Everyday Woo Lite (Vol 3)
The pitfalls of manifestation and how to handle Mercury retrograde like a pro.
Everyday Woo is a place for the woo curious to learn a little more about tarot and spirituality in a not-too-serious way. Here’s what I’m thinking about this week…
✨ Multi-Level Manifestation: The Ethics of the Law of Attraction
I’m not going to lie. The word ‘manifesting’ makes me think of multi-level marketing scams, er schemes.
Okay, more on that in a sec. But first, lemme back up a bit. What exactly does manifesting mean? The word pops up a lot in spiritual circles when it comes to trying to achieve...well...anything. A new job. A partner. A relocation. Depending on how witchy you want to get, manifestation can run the gamut from simply writing down your goals to taking part in spells or rituals designed to channel positive energy. But the core of manifestation is rooted in the idea that, by controlling the mind and its patterns, you can control what happens to you in your life. Positive, abundant thoughts = abundance in your life in the form of money, friends, love, etc. It’s the idea that like attracts like. Happiness begets happiness. Wealth invites in more wealth. If you keep your mind positive and happy, your life will reflect that.
It’s such a nice idea. But it is also dangerous.
After watching the documentary LulaRich (#teamderryl) and being on the receiving end of a few too many “hey girl!” messages from people I went to high school with (and fully intended on never talking to again), I consider myself a bit of an armchair expert on the cult-like tactics employed by MLMs. And all of this talk about “boss babes,” “mindset shifts” and “making your dreams a reality” falls very close in line with the idea of manifestation. It’s just that one sells you shitty leggings and the other sells you hope wrapped up in the gauzy, mystical fabric of spirituality. But both ignore other hard truths in favor of the overly-simplified idea that, as long as you believe in yourself and keep your mind focused on what you wish to achieve, you can’t fail. And if you do fail? Well, you just didn’t try hard enough. Gulp.
When we don’t consider how manifestation fits into the bigger picture of a society that gives us many, many reasons to not “think positive,” we set ourselves up to fail. And moreover, some folks struggle with staying positive because of some very real mental health issues. If someone has a hard time controlling invasive, negative thoughts, does that mean that they are doomed to attract negativity into their life? I sure hope not, for my own sake.
So, now the conversation shifts: can you manifest responsibly? As you can probably tell, I’m a big fan of the both/and perspective on most things in life. You can both practice manifestation in your life AND acknowledge that it has its limits and must be paired with an understanding of how outside influences can make positive thinking difficult or even impossible at times.
In my view, manifesting responsibly means:
Recognizing that bad things can happen for no reason at all, not just because we didn’t keep a positive mindset.
Understanding that manifestation rituals should be approached with mindfulness, as they can sometimes exacerbate obsessive behaviors
Acknowledging the impact of systemic issues like racism, classism, sexism, and more on our lives and not using manifestation as a tactic to ignore these very real barriers to fulfillment and satisfaction
Not using manifestation as a tool for blame of self or others as to why life isn’t going as well as we might like
Definitely not using manifestation as manipulation or a way to sell someone something (lookin’ at you, MLMers)
In the spiritual world, fear can quite easily seep into many rituals and practices if we aren’t careful. Fear robs us of the agency that I believe is so paramount to a meaningful, fulfilling spiritual journey. When we completely concede control to forces bigger than us and wash our hands of any responsibility for what happens in our lives, we have missed the point. Manifestation is no different. It should empower you to make changes. It should affirm and validate your goals and dreams. It should not be used as a wall to hide behind, a fear tactic or an excuse.
When I first started reading tarot professionally, I set a goal that felt kinda wild for me: 15 paid readings over the course of a month. I wrote it down with the understanding that there were a lot of factors at play here: I didn’t have a huge following. I was a new reader. I wasn’t sure if I even knew 15 people who would want a reading, let alone PAY for one.
But I wrote it down. And I told my partner about it. Afterwards, I didn’t just sit back and say, “welp, because I ~manifested~ it, it’ll happen.” I took action. I offered free readings for feedback. And some people paid because they wanted to. The number went up. I posted a lot on my Instagram and shared my tarot philosophy. A few more readings rolled in. Then a client referred another, and another...and when there was still a week to go, I had my 15 paid readings.
Did manifestation alone do it? No. I did. But did it help me have a clear vision and motivate me to work towards it? For sure. Could I have burned some incense and done a ritual? Sure. But I didn’t have to. Just writing it down was enough.
So, I guess witches and boss babes do have a little bit in common, at least when it comes to the law of attraction. Because there is merit to it. But my hope is that you’ll be a thoughtful witch who knows that manifestation is meant to lift you up, not act as a crutch. And it’s definitely not meant to convince people to buy a mascara from someone who bullied them in high school that costs $47 and makes their eyelashes look like Yzma’s from the Emperor’s New Groove.
An easy way to practice safe manifestation:
Think of a new project or goal. Set aside 10 minutes or so. Grab a journal and do some writing: what would success look like for you? What energy would you like to attract? What resources do you need?
Spend a few minutes in meditation. Lie down or sit up in a way that feels comfortable. Close your eyes and visualize some of the things you wrote about. Notice the feelings that come up for you and even what qualities these images hold.
Take your focus to your breath. Inhale deeply and imagine drawing in positive energy. Hold your breath for a moment, allowing this energy to coalesce. Exhale and imagine releasing any negativity or limiting beliefs associated with this goal.
Open your eyes and return to your writing. Write down a manifestation statement: think one big, bold sentence that captures the energy you want to call into the situation.
Once you have your manifestation statement, put it somewhere where you can see it. I like writing it on the palm of my hand (shh don’t tell my mom because she will tell me I’m going to get ink poisoning!), or you can write it on your mirror, stick it on your toaster or even be extra and whip up a cute lil phone background on Canva (here, I made you a template).
So, there you have it. Responsible manifestation. No pyramid schemes necessary.
💫 Reframing Mercury Retrograde
I’m a middle school teacher for my ~real job~ (read: the one that gives me only-slightly-shitty insurance), and a few of my coworkers and I have a running joke that, until further notice, we will be blaming the moon for all of our problems. Let’s just say the last full moon in Pisces messed everyone up. (This also lead to me convincing everyone to look up their natal charts and their moon placements, but that’s a whole ‘nother story…)
So when Mercury turned retrograde on September 27th, I was like, “hey! We have a new scapegoat!” And then the copier broke. THANKS, MERCURY.
So, in astrology, what is retrograde? When Mercury (or any planet) is in retrograde, it appears to be going backwards in the way that it orbits. Is it actually moving backwards? No. It’s all relative and has to do with proximity and placement to Earth. It’s sort of like one of those optical illusions where the lines appear to be moving just because of the way the drawing is laid out.
Think of it this way: planets follow a set trajectory, or orbit, in the universe. Retrograde just gives us the illusion that they’re not sticking to the preset path. It’s sort of like they’re going rogue for a bit. Do they fall back in line eventually? Yep. And the planet goes direct, or returns to what we would consider normal.
What does it all mean? In this rumspringa time period, things get a little…well…disruptive. When Mercury is in retrograde, it comes extremely close to the Earth, closer than the Sun. We are forced to pay attention to its energy. Think of it like that scene in Finding Nemo where Darla gets close to the tank and taps. Really hard.
But seriously, there is truly no need to panic. Is communication tough? Yep. Since Mercury governs how we speak and interact with each other, there are bound to be some reply-all emails that make you want to set your computer on fire. Will said computer also spontaneously combust or be stuck on the “updating” screen for 30 minutes on the day that you got to work late? Maybe.
*Wrings hands* What is there to be done? It’s rather cathartic to dramatically shake our fists at the sky when things go wrong and yell, “curses, Mercury!” But even in the midst of the haywire energy, there ARE some very real benefits to this time.
If you are even the slightest bit witchy (which I think it’s safe to say that you are, since you’re reading this), you know that venturing off of the beaten path can reward you with the most valuable perspective. There is merit to deviation. Think of that side trail that leads you to a gorgeous overlook, one that you wouldn’t have seen otherwise if you hadn’t taken the chance and explored.
When Mercury (or any planet) is in retrograde, we have an opportunity to shift our perspective. And it doesn’t have to be huge. As the planet’s backwards motion is an illusion, any delays or troubles that feel like they’re setting us back don’t really affect us that much in the bigger picture. So, even if the next three weeks feel a little bumpy when it comes to communication, don’t sweat it. Learn from it.
Mantra for the week: I choose to see delays as invitations to pause and breathe.
Put down your phone and take a deep breath. I’ll see you here next week to talk about storytelling with tarot cards, getting my natal chart read, and (for paid subscribers), the uncomfortable Venn diagram of my mental health and my spiritual gifts. 🌻
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