The magic of Receiving and what happens when you let go

Driving back from Canada today, I found myself in an unexpected tower time: a deer collided with my car on Route 22.

In an instant, the plan of being home in Eugene by evening dissolved, and I was thrust into the unknown. The car broke down, I got safely off the road, and then the real magic unfolded.

A fireman stopped to tow me to safety. A sandwich shop worker let me rest, charge my phone, and even made me a free sandwich. A stranger offered me a hug when I most needed one. My beloved Sheena found me an Airbnb so I’d have a place to stay. Each of these acts of kindness became spells in their own right, moments of unexpected grace that carried me through what could’ve easily been despair.

As a magical experimenter, I often talk about how magic requires us to do all we can and then let go. Today was the embodiment of that principle. I made the calls, arranged the tow, filed the claim, regulated myself with tapping, and then had to surrender to what I couldn’t control. The doe is gone, my car’s fate is uncertain, but I walked away unharmed. What remains is gratitude, relationship, and the reminder that magic is relational.

Magic isn’t always about the flashy ritual or the big manifestation. Sometimes it’s found in the hug of a stranger, the generosity of a sandwich, the presence of someone who shows up when they don’t have to. These are spells of community, threads of connection, proof that life itself is an ongoing magical working.

So for now, I’m in Davenport, Washington. I don’t know what Monday will bring with my car, but I do know this: the universe has a way of weaving care into the chaos, if we’re willing to pause, receive, and trust the magic of the moment.

Exercises

Key Magical Lessons

1. Do Everything You Can, Then Let Go
   Magic isn’t about controlling every variable. It’s about acting with intention where you can, and then surrendering to what unfolds.

2. Receiving is a Magical Act
   Generosity, whether it’s a hug, a sandwich, or someone finding you shelter, is magic. Learning to receive fully opens the current of relational magic.

3. Chaos Reveals Connection
   When life throws you into uncertainty, notice how synchronicities, people, and small gestures show up. These are signs that magic is alive in the cracks.

4. Magic is Relational
   It’s not just about your personal working. Magic weaves itself through community, kindness, and how we choose to respond to others.

5. Gratitude Anchors the Spell
   Gratitude transforms frustration into presence. It grounds you in what is possible, even when you don’t know the outcome.

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🧪 Magical Experiment Prompts

1. The Surrender Experiment
   Next time something slips out of your control, pause. Write down what actions you can take. Do them. Then consciously state: “I release the rest to the flow of magic.” See what unexpected support arrives.

2. The Receiving Ritual
   For a week, practice saying yes to acts of kindness without deflecting or trying to “pay it back” right away. Journal about how it feels to receive.

3. Chaos Divination
   When plans collapse, treat it as a divination spread. Ask: What’s the lesson hidden in this disruption? What new path is opening? Write down what synchronicities appear.

4. Gratitude Spell
   Each night, light a candle and list three acts of kindness you witnessed or received that day. Offer thanks to the universe, and notice how this practice shifts your energy.

5. The Relational Web
   Map out the people, spirits, or forces that showed up to support you in a difficult time. This becomes a visible web of connection, a reminder that magic isn’t solitary.