Ray Star: If you could write about any subject in the world, what would you choose to write about?

21 October 2021

Ray Star writes an exclusive piece for Female First

I chose a topic that is close to my heart, an integral part of my spiritual practise as an eclectic witch and opted to write about magick.

Not magic like in movies, but real magick, the type that comes from the sun, the moon, and the stars, shining down on our world, glimmering softly in the elements all around us, enticing us to take notice, and truly see it.

Magick is abundant in our day to day lives, but as the years have passed, we’ve become accustomed to its gifts, and, guilty as charged, we’ve come to take the miracle that is magick, for granted.

Magickal elements are all around us, from the earth we walk upon, the air we breathe, the water that nourishes our bodies, the fire that warms our souls, to the many spirits that walk alongside us in a beautiful array of species to admire.

Yet, with each passing day, it becomes increasingly apparent, that our connection to magick, is diminishing, with our bond to the elements turning from synchronised, to divided.

When it came to writing my debut novel Earthlings, a YA Fantasy with a planet-positive message to the narrative, I wanted to pay homage to the wonder that is magick and include rituals that I practise in my day-to-day life, with the aim of reconnecting readers to nature and inspiring positive change.

Earthlings tells the tale of a girl named Peridot, raised away from the realities of her world and unbeknown to her, she is magick-born. We follow her journey as she escapes the safety of her homeland to make her way into the outside world, only to discover it is not as she’s been led to believe. All species have full sentience, and the world is run by an unlikely dictator intent on keeping humanity and magick-born enslaved. Peridot must decide whether to use her powers to help, whilst deciding for herself, is the world ultimately worth saving?

With such a heavy question being the conscience behind the book, I wanted the narrative to be softer, enabling readers to ease into the realities that Peridot will come to endure. As such, the inclusion of magick came naturally, granting me the joy of including my own beliefs and rituals.

I identify as an eclectic witch, meaning that I follow a mix of Pagan, Wiccan, and new age spiritualist traditions. I have a deep, loving respect for Mother Nature, I give thanks to the deities of old, live alongside the moons cycles and try within reason, to adhere to the ethos of; if it harm none, mote it be. The healing properties Mother Nature bestows upon us are endless, plentiful, and in their truest form; magickal.

Reconnecting with Mother Nature has a resounding knack for bringing contentment, from walking barefoot in the grass, spending time with animals, to basking in the light of a full moon with the stars twinkling down.

I encourage anyone reading this to try it.