Thoughts from the Dean's Desk

In Wicca, the sacred is not confined to temples or altars it lives in the breath of the wind, the flicker of candlelight, and the rhythm of our daily lives. Sacred simplicity is the practice of honoring the divine in the ordinary, of weaving magic into the mundane. It is a path of mindfulness, reverence, and deep connection to the cycles of nature and spirit.  It is the act of being intent driven with daily activities and rituals in your life.  Intent to make something sacred is part of the process.  We often act by rote each day and sacredness comes from focus. 

The Everyday as Enchanted 

Wiccans know that the world is alive with energy. Every stone, tree, and stream holds a spirit; every moment is a chance to commune with the divine. When we stir herbs into a pot of tea, sweep our floors with intention, or greet the sunrise with gratitude, we are not just living, we are practicing our Craft. Take a moment to consider what tea to drink or what the tea you have chosen is bringing into your life.  We often think our manifestations aren’t working, but they are.  They are working exactly how you create them.  Each action you take and each thought you have manifests your reality.  Acting in a rote manner can sabotage your magic.  Find the magic in your life! 

“Magic is not something you do. Magic is something you are.” 
— Starhawk 

Living in Rhythm with Nature 

The Wheel of the Year teaches us that life moves in cycles birth, growth, harvest, rest. By aligning our lives with the Sabbats and moon phases, we learn to slow down and listen. We plant seeds in spring, both literal and metaphorical. We give thanks at Lammas and Samhain. We rest in winter’s stillness. In this rhythm, we find peace and purpose. 



Our Western mindset fights against this.  Getting into the flow of nature requires deliberate action.  If we go with our default, we often move too fast, work when we should be resting, and this affects our ability to connect into the life around us. 

“As above, so below; as within, so without.” 
— Hermetic axiom embraced in Wiccan philosophy 

The Magic of Intention 

In Wicca, intention is everything. A simple act, when done with focused will, becomes a spell. Lighting a candle for clarity, placing a crystal on your desk, or whispering a blessing over your morning coffee these are not grand gestures, but they are powerful. 

This doesn’t require a lot of preparation or set up.  It requires that we are present in this moment.  That our focus is here and not on the past or on the future.  Being present in this moment is key to finding the sacred in your everyday life. 

I started by making it a ritual to literally stop and smell my roses when I left or returned to my home.  It grounded me in the beauty around me.  If I had a lot of things to bring into the house, when I was done, I went back out to complete my ritual of smelling my roses.  When the roses weren’t in bloom, I smelled the other flowers or checked on my toad house to see who was home.  This simple 5 minute practice helped me to ground and see the wonderful things in my life.  It helped me to connect into my yard and my land and to the seasons of where I lived. 

Now that I live in an apartment and no longer have roses, I look to see what is blooming in my apartment landscaping or see which insect life is buzzing or crawling around.  The habit of checking in with the nature around me is now automatic and I find some really interesting things! 

“Once you can see and feel and know directly, magic is forever transformed.” 
— Ivo Dominguez Jr., Keys to Perception 

Decluttering the Spirit 

Just as we cleanse our homes with smoke or salt, we can cleanse our lives of what no longer serves. Sacred simplicity encourages us to release excess whether it’s physical clutter, toxic relationships, or outdated beliefs. By doing so, we make space for clarity, creativity, and connection with the divine. 

Our Western mindset encourages materialism and the collection of things.  This bleeds over to our mental and emotional life as well.  We don’t need so much of what we carry in our minds and our hearts.  The Wiccan practice of release asks us to evaluate and let go of things that no longer serve us several times a year at Sabbats and monthly in the moon’s cycle. 

This doesn’t mean we don’t acknowledge the pain that those things brought us, but there is no reason to continue to carry what doesn’t serve us.  We can’t grow spiritually, weighed down by anger, hate, and unending sorrow.  Much like the plant that continues to seek the life-giving light of the sun, we are called to continue to seek spiritual connection and growth.  The key to this is discovering how to release these things in a healthy way, not burying them undealt with, but processing them and then letting them go. 

“To choose to live a life of simplicity is to choose to live a life of power. It is to choose to live lightly, to let go of the burdens that weigh us down, and to walk freely upon the Earth.” 
— Starhawk, The Earth Path: Grounding Your Spirit in the Rhythms of Nature

The Divine in the Details 

Wicca teaches that deity is immanent and that deity dwells within us and around us. When we pause to admire a spider’s web, to feel the earth beneath our feet, or to breathe deeply under the full moon, we are in communion with them.  There is no need to visit a special place or a certain time to connect in with the divine. 

I lived once at a home with a second story deck in the backyard surrounded by trees.  At that level, I was literally in the trees!  Prayer was easy on that deck.  Feeling deity surrounding me was easy on that deck and I used it often to feel the divine in my life.  I took my sorrows and my joys there. 

Now, I live in an apartment and no longer have access to that space.  My balcony is small and the trees are far away, but what I do have is the amazing stream that runs through my apartment complex and if I stand on the balcony I can hear the water bubbling and gurgling down below and if I stand still, I can see the many birds and squirrels who come to the stream.  I hear birdsong and laugh at the squirrel antics and am connected to the divine in those moments.  My connection is not dependent on place or time but awareness and being present in that moment. 

“The Earth is our temple, and the sky is our cathedral.” 
— Traditional Wiccan saying 

A Witch’s Path of Grace 

To walk the Wiccan path is to walk in awareness. Sacred simplicity is not a retreat from life, but a deeper engagement with it. It is a reminder that every moment holds potential for magic, that every breath is a prayer, and that the divine is always near if only we choose to see. 

Walking a sacred path is remembering to be present in this moment, to see the beauty and life around you and know that you are a part of it; not apart from it.  Find those moments and do them again and again.  Build the connection that you want in your life. 

“Live your earthly life fully but try to see the spiritual aspects of your activities as well. Remember—the physical and spiritual are but reflections of each other.” 
— Scott Cunningham, Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner