First off, what is magic? Magic is anything that lights your spiritual fire and compels you to go deeper, learn more, and create through. It gets you up in the morning and keeps you up at night, in the best way. Whatever it is, that is the path to your full potential. How can you cultivate it?
At Asha, we are inspired by the awe, wonder, and spirituality the natural world can ignite in us. Everything from the soil to the stars sparks our passion and fuels our fire. This is magic for us. And through this perspective, we can see that magic is all around. We use this magic to uncover the magic in ourselves and others.
Using regenerative theory to wield magic for our planet
We use regenerative theory and principles as our scientific guide to discover and enact our magic. This is what we call the Science of Magic. Through proven design frameworks, we can use stepwise processes to apply our magic to regenerate systems. Regenerative theory provides a framework to evolve sustainability. To see yourself and the world through potential instead of problems. As passionate humans and innate creators, it is difficult to lean into the idea of progress through the lens of doing less, which is where the idea of sustainability came from. But instead of thinking of it in terms of doing “less” we can flip the script and focus on creating more positive change for the people in our communities and for the environment we all live in and share. To see our list of regenerative principles inspired by indigenous cultures and adapted from Regenesis, head over to our blog post, Regeneration, Evolving Sustainability.
For example, one of our favorite regenerative principles is “Instead of solving problems, design for potential”. In life, we are taught how to solve problems. While this is a useful first step, sometimes thinking of a problem in isolation is too limiting. We miss the forest for the trees. In regenerative theory, we take problem-solving a bit further. Instead of just solving the problem, we widen our scope to potential. This isn’t an easy, pain-free process all the time. Sometimes the quick fix has some dependencies and unintended consequences.
We see this play out in agriculture in a really big way. In the agriculture community, fertilizer and tilling (think a giant rake preparing the topsoil for planting) are used to solve the problem of demand, but that “fix” can cause more problems, like toxic runoff into streams, or the slow destruction of the topsoil. That “solve” ended up costing the farmer (eventually nothing will grow in the soil) and the ecosystem was harmed in the process. This problem isn’t unique. In fact, according to geologist David Montgomery, the world loses 23 billion tons of good soil every year. At this rate, we won’t have any good soil left in 200 years.
But, that’s where potential comes in. Some farmers started focusing on potential, and a different solution emerged: no-till farming. Harnessing the power of crop rotation, free-range livestock, and special equipment can eliminate the need for traditional tilling and can lead to bigger yields for farmers. This is exactly what Kiss the Ground teaches through their regenerative education programs.
Going beyond the field
But this isn’t limited to just farming. We see this every day in all kinds of communities. For example, we have house plants. They look amazing, they inspire happiness, and they provide oxygen: win, win, win. But what if we started thinking about our plants as partners in a larger system? How can you reciprocate what the plant provides for you? How can you create the best space for your plants to thrive? As you train yourself to view your own space as one interconnected system where you can care for everything as part of a whole, you can start thinking outside your household, and expand that goodwill into the world.
What does magic mean for you?
So, how can you identify the magic that ignites you? How can you use regenerative theory to cultivate your magic and benefit the system that you depend on for growth and happiness? That is something only you can discover.