Llewellyn's 2018 Magical Almanac: Practical Magic for Everyday Living - Team of authors 2017

Divine Timing: Aligning and Harmonizing with the Rhythm of the Universe by Tess Whitehurst
Water Magic

In the magical world, we hear a lot about timing, from Moon cycles to seasons to days of the week. But making friends with time in general—so that it’s our ally rather than our opponent—brings amazing benefits to our magic (and to everything else in our life).

Because let’s face it: there is a lot of time resistance going on in our culture. If you listen to the phrases we so often use (“crazy busy,” “killing time,” and “not enough hours in the day,” for example), you’d think we were each pitted in a constant battle against the clock.

But if you stop to think about it, this is a little nutty. After all, we’re all right smack in the flow of time: in this present life experience, there’s no escaping it. As the saying goes, it just keeps marching on.

And if you let your thoughts go even deeper and wander into the realm of physics, you’ll realize that time is not quite as solid or unbending as our clocks and modern vernacular would have us believe.

Einstein Time

In The Big Leap, Gay Hendricks writes, “Newtonian dualism pits us against time. . . . We think of time as the master and us as the slave.” He goes on to define what he calls “Einstein Time”: a way of perceiving time that is more in alignment with post-

Newtonian science and the theory of relativity. Because the truth is, in this more modern scientific paradigm, time actually emanates from the place where it is perceived. So it is actually emanating from each of us, individually, as we perceive it. Hendricks counsels, “Quit thinking time is ’out there.’ Take ownership of time—acknowledge that you are where it comes from—and it will stop owning you. Claim time as yours, and it will release its claim on you.”

It sounds a little too simple, doesn’t it? But as magical practitioners, we know that our concepts about things, and the stories we tell ourselves about them, have everything to do with how they manifest in our lives. And even though our cultural story about time being in short supply is a powerful one, we can begin to shift it in our own minds just by setting the intention to do so. The following ritual might also help.

Time Ownership Ritual

On a day when the Moon’s sign is the same as it was at the moment when you were born, purchase or find a small calendar and a watch or small clock. (You might try a dollar store or secondhand store to keep costs low.) Burn white sage around them to cleanse their energy, and then tie them together attractively (rolling up the calendar into a scroll if appropriate) with a length of white satin ribbon. Also tie a tag onto them that says “Property of: (your name).”

While holding this charm in both hands, say,

I now dissolve and demolish the outmoded, Newtonian idea of external time. I now choose to step into the new, more accurate paradigm that demonstrates that time is emanating from me, and that it behaves in accordance with my expectations. In truth, I am the owner of my time, and I now claim this ownership in full.

Visualize yourself being the master of your own time. See and feel yourself having plenty of time for everything you want to do and easily arriving everywhere you want to be in perfect timing.

Place the time charm on your altar and leave it there for at least one Full Moon cycle.

The Inner Speed Limit

We all know when we are getting ahead of ourselves or behaving outside our most ideal and natural rhythm. You might call this a violation of our own “inner speed limit,” a term I’m borrowing from author and Buddhist monk Tsoknyi Rinpoche. In his book Open Heart, Open Mind, he defines the inner speed limit as “a comfortable margin of activity that allows us to complete the tasks with which we’re faced on a daily basis without receiving a mental, emotional, or physical speeding ticket.”

You’ll notice he doesn’t define it as slowing down to the point where we barely get anything done—rather, just to the point where we don’t rush around so much we create unnecessary stress or end up spilling our coffee. (Especially considering that both of these would defeat the purpose of rushing around in the first place, as stress causes us to be less effective in the long run, and spilling our coffee would cost us all that extra time cleaning it up and brewing a fresh cup.) Not to mention, our magic suffers when we violate our inner speed limit. By getting ahead of our natural rhythm, we get out of sync with the cosmic and planetary energies from which we derive our power.

Of course, those of us who have a lot on the agenda—possibly too much—are the ones most prone to violating the inner speed limit. So we have to be extra mindful of two things: first, of going at a pace that feels appropriate; and second, of releasing activities, relationships, and obligations that are not for our truest good.

Inner Speed Limit Meditation

A morning meditation can be a great time to align harmoniously with your inner speed limit and the timing that will most benefit your day. If you have trouble finding time, set your alarm clock five minutes early. When it goes off, hit the snooze button for five extra minutes and then lie in bed, flat on your back. Simply notice your breath as it goes in and out. When your mind begins to wander, bring it back to the breath. (This harmonizes you with your natural internal pace.) When the alarm goes off, finish up your meditation by calling on Archangel Metatron—the angelic expert on organization and time management—to assist you in managing your time and activities in the most ideal and harmonious of ways.

Kairos

Kairos is a Greek philosophical concept appearing in a number of ancient philosophies, including Pythagorean and Biblical writings, that can roughly be defined as the ideal timing or the opportune moment. While chronos is Greek for measured, human time, kairos describes transcendent, divinely orchestrated, and harmonious time.

According to Hunter W. Stephenson in Forecasting Opportunity, classicist R. B. Onians explained that there are “two meanings most commonly associated with kairos—namely, ’right timing’ . . . and ’due measure.’” These two meanings “are derived from two different roots”: archery, in regard to “the moment in which an arrow may be fired with sufficient force to penetrate the target,” and weaving, in regard to “the moment in which the shuttle could be passed through the threads on the loom.”

We all know when we are operating in kairos rather than chronos. When we turn on the radio, it’s naturally playing a song that feels precisely right for the moment. When it crosses our mind that we’d like a latte, we turn a corner and behold a coffee shop. Wherever we happen to be going, we arrive at the precisely perfect time—even if it isn’t the time initially agreed upon—and we never find ourselves stressing about it in the least. It’s as if we’re a sailboat and time is the breeze, blowing at the perfect speed and in the perfect direction. Sounds kind of amazing, right?

But how do we get in alignment with kairos? Watching the Moon cycles and seasons for one, and timing our magic and other activities accordingly. Changing our paradigm from Newtonian to Einstein time will also help, as will following our inner speed limit. Additionally, the following activities will go a long way toward aligning us with this most magical version of time:

Clutter clearing. When we release everything from the physical plane that we don’t love, use, or need, we repair energy leaks and harmonize ourselves with the rhythm of the spheres. Not to mention, finding things will be easy, and cleaning house will take half the time.

Abstaining from time-related complaints. If you can purge your inner and outer monologue of time complaints (“I’m way too busy,” “There just aren’t enough hours in the day,” “I’m always late,” etc.), you’ll be more likely to come into sync with time than believe yourself to be in opposition to it.

Speaking, thinking, or writing time-related affirmations. Instead of complaints, begin to populate your stream of consciousness with phrases like “I always have plenty of time,” “Everything is occurring in perfect and divine timing,” and “I am fully nourished by the present moment.”

Kairos Alignment Candle Spell

During a Dark Moon, carve the word “kairos” into a purple pillar candle. Place it on a candleholder and sprinkle mugwort and silver glitter around the base. Light and chant,

My timing is right, my future is bright.

I am in the flow, I am in the know.

My struggles now end, for time is my friend.

Burn the candle all the way down, extinguishing and relighting as necessary for safety purposes. (This may take an entire Moon cycle or more.)

Divine Timing Chakras

There are two chakras (or energy centers in the body and aura) that correspond with divine timing and our most harmonious personal rhythm. The first is the sacral chakra, located in the lower abdomen or womb space. This energy center is specifically important for those with a feminine personal essence or with a greater degree of femininity than masculinity. We feminine-leaning folks can bring our awareness to this center and discover quite easily what pace feels right for any given activity and even what activities will be in alignment with our life’s most ideal unfolding. This is because the womb is the space of creation, and the space that is naturally synchronized with the rhythm at the core of the planet.

To tune in to this area, try placing your hands lovingly on your lower belly and breathing into it. Then, gently shift your thinking process from your head area down to your womb. It will be as if you are contemplating with your womb rather than your brain. By doing so, you will very likely instantly tap into a wealth of information and guidance.

Those with a masculine essence or a greater degree of masculinity will find it more effective to tune into the chakra located above the crown chakra, about six inches above the top of the head. By doing so, masculine-leaning folks can transcend the myopia perpetuated by the ego and enter into the bigger, more cosmic picture, where the most effective and ideal action (as well as its ideal timing) is obviously perceived and easily acted upon.

To tune into this area, simply elevate your point of conscious perception from your brain to the area about six inches above the top of your head. Dwell here in consciousness for a moment as you relax your body and consciously breathe in and out. It will be as if your awareness is hovering at a vantage point just above your head. Once you’ve experienced this for a bit, remain at this vantage point as you consider your actions and the most ideal timing of your actions. You’ll find that this exercise will make it surprisingly easy to gain clarity about the best way to proceed in any given situation.

Of course, we each contain a unique balance of masculine and feminine energies. So go ahead and experiment with both chakras to see what works best for you in various situations. Intellectual activities and planning, for example, might benefit from tapping into the chakra above the crown, while activities related to emotion, connection, healing, or present-moment action might be more enhanced by tuning in to the womb area. And many situations will benefit from tuning in to both.

Everyday Adventures

So often when we do a travel spell or carry a travel charm, our intention is really about divine timing: everything flowing smoothly and harmoniously, without us having to worry about or struggle against the clock. So, naturally, when we are proactive about getting into a positive alignment with time, all our travel adventures—even everyday adventures like a trip to the grocery store or a casual gathering with family and friends—benefit. And when hassles and annoyances no longer rule the day, life in general feels flowy, joyful, and fun.

Resources

Hendricks, Gay. The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level. New York: HarperCollins, 2009.

Rinpoche, Tsoknyi. Open Heart, Open Mind: Awakening the Power of Essence Love. New York: Harmony Books: 2012.

Stephenson, Hunter W. Forecasting Opportunity: Kairos, Production, and Writing. Lanham, MA: University Press of America, 2005.