monastery channel) as well as online at http://himalayanacademy.com. Here, one can also sign up for the monastery’s daily lesson emails and download a plethora of free PDF books written by its illustrious founder, Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami.
Sources and Further Reading
Bennett-Goleman, Tara. Emotional Alchemy: How the Mind Can Heal the Heart. New York: Harmony Books, 2001.
Dass, Ram. Be Here Now. San Cristobal, NM: Lama Foundation, 1971.
———. The Only Dance There Is. Garden City, NY: Anchor Press, 1974.
Digitalis, Raven. Esoteric Empathy: A Magickal & Metaphysical Guide to Emotional Sensitivity. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn, 2016.
Farrar, Janet, and Stewart Farrar. A Witches’ Bible: The Complete Witches’ Handbook. Custer, WA: Phoenix Publishing, 1981.
Greer, John Michael. The New Encyclopedia of the Occult. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn, 2003.
McNevin, Estha. Opus Aima Obscuræ. Tradition materials and lesson notes. Missoula, MT: 2003–present.
Starhawk. The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess. San Francisco, CA: Harper & Row, 1979.
Subramuniya, Master. Merging with Siva. Kapa, HI: Himalayan Academy, 2003.
Tolle, Eckhart. Stillness Speaks. Novato, CA: New World Library, 2003.
Raven Digitalis (Missoula, MT) is the author of Esoteric Empathy, Shadow Magick Compendium, Planetary Spells & Rituals, and Goth Craft. He is a Neopagan Priest and cofounder of an Eastern Hellenistic nonprofit multicultural temple called Opus Aima Obscuræ (OAO). Also trained in Eastern philosophies and Georgian Witchcraft, Raven has been an earth-based practitioner since 1999, a Priest since 2003, a Freemason since 2012, and an empath all his life. He holds a degree in anthropology from the University of Montana and is also a professional tarot reader, DJ, small-scale farmer, and animal rights advocate. Visit him at www.ravendigitalis.com, www.facebook.com/ravendigitalis, www.opusaimaobscurae.org, or www
.facebook.com/opusaimaobscurae.
Illustrator: Bri Hermanson