Gotta love the holidays with the family.  Between my largely Jew-ish (emphasis on the “ish”) family from Maine and Boston, my orthodox Jewish brother and his family, my punk astrologer sister and her ska husband, and the histrionic/quasi-stoned mother and stepmother (depending on their moods), it’s a jolly old time.  It’s a good thing there’s a good supply of gin and hookah here with me, but it’s a shame I can’t find enough time or privacy to get meditation in.  Gotta get that changed; I might hit up the Edgar Cayce center in Virginia Beach to see if they have any good books or resources I could use.

So, amid the hectic running around, wrapping, and yelling (and drinking gin, don’t forget the gin), I’m finding time to work on Deb’s most recent New Year, New You prompt, albeit a bit late.  This time, it’s on goals for 2012, those to be accomplished through magical and mundane means, and the steps to get them done.

This is going to be a bit difficult for me, but I like a challenge, so I may as well.  I don’t consider myself very goal-oriented; I focus more on where I am and short-term goals, with few to no overarching or long-term goals.  That said, I do have a few that guide the general practice and course of my life, and I mentioned a few of those in an earlier blog post on the NYNY thread.  These are some of the overarching goals for 2012 and how I’m going to accomplish them using the means available to my disposal.

Finish paying off my student loans by the end of 2012.

• Make regular payments (increased from my original plan) to make sure I make the deadlines properly.
• Restrict my spending to make sure I’m not in the red each month after other utilities and bills, and cut down costs where possible; balance spending with particular trips and activities that I intend on going to.
• Financial magic with the spirits of Jupiter to increase income and make sure I’m comfortable with what I have, as well as grace and good luck with dealing with the collection agencies.
• Work with Martian spirits to increase my discipline and judgment when it comes to casual spending.
• Work with Saturnine spirits to fix things in my life to reduce the need or occasions for excessive spending on unnecessary things.

Work in astral realms

• Research astral projection (RO’s Astral Warrior guide?).
• Craft astral talisman ring under auspices of Lunar spirits (late January through late February).
• PRACTICE.  Headless rite every night counts for something, but also should try astrally exploring the places I am on a day-to-day basis when I get time (my house, my office, etc.).
• Work with planetary spirits in conjurations to build up astral strength with regards to their specialties.

Strictness with my body and life

• Practice fasting.  I don’t want to be like some ascetic desert guru, but try fasting at least twice a month (new moon and full moon).
• Actually take Lent seriously and give up a few things (like how I gave up grocery shopping last year, and then continued that until my kitchen was legitimately bare).  This year, try the following: alcohol, meat, gluteny foods, smoking, and probably some social media or other (texting, tweeting, unclear).
• Restrict diet and activity before conjurations and rituals.
• Start walking.  Like, take an hour or so every other day just to walk. It’s clearing, helpful, and keeps active, even if I do nothing else.
• Maintain daily practice, increase prayer and meditation, and regular conjuration schedule.
• Mars work to increase discipline and toy with the idea of employing geases/bindings on myself to force myself to do these things (unwise, but it’s an idea to be discussed).

From what I know, doing divination readings last year when I started my college loans, there are no roadblocks to my paying off my college loans save for the threat of spending too much money on dates or unworthy partners (fittingly, I’d also be single for the most part of this last and next years).  The other things I want to do are purely on myself and are a matter of dedication and discipline, and from my recent chats with the angelic spirits, it’s a matter only of getting off my ass and doing the work.

Other smaller goals I have are going to Crucible in October, a furry convention in March (friends and relaxing for a weekend, ’cause why not), try non-angelic non-genial (demonic) conjuration, and simply doing more practical magic/crafting/thaumaturgy.  The first two are a matter of prioritizing and allocating money in conjunction with my college loans (Jupiter work); the latter two are a matter of studying, gathering the necessary supplies, and doing the work (Mercury and Saturn work).