If you ever walked into one of the high-end esoteric shops, often the helpful person behind the counter will show you the fine selection of athames, altars, and other tools that you may need in your magickal endeavors. You could easily spend hundreds of dollars after you get all the books and supplies you “need”.

Perhaps it’s my upbringing, but in my own path, I’ve discovered while these items are usually beautiful, I am much more attuned to tools that are found or discovering items that are attuned to me personally.

Let me give you an example. My first Athame (typically a black-handled, double-edged dagger) was fashioned by a broken handled blade that I repurposed. Years later, my current is my Mamaw’s favorite apple peeling knife. You don’t even have to have an athame, it’s simply a tool in your magickal toolbox. Using what calls to you is more important than the aesthetic of what is “expected”. Like my Father’s tacklebox. Most of the lures and things are items he’s made himself or fashioned from other things and made into his own special set of equipment that has been formed from years of trying and experimenting.

My pal Bob was recently talking on his podcast Tales from the Dark (https://talesfromthedark.podbean.com/) about an encounter they had in New Orleans where a “real witch” informed him the RULES OF WITCHCRAFT. Most of them came from Raymond Buckland’s big blue book (which is a more academic approach, as it reads like a textbook.)

Here is a secret though. There are no rules of magick. There is a saying among the Sufi “the ocean refuses no river.” Every personal path is an individual conduit to a larger power. This goes for magick, spirituality, and religion in general. When I was younger I became fascinated by world religions and found the same base rules. Love. Don’t harm. Take care of one another. This helped me to identify and to avoid the gatekeepers that say their way is the only way. Look for the greater truth. In the case of the New Orleans lady, she is a gatekeeper. She has likely studied the craft for many years, she may have a “pedigree”, she may have a prestigious coven. So what? The older I get the more I realize I don’t know anything. Just like the policymakers of government, those in perceived power want to stay that way. Everything is in a current state of re-invention. There are no ancient how-to books of power that are the “true” ways to show you how to do magick. Most of the “rules” of Wicca for example were written and conceived in the last 100 years. There are traditions certainly, and if you follow them please don’t take offense. But the fact that remains, there is constant reinvention, especially in cases where once heralded innovators were actually pretty slimy people. (Sorry Uncle Aleister)

There is no black magick, there is no white magick. Magick is neither good nor bad. It is a big slab of material waiting to be formed by the forge of the Magickian. It is based on the wielder’s intention and perception. I subscribe to the great Western philosopher Benjamin Franklin Parker that once said “With great power, comes great responsibility.” (RIP Uncle Ben) While you can, doesn’t always mean you should, and if you do (or don’t), prepare for the consequences. That is one of the greatest lessons of Magick that I am frequently haunted by and a lesson that I can’t stress enough.

I can’t tell you how you should do things. I can offer suggestions on how to bring magick into your life. Start small. Find wonder. Embrace whimsey. Look at how things are connected. Go to the source. You don’t have to go to a middle man. I’ve mentioned it a couple of places but the first magickal ritual I ever was involved in was when I was about six. I had two small warts on my left forefinger. My Mamaw Hughett bought them from me for two pennies. She told me to cut open a potato and put the pennies inside and then bury the items and forget them. The warts went away, but in my first example of sympathetic magick, they formed on her left hand. Magick, especially Folk Magick, doesn’t require the tools that more involved ceremonial magick may, just like a local tent revival isn’t going to have the pageantry of Mass at a Catholic church. But you can find the same energy at both.

My friend Courtney had posted a hag stone the other day on her Facebook page and kind of inspired this post. These stones are often found near moving water as the motion erodes a hole in the weakest part of the stone. While these wonderful stones have many applications, Legends state that they can be used to see the invisible world of the fae. It’s a terrific tool as it forces you to shift your perception of the world, and that is in essence what magick is.

My girlfriend is on her own path. She asks me questions, I give her advice but I never say “this is how you have to do it”. Earlier I mentioned going to a shop and buying supplies that you “need”. I do like to go shopping, let’s make that clear. Often folks will ask “are you looking for something ‘particular?” I’ll reply “not yet, I know it though when I see it.” This week I went with Julie to a small shop called Dilly’s in Kingsport. I had taken her previously to other shops in the Tri-Cities area and she was interested in looking at the items but nothing called to her. The vibe in the store wasn’t her vibe. We went to this store and from the moment she walked into the door, she was in her element. She found crystals that called to her, she enjoyed the visit to this particular store so much I fully expect she’ll visit there going forward without me. This was huge that she found a connection to a place she likes. I also found some things I had been looking for at other places. Sometimes it’s simply meant to be. I feel the same way about the Black Cat here in Oneida. It’s my vibe. Finding your vibe is all about learning about yourself and what you need versus what you want.

Lastly, when it comes to magick, I’m reminded of my favorite quote from “Once Upon a Time.” Everyone wants a magical solution to their problems, but no one wants to believe in magic. The Tales episode I mentioned is titled “Magick is Everywhere.” It’s true. Wherever your path takes you, find yours.