A Writing Spell: Honoring Your Many Selves

BY LISA MARIE BASILE

Trauma, pain, or the tides of life can blur time. When we have a hard time reconciling our past and present, it can feel like we are perpetually moving between memories, like we are chasing the ghost of who we used to be — or like we are perpetually looking ahead and never finding presence.

At times it feels like we can spot a way, a path out, a sense of the future — but we are often tethered to the past, living as who we used to be, unable to move forward. I have struggled to let go of or integrate the younger me into who I am now. There are parts that I need to say goodbye to and parts that I should carry with me — but it takes time and self-compassion and energy to work through this.

And sometimes, when we are so focused on past pain or shame — or so focused on tomorrow, we forget to honor what today is all about. What right now feels like.

In this writing-based, accessible ritual you will work with your many selves, to take a moment to be in tune with the past and the present, and the future. To give each self some space, a pause, a breath, and a moment of prayer and hope. To see your many layers. And to find some perspective.

A ritual of selves is a candle magic writing practice that requires three candles, a few pieces of paper, (as small as your hand), and some string (cut into inch-long strings).

A note

What you release, honor, and call forth is up to you. You can release, for example, shame. You can honor resilience, and you can call forth creativity. What you meditate on can be material or emotional.

Be thoughtful. Work within a realm of possibility. Acknowledge that intention must be nurtured by action and intention. If you’re interested, I write a lot about working with realistic and intersectional manifestations in my book, The Magical Writing Grimoire.

Your candles may be any color that speaks to you. I often correspond color to energy or idea (like yellow for creativity, purple for spiritual power, pink for love and healing, and green for opportunity).

Settle your thoughts & think about your past, present, and future.

Before everything, sit quietly in your space and think on something from your past that you’d like to say goodbye to, something in your present you’d like to acknowledge and honor, and something you’d like to call forth for your future.

Working with the past

Light the first candle with intention as you think of what you release.

Speak: "with this light of the past,

I release ___"

Write onto your paper what you release in whatever words you'd like. Scroll the paper, and tie the scroll around the bottom of the candle. Let it burn.

Working with the present

Light the 2nd candle with intention as you think of what you honor about your current life.

Speak: "with this light of the present,

I honor ___"

Write onto your paper what you honor in whatever words you'd like. Scroll the paper, and tie the scroll around the bottom of the candle. Let it burn.

Working with the future

Light the 3rd candle with intention as you think of what you are calling forth

Speak: "with this light of the future,

I manifest ___"

Write onto your paper what you want. Write this in the present tense as if you have it already. Scroll the paper, and tie the scroll around the bottom of the candle. Let it burn.

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Lisa Marie Basile (she/her) is a poet, essayist, editor, and chronic illness awareness advocate living in New York City. She's the founder and creative director of Luna Luna Magazine and its online community, and the creator of Ritual Poetica, a curiosity project dedicated to exploring the intersection of writing, creativity, healing, & sacredness.

She is the author of THE MAGICAL WRITING GRIMOIRE, LIGHT MAGIC FOR DARK TIMES, and a few poetry collections, including the recent NYMPHOLEPSY, which is excerpted in Best American Experimental Writing 2020. Her essays and other work can be found in The New York Times, Narratively, Sabat Magazine, We Are Grimoire, Witch Craft Magazine, Refinery 29, Self, Healthline, Entropy, On Loan From The Cosmos, Chakrubs, Catapult, Bust, Bustle, and more. She is also a chronic illness advocate, keeping columns at several chronic illness patient websites. She earned a Masters's degree in Writing from The New School and studied literature and psychology as an undergraduate at Pace University. You can follow her at lisamariebasile.