The Creation Loop

   Every day you do thousands of small actions without even thinking of them. You probably wake up, stumble into the kitchen, make a coffee, and watch something on TV. All of this seems so normal and there are probably even more micro habits in between that you don’t even know that you do. I believe that your daily habits are a big part of what determines your reality. While you may not give your habits a second thought, what if you did?

   In psychology a habit is, “any regularly repeated behavior that requires little or no thought and is learned rather than innate (Encyclopedia Britannica).” Since a habit is learned rather than innate, that means that they can be changed. Habit formation is the psychology term for the process of making a behavior automatic. The best way to form habits is through learning and repetition. Habits are formed when the mind has a goal. For example your goal is to get out of the house on time so you probably have a cascade of efficient morning habits that you do every day. Another important term is “habit loop” which is one of the ways that we produce habits. A habit loop begins with a cue, which brings you to the routine and eventually the reward. For example a feeling of hunger cues you to get a snack and the reward is that you’re not hungry anymore. So by repeating certain habit loops you can create habits.

   From a manifestation standpoint I think it is extremely important to align our habits with the timeline we want to be on. I believe that habits are one of the most effective ways to create assumptions and manifestations. In order to change your reality you must live as if you already have it. Although you may not have $4745837483489739 yet, how would your daily routine go if you did. An example from my life is that I wanted a life of leisure. I just wanted to wake up and do what I want and not have to be anywhere at any time and not worry about anything. So I created daily habits as if I was already there. Eventually I switched from my office job to a serving job where I could make my own schedule. I also made enough to where I could have 3 or 4 days off a week if I wanted to. I found out that I genuinely enjoyed serving so work didn’t really feel like work either. 

   Many of these habits I started practicing back then are habits that I still use today. To get started I basically created a list of what I like to do and what I want to accomplish in a day. I love fitness and I love creating so I started waking up before the sun to get a workout in. This led to me making a healthy breakfast and feeling better throughout the day. Then at work I would work on this blog in my free time. When I got home I would do whatever chores I had that day and then instead of wasting time vegetating in front of the tv I would work on the blog or my music until it was time to wind down. This all sounds a little hustle culture-y and it was so now I have learned the importance of relaxation. At the time though my schedule didn’t give me much relaxation time because I was working a 9-5. 

   So my advice to accomplishing something like this is to create a list or vision board of what you want your life to look like. If you use a list, write it by hand because your brain will remember it and respond to it faster than if you just type it. If you do the vision board you can do it on a phone, computer, or on paper but make sure you handwrite a list of what you want on it so that way it cuts into the subconscious faster. The visual element of a vision board is also great because it is a form of visualization. Then put it in a place where you can see it every day because the more you see it, the easier it will be to change your thoughts. This is because the brain loves repetition so after you create your list or board, begin to live every day as if you are already there. Soon you will notice events begin to unfold that change your life or the thoughts and ideas will enter your mind; or maybe you’ll be like me and get fed up enough to make a change. By using repetition your subconscious will create your 3d reality and reality will have to conform to you. 

   Although using things like repetition, living as if, and visualization are great long term habits for tricking the subconscious, one of my favorite parts of being a witch is using practical magick. The manifestation community is kind of divided on whether or not this works but if you truly believe that you create your reality then you create the rules of what works and what doesn’t. I like to think of practical magick as a shortcut or a hack that can give you an energy boost on the way to achieving your goals. There are many forms of practical magick including spells, charms, talismans etc. but because this is all about habits I want to go over practical magick that we can do every day to give ourselves that little magick boost and kickstart our intentions.

•    Wake up in your desired reality: The moment you wake up think about your intention or what you want your reality to look like. This can be through affirmation or visualization. The way this works is when you first wake up your subconscious mind is still open to whatever you tell it, as if you’re dreaming. So affirming or visualizing in this mental state can really kick things into high gear.
•    Stir your coffee clockwise/counterclockwise: Did you know that in spell work the way you stir your potion matters? Did you also know that you can turn pretty much anything into a spell? So why not turn your morning brew into a witch’s brew. When doing spell work you can stir your ingredients clockwise to attract and counter clockwise to banish. So when you make your coffee stir clockwise and think about your intention. Or if you are doing shadow work or working through blocks, turn counterclockwise and think of the block. I find that this method works best when using a single word intention like “money” or “energy.” You can also apply this method when making food.
• Dress with intention: I’m sure you’ve heard the advice “dress for the job you want” but what about dressing for the life you want. Think about who you want to be, then look at your wardrobe. Would the person you’re envisioning wear these clothes? The same goes with your hair and makeup, what makes you feel the most authentic?
• Get a move on: One of my favorite and most simple methods is focusing on an intention when working out, doing yoga, hiking, or practicing any type of movement. Simply moving your body is a great way to shake out stagnant energy and give you an energetic boost. Working out is my favorite because not only am I a fitness junkie but when you finish a workout your brain gets flooded with endorphins similar to those released when doing opioids. I love to use this energy boost to add energy to my intentions so when I am doing an intense workout and I get that feeling of euphoria I start to affirm. Not only does this make me feel good mentally, it helps me alchemize my reality and change it faster.
• Create your space: This is basically the same as dressing the part but what would your space look like if you had your dream life. Would you clean your depression room if you had your perfect life? I feel like you probably would.
• Start a meditation practice: This is talked about a lot but meditation is not only good for your spiritually but it’s good for your brain. I’m not going to get into the science of meditation because I have written a whole article on that so I’ll link it at the bottom. Meditation is a great way to provide focus and clarity for your energy and where you want it to go. There are also a million different ways to meditate. For beginners I recommend finding a guided meditation matching your intention. 
• Moon magick: Manifesting with the moon is a great way for beginners to get to know the cycles of our world and astrology. Harnessing the power of celestial energies is an amazing way to see your intentions come to life. Like meditating, there are probably a million different ways to do this so find what works for you. To explain it briefly you’re going to set your intentions on the new moon so this means doing spellwork, affirming, visualizing etc. When the movie waxes it invites these energies in. Then on a full moon you are either celebrating your accomplishment, releasing blocks, or both. I also have an article talking about this in depth that I can link.
• Spell work: Spells are a way to add energy to an intention that packs a punch. You can align them with astrology, moons, portals etc. or just do them whenever you want. There is also a spell for everything. You can create spells or find them online. If you have never tried a spell before you’re probably thinking there’s no way this can possibly work. The short explanation is that it’s a little psychology and a little magick. When you create a spell you are creating something tangible based on your intention. By having something in the material realm to symbolize your intention it seems more real, enabling your subconscious to do its job of creating it. This also focuses your energy which always helps.
• Talismans: Lastly I want to focus on creating talismans. A talisman is something worn to draw something in. Although this is technically a type of spell, it’s wearable! Like a spell you can create a talisman to attract anything. 

Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/habit-behaviour

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/habit-formation