Career Care Spell

The native people of California revered the oak as their "world tree," the acorn
symbolizing the cosmic egg, from which all life came, and the tree itself
symbolizing the cosmic axis, sacred to Earth Mother. The acorn represents
achievement and great effort; the oak tree represents durability, resolution,
and truth. A Thursday with a waxing moon is ideal for starting this spell.

You will need:
A green candle
A piece of green paper
2 acorns
A silver coin

On a Thursday morning, light the green candle. Close your eyes and imagine the
candle's light holding you in a safe cocoon. Write your name on a piece of
paper; followed by any ambitions you have for your career. Extinguish the
candle, and keep it to use later. For the whole of the day, keep the acorns,
silver coin, and paper in a pocket or pouch close to you. On returning home from
work, light the candle again, and pass the acorns and silver swiftly through its
flame. Wrap the acorns and silver coin in the paper and bury them in your
garden, or another favorite spot. Repeat this spell at yearly intervals for
continuing career success.

Recommended books (free to download):

Emmanuel Swedenborg - Heaven And Hell
Leo Ruickbie - Halloween Spells

Tags: aleister wicked  physician restoration england  echoes hymn robe  liber cross frog  life after death  group protestant  

Herbal Magick A Witchs Guide To Herbal Enchantments Folklore And Divinations

Book: Herbal Magick A Witchs Guide To Herbal Enchantments Folklore And Divinations by Gerina Dunwich

Herbs can be used to cure or to curse, as well as to conjure or to banish Supernatural entities. They can enchant our gardens and our homes, and guide us on the path to Transformation and self-improvement. But, most importantly, Herbal Magick can open the door to spiritual realms and other worlds, and serve to connect a human being with Mother Nature and the Divine.

There probably exists no plant or tree that hasn’t at one time, in some part of the world, been used in a spell or potion, or utilized as an amulet. And it is said that all parts of a plant, whether they be roots, buds, flowers, stems, or bark, are magickally significant.

Herbs are Mother Nature’s gifts to all of humankind, regardless of spiritual beliefs, magickal tradition, or culture. And whether you pride yourself as a country Witch or an urban Pagan, herbs can reward you with a wealth of enchantment,
divination, and folklore. Blessed be!

Buy Gerina Dunwich's book: Herbal Magick A Witchs Guide To Herbal Enchantments Folklore And Divinations

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Richard Alan Miller - The Magical And Ritual Use Of Herbs
Marcus Cordey - Magical Theory And Tradition
William Eliot Woodward - Records Of Salem Witchcraft Copied From The Original Documents Vol 2
Harriet Beecher Stowe - The Salem Witchcraft The Planchette Mystery And Modern Spiritualism
Gerina Dunwich - Herbal Magick A Witchs Guide To Herbal Enchantments Folklore And Divinations

Break The Powers Of A Spell

A Spell To Break The Powers Of A Spell

If you believe that a spell has been cast against you, place a large black
candle in a cauldron (or a large black bowl). The candle must be tall enough to
extend a few inched above the cauldron's rim. Affix the candle to the bottom of
the cauldron with warmed beeswax or the drippings of another black candle so
that it will not tip over.

Fill the cauldron to the rim with fresh water, without wetting the candle's
wick. An inch or two of the candle should remain above the water. Deep
breathe, meditate, clear your mind, and light the candle. Visualize the
suspected spell's power as residing within the candle's flame. Sit in quiet
contemplation of the candle and visualize the power flowing and growing with
the candle's flame (yes the power against you). As the candle burns down, its
flame will eventually sputter and go out as it contacts the water. As soon as
the flame has been extinguished by the water, the spell will be dispersed.

Break your visualization of the spell's power; see it explode into dust,
becoming impotent.

Pour the water into a hole in the ground, a lake or stream. Bury the candle.
It is done.

Suggested free e-books to read:

Anonymous - The Prayers Of The Elementals
Sheelagh Rouse - Grace The World Of Rampa

Black Mirrors

"Mirror mirror on the wall... who's the fairest of them all?"
Remember that line from the "Evil Queen" in the Disney classic Snow White?

Since the earliest of times Sorcerers, Witches, Soothsayers and so on have used Black Mirrors for Scrying.
Even in the Disney classic "Snow White"... the Evil Queen would Scry looking into the mirror and asking questions concerning her vanity and her rivals.
What is Scrying? It is the divination of future or past events or talking with spirits from another plane of existence by gazing into an object such as the Black Mirror. Now the Black Mirror is not the only thing that can be used for scrying. It can be a puddle of water or a crystal ball or a piece of shiny metal.... even a regular mirror will work. One old favorite is to use a bowl of water and part black ink, which creates a very good black reflection. It can actual be almost any type of object that will allow you to stare into it for long periods of time and gain visions from doing so. The two most popular are the Crystal Ball and the Black Mirror. For me the crystal ball is too bright, although I do also have a solid black crystal ball.
The Black Mirror is my choice for the art of scrying. All in all the items are all used as a focal point. They have no real Super Magical power.... they do have magical energy after they have been consecrated for use and after they have been used a few times they will gather your own magical energies, but all in all it is the Sorcerer/Scryer who has the Power.... the Power to see within the mirror.
The Black Mirror then becomes the window to the Universe and to the Spirit world. It can bring you visions of past lives or things that are to come. It can show you answers to questions you may have or show you your spirit guides for it is a doorway to the other side.
You must understand that Scrying takes quite a bit of practice to develop ones Astral Vision. What is Astral Vision?.... it is the ability to see onto the Astral Planes. For some people who are more psychic inclined it may come naturally easy... for other it may take weeks or months to master. Clearing the mind and concentration without stray thoughts is hard to master just as in meditation.
So as I have stated it can be used for may different things in Magical Divination. For those of you who are interested in studying High Magic... then you know that the Black Mirror is used in the "Triangle of Solomon" for conjuring the Demon or Celestial being into the mirror. The Spirit does not manifest into the physical form.... it manifests as a vision in the mirror by the magician being able to see onto the Astral Plane via the Black Mirror. The Mirror is also surround by 3 sacred names of God and Archangel Michael to help control the spirit.

Now, back to regular Black Mirrors...
Now there are a few places online where you can buy some really nice fancy Black Mirrors. You can get them as fancy as your heart desires. But for those of you who don't want to spend allot of money and would like to get started quickly in the Art of Scrying.... you can simply make your own for about five-seven dollars. Simply go to Wal-mart or Wallgreens and buy a small 5x7 picture frame (you can buy an oval shaped one if you so choose) and a can of flat black spray paint. When you get it home take the glass out and make sure it is clean.... no finger prints. Then paint the back side of it with the flat black paint and let it dry for about a half hour. Then put it all back together making sure that the painted side is facing the back and you now have your Black Mirror ready for you to consecrate and put on your alter for Scrying.

Ok now that I have given you some history and facts about Black Mirrors. It is time to teach you how to Scry. This is going to be a short lesson because there is not much to teach and there is no secret method to make it work instantly for you. It will be a matter of practice makes perfect.
He who is patient and continually works at this will have success in the art.

Hopefully by now you have a small alter set up to do all your Magic Rituals. This is where you want to set up your Black Mirror.
Mine sits dead center towards the back of one of my alters. Below is a picture of one of my smaller alters that is set up in my office.
You will want to arrange your candles on your alter so they are not seen in the reflection of the mirror and that they do not distract you in any way.
The first thing you need to do before starting is decide what you will be Scrying for.
You will want to do the LBRP... but do the invoking version to start with... at the end of your Scrying you should do the normal Banishing LBRP to get rid of any spirits that may be still hanging around. If you have your own protection type of Rituals then you may use them instead.
Ok now that you have done the invoking LBRP you should sit on a comfortable stool that is the proper height of your Alter. You don't want to be standing for a long period of time.... that is why I myself use a stool or chair. Sit and gaze (stare) into the Black Mirror. Ask the universe to bring you a vision or call upon a spirit guide to show you what you want or need to know. You will need to sit there and gaze into the mirror for a good period of time.... you will know when it is starting to work when you own reflection vanishes and all you see is black. That is the key to knowing that you are getting close to success. From that point on is when your visions will begin to appear. the first few times you may not even see all black... you will probably get bored and quit. This is not the way of the Magician. Patience is a virtue with magic. So it may take a few times to get the total black out effect. From then on you must strive to keep gazing into the mirror. You may only get a glimpse of a unfamiliar face or an unknown landscape. But as the weeks progress you will have success. One of the other most important things besides practice is for you to communicate to the universe or to your spirit guides as to your desires when Scrying. Some of you will find this very easy and many others will simply say this does not work and you may never do it again. Like all magic nothing comes instantly or without true dedication and practicing the art. And all and all it takes an altered state of consciousness.... however you so choose to get into that state of mind.
I will say no more about that.

You also may enjoy this free books:

Carroll Runyon - The Secret Of The Dark Mirror
Hermes Trismegistus - Book Xii His Crater Or Monas
Aleister Crowley - Magick Without Tears
Meshafi Resh - The Black Book
Stephen Flowers - Black Runa

Past Lives Information Spell

To help you get a clearer view of your past lives, cast this spell on the day of a new moon. Repeat it once each week for a month. Take a small White onion and soak it in a bowl of mineral Water for half an hour. Then dry it thoroughly with
a clean cloth.

Meditate for a few minutes while you hold the onion in your hands. Then peel off the first and Second layer while repeating:

"Memories of the distant past, come forward into the light."

Place the layers you have peeled off into a plastic bag. Put that under your bed and keep the rest of the onion in the fridge to use next time.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Kathryn Paulsen - Witches Potions And Spells
Anonymous - Divination Spreads
Al Selden Leif - Pagan Incense Information Pages

Some Thoughts On Ceremony And Ritual Magic

There is much confusion and substantial posturing on the subject of ritual magic. Sadly, there is also considerable ignorance and prejudice…not only from opponents such as fundamental religionists, by from proponents who have a personal vested interest, an axe to grind, a dogma, a favourite writer or teacher to praise. So into this tangled and heated maze, I intend to briefly venture. When I do so, I will try to avoid some of the standard explanations and dogmatic statements about “what magic is”, as you can find them repeated, often thoughtlessly copied from one another, in many books.

The simplest way to begin is to consider not what ritual and ceremony are today, but what they were in the ancestral cultures. Why so? Because much of our attitude toward magic, friendly or hostile, is conditioned by our living in a post-Christian modernist culture. If we can step aside, so to speak, and look for a moment at a collective consciousness untrammelled uninhibited and unconditioned by Christianity, we might gain some insights. The 19th century occultists, from whom 90% of contemporary literature on magic is derived, had difficulty making this step. They were either reverent towards the conditioned Judeo-Christian worldview despite their occultism, or they were in extreme (even childish) reaction against it. Today, in the 21st century, and as a result of their pioneering work, their suffering and genius in some cases, we are now less conditioned, and, hopefully, more aware that the world is very different to that of either religious or modernist propaganda.

Ceremony and Ritual in the past

Magical ceremonies were conducted in ancestral cultures for two primary purposes: to commune with and draw upon spiritual powers and presences, and to mediate and present such spiritual powers and presences to the community. The first purpose was, and still is, jealously absorbed by political religions. The second purpose is the historical origin of all theatre (including the modern film and television industry), but at a deeper level is the ultimate aim of true magical ritual.

Ideas such as “self-development”, “control of supernatural forces” and so-forth are materialistic and modern. All ancestral magic, be it formal and complex such as the ancient Mysteries of the classical or Egyptian civilisations, or the relatively simple folkloric magic of the ordinary people, was deeply involved in ideas such as participation, relationship, transformation through interaction, and, especially, with the resonance of spiritual forces out to the greater world. The now popular concepts of the isolated would-be-superman, who changes things according to his will, or the elite occult group that influences politics and money, came into shape in the 19th century, and have continued in various forms to this day. Most of these are either a) fiction, or b) egocentric wishful thinking.

What is a ritual?

A ritual is a pattern, comprising words, movement, sounds, and intentional content such as clothing, implements, and a wide range other factors. The two key concepts are pattern and intentional content. The most important consideration, however, is that this ritual pattern is shared between humans and other beings…humans and spiritual beings. You cannot have magic without the harmonious exchange between humanity and other orders of life. A ritual, a ceremony, is a special pattern that enables this exchange.

There are of course, two modes of magic, co-operative and coercive. In this article, we are discussing co-operative magic. Similar principles apply to both modes. However, I have never grasped the sense of a type of magic in which humans attempt to force powerful spiritual beings (more powerful than the human ritualists) to do their will. Does this not seem to be absurd…not to mention childish and illogical?

When is a ceremony not a ritual?

In some sense we could define any intentional gathering as a ritual or ceremony. But what distinguishes a magical ritual is that the intention always involves spiritual beings. They may be ancestors, faery races, gods or goddesses, trans-human beings compassionate to humanity, the spirits of the living creatures in nature (often rather loosely called totem animals), or conscious entities from remote metaphysical dimensions. If they, whoever they may be, are not part of our ritual, it is not magic. It is merely an empty ceremony.

A ritual and a ceremony are essentially the same thing. The ceremony is the outer form, while the ritual is the magical pattern-making. Hence the popular modern definition that “ceremonial magic” is the complex stuff with fat scripts, many implements and much arm-waving, while other forms of ritual are somehow more direct or simple. This is not true, of course, but is widely published. A very simple ceremony lasting a minute or two, such as placing an offering of wine upon a dedicated stone, can be a powerful and complex ritual involving humans, spirit beings, forces of nature, ancestral consciousness, stellar awareness! Do not be fooled by props…or propped by fools.

Magic for the future

Some years ago, during a famous interview, the late Robert Graves was challenged by a religious presenter, regarding Graves’ interpretation of myth and history. Graves responded that there are three ages or eras: first that of matriarchy, or of the collective past, then that of patriarchy or of the collective present, and, next, the age of magic. For Graves, the age of Magic was that which is about to come into being, as humanity evolves from the polarisations of female and male, and becomes androgyne. But he was also referring, more immediately, to contemporary liberation from religious stereotypes, and the increased opening of spiritual imagination and awareness. Being both a poet and a satirist, Graves then floored the smug presenter by saying (something like) “But you sir do not know the difference between magic and necromancy, so there is nothing further we can talk about”.

I doubt if anyone can improve upon Graves’ definition that Magic is always of the future. Through ritual and ceremony we create new interactions between the metaphysical and physical realms: this is how the future is generated. It is not a simplistic linear future, but a future of many potentials. Some of those potentials do not manifest, others do, though often in a surprising manner. Ritual Magic is very close, in practice, to the theories of quantum physics, in which consciousness affects outcome of any event or series of events.

And a last word of warning

Am I going to warn you about demonic influences or drugs and magic or moral issues of sexual spells? No…that is all puerile nonsense. But I would urge you to heed this warning: we are privileged. We are privileged to be able to practice magic, in any form. I am privileged to be able to write this article, you to read it. In most parts of the world, right now, this would be illegal. It may become illegal here. Therefore, and thus far, we enact our magic, our ceremonies, and our rituals not merely for ourselves, but from a place of privilege whereupon we stand, on behalf of others. For those others who cannot, who are not, allowed to do so. Do not let your privilege and freedom be eroded. Work magic for the sake of liberation through magic.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Thomas Moore - Candle Magick For Love
Aleister Crowley - The Initiated Interpretation Of Ceremonial Magic
Scott Cunningham - Cunninghams Encyclopedia Of Crystal Gem And Metal Magic
Walter Scott - Letters On Demonology And Witchcraft
Arthur Edward Waite - The Book Of Ceremonial Magic

Protection Charm Spell

Special Tools

One red candle and one white candle
A small piece of white paper
Protection oil (pre-made or homemade)*
ink pen
red ribbon

Cast the circle

Set a white candle alight on the left to represent the Goddess and a red candle alight on the right to represent the God. Place materials for the charm between the candles.

Using the protection oil, with the index finger of the right hand, draw a pentagram in the middle of the paper while saying "With the seal of this pentagram I request this charm be used for protection".

Using a pen, in the center of the oil-drawn pentagram, draw the rune Algiz, the rune of protection. Say "With this rune, Algiz, I request this charm be used for protection".

If you're doing the ritual for someone else, hand him/her the piece of paper and tell him/her to concentrate on the rune and what it means and ask aloud for what you want. Then to seal those energies into the charm, tell him/her, "When you are ready, roll the paper up tightly, lengthwise and give it back to me." When the charm is handed back it is wrapped three times with a red ribbon and tied into a bow.

Consecrate the charm with an element of the God, fire, and an element of the Goddess, air (the smoke from the candles).

Hold the charm over the red candle of the God and say, "I consecrate you in fire for (name) so that he/she can defend and protect him/herself with the powers he/she has."

Hold the charm in the smoke of the white candle of the Goddess and say, "I consecrate you in air for (name) so that he/she can defend and protect him/herself with the powers he/she has."

Tightly clasp the charm in both hands, the right hand around the charm and the left over your right. Concentrate on the charms' task.

Seal the left end of the charm with white wax and right end with red wax. The charm is complete and given to the intended person.

Close the circle

*If you're making the protection oil yourself, you can use this recipe:

1 T base oil
4 drops primrose
4 drops lavendar
2 drops sandlewood

You also may enjoy this free books:

Anonymous - Hypnotism Spells
Kathryn Paulsen - Witches Potions And Spells
Anonymous - Protection Of Space

Spell To Change The Weather As It Is Happening

A Spell TO CHANGE Weather AS IT IS HAPPENING
by Keith Parker



Rain* subside, rain abate,
For this weather I do hate.

*I used rain, but sun, snow, or any Other weather condition may be used.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Tobias Johansson - The Crucible And The Reasons For The Salem Witch Hunt
Hesketh Bell - Obeah Witchcraft In The West Indies Ocr Version
Wim Van Den Dungen - Enoch And The Day Of The End

Using The Seven Pins In Candle Magick

In Hoodoo and Voodoo, use of the seven-day candle, or "7 day vigil candle" is commonplace. The seven day candles are used in difficult cases and cases where concentrated energy is needed. The candle is burned over a period of seven days whereby the practitioner pays attention to revealing and divinatory signs from the candle.

To use your pins with a candle, you start with
a regular offeratory or large candle and seven pins of the seven colors. The candle is divided into seven equal parts by sticking the pins into the candle at seven equal intervals. The seventh pin goes into the top or bottom of the candle. Make sure the pins go all the way in the candle. Take a piece of parchament paper (best to start with a rather large piece of paper) and write down seven wishes. Fold the paper at a 90 degree angle and write your full name over your wish, then fold again and write your name again, proceeding with this process seven times. Dress your candle with the appropriate oil and place the folded paper under the candle. The candle is burned for seven nights, with the flame pinched out each time a pin falls. Save all of the pins and when the last needle falls, stick the pins into the paper so that it looks like the one in the picture. According to the law of attraction, bury the paper, pins and leftoverwax under your doorstep to attract your wishes to you. If your wishes are of the repelling type, throw the ritual remains in a crossroads, graveyard, or in a moving stream or river.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Tuesday Lobsang Rampa - The Thirteenth Candle
Julian Wilde - Grimoire Of Chaos Magick
Thomas Moore - Candle Magick For Love
Ophiel - The Art Practice Of Caballa Magic

Personal Development With Help Of Magic

"Spiritual progress" is an important concept to me but I find its meaning elusive.

I am not drawn to traditional ideas of initiation. In systematized magic or mysticism spiritual progress is divided into initiatic levels, or numbered stages of progress. I can't accept these scales of development, including the binary scale of enlightenment or non-enlightenment. People are not numbers and if you tell me "so-and-so is a third degree" you have told me exactly nothing about them. These systems and distinctions are too impersonal, and too many people seem to be hurt by them rather than helped. No one is more unenlightened than those who are convinced of their enlightenment.

A similar scale is that of salvation, where a person is saved (1) or unsaved (0). To me there is entirely too much emphasis on redemption in traditional scales of progress whether they use the words "redemption" and "salvation" or not. The "first matter" or non-initiate in traditional magic is held to be utterly worthless: blind, fettered, desperately in need of the system to show him or her the light. Obviously this is insulting and serves the purpose of maintaining hierarchical social structures. Just as obviously, though, there is some metaphorical truth to it. Relative to the later and developed state, the earlier and undeveloped person is burdened by blinders that look like glasses, and hobbled by chains that feel like shoes. More than how we look at others, this is how we look back at ourselves.

The problems for me in the black-and-white version of the metaphor are that this conflates different people's relative states, and requires self-loathing on the part of the initiatory candidate. If we had a way to measure someone's illumination - which we don't - I think we would find that many perfectly ordinary uninitiated people are less deluded than many seekers who have been strenuously applying themselves to the mystical path for years. A confident and healthy person would find little appeal in being superior to everyone else because of initiatory ceremonies, but among "initiates" one constantly encounters just this demeaning attitude. Similarly, a healthy person who found that a system demanded abject self-abasement to questionable "superiors" would probably select themselves out in short order. These hierarchical formulae appeal most strongly to people who - to be blunt - already hate themselves, find their negative self-image confirmed by being treated as the worthless "first matter" of the art, and achieve comfort in having the onus of their low self-esteem displaced onto "uninitiates."

I find better company in people who are not plagued with unreasonable self-doubt and who recognize and work with their strengths. I wish our spiritual systems selected for them instead of weeding them out. American hatha yoga instruction has gone in this direction, though once one moves on to more spiritual limbs of yoga the old demeaning hierarchies tend to reassert themselves. More needs to be done in reforming the teaching of meditative practices.

I am only describing a general trend and not tarring all initiates with this brush. I am an initiate myself, though once again it is not the axis of my life. I simply want to express that I would be more comfortable with spiritual systems that start with the basic strength and insight the person already has and develop that, rather than starting with the need for redemption. A better metaphor than removing a blindfold would be teaching the initiate how to make binoculars. I think groups starting without the "original sin" of the "first matter" would be less likely to attract neurotics and exagerrate their neuroses, and so less prone to the infighting that wracks magical groups.

So I will move on to my personal idea of my progress. Although it is tangible to me, I have a hard time saying exactly what it is. I know it has resulted from psychotherapy, from yoga, and from re-examining and redefining my assumptions, especially assumptions about relationships with others and with the external world in general. There is an aspect of self-knowledge and self-acceptance, a willingness to express myself spontaneously and embrace my feelings rather than trying to manipulate myself, an emergence of a mental quiet space, a recognition of personal patterns which previously were unconscious or denied, and a number of specific personal advances that result from being freed from unexamined patterns and from a distaste for myself. There's a long way to go and there may not be any end to the path, or it may be that the path is longer than I could walk in this one lifetime (so far as I know, the only one I have), but I know I am on this path and have come a certain way so far.

Magic in the sense of ritual has not been all that useful to me in this kind of progress and I have come to distrust it as affording a scope for acting out and for compensatory ego-inflation. That is, the intentional nature of ritual may unconsciously enact a neurotic pattern while rewarding limiting patterns I would do better to transcend. When I do ritual now, on the other hand, erosion of my mental blocks and acceptance of my aspirations have made ritual more effective in transforming my consciousness than it used to be. So Ritual Magic is related in some way to spiritual progress and may at some future time become more of a vehicle of my development than it is for me now.

I am attracted to an exercise model of development, in contrast with grandiose conceptions of redemption and ascension through spiritual degrees. Concentration, imagination, steadiness, even power are useful things to have. My analogy to physical exercise is deliberate: there is value to "spiritual bodybuilding" so long as it doesn't degenerate into vain self-admiration. Where a traditional conception would hold, for instance, that "by ascending the Ladder of Lights the devout seeker may be admitted into the innermost Mystery that maketh man God," under the exercise model one would say "by practicing mental disciplines one strengthens, balances and cleanses mental faculties." Yoga obviously fits this model, even in its highest limbs; classical yoga scripture depicts the ultimate goal pragmatically as the stilling of thought-waves. Psychotherapy is also a fairly good match, where the faculty exercised is spontaneous introspection. Ritual magic exercises the abilities of concentration and visualization, as well as the ability to transform perceptions of space, and a host of others. This too is a kind of progress.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Samuel Croxall - The Secret History Of Pythagoras
Robin Artisson - Reclaiming The Pagan Worldview The Heart Of Mysticism
Tuesday Lobsang Rampa - Living With The Lama
Terry Findlay - Phronesis The Development Of Practical Wisdom
John Dee - The Calls Of Enoch

My Spiritual Practice In Magic

My interest in magic is not from the armchair, at least not exclusively. I meditate, I do yoga, I attend and perform various rituals by myself and in groups, as well as reading voraciously in occult, pagan, and philosophical subjects and in general religious studies. Why would anyone spend time on such apparently futile activities? From the outside it's all a lot of mumbo-jumbo.

One of the popular answers among ceremonial magicians these days holds that "I'm a trance junkie," or "I'm a ritual junkie," or words to that effect. The meaning is "I derive pleasure from the effects that ritual practices have on me and so I seek them out." This formula would be part of my answer, but I wouldn't characterize myself as a "junkie": I like to modify my consciousness but it's not the central axis of my life and I don't depend on it (at least, I don't think I do).

Many traditional mystics would be appalled at the "ritual junkie" idea. It contrasts with traditional ideals of redemption through spiritual practice and says simply, "it feels good, so I do it." However, many traditionalists also hold out ideals of redemption that fall onto the reward-punishment spectrum, such as eternal bliss or perfect happiness. The simple rewarding nature of spiritual practice, the fact that it induces pleasurable mental states, is the Great Unspoken (or Nietzschean pudenda) of mystical theory. It's a motivation that mystics have always had but wouldn't admit to, or that they held at arms' length by issuing stern warnings against it. If the pleasure principle turns spiritual practice into a kind of masturbation, I would answer that we're no longer so opposed to the art of self-pleasure.

Still I think there is more to spiritual practice than pleasurable diddling. When I first got involved with magic in my mid-teens it had a lot to do with psychedelic drugs. My goal in magic and meditation was to trip without chemicals, and I still enjoy that when it happens (say, from a good hatha yoga session), but I've also come to share the concern that this can be a kind of "spiritual materialism," to use Chogyam Trungpa's term. Getting off is good but it's distinct from and may sometimes even be in opposition to spiritual progress. Even with drugs there's more going on than direct reward through bliss. Basic assumptions about the world and the self are thrown into a different light from which they may be re-examined, where before they were not even recognized as assumptions, but thought to be facts. The process by which we create our personal image of the world is illuminated and the limits of our consciousness are shown to be self-imposed; we are exposed to "other forms of consciousness completely different," as William James wrote of his nitrous oxide experiences. This has the potential to broaden our mental scope, just as travel broadens our social ideas.

Another Great Unspoken about spiritual practice is ego. Just as it's pleasant to one's self-image to be distinctly strong of body, so it is to be strong of mind. The self-esteem benefits of exercise are desirable but they often go too far. I've grown tired of "magic jocks" who measure their self-worth by the intensity of their ritual power. The size of one's muscles is no measure of physical health, and "roaring like a blast furnace" in ritual is no indication of mental health. In fact people can seriously hurt themselves by going ruthlessly for maximum strength. Some strength is good; for some people a lot of strength is good; but health is more a matter of overall balance, flexibility and tone than of ultimate capacity in one area. When someone is devoted heart and soul to a particular system of spiritual symbols there may be a tremendous ritual power in that, but perhaps the system itself becomes one of those unexaminable assumptions, Blake's "mind-forg'd manacles we bear," that spiritual practice ought to be helping us deconstruct. Quietism is a bit namby-pamby but to be a mighty dragon ever thundering also has its problems.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Israel Regardie - The Art And Meaning Of Magic
Sepharial - Primary Directions Made Easy
Eliphas Levi - The Ritual Of Transcendental Magic
Ophiel - The Art Practice Of Caballa Magic

What Is High And Low Magick

High magick is ceremonial or ritual magick, used more by the practitioners of The Order of the Golden Dawn, Kabbalists, and followers of Aliester Crowley. High magick also follows a set of guidelines and certain formalities. Ceremonialists call upon demons and other entities to do his/her bidding; this ritual takes time and needs to be done correctly. These guidelines follow a very precise set of parameters and if deviated from usually cause problems for the practitioner.

There are also other references to the differences; one of the more common ones is that High Magick came from those that lived in the cities, castles on the hill. It is said that those who practiced High magick had more time on their hands, therefore their rituals are more expansive. Low magick is practical everyday, or folk magick, generally used by wiccans and witches, and other nature-based religions. Low magick has less formality and encompasses more of the "common sense" magick. Low magick often involves the use of herbs, aromas, stones, flowers, animal parts (sympathetic magick) and other natural materials. These animal parts are NOT the result of sacrifice, but rather the practitioner finds that feathers, furs, and discarded bones. Low magick came from the fields, and the lowlands. The fact is that most of those who lived in the lowlands worked from dusk to dawn, had little if any time or need for elaborate ceremonies; therefore the practice of low magick was straightforward and to the point with little fanfare.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Eliphas Levi - The Ritual Of Transcendental Magic
Phillip Williams - Night Magic
Thomas Moore - Candle Magick For Love

Italian Passion Spell

ITALIAN PASSION SPELL




Use this spell to affect someone who desires you, yet is shy in expressing their
feelings. Start by melting some red Candle wax and molding it in the shape of a
phallus if you are female, or a womb if you are male. Once the wax has dried,
sensuously anoint the candle with olive oil, as if you were attending your
lover, thinking hard on the intimacy you desire as you do so. Light the candle.
Now, write your lovers name three Times on a piece of White paper, and burn it
in the flaming wick, praying that your lover will come to you. While the paper
burns, recite your lovers name out loud three times, then blow out the candle.
Try to wait patiently for your lover to respond to your magic.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Anonymous - Babylonian And Assyrian Literature
Anonymous - White Magic Spells
Leo Ruickbie - Halloween Spells
Kathryn Paulsen - Witches Potions And Spells

Frabato The Magician

Book: Frabato The Magician by Franz Bardon

Though cast in the form of a novel, Frabato the Magician is in fact the spiritual autobiography of Franz Bardon, one of the 20th century's greatest Hermetic adepts.

Frabato was the author's stage name during his career as a performing magician, and it is Frabato who occupies center stage in the novel as well. Set in Dresdent, Germany, in the early 1930s, the story Chronicles Frabato's magical battles with the members of a powerful and dangerous black lodge, his escape from Germany during the final desperate days of the Weimar Republic, and the beginning of the spiritual mission which was to culminate in Franz Bardon's classic books on Hermetic magic.

More than an occult novel, Frabato the Magician is itself a work of magic which illuminates Bardon's other books as well as providing a revealing look into the dark occult forces which lay behind the rise of the Third Reich.

The four Bardon books can be considered unsurpassed classics. You will find more Information in one Bardon book than in a hundred other books on this subject. The reader will be pleasantly surprised that nothing is hidden behind the veil of incompetence or arrogance. Everything is out in the open and nothing is omitted. These books have enjoyed a world-wide acceptance since 1958, which we feel will continue to grow. We feel that everyone is entitled to this knowledge and not just a select few, since this was the intention of Divine Providence.

Evidence regarding the events related in this book will be reserved for people trained and developed in magic. Humankind will have to resign itself to the fact that a great deal of evidence Concerning the workings of our cosmos can only be furnished through spiritual means.

Buy Franz Bardon's book: Frabato The Magician

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Greg Wotton - Basic Theories On Sex Magic
Jarl Fossum - Seth In The Magical Texts
Aubrey Bell - The Magic Of Spain
Julius Evola - Against The Neopagans
Franz Bardon - Frabato The Magician

Separation Of Magick From Religion

1. Prayer is Energy work. Modern day clergy of many religions provide their flock, parishioners, congregation, whatever it is called, with access to divinity. Although each person is admonished to lead a “Godly” life, the primary focus of worship tends to be through large group ceremonies where a leader, priest, channels the prayers and energy of that congregation through themselves and off to whatever the focus of the prayer was. I personally feel that this channeling through a third party, as a required step and mindset, dilutes the efficacy of that energy somewhat. However, it does not differ substantially from the wiccan coven practice of channeling or focusing energy through a high priest/ess. And even though many are not aware of it, there is strong, statistical, scientific proof that prayer is incredibly effective when used for healing the ill. This study simply looked at the survival rate, and healing speed among people who had been prayed for, all other factors being the same, and those who had not been prayed for. The energy is the same in prayer, or healing spells, which is a strong indicator that wiccan magick provides the same power - a power that is effective and measurable by contemporary science.

2. Spells are Energy Work. Such energy was always amongst us. It is only in the last few hundred years that we have had the technology to document and examine these energies and their effects. In the past there tended to be an individual who was more gifted than others in interpreting and understanding such things. These folks probably devoted time to things such as herbal remedies, and as their healing skills improved, they were able to devote more time and thought to it. People were willing to trade these healers, treatment for food, and over time these people became specialists in their discipline - whatever that entailed. Perhaps reading omens, herbal preventatives, cures, etc. And these folks also had the knack of knowing what would happen. Whether it was early psychology or a good guess, their reputation made them into the Village Wise Woman - the Country Sage. Sometimes these folks skills combined with an inheritance of knowledge from their ancestors, provided them with a powerful knowledge of people, healing, and energy use. These were truly the witches of renown. Powerful people, but without today's communication ability, their influence tended to stay local, only effecting their village or county. Their skills also included various forms of divination, but not usually religion as such. That was left to the Church which was a powerful and distant force. And religion was best left to the priests and ministers of that church, since it was punishable by death for commoners to have read the bible.

1. Even the Christian church, which condemned magic as a devilish art, was also filled with magical beliefs and practices. Magic was legal in Roman times, and this tolerance continued on for many centuries. Sir Walter Raleigh praised said magic, “bringeth to light the inmost virtues, and draweth them out of Nature's hidden bosom to human use.”. The nobility - including princes of the church - supported court magicians, astrologers, and diviners who helped them conduct their affairs. Scholars carefully classified different types of magicians, as if to distinguish the heretical from the acceptable. (The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, p 566) Although the Christians had the most documentation, almost all cultures had their version of magician or magic workers.

3. Shaman/ka - Other cultures less effected by the power of the formal Church included the interpretation of the god's will among their skills. These indigenous cultures labeled their healing and magick specialists Shaman or Shamanka. In tribal cultures almost everyone had a specialty that made up their part of the entire survival of the tribe. It tended to be those persons who were marked special who became the voice of the Gods for the tribe. Again, these persons had the time to learn, or just think a lot about, the nature of reality, illness and the Gods. In shamanic experience, when one is in non-ordinary reality things will seem quite as material as they are here. ….. All the phenomena that just as real as they do here if it is an extremely clear shamanic journey. But the shaman does not view these non-ordinary phenomena as mental in the sense that they are regarded as a projections of one's own mind. Rather, the mind is being used in order to gain access, to pass through a door into another reality which exists independently of that mind. Usually, the shaman views the universe itself of the ultimate reality. In many shamanic cultures there is preoccupation with the idea that there is some spiritual being who is either in charge of the whole show, or who once was but is now permanent vacation. Most shamans seem to believe that this universe is “just the way things are.” We are given the fact that there is a universe where everything is alive, that there is an interconnectedness of all things, and that there are hidden purposes which we can attempt to investigate to some extent through shamanic methods. So, as one gets involved in shamanism and thus keeps seeing, interacting, and talking with spirits, one quite naturally tends to believe in their existence. And those who continue doing shamanism will most likely also start to believe in the existence of spirits. Of course, more supposedly “sophisticated”: religions may then be built upon that base. I think it is noteworthy that modern physics seem to have elements of animism. Some physicists today are like animists in that they believe everything which exists is alive. It is the sense of our unity with a living universe, the feeling that we are all just parts of that greater life, which is basic to animism.” (Shamanism, compiled by Shirley Nicholson, pp4-5). In some cultures being crippled, having seizures, having mental problems, etc. marked one as being closer to the gods or perhaps having been called by the spirits, and thus a good candidate for the shamanic path. These people freely mixed together the concepts of both the Gods and magick. Their mythology made their gods a part of their everyday world, and allowed for a rich mix of customs, responsive to the tribe's situation and needs. The shamanic tradition focuses of the strengths and aspects of various natural forces within our world, and uses inner journeys of the shaman to bring those truths for use by the shaman's social group.

4. Ceremonial Magick is an area of study that demands much discipline of its adherents. We tend to differentiate its practice from that of the religious magicks that Witches, Pagans and Druids accomplish, primarily because of the Pagan emphasis of calling energy through the gods and the planet. Ceremonial Magic has its own pantheons, and although my understanding is minimal, there is much knowledge that must be acquired, memorized, understood and properly applied. Golden Dawn is one of the best known organizations dealing with ceremonial magick.


Books You Might Enjoy:

Marcus Cordey - Magical Theory And Tradition
Andrew Lang - Myth Ritual And Religion
Sir James George Frazer - The Golden Bough A Study Of Magic And Religion

Did We Invent The Gods

Yes. Or have they always been there? Yes. Are they reflections of us, or are we a mirror of them? Yes. Are our Gods external to us, or an internal representation of our own essence. Yes. Do we worship the Gods, or recognize that they are but a complex anthropomorphization we use to give meaning to our lives? Yes. All of the above. Every race of humankind views God/dess in their own image; racial features, social behaviors, etc.. And each race chooses how they will view the Gods. Those who must analyze their world into component parts will find more technical answers. Those who are content to enjoy the mysteries in our lives, simply use the magick inherent in the belief system. There is no conflict in saying that we worship the Gods, even though we are also scientifically based in our world. A rational individual can choose what they intend to do, even if that chosen behavior is irrational. So long as you know it, you acknowledge it and you accept the consequences, there is no conflict. The ability to explore your world rationally, only provides greater meaning to the method you implement in its exploration. There is always a structure, a paradigm through which we make decisions. And the pagan paradigm, which honors each individual as their own best authority, brings honor to all of us, and provides a base culture which works by recognizing everything and everyone's potential: everything and everyone's right to their own path and decisions.

d. Physiological changes based on magick use. Use of magick has other effects besides those not tangible or measurable by the average person. Training in magick has high demands on our mental and intellectual capacities. Earlier I mentioned that magick is weak unless your goal, ritual, and behavior all reinforce each other. That internal consistency is the product of a mind that has learned to examine itself and make rational, reasoned decisions on what its thoughts and behaviors will be. Recent scientific studies have shown that not only is this considered a plus for your in your social interactions, but it also has a physical effect on how your physical mind works. They did studies of individuals involved in Rational Emotive Therapy - a branch of psychology which teaches this internal decision making and consistency - and discovered that with time (three months, I think) the chemical makeup of the brain changed. There was more efficiency and different brain functions were enhance in information takeup. So magick is not only a great way to express your interaction with the divine, but it will literally change you.

e. Psychological changes based on magick use. The way you choose to view your world also has monumental effects on how successful and happy you will be within it. I worked for a very nice lady, named Rose. She had an odd tendency to go from an isolated negative incident to an assumption that everything was bad. If one person was five minutes late to work, she would dress us all down at staff meetings, cautioning everyone to be on time. Any isolated misbehavior became the model and assumption for future speeches. I tried to talk to her about it a couple time, but she just did not seem to understand, that it was only one person, one time. To her each incident was everyone, all the time. She - as I later discovered - was Catholic. The Catholic belief system is based on the idea that we are all horrible sinners, and without direct and frequent intervention and supervision, we would all tumble down that long hill to indulge in the very worst of our natures. With those beliefs as a starting place, it was a normal progression to believe that someone else was just about to demonstrate even worse behavior unless she was responsible enough to intercede now.

My view was very different. With a belief that each of us is a mirror of the Gods and much as they are a reflections of us, I believed the best of each person, unless it became necessary and obvious that their behavior was going to effect others. So, I might mention to the single offending individual that their behavior was not acceptable in this environment, but it would never occur to me to offend everyone else by assuming their behavior would also be negative.

How does this effect our daily lives? I like to illustrate it this way: if you were expecting your significant other to show up, and they not only don't show, but they don't call - ALL NIGHT! - you would very likely go past unhappy, concerned and worried, and proceed over to becoming really angry! If your view of the world is that we are all just bad behaviors waiting to get loose on the world, then it is not hard to see how you would easily assume that your significant other was rude, thoughtless and probably not worth your time.

Now, what if the next morning, you discovered that your SO's mother had a heart attack, your SO had to go to the hospital with her, and was the only family member available to give blood - since Mom had a rare blood type - so your SO had to stay overnight, and was tanked out on drugs to increase blood production and not coherent.

Now, what would your assumption be? Most of us would understand under those circumstances. Now let's look at the Pagan paradigm and review this incident. Same instigating factors, of course. No SO, no call. Now you are worried and concerned. But since you know that your SO is a responsible person, who would not deliberately inflict harm, and who values you as a person innately divine, there has to be something else going on. See, with an assumption that this person is innately divine and a reflection of the Gods, it takes more for you to assume that they are rude and scummy people. It would take actual proof.

So, from the wiccan paradigm, you are more likely to treat others, their decisions, and behaviors with respect. And you will incur that level of respect in their reactions to you. A definite Win-Win situation.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Sir William Stirling Maxwell - The Canon
Aleister Crowley - The Book Of Lies
Max Heindel - The Message Of The Stars
Phil Hine - Oven Ready Chaos
Ea Wallis Budge - Legends Of The Gods

Associative Magick

Associative magick is very similar to the sympathetic magick. Poppets for success and health are one of the most common forms of associative magick. What happens to this, will happen to that. So, I create a poppet by sewing together two parts of a simple doll-like figure (looks a lot like a ginger bread man). I make the poppet of green for healing, I sew up the edges visualizing each stitch as cementing the spell's success and holding in all the energy we have for our friend in this doll for that person's healing. Then, I stuff it full of herbs that should help with the healing. Sometimes, we write on the doll all that we hope will come to pass - sports, freedom from pain, whatever seems appropriate. If it is more than one person, then the entire group can then charge the doll by focusing their energies into the poppet. After that, the poppet can be given to the person it was intended to assist. As you can see there are many forms of magic involved in even the simplest working. Other forms of association, I keep coins or cash on my altar, to encourage its development. One might put something spelled and gold in a new wallet to encourage wealth. You might put a picture of the house you have always wanted in a box with other items that represent success, to encourage success in that endeavor.

Creative Visualization - most spells are a complex form of creative visualization. This process works not only for those who are involved in the magickal world, but is a profound force in the day-to-day world of many within our culture. The trick here is to bring into focus not just that you want this to happen, but that is has happened and all is now accomplished. Again and again the human psychology has shown that we work best when we can visualize the process and the outcome. Our minds tend to fill in the blanks of what needs to be done when we have established a definite goal and outcome.

Shamanic - entering that other world, that space and bringing back knowledge of personal interaction and sharing it with social group. Shamanic magick is not typically performed by individuals new to the practice. Some magick associated with Shamanic practices, such as performing meditation or vision quest for totem or spirit guides, is common. Within the shamanic belief system, they focus on the attributes and lessons that each animal has to teach. Looking for a focus animal can show what studies or personal development would be appropriate with a spiritual path.

Elemental - calling on the basic powers associated with the elements and blending their gifts in with your needs to provide a solution. This magick can work in more than one way. You can simply work a meditation on the element itself, Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit and explore the depths of what the meditation brings. Or, you can use an element as a focus through which you examine a particular situation in order to provide insight. Thus, you might look at your life through Earth, and examine it for evidence of grounding, sensual aspects, success and growth. If you looked at it through the lens of Water, you might examine your emotions, your development, transitions and transformative experiences. Etc. You may simply want to weave one or more of these elements into another spell or working. If you are working on a spell for a new job, then the Earth for abundance, the Fire for success, etc.

Colors - actually a form of elemental magick. This one is also woven tightly with the Creative Visualization within the process of acting in accordance with your stated goals. Again, using colors within your rituals and spells will assist in showing that inner symbolic mind consistent and meaningful messages related to your goal.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Jarl Fossum - Seth In The Magical Texts
Amber K - The Basics Of Magick
Thomas Moore - Candle Magick For Love
Aristotle - Metaphysics
Aleister Crowley - Magick

Animal Magic

A Circle fills the room with its special glow. Fragrant herbs perfume the air; candles light the night. And two small eyes glow up at you, knowing that they too are part of the magic.

People and animals have worked magic together in many ways, some of which were a part of everyday life. In agricultural lands, animals worked the magic of providing our survival through the winter. They provided food and materials used in all facets of the community.

Imagine a time before cars, trains and planes. People were somewhat bound to their homeland since walking cross-country seemed an endless journey. But then, on horseback, people could easily explore. Some say that the use of horses led to the major shifts in political and spiritual history, as one tribe invaded another with mounted soldiers, forever society and religion. For better or worse, horses changed the course of history.

Even in industrial times, we've worked with animals. You've heard the expression "a canary in a coal mine." Miners used canaries to detect problems with the air quality, oxygen level, and presence of invisible poison gas. Canaries were more sensitive to these threats and could alert the workers.

Magical animals are not unfamiliar to the myths of Old. For example, Odin used two ravens to fly around the world and report back all that they saw. Could this symbolic tale be rooted in a form of divination used at the time? In ancient Egypt, the scarab beetle was a symbol of eternal life. This lore is based on the way beetles rolled a ball of dung in which to lay their eggs. The idea of life from dung must surely relate to the eternal cycles of nature. Even the Christians assimilated symbols like the dove and the lamb. Animals as mythic symbols cross a wide variety of cultures.

In understanding these mythic animals, we must know the context in which they were viewed. For example, thousands of years from now, historians might not understand the exact emotions we attach to symbols when we say someone is a deer, or a jackass. Remember that next time you read the myths of Bast, or Cerberus, or even the American Eagle.

Today, most magical people think of familiars as their household pets, the little ones who provide joy, insight and companionship -- not to mention shed all over black clothing and robes! Animals in general are closer to nature than we are. They remember their instinctual ways easier than we do. Why limit this to pets? The animals around us in the field can share our magical moments? Did we encounter a gentle and curious deer along our first walk in the woods? Did geese fly overhead and squawk their applause for our lovemaking? How do these animal events speak to you? You can merely visualize your magical animal, like a totem guide or imaginary friend. (And you'll never need to pay for a vet!)

Whether in myth or reality, an animal's unique traits can teach us specific lessons in nature. Can we learn by watching an animal hunt? Protect its young? Weave webs? Float from one flower to another, tasting a mix of sweet nectars? Or nest and lay the fragile egg of new beginnings?

Don't limit your familiars to just animals. Why not a plant? Plants teach us about laying roots, growing wild, turning to face the light. Plants show us new ways to branch out, bear fruit -- or wither, fall and provide a subtle new start for others. Are we any different?

Why not have an object as a familiar? Are not all things in nature alive? Can an old gray boulder show us anything about weathering the tests of time? Can Granny's old wristwatch teach us about cycles?

Perhaps the most familiar idea comes when you know that you already hold all these special qualities within yourself. We too have animal ways, branch out like plants, and live the lessons of solid tangible form no differently than Granny's watch. Familiar means family, being One with another. Knowing you are One with all things makes everything seem quite familiar. And everything will look to you, knowing that it too is part of the magic.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Ophiel - The Art Practice Of Caballa Magic
Pansophic Freemasons - Masonic Symbolism
Melita Denning - Mysteria Magica Book V
Aristotle - Metaphysics

There Are No Restrictions For Magic And Miracles

Most people turn to wicca because they love nature and they feel drawn to this peaceful earth religion. But a few seem to seek the Craft in hopes to find a magical solution for the challenges in their life. Some have spent years jumping from one path to another, looking for the one that will finally help them get their life in order.

This brings to mind a line from the movie Six Days and Seven Nights, where Harrison Ford was telling Anne Heche that people often came to the island looking for love, but as far as he was concerned, "If they don't bring it with, they ain't gonna find it!" The power of the Divine can be like that too. If we keep hoping to find it through a specific group or organization, we may have a long journey ahead of us.

The truth is, the Divine is within us, and will be with us no matter what path we choose to take. We don't have to be a member of a certain group to experience magic or miracles in our life. We bring the power of the Divine with us on every path we journey down and can tap into it whenever we need to. There are no restrictions!

Books You Might Enjoy:

Sepharial - Astrology And Marriage
John Dee - Enochian Magic Spanish Translation
Anonymous - Meditation Of The Four Magickal Weapons
Peter De Abano - Heptameron Or Magical Elements

Magical Ethics

There's a saying among the contemporary pagan community that "black magic is whatever works, White Magic is anything else." This stems in part from a misconception that black equals bad, white equals good, and that there are no gray areas at all. However, nothing could be farther from the truth.

Let's look at the word black itself, and figure out why it connotates evil. A big part of that is thanks to pop culture -- after all, in popular shows like Charmed or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the good guys are the "white light" people. The bad guys are surrounded by darkness. Another part of the whole black = bad concept is because of people who can't let go of their Christian upbringing, in which those who are righteous are surrounded by the light of God, and those who are damned will dwell in darkness.

The problem with this logic is that darkness in and of itself doesn't have to be bad at all. After all, how beautiful is a quiet night out in the country, miles away from the lights of a city? Have you ever walked in the woods at midnight, embracing the comfort of the shadows? Darkness is what lies in the soil, below the earth, before a plant grows in the spring. It is the long nights of winter, when we are drawn into our homes to embrace our families and count our good fortune. It is the inside of the womb, warm and nurturing. Even the darkness of the grave, of death itself, may be seen as welcoming.

Once we accept that dark isn't all that bad, it's a lot easier to look at the concept of "black magic" vs. "white magic." Even if we replace the words "black" with "negative" and "white" with "positive", we're still in a bit of a pickle, and here's why: because it is the intent that matters as much as the action. In other words, if someone performs magic that others might see as "negative," but does it for what they believe is an honest and just reason, then is it really negative magic?

To do magic is to say that you want to bring about change in the Universe -- after all, if everything were perfect, there'd be no need for magic at all. Any magic capable of causing change is also magic that can harm, simply by its very nature. Magic isn't some Super Spooky Power that we have -- it's a tool we can use to precipitate changes. Any tool can be used for helping or harming -- if I have a hammer, I can use it to build a house. I can also use it to whack people in the head. It's not the hammer that's "negative", but what I choose to do with it.

Case in point: in the early nineties, a serial rapist was terrorizing the women of a coastal city in the Carolinas. His reported victims, over two years, numbered at least two dozen, including a teenage girl who later committed suicide. A group of witches got together one night, and did a working calling for this man to be stopped by the Universe. A couple of weeks later, the prime suspect -- who was later convicted -- led police on a high-speed chase and wrecked his car, nearly dying from his injuries. He has lived since then severely handicapped, but he never raped another woman.

Negative magic, or no?

There are people within the wiccan and Pagan community who feel that any magic that affects other people at all is unethical, and they have the right to not perform any magic on, against, or for others. However, there are an equal amount of people who believe that change brought about by magic is acceptable, just as change brought about by mundane methods is acceptable. Chances are, the two camps will never agree, but what you can do, as an individual, is respect the beliefs of those who may disagree with you, whichever side you may happen to fall on.

Look at magic as a way to improve your life. You can use it to bring love to you, to gain financial abundance, to eliminate problems from your life. You can use it as a method of growth and self-empowerment. It can be used to help you fulfill your dreams, desires and goals. Can you use magic to help other people? Sure -- if they ask you to. If they haven't asked -- or if they've specifically told you NOT to do anything on their behalf, then don't.

Ultimately, only you can decide which forms of magic fall into your personal system of ethics. If you feel a particular course of action is wrong, then avoid it. If you feel it is ethically acceptable, and you're willing to accept the results of your actions, then so be it.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Jarl Fossum - Seth In The Magical Texts
Margaret Alice Murray - God Of The Whitches
Kenneth Grant - Magical Revival