I’ve been on an abundance kick lately, and this post is a direct follow-up to my posts on the magic of asking and receiving. Since I’m a fan of threes (and it’s a pretty powerful number in myth, folklore, and magic), it seemed appropriate to wrap up this series as a trilogy.
I’m a firm believer in the power of gratitude, and it seems to me that abundance is a cycle: the more we ask, the more we open ourselves up to receive, and the more we receive, the more we (hopefully) pass it on in some fashion or another. Giving your talents, your time, your money, whatever it is that you value and want to share, is a great way to express gratitude to the universe and to keep the cycle of abundance flowing, rather than allowing it to stagnate. I discuss the magic inherent in gratitude at length in my book, Goddess Spells for Busy Girls, but I wanted to share with you this week my favorite thing that I like to do when I feel like my cup is overflowing.
One of my favorite ways to cultivate this type of abundance magic is by paying for the person behind me in the drive through. I’m not a fast food person, so this usually means that on the rare occasions when I treat myself to a cup of fancy coffee and a pastry, I pay for the stranger behind me in line. Whenever I do this, I make a point to get out of the parking lot and back on the road quickly; I don’t linger to see the reaction, and I don’t wait for thanks. I feel like part of the magic of this gesture comes from the randomness of it, and I first started this practice after I was on the receiving end of the same gesture before my husband and I began a holiday road trip a few years ago. The feeling of gratitude and joy that hit when we pulled up to the window to be informed that our order had already been paid for was bright and vast, and since we didn’t know who to thank, that gratitude tumbled over to the universe at large. Small acts leave a big mark, and this is my favorite small way to (hopefully) make a stranger smile.
When we offer ourselves to the universe, whether through donation, charitable acts, volunteer work, or simply smiling at a stranger on the street, we help cultivate the flow of abundance and bright blessings around us. I’m a firm believer that when we give more, we get more, and often times, the currency that we’re exchanging isn’t tangible. However you define abundance, consider passing some of yours along in whatever way feels most genuine to you, and keep your eyes open to see the ways in which that abundance will cycle back to you, magnified.
How do you express gratitude to the universe?
Patheos Pagan on Facebook.
the Agora on Facebook
The Busy Witch is published on alternate Tuesdays. Follow it via RSS or e-mail! Or, check out Jen’s her Facebook Page for writings, ramblings, and more magic! Drop by and say hi!
And, please use the links to the right to keep on top of activities here on the Agora as well as across the entire Patheos Pagan channel.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In