All Things Are Magic

For as long as mankind has been on the Earth, stories of magic, stories of its powers and what it can accomplish, has been present. Some take these stories to heart, seeing wisdom and guidance in the Ways of the Ancients. Others may hear the word 'magic' and think of Harry Potter as he casts a powerful, nature-defying stunt with a stick housing part of some magical creature. When it comes to magic, it's near impossible to seperate fantasy from fact given how many stories and movies feature this arcane, human gift that all people possess.

Unlike what Hollywood shows, the true workings behind this force called 'magic' is a subtle power that isn't always apparent. The power behind this craft relies on the natural laws of the world. Like gravity, it is a present force that is part of our daily life, something that can be felt and experienced to a degree even if it can't be seen.

How does magic work?

Universal Laws. That's the answer, right there.

Universal Laws govern all aspects of life. These Laws shape how the universe and everything in it operates. It centers around the fact that the world, as we know it, is, in part, a byproduct of our thoughts and emotions and beliefs. For a great many people, this is an idea which will disgust them. It will bite at them. Push them away.

However, if we look at quantum physics, many will say all things are made of energy instead of matter. Jump to Sir Isaac Newton, and you'll get his three laws which state, in this order:

1. An object will remain in rest or in motion until another force acts upon it
2. For unbalanced forces, acceleration is dependent on the mass of an object and the force acting upon the object in question
3. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction

The First Law of Thermodynamics states:

• Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; energy can only be transferred or changed from one form to another

This is, honestly, delving into topics not many would link to magic. Which is, truth be told, understandable. When magic comes into the picture, many are quick to say that there is no logic where magic is concerned. It's a fantasy. It's the 'Devil's Work.'

The definition of magic isn't all that great, either: the ability to influence the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces; having supernatural powers.

The issue with the definition of magic is that it doesn't actually define magic. It doesn't state what 'this ability to influence the course of events' is. It doesn't speak on where it comes from, how it works. It also puts an emphasis on 'mysterious and supernatural forces' as an explanation. The reasoning behind this is simple.

Back when magic was cut out of faith and religion, back when it was turned into a myth or a fairy tale or a high fantasy, no one knew how magic worked. The only thing the wise women or the shamans knew, the men who studied the runes and the bones, the mother who read the leaves in her tea, the oracles who consulted divine powers through trance, is that the tools they used worked.

They didn't know how it worked. They simply knew it did, that it benefited them, and that's all they needed to know. The people in the Old Days (which wasn't all that long ago, frankly) didn't have the same grasp of science and psychology as we do today. They didn't have colleges and access to thousands of books from all around the world through a nifty invention called the Internet.

Magic's a force we all can tap into. It relies on the knowledge, on the intrinsic understanding, that magic is energy. It is a mental practice, one which requires work and dedication to accomplish alongside the fact that, even if magic is used, it does not guarantee everything will work out the way we want it to.

The best way to look at it is this:

There are two villages and they live on opposite sides of a chasm. They can see each other. They can yell at one another. However, they cannot meet. So, in order to meet, and share their knowledge, they decide to make a bridge. Both villages work on it from their own sides, building until they meet at the middle.

Magic's like that. In a magical view, the one who's doing the magic is one of the two villages. The magic itself is the other village. The only way to get anything done, and for there to be any kind of accomplishment, is to work with the power and help set up the road for it to flow along.

For those who are interested in learning about the basics of magic, one book that's beyond useful is 'Before You Cast a Spell: Understanding the Power of Magic.' This book was written by Carl McColman. Of the many books I've read, this is one of the few which really jumps into the details without all the flashy, Hollywood's ingenius ability to create stories we've come to love and adore over the years.

There are many forms of magic and different ways to go about it.

For some, it can be as simple as lighting a candle and focusing on the intent one wishes to achieve. It could be as simple as closing our eyes and bringing ourselves to a state of inner awareness of what we can do and what we want to achieve. It could be complex with rituals, chanting, herbs, oils, and incense. When it comes to magic, it can be as simple, or as complex, as one desires.

What works for one person may not work for the next.

For those who are looking into the forms of magic, there are many. There's crystal magic, candle magic, color-based magic (which often ties into candle-based magic), and there's also power in herbs, oils, art, song, and prayer. There's magic in all places and in all things, should one take the time to look for it. To see it for what it is, for the power, it grants us (even if it's as simple as being able to eat or work).

There's quite a bit, though essential oils have made a huge leap in the field.

There's quite a lot of them and there are certain oils many people swear by and say everyone should have in their house. Lavender oil, peppermint, citrus-based, basil, and countless others. For me, the two most notable oils to start out with are Clover Bud and Peppermint Oil. Organic oil, to be safe. Preferably USDA Certified, which is necessary and a point towards the oil itself being of good quality.

There are many forms of natural magic, each being potent and very useful for those who are interested in tapping into their powers. Essential oils are one such force, the power filling the oil itself without parallel. Essential oils as a healing agent would be, in all honesty, the first medicines. The Old Medicine. The stuff the sages and hermits and mages in stories dabble in, the things which they use to make potions and ointments to cure the body and alter the mind.

Outside of magic, these oils can be used to alter moods. They can help focus the mind on a task or assignment. They can help one relax. Some oils can be used in ointments, in homemade lotions, or even as a flavoring for food or an additive for a drink first thing in the morning.

As I said, I do believe the best oils to start with is Clove Bud and Peppermint.

Peppermint Oil happens to be one of the most versatile essential oils.

Of all the essential oils, Peppermint Oil tends to be one of the most common oils kept in stock because of its many uses. It is often used to topically (meaning on the skin, not ingested) treat headaches. It can be inhaled to help with the sinuses, or it can be applied along the topside of the nasal cavities to open them up. Ingesting it also provides many different benefits - it can be used to soothe an upset stomach, to promote wakefulness, focus the mind, encourage relaxation, and treat IBS+D.

The last was something I had learned on accident a few years ago when I was returning home from St. Louis with my sister after the Fourth of July. It was late, it was a long drive home, and we were licking Peppermint Oil off our palms to help keep us awake and open our sinuses. It calmed my stomach, which was a good thing considering I was sick and nauseous from eating too much.

Three hours of driving, we were back in our respective homes. The following day, we both made a rather shocking discovery. Both of us have IBS and neither of us was having any issues with our bowels. This was a rare thing, considering it was a daily ritual from one morning to the next. It's how our days always tended to start.

This was, perhaps, my first introduction to the healing properties of essential oils and the power they contain. It can also be used to deter insects and spiders from a home (I use it in my room to help keep away some very venomous spiders that have a habit of crawling into my bed), and, when in use, I see far less of the creepy crawlies than I would if I didn't use the oils.

Peppermint oil is one thing that has many benefits, and I tend to have a bottle on hand most of the time. It has many uses and it's a natural remedy that can help reduce the use of chemical counterparts when applicable.

One of the oils I have found to be useful is Organic Clove Bud Oil, which is a very potent oil I have used many times. My wisdom teeth have been tearing up my jaw for about a year now. I can't afford a surgeon to cut them out, pain pills don't work, and, for a time, I was at a loss. I asked myself how I was supposed to function with a mouth that was so inflamed that it prevented me from eating.

I had also dropped twenty pounds, due to this lack of food. I could barely swallow water, my jaw was swollen, and I was suffering neck, shoulder, and back pain as a result to the agony pushing through my mouth. I turned to my sister and she was the one who suggested using Clove Bud Oil, advising me to apply the oil to the gum itself, undiluted, for relief.

For those of you who know anything about Clove Bud Oil - it burns.

Putting it on my gum was like lighting a fire against an already agonizing pain, but, after a few minutes, the pain vanished. Gone. All I had in its place was a blissful numbness that reminded me (and still does) of a shot from the infamous needle guided by the hand of a dentist. This time, there were no shots. Just oil, potent and skin-burning, that soothed the gum and also tended to the infection that was there.

Candles and Herbs, alongside Crystals, are used by pagans around the world.

They are used by most faiths, of every religion, because the power these things hold has proven to be beneficial to many. A living crystal, for instance, can help promote a plant to continue growing and to be healthy. It also promotes a clear field of energy, can help negate negative forces, and are also pretty to look at.

Candles, as I said, are tied into color-based magic. These are used as a focus, as the symbology behind it, and the meanings associated with certain colors and the way certain colors shift how a person feels plays a large part. Someone who is trying to find a stable ground while also being more finically secure is likely to use a brown and green candle. Someone interested in love or in passion may acquire a red or pink candle. White candles are the most common, as they can be used to suit any purpose because, in the end, the intent behind the magic is more important than the actual color used (a good example of this would be seeing how colors mean different things around the world - red in one country is for mourning while it is a powerful color in another country).

A book by Lisa Chamberlain, provided below, is a good introduction to the powers of candles, color, and oils where magic is concerned. Miss Chamberlain also has many other books, all listed on her profile on Amazon, and each is worth reading as they all contain useful information for everyone - not just Wiccans or pagans.

Miss Chamberlain provides a great many books that cover a wide variety of different sorts of magic and a basic introduction to each for the beginner. It is something I would recommend anyone to read if they're just starting to learn about magic and how it works - faith and religion don't matter, in this instance, because the information in each book can be applied (for the most part) across all faiths.

Magic is a personal tool, one that has a different meaning from one person to the next. Those who practice magic learn much on their own while gathering information as they go (unless they're born into a family where paganism runs strong) and build on their store of knowledge each and every day. Pagans and magic are a part of life that exist alongside those who don't even know its there.

Magic isn't evil. It's a tool. It accomplishes what the practitioner intends it to do.

Where magic lies, there's a world filled with color and richness. Keep an open mind and dream. Every tool on this planet was put here for a reason. We're meant to use them to help ourselves and those around us, to better ourselves and the world as well as we can. It's a long process, but it's one worth walking.