A Truly Magickal Intent

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Casey Giovinco, author of the new Magick from the Mat.

Intention. Whether you’re casting a spell, taking a yoga class, or trying to achieve a life goal, intention is important.

Witches talk a lot about intention. When applied to a magickal practice, the concept involves forming a mental image of a desired outcome, conjuring up the will to see that desire fulfilled, and maintaining a fierce belief that the desired outcome will, in fact, manifest itself within the witch’s life.

In yoga, the process of setting an intention for a particular practice or class is slightly different. Whereas witches focus on the specific desirable outcome, yogis tend to focus more on general or abstract qualities or virtues (i.e., patience, gratitude, calmness, etc.). By focusing on a chosen quality or virtue during each practice or class, yogis bring that desired aspect into their daily lives both on and off the mat.

While these two approaches to setting an intention address the topic from opposite perspectives—one top-down, the other bottom-up—combining their methods can help practitioners of both traditions to achieve their life goals more easily and effortlessly than either method alone. The approach taken within witchcraft allows yoga students to turn their practice into a magickal spell that will bring about a specific purpose within their lives (i.e., healing, peace of mind, becoming wealthy, success, love, etc.). The yogic approach, however, helps witches to keep their focus on the big picture in order to improve the overall quality and success of their magickal practices.

In Magick from the Mat I provide tools to help you combine these different approaches to your magickal life.

Our thanks to Casey for his guest post! For more from Giovinco, read his article, “6 Reasons To Pair Yoga & Witchcraft.”