A strong case can be made for road opener magic being one of the most important magical skills you can master. Why? Well, no matter your goal, if the road is cluttered with obstructions, inner or outer, it’s going to be awfully hard to get where you’re going, and you can throw vast amounts of energy at a thing while barely nudging the needle.

What got me thinking about this is a magical experiment I’m running at the moment. Since the spells are still active, I’m going to be a little squishy on specifics, but the gist is: I made two groups of sigils (what Gordon White of Rune Soup calls “sigil shoals”), each targeting a different writing project.

Sigils are one of my favorite spiritual technologies, because they work eerily well. If you want to learn how to create them, how to calculate the best astrological timing for their activation and more, that’s what we’re doing in the Portal in June. Join us here to get the nitty-gritty step-by-step of potent sigil magic.

A friend and I are doing this magical experiment together, each with our own targeted projects so we can compare notes, and we’ve set Summer Solstice as our finish line. Well, the other day I was journaling on my experience thus far, and I noticed that one of my sigil shoals seemed to be vastly outperforming the other.

What, I wondered, was the difference between the working and non-working sigils?

As soon as I posed the question in my mind, a response appeared, practically lit up in neon: money. The underperforming shoal was targeted at a goal more immediately tied to money, and in my life, money is a road that, historically, has had a shit ton of potholes and cul de sacs and road-closed signs.

Which gave me an excellent focus for road opening magic.

I’m going to share different methods you can use on your own obstacles in a moment, but first, a bit more context–and this bit is pretty trippy.

Last Friday, I was hanging out with said friend, talking about–what else?–magic, and this is when I had my little epiphany about money being the wrench in my sigil gears (or more specifically, my blocks around my money), and I said aloud, “Hmm…maybe I’ll do some road opening magic on that.”

Fast forward a couple hours. I’m home, checking my email, and during the time when my friend and I were talking about removing money blocks, according to the email timestamps…I made just shy of $1,000 in sales. Say, what?!

This is an excellent example of “magical bleed”…

…something I experience a LOT when using sigils–magic overflowing its original container, seeping into everything. (We’ll be talking more about runneth-over magic in the Portal in July.) When this happens, I find that my words are more oomph-y, I’m experiencing synchronicity up the wazoo, my dreams are more intense, and any other magic I do is very likely to work.

Enchantment potentiates enchantment.

So, how do you perform road opener magic?

There are MANY ways, perhaps as many as there are witches, but here are some excellent options (followed by the practice I’m using right now):

• Smudge your space with your incense of choice. While sage is often used, one of my favorite combos, given to me by my guides, is the following: first, smudge with balsam of tolu incense. This stuff is potent, so open those windows! Check in with how it feels for you, but for me, it’s like detonating a cleansing glitter bomb, rapidly eradicating anything that does not serve. Then, I light frankincense to harmonize the energy that remains.
• Buy or DIY road opener oil (recipe below) and anoint a candle with it. Light daily, perhaps accompanied by chants. You can also anoint door jambs (or use as your intuition suggests–just be cautious of skin contact if you’re sensitive to any of the ingredients).
• Chant. You can use any mantra, prayer, or intention you like. One of my favorites is from New Thought guru, Neville Goddard (whom I learned about through Mitch Horowitz’s work): Be still, and know that I am god (Psalm 46). Try chanting that one while looking in the mirror–wowza.
• Work with a deity like Mercury (fleet-footed travel, magic) or Ganesha (remover of obstacles), perhaps by praying to and/or making offerings for a period of time.
• Visualize, every morning upon waking, a road before you, free and clear.

Recipe: Road Opener Oil

Use a mortar and pestle to grind together rosemary, sage, thyme, basil, cinnamon stick (or powdered), nutmeg pod (or powder), star anise, lavender flowers, black peppercorns, ginger (powder–or add fresh to oil mixture before heating), dragon’s blood, frankincense, myrrh, dried orange peel (or fresh–add to oil mixture before heating).

Once all of the ingredients are ground, add them to a small pot with a vanilla bean and some carrier oil, which can be any neutral-smelling oil you have in your kitchen. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain and discard the solids and decant the oil in a bottle or jar. Once cool, cap and keep out of direct sunlight.

My current road opening practice

I’m in the midst of a seven-day road opener, which consists of lighting incense and performing this chant in my Inner Sanctuary (learn how to visit yours here). I have a room in my sanctuary dedicated to money, and I bow before Lord Ganesha in this room while chanting.

Ganesha was one of the first deities I worked with when I was 19, after leaving Evangelical Christianity. I was suicidal, my family living situation was untenable, and I needed out. Within weeks, I was moving into my first apartment, and I will always hold a fierce and tender gratitude for Ganesha who, quite literally, saved my life. Thank you.

Before we wrap up, I want to give you an update on another magical experiment.

Earlier this month I shared some intel from my guides about the “slingshot effect,” which I explain how to use here. In a nutshell, I was working Mercury magic during the retrograde, and my guides explained that it would seem as if very little was happening until, as Mercury stationed direct–whoosh!–things would accelerate rapidly.

Um, wow. They weren’t kidding! As with so much of my magic, my Mercury working related to a writing project, and I noticed that during the retrograde I was very oriented toward revising and reviewing and revisioning–all very Rx-flavored pursuits.

But then, about two days before Mercury went direct, I WAS WRITING LIKE A FIEND. I generally don’t write on weekends, but that Saturday I wrote for three hours straight. I emerged as if from a dream haze, having written almost 10,000 words.

This was almost a case of “be careful what you wish for”–the level of the focus and motivation was INTENSE. The slingshot effect is no joke. Use it wisely, my friend. 😉

Happy weekend!

P.S. Scroll down to see one of my favoritest things as a child…

Sigils carry some serious “wizard owl in the tower” vibes for me…

…reminding me of my favorite illustration from a beloved childhood book, Tom and the Enchanted Flute by Jean Gilder. I used to huddle underneath my Peter Rabbit comforter before bed, staring at this image, memorizing every little detail.

Join us in the Portal to get your magical owlishness on. We’ll be crafting sigils from start to very potent finish, so get ready for a seriously enchanted summer…