Reimagining Freedom: A Reflection from the Body

What do you mean by freedom (from a Taoist perspective)

When we hear the word freedom, especially in the West, it often conjures political definitions—rights, autonomy, liberty. And while freedom is political, I believe there’s a deeper, more embodied way to explore it. One that’s rooted not just in theory, but in practice.

Too often, freedom is equated with “doing whatever we want.” But from a Taoist lens, I’d like to gently challenge that notion. Because if freedom means acting on every impulse, how is that different from having no impulse control at all? In many ways, being ruled by urges is the opposite of freedom—it’s being held hostage by them.

So I invite you to ground yourself right now and feel into freedom from a different (though equally political) place: your body.

When we think about freedom through the body, it becomes about range. Mobility. Flexibility. The ability to stretch a little further, reach a little higher, or dance a little deeper into a shape we didn’t know we had capacity for.

Freedom, then, becomes about capacity, not indulgence. Capacity allows us to do more, be more, consider more. And in that expansion, true freedom is born: more options, more imagination, more ways of relating. Degrees of freedom indicate range of motion.

Freedom in this sense is physical, yes—but also spiritual, philosophical, artistic. A fluid force that is felt and known rather than simply declared or performed.

As you enter into spellwork or simply tune into your day, I encourage you to notice: what does your body say about freedom? What does your nervous system tell you is possible? What would it mean to sit, breathe, and create from a place of increased capacity?

And ask yourself this: Is desire the same thing as capacity? Not always.

So breathe in a way that feels supple. Sit in a way that feels spacious. Let your witchcraft arise from that place.

Let your magic be rooted in your most authentic posture, not just in your wants.

Desire is not inherently bad, but it might be secondary to what your authenticity is calling you to express.

This way of relating to freedom feels to me like a dance between Saturn and Jupiter—structure and expansion, limits and liberation. Yin and yang in motion, and in increased elasticity and range.

Breathe a little deeper. Sit a little taller. Work with your subtle fields a little more intentionally.

And remember: freedom lives in your range and capacity—not just in your rights, but in the quality of your presence.

In this way, cultivating capacity becomes a radically political act of resistance. Cultivating capacity allows you to become more difficult for authoritarian regimes to control you.

If you’re wanting to explore freedom through a sense of emotional flexibility, joy, and increased capacity, consider joining me for The Magick of Tea: Blue Mysteries, Creativity and Cartomancy. Learn the art of cartomancy with playing cards while exploring the spiritual meaning of blue—a colour of wisdom, protection, and transformation, all within a healing, creative container, and one that focuses on increasing range and capacity (and yes, freedom).

Following the spirits,
Mimi
Spirit medium and occultist