What’s Your Superpower? (Part 8: Secrets of Water Magic)
Welcome back, Apprentice Mages!
Thank heavens you’ve arrived! I need your help. Reina Seaclipse ordered me to babysit her nieces and nephews. But they wanted to play hide-and-seek!
Can you find the MerBrat?
Do you see any cheeky, blue-finned water babies, peeking from the coral reef? Drat it all, maybe they ARE the coral reef! No fair! I think those sneaky MerBrats are cheating by shapeshifting! Or more likely, they’ve cloaked themselves in illusion spells!
But don’t you worry. I will learn to recognize Water Magic eventually.
Speaking of magical studies, I’m so excited! Reina Seaclipse promised to teach me how to make RAINBOWS! And not just in soap bubbles. She said that her very best students are sometimes invited by the most exalted of all the Water Fairies, Queen Torrente, to help her paint rainbows around the moon!
Apparently, “moonbows” happen all the time at sea. And over Hawaii. And in Kentucky, of all places. (If only rain would fall in Texas, maybe we’d get moonbows too!)
Needless to say, I’m going to practice my water spells really hard — just as soon as I can coax Scuttle to babysit the MerBrats. ::sigh:: Have you ever tried mind-chatting with a Crocodile? Scuttle only understands one-syllable words, like “Eat,” “Food,” and “Yum.”
(Dang it! Where’s a dolphin, when you need one to babysit?!)
But never mind me! You came here to study Water Magic, right? No worries! I’ve been taking lots of notes. I’d be happy to let you peek at my spellbook…if you please promise not to tattle about the missing MerBrats!
By the way, if you neglected to take Reina Seaclipse’s quiz, so she could gauge your talent for Water Magic, visit this page. (Otherwise, you might find a piranha, lurking in your soapy dishwater.)
Basic Nature of Water Magic:
Water is the cleansing element. It purifies and soothes. It also governs emotions and the unconscious mind (dreams, intuition, clairvoyance, etc.)
As you might imagine, the power of a Water Spell is dependent on the waxing and waning of the moon. If you snoozed through your Earth Science course in school, here’s a refresher: the moon influences the world’s tides. Our ever-phasing moon also influence’s a woman’s menstrual cycle. For this reason, Water is considered feminine. Metaphysically speaking, the feminine nature is considered receptive, and so is Water.
However, don’t let the previous statement confuse you. Water has the power to be extremely active — with a little help from its buddy, Wind. Tsuamis and tornados come to mind, not to mention tropical storms!
Because emotions ebb and flow (like the sea,) Water Spells are often used to attract love. Water is also present during healing rituals — especially when the ritual is intended to wash away grief, calm a troubled mind, induce a good night’s sleep, or mend a broken heart.
The best time to work Water Spells is at dusk, especially during the season of Autumn. Be sure to face West when you’re invoking the energies of Water. To further connect with the metaphysical properties of Water, dress in blue (especially the deep shades of the ocean;) or wear white (representing the color of snow.) During a ritual, a sincere Water apprentice often wears ankle-length robes, made of silky, flowing fabrics. A translucent scarf, sash, or hair ribbon is also a nice touch, since transparency is a quality of Water’s solid state, ice.
Places Where Water Energy Concentrates:
Water Spells are often conducted at lakes, springs, streams, rivers, and oceans. But the good news is, you don’t have to be sitting on a ship, or standing ankle-deep on a sandy beach, to work a successful spell! You can arrange your ritual components around a bathtub, shower, fountain, swimming pool, water well, or even your kitchen sink!
Since this beloved element is so accessible, you shouldn’t have much trouble finding a location for your ritual. But remember: the secret of working successfully with any element is to invoke its energy. If you find yourself stuck in a desert, or surrounded by a sea of concrete, all you need is an image of your favorite body of Water to tap the powers of H2O!
Herbs that Water Mages Use in Rituals and Spells:
When people think of avocadoes, they probably don’t think of H2O — especially as a “soil.” However, many household plants (like begonias, Christmas cacti, mint, and basil) don’t need dirt to begin their first stage of life. They can be rooted in Water!
Yep, Water is pretty cool. (No pun intended.) However, for traditional magic-workers, aquatic plants, like water lilies and seaweed, are typically harvested (VERY RESPECTFULLY) to serve as spell components.
Still looking for plant ideas? How about succulents (since they can hold gallons of water;) lettuce (the iceberg variety, of course!) and flowers (since bouquets symbolize love.)
However, if you REALLY want to use a plant to attract love, I recommend roses and gardenias.
Stones and Metals for the Water Mage:
Components for a Water ritual, from top left: pearlescent beads, sand dollar, wand with turquoise. Second row: milky quartz candle holder (topped with a blue calcite heart;) copper healing wand; amethyst; coral; stone “wand” made from lapis (flecked with pyrite) and otter figurine. Bottom row: amazonite palm stone, blue moonstone “starburst;” white moonstone “water drop.”
Water Powers like to drape themselves in pearls, moonstones, and opals (which have a high water content.)
Other popular choices include transparent stones (like quartz) or translucent stones (like amethyst and aquamarine.)
By the way, when you’re invoking Water energy, you can’t go wrong with blue stones. Here are some of my favorites: larimar, turquoise, lapis, celestite, amazonite, and kyanite, plus the blue varieties of tourmaline and fluorite (both of which are translucent.)
Silver is the most popular metal for spell-work. Since it corresponds to moon energy, silver is considered psychic and feminine.
Want to experiment with a different metal? Try copper. Not only is it a superior energy-conductor, but seasoned Spell-workers incorporate copper into healing wands.
Musical Instruments Used in Water Magic:
A photo of my redwood harp, which I play for personal relaxation and self-healing.
For apprentices, who enjoy making their own music, Water energy can be invoked with reed instruments, like the clarinet or oboe; “chiming” instruments, like the glockenspiel, cymbals, and bells; and stringed instruments, including the harp and guitar.
Personally, I listen continuously to the sounds of rain or ocean waves, thanks to YouTube. I also keep a sound machine in my bedroom to help me fall asleep.
If you enjoy classical music, then I recommend Handel’s Water Music. If you enjoy electronic, ambient music, one of my personal favorites is Seven Waves, which was originally released by Suzanne Ciani in 1982 (another oldie-but-goodie!) You can listen to the whole album for free on YouTube.
Essentially, if the music is helping you relax, meditate or sleep, it is invoking the energy of Water.
Creatures Most Likely to Help the Water Mage:
This delicate and exotic creature is called a sea dragon. It is related to the sea horse. Dragons camouflage themselves expertly among seaweed. In fact, their leafy appendages make them look like a natural extension of the plant.
Believe it or not, “Cat” is on this list!
Initially, I was surprised to learn that felines are associated with Water Magic. Then I remembered that cats have long been associated with spellcraft and psychic development. (Plus some cats, like the Canadian lynx and the Himalayan snow leopard, just make sense.)
But here’s the really interesting part: scientists have proven that purring is a “sound therapy” that can reduce blood pressure in Humans. If you cuddle with your tabby, she’s influencing the ebb and flow of your circulatory system!
Other popular familiars for the Water Mage include fish, frogs, turtles, otters, walruses, seals, beavers, manatees, duckbill platypuses, dolphins, whales, sharks, rays, sea horses, moray eels, crocodilians, shellfish, octopi, and seabirds (like penguins and puffins.)
Essentially, any animal that spends at least half of its time in Water (or Snow) would be a good candidate.
Symbols to Awaken the Water Magic in You:
If you need creative inspiration, drink from a vessel that you consecrate (bless) during a Water ceremony. “Cups” or “Chalices” have long been associated with emotions, visions, dreams, and other forms of psychic awareness, especially in Tarot cards.
Other ideas include a vial of beach sand, a river pebble, a piece of driftwood, or an “animal familiar,” that is constructed of resin, glass, or faux fur.
By the way, please do not buy a shark tooth; a sea star; scrimshaw carvings made from whale bone, or any other item that requires an animal to die. (Note: the coral and the sand dollar in the photo, above, were gifted to me by friends, who discovered them on a beach.)
A Water apprentice respects all forms of life, no matter how strange they may look or behave. When in doubt, let your intuition guide you to the perfect Water symbol.
Adrienne deWolfe, Author
What’s Your Secret Superpower?
Everyone has a little magic in them! What’s your secret superpower? Take our fun quizzes to find out! This 10-part series is based on Fantasy characters from Adrienne deWolfe’s upcoming, Guardians of Aeld Series, for Young Adults.
