In Living Magick (Affiliate link) one of the authors makes an interesting claim about how magic can be used to fundamentally break the web of reality, though apparently it can’t be taught, but only carried out as a unique act (Needless to say I don’t agree with THAT assessment). In contrast, in The Elements of Spellcrafting (affiliate link), the author argues that magic is not the direct cause of change, but is merely an influence of change. I agree with him that a lot of magic is more influence based, but I do think magic can, under the right circumstances have causal aspects to it, and be quite a direct force in a person’s life. These two opposing perspectives, where one can break the web of reality (although supposedly only in a unique way) and that magic is only an influence instead of a direct cause of change illustrates the weaknesses in modern occult theories and the limitations that we all too often readily accept in the explanations other people offer us. My own perspectives and theories and processes have their limitations as well, which is one reason I always say challenge what I share, because its not gospel truth, anymore than what these other two authors, or all the rest share.
On Madness and Magic
I share some thoughts on the role of madness in magic and my own experiences around divine madness and how it shapes my spiritual work and path.
My process for creating a magical space out of my home
I recently moved into my own space, and this gave me the opportunity to create a magical space out of my home, because the space is entirely my own to design and shape as I please. I decided to employ principles of organic design that I’ve been learning about from Christopher Alexander’s works as well as Sarah Goldhagen’s work on the topic. Both of these people, as far as I know don’t practice magic. They are architects that help design buildings and landscapes. Their knowledge of designed space is quite profound and has been very useful to me in developing a space of my own that not only reflects who I am but allows me to turn my lived in space into a spiritual sanctuary for my magical practice.
I mention their works because as always I find that the majority of my inspiration in magical practices comes from outside the magical current, where the perspectives of other disciplines can be fruitfully employed to inform the way we practice magic. In this case, I’ve taken the principles these authors have described in their books and used them to help me create an organic generative space that enhances my spiritual work, connects with the entity of the home I’m living in (and allows it to become part of the spiritual work), and at the same creates a space that is very comfortable for people who want to visit. In this article, I will walk you through my thought process and the overall development of this as a case study example of how spatial design can be employed to create an ongoing magical space to work and live in.
Should ongoing magical work be kept secret
Should ongoing magical work be kept to yourself? I discuss the pros and cons of keeping magical work to yourself and explain why I share my own work so publicly. I also share some exciting updates!
Elemental Balancing Ritual Connection and Truth Month 10
7-21-2021 today I switched over to Binah/Saturn. Given that I recently did a Saturnic ritual it felt appropriate. I had a continuing realization that it doesn’t matter what I do in the short term, because what I’m really dealing with is my own pain and suffering and I am the author of that, for the most part. It helped me come to an important realization and a sense of peace about the choices I need to make in order to move forward with a number of things. I think my time of chaos is coming to a close. I will still have some grieving to do and other processing, but I can do it and I can also commit to the path forward that will pay off down the line.
7-23-2021 The last couple of days have involved a number of job interviews. What’s been interesting for me is realizing that I’m juggling these different possibilities and trying to decide which ones I’ll explore and which to let go. I let go of one because it was clear I wasn’t the right fit. I feel this very Saturnic weaving coming into play which is actually helpful because I’m ruling out what doesn’t work for me, in favor of figuring out what could work as well as what I want to do with what I’m learning. And through it all I’m also recognizing I’m going to have to make short term sacrifices to get to where I want to go.
Finding a place to go in your magical work
For many magicians, the magic work stops once they get the result they are seeking to manifest. This makes sense, especially with practical magic, where so much of the point is about getting specific results in order to change your life in some way that ideally improves it. You get the result and the magic work ends because you’ve obtained what you want.
Yet, I find that the focus on results is so limited. That may seem odd, especially if the point is to get a result. After all, if I get the result, isn’t that the point? Why is that so limiting? There’s a couple reasons its so limiting, and why we need to think beyond the obvious and work the magic beyond the result.
The first reason is that the achievement of a result inevitably brings with it consequences. There’s a ripple effect, because the result doesn’t happen in a vacuum. You get a result, and what you bring with it (which so many magicians fail to recognize) are the changes that occur because you got the result. You work magic to get a job and that job brings with it change. You work magic to get a lover, and you get the lover and everything that comes with that person. You work magic to change some aspect of your life and you get that result and the changes that spill out from that result.
What Saturn is teaching me about Truth, Connection and Boundaries
I share my experiences with my Saturn work and how it is effecting my understanding and work with the elements of truth and connection as well as where boundaries fits into all of this.
The Mysteries of Death and Rebirth part 2
We live with death everyday, but we don’t always recognize it. In this video I discuss not just the obvious examples of death, but the subtle nuances as well. I also share some of my previous near death experiences and how they have lead to different rebirth experiences.
Memory Resonance technique
I recently saw the movie The Green Knight. It was a fascinating movie to see because of how it evoked specific experiences during the watching of the movie. Whether this was intentional or simply a byproduct of my own spiritual sensitivity, I couldn't tell you. But what I can tell you is that any such experience can be stored away and used as a way to help you sync up with related experiences.
I call this the memory resonance technique and the way it works is that you use the experiences you are having to connect with the memory of other experiences, and in turn you use those memories to enhance the current experience and open you further to liminal reality.
Falling apart and coming back together again
The last couple of months have been really intense for me. I’ve had experiences where things seemed to come together and then they would fall apart. Some of that, a lot of it, was my own doing. My life has felt like a jigsaw puzzle and every time I thought I had the right pieces, I’d realize something was wrong and I would take the puzzle apart again.
What I discovered in the last couple months is that I really needed to allow myself to break down, and come back together again. Then break down and come back together again. It’s not an easy or fun process and many people will try to avoid it, but we really can’t avoid such work, especially when we need to do it, because what we are breaking down are the patterns of our lives that no longer work. We try to put them together again, in some new variation and maybe some of it works and maybe some of it doesn’t.
The Mysteries of Death and Rebirth part 1
Death and rebirth are integral part of our life cycle. I discuss the mysteries of death and rebirth in relationship to the movie The Green Knight and share an experience I had with Cronus, as a result of watching that movie.
The current reality vs the desired result
In practical magic, one of the interesting issues that can arise around results is determining whether or not the current reality has been factored into the magical working. What I mean by current reality is the reality that we’re dealing with, which we want to change. It may seem rather obvious that a person would factor the current reality of a situation into the magical working being done to address that situation. However that may not always be the case.
It is rather easy to get fixated on the desired result, because that desired result is something we want. It moves us away from the reality we’re dealing with and brings us to a reality we want to deal with. Yet there is a benefit to the current reality that we need to consider: The current reality grounds us in what is, and also informs us of the gap between what is and what we to manifest.
How to accept and work through uncomfortable emotions
We all have feelings and emotions that can be intense. Some are enjoyable, but some such as misery and unhappiness and fear can be emotions we try to avoid. I explain why you can’t avoid them, how they can sabotage you and what you can do to be more accepting of them, and actually find peace with them.
A generative approach to results
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the process of magic and specifically how to develop an awareness of the organic nature of magical work. If tis sounds odd to you, its perhaps because for the most part, magic is not considered to be an organic process, so much as a designed process that in both a practical and spiritual sense is used to achieve specific outcome or results.
“So why Taylor, are you taking a different angle to magical work? What do you even mean when you talk about the organic nature of magical work?”
Occult Poetics is now available!
This is volume 1 of a collection of magical poems that Taylor Ellwood has written in 2020 and 2021. In this book, Taylor shares the collection with you. It may inspire magical work on your part, or you might simply enjoy the verses written. It is a book of poems where Taylor intimately presents the experiences of his life, both the sadness and joy, mistakes and successes, in the form of poem. It is also where he shares some of his magical work with the spirits he works with. Occult Poetics is a glimpse of the weaving word magic that can be wrought with poetry, when we open ourselves to the mysteries of the universe.
Elemental Balancing Ritual Connection and Truth Month 9
6-22-2021 I find it dryly ironic that as I switch over to Chesed today I recognize in full how much my situation has changed on the material front. When you live with someone else, you don’t always fully recognize how much that can shape your perception of the cost of living. Then if you become single or go out on your own you start to realize how much your situation has changed and how you have to plan accordingly. Today it really hit me how much my situation has changed and how this is one of the consequences of choosing to leave. It’s not a fun feeling to sit with, but I need to do it and accept the consequences of my choices. This is part of that path of finding my connection and truth and the cost that comes with it.
6-24-2021 Yesterday I got the divorce papers. It kind of brings home that we’re done, although I’ve been having that realization in other ways as I wrote above. In one sense I question whether I’ll really be able to figure out what’s next. My mom told me this kind of stuff is hard and I believe it, especially when you’re having to pick up all the pieces of your life and sort them out as best you can. I am trying my best and that’s all I’ve got…
Dealing with Burnout part 2
I share why it’s important to stop doing activities that create or sustain your burnout and share why sometimes this may mean you need to go back to the drawing board with whatever you are doing. I share a couple of examples from my own life.
The Saturnic power of weaving and unweaving reality
Recently I created a magical painting dedicated to Saturn. when I created it I worked with the wet and dry alchemical essences of lead. It was a powerful magical working, but what happened as a result of that working was even more intriguing and powerful in its own right. I was given the opportunity to take a peek behind the curtains and I got a very different perspective of the interweaving of reality and possibility.
When many people think of Saturn as a planetary energy to work with they think of it in terms of limitations and specifically how obstacles, boundaries, and limitations can get in the way of a person’s journey to achieving specific results. Or perhaps they consider the artful application of limitations and how those limitations can actually be used to create a refined and focused magical work that gets specific results. Certainly these aspects of Saturnic work are true and the planetary energy of Saturn can be worked with in that way.
Dealing with Burnout part 1
Do you know when you’ve hit bottom? Do you know how to recognize burnout in your life? I share some thoughts on burnout and how it shows up on all levels of our life as well as how you can recognize it. I also share what you can do about it.
Book Reviews July 2021
Book Review: The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday (Affiliate link)
This book explores how to turn the obstacles in your life into opportunities by learning how to work through them and define them instead of being defined by them. The historical tales the author shares are helpful for understanding the concepts and practices he shares. I found this book helpful in my approach to working through obstacles because it helped me see how I could turn those obstacles into a path, instead of letting them stop me.
Book Review: The Sedona Method by Hale Dwoskin (affiliate link)
The Sedona Method walks you through how to release emotions and experiences around areas of your life where you are having challenges. What I like about this book is that they focus on releasing around both positive and negative experiences for a wide variety of situations. I’ve found that applying the practices has been helpful in situations that would otherwise be upsetting.
Book Review: Sacred Geography by Marko Pogacnik (affiliate link)
This is a fascinating book which explores geomancy and how to apply it to your spiritual practice. While I don’t agree with all the author’s perspectives, I think this a valuable book that will help you connect with the spirits of the land, and with the land itself. The exercises are very useful provided you apply them.
Book Review: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk (Affiliate link)
I found this to be a very helpful book, because it gave me a different lens to understand my own traumas and triggers and provided some ideas on things I can do to address those traumas and triggers. It’s a book I would recommend anyone read who has gone through trauma, but fair warning the author is candid about the trauma that may be triggering. I still recommend reading it for the insights it may provide you.
Book Review: Why Time Flies by Alan Burdick (Affiliate Link)
Why Time Flies is an interesting book that explores our relationship with time. The author shares some of the scientific research about time and shares some personal perspectives about it. I also found the bibliography fascinating. It’s a well written book and if you’re interested in time, you’ll enjoy it.
Book Review: Wintering by Katherine May (Affiliate Link)
This is a powerful and much needed book which explores our relationship with sorrow. The author mostly speaks to this through her own journeys and experiences of wintering. I found this book to be really needed during the winter I find myself in. It is good to know you aren’t alone and to also carry some compassion moving forward.
Book Review: Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday (Affiliate link)
Stillness is the key is an excellent book which explores the topic of stillness and how to bring it into your life in a crazy world. We live in chaotic times, but who hasn’t done that? The author draws on historic examples to illustrate how stillness works and how it has benefitted people, nations and the world itself when people have taken a moment to be still. If you’re seeking some stillness in your life, this book can point you in some fruitful directions.
Book Review: Polysecure by Heather Fern (affiliate link)
I found this to be a very helpful book to read as I start exploring polyamory again, after a long hiatus. It helped me “catch up” on the changes, but more importantly it allowed me to examine my my past relationships with other people as well as the relationship I have with myself. I found the realizations helpful in allowing me to heal from some recent changes in my life, and it also provided me a direction to move my emotional health. I’d recommend this book to anyone, whether you’re poly or monogamous, because I think it actually unearth’s some deep issues in relationship structures that often go unaddressed. I feel like using the tools in this book are also helping me become more secure in myself so that when I am ready to date again, I’ll do it from a place of confidence and security.