What Is Energy

For some time now, there has been something that I’ve been really meaning to sort out mentally through writing. My interest in astrology has not been compromised since my discovery of it, and with astrology, comes the topic of energy. When delving deeper into the different possibilities of what energy is, there are actually many different ways it is expressed and defined through various cultures, especially in westernized cultures. In fact, throughout history, society has somewhat distorted the term through mainstream media (I’m guessing for the obvious sake of factual broadcasting), and has conformed it into a context where it only exists when dealing with electrical equipment, basic appliances, and “vibes”. Unfortunately, because the term has been borrowed, the majority of the public are convinced that it is something untouchable, already defined as its borrowed term, and worst of all, completely unrelated to other things in life, such as the human body. So here’s a nice breakdown of what exactly energy is (from my personal experience), and how you can integrate it into your lives today!

More often than what I may think is usual to others, I always seem to wonder how most information can be retained in a simple way without all of the fancy and intricate vocabulary. Now, the word energy is a basic 6 letter word; it isn’t rocket science, and can be merrily condensed into one subject in a standard school setting. But this piece of writing isn’t for school, and we’re going to condense it even more from which other terms can be sprung from. For starters, let’s associate the word “energy” with the word, “magic”, a term that’s about as American as a children's loved fable tale as it gets. When we think about the word ‘magic’ we immediately think of wands, weird chanting, witches, and a bubbling cauldron. Now, let's take that imagery and apply the origins from which it came from. In Wiccan/Pagan culture most of the practices that took place are what we see in a lot of Hollywood shows and movies today. I say this loosely, since American cinema is not without appropriation and distortion. For example, the movie, The Craft, really takes the cake in the creepy, hexing, witch department. On the contrary to the hocus pocus, you may be shocked to realize that the origins of these practices were actually centered around the cycles of nature. With that, comes keen observation on the different sciences of animals, plants, and even astrological observations such as the sun, moon, and stars. Different animals and their way of instinctual living habits, had their own personality to Wiccans and Pagans alike, leading them into defining those traits through symbolism. Plants also had various meanings behind their biological structure and uses. For example, what we think of as a chemical reaction to a plant, is what they viewed as a transfer of energy. It can be as basic as lavender being harvested for not only the aroma or the dreamy purple visuals it provides, but the smell itself would essentially aid with insomnia. Ironically, the chakra that is related to consciousness/dreams is purple…but that’s a whole other culture that will not be discussed. Anyway, with Wiccan and Pagan practices came a set of rules, because all of these observations are not without documentation on what is, and what isn’t. What is allowed, and what is not allowed. Another example, a rule that was known is a rule called The Three Fold Law. This law states quite plainly, what you emit out into the Universe (in this case), whether it be positive, negative, or simply unfinished business, will come back to you three times as strong. We can apply this rule in regards to a term a lot of us know today, which is Karma. Thinking back now, I highly believe that the downsides of that kind of law could always be avoided by just being nice and mindful.

So, where does this energy of Karma even come from? Well, another force that influenced Wiccans/Pagans is the energy from the placements of the planets. This is why we have the symbolism from the cycles of zodiac signs. Not only did they believe that the energy of the planets influence who we are at our exact time and date of birth, but this is also why Wiccan/Pagan cultures are very in tune with nature… I cannot stress that enough, since this implies that consciousness, the physical body, and the energy we identify from plants and animals all co-exist within this integral cycle. Each zodiac sign aligns with the cycle of nature, which is why all of them also belong to one out of the four elements earth, water, air, and fire. Each element within this culture had their own set of “personality” traits. Water is of the deep subconscious, compassion, emotion, energy flow, and healing. Fire is intense passion, creativity, the spark of life, spirit, and sexual energy. Earth is for stability, finances, physicality, structured belief, and being grounded. Air is for communication, flighty travel, thought processes, and the different levels of psychological intelligence. Now, when referring back to planets, the planets themselves held specific characteristics and energies. For example, the planet Venus holds the energy of several cultural goddesses (such as Aphrodite, Hathor, Cupid, and Juno) and influences our love lives, how capable we are of receiving and giving love, marriage, and abundance. This planet rules over the zodiac signs of Libra and Taurus.

Now, in regards to Karma, the planet that holds this energy, is the planet of Saturn. Saturn is the planet of structured beliefs, karma, rules, unfinished business and discipline. When Saturn transits into your sign, it is by far one of the most powerful time periods a person could ever go through if you do not have your life together or on track. This planet will make you go through a series of tests and lessons so that you may clear up negative karma, and learn to adjust your beliefs, routines, and spiritual presence into an established foundation. Saturn rules the Three Fold Law energy. How this weaves into the term “magic” is simply the fact that you can use this energy for your benefit with the intentions to harness this energy. Energy is a universal thing. In Chinese culture, one could harness their own personal energy through methods such as T’ai Chi. T’ai Chi is the practice of integrating the mind with the body with controlled breathing and movements, generating your internal energy with jing (serenity) and song (loosening) to achieve the overall purpose of allowing your internal life energy to flow effectively throughout the body to improve ones overall mental and physical health. This is scientifically proven as successful for positive changes regarding a person’s well being and is known to cure mental diseases like depression. Likewise, you can also harness and control energy to flow not only within the body, but you can externally emit energy and affect circumstances or events as well. This, ladies and gentleman, is called magic. To harness energy from the external and internal, to effect your given circumstances.