Being an American Witch is a little different, I would think and creates some strange paradoxes. According to my spiritual belief the new year started at Samhain, but secularly the New Year starts today.
Because of this I find myself celebrating a new start twice in a few months span. This has created, for me, a unique view of the Wheel of the Year. Within my worldview, I see Samhain as an in-between time. The old year ends and the gestation of the New Year begins, the months between Samhain, Yule and the secular New Year are a time of fecundation. A dream time when the energies in our life mimic our time within our mother’s womb.
There is planning, and growth(all be it under the surface),hope and thoughts of what is to come. It is the time to set up the foundation of what you wish to bring into the world. This is the time that I read, research, and meditate and even rest in preparation for the coming New Year.
January 1st is when the New Year comes in to being and the first small actions can be taken. Making use of the energy of the collective unconscious of our society, I harness it and start putting my plans in motion.
A large majority of the population looks at this day as their fresh start, a time to start new routines, let go of things from the past and begin again. So I relate this day with the direction of East and the element of Air. It is like the dawn, full of new hope and promise. This energy permeates every moment of the day, because so many people think of it this way.
Tuning in and using the energy of the collective unconscious can be a powerful technique for a witch to use, just as much as tuning into the cycles of nature. Cultural traditions, whether they are secular or not have decades of people’s energy built up around them and carry their own distinct magic. Any empath knows that when a person is focused on something it creates energy. When large amounts of people are focused on the same thing that energy multiplies.
Traditions like ringing in the New Year and making resolutions and starting new routines at this time are an integral part of society and pop culture. While, witches are different, magic is a holistic practice, at least in my opinion, magic can and should be found in everyday life. What makes a witch different is that we have worked to be consciously aware of this fact, we tune into it and use it.
Just as we tune into the natural world, we can tune into the energy of the people around us, and align with it too,using it to aid us in our work. In magic, timing is everything and while a lot of the work and focus of witchcraft is to attune with older energies, to get back to basics and discover our true selves; this doesnt necessarily mean separating ourselves completely from our society. Instead we can make use of it, it can help us time a work to have the largest impact by making use of the energy of society. Social energy is something we naturally resonate with, and therefore is a great gift of the Gods to be used in our lives and magical practices.
I try to do this, I tune into the people around me. It helps me to boost my own energy at times like this, allows me forewarning of times I need to ward myself against draining or negative energy and helps me in my divination,and energy healing practices as well.
Dear reader, I challenge you to tune into to the people around you, to think about times that seem to have a major energy to them, not because of the time of year or natural cycles, but because of the human focus on something. Pay attention to how this affects the world around us, and even our own actions and feelings. Think about what influence this has on you and how you can use that in your magical practice and please share them. It is my hope that this blog is not just a monologue of my thoughts but the beginning of a conversation. I look forward to reading your insights as well.
The Frith Wytch 