Burying my spell
Magic is appealing to many people because it sounds like a free pass, like all the gain with none of the pain, like instant gratification. And it can feel that way at times. But magic is work, in fact magical work is a serious endeavor that most people are not willing to commit to. Given the state of white supremacy is in the USA (and much of the planet, really), I’m committed to throwing everything we’ve got at dismantling this horrifying system of suffering. Including, and of course, magic.
For those of you not familiar with magic, let’s go with a super mainstream source: the Encyclopaedia Britannica. According to Britannica, “magic is a concept used to describe a mode of rationality or way of thinking that looks to invisible forces to influence events, effect change in material conditions…”
OK, so these invisible forces are what we are going to use today to influence events. In magic (as in life) it is helpful to be clear about what we are trying to accomplish. In this case, the event we want to influence is the end of white supremacy. So we’re gonna cast three anti-racism spells by using the invisible forces of friendship (love/ emotions), learning (mind/ intellect), and sharing (service/ spirit). Ready?
1.Anti-Racism Spell #1: Friendship
Did you know that the US is deeply segregated, and that most people relate (via work, romantic relationship, or friendship) to mostly others of their own race? Yeah, I know, it’s 2020 and yet here we are…still. I believe that we can begin to transform structures of oppression when we begin to transform the relationships between the points that hold up the structure (that would be you and me). So a very useful (and fun and rewarding) spell to cast to dismantle white supremacy is to make a conscious effort to build genuine and intimate relationships with people of other races. Friendship opens your heart, makes you more willing to learn (I want to know about my friend’s experience more than about a random person’s experience), and makes it almost impossible to dehumanize entire classes of people when you have a close and loving relationship with them. Try it. Just try it.
Extra credit, for those of you witch-curious: send a physical gift to three of your friends of a different race (or if you have none yet, do this as soon as you have these friends and it makes sense, no later than 30 days from today) with this note: “Thank you for allowing me to know you. Thank you for allowing me to see you. Thank you for allowing me to hear you. I treasure our friendship”. The gift doesn’t have to be extravagant, it can be a flower, a little crystal, a delicious snack. That’s it! How fun was that?
2. Anti-Racism Spell #2: Learning
Unless you have made a concerted effort to understand the real history of the world and the US, chances are you have a whitewashed version of how power has been used and abused, leading us to this moment of urgent need to dismantle white supremacy. There are so many resources out there, check out this and this and this. Do not get overwhelmed by the volume of awesome information. You don’t need to know everything. You do need to know enough to understand that too many aspects of our society have been built to benefit white people, and specifically to actively harm Black people. Once again: too many aspects of our society have been built to actively harm Black people. If you don’t believe me, start reading. It will blow your mind and break your heart. Right now the interwebs is exploding with information and resources for the folks that are willing to do the work and educate themselves. Do it. Just do it.
Extra credit, for those of you witch-curious: Write a list of 10 things that you were moved to have learned. By moved I mean surprised, horrified, delighted, happy, sad, hurt. Anything that created an emotional response in you. Once you’ve written the list, memorize it. Go outside, somewhere you can bury the list while repeating: “May the Earth transmute my feelings into positive actions”. That’s it! How easy was that?
3. Anti-Racism Spell #3: Sharing
We live in a white supremacy. We live in a white supremacy. We live in a white supremacy. If the sounds of that scares you, good! It should. If there is no problem, there is no solution, and so just admitting that the system is cruel, violent, and toxic for Black people (and other people of color and I would argue also white people but that’s subject for another time) is the first step to actually dismantling this structure. Take your memorized list from spell #2 and commit to sharing one item from the list a day with someone who you think may not have heard about it before either. Do this for 30 days. This means you will share 30 things about race that moved you emotionally, so another 30 people may also be touched by your learnings. Jodorowsky says “We cannot change the world, but we can begin to change it”. This is not about whether or not it will work, this is about you doing your part and letting go of the outcome. Speak up. Just speak up.
Extra credit, for those of you witch-curious: If you are really committed to your part in this spell, tell these 30 people about your experiments and experience with these anti-racism spells and ask them to join you. You can say something like “I came across these 3 magical spells to end racism and I tried them and it’s been powerful, fun, and transformative. Would you want to try them?”. And then tell them what to do. Or just send this link. That’s it! How sweet was that?
I am certain we will be able to transform and heal. But it won’t happen without our active involvement. Magic is the art of changing consciousness at will. Today, we will the end of racism by changing our consciousness. We start to do that with the three spells above. So mote it be.
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