When’s the last time you played, magick-maker?
I mean really played. When’s the last time you used your imagination to turn your backyard into a jungle full of fantastic creatures, or your dining room into a witch’s cottage rich with enchanted treasures?
How long has it been since you built a pillow fort?
Run as fast as you could just for the sheer joy of the wind whipping against your skin?
Gone swimming and spent the whole time splashing or pretending you’re a merperson?
Smeared paint on anything with your hands, no clear picture in mind except for the colors you love?
For me, it’s been far too long, and that needs to change.
Play Is For Everyone
As we grow up, something very sad happens. We’re told, over and over again, that we’re “too old” for many of the things that bring us joy. We’re encouraged to set those things aside in favor of more “adult” pursuits, such as floating instead of splashing, exercising instead of joyously jumping around, playing competitive games, and creating art with the aim of it being “good.”
Of course, there’s nothing inherently wrong with any of these things. They’re valid, and they’re wonderful ways to exercise our adult brains.
However, in the pursuit of maturity, we can forget how to play just for fun, without the aim of winning anything or having a tangible outcome to show for our efforts.
Sometimes, this is because we feel guilty about being “idle” because activities with no tangible result are deemed “a waste of time.”
Other times, it’s because our lives are already crowded with a crushing load of responsibility.
And, sometimes, we simply forget that it’s possible to play this way.
What would happen if, the next time we find ourselves in desperate need of a break, we turned to play?
Playing Teaches and Heals
Every mammal on our planet learns through play. Gavotting through nature, chewing on various objects, tussling with siblings or other playmates, and—for humans—playing pretend are essential to learning how to survive.
Sure, youngsters in every species need guidance to prevent them from coming to harm, but—for the most part—those who are allowed to play unlock a truly magickal ability to teach themselves.
We do this as adults, too. Think about a subject you know a ton about or a skill you’ve mastered over the years (something unrelated to what you must know for your job or life in general). What was the learning process like? Was it grueling and tedious? Or, was it fun?
Odds are, it was the latter.
I mean, no one paid me to become a witch, or told me that I needed to learn witchcraft to further my career or function as an adult. But, here I am, pagan af, and loving every second of it.
The reason? Because magick and witchcraft are fun for me.
Certainly, there’s a lot of work that goes into becoming a witch, but I’m deeply interested in the subjects I study, which helps me retain information.
I’m willing to bet there’s a lot of stuff like that in your life, too. Maybe you’re an expert on Japanese fashion from the 1950s. Perhaps you have a Pinterest board full of info about and adorable photos of corgi-and-other-dog-hybrids. Or, maybe you can quote huge swaths of The Silmarillion on command.
Why is this? Because you like those things. And learning about them not only relieves stress, increases neuroplasticity in the brain, and alleviates anxiety, they connect you to your most magickal self.
We put a lot of time, energy, and love into these independent studies, but it’s effortless because we enjoy the time spent doing them—and magick should be the same way.
Play helps us connect to that part of ourselves that simply exists, the way we did as children learning about the world for the first time.
There’s nothing more magickal than that.
Play As Spiritual Practice
So, real talk, adulting is hard. Finding space in our adult lives for spiritual practice is also hard. How in the world are we also supposed to schedule time for play?
The simple answer is: we don’t.
Play is an organic thing that we can blend into our lives as time and space allow. We can also blend it into our magickal lives, especially because witchy burnout is all-too-real for some of us.
If you’re feeling used up spiritually, but want to keep your magickal practice alive, or if you simply want to rekindle your joy, here are a few things you can do to ease back into joyful, unplanned play:
Gather up items from nature and build a mandala on the grass.
Scour your home for small, random, pretty items and build a mandala or energy grid on a blanket, carpet, or table.
Play solitaire with your tarot cards (it also clears the energy!)
Dance to your favorite sacred music.
Use ANY music that is sacred to you!
Don’t worry about how you look, just dance!
Finger-paint using only your favorite colors (or every color!).
Start without a plan.
Add texture with crumpled paper towels, fork tines, or pencil erasers used as stamps.
Keep going until you love what you made.
Use the result in future magickal crafts, or tack it on the fridge to remind you of how you felt when you made it.
Host a tea party for your pantheon or spiritual guides.
Effigies that are also stuffed animals are a plus.
Play dress up! Create the best witch costume you possibly can from clothing, fabric, accessories, makeup, and paint you already have.
Write your own fairy tale! Make it as silly, serious, or magickal as you want.
Don’t worry about quality, just enjoy telling the story.
Take this to a group by getting together with friends to act out the story, either as a performance or simply as a form of imaginative play.
Involve little witchlings in any or all of these activities! They’re the best teachers when it comes to playing for the sheer joy of it.
One last reminder, dear heart: There is NO shame if you don’t have time to play! Be kind to yourself and remember that play is a joyful activity. Play when you can, as much as you can, but please be compassionate to yourself if other things must come first.
With so much love to you and yours—
Blessed be.
Visit Scorpio Sisters on Society6 for handmade mystical art and home décor.
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