Well, I've had a lot of people ask me why their spells don't seem to work. I've got thinking about this while talking to them, and I decided I might write a bit on the subject.
One of the first things that I notice about these people who ask me about failed spells is that they usually one thing in common: they use "spell recipes" as given to them by someone else. Now, don't get me wrong. I love a good pre-designed spell as much as the next person. In fact, I've spent quite some time at the store dissecting Paula's spell kits and discussing them with her.
But the truth is, these "recipes" are only one part of the process. In effect, these people are given the "ingredients" for the recipe, but no directions on how to prepare, combine, or "cook" them for best results. Imagine being told to make a marble cake by only being given the ingredients list. Now imagine if you weren't even told how to stir the two batters to get the marble effect!
So, it is my hope in this entry to discuss some of the other aspects of good magical workings. Now, I can't promise that someone who reads my diary will suddeny be a whiz, but I do promise that you will at least come away with a better understanding of the whole process.
Please note that for the purpose of discussion, I'm going to talk about love spells. I know that there are many controversies over these spells, but let's face it: they're also one of the most sought after spells! So they make a good basis for discussion.
So, here are a few things to consider when doing magic:
1. Intent. If you don't have this one worked out -- and let's be honest, most of us (myself included) usually don't -- you can count this as strikes one through three already.
Why are you doing the spell? And don't just say "because I want a boyfriend." Imagine going to a car dealer and saying "I want a car." Well, the car dealers has a hundred or so cars on his lot. So, if all you say is that, can you really blame him if he shows you a bunch of 1982 Ford Tempos when you'd be happier with a 2000 Corvette? How's he supposed to know.
So, what kind of boyfriend are you looking for? What are the important qualities? Do you want a sense of humor? Do you want him to look like Nick Carter? Do you want him to be really book smart? Do you want him to be athletic?
Once you've narrowed that down, what do you want in the relationship? Are you looking for someone that you will be with forever, even if you have a few fights? Or are you looking for someone to stroke your ego and make you not feel so alone? Or are you just looking for some good sex?
When you understand what you're after, why you want it, howw you hope to get it, and when and where, you will have a much better chance of convincing the universe to go along with it.
2. Ingredients. Okay, now that we've covered that, we need to look at your "recipe." Not all spells (especially love spells) are created equally. They certainly aren't all suited for the same intent. So look at yours and try to understand what everything means. Let's say your love spell calls for two pink candles. Does that work for your intent? Maybe one red and one white one would be better. Maybe to red ones. Maybe even two green candles. (Green candles for a love spell?!?!?! My readers are going to think I'm smoking up or something!) Don't just go through the motions with your recipe, understand it and how it represents your intent.
3. The Powers. Okay, this is probably one of my pet peeves. People call upon gods that they know nothing about. First of all, it's just plain rude. How would you feel if people just came to you and asked for you to give them something without ever being a freind to you? Why do so many people think gods feel any differently? Also, this goes back to the idea of making sure your "recipe" matches your intent. Different gods have different "flavors" to themselves. Grabbing a goddess because some website said she's a "goddess of love" just doesn't get it. For example, if you're looking for "Mr. Right" and hope to get married in the next year, calling on Freyja is a bad idea. (I'll leave figuring out a better choice as an exercise to the interested reader.)
4. Yourself. Magic comes from within. To understand and work magic effectively, that requires that you understand yourself and the power within yourself. They go hand in hand. It seems to me that a lot of people forget that the first item on the "Goals of a Witch" is "Know thyself." That's not just a religious concept. It's a magical one. You cannot understand magic if you cannot understand the source (yourself). And you certainly can't work magic consistently and effectively until you understand it.
Well, those are a few things. Good luck to everyone.