Monthly Archives: October 2014

Do Spells Work?

Posted by Sephira in Reader Question, Spellwork, Witchcraft and tagged with , , , , ,

I have a question about spells, 1 do they work,  and do you think this one will work (one I came up with)

As I sit here in this hour,
And I raise up all my power,
I ask the God and goddess to send,
Money to me on the wind,
I charm this necklace on this night,
And wear it when money is tight,
Now I say this to you from me,
Now I say it so mote it be.

Yes. No. Maybe so.

Spellwork is very unpredictable. Can it work? … sure. Does it always work, every single time? … nope. Is there any way to guarantee that it will work in any particular instance? … again, nope.

At its most basic, magic is simply manifesting a desired goal or change through force of will. This is something that most people do, without realizing it, on a daily basis. We formulate a goal and we make it happen. In terms of spellwork, it’s simply a matter of doing it in a slightly different way.

Like anything else in life, there are many variables that impact whether or not a spell manifests the way that we want it to. A few points to consider:

  • First and foremost, magic cannot defy the laws of nature/physics. So things like sprouting wings, or transforming into some other being, are not something that are possible through spells.
  • Focus and clarity when working the spell – left unguided, magic will work in its own way and in its own time. So a vague, “money to me on the wind” could mean that you find a lost $5 bill in your pocket, rather than an actual sum of money that helps your financial situation improve. So be clear and concise when forming the intent of the spell, especially if you need specific help with something.
  •  Magic is not like what we see on TV or in the movies – there is no snap your fingers and POOF. Manifesting a spell takes work, and in general, doing something mundanely is infinitely easier than doing it magically. So if you are expecting to recite a few words and suddenly have money rain down on your head – while it’s not completely impossible, it would be very unlikely unless you first play the lotto, or (even better) take some other concrete steps towards improving your financial situation, such as applying for loan/grant, looking for a job, or some other sort of fundraising.

As a charm, your words are fine, especially if you are just looking to attract money in general. The key is raising the energy necessary to fuel the spell, charging the necklace with that energy, and then recharging it as necessary. However, if you have a specific need or need a particular amount of money before a certain deadline, then you need to be clear about that to avoid any potential misunderstandings. Additionally, the Gods aren’t ATM machines, so often if we want something from them, we have to give something first. Along that same line – if you don’t already work with a particular God or Goddess, you may want to look into at least introducing yourself (and/or forming a working relationship with them) first, before asking them for favors.

So it definitely has the potential to work, but as mentioned previously, nothing is ever guaranteed. But the way I see it, can’t ever hurt to try. 😉

Previous posts on spells and magic that might be helpful…

ON THE NATURE OF MAGIC & CHANGE: FIXING A BROKEN SPELL

MAGIC: ENERGY AND CURSING/HEXING

 

Wiccan Rede: An It Harm None

Posted by Sephira in Paganism, Reader Question, Wicca and tagged with , , , , , , ,

I am dating a man who is Wiccan…we are having a very serious disagreement about a spider!  I respect his Wiccan views and beliefs…but I cannot understand his logic regarding this topic.  I am terrified of spiders…it is irrational and logically I know its silly.  However, I cannot control that fear and it truly causes me serious distress.  He has a very large spider living above his front door.  Initially he wanted to bring it inside, but has agreed not to now.  I asked him to relocate the spider because he does not believe in killing them.  His response was no…it would cause the spider harm…and he believes in the first do no harm principle.  Its his belief relocating the spider will directly cause it harm.  Isn’t leaving the spider there causing me harm?  It causes me to have heart palpitations, extreme anxiety, and I cry!  Again, I know my fear is unsubstantiated, but it is real!  I feel he is completely disregarding my feelings and well being by not relocating it…but all he says is do no harm is in his blood and who he is!  Any advice?

I’ll start with straight and to the point. If your boyfriend cares more about potential harm to a spider, than he does about the woman he supposedly loves, then you need to RUN (not walk) to the nearest exit. Dump him.

Regardless of the actual meaning of the Rede itself (which I’ll get to in a moment), there are plenty of ways to humanely move a spider. There is absolutely zero reason for him to put that spider’s well-being above your own – A) because it can be moved without harming it and B) because even if it would cause harm… your life (and physical/mental health) should be a priority to him. If it’s not, then there is something seriously wrong. If he is not willing to put you first in these sorts of situations, he’s not worth your time or energy.

As to “do no harm” – at no point (ever), does the Wiccan Rede prohibit one from causing harm, and in fact, it is literally impossible to go through life without causing harm to someone or something. The Rede, which in full states ‘An it harm none, do what ye will, simply tells us that if it doesn’t cause harm, we can do whatever we want. But nowhere in that statement does it say if it causes harm, don’t do it. The point of it all, is for one to carefully consider their actions before taking them, and to be willing to accept the potential consequences of such actions – for good or bad. In the end however, if one feels that a harmful action is justified, and is willing to accept the consequences, then there is nothing preventing them from taking the action. For more information on the history and meaning of the Wiccan Rede, I suggest reading The Wiccan Rede: A Historical Journey.

It’s unfortunate that there are books and websites which offer misinformation regarding the Rede, which in turn cause people to end up believing that it is a literal prohibition against causing harm. But again as I mentioned to start, if your boyfriend is unwilling (or unable) to see that the harm he is causing to you is more detrimental than the harm moving the spider would cause, then he’s really not someone that you need in your life. It may sound harsh, but this is just a spider (and very easily remedied in a way that could make you both happy, which he is refusing to even consider)… what happens when it’s something more important?

Healing Spells for an Animal

Posted by Sephira in Reader Question, Spellwork, Witchcraft and tagged with , , , ,

Hi. I have a pet bird who has grown ill, and I was wondering if you know of any good healing spells for animals?

I know a spell is not a replacement for care from a vet, but our vet has told us there isn’t much we can do to help him, so I decided to try a spell to see if it can do something medicine can’t.

I have done healing spells on people in my family and friends and gotten results, but never a bird, are there major differences between the two? I’ve only found one spell but the moon is not in the right phase, and my bird might not make it until it is. Do you have anything that is not centered around the moon phase?

Any advice you can offer on the subject is greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

The short answer is that any spell that you have used successfully on a human should be fine for an animal, unless it’s crafted around a particular illness, or body part/function that is not found on the animal you are looking to help. If you need a better idea of the anatomy and physiology of the bird, in order to better direct the spell, you should be able to find information or diagrams online via a web search.

The longer answer involves thinking carefully about your pet, and the nature of its illness, as well as critically examining whether prolonging its life is in the pet’s best interest. Magic is not a cure-all, and it is unlikely anything you do will completely fix whatever underlying condition the bird has, if even a veterinarian can’t help. You may give your pet enough energy to sustain it for a while longer (months, maybe even years), but at what cost? If the illness is debilitating, or something that gets progressively worse as time goes on, will the bird’s quality of life suffer the longer it lives? No one (animal or human) wants to suffer needlessly, so it’s something to consider when making such a decision. No one wants to lose a treasured pet, but at the same time, it’s necessary to understand when magic might be helpful and when it’s time to let go.

In terms of actual spellwork, we are just past the full moon* and as the waning moon is good for banishing spells, I would suggest seeing if you can modify the one you have to fit. Otherwise, use it as a guide for crafting one with a focus on banishing the illness, or removing the source of the illness. It’s hard to be more specific without knowing the actual nature of the illness, as some healing spells are not appropriate for certain types of illnesses. I’d hate to direct you to something that isn’t right for your situation. For example, many healing spells focus on increasing healing, or other positive properties – the unfortunate downside is that if one has cancer, or another illness where growing/spreading would be severely detrimental, increasing is bad. Which is why knowing the nature of the illness is important when determining which spell would be effective or a better choice.

* (This was written based on that particular moon phase, however the current moon phase may be different depending on when one is reading this page. So if the moon phases are something that factor into one’s magical workings, be sure to verify the correct timing/phase before doing any sort of spell work.)