“But all the magic I have known I’ve had to make myself.”
– Shel Silverstein
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Magic Maker: the enchanted path to creativity by Pam Grossman merges creativity with magic, inviting readers to embrace their fullest creative potential through spiritual and esoteric practices. According to Grossman, creativity and magic are essentially the same. She draws on her extensive experience as a scholar, writer, and practicing witch to show how these ideas have been linked for many famous artists and writers. One of the most interesting elements of the book is the description of how successful artists from Sylvia Plath to Beyonce have deployed mystical techniques to overcome creative blocks and generate transformative work.
Grossman’s fascination with mid-20th century female surrealists like Remedios Varo and Leonora Carrington reveals how their magical studies and esoteric knowledge have informed their art. This connection between magic and creativity is far from new and encompasses diverse creators from Spiritualist artists like Hilma af Klint to musicians such as John Coltrane. For Grossman, studying these magical intersections is essential to understanding the ways in which great art can come from spiritual seeking.
Grossman sees both magic and creative expression as a way of taking the powerful, invisible creative force and intentionally turning it into something real and tangible. Techniques like casting a circle, opening an inner channel, and infusing projects with energy and intention can be practical tools to quiet the fear and anxiety that so often hinder creativity. These practices allow the maker to connect with something larger than themselves, making self-doubt less relevant.
She encourages rituals like the “Striking Magician’s Pose,” inspired by the Magician card in Tarot, which shows a figure with one arm raised in the air and the other pointing to the ground. Grossman sees the Magician as embodying the idea of a conduit between the invisible and tangible worlds. By physically anchoring ourselves this way, creators can encourage flow and divine inspiration, even if we don’t believe in magic ourselves.
Grossman also suggests artists can benefit from forming a creative “coven” in the form of a writing group or intentional creative community. She recommends integrating ritual and symbolism into group gatherings to strengthen creative energy, perhaps by centring meetings around lunar cycles.
The bottom line: if you’re looking for a way to unlock your own creativity and make whatever it is you’re supposed to in this lifetime, Grossman’s practical guide might help you do it, whether or not believe in magic. This skeptic is looking forward to trying them out.