Nikki Van De Car - Calming Magic

THESE ARE CHALLENGING TIMES . Between politics, health crises, family dramas, and the everyday irritants at work, we can often feel besieged by life. It may seem like there is a vast conspiracy bent on keeping our blood pressure up, our nights sleepless, and our hearts heavy. And the reality is that those stressors are real and, for the most part, arent going anywhere. While we take steps to work more productively, take breaks from news cycles, live a healthy lifestyle, and set positive boundaries with those we love, none of that will allow us to live a completely stress-free life. From time to time, life is just hard, and it feels that way.

But life isnt just hard. Life at the same time is joyful, passionate, creative, peaceful, andyesmagical. That magic is always available to you, even in your most difficult moments. We can find magic in a breeze carrying the scent of the ocean, in laughter, in a delicious meal. We can find magic by connecting to the natural world, our creativity, and the power of the feminine. The rituals, spells, and practices in this book will offer you the means to reconnect to the magic of living.

There are so many different paths to a place of magic. Cultures around the world have created their own maps and their own methods for harnessing the energies of the earthan enduring source of peace, calm, and wonder. This book will by no means touch on all of them, but instead provide a guide to the power of feng shui, crystal healing, runic magic, chakras, tarot, moon magic, yoga, herb magic, and more. It will give you anything and everything you need to keep your mind calm and heart open in a mad world. And specific sections on each of these powerful magics dot the book, growing your knowledge as you practice the rituals and spells.

But it wont leave you there, because there is more to life than peace. We cannot exist detached from all that is around uswe also have to engage with our experiences with clarity and creativity in order to truly live. Once you have the tools you need to create a calm space, you can practice looking more closelyboth at the world around you and within yourselffor that is often where the answers to our most profound questions lie. The same pathways you will be using to find calm will open you up to insight, as you employ celestite to help you view a problem through eyes unclouded by the fog of your emotions or turn to tarot to aid you in uncovering what it is that you truly want in life. Throughout this book, youll be prompted to take a moment to journal and write down any insights youve received. Sometimes the simple act of putting pen to paper brings release, clarity, and a sense of purpose.

For once you know what it is you want, you can go about getting it. We are responsible for generating the life we want to live, but so often the power of that creativity gets lost in the weight of our burdens. All those things that have caused us to lose our sense of calm in the first placethe everyday stressors, the fears for the future of our planet, the emotional roller coaster that is a life shared with other peopleare things that can sever us from our own creativity and inherent power. But the same rituals, spells, and mystical skills that will bring you peace and insight will assist you in regaining your power to live every day with joy, purpose and even magic.

Although altars are one of those things that may feel a little out there or even just a little too religious, an altar is just a simple, practical way of connecting with your own spirituality on a daily basis by making it a part of your life. While its true that altars often incorporate religious texts, symbols, and deities, they dont have to. They can function kind of like an ongoing spell, without beginning or end. They are a place to focus your thoughts and energies in either very specific or very general ways, depending on whats going on in your life at that moment.

An altar isnt necessarily for prayer or worship, though it certainly can be. At heart, its a space dedicated to your connection to something morethat thing people call Source or God or the Universe or Energy. You can use whatever word resonates for you, or no word at all, but your altar is the place where you interact with it and honor it. We are physical beings, and as such we connect on a physical leveleven with what is metaphysical.

There are no rules for creating this physical space. It is entirely under your control and something that you can evolve over time. That said, setting up an altar can feel a little intimidating at first, so here are some general guidelines:

LOCATION. Depending on your lifestyle, you can keep your altar out in the open in a living room or entryway, but if youve got a lot people coming in and out and you want to keep this part of yourself a little more private, you can create an altar in your bedroom. You can use a part of the top of your dresser or bedside table or find a small bench to place in a corner of the room. You dont need a lot of space; a square foot or more is usually sufficient.

CENTRAL SYMBOL. Often, an altar has a focus, though again, it doesnt have to. There are no have-tos here! But you might want to consider placing a large, powerful crystal or a photograph or some other image at the center of your altar. This can be of someone you love, an ancestor or goddess, or a place that has meaning for you. You could use a bowl or chalice if you want to focus on inviting positive energies into your life or an incense burner if you want to disperse negative energies. Whatever feels right is right, and you can rearrange or reinvent your altar at any time.