Lisa Marie Basile's Blog
March 8, 2020
Writing As A Form of Magic & Healing
Im going to talk a bit about my book, "The Magical Writing Grimoire" (released April 28, 2020).
A fair warning: This is going to get a bit dark (but I promise there's a silver lining!), so brace yourselves. It was the summer of 2014 -- I remember because I was blasting Lana Del Rey's Ultraviolence -- when I started writing about my personal experiences with family addiction, separation & my eventual move into foster care. It's wild to think, but before then, I managed to write poetry and essays that rarely if ever touched on it, which meant my voice and my self and my expression was always half-real, half-honest, untouched by the very thing that made me me. That trauma was such a big part of my foundation and the lens through which I saw the world.
So one day in 2014 I wrote a piece about how foster kids belonged to no one & everyone, how we existed in a liminal space legally and physically. The thought of sharing this essay made me shook me to my core. Because then the world would know my past. It would reveal me as the traumatized thing I was before I wore a new era over my wounds. Yes, this essay said, I came from somewhere very real.
After finishing it, it was as though a spell were cast. I felt like the weight of a hundred galaxies came off my back. Because some of what I wrote were words I'd never even uttered to myself. And when I did write it it fell out of me like rain.
The ability to write is a privilege for many of us, but it's also a free tool that can help save us. I've seen writing help women in domestic shelters, college students move through self-esteem issues, and incarcerated individuals tell their story. It is something sacred in itself because with our words we are taking nothing and making it into something.
So I wanted to design a gentle but effective book that people -- especially any marginalized community -- could use to tap into their truth and self, in a way that felt right for them. It's guided, but it allows space for reinterpretation and individuality so that anyone can tap in."
In The Magical Writing Grimoire wanted to be able to make space for others to write their truth, to invest in their stories, to write for others'...and to turn a writing practice (one that you have or not) into a sacred, healing, magical act where writing is elevated into transformative ritual. Because when we tap into that power, we find, in many ways, freedom, beauty, light. The only way out is through.
In a recent chat with The Witchhassle Podcast, I discussed how writing is itself a magical act. This book isn't *solely* a look at magical or occult practices that will encourage creativity (although of course it explores that); it is a book that places the act of writing firmly in the center of the magic itself. When you write, you are already engaged in ritual and conversation with your deeper self. With the divine. With nature. We write to make magic. When we write, we are casting a spell. We are making change. And so, your words (whether you plan on sharing your poetry with the world or keeping a box of journals under your bed!) are your power. Your wand.
Writers and non-writers alike (witches and non-witches, too!) can use this book. Beyond writing, it's also for anyone who is interested in magic, ritual, healing, manifestation, and reclamation of voice and narrative. It was such an important book for me to write, especially with a trauma-informed background. It's for everyone who wants to feel whole.
A fair warning: This is going to get a bit dark (but I promise there's a silver lining!), so brace yourselves. It was the summer of 2014 -- I remember because I was blasting Lana Del Rey's Ultraviolence -- when I started writing about my personal experiences with family addiction, separation & my eventual move into foster care. It's wild to think, but before then, I managed to write poetry and essays that rarely if ever touched on it, which meant my voice and my self and my expression was always half-real, half-honest, untouched by the very thing that made me me. That trauma was such a big part of my foundation and the lens through which I saw the world.
So one day in 2014 I wrote a piece about how foster kids belonged to no one & everyone, how we existed in a liminal space legally and physically. The thought of sharing this essay made me shook me to my core. Because then the world would know my past. It would reveal me as the traumatized thing I was before I wore a new era over my wounds. Yes, this essay said, I came from somewhere very real.
After finishing it, it was as though a spell were cast. I felt like the weight of a hundred galaxies came off my back. Because some of what I wrote were words I'd never even uttered to myself. And when I did write it it fell out of me like rain.
The ability to write is a privilege for many of us, but it's also a free tool that can help save us. I've seen writing help women in domestic shelters, college students move through self-esteem issues, and incarcerated individuals tell their story. It is something sacred in itself because with our words we are taking nothing and making it into something.
So I wanted to design a gentle but effective book that people -- especially any marginalized community -- could use to tap into their truth and self, in a way that felt right for them. It's guided, but it allows space for reinterpretation and individuality so that anyone can tap in."
In The Magical Writing Grimoire wanted to be able to make space for others to write their truth, to invest in their stories, to write for others'...and to turn a writing practice (one that you have or not) into a sacred, healing, magical act where writing is elevated into transformative ritual. Because when we tap into that power, we find, in many ways, freedom, beauty, light. The only way out is through.
In a recent chat with The Witchhassle Podcast, I discussed how writing is itself a magical act. This book isn't *solely* a look at magical or occult practices that will encourage creativity (although of course it explores that); it is a book that places the act of writing firmly in the center of the magic itself. When you write, you are already engaged in ritual and conversation with your deeper self. With the divine. With nature. We write to make magic. When we write, we are casting a spell. We are making change. And so, your words (whether you plan on sharing your poetry with the world or keeping a box of journals under your bed!) are your power. Your wand.
Writers and non-writers alike (witches and non-witches, too!) can use this book. Beyond writing, it's also for anyone who is interested in magic, ritual, healing, manifestation, and reclamation of voice and narrative. It was such an important book for me to write, especially with a trauma-informed background. It's for everyone who wants to feel whole.
May 2, 2018
Preorder Light Magic for Dark Times
My book is available for pre-order!
Light Magic for Dark Times is fully illustrated hard cover collection of inspired daily practices and rituals for when your world is descending into chaos and darkness, or to help prevent it.
Think of it as a grimoire for modern magic makers, rebels, witches and dreamers.
Having a hard time finding your inner light? Need to manifest strength or conviction in the face of trauma or division? Want to send healing vibes to a friend--or a group of people who need it? Light Magic For Dark Times helps you make magic that feels right to you.
Spells and practices in this book include:
A binding spell to combat social burnout
A seashell spell to protect a loved one or a group
A lunar light ritual to welcome new beginnings
A bathing ritual to heal from grief
A morning tarot ritual for productive daily commutes
A shadow play spell to confront difficult memories
Everyday practices to help you find your own magic
Accompanying the spells are illustrations, informative sidebars, and ideas for magical self-exploration
I hope you'll consider pre-ordering it. Here are all the links (for US, UK, Canada, NZ, Aus):
https://www.quartoknows.com/books/978...
Light Magic for Dark Times is fully illustrated hard cover collection of inspired daily practices and rituals for when your world is descending into chaos and darkness, or to help prevent it.
Think of it as a grimoire for modern magic makers, rebels, witches and dreamers.
Having a hard time finding your inner light? Need to manifest strength or conviction in the face of trauma or division? Want to send healing vibes to a friend--or a group of people who need it? Light Magic For Dark Times helps you make magic that feels right to you.
Spells and practices in this book include:
A binding spell to combat social burnout
A seashell spell to protect a loved one or a group
A lunar light ritual to welcome new beginnings
A bathing ritual to heal from grief
A morning tarot ritual for productive daily commutes
A shadow play spell to confront difficult memories
Everyday practices to help you find your own magic
Accompanying the spells are illustrations, informative sidebars, and ideas for magical self-exploration
I hope you'll consider pre-ordering it. Here are all the links (for US, UK, Canada, NZ, Aus):
https://www.quartoknows.com/books/978...
August 3, 2014
YES, POETRY - Poems from Apocryphal
because in me there is an inauthenticity hoping for spectator
[to be seen is to be real] & the speckled light of dusk is slicing the excess of me.
what is left is
the venom-bodied apparition you will hard and hardly fuck. I am not a skinny girl. I will destroy you.
READ MORE
[to be seen is to be real] & the speckled light of dusk is slicing the excess of me.
what is left is
the venom-bodied apparition you will hard and hardly fuck. I am not a skinny girl. I will destroy you.
READ MORE
