If you are a white person in America, you are privileged. You are also racist, or have been at some point in your life – maybe not actively, but it’s in there somewhere. It’s in all of us. We have to stop pretending we’re oh so woke and understand our role in all of this if we’re going to change that role and change the narrative going forward.
Even if you have worked on your own heart the fact is we are steeped in a culture that was built on the backs of Black slaves and through the genocide of Native American peoples. From the moment white people began to colonize this land we have treated people of color as less-than, to the degree that racism is ingrained in every aspect of our society. It’s inescapable.
I am not saying you are currently an overt racist or a bad person. I’m saying if you are a white American, you grew up in a racist country with a racist (and misogynistic, and homophobic, and on and on) culture. You did not start this culture! You were not alive when slavery was still acceptable! But you benefit from that history, and you benefit from the institutions that have been set up around the marginalization and demonization of those with darker skin. You are responsible for educating yourself and doing better.
We as white people have to get more comfortable with admitting we are not above our culture. It’s okay to own up to your own mistakes and shortcomings; in fact it’s necessary. This may not be a world we started, but we have to decide how it continues, and that means getting real with our privilege and our own past actions.
We have to get over our defensiveness. We must start by shutting up and listening to the people who are actually being hurt. We don’t get to decide what is and isn’t racist because we are not the targets of racism. If I’m punching you in the face I don’t get to decide if it hurts you.
Also, it is not the job of Black people to teach us not to be racist, so we have to stop expecting them to stop in the middle of trying to survive and hold our hands while we address our own prejudices. Lists and lists of books and articles, websites and videos, have come out in the last week that can help us. It’s up to us to figure out what we can do.
That’s why I wanted to share this spell for those of you who are into magical work. Its purpose is not to hex racists or change the whole world at once; its purpose is to help us figure out where we can help, and to give us the courage to follow through. Working to change the system is vital, but I feel we also have to look in the mirror and change ourselves.
A Spell for Justice and Overcoming Our Own Prejudices
This spell does two things: It seeks the wisdom to ferret out our own prejudices and overcome them; and it seeks to strengthen our resolve and help us speak up when we need to in the face of oppression. I am not someone who can march and protest outdoors in 95 degree heat, but I can donate, amplify Black voices in art and elsewhere, sign petitions, and retweet my ass off to make sure as many people as possible get important information. I can write things like this post. But moreover, I can learn how to speak up against racist remarks and behavior even when they’re from those I love. That’s very difficult for a lot of people (including me) to do, but it’s another kind of discomfort we have got to face in order to make a difference.
You will need only two things: A candle and some kind of stone. You might also want something to use to carve your candle, and of course you probably want some sort of candle holder, but that’s up to you.
I thought long and hard about what to recommend in terms of candle color and stone type, but I’m going to leave it to you; normally I use white candles for everything because they’re easier to find and versatile, but imposing more white on the situation doesn’t feel right, and using black for either the candle or the stone is a bit on the nose and kind of trite. You could use red to harness your anger, or green to invoke the strength of the Earth; a stone I would recommend is hematite, as it is grounding and strengthening and most people have a chunk in their magical drawers somewhere.
I just don’t feel that using a bunch of black colors or themes is the best way to go. There’s no need to get cute. That said, I would carve BLM or an anti-racist slogan into the candle, or a phrase like “stand up for justice” or “speak out,” depending on how skilled you are with carving wax.
1. Carved or not, set the candle on your altar with the stone in front of it. You may want to cleanse the stone before starting by passing it through incense smoke or rubbing it with an oil, but again, I’m not the boss of your altar, so you do you.
2. Create sacred space however you usually do. If you’re new to this sort of thing, just mentally acknowledge the four Elements and directions, possibly using simple words like these:
I call upon the strength of the Earth
upon the wit and wisdom of Air
upon the passion of Fire
and upon the compassion of Water
Be with me and bless this work.
Usually when I do this I visualize a sphere of light forming around me, emanating from the four directions, each in a color that corresponds to the Element. They all merge in the center, and meet the energy of above and below, which for me are secondary Elements (of a sort) of Darkness and Light. Once all these energies have met, they become a single color that is attuned to your purpose (or whatever color you think magical energy is just on its own).
If you revere particular deities or just archetypes, or if you have guides or guardians like angels or animal spirits, you can also call them in at this point to help you and witness your work.
3. Next, take some time to review, mentally, what’s going on in the world that you want to help change. Don’t get too into the violent and horrific details; that could derail your purpose and lead you to depression or despair, which is the opposite of what we want to invoke here. We want to use our anger, not collapse under it.
4. Now light the candle and visualize its flame cutting through all of these mental images and casting the light of truth on the darkness we’ve come to. Imagine that you are holding this light, and helping it to grow brighter; that hundreds of thousands of other people are feeding the flame so it burns brighter than even the most vile hatred.
5. Pick up your stone in both your hands, letting it catch the candle’s light. Visualize the flame awakening the stone’s inherent energies. As you hold the stone, imagine you can gather up all your determination and righteous anger and fill the stone with it. Imagine that energy joining with the stone’s energy and the power of the flame kindled by so many protesters and seekers of justice.
6. Think, or say words like these; the volume isn’t important and neither is the specific wording, but what is important is your conviction. You might write out your wording before hand and have it on your altar, then keep it there as a reminder of what you have spoken before your gods (or the universe, or yourself).
I am [your name]
and I take a stand for justice.
The moral arc of the universe does not bend alone;
I pledge to help it bend using my talents and strengths.
I add my flame to the greater fire of truth.
Goddess [or whomever] help me to speak out,
to lift my shaking voice for what is right,
to find the courage to fight
and to know when my voice is not helpful.
May I be cleansed of my own prejudice
and may I grow in compassion and awareness.
I will listen, and I will educate myself,
and I will show the world through word and deed:
Black lives matter.
Black lives matter.
Black lives matter.
and so it is (or amen, or so mote it be, etc).
7. When you feel you have infused your stone with as much power as you can, touch it to your forehead, throat, and heart (the energetic centers of the mind/intuition, self-expression, and unconditional love) and then leave it before the candle while you ground yourself and meditate (I recommend Metta practice for everyone during these events). I would suggest you douse the flame without letting the candle burn down; you can then light it again the next night and charge your stone again, or save it to do again when you’ve been at a protest, or are about to go to one, or otherwise act up for what is right.
8. Carry the stone with you to influence your daily actions and words, and if you need its strength for a particular moment or hard conversation, hold it in your hand for a few minutes and mentally repeat something like “I take a stand for justice” or “Black Lives Matter.”
I hope this is helpful for some of you. Magic is a tool of change, and we need change now more than ever. It’s an excellent time for magic, as we may feel otherwise helpless or unsure how to help; hopefully this spell will give you more clarity or at least bolster your determination to lift up your flame and cast out evil.