Finding Magic - Six Ways: Approaches & Entries for Practical Magic by Aidan Wachter

Six Ways is a handbook of magic and sorcery, rooted in witchcraft, folk magic, chaos magic, and animist spirit work. Subjects covered include sigils, servitors, meditation, trance, spiritual cleansing, warding, dream sorcery, candle magic, talismanic magic, vessel work, and tending to the spirit ecologies we live with and in. (source: https://www.aidanwachter.com/six-ways)

Six Ways is a spell in itself -  I have been bewitched. It has filled a gap in the magical world that I wish I had discovered over 25 years ago when I began my magical practice.

The world of magic can be very confusing to those wanting to tap into their own practice - there are so many different approaches, dogma, texts and internal (and inner political) conflicts – we are overwhelmed and distracted by drama from major figures rather than embracing our true nature.

My experience has been of reciting other people’s words and actions, this would lead me to abandon my path. For months, even years – I felt like I didn’t really have a practice. My mind was boggling and my heart was hurting from missing something I didn’t know what to do with. My inner magic was nudging me but my nose was always in books rather than listening to myself.  Unfortunately, I suffered from the belief that you must follow a specific tradition to the letter or it just wouldn’t work. I had become a disciple.

My first reading of the book really blew my mind. It was simple, and it aligned perfectly with what I believed a magical practice should be. A lightbulb moment that changed everything.

I was never introduced to chaos magic or animism or even folk magic as something to study or learn - I came from a time where wicca was seen as the only correct way to be a witch (hello 1990s). I had heard of chaos magic but it came with its own black cloud and I never touched it. I believe it was thought of as an anarchic movement where people just made shit up so it was always discredited. I wish I had approached it, I had had enough of rules and dogma – I had spent enough time fighting against that from the church.

Six Ways brings into play a lot of themes and actions you may have of heard of before in other texts but Aidan brings together some of the most important points, he has fed through some of the most poignant points and actions – bottling it into an elixir so rich and accessible – anyone can find their magic.

Touching on subjects such as animism, power, trance work, dreams, divination, sigils…I could go on - it is written with a personable tone that makes you feel less like you are reading an arcane text and more like having a beer with a friend. That in itself makes me feel like I have come home - a friendly voice not a condescending tone that makes you feel inadequate.

For once I felt in charge of my own magic, I was not endlessly copying out paragraphs of texts or constructing an altar I hated the look of (but told that this is the only way to make a spell work).  

For once, I found what fits. Laying foundations for life. Creating magic that I can finally call my own.