How goes July? Do you live in the heat dome like I do? What are your best tips for staying cool?

I remember back in the 1980s in Florida. My mom’s car didn’t have a working air conditioner. She put a small bucket of ice on that hump between the seats and in front of the air vent. A few times she even added celery sticks for a cool snack on the road.

Since (for me anyway) the oppressive heat is an invitation (not that I need one) to sit inside and do desk-y things, here I am. And since (even more so for me) it’s always October in my heart, I’m listening again to the BBC Sounds’ series Witch. This time around I’m taking notes on what struck me and what I want to look into further. (Unfortunately, the website has scant show notes, so I need to listen again to write down book titles, etc.)

Right at the start, presenter India Rakusen gets my attention when she says, “You might that you don’t believe in magic.” This statement was meant for me as I do and I don’t. She goes on to point out things many of us do that are, in fact, clues at least a part of our brain does believe–making a wish when blowing out birthday cake candles, wishing for a traffic jam to clear up, and kissing a child’s scraped knee. (Currently, every time I step outside, I wish for a break in the heat.) I’ll add to that something mentioned in a TED Talk (though I can’t remember which one) about how we will rarely without reluctance tear up a photograph of a loved one. The part of us that believes in superstition won’t let us. (Are superstition and magic the same thing? They certainly seem related.)

What acts of magic do you commit even if you don’t believe in magic?

*

Thanks for reading. Subscribe to stay tuned as I consider the question Rakusen asks, “The witch has held a place firmly in our imagination for centuries – from whispered warnings in folklore to pop-culture driven heights. But what does it mean to be a witch now?”

*

Get art! Support my writing and art on Patreon. Get art (and maybe magic) in the mail.

And there’s my newsletter–Paper Octopus. I’d love for folks to subscribe! Issues sent out on the magical days.