The Majesty and Magic of the Horse

by Suzanne Ress

Some mornings, rather than hitting the forest trails, I ride my horse through town. He’s an easygoing, friendly gray Arabian with a long white tail and mane and kind, dark eyes. Little girls run up to us saying, “My favorite animal is a horse! Can I touch him?” Parents with kids in their cars drive by slowly with the windows down. “Look, kids! A horse!” Old men out for a stroll stroke his nose and tell me their personal horse stories.

One time, an older lady we encountered on the sidewalk said, “I’m terribly afraid of horses—they are so big and strong—but I’ve always wanted to touch one. May I?” I led her trembling hand to my horse’s smooth white neck. She let it linger there a while, her palm pressed against him, absorbing some of his gentle strength.

When she took her hand away, she was smiling.

“Thank you,” she said. “He’s beautiful.”

When I am walking or running in the woods and unexpectedly encounter a horse and rider, the beauty and power of the animal still never fails to take my breath away.

From the beginning of civilization, we have had a magical relationship with horses. No one knows exactly when horses quit being considered another kind of meat and became transportation, although the most recent estimates suggest that horses were first ridden around 6,000 years ago. Likewise, no one really knows why horses are so willing to carry our weight and work for us. Other animals—donkeys, camels, elephants—can be ridden, but none are as swift, as handy, as reliable, and as trainable as horses. Together, horse and human took the first steps toward globalization.

A human on horseback can cover far more ground than a human on foot, making it much easier for isolated groups of people to meet and trade knowledge and goods with others.

For millennia, war was not possible without horses—a war without horses would have been a mobbing or a riot. With chariots, and, later, war cavalry, came the conquest of territory, which led to the formation of nations, leaders, and governments. Greater mobility created trade, markets, and economies as well as increased knowledge and learning, arts, science. The horse transformed human life.

And horses continue to give us even more than greater mobility and work power. Interacting with horses expands one’s physical awareness and ability to communicate with others, both equine and human, nonverbally. In our electronically swamped modern world, we tend to rely heavily on written or spoken words for communication—instant messaging, emails, social networking, online dating, telephone and Skype calls. It is easy to forget that, according to psychologists, only about 10 percent of human communication is verbal. The rest relies on subtle energetic exchanges, behavior, facial expression, gestures and body language, vocal tones, body odors, breathing patterns, intuition, and many other nuances we are usually not consciously aware of. Relating regularly with any nonhuman animal, but particularly with the sensitive horse, raises your awareness of the nonverbal messages you are expressing and helps you understand others. For this reason, therapists, psychologists, and educators have had very high success rates using hippotherapy (physical, occupational, and speech therapies aided by a horse, which can include incorporating a horse’s gait and other movements to influence a patient’s response) to treat emotionally or mentally disturbed children and adults.

Because our long-ago ancestors could not explain when, how, or why the lives of horses had become so entwined with their own, they were awestruck by horses’ mysterious power and beauty and held them in high regard spiritually, as consorts of gods and goddesses, or as deities in their own right, all over the world.

Ceridwen is the Welsh mother deity of the moon and grain. She rides a white horse and sometimes takes on the form of a white mare herself. The tale of Lady Godiva is supposed to have derived from the Ceridwen goddess image, as did the Celtic horse goddess adopted by the Roman cavalry, Epona.

Odin, or Wodan, northern god of the wind, rode his magical eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, through the sky, especially during the Yule period. Farmers always left the last sheaf of wheat or corn in the field until after Yule so that when he passed, Sleipnir would have something to eat.

In the Quran, Muhammed rode a horse-like creature called Al-Buraq on his spiritual night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and back. Al-Buraq was a white horse from the heavens with a beautiful face and wings on his thighs that made him able to travel as fast as lightning.

Pegasus is another well-known winged horse, from Greek mythology. Where he stamped his hoof, a spring was created that was the source of poetic inspiration.

The speedy Hippogriffe, a fantastical medieval creature, was half horse and half griffin, and the preferred mount of wizards.

Many people’s favorite fabled horse creature is the unicorn. This remarkable single-horned horse, which symbolizes spiritual harmony, happiness, prosperity, and truth, is represented, in slightly different forms, in almost every culture around the world.

Cultural Impact Continues Today

Nowadays it seems impossible to see a real unicorn, and, for many people, it is rare to even see a horse. Even so, our historical relationship with horses still holds sway over us, so that when we do see one, we are filled with awe for his power, strength, swiftness, and beauty.

To this day, the horseshoe is considered a good-luck talisman, and toy horses are ever popular with children because of the deep subconscious magical worlds they can connect a child to.

Even if you are not easily able to come into regular contact with horses, there are many ways to connect with the magic of horses and the horse/human relationship and to use this magical power in spells, rituals, and visualization.

Lucky Horseshoe for Protection

The purpose of a horse’s shoes are to protect his hooves from stony or hard road surfaces, thereby preventing the hooves from wearing down too fast if the horse is worked frequently on such surfaces. This crescent moon-shaped metal plate can also protect you from harmful negative energies.

The horseshoe must be nailed up over a threshold with its “horns” pointing upwards where it invokes the moon’s protection from evil intent, and collects and holds in good fortune. Hanging a horseshoe with its horns facing downward has the opposite effect.

Found horseshoes are the most powerful, but they are not so easy to come by unless you live someplace commonly frequented by shod horses. You can get a used one free from a riding stable, any horse owner, or blacksmith; however, the you must make sure that it had been worn by a horse. Brand-new ones will not work.

Paint it with acrylics any way that pleases you, using your lucky color or colors, and decorate it with tiny decoupage pictures and glitter glue, if desired. Finish with a coating of transparent acrylic paint, and, when completely dry, string a piece of wire or fishing line through the two holes closest to the tips of the “horns.”

On the evening of the full moon (or else the last evening of the month, whichever comes first), drive a nail above your chosen threshold, making sure it is high enough so that the hung shoe will not obstruct the moving door, and perform a short ritual before hanging up the horseshoe.

Horse Dreaming for Improved Love/Sex/Body Image

Everybody dreams, even if you think you do not. Dreams are messages from our subconscious and can be used for positive transformation in your waking life. It is said that horses in dreams symbolize the animal life within the human body. Getting in touch with your own subconscious animal self will help you be more grounded and balanced—and will likely improve your body image, as well as your love and sex life.

If you do not usually remember your dreams, start keeping a notepad and pen next to your bed, and, upon waking, write down any tiny insignificant scrap of dream thought you remember. If you do this faithfully, within a week you will be able to remember entire dreams in detail.

On the night of the full moon, cut the corners off a sheet of plain white paper and burn them. Using a new pen with red ink, write down the following words:

Epona, reveal myself to me.

Fold the paper up, all the while visualizing a lovely white mare watching you from a few feet away. Tie a red ribbon or thread around the folded paper.

Put the tied paper under your pillow and leave it there for three nights until you dream of a horse.

Upon waking, write down your dream. Was the horse docile, hurt, wild, healthy, frightened, big, small, angry, etc.? Use your intuitive powers to analyze your horse dream, and use your analysis to help transform your life accordingly.

Toy Horse Spell for Money and Luck

Buy an inexpensive small toy horse at a dime store or supermarket, but choose it carefully—you should like it. By the light of the noontime sun on a Sunday, anoint the toy horse all over with a blend of basil and ginger essential oils. Name your horse according to some quality you see in him or something he brings to your mind. Repeat his name eight times while holding him in the palm of your hand, exposed to the sun. Tie a tiny golden thread or a gold or yellow ribbon around him to form a bow, like a gift.

Keep your toy horse with you, in your purse or pocket, for eight days, repeating his name eight times to him once each day.

On the ninth day, set him down discreetly in some public place—a fence rail, stairway, waiting room—where he is likely to be picked up by a stranger. As you walk away, repeat his name silently eight times, for the last time, and add, “Come back to me soon!”

As soon as someone else picks up and keeps your toy horse, money and/or luck will come to you.

Horse Power Vision for Healing, Well-Being, Bravery

Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed. It can be outdoors or in, but you should be able to sit comfortably with your eyes closed.

Take some time to get comfortable and relaxed, and to banish all worrisome thoughts and irritations from your mind. Take several long, deep breaths. When you breathe in, see yourself inhaling sparkling golden light. You will exhale smoky gray smog. Continue these breaths until you feel yourself completely filled with the sparkling golden light and no more smog comes out when you exhale.

A white horse arrives, prancing softly, and stands near you. You feel her soft breath against the hairs of your arm. You feel her strong and quiet presence. Reach out to her and feel her velvety muzzle against the palm of your hand. She stretches her neck down, moving her face gently near yours and you see a white light emanating from her, a steady positive energy that soon wraps itself all around you, enclosing you in its strength and joyfulness of the moment. Continue breathing deeply, inhale the horse’s light and see yourself becoming as strong, as swift, and as honest as the horse mother. If you have any particularly weak spots or parts that need healing, visualize the horse’s magical white light entering that part of your self and cleaning it, filling it with healing energy.

Before she leaves you, thank the horse.

This visualization can be repeated every day for as long as necessary.

If you are lucky enough to be in contact with a real live horse, appreciate him for all he is worth. And if you should meet one by chance, do not hesitate to ask his rider if you may touch him.