Feelings in Magic are Over-Rated.

In the Strategic Sorcery Deep Dive last week, I went on a rant about how magic doesn’t care if you feel like doing it or not. You should just do it. I got the following feedback from Shay Maloney

“Can I just say that Jason link between the psychological model of magic and lack of discipline in the last Deep Dive has literally just shattered a wall for me.

I’m a really disciplined person in certain areas of my life, but when it comes to my magical practice I’m a real let down – I would definitely count myself in the ‘we’ of ‘we are not disciplined’ and I think it’s because I’ve put so much pressure to feel a certain way before I can do my magical practice, like literally if I don’t feel all mystical and woo then I can’t say a prayer or do an energy practice because it won’t count.

I certainly don’t do this in other areas of my life! I don’t expect myself to feel all pumped and excited before doing a three hour exercise class at the end of my 9 – 5 shift 5 days a week, because I’m going to do it anyway regardless of how I feel before I turn up and I’ve been keeping that up for 18 months

I don’t know, it feels kind of revolutionary to give myself the permission to feel tired and shitty and still say a prayer.”

If I could drive one thing home about magic this week, its that how you feel about it doesn’t actually matter all that much. I have had students tell me that they skipped offerings because they did not feel magical, and so they figured the offerings wouldn’t be good. I wonder if they feel the same about feeding their pets or their kids? “Sorry honey, I am feeling kind of dogged this morning and wouldn’t really be able to ‘get into’ serving your Eggo’s. Have a nice day at school though…” 

When it comes to interacting with spirits and gods, it’s not all about you. It’s nice when you feel on point and can spend time in communion, but if you can’t, you should still do the offerings or the devotions anyway. Get out of your own head.

Or better yet, do it anyway and get back into your own head! At 3pm yesterday I felt pretty run down*. It was 7 degrees outside. I did not feel like going for a walk, but I went anyway. After 20 minutes of traipsing down the hill my house is on, then back up through the snow guess what? I FELT LIKE IT.

Doing something actually shifts your brain into the state that it does that thing in. It’s true for the gym, its true for writing, and it true for magic.

And if it doesn’t? You did it anyway. You stayed in the game. You kept your commitments. You continued to be a stand-up person. The people, spirits, and powers you interact with will respond accordingly.

Execution is king.

*There’s a support group for people who feel run down by the way. It’s called “Everyone”. We meet at Starbucks.