There's been a lot of talk in the Pagan blogosphere lately about the Law of Attraction, magickal manifestation and the relative merits of The Secret. It's clear from the varied opinions people hold on the topic that, as with many issues concerning Pagan practice and faith, there is no one right way and no consensus on how it really works or why. Jeff at The Druid Journal presents an overview of posts on the subject. Dianne Sylvan specifically addresses questions surrounding The Secret, complete with thought-provoking comment thread. And Slade at Shift Your Spirits asks whether there is a difference between magick and manifestation.

I like Slade's practical approach. As he said, most of the disagreements come down to a question of vocabulary and that, while the law of attraction does work, it is magick and it is WORK. He does a good job of reminding us that while the law of attraction is part of every witch's magickal vocabulary, it's not a quick fix and requires the same discipline and personal responsibility that govern the rest of the work that we do. For me, the part of his message that struck a chord was about consciousness programming. It's good, practical advice for "creating the experience you desire with mindfulness, care, and will, and altering your behavior over time to resonate with the change you wish to find in your environment." Not always easy considering the realities of the world we live in and the fact that we are mere humans with the inherent frailties and emotions that come along.

In another post, Slade offers some advice that I think is particularly helpful when we need a bit of help to think more positively.

Put yourself on a Whine Diet. Pessimism is a bad habit. Start retraining your conscious mind to process challenge in a new context.

A Diary or Personal Journal is a particularly fertile breeding ground for manifesting negativity. There are two prescriptions that will, over time, cure pessimism and literally change your life - Gratitude and Challenge Renovation.

You hear about “changing your vibration” to accommodate the positive things you want to manifest more of in your daily life. You can do this by keeping a Gratitude Journal. Make whining and complaining totally OFF limits. You are only allowed to list what is good.

To Renovate Challenges, try this: whenever you find yourself wanting to write down What Sucks — what problem has been thrown your way, what life has slapped you with — express it in terms of what you could do about it.

For example: “I’m broke. I don’t have enough money.” Translate this when you record it into something like “I am going to address my financial problems by…” And list the way you’re going to change it. Problems - Challenges - Life lessons always have built-in solutions.

How many times have we reached for our journals to pour out our heart about a lost love, a lost job, our fears, our failures? Think about how much power we give those things by committing them not just to words but to paper. I like Slade's advice about focusing on those things for which we are grateful instead; about focusing on solutions instead of problems.

After a recent Nor'easter that dumped more snow on Boston than we had all winter, yesterday's Vernal Equinox brought warming sun and it really felt like Spring had come. The snow was melting all around and yes, I saw crocuses, a whole bunch of them released from their snowy blanket, blooming bravely in a garden in my neighborhood. I am so grateful for those crocuses. For the promise of warmer weather to come and for the hopeful transformation they represented - at least to me.

Today, Cafe Astrology tells us:

Minutes into the day (EDT), the Moon enters Taurus, and we naturally begin to slow down in order to take in the world with our five senses. Now, we are motivated by the desire for serenity, security, peace, and comfort. The Moon is at her most sensual and constant in Taurus. Our basic impulses are to relax, resist change, and "stop to smell the roses". Life slows down a little, and we get comfortable.

As a Taurus, when the Moon is in my sign it creates a cozy, comfortable space. I'm going to choose to ignore the stubborn and materialistic side that Taurus sometimes brings and focus instead on using the energy of the day for enjoyable activities and relaxation. The Sun is shining, the crocuses are blooming, Spring is here. Life is good and I am grateful.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 9:55 AM