
When the world around you is teeming with oppressive power structures, disconnection and fear, what can you do to make a real difference? As history has shown us, it can be achieved through magical practice.
Rachel Lang is a highly sought-after astrologer, author and scholar of magic. Her Instagram is filled with astrological insights and ritual ideas, and promotions for her new book, "Modern Day Magic: 8 Simple Rules to Realize Your Power and Shape Your Life," published in September. I recently interviewed her to get a better understanding of what "magical activism" really is.
First off, let's define magic by stating what it is not.
As Lang put it: "Magic is not witchcraft, or a religion. It's our innate spiritual power, heartfelt passion and creative potential that brings us into a wondrous relationship with all life. Think of that little sparkle you feel when you're like, 'oh my God, I'm in the right place at the right time. I just had deja vu'. We all have that experience. And so we all have magic coursing through us."
When you put it that way, many of us practice magic under a different name. Call it "law of attraction" or "using the force," we all have our little ways of trying to enact change in tangible ways. Whether it's as mainstream as meditation, or as "woo-woo" as drawing a tarot card or spritzing some rose water.
Rather than a religion, magic is "a more body-centric experience that creates a shift in an awakening within ourselves and then compels us into having more compassion, more empathy," she said. "And we start seeing ourselves as a part of the whole, not just as these isolated people out there doing our own thing. And, you know, and I think that that's the gift of magic. … We connect with the planet and we connect with one another in a real way."
Combine that with activism, and you have activating your own innate personal power in an effort to create lasting, positive social change; connecting with something greater than yourself, to affect the greater good.
Take for instance the suffragettes, who incorporated seance rituals of spiritualism to fight for women's rights in the 1800s. Matilda Joslyn Gage, suffrage leader and writer of "Woman, Church and State," even claimed herself as a "witch."
Or in the '60s, when the Women's International Terrorist Conspiracy from Hell (aka W.I.T.C.H.) paraded down the streets of New York with brooms and pointy pants, chanting hexes on Wall Street bankers and campaigning against the sexism of beauty pageants and the Playboy Club. A day later, the stock market reportedly fell 13 points. As if by magic.
WITCH: Women's International Terrorist Conspiracy from Hellwww.youtube.com
Fast forward to the year following Trump's presidential inauguration, when protestors dressed as witches carried signs reading "Witches Against White Supremacy," "Hex White Supremacy" and "Good Night Alt-Right". There was even a "Spell to Bind Trump and All Those Who Abet Him" posted online. And in 2020, people were coming together to create sigils—magical symbols or drawings—to protect democracy during the Biden and Harris presidential inauguration.
"The Living Democracy Sigil" created in a magic workshop.Patheos.com
"It only makes sense that it rises in popularity in major times of needing to take personal ownership of our expression," said Lang.
Hexes and broomsticks aside, the disenfranchised continue to turn to magic because it's inherently about standing up against what is wrong in our world. As Lang put it, "We are a country that needs healing. We have a history of racism, of sexism, of violence and of spiritual abuse. If we are truly going to change as a society, we need to distance ourselves from that religious rhetoric. And one of the ways we can do that is by reclaiming our magic and reclaiming the word. When we do that, we distance ourselves from the colonial past."
Lang suggested that one way to do this is through community.
"When we gather in groups, we can generate so much more energy together than we can alone. We rally around a shared intention of being a part of something. We get energized. And that's really powerful. I think in many ways, it's going back to indigenous practices," she said.
If the thought of joining a coven sounds a little too intense for you, it might help to know that mysticism has found its way into the digital space. Take a quick glimpse at #witchtok and you'll see there's no shortage of people looking to add a bit of mystical power into their lives. It might not be exactly as our ancestors did, but it's a step in that direction. And as we have seen in the past, when individuals form a group to combine their passions with purpose, big things can happen.
Or, you can start by reclaiming your own magic, aka personal power. That is more than enough to start changing the world. How to start? It might be simpler than you think…
Lang ended our interview by saying, "When we bring spiritual presence to the everyday activities of our lives, like cooking dinner, taking a shower or cleaning our rooms. When we find sacredness in the mundane aspects of life, then we open ourselves to all kinds of possibilities for feeling connected to the world that we live in, to spiritual forces beyond our understanding and to one another. It becomes a way of life and suddenly you feel more passion, you feel more alive and centered. And so you start tapping into that deep well of feelings you might have suppressed. That's the realm where magic lives. I'm a big advocate for everyday rituals to make life feel more magical."
If you're looking for a deeper dive on this topic, or for ideas on how to make your everyday world more magical, I highly suggest reading Lang's book. It might be the only invocation you need to start making a difference.
Hands Globe Earth - Free image on Pixabay
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."