HausMagick, page 2
BALANCING ENERGIES
As we’ll discover throughout this book, the concept of balance is key to creating decor that nurtures you, mind, body, and spirit. There are a couple of different frameworks that I find useful for bringing in balance, and which draw on some of the oldest and most foundational ways in which humans have conceptualized the world around them.
YIN AND YANG: throughout history, humans have divided the world into all sorts of binary oppositions, such as Male/Female, Day/Night, etc. This is illustrated perfectly in Chinese philosophy by the symbol of the Yin and Yang. You’ve probably seen the symbol of the Yin and Yang used in countless contexts: the circle split down the middle to form two equal paisley shapes, one black and one white. Each side has a smaller circle within it of the opposite color to show that one should not exist without the other. It symbolizes the balance of the two essential energies of the universe: Yin energy, which is passive and associated with the moon, night, the feminine, death, slowness, and dark; and Yang energy, its complement and opposite, associated with action, the sun, daytime, the masculine, birth, speed, and light. (It is worth noting here that when using terms like “feminine” and “masculine,” we are not talking about anything related to human gender identity or anatomy. It’s simply a way of characterizing the two types of energy that society has matched to a particular gender.) This idea of balancing Yin and Yang energies runs through most New Age magical practices and is expressed in many different forms.
THE FOUR ELEMENTS: another useful framework for understanding how to balance energies is through the four elements—earth, air, fire, and water—which are considered to be the foundations of all matter in the universe. Many modern-day witchcraft practices call on these elemental energies heavily, invoking them as a way to align ceremonies and rituals with the natural world. Different divinatory practices such as the tarot and astrology use the four elements as categories which relate to the card suits and the different zodiac signs. For example, the twelve zodiac signs are divided up so that three signs fall in each of the elemental categories: I am a Gemini, for instance, which is an air sign, as are Libra and Aquarius; whereas Aries, Sagittarius, and Leo are all fire signs; Pisces, Cancer, and Scorpio are water signs; and Capricorn, Taurus, and Virgo are earth signs.
Fire energy is all about action and change. It’s a good energy for shaking things up. Creativity, passion, and sexuality are all charged with fire. Earth is grounding and stabilizing, and connects us to the material world. Air is all about intellectual thought, mental focus, and precision. Finally, water invokes emotion, creativity, and flow. Spirit, or aether, is considered the fifth element. I believe that the intention you are setting to connect with universal energy relates to the spirit element of any spell.
CRYSTAL HEALING
Now for the sparkly part! Throughout the rest of this book I’ll be dropping the names of crystals like they’re celebrities, and we’ll get more into the healing properties of each as we go. In the meantime, let’s talk about some ways of working with crystals that are simple and effective.
Cultures from the beginning of recorded history, all across the globe, have recognized the energetic medicine of crystals and minerals. As early as 1151, Hildegard of Bingen (the Benedictine Abbess, artist, mystic, author, composer) wrote extensively about gems like topaz, jasper, and amethyst in her book Physica—one of the earliest works on Western herbal medicine to be written by a woman. Of agate, she writes: “Its nature will make [a] person capable, judicious, and prudent in speech, because it is born from fire and air and water.”
Crystals form deep within the earth, and each different one holds its own unique vibration. The healing power of crystals comes from the ability of these vibrations to connect the user to the earth and to harmonize with the healing energies of the natural world. For more on the science of crystal healing, see here.
Crystals come in all different sizes and forms. A “raw” crystal is one with rough edges that hasn’t been shaped, polished, or carved. A “tumbled” stone has been put in a rock tumbler with an abrasive grit and water for a long time until all of the rough edges are smooth (these are great for slipping into your pocket to carry with you). Finally, a “carved” crystal has been cut into a specific shape meant to enhance the look and feel of the stone, and to make it easier to use. For example, many crystals end up carved into a shape where one end is flat and the other is a sharp point. This is called a crystal point (makes sense, right?), and that shape makes it easier to display.
THE SCIENCE OF CRYSTAL HEALING
I’m blessed to have witches in so many different walks of life in my community. Here, Shaina Cohen and Michaela Zullo, trained geologists and energy workers, explain the science behind the healing magic of crystals:
The scientific study of crystals and their formation is known as crystallography. All minerals are crystalline solids, which means their atoms are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure that repeats indefinitely in all directions (known as a “crystal lattice”). As a crystal grows and becomes visible to the human eye, its appearance reflects its microscopic structure—which is why crystals take on a wide variety of shapes, including sheets, cubes, and points.
In order to describe the science behind the healing potential of crystals, let’s take quartz as an example. All quartz crystals are made of a molecule known as silicon dioxide (SiO2). The individual atoms of silicon and oxygen in the crystal lattice of quartz are bonded together (through interatomic forces). Although bonded together, they are in constant motion—each atom and its associated bonds all vibrate at unique frequencies. These frequencies determine how any given crystalline solid resonates.
Now, let’s consider a wristwatch that keeps time using a quartz crystal. The quartz crystal vibrates at a known frequency, which allows quartz clocks to keep time more precisely than other mechanisms. This is only possible because quartz is a piezoelectric mineral. Minerals with this physical property can transmit energy in the form of electricity as a result of both the chemical composition and the atomic structure of the crystal. All crystals are characterized by unique physical properties (and unique vibrations) that control the way they interact with the world around them.
This example, our ability to keep time precisely using the vibrations of quartz, sheds light on how the physical mechanisms of this reality (even those we cannot see) can have different, tangible effects on our lives.
The easiest way to bring crystals into your home is to place a crystal in a conspicuous place in your living space according to its healing properties. For example, amethyst is perfect for a bedside table as it helps with sleep by making you feel safe and supported. Similarly, I always have pyrite on my desk because it’s good for willpower and manifestation.
Next to working directly with the crystal itself, the easiest option is to make a crystal essence. An essence is an elixir that holds the vibration of a stone or mineral and preserves it in a water/alcohol mixture. In this liquid form, you can access the healing power of any crystal by using a few drops of its essence. For example, you can ingest it by putting a few drops of the essence directly on your tongue or by diluting them in drinking water. You can also use them topically by dabbing your skin with drops or adding essences to skincare and beauty products. Or you can create some pretty magical room sprays and cleaning products, as I’ll be showing you how to do during our journey together.
HOW TO CREATE A CRYSTAL ESSENCE POTION
1
Cleanse your crystal. If you’ve just brought your new crystal friend home with you, or it’s been with you for a while, you may want to cleanse your crystal before using it. This is super simple: you can just hold it under clear running water, clear it with sage smoke (see here), or place it in sunlight for a half hour or so. You can also place it in a bowl of salt for a few minutes. This will get rid of any of the random energy your stone may have sucked up, so that you can reset it to your intended frequency.
2
Set the intention. Sit for a minute with the crystal in your dominant hand. Think about how you want this crystal to help you. What are you hoping its healing properties can aid you in? Close your eyes and really visualize your intention in a way that feels right to you.
3
Place the crystal in or beside a clear glass of clean water—no plastic, please, as this will not hold the vibrations as well! (Also note that some stones are water soluble and will start to dissolve when soaked in water.) Position this and a small dropper bottle, in which to store your finished essence, in direct sunlight for about four hours.
4
Fill your dropper bottle halfway with brandy and the other half with the water from the glass. That’s it! You’ve got yourself a gem essence.
CHARGING OBJECTS
When working with magical objects it is important to “charge” them. This means infusing the object with a specific energy. Sometimes that energy is an intention you are setting. To do this, hold the object in your hand, or, if it’s big, simply touch it, close your eyes, and meditate on the intention you would like it to have. For example, you could charge a souvenir you got on vacation with the energy of the fun and adventure you experienced on the trip. This means that when you go home, you are bringing that particular energy with you in physical form.
You can also charge objects with the cosmic energy of the sun or the moon. For example, I sometimes like to charge my crystals with moonlight by placing them on a windowsill under the full moon. This infuses them with the energy of abundance and gratitude, so that I can always have that energy around me.
ASTROLOGY
The study of astrology goes way beyond checking your horoscope in the Sunday paper. Astrology connects what happens here on earth with what is happening in the sky above us. The stars, planets, and asteroids are all part of the natural world, and just because they are very far away does not mean they don’t have an influence on your life. Try thinking of it like a cosmic map. Your birth chart, or the placement of heavenly bodies on the day you were born, is where you’re coming from; and the way in which those same heavenly bodies move around the sky during your life signifies where you’re going. For example, many people experience some disruption or upheaval in their lives between the ages of twenty-five and thirty. This coincides with your “Saturn Return,” which is when planetary heavyweight Saturn returns to the same position it was in on the day you were born.
For our purposes, we’ll be focusing on a part of astrology called “the houses,” which are a feature of your birth chart. We’ll get into that in more detail in Chapter 1, Manifesting.
TAROT
A typical tarot deck has seventy-eight cards, and most of those cards are much like a regular deck of playing cards, only with the four suits representing the four elements: pentacles/earth, cups/water, wands/fire and swords/air. There are fourteen cards per suit, which run from the ace through to the king. Those fifty-six cards are called the Minor Arcana. So, at first glance, the tarot is really not so different from the playing cards you used to play gin rummy with your nana.
Then there’s the cards that go beyond a regular deck of playing cards: the Major Arcana. These twenty-two cards span from the Fool to the World. Despite how mysterious that may sound, you’ll probably recognize these too, even if you’ve never picked up a tarot deck. They’re the universal archetypes, the characters that we see over and over again in stories across different cultures, places, and time periods, and which appear in novels, movies, plays, and even in our own lives. Like all of our favorite characters, the Fool is on a journey, only they are traveling through the Major Arcana—from naïve beginnings all the way through to a joyful completion that brings together everything learned along the way.
We can look at our lives like this: a constant cycle of learning and growing through different life stages. Not all of those stages are easy, and some of them may even seem scary, like those symbolized by the Devil card. But even the Devil is just a temporary stage that involves working through any patterns, obsessions, and addictions that may stand in the way of you living your most aligned life.
HERBALISM
Plants are an integral part of the earth’s ecosystem and a powerful part of any witch’s tool kit. Besides the medicinal benefits, herbs carry their own magic. Each herb has very real and tangible effects on the body, and can also help represent themes, archetypes, and intentions in spell work.
Herbalism incorporates tinctures, teas, baths, and all sorts of herbal recipes. Whether you’re using herbs for magic or medicine, it’s always important to double check that whatever you’re doing with herbs is safe. Confirm that there are no contraindications with any medicines that you might be taking if you plan on ingesting or coming into direct contact with plant matter. The recipes in this book include dried and fresh plants, essential oils, and essences. Essential oils are a very concentrated form of the plants, so it’s a good idea to dilute them before putting drops directly on your skin. Flower and herbal essences capture the vibrational qualities of the herbs and do not actually include the plant matter itself. Think of these as being like an energetic medicine. Herbal bundles can include pieces of the plants and essential oils, and are generally placed around the home.
If you’re interested in digging deep into herbalism, there are plenty of books and online courses available to expand your herbal knowledge and complement your magical practice.
Hopefully, by now you can see how all of these different tools are interrelated and can be combined to work together.
In the following chapters we’ll weave together the magical practices that we’ve just learned about here through the six essentials for creating an intentional home that I mentioned earlier. We’ll start with some manifesting magic to help you get clear about what you want your home to be like and how to achieve this. Then we’ll give your space a nice fresh start by clearing some clutter and getting rid of stale, stuck energy. Protection is next, grounding yourself and guarding your home from ghosts, bad vibes, and the heebie-jeebies. Then it’s time to get comfy in Chapter 4. We’ll talk about how to make your space feel cozy by engaging all SIX senses. Chapter 5, on Harmony, will focus on living with others, blending decorating styles, and establishing healthy boundaries. Lastly, once all of the other pieces are in place, we’ll relax into serenity and balance with plant magic and breathwork.
Chapter 1
Manifesting
Back when my friends Kaitlyn and Ben asked me for a spell to help them find the home of their dreams, what they were really asking for was a manifesting spell. For me, manifesting is an art form. It’s the art of getting clear about what you want, setting an intention, and then opening yourself up to accept its fulfillment. Now, don’t get me wrong, you don’t always get what you want, but in the timeless words of Mick Jagger, you get what you need. Basically, the universe always knows best. Sometimes what we think we want isn’t actually in our highest and best interest, and a huge part of manifesting is having that faith and trust in your higher power (however you name it—god/goddess, the universe, Spirit, etc.) to know what’s actually in alignment for you. Human beings rooted in the material world aren’t always privy to the grand plan.
Kaitlyn and Ben were very clear about what they needed, and they had been searching for a new home for a long time. I simply drew a rough outline of a house (coincidentally foreshadowing my brand’s logo a short while later) and wrote their names in it. Then I placed a couple of crystals that I knew were good for manifesting success on top, along with a cozy-scented candle, and a magnet to attract the manifestation of their wishes. I snapped a picture of the whole thing and sent it to Kaitlyn.
“The witches are on it!” I wrote in a text message. Two weeks later, after months of searching, Kaitlyn and Ben moved into their dream house.
All I really did for them was focus that intention in such a way that the universe took notice. The spell helped them feel supported because they were trusting in a power bigger than themselves. It actually did the same for me. That night, my spell kits were born.
One of the keys to manifesting is to be as clear as possible about what it is that you actually want. There are several different techniques that I like to use for gaining clarity in order to set intentions.
VISION BOARDS
Vision boards are a widely used manifestation tool that have become very popular over the last decade or so. The idea is to help you become more aware of your most authentic desires by tapping into your unconscious mind through imagery and words. If you’ve never made one, the process is pretty simple. You collect photos, advertisements, newspaper clippings, fabric swatches, tarot cards, stickers, etc. that you respond to in a positive manner, and then arrange them on a wall or poster board in a thoughtful way.
For example, if I were making a “Dream House” vision board, I would cut out pictures from some home-design magazines, estate agent ads, furniture catalogs, and, maybe, some color samples or other home-related items that represent what I want my home to look and feel like. I would use some nice craft materials and mindfully curate the way the items look together.
Don’t limit yourself when you’re first gathering your materials; you can pare down and hone in when you’re ready to put it all together. The way you choose to arrange your board and the intention behind it is like casting a spell.
