Ex Penna

Dealing in weather magic is often a tricky matter.  First, though we know that there really is no such thing as a day without weather, we only really recognize weather systems.  This means that the build up to a rainstorm could go unnoticed and the after effects of hail might seem more important in our minds than the hail storm itself.  These details can make weather magic difficult because we're emphasizing the wrong phases where actual change can be made.

Second, there are a good deal of casters who feel strongly against any work designed to change or postpone weather systems.  Keep in mind that the organization of wind and water work as a constant swirl around the globe; nothing ever actually stops, it only dissipates to other areas or changes path altogether.  You can, and sometimes should, make this happen.  I was part of a group work to protect the East Coast from the category 4 Hurricane Irene in 2011.  By the time we had completed our spells, what was initally feared to be the "worst storm in a lifetime" was being given a progressively lower rating, and when it finally touched land, it had been downgraded to a "Tropical Storm."  Success!  So much was preserved by rerouting that huge system through the use of magic.  I don't regret my hand in it at all.

The charm I offer here, however, is much smaller and more localized.  If you have an event that must be spared from inclement conditions or necessary travel during a threatening season, this little work from Valerie Worth is your ideal spell.

As you well know I am enamored with spoken charms and this is one of my very favorites.

To find power in a spell, first there must be beauty.  To find beauty, you need only be struck by the subject's uniqueness, its ability to radiate a deep well of self-awareness, shining like the refraction of moonlight on the walls of a watery cave.  That sparkle is beauty and the inspiration that stems from its power.

This charm, originating in the Finnish epic Kalevala, has an incredible amount of just such glow.  Though simple in language and lacking in direct imagery, it is a joy to speak, to feel on the lips, to read, to share.  How could such excitement fail to spread when it is used magically?  Remember this the next time you're driving a foggy road or, perhaps, beset with a more creative, metaphorical fog of mind or spirit.

Remember and recite.

To Banish Mists

Here in central Pennsylvania, August is hot and humid.  We're right in the midst of a sticky, sunny summer with few reprieves and fewer rains. 

It can be hard to stand the heat (or worse, work in it!), so here's a little traditional Malayan charm (as recorded in Walter William Skeat's "Malay Magic" of 1900) to cheer you while you're outdoors.

I recently ran across this and was absolutely fascinated!  I hope you are, too.

This charm comes from the impressive "Greek Magic: Ancient, Medieval, and Modern" by John Petropoulos.  While discussing the blending of Grecian, Roman, and Egyptian influences in the antiquity, this spoken piece of magic is shared:

We're more connected now than humanity has ever been, and yet the problem of finding and maintaining deep friendships remains just as difficult.  You might have hundreds or thousands of Facebook friends and Twitter followers yet still have no one with whom you can share your true self--those innermost thoughts, fears, hopes, and dreams that acquaintances never know.  Everyone should have people with whom they can be genuine.  That kind of peace and understanding is what the soul craves.

Though this charm doesn't exactly fit with my usual style of spoken magic, the tone is earnest and the purpose is worthwhile giving it a good spot in any BoS.

This week's Witch Tip is a little devious but a lot of fun!

I offer you this original charm to summon any person you desire to come to you, contact you, or otherwise passionately persue you.  It's a little something from the back of one of my own spellbooks that I would like to share now for the first time anywhere for your pleasure and progress.

This is one of my favorite charms because it has such a boom to it that you can easily work up energy to put behind it.  This charm comes from the classic "The Magic of Chant-o-Matics" by Raymond Buckland and is one of those he gives "to bring pressure to bear on another."  The language used may seem a little obscure to us today, but the effects are clear: exerting your influence on another person.

Influencing others is a staple of magic.  Even if it's in a totally benign way, we still use our powers to change people's thoughts and actions.  Charms are a nice shortcut to this process, especially when the situation is really not big enough to necessitate a full spell.  Try this the next time you want to make your will known to those around you in a big way.  I can attest to its efficacy!

There are many charms so useful that they should be committed to memory immediately so that they may be recalled when needed; this is one of those charms.  A standard for healing burns, this Pow Wow chant is also good for infections, fevers, and inflammation.

As is the case with many of the best charms, the wording is not explicit to the circumstances.  I happen to find chants that say exactly what they mean a little tiresome, but as that have become the modern style, you may wish to focus differently than normal while reciting this one.  Instead of listening to the exact meaning of the phrases, focus on their power.  Think on all the thousands, nay, millions of times it's been used in the past and with what success.  That will fuel your magic in what will most likely be a stressful undertaking.

This week's tip is a bit of quickie magic in the form of a spoken charm.  These are pretty much my favorite kind of spells because they can be used anywhere, anytime, and without a single thing in your hands.  If you can commit a few to memory, prepare to use them a lot.