it's not (all) that serious
infusing your practice with joy and lightness
To say that the world feels heavy right now would be an extreme understatement: in addition to the constant stream of alarming news we’re bombarded with every time we open our apps or turn on the tv, it feels like most of us are hustling harder than ever just to get by. Not a single person I know feels properly resourced, rested, grounded, or able to slow down and catch their breath in our current climate. It appears that we’re all navigating personal hardship of some kind while simultaneously battling the existential dread that comes with living through some very scary, very unpredictable times for the collective — and that’s a lot to hold.
Through it all, I keep coming back to one sentiment that feels particularly important right now: joy as an act of resistance (which also happens to be the title of a great album by IDLES.) I’ve been thinking a lot about how things like joy, pleasure, and creativity are, in some ways, an antidote to all of the heaviness. While it’s critical to stay informed and engaged so that we can call out harm when it’s witnessed, share information and resources when we’re able, and protect those who need it most right now, it’s also crucial that we continue to show up for ourselves and the things that we’re passionate about — and we can’t do that without moments of joy and lightness. The fear and grief that most of us are experiencing may feel crushing at times, but we can’t let it crush our spirits.
It becomes our responsibility, then, to seek out joy in these dark times — to think about how we can carve out time and space to connect, to laugh, to create, and to recharge. With so much already on our plates, how can we make the act of refilling our cups feel accessible and sustainable, rather than just another task on our to-do list? How can we counterbalance all of the horrific headlines with content or conversation that reminds us of all of the good in the world? Where can we make small but intentional shifts in our daily lives that will help soothe our nervous systems, bolster our sense of hope, and motivate us to keep going?
All of this got me thinking about my spiritual practice: while it’s one of the most effective ways to help me access a sense of hope when things feel heavy, it’s not something that I always prioritize. In fact, it’s one of the first things to fall by the wayside when I’m feeling weighed down by responsibilities or big emotions — and one of the biggest reasons is due to an internalized belief that I’m always trying to unlearn: that a spiritual or magical practice has to look or feel a certain way in order to be valid. Somewhere deep down, there’s a part of me that believes that my work in the spiritual realm has to have structure or has to be complex in order to be effective or meaningful. No matter how much evidence I have to the contrary, there’s often a voice telling me that I have to take my practice seriously — that because it’s so powerful and full of intention, it has to look and feel like work.
But what if it doesn’t need to be so serious? What would it feel like to infuse my practice with lightheartedness, ease, or even a touch of silliness? I got a taste of that recently, and it began to shift the way I think about engaging with magic.
I recently participated in a virtual workshop led by Aliza Kelly, and it shook me out of my oh-so-serious mentality to show me just how much fun magic-making can be. Gathering on Zoom with hundreds of other spiritually-minded folks, I felt an instant sense of community and camaraderie that reminded me that we don’t have to do this work alone (I’m primarily a solitary witch, but there’s a certain heaviness that lifts when I’m reminded that I’m not alone in my struggles, my goals, or my visions for the future.) Watching the chat box fill not only with relatable comments and insights, but also with jokes and friendly conversation reminded me that even the most serious work can benefit from a little lighthearted fun. I even experienced a moment during our guided meditation that made me laugh out loud — my Capricorn brain may want everything to be logical and no-nonsense, by my subconscious had another agenda. I’m convinced that the experience I had during our meditation was primarily meant to make me loosen up just a little (and it worked.)
I left the workshop thinking about how to carry that playful, lighthearted energy into other aspects of my practice, so that it feels less like a chore that I have to do and more like a privilege that I get to do. Would I turn to my tarot deck more often if I thought of it as a trustworthy friend — here to offer a bite-sized bit of wisdom whenever I needed it — rather than a practice that required me to set aside significant time and energy for a deep dive into my psyche? (And can’t it be both, depending on what I need in the moment?) Would I have less resistance to sitting down to meditate if I treated it like an experiment, and allowed it to fill whatever time and space I had available rather than needing to meet certain criteria in order to “count”? Would I incorporate more magic into my day-to-day life if I remembered that it can contain humor and levity? I’m willing to bet that the answer to all of the above is yes.
I spent some time reflecting on the intersection of magic + play, and here are just a few of the practices that came to mind, in case you also want to expand your idea of what spirituality can look like:
Glamour magic
Glamour magic is the practice of altering your physical appearance in intentional ways to help you embody a specific energy or intention. It can include crafting a specific aesthetic, adorning yourself with certain colors, textures, or talismans, or trying on different personas through your personal style — all in the name of affecting how you feel or how you carry yourself, what energies you’re aligning yourself with, or how you’re perceived by others. Just as you might intentionally style your bedroom for peak coziness and relaxation or decorate your office to spark inspiration, glamour magic allows you dress up your physical body in ways that help you call in whatever it is that you desire.
When it comes to glamour magic, the options are endless: try working with color to embody a specific energy or emotion (perhaps swiping on some bold red lipstick makes you feel powerful and confident, painting your nails a fun shade reminds you to embrace your inner child, or wearing all black makes you feel strong and protected.) Accessorize intentionally with meaningful pieces that help you channel certain archetypes or highlight specific parts of yourself (think jewelry, layers of different fabrics, or turning meaningful objects into wearable art.) Experiment with stepping outside of your comfort zone and adorning yourself with things that shift your mood or energy — and play with different hairstyles, makeup (if you wear it), and scents, too!
Digital altars
You’re probably familiar with crafting physical altars, but you can create a digital collection of meaningful items too — and then set it as your phone or computer background for ongoing inspiration. Collect inspiring images, meaningful photos, or bits of text that relate to an intention that you have for yourself, an energy you hope to embody, or a dream that you’re holding near to your heart, and use your favorite photo editing program to edit them into a collage. Think of it as a digital vision board, but one that doesn’t necessarily need to be based around a specific project or goal — let it be expansive, capturing the essence of what you want your future to look and feel like. And remember to have fun with it (I’m thinking about all of the magazine cutouts I had plastered on my walls as a teen: cultural icons, song lyrics, etc!)
Eat (or drink) your magic
There are so many ways to bring magic into cooking, baking, or drink-crafting, and intentionally working with herbs & spices is a great (and fun) place to start. Familiarize yourself with some of the spiritual and metaphysical properties of your favorite seasonings, and try incorporating them into your meals based on what energies or themes you want to work with. Try mixing cinnamon into your coffee, tea, or hot cocoa for a boost of abundance and good fortune, cook with cayenne or chili powder for a kick of passion or an added layer of protection, or infuse your baked goods with chamomile or lavender to channel a sense of calm. I love to whip up extra special treats around meaningful holidays or dates: one year, I made a rose-infused Beltane cake that looked and tasted just like spring, and it made the day feel extra magical.
Take it a step further by hosting a magic-infused potluck: have all of your friends bring an offering with an intentionally-chosen ingredient, and before you dig in, go around and have everyone share what they brought and why!
Make a magical soundtrack
We all know the power that music has to shift our energy, and chances are, you already have a collection of carefully-curated playlists for different moods or activities. Why not bring the magic of music into your spiritual practice, too? Try making a playlist for the new moon (to inspire and motivate you to chase your dreams and work towards your intentions), the full moon (to celebrate your wholeness and help you release anything that’s no longer working), a new season (maybe some upbeat, energetic jams to embrace the summer solstice or some dreamy, etherial sounds for slowing down at the winter solstice), or any other meaningful moments that you honor in your practice. Consider making playlists for specific intentions, energies or themes, astrological seasons, or even tarot cards or deities that you’re currently working with!
Find your coven
My number one takeaway from the past few weeks is this: even the most introverted among us needs to feel a sense of community and connection, maybe now more than ever. While I prefer to spend the majority of my free time quietly at home, I know that there’s a fine line between spending time alone to recharge and completely isolating. I’m lucky to have regular access to my community through my work (which is also why I crave so much alone time — being in a public-facing role means that my social battery often gets drained), but I’ve been finding creative new ways to access meaningful connection while also honoring my need to conserve my energy.
If you, like me, are hesitant to commit to too many social activities, think about how you can find your people while still honoring your energetic capacity. We’re lucky to have so many virtual options for connection these days — and in the right spaces, it can feel just as genuine and nourishing as in-person connection. There are new community offerings popping up all of the time, and a couple that I can recommend are Aliza Kelly’s Constellation Club (described as a private community that invites members to explore astrology, magic, spirituality, and spell-work in a safe and supportive environment) and Lindsay Mack’s Three of Cups (a virtual Soul Tarot community connection space that allows folks to connect, commune, learn, and practice a heart-led, trauma-informed, evolutionary, non-predictive, and inclusive style of Tarot reading with one another.)
I’m excited to join more of these communities in 2025, not only because they’re great for meeting likeminded folks, but also because they’re — you guessed it — a fun way to seek light in the darkness. ✷
When I was at college your store was my absolute safe space… thanks as always ✨