Magick and Spells

Well, now that you've erected your altar, and been self-initiated, and know about all the sabbats, I bet you're wondering when we are going to get to the fun stuff. Well, assuming that you mean spells, then this is the time. I am not going to list any spells right here, as there will be plenty for you in the Book of Shadows as soon as I get them added, what I am going to do here, is tell you about different types of spells and how they work. First, though, if you haven't already, you should read What is a spell? in my list of questions.

Ok, so basically all a spell is is energy that is directed to a certain place to cause something to happen. This may sound easy, but it is very important to notice the word energy. Energy is NOT synonymous with actions. Anyone can go through the actions of a spell, like lighting candles and saying a few words, but if there is no energy directed, then nothing will happen. How do you direct this energy? A very easy way is through visualization. While you are performing, say, a spell to find a new home, you would visualize yourself in the home already. Keep that thought in your head throughout the whole spell. If you use spells from books, some will tell you specifically what to visualize, while others will not. If they do not, then you should be able to figure it out for yourself.

Another important thing to keep in mind when you are doing a spell, is emotion. If your goal is to bring love into your life, remember a time when you had love, and try to relive the way the emotion felt. Or this might be an easier way to imagine it...though not a smart thing to actually do...Say you are casting a spell on an enemy of yours. The emotion you would want to have is all the anger towards that person you can muster...you should be visably mad...so much so, that if anyone were to walk in on you, you would frighten them away. Ok, maybe that's a little silly, but you get the point.

Now, to tell you about some different types of spells. Probably the easiest and most common form of a spell is a candle spell. A candle spell can be as easy as carving a word to represent what you want into the candle and burning it. Or, it can be as elaborate as you like. As always, the choice is up to you.

Sympathetic magick is another common way to perform a spell, and most forms of candle spells are actually sympathetic magick also. Basically what sympathetic magick says is that "Like attracts like". In other words, think of the "voodoo doll" belief. You have a doll that represents, and possibly looks like someone. You stick a pin in the doll's leg, and the actual person is supposed to feel it. This is sympathetic magick...using symbols to represent something else, and treating the symbols the way you would treat the object. Anything can be used to symbolize the object, from a picture, lock of hair, nail clippings, or even a drawing. If you are dealing with a person, then having something like a lock of hair or nail clipping will also strengthen the bond between the spell and the person.

Another form of magick is cord magick, where cords are tied in knots, with various types of energy "stored" in the knots, to be released when the knots are untied. There is also the simple (actually not so simple until you have had some practice) direction of power. To do this, first you have to achieve the energy you want to send. This can be done in many ways, like dancing, chanting, deep breathing, etc. When you have raised enough energy, you send it out by either visualizing it going where you want it to go, or actually sending it there by directing it through your athame. You could also store the energy in some object, and bring it where you want it to go yourself.

As you can see, there are many ways to perform a spell. Some are performed only in the mind, while others are elaborate enough that they border on being full rituals. One more word on spells. There are many people who are reluctant to give out spells to those who ask, so do not be discouraged if you encounter this. They will tell you that a spell will only work if you write it yourself. The truth is, a spell will work better if you write it yourself, and it comes right from the heart, but there is no reason why you cannot try a spell that someone else has performed and had success with. Just be sure to change it in some way to make it fit your needs better.

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