A Proper, Powerful Witch Is...

Author: Quill / Labels: , , ,

Hot on the heels of my last statement that I don't care one jot for what others call essential for being a "true witch," I will now give you my own thoughts.  Of course, I don't endeavor at all to separate genuine from imitation; rather, I care only about the well-adjusted, the progressive, the productive, and the potent.  Those are the witches I want to describe and that's the witch I endeavor to be.


Each of us will naturally have our own ideas as to what really should be included in this list.  I entreat you to bring out pen and paper right away and come up with your own.  Feel free to share it here or any other place you like.  Post it in your workspace, copy it into your BoS, discuss it with your coven mates, ask friends and family for a (gently) honest evaluation of yourself based on the guidelines you have set.  Work with my list or your own in whatever creative way feels best.  

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

Creativity is never work.  Sure, it requires a lot of work, but the creative spark itself is free-
flowing and endless.  It is your well spring and you will never run dry.  With it you can quench the thirst of yourself and all around you as you use it to solve problems and end suffering.  You can use it to drown the evil or wash the innocent.  It can bring barren earth to life and rot the over-blown.  It's all yours.

We need to think about creativity this way and not in the sense of silly craft kits and cross stitch.  Engage your whole self in the act of creation as you work a spell and you will see it come alive.  Anything you do to make something out of nothing can be a creative act, a magical act.  Make your magical life especially, but also your mundane life, beautiful and expressive.  Give it everything you have and then give it a little more.  

Honest

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.

Record-keeping is important, especially in the beginning when there is so much information coming at you.  After a while, however, the main things you'll want to record are the major life events and inspirations as well as the more important spells you cast.  For myself, if I were to record every little work of magic I perform, I'd have run through several volumes just talking about the charms I recite and the sigils I draw for the small stuff in life like protection during long periods of travel or keeping visitors from my house on my day off. 

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.


Images from:
ladylionhart.deviantart.com/art
leicestergalleries.com/19th-20th-century-paintings
minimalisti.com/halloween

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The Upside of Being a Superstitious Witch pt.2

Author: Quill / Labels: , ,




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.

Superstition Uses Tried Methods

 As a spellcaster, I'm always hoping to find spells that have been used before, that have proven themselves.  I know it's popular now to write a brand new spell every time (read my thoughts on this silly notion here) but what I really want is to know that the spell I'm working will do exactly what it's supposed to do--and the first time.  Wouldn't that be lovely?

Superstition has the benefit of being passed down over many generations.  Each one of the people holding these ideas as true has added a bit more power to the thought.  That power has created a well from which you may dip any time you like.  You may even discover superstitions that are unique to your family.  Not only did these beliefs persist through time, they were specifically cultivated by your bloodline, adding yet another reason for it to retain potency.  Any time an idea is shared, cherished, and followed by a mass of people, it gains power.  Like the ancient spellbook a fortunate fairytale heroine finds in a dusty trunk, we can feel the respect of ages emanating from such ideas and recognize it as potent.


Superstition Uses Universal Concepts

 Maybe we no longer view black cats as bad luck (and, indeed, there are some good luck superstitions about them) but a great many folk beliefs call up items, colors, and symbols that we still associate with everyday concepts such as happiness, family unity, and wealth. For example, it's easy to see why bread and salt predict and represent our home life and its success.  Likewise, we have a shared idea that such quickly recognized misfortunes like burning food or breaking things bring bad luck.

Because these concepts are generally understood, they're a good way for newcomers to conceive of and begin to work simple spells.  Which leads to...


Superstition Can Aid Your Spells

 Any pre-written spell can benefit from adding correlating folklore.  Think of it as another form of association.  There's no limit to the ways in which we can dress up even the simplest spells and yet not fundamentally change them--including colors for things like altar cloths and candles; scent in things like fresh flowers/herbs or incenses and oils; or words like spoken charms or affirmations.   Superstition can work the same way.

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.


Also consider the other ways you can work superstitions into your magical goals, such as arranging it with a friend who needs fast money that you re-enact folklore which will bring new money to them--Have them drop a small amount of money, as though by accident, then pick up that money and put it back in their hand, thereby granting them money luck.


Superstition Can Be Used to Predict the Success of Spellwork

 So we talked all about how superstitions and omens are so closely related that they could pass for twins.  Well, now it's time to cast The Parent Trap--trade your usual spell omens (like shapes in the candle wax) for superstitions that relate to the goal of your spell.

For example, money will soon be coming to you if you discover that a spider has built a web in the corner of your doorway.  So instead of watching incense ash or patterns on your burnt spell papers, keep an eye out for a web.  You may wish to cap off your spellwork by declaring to your familiar/spirits/deities that this is the sign you prefer they send to show you the success of your work.   Not only will this give you something definite to watch for, it will also help you to become more observant, as well as better connected to the beings with whom you work magic.


Superstition Keeps You in Touch with Magical Thinking

 In our day to day life, we can easily slide away from our understanding of ourselves as magical, powerful beings who are capable of changing our own reality.  Even just saying that seems preposterous on some days.  Who hasn't woke up to a 24 hour disaster--the car has a flat, in trouble at work, burst water pipe at home, a fight with a friend--and feel nothing like the mental-muscle flexing occultist we were in the circle the night before?  At that point, we're just surviving, just getting through the emergency to-do list and hoping for a better day tomorrow.  The connecting road between the mundane and the magical is obscured with too many weeds and garbage to be something we think to use.

However, even very small things that we do every day can keep that passageway available
to us and at the forefront of our minds as we enter troubled times.  Think of the many common actions that can be enhanced by adding superstition.  Cooking is a natural choice; try to think positive, aspirational thoughts as you cook, stirring clockwise.  Likewise, after you're done sweeping the floor, stand the broom with the bristles up for luck.

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.  


An occultist who is superstitious has an even greater body of work from which to draw.  The adoption (or perhaps resurgence) of superstition is nothing more than cherishing, maintaining, and promoting of folk beliefs of an earlier time.  The same way we investigate and preserve their spells and recipes, we should preserve their lore.  They are our ancestors and their beliefs and practices are our heritage.  Superstition eases and enriches our magical lives the same way that magic does for our mundane lives.  We should not turn away from this but run to it, open armed and joyful, embracing what it means to uphold folklore while also being a part of it.

May great good fortune come to you!



Sourcebook:
"Superstitions: 10,000 You Really Need" by William Carroll      


Images from:
wikipedia.com
inyourpocket.com
nydailynews.com
(President Obama's lucky charms)    
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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The Upside of Being a Superstitious Witch pt.1

Author: Quill / Labels: ,

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.  

 No, I will not shun the superstition.  Instead I will honor it, acclaim it, and share that love and lore liberally.  I seek to reinstate the beauty, charm, and humility of the superstition amongst we magic users.
The Many Ways to Approach Superstition

 Let's talk for a moment about all the things that are acceptable in the magical community and how they blend with superstition.  
Omens

 First, there's omens.  Many sayings are predictions or expectations based on chance events and actions.  A guest will soon arrive if you drop a piece of silverware, a standing broom falls over, or a bee flies in the front door. Are these things omens or superstitions?

 Omens are considered prophetic, often denoting a higher connection with some hidden wisdom or communication from the Gods.  Why can't a superstition be such a communication?  It would appear that there are few possible divisions between the two.  One of them is that superstition nearly always deals with very practical, everyday events.  So you're going to have company--do the Gods care?  Maybe, but most likely not.  

 The only other difference is how these bits of wisdom are phrased.  In one of my favorite books, "Harvest Home" by Thomas Tryon, a gust of wind whistles down the chimney suddenly during a gathering of elderly ladies.  They all take note of the event, one saying "An omen, to be sure" and another adding, "Yes, but of what kind?"    So perhaps the more mysterious the exact meaning of the event, the more likely it is to be an omen?  It's certainly true that superstition has very little ambiguity.  The least amount of clarity that it offers is found in the list of that which is good or bad luck, never specifiying how that might manifest.

 Spells

 How about when they connect with magic spells?  A spell is the performance of actions and/or words to create effects which have no physical correlation with their source.  Some superstitions are perfect examples of magical thinking when taken this way.  For example, one belief that I follow closely is that whatever you do on New Year's day you will do all that year.  Because of this, I plan that day to contain a little bit of everything I love most and I do my best to avoid arguments and other things I don't want cluttering up my life.  This is my spell for the whole year binging me peace, love, prosperity, and productivity.  
Spells can be classified by their complexity.  Most superstitions would be considered as

only very simple spells, but they all take advantage of generations of firm belief--something that newly written spells can't have.  Perhaps it is that knowledge that its performance is the continuation of untold years that keeps the magic power in a superstition.


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?

 Here's where we get into the problem that most folks seem to have with superstition.  It's at this point that we see methods for averting the bad luck found in certain places or events.  To constantly be on guard against bad luck, to feel the need to do the right thing at the right time to ward it off properly, as well as the fear that one might forget and accidentally invite ill fortune are all things that the "rational" modern mind sees as the damaging effect of superstition.

 Now, let me be clear that a person who is anxiety-filled will not find much solace in superstition because they are the ones most likely to flip out over a missed opportunity to remove evil.  The rest of us will be absolutely fine.  I throw spilled salt over my shoulder, I avoid sweeping dust out my front door, and I never pass a person a sharp item by hand.  But if any of these things should happen be the opposite on one occasion out of a million, I'm not going to assume the world will fall apart.  Instead I will see it for what it is: a chance not taken to reinforce the positive aspects of my life.  Next time I will take that chance.

 What It Really Means to Be Superstitious

 Scientific studies prove that belief in lucky tokens and actions actually increases the abilities of athletes and that the same things can help anyone achieve their goals.  This comes as a result of trying to get to the core of why athletes are especially superstitious as a whole, often noted for wearing their jerseys a certain way for luck or not changing a routine until a wining streak ends.  Fans of those athletes are only slightly less superstitious, going to great lengths to bless their favorite teams and rally behind their mascots.  It has meant a lot to the superstitious--and all of the above mentioned people especially--that there is proven science behind the belief.  Superstition works.  So what's the problem with it that it is still so discouraged?
Frankly, it's only the tradition of modern folk looking down on older beliefs that keeps

superstition a topic of ridicule.  The "enlightened" person who knows only what they see, believes only what they were taught as a child, and lives in a world of absolutes will always tell others what is and isn't possible.  They know best and the rest of us should sit up and listen.  Because so few magical practitioners are born into the belief, we too start out this way.  It can be extremely challenging to shed the prejudice that surrounded you in early life, and many never manage it completely.  It would seem that the distaste for superstition is above average for prejudices to hold onto, despite having walked away from most others of the mundane society.  


 So does it make one more of a rational caster to turn up one's nose at folk belief?  Perhaps that is the thinking.  After all, there are many practitioners who like to define themselves by what they shun:  "Yes, I'm a witch, but it's not like the movies!  I do real magic, not just wave a wand and fling fireballs."  

 Does it make one more of a powerful caster?  This, too, could be the rationale.  Some do make specific rules about sources "real" power or how to spot a "true witch": "No real witch would sell her spells--magic is sacred!" or "Real witches don't cast curses; anybody who does isn't one of us."  So could it be that some think that following superstition is weakening their position as the genuine article?  Is it so expected by outsiders that we be superstitious that we tell one another not to be?

 As a superstitious witch (as well as one who curses and has, on occasion, used fictional magic as inspiration), I do not feel beholden to any of these attitudes.  I know what works for me and that's all I need.  Rationale is not important to me.  What others consider powerful and proper is not important to me.  To be superstitious is to do what you feel works without worrying about public opinion or modern social expectations, and even literal causality.  Is this not what occultists are already doing?

 Images from:
blogs.fit.edu/blog/campus/psychology
swide.com/art-culture/italian-traditions
superstitionsonline.com

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Quick Link: Weaving Music in Your Magic

Author: Quill / Labels:



Using Music in Magic


Music is an often overlooked component in magical spells and rites.  Classical and New Age have become the standard--if, indeed, they are used at all--but we have something else at our disposal, as well.  Now that the magical community has matured a bit, we have a great many Pagan and occult performers that are creating music specifically catered to these needs.   This kind of music knows what a practitioner wants to hear and speaks in the words and tones that benefit not only the efficacy of our spells but the very boldness of our spirits.

This little article delves into the idea and expresses the many opportunities we all have for integrating such music (herein described as "Wiccan music", though, in fact, it belongs to and is utilized by all of the magical community regardless of tradition) into our work and our lives.  Have a listen.

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How to Sabotage Yourself

Author: Quill / Labels: , ,

Prepare yourself for some painful truths.  I'm in the mood to lay it all out for you and I won't spare the hot sauce.

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:


  • Minimal changes in perspective 
  • Deliberate and confident actions
  • Discard some golden calves

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

What blather!  You're doing yourself a great disservice if you repeat this stuff, let alone believe it.  To list all the ways that magic won't happen is doing you no good whatsoever.  Not only do you need to focus on what will work, you also should never impose such limits on yourself.  

You won't really know if a person who doesn't believe in magic can feel the effects of a spell until you try.  I have, and yes, they felt it.  Some didn't know I was casting a spell, some did, but each saw its outcome.  

Same goes for strong-willed folks.  It might be a little harder and you might have to be a little more sneaky, but who cares?  That only improves your resourcefulness for next time.  You should always be willing to stretch your abilities and see what you can accomplish.  Don't put yourself in a box.

The Universe thing, well that's a tough one.  To me, folks who say things like this are secretly just hoping that no one can ever do bad things to them--or their loved ones--with spells.  "The Universe (or whoever) simply won't allow it!"  Don't figure, either, that just being a good person will protect you from ever getting hurt by someone else's magic.  You could piss off the wrong person on the wrong day and feel the brunt of it with a quickness.  Instead of hoping on the greater forces keeping you safe, do it yourself!  There is no shortage of protection spells, talismans, and charms in the world for you to enlist to keep harmful magic away from you.  And if you think it might have happened already, there's lots of ways to take off a curse, as well.

To my mind, the worst of all these habits is that they give the caster an easy out if
their spell fails.  "It just wasn't meant to be", "I guess the Gods didn't want that to happen", "My target suspected I was casting on him and he shut it down."  No--you just failed.  But that's okay--trying means screwing up sometimes.  It's not about getting it right, it's about never quitting.  So don't give yourself convenient explanations that wash away a mistake.  Accept it, learn from it, and then try again.  

And the same goes for all the other saboteurs here.  Drop them--drop them today--and you will have a chance to come back again stronger, wiser, more humble yet more secure in your knowledge that you can make this happen.  It's all you; own that power!  Now get out there and make something magical happen! 


Images from:
dailykos.com
healthylifeexperiment.com



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Quick Link: Witches of Comic Books

Author: Quill / Labels:



Top 10 Comic Book Witches


As you may know, I am currently wearing many hats (in addition to shop owner and professional witch), and one of them is that of a comic book artist.  The strange beauty that is the comic community of art, writing, philosophy, and debate has taken over a good portion of my curiosity.  Have no fear, however--nothing will ever top my adoration for magic!  And so I have chosen to fuse the two of them together for you this Quick Link Monday and present to you one author's picks for the best comic book witches of all time.
What do you think of his lineup?


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How to Devolop Your Own Magical Style

Author: Quill /

Let's get one thing clear--style is important.  There is nothing that will decide your success or failure so expertly as the legnths to which you go to reveal, understand, and utilize your own style.

It will be based on what you feel is most powerful so there's no way to nab it from others or to go by textbook specifications.  Of course, that doesn't mean you should just throw out all the pre-fab information and run on instinct.  Far from it--simply learn to be choosy in the right ways and you will cultivate a personal world that contains the greatest power possible and creates the greatest effects.

Your style is like a seal which  you stamp down upon everything you touch.  Your spells will
contain that bit of you, the look and feel of your work that no one else can give.  What is more, this kind of mark can even be put upon pre-written spells (recently become the bane of many free-wheeling witches).  You can make magic like your grandmother's cookie recipe: a wonder in the right hands but drained of all flavor in any other.  It doesn't matter if you created that recipe yourself, had it handed down through generations, or found it on a website this morning; it can be yours in a particular and powerful way.  Let's dig in to find out how.


1.  Know Your Strengths

 Learn everything you can.  Don't let the details slow you down from grasping at knowledge. This is the first essential step.  You can't actually discover your talents until you dabble in a bit of everything.  So dabble away!  Cast every kind of spell you encounter (note that I don't intend you to cast every spell, simply taste the variety of spell components and styles available to the modern practitioner).  Once you have a real body of information built up and start to work with it, you will see what you're good at.  This is incredibly important information.  Keep track of this.

In my own practice, I have seen that some of the simplest items work better for me than the expected ones.  I chant and recite charms, work various knots, and create sigils or draw old ones to use again.  I don't care for the standard candle spells and rarely use stones.  My preferences have become the main source of my interest, and therefore, my power.


2.  Know Your Weaknesses

 Just as worthy is the understanding of those spells which always seem to fall short.  There's no shame in this.  I've never met a caster that didn't have a trouble spot.

But that doesn't mean you can run from them forever.  Know now that you won't always be able to outsource your spellwork just because it's tricky.  Instead, learn ways to work around the limitations it puts on you. If you do poorly with money spells, try works that are focused on revealing opportunities of all kinds or unblocking situations.  These little cheats can be a time saver when you're out of your usual zone.

If you're able, also delve into just why you have these problems.  It is helpful for any person to explore the blockages in their life, but essential for the spellcaster to do it.  You may discover prejudices and ghosts of the past that are interfering with how you handle similar situations today.  Simple reasons such as these can keep you locked out of true success in magic.  Once you're able to identify the source of the issue, you can start to eradicate it for your emotional good and the good of your magical practice.

My stumbling block is one that I've only really found difficult within the past few years--love spells.  I rarely take on love spells for clients any more because of this, even though it is one of the most common requests.  I think my main problem with them is how often the asker's desperation gets in the way.  Wanting so badly to control the emotions of others will often come to a unfulfilling end.  If you wish to control others, you must do so from a place of control yourself, and this is rare in cases where a lover runs away or won't give the asker the attention they seek.  Happily, I have no need for love spells in my own life and can easily turn down requests from individuals whom I feel have that unfortunate desperation that will spoil my work.  If I find a request that I feel is worthwhile, perhaps I will take it up.  If I do, though, I think I will have to approach it as a compelling or drawing spell only.

3.  Boost Your Spells

 Here's a place where, sadly, many good casters go wrong.  You don't need to rewrite the whole piece nor replace all the herbs with ones you like better.  We're not reinventing the wheel; we're linking it up to an already functioning chariot.

If you don't know what you can use to give our spells some added oomph, start simply by asking yourself, "What sets the mood for me?"  Draw from every source possible: past experiences, stories of others, movies, books, dreams.  Make a list of the kinds of things you feel are deeply magical acts, objects, colors, images, and words.  Work these up into methods you can use to enhance the setting of any spell.

Maybe your thing is incense and lighting it always sets the perfect tone.  If that's the case, have plenty of incense on hand, of your favorite blend or brand.  Or perhaps you like drumming or chanting to sink into the deep state of mind wherein magic takes place.  Work those into your preparations. These are things you can do to augment--but not alter--the spell you're about to cast.  Your own style should express your influences, preferences, and talents.  It adds, never subtracts.

For example, at 16 I first watched one of my favorite movies, Bell, Book, and Candle and absolutely fell in love with the way Gillian hummed a simple but intriguing little tune to enchant her target.   When I was writing my first manuscript, a spellbook, I decided to include a tune that could be used in a similar way.  Now it is the main tool I use when I give someone a "push," and it works wonders.   Because I've used it many times, because it was inspired by a favorite example of directed will, and because its sound and words are enticing, it feels powerful to me.  That is one piece of magic that I wish to keep close at hand and use to enhance other works if they need a little something extra.


4.  Use the Right Words for You

 We all know the standard phrase "So mote it be."  This is the "Amen" to our work, the cherry on top that locks in our notion of the job being complete.  For many, these are sacred, potent words whose utterance is like breathing their wishes into existence.

And then there's those of us who don't feel that way.  Personally, I've said "so mote it be" so dang many times that it doesn't always pack a punch.  Lots of spellbooks throw it around so liberally that it starts sounding weak.  Many of the newer charms I've read on online spell resources end with it.  It's so prevalent that you can nearly guarantee that any 4 line couplet superimposed over a photo of a witchy-looking beauty in the woods will have a rhyme scheme that ends with the "ee" sound just so that they can write the final line as "so mote it be."

Find your magic words.  History is full of magical phrases that have real import to modern practitioners.  The charms provided to Inquisitors by Isobel Gowdie, the peotically expressed goals of alchemists, descriptions of the hidden worlds by such authors as Agrippa; here you can find many inspiring passages from which you can borrow for your own seals and affirmations.

Remember, too, your favorite literature and other entertainment.  These words and phrases are for your benefit and your ears only.  It's not important that they sound meaningful to anyone else.

When I need a phrase that really means something to me, that gives me the sure knowledge that I am on the right track, I repeat the phrase said years ago when, as I've mentioned here before, I was focusing on a candle flame when a fly that had been annoying me flew straight into it and died.  That was such an affecting moment for me that I will never forget it, and I will never stop feeling that those words have power.

5.  Cultivate Scheduled Magic

 By now you know your life.  You're aware of your cycles and your recurring troubles.  Then it should be no problem to stay ahead of them, plan for them, and deal with the issues they cause before they even have the chance to cause them.  This means having regularly scheduled spellwork.

Whether it be by the day, week, or month, these rites are just as important as the seasonal ones many of us observe.  Decide what you need and how often you need it.  What kinds of spells and ritual actions can give you the proper dose of magic at the proper time to keep your life in balance?

The attitude that spells should only be cast in the most dire of emergencies has led many practitioners to swing wildly between elation and depression.  Planning out your moon cycles (or, as noted, calander cycles) easily combats this issue.  How you do this and with what methods is a stylistic choice that can define the look and feel of your recurring practice.

During the toughest point in my married life--when we faced many challenges, hard work, no money, little help, and all the while raising our two small children--I set a schedule of regular house cleansings and protection on all of us. Once a month I would scrub the front doorstep with salted water to which I'd added the two simplest protection fluids, urine and blood.  I drew sigils and warding phrases in other languages in chalk on the back porch.  I made talismans for our children to wear constantly any time they were away from home.  I fumed the house, chanted, and made offerings.  And we made it through.

I no longer keep these things as regular magic (partly because they've been changed or replaced by other methods but mainly because life is much more consistent and prosperous now) but they were perfect for dealing with the situation we were in at the time.  They gave me an anchor amidst the chaos as well as being a constant working to combat our problems and prevent more from coming.

6.  Reliable Assistance

 The longer I practice witchcraft, the more I realize that it is silly to go it alone.  Classical witches are seen as having spirits and demons in their attendance, as well as mortal students or apprentices.  This is a brilliant idea that can make a witch's life so much easier.  It really is a wonder that more practitioners don't embrace it.

To have assistance that is timely and functional, you need only look at when and where you do most of your work.  What kind of help would be most effective for you?  Do you want a relationship that you can enter into and form close bonds?  Try connecting with deities, ancestors, or incorporeal spirits, or creating a familiar or a fetch.  This can also be a good time to work with physical animals.  There is a difference between a spirit familiar and that of a mortal animal, and both have their own benefits.

If you're not looking for a relationship, try working with the help of talismanic objects, jewelry, or robes.  Putting on an amulet or magical seal before you begin is a simple form of  gaining assistance and also creating the atmosphere needed for magic to happen.  If robes or other clothing are your helpers, really throw all your talents into making them special and sacred.  Colors, fabrics, sewn-on talismans, or sigils and other magical symbols painted or embroidered can raise your spellcasting gear to a new level.

As you know, I have a Fetch who has become a constant help to me.  It's like having a secretary to run errands, dig up information, keep tabs on the progress of spells, and perform tasks I havn't got time to do myself.  What a fantastic help he has been!

I also enjoy a regular use of sigils, often carrying them for long periods of time or tucking them into related objects only to find them weeks or months later with surprise.  Their work makes my work so much easier.



As you can see, developing your style is mostly about introspection and working within the systems you naturally have in place.  Knowing yourself and the kinds of magic with which you're most comfortable and confident is invaluable as you seek your own distinct approach to your practice.  I suggest that if you have a hard time with any of these topics that you take a few weeks to a month to journal and contemplate your thoughts on them before you begin making any changes.  Write down all the questions I have posed here and don't go any further until you can answer them with in depth.

Remember while you're making these adjustments that you're not the first magic user on earth; you can--nay, should--work with the research and time-tested spells of those who have gone before you.  Starting from scratch should only be something you need to do if there is no reliable information available to cover your situation.  Otherwise, you're simply finding ways to perform existing spells with added bumpers of your own inspiration.  Look for the empty spaces in a spell and fill them with more associations such as color, music, words, symbols, formulas, incense, and additional components.

Think about how others would describe you as a practitioner.  What would they notice about your magic?  What about you stands out as individual?  What do you do that is your own, that is apart from your influences and your peers?  Build up the aspects of your practice by which you wish to be known.  Your style is how you will be remembered by coven mates, students, and your children.  Be sure that you are cut a indelible figure from which they can find inspiration long after you are gone.


Images from:
dailymail.co.uk
susamaachar.blogspot.com

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