Cody’s Column: Protection Magick and the Elk of the Skagit
May is here in full force, like the mighty elk that return each year to the upper field. Their antlers symbolize a powerful form of Protection Magick, just as the Elder Futhark Rune Algiz suggests. The elk are a little fewer in number this year though. Is the balance off or are we just seeing the cycles run through their courses? I am wondering if the hunting pressure was heavier this last year or if the hoof rot is to blame for the lower numbers. After checking the local Game Harvest Reports it looks like there were six 6pt. bull elk harvested, making the trend upward from the previous year. This might explain why our normal bachelor herd of five or more elk is down to just two this morning. I feel honored that these elk found refuge here in the past and are continuing to do so.
The elk are allowed to be hunted by special permit only and the number of permits allowed is determined by the Game Management Plan. Each year from January to March the Tribes and Washington Fish and Wildlife review the Game Management Plan. Right now in May, the Tribes can comment on the plan before it goes to the State Environmental Policy Act review process. I am glad our Tribes have say in the management of our local elk. Next, the plan is up for public comment in late summer. By the end of fall it will be finalized, and the special permits will be available.
Why am I following this path through the forest of bureaucracy? Ultimately, this process shapes the way the land, elk, and people respond to each other. Hoof rot is on the rise in Skagit county, leading to early demise of elk both male and female. Our natural predators and scavengers; bear, cougar, wolves, and coyotes are not as protected and so humans are thrust into the mix as a balancing force. Balance. This is what our ancestors knew from instinct and to some extent we still do today, there are just so many other aspects to life that also require balance that it would be easy to forget the elk.
How does all of this relate to Protection Magick? Protection Magick is how we respond to events that are happening or are about to happen. Each one of us has a different way to go about making Protection Magick. My scope here is to help you lean into your own intuition on how you proceed.
First gather and observe your natural surroundings. Develop a sense of what patterns persist and which patterns change throughout the season. Journaling at first may be helpful. Dialogue with neighbors and other enthusiasts about the patterns, creatures, and trends you notice. Your local library has many resources to help you with the heavy work of identifying the plants and animals around you so that you can converse with others almost like a lingua franca, a trade language. Once you have a strong sense for all the actors at play, I suggest you make it fun and give them secret names that only you and the plants and animals know. It is in this realm that you can start to also develop strong spirit relations with the plants and animals as well as the land.
Hone your observation skills and several aspects will stand out. One aspect is how we as humans and the cosmos influence the environment and another closely related aspect is how the environment influences our behavior as well as plant and animal behavior. With these two lenses we can begin to synthesize our observations into stories that tell us what is going on. Only when we have learned the story, can we begin to evaluate its message. Many will skip these steps and jump in to evaluate. Just listen them clamber for attention. To those who have observed and learned the story of the land, these early jumpers to conclusions will be obvious.
Now that you have done the ground work, next comes the Protection Magick. Most Protection Magicks aim to protect you, the focus of your magick, and often times the tools you use in making the Protection Magick work. I would refer you to a great article by the Modern Merlin in May on the Pagan Pages for how you can cleanse yourself, space, and tools if you are looking for ideas of how to do this.
I want to touch on the why we would want to do Protection Magick. Balance. It really comes back to balance. Once you are able to evaluate what is going on and have a firm sense of your role in this interconnected story, you are also able to step in and balance. This will require the utmost of your attention. For those of us who are close to Earth Magick, your Protection Magick will be almost native but other magicks too, have a strong foundation in Protection Magick.
Achieving a balance is rich in cultural stories of creation (and destruction). From the Norse realms of Niflheim and Muspelheim comes Ymir, a giant who could exist in balance with the elements of creation. From Ymir comes the earth from their body, another creation that strives for balance. It is from the Celtic myths of creation that we get a sacred word being spoken by a group of Druids or the Tuath De Dannon who are god-like entities who shaped this world that we live in. Why did they speak the world into existence? To form a bridge between the Divine and Material world through wisdom and bring balance.
Protection Magick then must reflect the Magick of creation and maintenance of all life. It must be balanced, and it must balance the practitioner. For getting started with your very own Protection Magick, try breathing exercises first. This can center your body, mind, and spirit. Use your observations, intuition, and whatever tools you have acquired that represent Magick next to begin seeking a balance in energies. Start small like getting dishes and laundry done in a way that brings peace and fulfillment. I recommend taking up gardening as a hobby, or perhaps a profession if you are so inclined. Take good care of your fur, scale, or feather babies and if you have children, love them unconditionally and teach them the wisdom to live in balance with the Universe.
Next month I think I will delve into more about balance. Living a pagan life with a wife, children, a job, and a farm has taught me much about needing to find and create a balance. I will attempt at telling my tale in a way that may offer some help and reassurance that we can do this, just like the mighty elk and other creatures that call this pale blue dot home.
I am a husband, father, farmer, and friend. I live on the banks of the Magic Skagit River, ancestral lands of the Sauk-Suiattle people. I practice rune reading, tarot, land magic, and work with many spirit guides. My life began Pagan but I veered off into the Christian church in college. I found my way back to my Pagan and ancestral roots in 2005 and have journeyed along this path since then.
