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For some people winter can be a dreary time. Many struggle with seasonal depression, and others just feel the blah bah humbug lack of inspiration. I've spent many winter months bored and restless, drinking to much, eating unhealthy food, and wondering why I felt so crappy. This year, I am on a mission to stay happy, healthy, and fun, and these are some of the things Ive been doing to keep the winter months magickal.
I'd like to start off by saying that I was born and raised in Phoenix Arizona. Winter time brought cooler temperatures, but snow was about as likely as riding a unicorn to neverland. And even though Id experienced snow day fun in the northern mountains of Arizona, I never really understood that snow was something that lots of people lived in and with all winter long. As a child I developed snow envy. I wanted to build snowmen, I wanted to go iceskating, I wanted to throw snowballs at my little sister, and I wanted to feel snowflakes melt on my tongue. Watching Christmas movies left me feeling left out. Where is this whitened world of mittens and hats? Where's my Frosty the Snowman friend?
I'm happy to say that as an adult Ive experienced my fair share of snowy days. And because of my childhood fascination with snow, Ive managed to retain a sense of wonder and magick regarding an otherwise bothersome and inconvenient wintertime weather pattern. There are few things in this world that compare to the feeling of snuggling up with a warm cup of tea and watching the world turn white. That feeling of peaceful stillness has always been so meaningful to me. A simple reminder to be grateful for the blessings in your life can be a magickal gift all on its own.
My idea about snow magick came to me while I was out in the yard making shapes out of snow. First I made a snowball. Then I tried my hand at making a snow square, then a star, and then... a snow Dolly! I shaped a little head and arms and legs and took a stick and drew on a simple face. The thought came to me that I could put this doll in my freezer and save it, and thats when I put 2 and 2 together, and realized I could make snow dollies like some folks make corn dollies! (Corn dollies are little fetishes or votives that represent the fertility of the harvest. They are made at harvest time and saved all year, to be "sacrificed" at planting time to ensure a productive harvest.)
I thought about the power of water, and its ability to be charged with energy and intention, I thought of full moon water and its magickal properties and uses. I thought "Im a freakin genius!" If you can create holy water or sacred water or moon water, you can do the same with snow! How amazing that I can take this water in my hands, shape it into whatever I want, infuse it with intention and save it. The idea brought to mind cord magick, and the concept of sealing in energy to be released and utilized when it is needed most. How simple really. Take snow in your hand and shape it, while focusing on infusing the water with energy. When a time comes that you need an extra boost you can take out your snow dolly and let her melt, while focusing on releasing and utilizing the energy and intention it had been infused with.
Another way to approach this idea of molding and melting snow is the age old concept of sympathy magick. The type of magick that makes voodoo dolls work. If you have eye problems, make a snow eye, imagine all the problems being transfered to the snow, and as you let it melt, imagine the problems dissipating and dissolving along with the snow. This can be applied to anything really. But always remember, it is not ethical to try to interfere with someones free will. If you dont know for sure that someone would not mind you making a snow dollie of them, don't do it. Manipulation isnt magick, even if you are just trying to help.
Snow can also be a really effective way to cleanse and reset crystals. I recently took a small spirit quartz on a full moon walk with me. As I held it in my hand, I scooped up some snow and packed the crystal into the center of the snowball and just held it while it melted. And as surely as I live and breath, the snow melted very very quickly and the water left on my hands was actually WARM! The wet hand with the crystal in it was way warmer than the dry hand I had in my pocket! It really blew my mind! Now I know that my spirit quartz likes snow, and when exposed to it, will activate and charge.
Im looking forward to testing this with other types of crystals, and will keep updates of the results. If you have a quartz of any kind I recommend giving this a try. It really reenforced my beliefs in the natural power of crystals, And the receptive power of water. Simply Magickal!
Here's wishing you a beautiful winter and a Happy New Year!
_AKR
I'd like to start off by saying that I was born and raised in Phoenix Arizona. Winter time brought cooler temperatures, but snow was about as likely as riding a unicorn to neverland. And even though Id experienced snow day fun in the northern mountains of Arizona, I never really understood that snow was something that lots of people lived in and with all winter long. As a child I developed snow envy. I wanted to build snowmen, I wanted to go iceskating, I wanted to throw snowballs at my little sister, and I wanted to feel snowflakes melt on my tongue. Watching Christmas movies left me feeling left out. Where is this whitened world of mittens and hats? Where's my Frosty the Snowman friend?
I'm happy to say that as an adult Ive experienced my fair share of snowy days. And because of my childhood fascination with snow, Ive managed to retain a sense of wonder and magick regarding an otherwise bothersome and inconvenient wintertime weather pattern. There are few things in this world that compare to the feeling of snuggling up with a warm cup of tea and watching the world turn white. That feeling of peaceful stillness has always been so meaningful to me. A simple reminder to be grateful for the blessings in your life can be a magickal gift all on its own.
My idea about snow magick came to me while I was out in the yard making shapes out of snow. First I made a snowball. Then I tried my hand at making a snow square, then a star, and then... a snow Dolly! I shaped a little head and arms and legs and took a stick and drew on a simple face. The thought came to me that I could put this doll in my freezer and save it, and thats when I put 2 and 2 together, and realized I could make snow dollies like some folks make corn dollies! (Corn dollies are little fetishes or votives that represent the fertility of the harvest. They are made at harvest time and saved all year, to be "sacrificed" at planting time to ensure a productive harvest.)
I thought about the power of water, and its ability to be charged with energy and intention, I thought of full moon water and its magickal properties and uses. I thought "Im a freakin genius!" If you can create holy water or sacred water or moon water, you can do the same with snow! How amazing that I can take this water in my hands, shape it into whatever I want, infuse it with intention and save it. The idea brought to mind cord magick, and the concept of sealing in energy to be released and utilized when it is needed most. How simple really. Take snow in your hand and shape it, while focusing on infusing the water with energy. When a time comes that you need an extra boost you can take out your snow dolly and let her melt, while focusing on releasing and utilizing the energy and intention it had been infused with.
Another way to approach this idea of molding and melting snow is the age old concept of sympathy magick. The type of magick that makes voodoo dolls work. If you have eye problems, make a snow eye, imagine all the problems being transfered to the snow, and as you let it melt, imagine the problems dissipating and dissolving along with the snow. This can be applied to anything really. But always remember, it is not ethical to try to interfere with someones free will. If you dont know for sure that someone would not mind you making a snow dollie of them, don't do it. Manipulation isnt magick, even if you are just trying to help.
Snow can also be a really effective way to cleanse and reset crystals. I recently took a small spirit quartz on a full moon walk with me. As I held it in my hand, I scooped up some snow and packed the crystal into the center of the snowball and just held it while it melted. And as surely as I live and breath, the snow melted very very quickly and the water left on my hands was actually WARM! The wet hand with the crystal in it was way warmer than the dry hand I had in my pocket! It really blew my mind! Now I know that my spirit quartz likes snow, and when exposed to it, will activate and charge.
Im looking forward to testing this with other types of crystals, and will keep updates of the results. If you have a quartz of any kind I recommend giving this a try. It really reenforced my beliefs in the natural power of crystals, And the receptive power of water. Simply Magickal!
Here's wishing you a beautiful winter and a Happy New Year!
_AKR