Spell Working after a spell

It has been a long time since I did a ritual. Ages actually. We would all like to think that all witches do rituals weekly or daily. Not me....I have to be moved to do one. For a while there I was toying with the idea of spell working without actually casting.....using only mental images to generate the energy.

Then I realized that would not help me at all. As an air person, I commit an awful lot of "thinking" and not enough "doing"Got loads of AIR energy, and not enough "EARTH" energies.
I hear the Witchy Teachers....Do the WORK...do the WORK. Its not enough to read about it, think about it, feel about it....you have to actually get off your butt and do it!

If anything balances the energies it is making sure that your daily do's have a balance of the elements. For me...that includes the doing. A million thoughts and ideas race through my head, but not many of them actually get off the ground. My Earthy side is very subdued.

This morning, I shrugged off the mental censors, and created a spell...then did the full monty....ritual bath and everything........I feel so refreshed and energized now.

Do the Work!  Do the Work!  Do the Work!  Do the Work!  Do the Work!

Cannot say that enough!

How to write rituals that work for you.

Keep track of what you
 do and when. It helps also track the
progress of your spell as it  unfolds

People ask me all the time to share my rituals and spells. And I say no…..

Am I selfish?  Not at all….. but why give  people something they would have no use for? Why give a man a fish, when you can teach him to fish?

Rituals and spells are meant to configure the mind to assist in bringing the belief that want you want to happen can be possible. Rituals and spells MUST be catered to the individual for them to work. I know a lot of traditionalists are going to jump down my throat at that one. However, if a ritual (tool of change) has to have a psychological effect on the individual….then who best to create the tool than the person whose mind needs it?

First, you need to know the difference in purpose between a Ritual and a Spell.

A Ritual is to be carried out often at a particular time. The ritual, reinforces an idea everytime you do it, and brings your mind into a particular focus. A morning ritual for example, which focuses on gratitude for the new day, should be repeated every morning. I have a six weeks ritual, which involves cleansing my home (when I had one) and clearing my mind of clutter. I also have a nightly ritual performed with my daughter, which clears the house and her room of the “beasties.”  It is meant to remove any negative energy from the home, and create a protective barrier as we sleep. It also causes her to rest peacefully without fear of “things under the bed.”

So note: RITUAL – Repeat at time set by you!! It reinforces an idea into your brain!!

SPELLS : These usually are created to change the course of something. Like when your job isn’t going right and you want a change….your love life needs to change, your finances need to change…..get it….change. And you are not changing anyone…you are usually changing yourself, your impressions on the matter, your needs…etc…the change is in you. Spells have the effect on your mind that from this point on (the spell point) I shall have no more of this bull…and be done with it! That’s what it tells your mind…or should.

So back to the creation of the spell or ritual, and I shall present this in that famous phrase : To Know, To Dare, To Will, To Keep Silent:

Using whats around
you and knowing how they
communicate with you is important.

TO KNOW:  To create effective rituals and spells that work for you…you must know Magick…..as in have research the methods, types and forms of Magick….. know which method draws you in. Know which method fills your heart with that magicky feeling and makes YOU feel empowered! That’s the one you use…the one that make you feel like the magick is there and you are riding on the wind! Know too….oh curios one…..the ASSOCIATIONS…and then throw them out the window!  After you have learnt all the Associations, pick apart your elements, your planets and look around you for objects, plants and things which you can associate with the elements and planets. The key is to use what you have in your environment to work your magick. Know that the Universe provides all that you need. Everything is right there….we just don’t always realize it. For example… in learning Magick all the herbal associations I learnt about were of plants that grow in temperate countries. There is no way I could find rowan trees, and ash and oak in a rainforest environment. I had to make do with coconut, bougainvillea, bay leaf, hibiscus….you get the drift. So it took some reflection and meditation on my part to see what my mind ASSOCIATED each local plant with…which qualities come to mind? It is a process which I am still working on……I started a blog… but I am kinda slow at blogging them down:http://herbalshadows.blogspot.com/

You have to know what touches which part of our heart. You have to know what draws you. You have to know which tools make you feel magickal…and if they don’t then do away with them. You have to know whether in Magick, your mind responds to visual, auditory, kinesthic, and let’s not forget smell and taste in the experience of the spell or ritual. ( Yes taste…I once created a delightful spell for happy days based on the sunlike image of a delicious fried egg with garlic mushrooms on the side for magicky connections with the earth!)

To know takes a lot of learning and research. It is worth it, even if it means one topic at a time learnt well. You have all your life to know yourself and what you respond to…and the fun is in the process/journey…not in the destination.

The gods are not laughing.
Think of them as personifications
of raw energies.
 I sometimes make up my own
enlisting the energies I need!

TO DARE: “What if I do a spell wrong? What if I do a ritual wrong?

If those thoughts are in your mind then don’t do any spell or ritual. Someone, has previously planted a seed in your mind. One that says that Magick is playing with things you know nothing about……..have they? Then you need to do some extra work on your belief that Magick is wrong/ evil/trouble/ can create trouble.

“To Dare” speaks to our confidence. Our confidence in ourselves. Our confidence in our knowledge. Our confidence in our beliefs. As I read somewhere : There is no god looking down at you laughing at your attempts to create the perfect ritual. There is no demon waiting for you to draw a symbol wrong so that he can jump in and wreak havoc on your life. Get those thoughts out of your head! Get that programming out of your mind! As a matter of fact…..just learn a good banishing spell and banish those thoughts from your brain for a few years before you attempt a spell again. If negative thoughts are in your head about something…it will never work for you as a psychological tool of change. If you have doubts about a chant, a herb, a colour our a candle or gem…don’t use it. Doubts and fears are destroyers of the work you do……when in doubt, don’t. Just wait a while and the solution may pop into your head.

TO WILL: Do you want the thing you are creating the ritual for? Have you thought it over…mulled through its implications on your life? Have you given thought to the effect it shall have on you and others around you? (Look up “And it harm none, so mote it be) After reflecting on the end result you want and what it may take to get there do you still Will it to happen? Are you absolutely wanting it so bad still that you can taste it and feel the happiness down to your toes at the thought of it taking place and all around you is sunshine and flowers.. J (being silly here of course)

Then by all means proceed….and hold that feeling in your heart as you do the spell/ ritual and use its energy to drive the power of the spell or ritual. WILL it strongly…even if it is only for two minutes……spells and rituals do not have to be long and elaborate. But they do HAVE to have the power of your concentrated emotion behind it. (Please be careful of spells done in anger…please always phrase you spell/ritual to make changes in you and no one else.)

TO BE SILENT : When you have done a spell or ritual…be done with it, and thank the Universe and the ALL Creative for granting you our request! And shut up about it. Telling someone what you have done is opening your mind to their opinions, which may have a negative effect on your mind. “Why did you use Avocado?” says the whiny voice, “Banana would have been more appropriate!” and so enters the seeds of doubt into your brain and pffffht! There goes the mental will behind your spell, the force that drives it to work. Your belief has been shattered, the spell has been shattered. (Picture the silver Magick forces who were going along just fine till you told. Now picture “doubt” like the miserable idiot that it is just running in and shattering the magicky silvery energy and all the tendrils of magick falling to the ground and going nowhere further.. See what telling does?) NEVER TELL!

Clearly you created the spell for your mind. Any other person has had different life experiences, and hence will be affected by different associations and methods……duh…. This is your mind…not theirs!

Note the format for these things . Have them in sections:

1)      Cleansing the space and yourself

2)      Opening announcing the spells intention

3)      The play : The part where you do the core thingy that makes the spell/ritual workable using the associations.

4)      The Thank you for granting what the spell/ritual was for

5)      The clean up in reverence and gratitude.

And it does not have to be elaborate. One of my best banishing/ clearing spells involves writing all the things I wish to get rid of on black paper with a silvery pen.  At the dark of the moon I burn them one by one in the flame of a black candle, and speak words telling them to begone and never return! It works for me….. very effective.

Another time, I had an issue which was causing some anxiety. I eventually ended up transforming the issue into an issue beastie by drawing it on paper. I worked to make the beastie as close as possible to what I felt….and then I burnt up the paper with the beastie in it!!! … Ahhhh…that felt better.

Don't worry, these are cast off
fairy wings! (Dried Hibiscus Petals)

Try as best as possible too to not even think about the spell…..if it pops into your head, automatically thank the gods and goddesses for granting it.

The point about this whole post is that the research into yourself, and creation of your own spells is the REAL thing that gets the Magick flowing. It’s not in performing the right ritual or chanting words you do not understand. It is in creating something that touched the core of your subconscious, and blasts away the negative thoughts that say the thing you want is not possible.

It’s the best work you can do for yourself……and they really do work.

Poem- Raising Power

Darkness call the Witches Night

Tomorrow we have in our sight

See the happenings in the day

See the outcome of our plight

Chant the Goddess

In rhyme and song

Call the elements

You'll be strong

Air, and earth and water and fire

To our Spirit we do aspire

I, the Witch do call this hour

Goddess invoked give me your power.

- Celtic Crystal - 20th January 2011

Is Sharing Spells/ Ritual effective?- Part Two

In an earlier blog post:http://cocyeabroomstick.blogspot.com/2010/10/is-sharing-spells-ritual-effective-part.html

I began outlining the differences between spells and rituals. I also pointed out that learning styles had a profound effect on determining the elements in the spell/ritual which would be most effective for ourselves. I stopped at that point as I didn’t want the blog post to be too long.

What I have seen, is that people share spells; using someone else’s spell well…..”word for word” without considering if the spell’s associations have any meaning to them.

Spells and rituals, must mean something to the individual…..its no good doing a spell for new beginnings using yellow and purple, when the colours or baby pink or blue always came to mind as your association to the idea of new beginnings.

The inner work must be done before the spell. Sometimes, it is helpful to make notes in preparation for the spell. I usually outline the following points in preparing:

1)      In one sentence, what is the spell’s/ritual’s intent or goal

2)      Is it phrased in a way to “harm none”

3)      What colours do you associate with this goal?

4)      What scents do you associate with this goal?

5)      What actions / shapes etc do you associate with the goal

The process of creating your own spell leads to an inner work that is missed by just borrowing a spell. I remember reading a bit from  Austin Osmand Spare where he pointed out that attempting to teach others his magickal techniques was futile, as the techniques were developed  by his mind, for his mind. 

The same idea is put forward in learning any creative subject. The process of finding the end (painting) is more important than the end (painting) itself. You need to discover for yourself, what makes your mind click, and the only one who can do that is you.

Do the ground work……..you get deeper into your spiritual style by doing so.

Is Sharing Spells/ Ritual effective?- Part One

DEFINITIONS

In the article “When a Spell Becomes a Ritual-Magical Definitions for Pagans and Wiccans,” Elizabeth Yetter, points out the differences between a Ritual and a Spell.

Spells

Modern day Wiccan spells are very much like the spells used centuries ago. There are the spoken words, usually a rhyme that states a desire, and there are usually a few props, such as candles and incense. According to Hill and Williams (1965), “[t]he power of the spell derives from the power of words and incantation” (p. 154). For example, a love spell may require the person searching for true love to light a red candle and chant a simple set of words. After the person performs the spell, she is finished. She will not need to cast the spell again.

Rituals

Rituals, on the other hand, do not rely on the power of incantation alone. Instead, rituals rely on repetition. In the Oxford American Dictionary (1980), ritual is defined as “a procedure regularly followed” (p. 585). By this definition, a simple spell can become a ritual when the same person repeats it for a continuous desired effect. A repetitive procedure can be a group ritual where a coven initiates a new person into their group. The same welcoming ritual will be performed each time a newcomer decides to join the coven. Another form of ritual is casting a circle. Casting a circle is performed each time a practitioner of Wicca performs an act of magic, and is meant to create a magical barrier of protection.

Read more at Suite101: When a Spell Becomes a Ritual: Magical Definitions for Pagans and Wiccans http://www.suite101.com/content/when-a-spell-becomes-a-ritual-a31916#ixzz11IN6AOiK

Another dictionary defines a ritual as:

Ritual- according to the Free Dictionary

a. The prescribed order of a religious ceremony.

b. The body of ceremonies or rites used in a place of worship.

2.

a. The prescribed form of conducting a formal secular ceremony: the ritual of an inauguration.

b. The body of ceremonies used by a fraternal organization.

3. A book of rites or ceremonial forms.

Right, we’ve got the definitions out of the way. Now lets get down to the reasons we seek to perform these spells or rituals.

WHY PERFORM THEM?

Rituals in themselves give us a sense of stability. Performing a ritual over and over again inculcates certain ideas and associations in our minds. We begin to feel comfortable that things are going right.

But why do we need to feel this way? Spiritual practice as a whole connects the individual to the wider existence. Whether we work in a group, or on our own, the intention is the same. We like feeling a part of something larger than ourselves. All spiritual paths create this connection. Where witchcraft is concerned, however, our free-will gives us permission to actively do something to change our situation. Once we decide the direction we wish to go, a spell is usually our first option to introduce the change. For some, ritualizing the change assists with the reinforcing of the idea, and keeps the person on track for a longer period of time. This usually happens with deeper inner work which requires a mental shift in the perception of the practioner, nessecary over a longer period of time. We all know that changing an in-built mind programme is not easy.

In order to create the change that we want, our symbols in our work must connect with our inner core. For us to know the symbols that connect deeply, we need to know ourselves. A good place to start is the symbols/associations that we are drawn to most. It is also extremely helpful to know how we learn. This will be dealt with in the next Blog post.

Does the Spell or Ritual correspond to your inner core?

LEARNING STYLES

Some basic learning styles are visual, auditory, tactile, and I would like to add olfactory and gustatory. This are of course linked to the five senses, and all senses are required to cement the experience of the spell/ritual. Workers in Magick are all tactile. We want to do the work ourselves, not sit passively by and have it done for us. J In my experience developing a practice for myself, I have come to learn that the most effective spells are those where there is a lot of use of colour and scents. I am a very visual person, drawn to colour (being an artist I guess) and smells have a profound effect on my mental state, and can trigger emotions. As for the auditory part, silence is best for me. I can focus best there. (Some people work best with music). I have not explored the gustatory method effectively, and have only done two spells chanelling energies into food I prepared, the idea being that by ingesting the food I was ingesting the energies which would give me the power to achieve my spell’s goal.

Basic guidelines for each of the learning styles would be:

Visual – Knowledge of colour associations, symbols and understanding of emotions caused by images. Crowley’s Liber 777 is still the best reference for this.  http://hermetic.com/crowley/libers/liber058.pdf

Colour Therapy knowledge helps greatly. And techniques can include drawing the goal, crafting the image through collages etc while planning out the colours and symbols which would be used.

Auditory – Key to this is the understanding of the emotions that musical keys evoke in ourselves. Just like there are visual universal symbols, there are universal emotional reactions to the vibrations of the notes. More information on this can be found at: http://www.oldenwilde.org/oldenwilde/members/diu/quadriv.html

And also at http://www.gradfree.com/kevin/some_theory_on_musical_keys.htm

Olfactory- This obviously is where the incense comes in. Knowing the associations for each scent is also key. But also remember that if the scent is offensive to you its best to find an alternative. Liber 777 can also help as well as http://www.alchemy-works.com/planetary_corresp.html

Gustatory- Deals with the effect that taste has on our emotions. This is addressed in Magickal Cooking. The most comprehensive look at this aspect I have seen has been in the WITCHSCHOOL’s course on Magical cooking. But to culminate a spell with “cakes and ale” associated with your goal has to be exciting to anyone! Of course a knowledge of herbs and their associations help as well.

Herbs for health: http://www.moonsmusings.com/pagan/kitchen.html

General herbal associations: http://www.angelfire.com/ny4/sylverspage/herbs.html

Additional resources: http://www.ecauldron.net/bookherbals.php




The next part of this topic will explore how we can understand our touch stones and open discussion on creating our own rituals.

            

Dark Moon Banishing Spell

Several issues came up which had me in a mental magickal analysis recently. A conbination of unwarrented fears, and headaches, and gossipy stories by former co-workers led me to take a quiet moment to do some inner work.

Having gone through a period of unexplainable "dumbness"...I mean three weeks of feeling utterly stupid...brain fog, lack of clarity, and just....well, unable to rouse my connection with the Goddess for reading, and creating.....awfull.
Some gossips in the office let out that two former co-workers had assumed that because I was a witch, I had cast a hex on them. Taking steps to protect themselves they went to a local "obeah man" to "wuk a zeppy" on me to protect themselves.

Well......of all the stupid.....anyway......I have far better things to do with magcik than to use it against someone. I would rather, in any competitive station, do the spell to boost my performance-psych up my mind- to be able to achieve my goals. I don't like interfering with the free will of any being, physical or otherwise. Thats my personal decision. Read into it what you wish.

So.......for cautions sake I decided to wait for the Dark moon to do a banishing spell, which would cover all bases.
9th June 2010 - Moon was in Taurus....so I decided to throw in another anxiety I had about poverty...for good measure.
NOTE: Always phrase you spells in the present. Always make the wording read that it is already so.
Other points: You can burn a black candle to banish negative energies, but burn a white candle after to fill the void. Or do what I do and use a white candle anyway.

So I lit a white candle, and a stick of incense and chanted the spell while circling my hand over the candle flame in a widdershins direction.

Chant:


"Poverty is no longer here
Anxiety now disappears
My mind no longer holds a fear
Dark Moon hears my prayer"


While doing this I also had visualizations of each are of negativity leaving my mind as balls of glowing darkness....they flew off into the night, and I mentally sent a shot of energy to blow them up and diffuse them. A child like creative mind to deal with these silly things really works I have found.

A week later, there is a firey energy within me, work duties are clear as a bell, planning skills are so strong.....my energy is positive.
Must remember to repeat a banishing spell to clear any discord during the dark moon. Just incase any other person jumps to conclusions about me.

Frankincense - 1 Pound Bag

Best Incense for banishing spells.

Spell For Scorpio's Moon

~Magickal Graphics~

Wednesday 28th April will see a full moon in Scorpio at 8:18 am
I am posting spells which use this energy.

Moon in Scorpio. Spells involving secrets, power and psychic growth. It is also a good time to understand what issues need to be let go of, or they will drag you under


On a moon-in Scorpio Night to illuminate a secret bright
Mark a black Candle with the rune-sign Peorth.

Consecrate with Geranuim oil, that black candle for your toil
To bring hidden secrets forth.

Cast your circle good and clean, call the quarters to the scene
See the secret hidden behind a veil.

Allow the candle to burn through, the secret is revealed to you
The spell it will not fail.

Chant in the present that you see the secret’s veil now falling free
And all which is hidden is clear.

And it harm none so mote it be, is used as a precaution’ry
To keep your conscious clear.


This is my own spell. Enjoy and use it wisely. Not all secrets should be known.


Moon Magick Sitehttp://www.moonsmuses.com/moonphases.html

Spell for Scorpio's Moon

~Magickal Graphics~

Sunday 28th February will see a full moon in Scorpio.
I am posting spells which use this energy.

Moon in Scorpio. Spells involving secrets, power and psychic growth


On a moon-in Scorpio Night to illuminate a secret bright
Mark a black Candle with the rune-sign Peorth.

Consecrate with Geranuim oil, that black candle for your toil
To bring hidden secrets forth.

Cast your circle good and clean, call the quarters to the scene
See the secret hidden behind a veil.

Allow the candle to burn through, the secret is revealed to you
The spell it will not fail.

Chant in the present that you see the secret’s veil now falling free
And all which is hidden is clear.

And it harm none so mote it be, is used as a precaution’ry
To keep your conscious clear.

Reflections

The later part of this year was one long spell becoming manifest. I watched while a spell I casted took effect and did not realize the emotional and mental challenge that it would have on me, while I adjusted to this new role.
That's another thing to note. You can cast a spell, or wish, and have it come true.....but you never realise the feelings that have to be processed in order to accomodate this change in your life. Can you inhale some of the bewilderment and grief of letting go of the old? Can you then process that letting go, in time for the new happenings of joy and contentment that are slipping in at the same time? Can you process two completely contrary feelings at the same time? You need to, when a spell is coming to pass.

It has taken six months for the effects of the spell to settle, and at the other end of that doorway, now, I am finally calming down. I used to feel something to the equivalent of being on EMOTIONAL CRACK...... high on a feeling constantly and not always in a good way. Sometimes my mind switched to "happy happy joy joy bunny on cocaine" in order to deal with my low points.

One of the most difficult things to do during the period was to reassert the goal while in the middle of heartbreak. "You wanted something...and this is part of getting that something."

I never suspected for a moment that the outcome was what would happen. But the greater good was always on my mind. The happier more contented me was always the goal. And I am glad for that resolve...I am now in a better place.