Magic

Tomorrow, I return to work after five and a half weeks of holiday. Although during this time I created this website and launched an online shop, it all felt like play. But tomorrow, the real work begins. This means running my four businesses towards their goals and establishing solid routines, both for my work and personal life. Most importantly, I aim to integrate new habits and routines focused on self-love and personal time, as I’ve pushed myself too hard and worked myself into illness over the years.

This morning, I decided to do some light magic in preparation for starting work and embarking on my Project Self-Love. The candle will act as a trigger, or a reminder, of how I want to feel while working. You can do this even if you’ve never practised magic before, and if the word ‘magic’ doesn’t sit well with you, you can simply view it as a trigger or reminder. The key here is the function of the light, not what you call the practice. Creating triggers isn’t uncommon among people striving for peak performance, such as athletes and business professionals, though they may not necessarily call it a magical practice. However, I do view it as magic—wonderful, everyday magic.

What You Need

A candle, or another object you wish to use as a trigger.

I prefer to use a pillar candle that can burn for many hours, ideally over several weeks. I like that the same candle burns over many days, as it gives me a sense of continuity every time I light it, and I find that comforting.

Alternatively, you could infuse your intention into a whole bag of tea lights and burn one each day until the bag is empty. The point is that it doesn’t have to be done in a specific way to be effective. It’s about being flexible and adapting to your needs and what you have at hand.

My pillar candle is white, but you can choose a candle in a colour that corresponds with the intention you wish to set.

If you’re unable or unwilling to light a candle, you can use another object. Since I work from home, it’s easy for me to light a candle, but if your job isn’t suitable for this, or you’re often on the move, a stone, crystal, amulet, or another item you can keep with you could serve as a trigger.

How to Do It

You can go all in by opening a circle and charging and consecrating according to the full rituals, but that’s not feasible for me today, nor is it necessary for this to work. Instead, I’ll share a more everyday approach, which is also accessible to those who have never opened a circle or created a trigger before.

First, you need a clear intention. I’ve already mentioned that the candle or object will serve as a trigger or reminder. What do you want the candle/object to trigger or remind you of?

Although my candle is part of Project Self-Love, it’s intended for use during work. I’ll light it when I start work and extinguish it when I finish for the day. Some keywords for my intention are focus, joy in work, and presence. When I light the candle at the start of my workday, glance at it during the day, and extinguish it at the end, these are the things I want to be reminded of. Good focus leads to greater efficiency (so I don’t have to work as many hours each day, among other things), joy in work enhances overall happiness and a sense of gratitude (hooray!), and presence allows me to slow down and be more present for my clients and creativity.

Once you’ve clarified your intention, it needs to be transferred into the candle or object.

Find a quiet place. Focus on your intention. Place the candle or object in front of you or hold it in your hands. Visualise the candle being filled with your intention, so that every time you light it, hold it, or look at it, you’re reminded of your intention. Decide that this is how it will be.

When you feel that the process is complete and that the candle is charged with your intention, you can end the visualisation. If you don’t get a clear sense of completion (which is perfectly fine), simply decide that the work is done after a minute or two.

Place the candle where you work, or somewhere nearby where you can see it from your workstation. If you don’t work at a desk, can’t light a candle, or move around a lot, keep the object in your pocket or wear it around your neck while working.

The Daily Practice

The work isn’t finished once you’ve infused the candle or object with your intention. If this practice is new to you, it’s likely that you’ll forget about it after a day or two, just as with most things before they become a habit. If you forget, it can’t function as a trigger. We need to make it a daily practice to remind ourselves of the trigger until it becomes second nature.

One reason I choose a candle as my trigger is the active process of lighting it each day when I start work. Striking the match, holding the flame to the wick, and watching it catch fire becomes a trigger and reinforces my intention. I silently repeat the intention I set in the candle while lighting it (usually just in my head), as part of the practice. The act of extinguishing the candle then serves as a reminder that the workday is over and it’s time to switch to leisure mode.

If you’ve chosen an object other than a candle, consider how you can create a similar practice around starting and stopping. You might hold the object for a few seconds and repeat your intention. You could take it out of a drawer at the start of the day and put it back at the end. If you don’t want anyone to notice what you’re doing, you can simply look at the object or hold it in your thoughts and focus on your intention for a few seconds. No one needs to know about this little ritual unless you want them to.

(This text was first published in Norwegian at www.awakeningtomagic.no in 2020)