I’m really excited, because today we’re going to compare a book launch to the mechanics of ritual and spellcraft.
Whether you, too, are releasing something exciting into the world, or you simply want to learn more about magic, either way, we’re in for a jolly good time.
But first, a magical teleportation device, aka a button that takes you to the magical realm of my romantasy novel…
What is a ritual—and is it different from a spell?
The definitions of both have changed throughout history, but some key elements have stuck around, so let’s start with a ritual.
Speaking broadly—and rather boringly—we can define a ritual as a set of ceremonial actions designed to achieve a metaphysical outcome.
🎤 Rituals often incorporate sacred speech of some kind, such as voces magicae (magical words) or barbarous words of power. The latter often sound (and perhaps are) nonsensical, but they’re believed to wield power.
🧠 A ritual typically involves cultivating an altered state of consciousness, whether in the prep phase, perhaps by fasting or performing devotionals, and/or during the ritual, such as through breathing techniques, dancing, use of substances, etc.
✨ The practitioner often seeks alignment with some sort of “larger” force, whether that’s a god, spirits, cosmic forces, etc.
🔮 Symbolic objects might be employed—things like planetary sigils, crystals, an altar, spiffy clothing, a ritual blade, etc.
⏳ A ritual can be performed in a liminal space or at an in-between time, signaling that these actions aren’t just any ol’ routine—they’re supraordinary.
But really, all of these ingredients are aimed at the same target: creating change.
Even when a Neoplatonist was doing a fancy theurgical ritual to align themselves with Nous (divine intellect), they were cozying up to Nous because they wanted to change their life in some way.
So, it stands to reason that crafting an effective ritual entails knowing what sort of change you’re after. Now, as is often the case in magic (and in life), things can get weird, and you might get entirely unexpected results, but it’s nonetheless useful to go in with a game plan.
Let’s apply these ingredients to my book launch.
What arguably should be the easiest part—identifying the desired change or outcome—was where I had the most resistance. Initially, I wrote, To release my book into the world. Well…sure, but doesn’t that sound a bit like a cop-out? 🤔 I don’t simply want my book to float around in space, abstractly existing in the world; I want people to buy it, read it, and ideally enjoy it!
After some internal foot-dragging, I changed my ritual intent to, “The perfect readers have backed my Kickstarter and fallen in love with the book.” Better!
But let’s get meta:
You, as a potential reader, are having your own experience in this shared ritual/book launch. I know when I back a Kickstarter, I get that whoosh of anticipation, already imagining this fabulous thingamabob landing in my mailbox, eagerly ripping open the package, and if it’s a book, losing myself in the story (also, smelling the pages 🤤).
Perhaps your intent for the ritual is more along the lines of, “This story excites me, transports me, and gives me something I didn’t even know I was looking for.” Or it could be as simple as, “This is the perfect book for me!”
Once we have the intent, let’s sprinkle in other ritual ingredients, starting with voces magicae or magical words. It goes without saying that words are a big ol’ part of this launch, but let’s pause and think about why words are so important.
Words allow us to translate abstract experience into something tangible; you see this in countless creation myths where the world is brought into being through speech.
Incidentally, it’s impossible to imagine my experience pre-language. As a baby, how did I conceptualize things? Was my inner world a montage of sense impressions sans narration? I can practically feel smoke coming out of my ears if I ponder this too long. And what was it like as my language abilities slowly came online? What did it feel like the very first time I connected a string of sounds to an object?? 🤯
Suffice it to say, language changes everything, and it’s no wonder words have long been associated with special powers.
Having written this novel, it’s wild to think that little black squiggles on a page allow you to inhabit a world that, before, existed solely in my head.
Under a harvest moon, you can wander through the Star Garden, inhaling the nectar of flora found nowhere else in Harandaal.
You can explore hidden crypts, deep beneath the castle, searching for a long-lost artifact.
And in the present-day timeline, you can settle into a cushy chair with a cup of tea at The Dreaming Armadillo, a quaint bookshop presided over by Jungie, a cat who’s…special. (No spoilers!)
Isn’t it strange that words also facilitate a sort of time travel? Some of these scenes may have been written a year ago, even two, but do Evelyn and Prince Mathias and Harandaal and the Star Garden really exist unless someone is reading about them? This dovetails nicely with a major theme of the book: time isn’t nearly as fixed as we think.
Looking at the rest of our ritual ingredients…
…reading a book certainly conjures an altered frame of consciousness, but can the same be true of a book launch?
Well, you tell me: Has your state of mind shifted as you think about rituals and words and the magic of weaving something from nothing? I know mine has. I’m less aware of the hum of my humidifier, the faint traffic sounds, the way my foot is starting to fall asleep. I’m utterly focused on the world conjured by these words, if even for a short time.
Then we have symbolic objects.
Sitting beside me is a physical copy of my book, and a handful of times while writing this email, I paused, without really thinking about it, to touch it, sometimes riffling through the pages and smelling the paper. Having spent so much time with this story, the book itself is now a magical object, imbued with a great deal of energy and intent. (Well…that and the fact that I printed a sigil in the book. 😏 If you’ve been around for a while, you know I’m a front-row fan of sigil magic!)
As for aligning with larger forces, I think all acts of writing tap into the unconscious. As much as my ego likes to take credit for what ends up on the page, if there’s one thing I’ve learned writing this book, it’s that so much is happening behind the scenes.
For instance, I named one character back in 2022 during the second draft. The name was meant to be a Latin-esque play on a person who’s overly identified with the ego, but seven or eight drafts later, I learned that this character has a secret identity.
Being a bit vague-sauce to avoid spoilers, their real name is so similar to the original, you’d think it was intentional. In fact, I was worried some might find it heavy handed, even though I had no idea this was happening. The gears were clanking away in the basement of my psyche, and my ego didn’t have a clue.
With a launch, there’s the ego’s surface-level plan, but if I’m being honest, who knows how much of myself (and parts that I can’t see) is coming through? If I were to read these emails in five years, like interpreting a tarot card, I bet I’d see all sorts of things that are invisible to me now, evidence of what’s happening in the wider context of my life, beyond the book launch.
This doesn’t even touch on the interplay between my consciousness creating these words and your consciousness receiving them. Who the heck knows what goes on in that space? Speaking of…
…the final ingredient of liminal space. To me, launches always have this “otherly” feel to them. I’m acutely aware, during a launch, that this time is different. In a very real sense, a launch is like casting a magic circle—in this case, a circle that will exist until the launch ends on March 2—and everything that happens within this container is imbued with the emotional tone of the launch.
When we’re aware of this, we can do it on purpose. For instance, my intention throughout the launch is to imbue everything with a sense of magical discovery, so I’m focusing on content that, hopefully, is teaching you something new and magical. 🪄
Next time, we’ll look at the difference between rituals and spells, again relating everything to a book launch.
But for now, this is where the ritual expands beyond my control, where the magic shifts from intention to manifestation. Because a ritual isn’t just about the person up front, hopping around in fluttery robes, chanting; the real magic happens when it’s shared.
If you’re ready to step into a world of forgotten tarot lore, alchemical secrets, interwoven lifetimes—and one smokin’ hot prince vying to be your next book boyfriend—you’re now part of this ritual! Every backer adds their energy to the cauldron, allowing this world to exist beyond my imagination as it takes shape in yours (and on the astral, which is pretty nifty).
I’ll see you inside the magic circle…
P.S. If spicy romantasy isn’t your thing, no worries! There’s also a magical tarot guide packed with 22 practices to deepen your connection to the major arcana. (Or adorable hand-sculpted tiny foods based on the book, if you love minis as much as I do.)
