My Top 5 Magickal Moments In 2019

It’s that time of year when all sorts of end of the year lists and wrap ups start popping up. Pagan bloggers are no different. I’ve seen several lists with favourite books, and witches to watch, and even a list of Pagan awards. I must admit, I do love these lists. My submission this year is a little different. Rather than focusing on favourite reads or excellent blog posts, I’m listing my top 5 magickal moments.

Magickal moments can be a bit tricky to define. I mean, what makes one moment more magickal than the rest? In my case, these magickal moments have a certain sublime, goosebump raising, hair standing up on my neck, bringing me to tears, feel to them.

Magickal Moment Number One – American Gods (sort of)

In January of 2019 I visited Washington D.C. with my son. The entire experience was terrific for us both. What struck me though was walking from building to building, the Capitol, the Library of Congress, the Treasury building, and seeing the faces of the gods looking back at me. It’s no secret that Washington D.C. was founded on the idea of creating New Rome. Minerva, Zeus, Vulcan, Ceres, were all there, just to name a few. I was just so surprised that it was so incredibly conspicuous. You’d never suspect this was a “Christian nation” after visiting the nation’s capital.

Magical Moment Number Two – A Forest Alive

In August of 2019, I drove to Washington state with one of my dearest friends. We were both presenting at Beyond the Gates. From where I live, the most direct route makes it about a 12-14 hour drive. We chose a a different route that took us off the main highway and deposited us on an older, lesser used route. And oh my am I glad we took that alternate road. We drove right  next to Mount Shasta, not merely near it. We stopped at Mount Hood rather than seeing off in the distance. There were ghost towns and huge reservoirs. There was a rest stop that had us looking over a 300 foot, sheer cliff face.

The magickal moment though came while we were stopped in a short construction zone. A temporary signal light was in place, making the highway a single lane road. The elevation was high. All around us were trees. We rolled down the windows and simply listened. The air was so crisp and still. No other cars were there. Just us. In the silence of a pristine pine forest. The two of us felt it. “It” was the forest alive, or Cernunnos, or the life itself, or all of that wound up in one moment of utter perfection.

Magickal Moment Number Three – Dionysus

I don’t usually talk about ritual moments, but this was pretty special. I’m not spilling any oathbound secrets here or anything. I was one of five magick workers that facilitated a devotional ritual for Dionysus. Two of us had participated in a similar ritual a year earlier, but the five of us had never worked public ritual magick before. It was spectacular. There were drums and chanting and wine drinking and thrumming and gyrating and calls for the god to join us. I believe he was there and dancing with us step for step.

What made it so special? I had complete trust that my co-facilitators knew what they were doing, would execute their piece flawlessly, and were there in service to Dionysus and the community that assembled for the ritual.

Magickal Moment Number Four – Food Magick

In October I went to Texas as part of a kitchen team. Our job was to cook breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert for about 70 people, for 8 days. The gathering was Tejas Web Witchcamp. I’d been to this event a coupe of years before as a teacher. In fact, the entire kitchen team was made up of the returning teachers looking to support the camp in a different way.

Part of our intention was to bring thoughtfully prepared, locally sourced, made from scratch food to the folks attending the event. Our work was to incorporate magick and intention into nutritious, delicious, food that nurtured folks while they were diving into their magickal work. There are too many individual moments to list them all, but over the course of the week, we had many folks come into the kitchen and comment on the magick we were making. They said they could taste it, smell it, sense it in each and every dish. As a cook and a witch, there’s no greater magick than that for me.

Magickal Moment Number Five – A Light In The Darkness

This past Solstice, My amazing partner, joined me in a simple ritual. We extinguished every light in our house, unplugged appliances with lights, pulled curtains closed, and sat. We sat in the darkness and silence for a long time. Eventually, after for-freaking-ever, we lit one candle. The first thing I saw were here eyes, looking into mine. I’ve looked into her eyes nearly every day for seventeen years and they were never more beautiful and mysterious than at that moment. I don’t have to pretend to believe in a goddess. She’s right in front of me every day. I don’t need to pretend there’s power in witchcraft. I see it manifest in her every day.

A Year Of Magickal Moments

There are so many more magickal moments. Seeing so many beloveds publishing books and presenting at festivals and living their best lives. I’m fortunate. I have a bit of income, plenty of food, and amazing witches and pagans all about my life.

Hoping your year was filled with magick and, if it wasn’t, I trust the next year will be!