Ex Penna

There are many things that can make our two lists different.  The first, and possibly most important, is our experiences.  Not only are the years we each have been practicing affecting, but also the substance of those years.  What has been the focus of your magic since you began?  What about the focus of this past year?  I can't imagine how different your answer would be from my own, but that is a deciding factor of what is important to you.  Not only are we talking about the conscious choices you have made but also the surprises and problems that have arisen which you have had to work for at a moment's notice.  That has shaped who you are and what you see as necessary skill.

Also, we must take into consideration that we each have our own talents.  Armed with these as tools and weapons, we go into the world with our own distinct advantage.  Maybe you possess a mundane skill that I can only reach through spellwork; that skill might seem, for me, all the greater as a magical goal.

I have made this list as universal as possible, while still allowing for all the quirks mentioned above.  For ease of use, I've generally used the pronoun "she" and the term "witch."  Admittedly, I rarely do this except when talking about myself because that's the term I use.  Since, of course, this is my own list, I figured I'd go with what applies to me and the reader may change it as they deem necessary.  I would love to hear from you (here, on FB or Twitter, or elsewhere) with your thoughts, additions, or subtractions.   So now I present to you:



 A Proper, Powerful Witch Is...


 Prepared

Planning is one of those not-very-fun but very necessary tasks that seem to fall by the wayside with so many spellcasters.  Not only should a witch's spells be timed and plotted in advance, but the whole course of her endeavors should, as well.  What do you fear happening?  Protect yourself from it!  Work around it!  Reroute your path so that you may never come in its sight.

Preparation is also a major aspect of a practitioner's skill when you have a coven or lead your own rites.  It is too often assumed that major rites just happen, that everyone can just show up at the appointed time.  In truth, they are a tremendous amount of work.  And that's why they're so rare today.  Rituals that I've attended outside of my own coven have been clearly slapped together without forethought or care.  That is a major embarrassment for your guests and a disrespect to the forces you're attempting to summon.  Next time, plan ahead!

Balanced

Your life is complicated--everyone's is.  All of us feel like we're busy, even if we're not.  So it can be a trial to keep order with all the things clamoring for our attention and time.  A proper occultist know this and plans for it.

There are certain things that must always come first, and that's a given.  A major project at school or work or sudden pleas from a friend will stop your world until they have been settled.  But on an ordinary day, there are basics that must be done and aspects of life which must be given your energy in order to be furthered.  Be sure you touch on all of them, every day, in any way you are able--Mind, Body, and Spirit in balance.

One who Knows What She Wants

You can't possibly attain your goals if you don't know what they are, so start out making real plans for your future.  Do something--anything!--every day to come closer to those goals.  Make them specific, clear, and feasible based on your skills and how far you're willing to push them.

I am a big list-maker.  I love lists for all sorts of reasons, but the best is that they give me a chance to stand back and see a pattern.  Make a list of what your goals have been so far.  What are you currently attempting to do or become?  What has been the aspiration of your practice for the past year?  The past 5 years?  How about 10?

Now where would you like to be in as much time?  Do you think the actions you've already taken are headed that direction?  Think this through for as long as you can.  These might be the most important questions you can ask yourself.  What have you been chasing, wanting, striving for?  What are seeking now?  How can you connect them?  How can you take one more step on the path to your goals today?

Creative


Now this might sound like I'm just being no fun, but it is quite important that a proper witch is a person of a certain integrity.  I say "certain" because I'm not asking you to be a staunchly moral and upright person, only that you have your limits and adhere to them.  One of those limits should be about lying.

I have come into contact with many practitioners who didn't have this rule, so I suppose that's why it figures so prominently on my list of things by which I live.  A witch who tells lies about herself or lets others believe untrue things about herself today is only investing in tomorrow's crumbled persona.  Fellow practitioners need to know the real you.  If you pretend to be more powerful than you really are, you will be uncovered one day and humbled--or cursed--for it.  If you do that to clients, they will stop believing you, speak against you to others, whither your ego (and even your magical potency), and weaken the magical community of your area.

In my experiences, I knew a witch who was certain that she was everyone's goddess.  She had it in her mind that men wanted her and women wanted to be her.  It was a fallacy, of course, and one she clearly recognised, but she held onto it fiercely because her life was so damaged that she couldn't bear to look at reality.  Not only did this make those around her think less of her, it perpetuated a cycle of false gains in her life.  That's not where a witch should be.

Always Using Magic

As you may have noticed, I don't follow the attitude that magic should be one's last line of defense.  Our predecessors would have thought that idea laughable.  If you wish to keep your skills honed, you must use them often.  A proper witch casts spells all the time.  Little ones to get an edge on everyday events, large ones to turn the tides to her favor, and--when things go quiet for her--spells to assist those around her.  By this, a practitioner becomes a part of magic, not just a spectator or even a participant.

A Respecter and Promoter of the Works of Others

The other practitioners you meet are your people.  There is no need for jealousy, judgement, or scorn.  Whether there are one-hundred other casters in your town or two, you are together in this.  Be kind, listen, share a bit of what you know, pass along their good name.  People will remember this.  If you're always trying to best someone or spread hurtful rumors, they'll remember that, too.

I'm noticing how true this is in the community of comic book artists.  As you may know, I am the illustrator for a new comic book series and I've been working my way into the brother/sisterhood of fellow creators.  Every time I talk with an artist, they're always interested in my work--as I am in theirs--and offer helpful advice, tips, and leads on books, conventions, and sources for research to help me on my way.

I've never had one put me down because my style is different from theirs, or because I'm not a classically trained artist.  No one has ever sniffed at my request for advice and said I wasn't of a high enough rank to hear it.  Instead, they totally get it--we're a unity and we can either bring each other up together or we can all scramble around in the dark, too proud to ask for or offer help.  I could only wish that the magical community would follow their lead.

A Visionary

It is well within the scope of an occultist to see the pattern of time and to predict its continuing weave into the future.  Such a person then can use this as a guide to do what needs doing, make corrections appropriately, and not hesitate to do either.  The beauty of being a visionary is that you don't have to hesitate; you know and that knowledge is your strength.

Has a Rich Non-Magical Life, Too

In the midst of all of this, it can seem as though I'm expecting a practitioner to be nothing but.  However, magic should be a part of a well-made life, not its only feature.  It's important to maintain a space between witchcraft being your whole identity and it being merely a weekend hobby.

Cultivate the other interests in your life.  Spend time with non-magical folk.  Listen to music, read books, join groups, and hold discourse on things that have nothing to do with witchcraft.  This will keep you grounded.

Spiritual

This will have a different meaning for different people.  For myself, I enjoy having a relationship with the Gods and listening to their wisdom.  For others, spirituality might be more structured, have more definite terms, require more of their time.  Or it might mean less of all of this; it's up to the individual.

Connecting your magic with spirituality can be helpful in that you will be able to gain special insights, receiving omens and assistance from a source which doesn't rely on corporeal things.  Tending to your spiritual relationships every day can be helpful to maintain a line of communication with a greater intelligence, be it Gods, territorial spirits, or beloved dead.  All of this is your soul life and can be of benefit to your work.

Skilled in Her Craft

When a spell is well cast, it becomes a dance, a work of art.  Components are retrieved, measured, blended in secret rhythms; a match is struck, flame bursts into being;  herbs come alive on the coals; smoke winds through the air full of flickering shadow; words weave like threads through the process, stitching and pulling tight your intentions.  

If this doesn't describe your work, maybe you need to take a closer look at your methods.  The greater amount of knowledge you have, the more you're able to use it with finesse.  The better you understand the performance, the smoother it becomes.

Organized

This is definitely something that is a must for me but probably not essential in the eyes of others.  To me, organization goes hand in hand with other aspects of honor and reliability such as honesty and promptness.  To keep your belongings in order is to keep your thoughts in order.  To maintain a purposeful schedule is to do as much with your ambitions.

Also helpful is that workspace is clean and easy to use.  You should be able to sit down at your desk/altar/whathaveyou and get to work right away.  You should know where all your herbs and stones can be found.  If you can't do that, I highly suggest planning a cleaning day to get your things in order.  It will have a positive impact on your outlook but also on your magic itself.  Distractions of any kind act as speed bumps, slowing you down and making you extra aware of your surroundings.  You don't want that.




So there's my list.  What's yours?  If you've decided to form your own requirements, remember take time to also think about where they come from, why they matter, what each of them would look like in real practice.  As you have seen, I know where some of my list originated but other parts just seem important because it's the way I look at witchcraft in general.  Your view might be much different, and I welcome it.


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In the last post we discussed just why witches and other occultists should embrace

superstition.  Of the excellent arguments I feel that I made on its behalf (*ahem*) I think there is one which speaks the most strongly in favor of it as a magical concept:

It works.

We discussed all that the last time around.  Now we must consider what this means for the occultist.  What use can superstition be to a witch?  The many answers may surprise you.

A love spell, for example, can be enhanced with it in many ways.  It is tradition that to accidentally drop a pan and have it come to rest upside down means that someone is thinking loving thoughts of you.  To add this to your spell, simply recreate this act intentionally--in slow motion, if need be to ensure the pan is indeed inverted--after the spell is complete.  Let it rest on the floor (or, for more connection, on your altar sitting directly over your spell items) untouched until the candles have burned to their sockets or some other sign has made itself known that the work is finished.

Superstition Can Be Used Instead of Spells

With focus, a well-placed superstition can be just as effective as a timed spell.  Think about a day that is very important, like going on a long trip.  Rather than add to your to-do list before you leave, just work in a few superstitions.  Plan your trip around unlucky days and try to leave on a Monday.  Start well by making your bed first thing in the morning to ensure luck all day long.  Before heading out the door, tuck a potato in your bag to ward off motion sickness and put a pinch of salt in your pocket so you won't pine for home.  Any combination of these--and many, many more--can substitute for more formal spellwork.

The kinds of things that happen randomly can be good to remember as sources of magical

thought.  What springs to mind is how you can benefit from a momentary stumble: after you stub your toe, walk backward over that spot, turn around, and kiss your thumb and you will be visited by the one you most want to see.   This can be an opportunity to enjoy some assistance if you want it, but not to bother if you don't.  

There are specific times over the span of our lives that have a great deal of associations with which you can work as you like: birth, marriage, new home, great journeys, and death.  If any of these events is approaching for you, take stock of the many useful and positive superstitions from which you can choose the one or two which will be of the greatest benefit to you.  

I hear from all sides that superstition is bad.  It's archaic, outdated, and silly and only a fool would follow such a thing.  I beg you please, please stop.

I understand this from the regular folk who don't know any better but it's shocking to me that it shows up in the magical community, a demographic that has had these same claims waged against its own practices and people.  How can we take our cues of what is out of line from people who don't believe that we are even real?

Amazingly, occultists swap quotes like the one from Terry Pratchett: "Witches aren't superstitious. We are what people are superstitious of."  This seems to make good sense (especially because there are a noticeable amount of methods for the regular folk to protect themselves from our work), but it completely devalues a worthy form of magical thinking among those who should understand.  

Spells can be classified by their complexity.  Most superstitions would be considered as

Superstition also overlaps, at times, with ritual.  A ritual is strictly defined as any practice with is regularly performed in the same manner or sequence.   Superstitions often entreat us to take advantage of fortuitous moments by doing or saying prescribed things at the right time.  Is wishing on a star a sort of ritual action?  How about the old practice of bringing a loaf of bread and box of salt into a new home to ensure prosperity?

Frankly, it's only the tradition of modern folk looking down on older beliefs that keeps

Sabotaging your own magic has become as commonni the magical community as a pentacle tattoo.  Most spells that fail are ruined before they're even truly cast.  I see these patterns played out again and again--and each time to a most baffled caster--not multiple step processes.  But to follow through with them is definitely a challenge to many casters who have found that playing at witchcraft is fun as long as no one expects results.

though their remedies are surprisingly easy.  Well, when I say easy I mean that they are

So here's the simple/hard work I'm talking about:

Can you do this?  If not, enjoy your online coven's sympathy about your painfully low success rate.  For the rest of us, let's press on.

We'll start with perspective.  What you say about your magic, how you describe yourself and your practice, and how you explain your ups and downs can have a huge impact on how things actually turn out.  After all, words are the outward expression of thoughts and our thoughts are the stuff of our reality.  By using your thoughts and words in disparaging ways, you keep your mind set on lack and luck--two things that should never factor into your witchcraft.  Here's some of the worst saboteurs:

Say that spells are prayers

Sure, this sounds like a thing.  When you say it ou can instantly get folks of other religions on board with what you do.  Prayer is also a semi-logical part of many people's lives, whereas spells are not, so linking the two together makes things seem comfortable and normal.

But the truth is that magic is not normal.  It's not supposed to be.  It was always special.  It was always the work done by those in the know and the rest of the people went to them for it.  I do believe and often say that magic can be done by anyone but only will be done by a few.  That's because it takes something extra to pull off, something that not everyone is capable of giving everyday, every time.  Prayer, though, is simple and often impromptu in scary situations, sometimes even by non-religious people.  It takes very little--just a wish and someone to ask.

Even so, spells would still not be prayers.  To pray is to ask for help from an outside source--a deity, spirit, or ancestor.  To cast a spell is to ask no one.  You assemble powerful things and use powerful words; you make it happen.  If things go wrong, you--and no one else--messed it up.

To say spells are prayers is not only saying that you have to ask permission, it's also explaining away failure as an over-ride by the greater being to whom the request was made.  On both ends you have given up on your ability to solve your own problems and accept what happens as a result.

Sadly, too, this makes the work of others seem less.  Nothing is ever our doing, our success, or our responsibility.  Don't you dare speak for me and what makes my magic work!  I know it's all the labor of my own mind and my own back.

Tack on a Bunch of Riders at the End of Every Spell

Now we're into actions that work against you.  I'm talking about the modern practice of finishing every spell casting by adding stuff like "May the moon and stars be right for this working" and "for the good of all, with harm to none."  This may seem like harmless pieces of instruction to guide a spell into doing what you want, but they're tearing down your work nonetheless.

First, the wording itself makes it seem as though without the inclusion of these statements, that the opposite would happen--the astrological signs could easily be so wrong as to ruin your spell, the wickedness you haplessly wrought could bring harm to those around you.  Is this really what you think of your work?  Are you this careless about your magic that you must have a safety net at all times?  I should hope not.

If you time your spells according to their purpose, why would you worry about improper alignments?  Timing is a tool we use to increase the value of our work; it is not the make or break of a spell, but a useful enhancement.  Time by anything and everything you can--the moon phase and sign, day and night, day of the week, rising of an important star, or even the direction of the winds.  This can only help your magic if you do it with understanding of its influences.  To go against these alignments will make your job harder, but it can still be done.  Know with certainty what you're working under but don't sweat it.

And the notion that you might accidentally ruin someone's life with your spell seems wholly ridiculous to me.  You see, I'm a witch who has actually worked at ruining an enemy or two and it's damn difficult.  It can be done but you have to really mean it.  Are you expecting to be the magical equivalent of the Incredible Hulk, tearing through everything in his path like tissue paper?  Unlikely.  So give it a rest; you don't need to protect the world from you.

Second, this kind of makes it seem as though you don't really try to make your spell right the first time.  Don't rely in a rider to make sure you have timed your spell--time it properly yourself before you even begin.  If you don't then you must prepare for what comes of it, not simply add a P.S. to your work and call it a day.

And last, I can't help but notice that this part of the spell comes long after the important stuff--raising and directing power.  So basically you're making a phone call, telling the person on the line what you want them to hear, hanging up, and then whispering  at the receiver "Nothing bad will come of me calling this person, right?"  How effective is that going to be?  If you want to make sure the spell goes well, focus that intent while casting the spell, not after.  

Give Others Power Over You, Sight Unseen

And now we turn out of the pasture some sacred calves that I'm sick of hearing bawl.  You know the stuff: 

• Those who don't believe in magic can't be affected
• The Universe can override any magic that is wrong
• Strong-willed people can't have spells cast on them

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