One of the things I try to do when things get busy or crazy is to make a point of being where I’m at. That is, I try to be present, in the moment, and put aside both past and future. Now, to be clear, this is far from my normal MO. After all, I LOVE to plan and I LOVE to retrospect. But there are times when that’s the right thing to do and times when it’s better to be very present focused.

In fact, I was just having this discussion with a potential client. Mercury is retrograde and everyone seems to be aware that this isn’t a great time to buy or start or sign anything. However, it can be a really good time to plan things that you want to kick off when the retrograde ends.

Yet for me, the opposite is true. For me, right now, I need to be as in the moment as I can. This realization got me thinking about how much of magic is about situating yourself in place and time. Across systems, throughout history, and part of many different cultural norms. When magicians do magic, they start by situating themselves.

This situating is on several levels:

Space: Whether you orient by the four directions, toward certain asterisms, or in line with various holy sites or natural formations, deliberately putting yourself into space is a common part of the magical process. From song lines to dragon tracks to standing stones to facing Mecca, Wiccan circles: doing magic means putting yourself into place.

Time: In additional to space, magicians the world over situate themselves in time. Magical timing is so common as to be almost a given. Lunar cycles, magical days, magical hours, days of the week, seasons of the year. Each culture throughout history had times that were auspicious for certain things. Whether agriculturally driven or by migration or star lore.

Of course space and time so closely linked as to frequently be one. Astrology = space+time. We move, the planets move, the background of stars appears to move. We are in space, literally and figuratively, as well as in time. Magically speaking, you almost can’t separate them: where you are and when you are work together to help or hinder your working. To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven.

Self: The other way that magicians situate themselves is in self. Whether you tap into an existing hierarchy as with Solomonic magic, borrow power from a another entity (I am the Headless Daimon with sight in my feet), or petition the Gods or spirits to place you in their ranks, in order to wield power you have to claim it.

Just look at Jupiter for example. Jupiter is a absolute place (NASA is sending a probe to Jupiter), a relative place (Jupiter is in Sagittarius), a time (Thursdays), and an entity (Jove, leader of the Greek Gods). When you work with Jupiter or call on Jupiter, you are situating yourself in place, time, and self.

When we situate ourselves, we do more than just prepare to wield power. We also center ourselves so that we can know ourselves. Who we are is about where and when and how we are in the world. It also allows us to tune in clearly, so that our decisions are informed too by our situation.

I’ve been going through a challenging time. Not bad per say, but just hard and requiring from me a lot of energy and focus and work. I’m sure I’m not the only one. In these times, the actual enchantments I do are less important than that I stay situated. That’s what I’m currently focusing on.