The closer I got, the more the sky turned dark. Storm clouds had swept over so quickly, extinguishing the stars. Mother Moon, with her bright round belly, was hidden. As it began to rain, I called out to anyone who was listening – my Gods, my Ancestors, even the Angels if they would lend their ear.
“Please… I’ve come so far… please let the rain stop so I can perform my Full Moon rite upon the shores of Anglesea.”
The rain continued, and I continued driving.
As I pulled into the carpark, the rain stopped. I thanked all those who listened. I took off my shoes and walked along the river bed as it led me to the ocean.
I stood upon the shore and the wild white horses welcomed me home. I danced upon the waves beneath a hidden full moon.
I thanked the land, I thanked the Moon.
Once I walked back along the mouth of the river to the car, the rain began again.
The ocean has captured the imaginations of humanity for centuries, from the myths of mermaids and Atlantis to stories of pirates and hidden treasures. We are encapsulated by the ocean, by it’s vastness, and the power that it wields.
Ocean Magick is beautiful, and powerful. It is so vastly different to working with any other element, and even within the water it is different again to the energies of lakes and rivers.
Like all bodies of water, the ocean is both giving and receiving. The tides talk with the phases of the moon, and depending on the beach you may have the feeling of calm, gentle waters if it’s a part of a bay or inlet, or the powerful nature of the vast oceans and straits.
To work with the ocean is to understand that it is an element that will never be controlled. It calls for an element of surrender while at the same time being able to keep yourself safe. As someone who grew up an hours drive from the Great Ocean Road in South-Eastern Australia, I recognise that I take for granted how much being able to see a rip tide is an asset to me.
It also doesn’t mean you need to paddle into the ocean if that is not something you are comfortable with, or if it is not the weather for it. You know your own body, your own capability, and the energy of the land and waves will tell you if it is safe to venture in past, say, your knees.
This post was initially going to provide an overview as per my own experience of working with the ocean and calling one specific beach my ‘spiritual home’ for so long. After planning out what I wanted to say, I’ve realised it would be best done as a series of posts, as the Core Elements of Ocean Magick really should be a post in and of itself.
There will be aspects of Ocean Magick that I will not touch because of cultural appropriation or because I don’t have the knowledge. Examples of this include traditions based to specific cultures, or particular environments, or even Water Deities – I have tried calling in a ‘Water Deity’ once, and their energy terrified me so much that I stuck to working with the spirits of place.
Consider that your own invitation to learn more about your own history, and the history of the land and the shores that you stand upon.
Past blog posts:
2015 – Meeting Manannán mac Lir
2014 – The Witch that Danced Upon the Shore (Short Story)
Book of Eucalypt 
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