Witch Crafts: Magic and Spells

Hey! That Garaunteed Magic Spell I Got from That Website Didn't Work!
...The problem is that people treat spells like recipes, and they expect them to work like a recipe. The expectation is that you put a pinch of this and a dash of that into a cauldron, light a candle, say a few words, and poof! Instant gratification!

Spells don't quite work like that..." Read full article here

Consider this: you decide you want to make music.

So you run out and buy some sheet music. You try to read it, but since you don't know how to read music, it doesn't make much sense. The sheet music says you play it on a guitar, so you run out and buy a guitar.

The sheet music says to play a C minor chord. So you grab the guitar and strum it. It sounds horrible. You contiue to try and play this song but every note is sour. At the end of the night, you have not made any music.

So what do you do-- do you declare that music must not exist? That guitars and sheet music are a hunk of baloney?

Of course not.

You have to study and practice, don't you? You have to learn how to read sheet music and intepret musical notes. You have to learn how to hold a guitar, how to play different chords and sounds on that guitar.

Your guitar playing won't sound great just because you're taught to put your fingers on the second and third strings in the third fret and you strum it... you have to actually practice it; get a feel for it, nimble up your fingers and get them used to the movements so you can do them fluidly... effortlessly... then you'll be making music.

This is the problem most people have with magic... they decide they want to give it a try to make some grand thing happen in their lives, and they run out looking for a spell on E-How. That's like a person who doesn't know music going out to get sheet music. It's just not going to do you any good at that point.

You need to learn first. You need to learn what magic really is, and what it's not. You need to understand the philosophies of magic, how to utilize it, and how to apply what you've learned to your practice.

You also need to learn to use your instrument-- in this case, your mind. That's what really makes the magic-- not the spell, but the spellcaster. You need to achieve mental discipline, to focus, to raise and direct energy. Training your mind to do this is like training your fingers play a guitar. This mental discipline is mainly accomplished through meditation. How much you need to discipline your mind depends; some people have better mental discipline naturally, just as some people have more musical talent naturally. For others, it might require more effort and longer and more involved training-- but it is certainly not impossible.

If nothing else, I hope to at least help dispell the myth that waving an object and muttering words are all you need to do. These things are very useful, for focus. For many of us, being able to stay focused is a necessity, and so comes in the ritual and tools. But they don't create magic-- you do. And it's not because you've been blessed with some supernatural power, but because you understand what you're doing and are able to make your mind accomplish it.

Alister Crowley's definition is probably the best short and sweet, and probably most well known, summation. He said magic is:

.............the Science and Art of
..........causing Change to occur
.......... in conformity with Will.

I don't think you can put it in any simpler terms, but of course, magic does not fit well in a nutshell. There are various schools and philosophies of magic and tombs the size of dresser drawers to explore if one wanted to exhaust the subject more fully. In your quest to answer this question, you can comb through metaphysical jargon, alchemical symbols, and mystical theories until your eyes bleed, and there would still be more details waiting to be harped on.

However, for the purposes of this lens, which is directed at the novice, I am just going to focus on some basic concepts about what this ambiguous, and largely misunderstood, thing called magic is. I suppose the best place to start is by exploring what magic is not.

..........................What Magic Isn't


Magic is not a superpower. It is not a gift bestowed on a select few. You don't have to negotiate with demons, spirits, or Gods to get it. It is not supernatural. It's imbued in the universe, always there, ready to use. Like in everything else, some people show more of an aptitude for it than others. You have your Rembrants, you have your doodlers, and you have those who abandoned it in childhood and never bother to try, but everyone can do magic.


Magic is not instant gratification. It does not manifest all of your worldly desires on a silver platter for you in the blink of an eye. In fact, this is why a lot of people go looking to learn magic, and shortly throw in the towel, sometimes saying it doesn't actually work. They were looking for an easy way to get what they want-- instead, they found one of the strictest and most difficult studies and disciplines they'd ever come across.

It's like a person who decides they want to get rich, and so they set out to write the great American novel. 59 pages in, they discover writing is a an effort and a discipline, not the easy road to success.They put it on the back burner, maybe starting and stopping it for years, or they just chuck it, and give up on it. Even if they finish it, though, if their heart wasn't in it, if they didn't feel a passion for what they were creating, it's probably not going to get published, and even less likely to be a success.

If magic is only your latest get-rich-quick scheme (or beauty, or fame, or love, etc.), you're probably not going to get very far in it. Those who are just looking for the fast and easy road to their goals are barking up the wrong tree.


Magic is not a toy. It's not a parlor game. It's not going to help you look cool to the outside world-- in fact, if you're trying to flaut it because you want to be Harry Potter, you'll soon discover it will have the opposite effect. Your ego will prevent you from truly learning it, and you'll end up a poser, and people will recognize this.

........Where Magic Comes From


There is an energies imbued in all things in the universe. It comes from the Higher Power, however you might envision it. Every plant, tree, rock, and living thing-- including humans-- is permeated with this energy. Magic is the act of learning how to manipulate this energy by raising it and directing it towards your goal. We do this by combining our own energy, the energy of our will, borrowing energy from things that are conducive to our needs, and sending it out to manifest our desires.


Part of magic is rooted purely in psychology, and as such the brain is the magicians most important tool. Many things impact the conscious and subconscious mind-- neurolinguistic programming, self-fulfilled prophecies, creative visualizations, colors, sounds, scents, images, tastes, gestures, symbols, myths-- they act as triggers for the mind to help the us gather and raise the necessary energy to work magic. Some of them help to stimulate the subconscious to raise the energy, and some help occupy the conscious mind so the subconscious can do it's work properly. This is why the tools, the rituals, the spells, the chants, and the imagination are so important in working magic-- but without the mind and the will behind them, they are virtually meaningless. This is why mental discipline is essential to magic.

..............How to Work Magic


You first must decide on a goal. This goal must be clear, succinct, and specific. It's best not to make your goal multi-purposed or your energy and focus will be scattered. If necessary, achieve goals in smaller steps. It would take a tremendous amount of energy properly directed for you to go from point A to point Z in one giant step, so much that even the most skilled magicians would find challenging. Think baby steps instead. For example, if your goal is to be rich, that's too general, and quite a leap if you are poor and unemployed. More specifically, it might be that you want a career, in which you advance and are successful, that ultimately provides you with a lot of money. Those are different goals. These goals can be broken down even further. First, deciding on a career. Second, finding a position with a good company. Next, securing the job. After that, to achieve success, there are probably many things you will need to achieve-- you may need to education yourself, you'll need to become very good at your job, you'll need to catch the attention of management, you'll need to be offered promotions and opportunities. Finally, as this leads to higher salaries, you'll need to manage your money well, resist temptation to spend it frivilously, make the proper investments, and avert disasters that might cost you your job or money. So magic will probably not make you rich overnight... however, magic can help you with each step along the way on the road to achieving your goal.


There are various ways to perform magic, but at the heart of it, you have to find some means of raising and directing energy. Indeed some of us do it unintentionally when we want something desperately-- the desire and emotions raise energy and focusing on what we want sends it to that goal.To perform magic consciously, however, most of us will need to engage in ritual. Ritual is a means of shifting the consciousness to a state that is conducive to work magic. In magic, such a ritual is usually referred to as a spell.


After a spell is over, you have to provide magic with a clear channel. Remember, magic is energy-- you've got it in motion, now you must provide a conductor, the more focused the better. For example, casting the spell for that dream job won't do you any good if you sit at home afterward watching Charmed reruns. To provide it a channel, you have to seek out the job, send out resumes, go on interviews. Otherwise, the energy you've worked so hard to raise and direct just scatters and settles randomly, doing little to nothing for you. There is a saying, "magic takes the path of least resistance," and it is true-- you need to provide that clear, unobstructed path.

The spell is a type of ritualized act. Essentially, a method. Everything you are doing in the spell is helping to promote the state of consciousness conducive to magic, to focus on your goal, to raise and direct the energy towards that desired outcome. People seeking those "powerful spells that really work" have to understand that it is they who have to learn to raise The Power; the spell is just a means of doing so.

There are spells created by those with experience in magic that can be very effective, if you know what you're doing with it. The more knowledge and skill you acquire, the better the chances of it being effective. The less knowledge and skill you have, it's like shooting darts in the dark. There's always a chance of hitting the bullseye, but a better chance you'll miss the board entirely.

Remember that, just because a spell is in print, though, or posted on the internet, doesn't mean it is some great masterpiece crafted by a genious.

Rather than seeking out these rare gems that were brilliantly crafted, however, a good practice is to learn to write your own spells. The benefits of writing your own spells are that you can 1) craft them precicely to your need and 2) make all parts of it meaningful to you. The more meaningful the tools, components, chants and visualizations are to you, the better they will do their job in helping you raise energy.

..........................Parts of a Spell


Preparation: Creating a spell, or learning/altering someone else' spell, is actually where the magic begins. This is when you begin raising some energy, and focusing your will. This continues as you collect your components, gather your tools, set up your altar or ritual space, and prepare yourself to perform your spell, which may include light fasting, short-term abstinance, or ritual bathing.


Altering Consciousness: As your ritual begins, achieving ritual consciousness is essential. This takes you out of the mundane, cognitive, rational realms and puts you firmly into the spiritual, creative, emotional realms, where you have greater access to the subconscious mind. It strips away the ego so that you can access your Higher Self. When this occurs, you're "in the zone." If you have a passion-- be it a sport, an art, music, etc.-- and you have ever lost yourself in for a while in doing it, have ever started it and found yourself running by autopilot, on instinct, knowing without thinking, letting everything flow from you-- then you have experienced this already.


Focus: while you will be focused on your goal from the moment of it's inception until it's manifestation, there is a part in spells in which you focus on your goal so much that you actually bring yourself there, mentally, for a while. You experience it mentally, through emotions or visualization or meditation. See yourself having that goal, feel as you would if you had it. These are where some spell components come in-- they act as mind triggers. The colors, the scents, things that you touch or taste or hear should all bring you to a mindstate when you experience having your goal before you have it.


Raising and Directing Energy: With your mind still set on your goal, energy must be raised and directed towards it. This is usually best accomplished by some kind of action: dancing, chanting, even sex. Whatever action you choose, start off slowly, and allow it to build until you feel the very air around you is palpable. At that point, you release it, mentally directing it toward your goal.


Grounding: After a spell, it's very important to bring your focus and consciousness back to the every day world, and to rid yourself of risidual energies. For one thing, you don't want to inadvertantly send out scattered energies as your thoughts come and go after casting. For another thing, they can make you hyper, as if you've had too much caffeine-- make it hard to think, or rest properly. Doing mundane things, such as eating, cleaning up, going for a walk or watching tv, will help you accomplish this. You can also meditate and envision them sinking into the ground.

..........................Considerations


Learn and consider spell casting ethics carefully. Ethics in any culture, religion, or group are always a shakey area. I'm not going to assert that any particular group's or religion's ethics are superior to others, but the fact is that beliefs about what is ethical and what is not ethical in magic vary across the board. It's something to which you should give serious thought. I have my own stances, and that may reflect in my writing sometimes, but I'm not Goddess. You will have to define your own ethical code, and know that no matter what that is, there are people who will disagree with you. In some religions/traditions, spells of revenge or manipulation are considered fair game. In others, casting any spell on anyone that didn't ask for it, even if you think it is for that person's benefit, would be wrong-- and revenge would be absolutely out of the question. Ultimately, however, you will have to live with your choices and your karma, so you shouldn't take your actions lightly.


Aside from ethical debates, it is always best to cast spells on yourself, rather than on other people, or for things in the world in general, to change to meet your will. The practical reason for this is that if you are casting a spell and you are open to a change, you will recieve it better than someone or something that is not open to that change. For example, rather than casting a spell on a prospective employer so that he will hire you, cast the spell on yourself to make yourself more eloquent, more confident, or more charismatic. Likewise, if someone asks for a spell on their behalf, cast it on the asker, not some third party.


When you cast a spell, try to avoid standing there at your altar reading from a paper, going step by step, as if you were following a recipe to bake muffins. While there is nothing wrong with having your spell written there to refer to, it's best to memorize at least part of it, or to be sure of the order and your actions, without having to continually read from a paper. This can repeatedly break your concentration. Making the effort to familiarize yourself with what you'll be doing, or remember your "lines" will help the entire spell flow better.


Don't forget to use your instincts and imagination. While spell work requires knowlege and study, these are only enhanced by your own creativity. Don't force things or go through motions just because someone else told you to do them-- allow what makes sense to you to flow from you naturally. Develop your own style and technique, put your own unique spin on it. When your instincst are speaking to you, that's good-- it means you have tapped into something, some greater sense of subconscious awareness or universal knowledge. Allow it to flow through you. Trust yourself.

There are many ways to sort and classify types of magic. This list is by no means exhaustive, and different types can seemingly overlap sometimes or be combined. As many underlying principles are the same, the difference lies largly in the method. Most spellcasters tend to have favorites that they specialize in, though it's always good to experiment to find what works best for you.

..............................................High Magic

Also known as "Ceremonial" or "Ritualized" magic, it is very formal, elaborate, intricate, exact, and extremely powerful when mastered. It involves things such as symbolism, complex astrology and numerology, and the summoning of otherworldly entities. The purposes of High Magic are aimed towards spiritual growth and higher purposes.

..............................................Low Magic

Also known as "Earth Magic," it can also be aimed at spiritual growth, but generally is more concerned with mundane, every-day life. It can be ritualized, or not ritualized at all, though generally is less ritualized than High Magic. Low magic can take the form of many various methods, some of which I detail more below. While study and practice are also required for Low Magic, it relies more on instinct, spontaneity, and creativity.

The terms "High" and "Low" are not meant to denote that one form is superior or the other inferior. I didn't make up these terms, I'm just informing you of them. I am not trying to put anyone down. I personally practice Low Magic, by my own choice.

In my opinion, being offended by these terms is taking things too personally. Think of one as classical music and the other as jazz. Neither is necessarily better or worse, they are just different styles with different approaches, and everyone has their preference.

..............................................Divination

Divination involves all types of magic in which the goal is to peer into the future and glean some possible answers as to what lies in store. Personally, I do not believe the future is set in stone, so in using divination, I only seeking what could happen if I continue on my current course of action (or non-action). If I don't like the outcome, I change my course. In my opinion, every person studying magic should take up some form of divination. I find it useful when planning a spell to divine what the outcome might be. Occasionally, I find that the outcome is not what I had in mind, which makes me reconsider changing the goal or the approach, or casting the spell at all. While some people can simply have visions during trances or dreams, most find one of the many tools of divination useful, such as Tarot cards, I-Ching, Runes, tea leaf readings, pendulums, or scrying (gazing into something to induce trance).

........................................Sympathetic Magic

Sympathetic magic involves any magic in which one object is used to represent someone, to the extent that the two become "linked." After that, whatever is done to the object, happens to the person. The most common form of sympathetic magic that people are familiar with is the Voodoo doll. Sympathetic magic can be performed with a doll or a poppet, but also with an object that belonged to the person, or even a photograph. While most people associate such magic with hexing thanks to fiction, in reality sympathetic magic could help with achieving any goal- healing, prosperity, love, etc.

........................................Talismanic Magic

Magic involved in the creation of a talisman or amulet-- that is, an object that has been charmed. The purpose is to draw (or repel) specific energies. Talismans are created and then carried or worn. They can be man-made objects, or objects found in nature. It's best to choose an object that is conducive to the goal. For example, to draw love, make a talisman out of rose quartz, spring of rosemary, or a heart neclace-- things that are associated with love.

...........................................Folk Magic

Folk magic is often passed down in families or cultures since before we can trace it's origins, it's so deeply rooted. Folk magic, so named for being magic of the common folk, is one of the least ritualized, most spontaneous forms of magic, usually involving chants, gestures, symbols, or natural items. It is extremely practical and ready to go. Some examples are drawing a hex sign on a doorway to ward evil, a healing chant muttered over a burn, or sprinkling lavender around the bed for a peaceful night's sleep.

.......................................Elemental Magic


Elemental magic is, of course, utilizing the energies of the sacred Elements (Earth, Air, Fire, and Water) in spells, or working with tools and components that symbolize/represent them. It is powerful but can get complex in the many various assocations that need to be learned and considered. Elemental magic takes into account not just the element being used, but the timing, tools, direction, and various other correspondences.

Several other types of magic can technically fall under the elemental magic umbrella because they utilize the energies of specific elements, but these types have risen to become concentrations in themselves: Candle Magic, Herbal Magic, Kitchen Magic, Crystal Magic, Gem Magic, Metal Magic, Musical Magic, Color Magic, Rune Magic, Tarot Magic, Moon Magic and Planetary magic.

Not everyone would consider these Elemental magic, but I do, because of my tradition. In my Wiccan trad, all of these things are strongly associated with one or more of the four elements. Every herb, Tarot card, every Rune, instrument, planet, moon phase, crystal, etc., is connected to one or more elements. Working with them is simply working with one of the elemental correspondences. Feel free to disagree.

..............................................Petition Magic

This type of magic is most closely resembles prayer. Petition magic is when you petition some Higher Power to grant you what you desire. "Ask" is the operative word; not "command." In this, you also should be willing to accept "no" as an answer. This is great for when you're simply not sure if you have a right to manipulate something, but you feel moved to make some kind of appeal.

This is what all the spells, chants, props, tools and ritual is about getting to.

This is what a lot of people who get frustrated and give up are missing, or don't have the patience to work for.

This is where the magic happens.

This is what you need to understand, and to do, if you want to learn to do anything magical.






..........................................Brain Waves

Our brains naturally go in and out of states of consciousness every day, throughout the day. Our state of consciousness is governed by the amount of electrical brain waves (energy!) that our brain is producing. There are four main states of consciousness: BETA, ALPHA, THETA, and DELTA.

The BETA state, when our brain waves are at their highest. This is the state when we're awake, fully functioning cognitively, and engaging in conscious thought.

The DELTA state is when we're in a dreamless sleep and our brain waves are at their lowest.

These are the states our society's lifestyle has conditioned us to be most concerned with. We're too busy trying to keep ourselves awake from the moment we get out of bed, pouring coffee down our throats and rushing off to work or get kids ready for school. We race around all day until the evening comes, and we collapse, exhausted and sleep deprived, into a deep sleep.

A lot of the good stuff happens in-between, in ALPHA and THETA, but many of us ignore those stages. Even though we enter them regularly, it's often just by happenstance- when we get a moment to take a breather, when we're watching tv or so bored out of our minds as we do some repetitive, mundane task we slip into them without meaning or caring. Many of us just take these states for granted- we don't do anything with them, they're just brief stops between BETA and DELTA in our busy day.

......................................Magical Consciousness

Take a gander at the chart below. To the left, it shows us how many Brain Waves Per Second (BWPS) are cycling. In the middle, it shows you what state of consciousness you are in at those BWPS cycles. To the right, in black, you'll see the kind of activities you might be doing during that period of consciousness. In red, you'll see the kind of magical activities that are optimally done at that state of consciousness.

No doubt, if you've been to a Spiritual shop or browsed a book on Witchcraft, you've probably seen some interesting looking tools. Are fancy, expensive tools necessary? No. Are some tools beneficial? Yes. Get what you decide you can use. If you want tools that are ruby-encrusted, be my guest. I do garage sales, thrift shops, or make them myself.

................................................Altar

If you're working regularly, it's best to have an altar, be it a permanent one set up somewhere in your home, or a portable one you can take out as needed. I use an old wooden dresser. A trunk or wood box makes a great portable altar because you can store your tools in it when done.

..............................................Athame

AH/thah/may or ah/THAH/may. A ritual knife, usually double-bladed, sometimes black-handled, mainly used for directing energy. It's also a good tool to store your residual energy in. Some people argue that athames should never cut anything physical-- some use it only for magical purposes, such as cutting herbs or scratching symbols onto candles. Some feel that Witchcraft has always been a craft for the pragmatist, and that our magical ancestors probably used knives in magic because they were common household items-- they probably didn't have a special one for rituals. What you do with yours is up to you.

..............................................Bolline

Another knife, usually used by people who are reluctant to cut anything with their athame, used for harvesting herbs, cutting spell components, scratching symbols, etc.Sometimes curved, sometimes white-handled.

..............................................Besom

Brooms used for purification and cleansing, usually to sweep negative energy away. Brooms can also be lain across thresholds to stop anything negative from entering. In folklore, people would jump the broom for luck or prosperity.

.........................................Book of Shadows

Being artistic and a writer, I love my BOS. I have hand-crafted every page in special inks and with illustrations and inspirational quotes. But a BOS can be a simple as a spiral notebook or a computer file. It's basically the mystical term for a book where you write down anything you feel pertains to your magic- spells, rituals, correspondences, dreams, visions, potions and brews, incense blends, feast recipes, personal poetry, etc. What you keep in your book is entirely your choice, but records of some sort are very useful.

.............................................Cauldron

Great tool. I prefer cast iron because they're durable and inexpensive, but any heat-proof vessle will do. I have two kitchen cauldrons, one 11 qt and 4 qt. I use them for cooking and drinkable brews. I have a 1 pt altar cauldron for incense, candles, potions, and burning things. I have another use for scrying, and a mini cauldron censer.

..............................................Censer

I like to have a variety of censers. Mini censers for cones, long censers for sticks, and of course, a good heat-proof censer for self-igniting incense coals with raw incense. If you like to pick up your censer and walk around with it, make sure it has a heat-proof handle, or a heat-proof bottom. An oil steamer is another great option.

............................................Chalice/Cup

Cups can hold your ritual drink if you practice simple feasts (communions), can hold your potions or brews, or can house the element of water.

..............................................Pentacle

Any disk inscribed with a symbol, most often the pentagram, the pentacle is another good tool for grounding and storing power. It's good for putting your spell components or other tools on it, or for anything needing to be blessed and consecrated.

................................................Robe

Not often thought of as a tool by many spellcasters today, who may prefer to go skyclad or just wear their street clothes. However, the traditional use of robes-- ritual garb, regalia, costume-- should not be underestimated. It has a powerful effect upon our psyche to dress the part. Hoods are great for blocking out external stimuli. And robes build up energy with use that is conducive to ritual.

.................................................Staff

Used similarly to the Athame and wand, to direct energy. Plus they just look cool.

................................................Wand

Used to direct energy, the wand is gentler than the athame. I use a wand to invoke (Higher Powers, elementals), while I use the athame to direct energy. Some people use them interchangeably (along with the staff, which is just a giant wand).

................................Additional Tools & Supplies

candles in assorted shapes & colors, candle holders in assorted sizes and colors,
dried herbs, incense, incense coals, scrap materials, assorted color papers and pens or ink, bell, feathers, crystals, gems, hot plates, pins, needles, matches.

I forgot my wand! What should I do?

"Sometimes we find ourselves without our tools; when we're new to Wicca and just haven't gotten them yet, when we're vacationing or in the middle of a move, when we live with intolerant people and want to keep our faith private. As stated, you can always go without them, or you can try some of these substitutes." Read full article here

Candle Magic Spell to Draw Love

3 Springtime Spells for Prosperity, Balance and Cleansing

That depends on who you ask.

Christians in particular are probably most well-known for speaking out against magic. If you ask some Christians, they will likely say, "absolutely." They believe it is against God, that it is tapping demonic sources, and a one-way ticket straight to Hell. They believe the Bible firmly warns everyone against getting mixed up with occult practices.

Then again, there are some Christian Witches who do not believe that all magic is evil. There are other Christians who have passed down their ways of folk magic through the generations, though they would never actually conssider it magic or Witchcraft. They believe magic is in the Bible, it's just the type of magic that counts.

And still, there are other religions in which magic is considered perfectly natural, perfectly acceptable, and do not believe it is against any Higher Power or wrong in any way. People have practiced magic for years, for generations even, without feeling they've done anything wrong, without feeling that they've suffered any negative consequences or unleased anything to be afraid of. Magic is simply a very normal and natural part of their lives.

It often comes as a surprise to people who believe that magic is something evil and dangerous that there are other people who practice magic and have seen it as spiritually uplifting, positive thing in their lives.

It comes equally as a surprise to people who practice magic and see it as a fascinating path full of wonder and beauty to hear other people say that it is a dark and destructive force that only leads to misery and pain.

The perspectives couldn't be any more polar opposite than they are-- so who is right?

Well, that's a decision that each of us have to weigh and measure for ourselves. You're not going to hear a consensus any time soon. I don't expect a scientific study to be released stating the effects of magic on one's life, or a spirit to come out of the sky to set the record stright for us. But until then, you do some reading, you listen to the arguments, and you have to determine for yourself what you believe to be true.

If the thought of magic scares you, if deep down you feel that you are doing something wrong, if just reading about it riddles you with guilt, I recommend you walk away. Despite popular beliefs, people who practice magic are not trying to entice people to "the dark side." It's your call. Maybe you're not ready for it-- maybe you never will be. Maybe it's just not a path for you to take in this life. That's fine... ultimately you will have to take responsibility for your own life and your own actions, so only you can determine the path that you think is right to take.

If, however, you feel drawn to magic, if it has had a positive effect on your life, if your religion does not forbid it and you have no reasons to feel it is wrong, then you should go by your beliefs and enjoy magic... and don't worry if someone else happens to think it's evil. You can only go by what you believe and experience.

The Color of Magic: Black vs. White

"When talking about magic, sometimes spelled "magick," thanks to the creativity of Alister Crowley, people throw the terms "white," and "black" around a lot. Some people who believe all magic is evil and Satanic will tell you it's all black magic. Some people differentiate between magic done for good (white), and magic done for evil (black).

The fact of the matter is that magic doesn't have any color, despite the colorful descriptions that we give it." Read full article here

Magic and Ethics: Are Spells for Personal Gain Wrong?

"Every now and then, I come across someone espousing the notion that magic is not for personal gain. With dire warnings of karmic backlash, this Wiccan warns you that doing spells for personal gain is "black" magic. It's evil and selfish and just plain wrong, she claims. Wiccans (or Witches) should never use spells for personal gain!...

I respectfully disagre..." Read full article here

So which Witch is which, and which Witches are Wiccan? What's the deal?
"It's easy to get the terms "Wicca" and "Witchcraft" confused, as even many authors have used the terms interchangeably. Though not mutually exclusive, the terms are no longer (if they ever were) synonymous." Read full article here

With all due respect, the purpose of this lens is not to convince you that magic really works, nor is it to try and convince you that you should abandon your current beliefs and become a Witch. I'm not here to mock your faith or pull your leg.

There are all kinds of beliefs in this world. I'm sharing some of mine on this lens. If you find the concept of magic and spells ridiculous, or offensive, please don't let this lens ruffle your feathers... it's just not worth it. I don't let it upset me that people think differently-- I delete e-mails and messages about how wrong you think I am without even reading them. I don't have to read them; I know you think I'm wrong and that's fine by me as you are entitled to your own opinions, and I respect your opinions, and while I'm always open to sincere questions or even friendly debates, I just won't subject myself to attacks.

There is nothing you could say to me that I haven't heard before. If you feel so strongly about being heard on this topic, feel free to make your own lens or start a monkey brain debate. I might even drop by if you do. But I have no intention of posting comments attacking the subject of this lens, of reading rants, or exchanging slurs and insults, so you won't hear from me.

So please, just feel free to move on, and sincerely, have a good day.

Photobucket Images

BOS---------------------- MoonMagicSanctuary
Guitar-------------------- JessDeVaney at photobucket.com
Belive in Magic--------- Louiserae
black cat----------------- Bella_arcana
Sacred writings--------- moschino08
Element pentagram---- By Paul22_photo
Pentacle----------------- Kensai_the_Warrior
Witch casting spell----- jyeaney_2007
Amulet--------------------Faygo_rain
Meditating----------------Spiritstardancer_2008
Brain----------------------xxxgofuckagoatxxx
Candle Magic-----------WyckedGood
Equinox------------------Ladyinamorata

SXC.HU
Tarot---------------------pirshulet