As of late, I've been learning ASL, and that's brought about an interesting series of inspirations worth sharing here!

English is not a conceptual language. Our words represent things, sure, but they're really not a "sight picture" process. We spell out lavish descriptions of things, and we can use our words to invoke emotions & visualizations in others, but we don't really paint a picture with those words. ASL is radically different in this respect, and this is actually what makes it magickally useful.

In sign language, you paint a picture with your hands. Its an inherently visual language in this way, and in this respect, it directly correlates to both mudras (magickal hand signs found in India & Asia) and hieroglyphics. Its something of a cross between interpretive dance and invocation, and it can be a powerful, consuming source of passion.

Fair warning, it'll take some mental gymnastics for this to make sense.

Remember what I said about English being spelled out rather than conceptual? What I mean is that we don't often think/visualize what we're describing on a conceptual level. When we spell a word, we're usually thinking of the verbal building blocks of the thing, NOT the image of whatever it is we're describing. Its inherent to our language. If you need proof of this, try to finger spell out the name of a Rhinoceros and see if that's the image it invokes..... ;)

The sign for Rhinocerous, however, makes it SUPER obvious.:

Try to take this into account when you consider what you're looking to convey to spirits. There's a LOT of ways to use this, either with your own self-created mudras and signs, or by using ones that are already in existence. Get creative with this, and try to find ways to relate the concept of a thing to others without necessarily needing to be all that linear in your process.

This will be difficult for the non-visual folks at first, but that's part of what makes it so incredibly powerful!

Be blessed!
​-Chris

As some of you may know, I'm currently offering a giveaway that'll wrap up on Friday. I will be individually blessing each person who signs up for this, in effect scaling-up the lives & experiences of everyone involved. This gives me an opportunity to write about some things that's generally glossed over in the magickal community at the same time. 

Blessings are probably the simplest form of active magickal ritual a person can perform. The very process is predicated upon the understanding, cultivation, and conveyance of good will. It is an exercise in active compassion, and that desire to see others do well becomes the basis of the Work. As I see it, there are two ways into this practice: 1) You can seek to bless yourself & see yourself thrive, or 2) you can seek to bless others. Both are entirely valid, and the irony is that either path will automatically involve you performing the opposite of what you've chosen. 

When you bless yourself, you indirectly bless all who interact with you, scaling up the potency of your efforts & all those who interact with you. When you bless others, you beneficially impact those that you will be interacting with, thereby improving your day perpetually, provided you keep up with the process. In this way, it's a very cool win/win & it's a powerful practice with an incredibly small, easily accessible way in to practicing magick. This is a tool, and with it you can improve your life and the lives of others quite readily. 

If you find yourself interested in being able to do this, I will walk you through how you might go about doing so in this article. It is not a difficult process to begin, but there is a core tenement that must be respected if this is to function correctly: you must genuinely care for the person & want to see them do well. There is no room for selfishness in this process, even when you're working on yourself. That might seem counterintuitive, but selfishness is counter to true desire for improvement. It is an negative current that runs counter to that of compassion. It must be put in its place for you to be truly successful in this venture. 

If you can create within yourself that desire to see others succeed without concern for self, you can convey this to spells & rituals. This very expression of active compassion changes the way the brain works and brings the body and mind in alignment with soul. As you create this emotion within yourself, focus it upon the person you care for in this context & spark alight a single candle while visualizing and appreciating the creation of "better" in their lives. See them happy, see them successful. Watch how your spell burns, and see what this feels like to you both during & after. Endlessly contemplate these rituals each time you do them, and you'll start to see and feel how the framework of the universe fits together.

All it takes is a single step. A continual effort like this can become life-changing. It will become life-changing if you let it. If you've not already signed up for the giveaway mentioned above, I would recommend you do so. If you are already participating in this, try doing this ritual directly alongside my efforts this coming Friday & see how that feels. ;)

Blessings to each of you. Thanks for reading. 
-Chris