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Feb. 22nd, 2009

Energy Work for Spellcasters 101, Part I

Pick up almost any modern book on the occult or visit almost any magic-themed website and you will surely see references to energy work. Many spells use at least a modicum of natural energy manipulation; some are based entirely upon it. The specific terms energy work or energy manipulation might not be used, but other words such as "charge," as in charge an amulet with your intent; "direct," as in direct energy towards your target; "project," as in project a circle of energy around you; and "program," as in program your concentrated energy with your will. These all refer to the body of techniques encompassed by the descriptor "energy work."

 

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Feb. 11th, 2009

Question: What are some good online resources to learn about hoodoo?

Answer:  There are a lot of resources available online from which to learn more about hoodoo. Here are my recommendations, all available to you for free - these are sites i reference every day and can provide a wonderful education all on their own.

Read Hoodoo in Theory and Practice online:
http://www.luckymojo.com/hoodoo.html

The Lucky Mojo Rootwork Hour, Free audio recordings of FANTASTIC radio shows all on the topic of hoodoo, spells, spiritual work, and common problems and situations:
http://hoodoorootwork.blogspot.com/
http://www.luckymojo.com/radioshow.html#webcast

Free Intro to Hoodoo podcast with catherine yronwode as the guest: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/MonaMagick

Join and study these Yahoo groups: Conjure, Rootworkers, and Harry Hyatt (HyattSpells)
Check their book lists too for great suggestions

Blog and Hoodoo for Everyone Message Board from Ninja Cat Spellworker: http://originalninjacat.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Lucky Mojo's forum: http://forum.luckymojo.com/

Karma Zain's Blog: http://karmazain.livejournal.com/

These are my favorite internet resources. 

Also just go out into the world and ask people about their native folk practices and superstitions - what they or their grandparents did for luck and protection, how they could get someone to marry them, how to get pregnant, how to get annoying people to leave them alone, that kind of thing.  If you're lucky enough to live nearby a candle shop, then frequent it.  Buy things, ask for suggestions, and overhear advice being given.  If you don't live by a candle shop, maybe there's a botanica.

Did i miss any other online resources?  Surely there are others.

Feb. 7th, 2009

Magical Recipes Using Common Household Ingredients

And Questions relating to Herb Substitutions

I get emails from time to time from various people who are on a budget inquiring about spell ingredients and spiritual supplies. Some of these questions include the following: Can I substitute this ingredient that I don't have or can't afford? Will the spell work if I leave out the herbs? Can I make this herb blend using just the three herbs I have instead of the five herbs in the spell? I only have enough money to buy a condition oil; can I just skip the herbs or the bath crystals?

These are all really good questions, and I completely sympathize with not having enough money to spend on sometimes-expensive spiritual supplies. So for all of you folks on a budget, I offer several recipes utilizing common household ingredients. Now you can blend your own spell herbs, magical powders, herbal baths, and anointing oils if you so choose. Before I give you the recipes, though, here are some quick answers to those questions I mentioned above.

 

Read on for more information and RECIPES... )

 


Jan. 31st, 2009

Question: Are Love Spells Unethical?

Won't a love spell back-fire?  I heard love spells were cursed magic, best to leave it alone; right?

My answer:

This is a common misperception, perpetuated largely by the modern Neo-Pagan/witchcraft magics.  In any event, i think this conversations brings up some interesting points about magic:

1) Do spells back-fire, ie. money spells that end up killing a wealthy relative for the inheritance, etc.?

2) When should you use magic and when should you just rely on actions in the physical world, and

3) Love spells and how genuine they are, whether they act against the free will of the target, and other effects that fall under the back-fire category.

Spells back-firing:  This has been talked about before by folks far more articulate than me.   Basically the idea of a spell back-firing is historically inaccurate.  It only exists in Neo-Pagan Witchcraft magics usually couched as the Law of Three.  This also includes an over-simplification of the laws of karma, an Eastern religious dogma, manipulating it to be something instant: I do something bad and then immediately something bad will happen to me, etc.  This takes nothing of reincarnation and working through lifetimes of karma into consideration.  It's a total incomplete revision. 

No other magics - that i'm aware of - have such dogmatic constructs.  Folks have been cursing each other, doing coercive magic, love magic, etc., since the dawn of time.  If there was such a back-lash, folks would have learned their lessons a long time ago and these types of spells would have gone by the wayside.  This topic deserves its own article, and certainly they exist out there online, so i'll leave it be for now. 

Just in sum: no, magic does not back-fire.  If you get negative seemingly-related consequences, you most certainly thought them into being.  The mind is a pretty amazing manifest-er.  In some magical traditions you are counseled to take a spiritual bath after doing heavy work.  Is this to prevent magical back-lash?  No.  It's more of a spiritual confessional, wiping the slate clean, an opportunity for cleansing prayer, and to close the chapter on a not-so-pleasant event.  I like this a lot.

The main points, though, when discussing magical reprecussions are that, yes, you should live by the Golden Rule, people should treat other with compassion and kindness, etc.  But do we really need some sort of dogmatic fear tactics to keep us on the straight and narrow - for example The Law of Three or eternal damnation/salvation?   I know i don't.  Frankly that's part of the reason why many people i know turned away from organized religion to begin with: "I don't need no religious 'laws' to tell me what's right and what's wrong!"

You can search around on any magical forum or message board for like two seconds and you can see for yourself the silly things people are using magic for.  Magic will not solve all your problems.  It will not miracle results while you sit around on your butt watching tv.  If you believe this then you have no business casting spells or paying someone to cast them for you.

Magic should not be a first line of defense.  As it pertains to love magic, or any magic, you should really do the hard work before resorting to a spell.  Improve yourself, go out in public, meet people, dump your crappy ex, move on emotionally, stop attracting the wrong people, stop making stupid choices, etc.  Then use magic to give yourself a boost.

Yes, it's ideal to say don't resort to magic, but i've been involved in counseling people for long enough to know that it isn't always so cut and dry.  There are MANY justified love spell workings, in my opinion. 

The women who's completely dependent on her roving husband.  She has small children, would be financially devastated on her own, has no family or friends to support her, loves the man, and she wants to do magic to keep her generally kindly husband faithful and committed.  Is this wrong, would you tell her to get a life, move on, and develop her own independence?  Sure, that's the ideal, but it'll never happen.  That's not what she wants!  Maybe what's best for the family/the children is that this non-abusive but flirtatious man stays with them.  I withhold my jugement, withhold my higher-than-thou, you-must-take-the-high-road-only, impractical, elitist ideals and just help her with her goals.

Or how about the chronically nerdy 35 year-old man, who's never been with a women, never been kissed, never had a girlfriend?  He's suffering because of his lack in this department.  Yes, he should learn social skills, etc., but in addition to his efforts on the physical, should he not benefit from a magical boost?  I think so.

How about a woman who was damaged emotionally from a bad divorce?  She's done all the counseling, all the spiritual work, the healing, given it time.  She now wants a new love but is a little scared and is looking for some spiritual work to help her iron out her intentions.  Should she not do a love working?  Should i tell her it's unethical?

These are just a few quick scenarios that are not all that uncommon.  Yes, there are a lot of juveniles out there using love magic foolishly, but guess what?  It won't work.  It's as simple as that.

Love spells will not turn the target into a mindless love-zombie

Love spells will not turn a cold fish into Cassanova

That's not how magic works any way.  People give it too much credit.  The true magical heavy-weights typically don't dabble with spells that are not justified.  Your average highschool student who's obsessed with a boy is not going to turn him into her love slave - they're just not that skilled.

Love spells work on the love a person has in their heart to give.  It will not change a person; at most it will just give you their best.  Magic will not put a polish on a rotten, worm-eaten piece of wood.

Can you do harm with magic?  Yes.  Can you influence the will of another?  Yes.  It's just not as dramatic as the movies make it out to be until you're an adept, and most folks using the stuff are not.

Is your love spell going to back-fire and make your target an obsessive stalker?  Only if your guy is a stalker to begin with.  Is your love spell going to turn your target into a mindless love zombie?  Only if the target was a spineless, thoughtless, weak-minded person to begin with.

So you want to do love magic?  Work on your own heart first.  Heal your own love issues, and then see how people flock to you.  Work on your self-confidence - use magic if you wish.  Enhance your personal magnetism.  That should be your first magical line of offense.  Then tinker with love spells.

Just my two cents...

Oct. 21st, 2008

Magic Spell Template to Adapt to Your Needs

Are you considering paying for magical work done on your behalf?  Spells cast by a magical practitioner?  Here's another option that will be just as powerful - if not more powerful - one that empowers you, not the magical professional, and one that will certainly save you money.


Magic does not have to be veiled in secrecy.  It is a power you can tap into yourself, regardless of your experience or inexperience, so that you can effect change in your own life.  All you need is a clear and willing mind.  That sounds easy, but some times we are so upset, enraged, or basically irrational about one situation or another, and in that instance it is enormously helpful to have an unbiased professional step in on your behalf.  If you can't think and plan rationally about your current condition or topic, if the emotions overcome, wait until it subsides, your  mind clears a bit, or seek the help of a competent and caring spiritual/magical worker.  You have a lot to chose from, practitioners who offer their services on eBay.  Read my other guide for more information about chosing an ethical magic worker.


In this guide I'll offer you a basic magic spell outline, one that you can adapt to your specific goals.  This particular spell is easy, but don't let that mislead you.  All you need to magically succeed is well defined intent, a plan of action, and the help of a few natural allies.  Anything more, at least as a beginner, can be overkill.  It could be easier to focus on the "props and dressings" rather than the petition. 


Trained and experienced practitioners have many, many more techniques to chose from at their disposal, but these techniques only come to life and power through their skilled magical midwifery.  No one, I repeat no one, can guarantee you that their super powerful unfailing love spell is going to be any more effective than a simple spell done yourself with an open heart.  I would argue the contrary, actually (and i do offer my services as a spiritual worker on eBay.  I represent the professional magical worker camp, and I still shout from the mountaintop: "Empower yourself!  Do your own magic work!  Cast your own spell if you so desire!  YOU CAN DO IT!!!). 


So here's the step-by-step.  You can adapt this spell to pretty much any need or desire.  Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions.  * Also, if this guide was of any help, or at least entertaining, please consider voting for its helpfulness.  The higher of a score it gets, the earlier it appears on search results and the more people can be helped.  Kind thanks for this consideration.*


STEP ONE:  Take time to logically define your situation.  Write this down on paper.  Make an evening of it - this step is very mundane, i know, no witchy, incense smoke, magic secrets here, but leave it out at your own risk.  You will use the answers to help solidify your magical intent.  I have actually created a questionaire for my clients to this aim.  It asks for answers to the following:  (Note that all the answers in parenthesis are made-up examples for illustrative purposes only.)


1) A simple sentence summarizing the situation  (Let's use the common magical intent of:  "I want my ex-boyfriend to happily and faithfully return to me and leave the home-wrecker he's currently running around with").  This helps to focus you intent and narrow it - we're not talking paragraphs here - what's the core of your issue?  Maybe upon this deep inquiry, you'll come to the heart of the matter - self-esteem and self-worth issues, usually.  You may wish to change your focus and work on this.  Or not.


2) Any relevant and important information about the current situation  (I have children with him, five-year relationship, mistress is an ex from highschool, I don't feel worthy of love, low self-esteem, I feel distanced from a loving God, etc.).  Again this helps to focus in on the issue at hand.  Many people, when contemplating spell work, wish to have one spell address all their life's problems, as in:  Please draw money, a new lover, luck at Bingo, protection from gossipers, help my kid do well at school, let me please maintain my employment, and so on.  This will not be effective magically; one intent per spell, please.


3)  Your perfect desired outcome:  (My boyfriend to return to me loving and faithful.  I will provide a happy, peaceful home for him and our children.  I provide for all his needs as a perfect mate.  We will be married soon.).  Speak like it has already happened.  Keep this positive and in the present tense, not negative like:  That hateful mistress b**tch will get hit by a bus, and my no-good sorry man will come a crawling back to me, where he belongs, tail between his legs. 


4)  A one-sentence statement of intent *a most important part*:  (My boyfriend and I are united in perfect, faithful love.).  You will use this statement of intent as a mantra throughout your spell and in the days/weeks/months to come.  Make sure it is something you deeply identify with and one that has a comfortable flow when you speak it out loud.  Have your statement of intent be in the present tense, and again, have its focus be on the positive.

Here are more examples:

~ The Universe provides enough money to meet my needs, with plenty to share, and I am abundantly provided for.

~ God sends my perfect mate to me in our perfect timing.

~ My mind is open and receptive to learning.  I will get an A on my test.


5)  Now, make a HUGE list of all the things you are going to do in the physical world to help with this work (I will forgive him so that when he returns I will not be a wrathful, hateful, hen-pecking wretch; I will go to a therapist/life coach to work on self-esteem issues; I will stop stalking his mistress on myspace; I will start going to church, get in with a spiritual community; I will get involved in this positive activity; I will learn this which I've always wanted to and which should make me happy; I will get my hair done and pamper myself; I will start exercising and stop eating sugar; I will read self-help books on positive relationship skills, etc., etc.).  Plan to do these right after finishing your spell work.  The magic you did will rub off on these plans and make you mor effective. 

Although magic has performed miracles for folks, it is unlikely you'll have lasting or good results if you make no changes in the physical world - sorry.  Again, don't skip this infomation-gathering step.  You will undoubtably learn something new about your situation.


STEP TWO:  Research the magical correspondences specific to your unique situation.  Fortunately the internet makes this easy.  Google "magical correspondences" or "love (money, success, protection) spell correspondences."  Alternatively, you may come across a spell kit you ressonate with.  Expect to pay over $20 for a good one.  Researching correspondences is important because we are doing natural magic here, thus we need all the help from our magical world as we can get.


Common correspondences include: Auspicious times (for our above situation of return of a lover: morning, Fridays, Venus, Taurus); Symbols (heart, initials, doves, flowers, peace signs); Colors (pink, light blue); Herbs and Natural Items (Balm of Gilead, Violet, Rose, Lodestones); God/desses, Saints, if you so choose (Aphrodite, Hera, The Magdeline, The Holy Family, etc.); Prayers, check out Beliefnet (Peace Prayer of Saint Francis, A Love Song, by Saint Teresa of Avila); Incense (Rose, Sandalwood).

Make a list.  Find correspondences for:  Timing of Spell, Astrological affinities, Symbols, Colors, Herbs/Plants/Roots/Flowers, Minerals, God/desses, Saints, Prayers/Chants/Scripture, Incense


You need all of these, plus any others you come across that ring true, to create your spell.  Consider Tarot images, stones, religious items, etc.  The natural items, the herbs and incense, have natural magic all of their own, so these are especailly important.  Their powers will combine with your intent to work your magic out into the Universe.


Using these researched correspondences make up a game plan  (For our example:  I'm doing my spell for "My boyfriend and I are united in perfect, faithful Love," on Friday morning.  I'm encorporating the symbols of Venus, hearts, and peace signs, coupled with Rose incense, a pair of Lodestones, Rose Quartz, Balm of Gilead Buds, and Spikenard.  I've printed out the Love Song prayer for use, and dug up a Sacred Heart of Jesus and a Holy Family prayer card, and so on).


STEP THREE:  Collect/Purchase your supplies and set up your altar/magical space.  Visit your nearest occult supply, botanica, or an online merchant.  Many internet sellers offer overnight or priority mail.  Waiting on mail-order supplies can be frustrating, but it gives you the opportunity to really nail down your statement of intent and the steps you will take in the physical world.


Buy/Collect: 
1)  A candle of the appropriate color (you can get great glass-encased vigil lights in the Hispanic foods section of many grocery stores) - choose from tapers, glass-encased, votives, or specialty magical figure candles (Bride and Groom, Lovers, etc.)
2)  The herbs and natural items you researched.  Don't buy huge quantities.  An ounce of violet leaves is a pretty large baggie full.  You can also find pre-mixed spell herbs from some vendors.
3)  The incense.  A magical incense specific to your intent - they make incense and other spiritual supplies for just about every magical working under the sun (in our example you'd use Love Come To Me, Reconciliation, Stay With Me).
4)  If the subject of this spell includes another person other than yourself, find a personal item of theirs to include on the altar:  a photo, piece of handwriting, business card, hair, item of clothing.  This link will make your spell exponentially more powerful.


As you collect/purchase the items, set up an altar space for the magical work.  Add important things that are specific to your spell work (Photos of you and your boyfriend, a red piece of fabric as an altar cloth, valentines, religious statuary, a vase of roses, etc.)


You will also need:  A piece of paper, a writing utensil, a candleholder, and incense burner, a pin, matches


STEP FOUR:  Perform the spell.  When you have assembled all your supplies, on the researched day and time, start this spell.  This spell is a combination of petition magic and candle magic, but it is just one example from those rich bodies of magical techniques.  Other practitioners most likely do it differently, and that's okay.


1)  At the predetermined time, your spell's timing, make sure you will be uninterrupted.  Take your phone off the hook, lock your door.  Do something soothing to prepare you for the work.  I'd suggest a prayerful and meditative bath.
Go before you altar, which you have already set up, decorated, and all the required tools are assembled before you.  Hvae some music playing.  Focus your mind, and try your best to clear out all the mundane "monkey mind."  Read prayers, scripture, invocations, chants, to set your mindframe.  If you did your research, you will have a whole body of relevant readings that correspond to your working.  Take as long as you need until you feel "right."


2)  Light the incense.  Say your statement of purpose strongly with emotion (Remember?  "My boyfriend and I are united in perfect, faithful love).  The spell has begun.


3)  Prepare your candle.  This is a highly simplified method.  Feel free to research other magical candle preparation techniques.  Carve your symbols, and if there's enough room, carve a simplified version of your statement of intent.  Rub the candle with the crumbled up herbs, and wave it in the incense smoke while again, firmly speaking your statement of intent with great feeling.  Hold the candle between your two hands while you visualize your perfect desired outcome.  You may also pray.  When it feels "right," set the candle in the holder.


4)  Take your time and write out your petition on the piece of paper like a letter to God/the Universe.  Start it with "Dear God (Mother God/the Universe/whatever)"  Be detailed but positive.  Write this letter as a thank you, as if you have already received your desired intent, speaking in present tense (Dear God, Thank you for reuniting Adam and me.  Our love is a perfect example of your Divine gift, God's Love in action.  Thank you for entering our hearts, and we share this Love with...).  Add as many details as you wish, tying up your situation in a nice little bow, thanking God all the while. 

* Very imortant:  Sign your name to the petition, owning it.  As you sign your name say, "With God as my witness, these truthful words will come into being.  Amen"


5)  Wave the petition paper in the incense smoke while speaking your statement of desired outcome.  Set it on the middle of your altar space.  Sprinkle herbs on it.


6)  Set your candle on the paper and light it.  Again, speak your statement of intent with strong emotion.


7)  Now, read your petition letter out loud with great feeling once or any number of times, whatever feels right.  Vibrate your intention into your bones, out into the Universe.  Visualize as you read; see your words materialize.  You may also ad lib prayers as you are so moved.


8)  Stay in prayer while the candle burns, or a portion of the candle burns.  Stay open to any guidance.  Focus your mind on your desired outcome and/or your statement of intent.  Don't be overcome with your "monkey-mind," worrying and fretting about what's next, how you're doing, doubts, etc.  Your monkey mind does not do magic, doesn't understand magic, and therefore gets in the way!


9)  Repeat part of this process, if you desire, any odd number of days.  You don't have to repeat it if you feel "full" and complete after one time.  Many spells, though, do specify multiple days buring multiple candles.  Follow your own intuition.  If you decide on multiple days, prepare new candles in the same manner, or if you used a 7-Day vigil light, keep it burning without pinching it out and just spend time with it each day reading your petition and praying.


10)  When you are finished working the spell, gather all the remnants, herbs, candlewax, incense ashes, etc.  If this spell was to attract something to you - more money, a lover, blessings - bury the remants outside your front door.  Use a potted plant if you don't have a front yard, or bury them under a tree at your nearest park.  If this spell was to remove a condition - an illness, low self-esteem, scatter the remnants in the wind away from your house or in a moving body of water.  Fold up the petition paper and keep it amongst your sacred items.

11)  Now, keep your mind open to any "movement."  Within three days you should start to see some signs, good or bad.  These signs could appear to be "coincidence" or mundane happenings - they're not.  Watch out for dreams, the people you run into, your feelings and intuitions, words spoken to you and around you.  Within three weeks you should have some concrete manifestations.  You may not totally have everything in your desired outcome, but things should be apparently moving towards that or away from that.  By three months if you have not gotten the results you worked for, it's time for a do-over, or really it's time to re-examine your intent (you know, maybe my man is no-good after all.  He and that b**ch are perfect for each other - may they make themselves miserable!  Let's do a love spell to bring me a new and better guy!).

Remember the list you created of all the mundane steps you were going to take in the physical world?  Do them.  Your magic spell will lend you the extra motivation and success you need.  Again, you can do magic until you're blue in the face, but if you sit around and watch tv and do nothing to help the magic along, you're doing yourself a disservice and severely limiting all the good coming your way.  Get up off the couch!!!


This spell is simple, but effective.  It can really be all you need.  Use it or not, and adapt it as you see fit.  You just might be suprised in the satisfaction and power that comes from doing your own magical work.  It might just open a whole new door for you.

If you are so moved, please vote Yes for its helpfulness, and also check out my other guides.  They might be of interest too.


Use this spell in good health and wellness.  May you allow the floodgates of Good to open, showering you with all the blessings that are your birthright.  Amen.

 

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