Jeudi: Root Work

Last Thursday we talked about magickal boosts to help bring love into your life this year. As promised, this week it’s all about shaping up.

The reality is that there aren’t a lot of spells or workings to address weight loss and motivation to diet/exercise. In hoodoo, this probably has a lot to do with the origins of root work. A lot of old time root workers didn’t have enough to eat at certain times if not on a day to day basis so the idea of encouraging “dieting” would have seemed to them laughable if not ridiculous. This may be an element of the lack of advice on the subject in other disciplines as well. Although I suspect there is a tinge of fear of manipulation here too, just as there is with love spells.

I’m a big believer in balanced eating, regular moderate exercise and a generally good outlook on body image. As the mother of two teenage girls, this is not only advisable it is absolutely critical. They see enough skeleton-thin women in the media. Momma got curves, babies; ain’t nothing wrong with that.

At any rate the idea of shaping up magickally really is a modern invention and so I will offer the advice of one of the foremost Wiccan authorities of the 20th century, Scott Cunningham. In his book Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic, Cunningham recommends securing a moonstone. It can be set in a piece of jewelry (he mentions a pendant) or loose as from a gem seller or craft store that sells semiprecious stones. Remember to cleanse your stone prior to using it by letting it sit on a sunny windowsill for a day or so. Failing that, I cleanse mine with holy water (sun can be hard to come by in Alaska in January).

Here is Cunningham’s ritual for “reprogramming your eating habits” with the help of your moonstone:

Three nights after the Full Moon, stand nude before a full-length mirror in bright light. Study your body closely, using another mirror if necessary. To successfully perform this magic, you must know yourself, accept your faults, and then allow yourself to change.

Be brutal with your visual self-analysis. See the areas you wish to reduce on your body. Visualize a new you – slimmer, in control of your food intake, fully alive.

Then, hold a moonstone in your projective [dominant] hand while continuing to visualize the body and discipline you wish to have.

Rub the moonstone over the problem areas of your body, over the excess amounts of fat, visualizing them melting away. Draw it across your head to help control your urges to eat unhealthy and fattening foods.

Finally, wear or carry the stone with you at all times. When you feel the urge to eat cheesecake, take the stone in your receptive hand, breathe deeply for ten seconds, push the image of the food from your mind – and then grab a juicy peach or crunchy carrot stick.

Aside from the moonstone itself, which is a focus, there is very little here that can’t be found in one form or another among the preaching of all the weight loss plans on TV. Slow down, be conscious of what you’re doing, think before you act. The moonstone helps you to visualize your goal and, I have no doubt, beats some pre-fab list of “rules” or taping a “before” picture from “The Biggest Loser” to your frig. Not to mention that the moonstone won’t ask you to pay it cold, hard cash every time you show up to a meeting without loosing weight.

To each their own, but who among us couldn’t use a little more focus in this frazzled world? Cunningham’s book is a thorough examination of his subject and well worth owning for anyone interested in working with any of the curios in the title. It is still in print through Llewellyn Publications. Bon chance ~

Header: Sacred and Profane Love by Titian