April Magick

Things are visible now, which is where they usually get inconvenient.

I always think I like the idea of growth more than the reality of it. Can you relate to that?

In my head there’s always this moment where I think, okay, now things are going to start. This is going to be my “season.” I’ve realized recently that hearing someone call a period of their life a season makes my stomach churn a little.

The reality is that things don’t just begin, they’re usually continuations. Half-finished thoughts, abandoned projects, things that never really went anywhere. At some point you just have to pick it back up and keep going. Nature doesn’t wait for readiness. Seeds don’t ask if you’re prepared before they sprout, they just do, and then immediately require care to survive. Water, attention, consistency. All the unglamorous parts. Nature handles this without hesitation. We… tend to struggle. These parts don’t feel like the magic we’re sold, but they are, inconveniently, the whole thing.

There’s a saying in a lot of magical and folkloric thinking that power isn’t something you create, it’s something you work with. It’s already moving through the world, through plants, through seasons, through your own body, whether you participate in it or not. April just makes that harder to ignore. Things show up. Patterns become visible. Effort, or lack of it, starts to compound.

I’ve been thinking about maintenance again. Not big transformations, not dramatic shifts, just the quiet decision to keep something going. To water it again. To show up again. It’s less satisfying as a story, but probably more honest as a practice.

So maybe that’s the work right now. Picking something back up and deciding if it’s worth tending. Not everything is. But something probably is.

Below is the text from my Instagram slides. I know a lot of you are transitioning away from that platform, so I’m making it available here on my Substack as well. Enjoy.

xoxo,
Chad

After the Seed

Let’s talk about nature in April. The seed phase is over, and germination has already happened beneath the surface, whether you noticed it or not—your allergies probably do.

What shows up now is the result of processes already in motion. In plant terms, the energy has shifted from hidden development to visible growth. In human terms, this is where intention becomes evidence.

I get it, there’s something mildly offensive about saying that out loud. We don’t get to stay theoretical anymore, friends. It’s time to work.

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Visible Things

Visibility and blooming seem romantic until you realize they come with responsibilities.

Once something breaks the surface, it requires attention, consistency, and genuine care. Not just interest, not just excitement. Remember to water your plants and yourself this month.

Magic has never been about creating something from nothing. You work with the energies around you and what is already alive and moving.

April will reveal this clearly.

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A Maintenance Problem

This is the part no one really markets well, and people just end up complaining about it on social media.

You wanted the new routine, the new version of yourself, the project, the whatever. And now it exists, which means it has to be maintained.

Magic, at its most practical, is agency. It’s the decision to keep shaping something after the initial spark has passed. And that’s hard work. You might not be able to keep it up and might have to let something go.

And this is where most things start to quietly fall apart.

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Seasonal Reality

Folk magic is usually tied to timing, place, and what’s actually happening in the dirt around you.

April doesn’t have to be abstract “spring energy.” It’s your version of it.

In Central Texas, things are already moving faster than you expect. Growth doesn’t wait for you to catch up. Miss a few days of attention, and something wilts, bolts, or takes over—I hate Bermuda grass.

The season isn’t really gentle.
It’s just feeling really early lately.

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Working with What Exists

And the best part, you’re not starting from scratch. You’re probably already working with fragments, partial efforts, half-built routines, things you abandoned and are now reconsidering. That’s normal. We all are.

Reconstruction has always been part of practice, taking what remains and building something that actually fits your life now. Don’t get discouraged; get organized. (says the Virgo sun)

April will reward your small actions and adjustments more than cosplaying perfection.

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Check the Roots

Before we get too far into this month, I want you to do this little reflection with me.

Pick one thing in your life that’s currently “growing.”

Ask: Is this actually rooted, or just exciting?

If it’s rooted, maintain it.
If it’s not, decide whether to commit or let it go.

That’s the whole practice.
No candle required.
You’re welcome.

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The Palette (Reframed)

Before I share this month’s palette, my one hope is that you stop treating correspondence as a must-have aesthetic tool. At their core, they’re functional.

They help you focus intention, build patterns, and reinforce direction through repetition and association.

If you use them, use them on purpose. Not because someone told you to buy the most exotic herb or crystal in existence.

Not everything needs to be included. Just enough to create clear focus.

Notable Dates for April

Wednesday, April 1
Full Moon (Pink Moon)

• Full Moon exact: 9:12 PM CDT

• Named for early blooming moss phlox, not the color

• A full moon is always a culmination point, but this one lands right at the start of the month, which makes it feel like “oh, this is already happening.”

• Rebalance and take stock of what actually needs your attention

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Thursday, April 2
Mercury Post-Retrograde Shadow

• Even though Mercury Retrograde has ended, this is the period where things still feel slightly off, decisions are still settling, and clarity is improving, but not fully stable

• Plans start to move again but you’re still dealing with the consequences of what was delayed

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Thursday, April 9
Third (Last) Quarter Moon

• Exact: 11:51 PM CDT

• Clearing, editing, releasing.

• This is your “this isn’t working, let’s fix it” phase

• Good for cutting back commitments and adjusting routines that already feel unsustainable.

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Friday, April 17
New Moon (Aries Season)

• Exact: 6:51 AM CDT

• This is your actual reset point for the month.

• Aries energy tends to push toward action, initiation, and forward movement

• Because it follows a very visible Full Moon at the start of the month, this one feels less like starting something new and more like committing to something you already know matters

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Wednesday, April 22
Earth Day

• Not exactly witchy, but very aligned with older land-based practices.

• This is one of the few modern observances that actually feels as if everyone is pagan for a day.

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Thursday, April 23
First Quarter Moon

• Exact: 9:31 PM CDT

• Action, friction, problem-solving.

• This is where ideas meet resistance, plans get tested, and you realize what actually works

• Good for adjusting the course and doing the thing imperfectly instead of waiting

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Thursday, April 30
Walpurgisnacht (Walpurgis Night)

• The eve of May Day, traditionally associated with witches’ gatherings, spirits, bonfires, and protection rites

• Often considered the “mirror” of Halloween on the Wheel of the Year.

• This is a threshold night where winter is fully gone, summer energy is approaching, and boundaries feel thinner, more active

Further Reading

Year of the Witch – Temperance Alden
Alden reinterprets the Wheel of the Year, taking into account climate and local geography. She emphasizes that seasonal magic is rooted in place, not just theory. The land where you stand defines the ritual calendar.

Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs – Scott Cunningham
Cunningham frames plants as carriers of a universal life force, not just symbolic tools. Growth is something already happening, whether we participate or not. This shapes the core idea that April is a good time for what has already begun to take root.

Blackthorn’s Botanical Magic – Amy Blackthorn
Blackthorn defines magic as agency, the act of directing your life through intention and follow-through. This directly supports the shift from inspiration to maintenance.

New World Witchery – Cory Thomas Hutcheson
Hutcheson roots magic in place and lived reality. Seasonal is based on what’s actually happening in your environment. This shapes the view of April as a practical, fast-moving season rather than a soft, idealized version of spring.

Ancestral Magic – Frankie Castanea
Castanea explores working with fragments instead of clean beginnings. Most practices and identities are built by picking up what already exists and continuing it. This informs the idea that what we’re tending now is rarely new, it’s something we’re returning to.

Mastering Magick – Mat Auryn
Auryn frames magic as something developed through repetition and continued engagement. It’s something that changes your life through consistency and repetition. This reinforces the focus on maintenance as the real work of the season.

A small note for transparency: This section contains affiliate links. They never influence what I recommend, but they do help support my work here. Most of these books can also be found at your local library.