The Deep Magic of Today
Today is the ancient, cross-quarter holiday of Imbolc, the halfway point between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. It’s a big deal, traditionally celebrated by making an oath for the year… while striking an iron anvil. The first time I saw this done was at a warehouse in San Francisco in 1997. I was new to magic and when I walked into the huge space, I almost stopped in my tracks. The dark room was filled with candles and the center was occupied by altars for the four directions, honoring earth and air and water and fire.
And in the center, a huge iron anvil. With a sledgehammer.
The better to strike with the force of your commitment, my dear.
Doesn’t that sound like more fun than annual planning?
If you are like most of the leaders I know, the last couple of months have been a haze of annual reviews and budget and now, work plans for the coming year.
Sometimes these are useful. Sometimes just necessary.
But, like everything else in your work, the farther you stray from solid ground- what is really happening and what you really value, the more exhausting it feels. (This is why a day of strategic planning can feel like wading through hip-deep mud.)
What if, instead, you quickened this year by really understanding your values, holding them in your body and being able to:
Know which battles are worth fighting and how to hold your boundaries with grace.
Tell the difference between procrastination and your intuition saying “Nope. Not doing that.”
Manage your positional power and other kinds of privilege while standing up for what you believe.
Sit down with your calendar and to-do list and feel more energy for your day because your tasks are aligned with what you know to be right.
Get to the end of 2022 and do your staff’s annual reviews in a way that is clear and grounded with no surprises.
Do you want to give yourself an iron anchor for the year, one that is strong enough to support your leadership magic? Get clear on your values and not just in your head. When a kindergarten teacher asked her students what the body is for, the number one answer was “to carry around the head.” This is usual. This is constructed by the racist patriarchy and even our kids know it. Why? Because
the Story of “Normal” is constantly telling you that your leadership “should” be a whole bunch of things that support toxic hierarchy and violate your values. When your head is making decisions without listening to your body, you are much more vulnerable to these lies.The antidote? Knowing how to root your leadership in your values and in your whole body.
Your body, which is connected to the land.
The land, which is awakening now.
I’ve seen this magic awaken in leader after leader:
Elected officials who learned to speak from their values and transformed their presence. (You know you can feel it when that happens.)
Department directors with impossible job descriptions getting rock solid on their core values- and then being able to welcome feedback instead of be defensive.
Executive directors who needed their board to back the fuck off, and were able to stare them down with grace- because it wasn’t about ego. (You know how it feels when someone is holding their ground like that, don’t you?
Put aside the annual plan for twenty minutes. Do some journaling: remember a time when you felt bright, grounded, at your best. What values were you embodying then?
What deep magic do you want to quicken in your leadership this year?
February will be values month- each week, I’ll offer stories about leadership and magic and some journaling or exercise on working with your values. Throughout the year, I’ll be offering ways to make sure your magic grows with the seasons. Sign up for my newsletter to get these and notices of my workshops in your inbox!