The Magickal Pen

I began my journey
Knowing exactly what
I most desired.

I exerted my will
And what I conjured
Was merely a shadow
Of what I desired.

I cried and fought
Asserted myself and
Yet all efforts were
Fruitless in feeding
My heart’s desire.

My will took hold and
Try as I might to force
Change to occur time
Lay still in the midst
Of my burning desire.

Exhausted and finally
Laid bare I breathed
Into the silence
And allowed a new form
Of the old desire
To take hold.

This creation spawned
From willful action
And misguided intent
Burst forth satisfying
And refined in its ways.

And from the clash of
will and desire the
Magick began and forever
I lay transformed in
The afterglow of
Will and Desire’s union.

“Oh what a tangled web we weave
When first we practice to deceive.”

 Sir Walter Scott (Marmion, 1808)

This week’s post is not meant to focus on the negative, but I think it is important to check in regularly with what we most desire (for ourselves and others) and what steps we take towards willing it to be so. As the result of 8 weeks of unexpectedly having to make decisions, take into account the desires of myself and a loved one and using all of my will to take appropriate action, these three words have boiled up to the surface and set me to thinking about their impact.

The quote above is one of my favorites. It is a reminder to me to be honest in my dealings. As a Witch and magickal practitioner it is a reminder to me of the need to balance what I desire with a will that is aligned with best outcome for all concerned. Desire and will are easily caught up in the “web” of deception. And, this deception is not limited to the actions we impose upon others. The biggest arena of deception lay within the untruths and excuses we use about ourselves and those things we desire and will into being.

Desire implies action fueled by emotional stimulation. Desire in and of itself is neither negative nor positive. I see it as a place of neutrality running primarily from a place of instinct and primal directive. Desire is the beginning of formulating what the product of that desire will be. And, as with any endeavor to produce (or create) action has to be taken towards that goal. The desire to be happy, needs the positive action taken in drawing to ourselves an environment supportive of what our definition of happiness is. The deception comes when we formulate that definition based upon faulty towers that are not anchored in the highest outcome for all; especially yourself. The desire to manifest effective magick needs practice, dedication and awareness and sensitivity to the responsibility implied in it actually working. The deception comes when we think that our will should be imposed on others because if the power we think we have acquired.

Will implies action. Will is the fuel that feeds the flames of desire. Desire without the application of will remains the stuff of dreams and wish. And, for some of those things we may desire, the dreamscape is rightfully where they should remain. If misaligned and holding less than an attitude of integrity the will to action we apply to our desires presents in its baser nature and the one pointed flow of desire through it becomes the lustful wanting and obsession of an inappropriate goal. Deception plays an integral part in this scenario and we can rationalize and legitimize our actions to ourselves and others. Holding right intent as the scale’s measure guides the passions generated in a pattern of checks and balances that is selective in how they are used.

The reminder here is that temperance and balance are necessary. The story of the Genie’s lamp and final access to all your heart desires is prime example of the amount of caution that is required for desire to be coupled with right will to action. Accountability, ethics and self-knowledge are the cornerstones of using desire and will as tools of manifestation and transformation. This potent mixture is bound to produce some outcomes that need a new recipe of blending and a level of honesty about your true motivation that cuts through leaving deception behind.

Related Posts:

Will-Full Intent

Fanning the Fires of Will and Consciousness