Tag Archives: witchcraft

Is The House Cursed

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

Hello…I’m really sorry, I feel entirely silly asking this, and I’m not sure it’s the right place at all. I always follow my intuition, always, but there aren’t many chances to do so. My grandmother has been very ill all of my life, I’m sixteen years old. She has COPD and a bunch of other things wrong with her chest. She has been in and out of hospital many times and had many near death experiences due to this. Basically. She was in hospital last week, and she was getting better! I didn’t think anything of it. I talked to my grandad (her husband) about the house they moved out of that we all used to live in, and he told me that when she does eventually die I will I will inherit that house. Of course I don’t care about these things. I love my gran. Just after we had that conversation, it made me feel uneasy, and then we got a call and she suddenly caught an infection and got really bad again. I felt partly guilty. Then later in in the week he gave me a key for that house, so I can have a look around. I went there, and stayed for a couple of hours

I just felt so uneasy being there, and kept thinking of my gran (who was at this stage getting better) a few hours later I got a phone call saying to get to the hospital as soon as I can because my gran was likely going to die. I felt like I should have seen it and that it was my fault. Tonight I was supposed to go back but when I got nearer I just felt really sick and nervous and like I couldn’t go in the gate because my gran was going to deteriorate again or something…

Is there anyway that the house could be cursed since it used to be her house?? I’m so sorry if this is somehow offensive or irrelevant or stupid or something I really do apologize, I just can’t understand it and I need to go to the house at some point but I could never live with the guilt if anything happened. I’m so interested in paganism and wicca and I hope to really embrace everything about the religion one day, but I have no idea how:P but yeah sorry again and thank you in advance!

One thing that I think is very important to note from the beginning, particularly with the elderly, but often with any sort of serious/life threatening illnesses – it is extremely common for someone to appear to be doing much better (in some cases, almost miracle-like) right before they end up passing away. So the fact that your grandmother was seemingly on the mend, but then took a turn for the worse, does not necessarily have anything to do with you or any potential curse (or other magical goings on). In truth, it’s more than likely just the unfortunate nature of how these sorts of things tend to go.

As to curses/negative energy… if the house has been in the family for years and years, there will be plenty of energy – good and bad attached to it. Could there be some sort of curse? Eh…maybe, but in this case, I really don’t think that is the issue. I think that you are worried about your grandmother and you feel a little guilty about benefiting from her eventual death (which is a perfectly normal thing to be feeling). The fact that those emotions seem to manifest more strongly when you are at the house or near it is pretty normal too, given that you will be focused on her when you are at a place that you associate with her.

In the future (hopefully far, far in the future), if you do end up inheriting the house, you can always do a ritual cleansing to help clear out any potential negative energies that may be lingering. For now, I don’t think that you going to the house is causing your grandmother any harm, but if going there is causing you anxiety, then it may be best to avoid it until things have settled down.

Family Gatherings: How to Cope

Posted by Sephira in Holidays, Paganism, Witchcraft and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

…here’s my question.  This Thanksgiving I’ll be required to spend the holiday in the company of conservative Catholic and “born again” in-iaws who are very “in-your-face” with their views.  Is there a prayer or meditation I can do to remain sane and calm in this situation?  Also, is there even a spell to keep them at bay? I’d appreciate any help you could offer.

It’s hard when you have to spend time with people who aren’t as tolerant or respectful of others, particularly at the holidays. Rather than anything magical, my personal tried and true method for dealing with such people, especially when I know it’s not worth engaging them in any sort of discussion about the issue, is to just smile and nod, and then try to steer the conversation to another topic if possible.

It depends to on exactly what sort of things they are saying, but in cases where someone is continually offering prayer or blessings – a simple “thank you” works well. Remember that even if it’s not your faith, the fact that someone cares enough about you to petition their higher power on your behalf should mean something. I realize this is really awkward too, if it’s unwanted and, for some people, it really is a huge issue for them (having unwanted Gods “blessing” them), but sometimes, unless we are willing to make a big deal out of it, it’s easier to just take the words as a sign that they care and let it go. It’s important to note too, that sometimes, people don’t actually realize that they are doing these things. Their religion is such a huge part of their lives that a lot of what they say is simply ingrained habit and not done as a conscious effort to annoy others.

For the more condescending stuff or holier than thou type people, avoiding them as much as possible may be the best option. Of course this may not work if it’s a small gathering, but again, actively looking for ways to change the subject can help. If necessary, spend a little bit of time before the gathering to look up some neutral topics and keep them in reserve for when things get really bad.

In terms of mantras, really anything that is comforting should be fine. It’s hard to give something concrete without knowing more about your practice and beliefs, but would suggest just using a simple “God/Goddess give me strength.” (feel free to state a specific God or Goddess if there is one that you have a relationship with or work with frequently). Alternatively, or in addition to that, you can visualize a shield surrounding yourself which absorbs or reflects unwanted and/or negative comments.

Spellwork is a bit trickier. If you are going to their house or the house of someone who you know would not appreciate you using witchcraft, then I highly suggest avoiding doing anything magical in their house or even directed specifically at them. Obviously, they are being disrespectful to you (and possibly others), but being disrespectful back won’t necessarily make the situation any better. (this of course will depend too on how you feel about performing magic on others without their permission – some don’t do this, others have no issues with it, and for others it’s a mix of the two)

If the gathering is at your house, you could do something directed at having a peaceful day. For something super simple, I’d start by cleansing the area and “sweeping” (visually or actually physically sweeping the house as you go) the house of negative energy. Then visualize the house shielded (similar to personal shielding) from negativity. Alternatively, you can also create a spell directed at yourself for helping to maintain calmness in stressful situations. For something more extensive you can use/modify the following, and particularly if you don’t have a lot of extra time, just visualizing the desired intentions into any food that is made can help make a difference.

PART ONE

Items Needed:

– food item (ideally oil or seasonings or something that you know everyone will eat or that can be mixed into a larger dish) that will be used in the upcoming meal
– container to hold the item

Spell:

– Cast your circle/create sacred space, etc… (or however you normally do your spellwork).
– Take a moment to ground and center yourself.
– When you are ready… place both hands around the container, visualize peace and harmony (or whatever other intentions you want to promote) spreading from you into the food item within. Visualize it permeating the item and visualize those feelings transferring to anyone who consumes it. At the same time, see any negativity being blocked.
– Chant (silently or aloud) three times:

Only peace and harmony will be found
As strife and discord this day are bound
We gather today – joy in our heart
This food we consume must play its part.

– take a few extra moments to continue charging the food with positive energy, then, if you have no other ritual activities, you can banish your circle/end the ritual. Be sure to thank any deities (if called upon) for their assistance.

PART TWO

Items Needed:

– Your blessed food item
– Ingredients for the meal you will be cooking (your choice – as long as the food item you used in the previous step can be mixed in)

Cooking:

– If you are cooking before you guests arrive, you may cast a quick circle around your kitchen area (if you feel called to do so). Sacred Space is always nice and adds to the specialness of the meal. Obviously if you will have other people running in and out of the kitchen (or you are going to be going in and out), then this can be skipped.

– Cook your meal with the food item. Visualize as you mix/prepare it, that the dish is taking on the blessings that you have charged the food item with. See the peace and harmony permeating your meal, see everyone gathered together having a good time.

Serving:

– When serving your meal, take a moment to give thanks for those who are gathered and offer blessings, as appropriate to help continue the positive intentions of the spellwork.

_____________

Hopefully, there is something in here that you find helpful. Here’s wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family.

🙂

Spellwork: Timing and Other Influences

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

Can one do a spell a day late?

The short answer is: yes. Because, as long as one is proficient enough in spellwork and writing/creating their own, they can typically modify almost anything to suit. However, having said that, it really depends on what the spell is, what the day was – were there specific energies that were being harnessed that are really only present at that specific time/date, etc…

For example, a friend recently lamented that they’d missed the Equinox and another had said it was no big deal they could still celebrate. Which is true, for the most part, except if one is looking specifically to do balancing work or some other spell that requires the equality of day/night that is typically only found on the Equinox. So could you still do it the next day… sure, but it’s not going have the same ummph as doing it on the day.

Similarly, the Blood Moon/Eclipse that occurred last night – having spellwork that was centered around using the energy created by the eclipse itself will not be as effective if it’s done tonight. Sure there will still be the full moon, but it’s missing that something extra. In this case, if one were going to change the date, it would be better to modify the spell so that the eclipse energy was no longer a key component.

Of course for some people, things like correspondences, moon phases, planetary alignment, days of the week or other considerations aren’t a huge part of their magical practices – and that’s perfectly fine. So in those cases, doing something one day versus another may not make that much of a difference. However, if one does feel that those things (or the lack thereof) do have an impact, changing days can affect the energy of the spell and/or cause it not to work the way it was intended.

In the end, it’s going to come down to one’s own personal practices – whether they are solitary/eclectic or part of an established tradition that may or may not have specific guidelines for spellwork. If one typically places a strong emphasis on timing, then changing something even slightly can throw things off. If one is more flexible and able to work with whatever is available, then changes are more easily compensated for. The key in both is to make sure that the spell being used is customized for the person using it – don’t take something from a book and use it “as-is” if the conditions don’t fit. The more energy we put into making it fit our needs (including timing, if that is important) the better it will be in the long run, in terms of working the spell successfully.

Jealousy and Unconsiously Cursing

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

I have a long time best friend I love like a sister. We met in High School and I quickly learned that her life had been extremely difficult. Her family was cruel, unsupportive & financially unstable. She took medication that caused a lot of weight gain which crushed her self-esteem. While she is otherwise fiercely loyal, supportive, and caring, she is very bitter about how different our lives were. My family life as a high school student was the complete opposite of hers. She didn’t know I had an eating disorder and resented me most for being thin.

She would act very petty, bitter, and jealous towards me on a daily basis.

I stopped tolerating it when she began copying my appearance, speech, and eventually my artwork. When I confronted her she refused to back down. We didn’t speak for a REALLY long time. When we did finally become friends again she had long since quit her medications and lost the weight. She seemed really happy, like she grew into herself. I assumed she wouldn’t feel the need to act the way she used to and wrote it off as being part of the past.

after that I moved to a different country and when I came home to the US she visited me. I had gained weight as a result of fracturing my tailbone which was healing very slowly and the muscle pain that came with it. I decided to tell her about the eating disorder and asked her not to talk about things that related to that subject. Instead she made sure to bring it up in not so subtle ways as much as possible. I know she did it because she is insecure and bitter, but it troubles me that she was so happy to see me unhappy with myself.

since then I still struggle with my weight constantly despite playing roller derby, becoming a clean eating vegan to help my body and mind, regularly going to the gym, and doing everything I can to stop my negative thoughts and correct them. I keep a record of my food/exercise habits and my doctor looked over it and said everything looked on point.

I am not suggesting she has made it impossible for me to lose weight! I just wonder if it is possible for someone to unintentionally ‘curse’ you by resenting you out of envy and bitterness, especially if that person has resented you for such a long time? and as a result hinder your own progress. because she is VERY bitter. . . and she seems to need me to be less successful in my endeavors to be happy with her own self, at this point in her life.

I decided not to be passive anymore and to give my two cents on any snide comments, but also that I will be understanding and patient because she is still struggling with her own insecurities.

What can I do to protect myself from jealousy?

It may seem harsh, but if this person’s behaviors are bothering you, to the point that you feel their jealousy and bitterness are potentially unconsciously cursing you – then you need to permanently sever your ties to them. That is the best way to protect yourself from this sort of deep-seated hatred. And make no mistake, it is hate. No one who is a true friend, would harbor these sorts of feelings, or act in this manner – particularly over such a long period of time. To put it bluntly, a “friend” who gets their kicks from seeing their friends fail, isn’t a friend.

Within healthy relationships, we may all have occasional moments when we are jealous, or feel a bit of bitterness here and there, particularly when we may be struggling and they seem to get all the good stuff, but it is typically fleeting. A momentary dark cloud that moves across the sky and is then gone, to be replaced by happiness and genuine supportive feelings that our friend is awesome and deserves all the good things. Because hey… if we’re not making it, then someone better be!!! Lingering negative feelings speak to a relationship that is not a healthy one, and unless the underlying issues can be resolved, it’s often better to part ways, rather than allowing such negativity to continue festering.

As to unconsciously cursing or even casting spells in general – I think that any time we put a lot of energy into something, especially energy that is emotionally charged, we have the potential to affect things. At it’s most basic, magic is simply manifesting a desired change through force of will, and as such, when one is intensely focusing specific negative thoughts (particularly over a long period of time), the odds are pretty good that there will be some sort of manifestation related to those thoughts.

Having said that however, I don’t necessarily think that your friend has caused you to have difficulties losing weight. While it’s sometimes easier to look for magical reasons behind something, the answer is generally much simpler. In this case, it’s likely just a matter of genetics or basic human biology. Once we reach a certain age our metabolism slows down, and it becomes much harder to lose any extra weight that we might put on. Couple that with an injury that makes exercising hit or miss and it’s the perfect recipe for weight that doesn’t want to budge.

Though it may be difficult, especially with someone that you consider almost like family, in the end, there often comes a time when we have to chose our own well-being over our “friends.” If we are to lead happy and healthy lives, we have to be mindful of our own mental, emotional and physical needs, and sometimes that means cutting the negative people from our lives. Even even more so, those whose sole purpose in life seems to be sabotaging the happiness of those around them.

 

Mentoring and Circle Casting for a New Witch

Posted by Sephira in Paganism, Reader Question, Resources, Witchcraft and tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

Hi! so recently I’ve gotten into witchcraft and was interested in starting as an eclectic witch, the problem is, I need a teacher (I’m scared I wont cast a circle right and I would like a teacher to teach me correctly so I don’t screw up). help?

You can always ask questions when you have them, here or via our tumblr page, but unfortunately, we don’t do direct mentoring/teaching. You can also check WitchVox or Pagan Meetup, for groups or individuals in your area who are open to teaching others. In both cases, make sure you ask prospective teachers about their expertise and background to verify that that they are in-fact knowledgeable (as much as you can anyways). It may also be difficult to find anyone, depending on how old you are, as many people will not work directly with those who are under 18, for legal reasons.

In general terms of the “how to” of doing rituals, I would highly recommend The Elements of Ritual by Deborah Lipp. It’s probably going to cover everything you could ever want to know, including “why” some things are done the way they are, which will be helpful in understanding that (among other things), short of not fully closing/opening a circle, there’s not a whole lot you can screw up with casting a circle. Additionally, there are innumerable ways to cast one, so generally, however works best for you is fine. But I can understand too that it’s nice to have someone to talk it all over with as well, which is hard to do when one is solitary.

It’s probably important to note too, that not everyone even uses circles, so it also depends on your own style of witchcraft. I do think, that regardless of circle use, it’s always good to learn proper grounding and shielding techniques, depending on what sort of workings one will be doing. But a full-on circle may not be necessary for many things, again, unless it’s something that works for your practice.

Also worth mentioning, is in being solitary and eclectic, the benefit to that is you can do, more or less, whatever you want to (within reason). The caveat of course, is if you are taking practices or beliefs from other cultures, make sure it is done so with respect and a deep understanding of the religion/culture that one is pulling from. So if you are doing your own thing, you may not have as much to worry about, in terms of screwing things up.

The other part, is that we all make mistakes, it’s an inevitable part of life. The good thing is that we can learn from those mistakes. So when they happen, don’t get too upset over them, simply take them for the learning opportunity they are, and resolve to do better next time. It may also help to keep a notebook when you are just starting (separate from any BOS or grimoire that you might be keeping), with detailed notes on – hey… this went well, or ewww, no… not doing that again. That way you can refer back and know what parts does and doesn’t work for you, hopefully, making the learning process a bit easier.

For additional resources to check out on your new journey, I would suggest reading the following – Solitary Witch – Where Do I Start? And again, if you have any other questions, feel free to ask. 🙂

 

Passing On: What To Do With A Wiccan’s Things

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

I just found out that my Grandmother, who passed away several years ago, was a Wiccan. It was never discussed, and was never brought up in the past. I didn’t come to the realization until recently when my mother had mentioned that she had books on witchcraft in a passing comment. While I don’t practice spellcraft, being more focused on spirituality and meditation, I would like to recover said books as it breaks my heart to think they are gathering dust in some basement. I’m not sure if I will find her grimoire or not, as no one knows if she kept one. Like I said, her being a Wiccan was never discussed, and my mother wasn’t even certain that was her religion. So what I’m getting at here, I’m not sure what to do if I find it. I was hoping you could offer suggestions how to handle this situation. Part of me feels as though I’ll be breaching a boundary of privacy by looking into the grimoire if I find one, another part of me demands that I look inside if I do find one for there were a lot of questions that sprung up around her passing.

The answer really depends on if she was an initiated Wiccan (or similar Witchcraft tradition), which would make much of what was in her BOS likely oathbound, or if she was solitary, eclectic, or other non-oathbound tradition. If there is any way to ascertain this, that would be an important first step.

If she was an initiate of an oathbound tradition, her regular books and things would probably be fine for you to keep (though I would suggest cleansing and re-consecrating before using any tools), however her BOS should be returned to someone else who is of a similar initiated status/lineage. If she was Wiccan (BTW) you can check on Amber and Jet, to find someone who can help, if that is the case. If she was part of some other oathbound tradition, you would need to see if you can contact others from within that tradition for their thoughts on disposing of it. The alternative, in either case, would be to simply burn the book, which seems extreme, but is the best way to ensure that any oathbound information contained within does not fall into the hands of those who are not supposed to have it.

If she was solitary and/or part of a non-oathbound tradition, then it’s really up to you. If you knew your grandmother well enough, you are in a better position to know whether or not she would want someone with similar interests using her things. If you are unsure, I would suggest meditating on the question. Maybe even doing some sort of journeying or communication work, in which you contact her and ask specifically – Do you mind if I do this? Personally, if I passed, I would want my things given to someone who would find them useful, but I know that is not always the case with others.

Also, you mentioned questions about her passing – not sure what that means exactly, but realize too that her beliefs and practices probably had nothing to do with her death. If there are lingering questions, the answers probably won’t be found in her things. If they are just general questions about her life, then I think reading through her things would be a good way to better understand her, and keep her memory alive. The key of course, is making sure that what you are reading is not anything that is supposed to be oathbound.

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

 

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.)

On the Nature of Magic & Change: Fixing a Broken Spell

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

I’m trying to figure out how to fix a broken pendant spell. But so far I haven’t found much luck on finding anything that could help me. I desperately want it fixed because it means a lot to someone I care about dearly,but don’t know how to fix it. PLEASE HELP!!!

How is it broken exactly, or what exactly needs fixing?

Magic isn’t like Harry Potter… we don’t wave a wand while saying “reparo” and suddenly make it all better. So if it’s a chain, or other physical part of the pendant that is broken, the only way to fix it would be to take it to a reputable jeweler and see if they have someone on staff that does metal working and/or jewelry repair. Other options would be if you know anyone who does jewelry making that is proficient in wire wrapping or, at the very least, has the tools/supplies to fix the chain (if that is indeed what it is).

Outside of physical aspects, without knowing how it’s broken (in a magical sense), it’s nearly impossible to direct you to the right spell (assuming that such exists). Of course in most cases it’s better to write your own anyways, but sometimes it’s nice to be able to see what others have written to use a guideline if it’s something that is unfamiliar to you.

Some sort of general things that you can try are cleansing and recharging if it’s a matter of the pendant not seeming to hold the same properties that it once had, but again without knowing specifics it’s really hard to give any sort of really concrete, advice.

The charm’s spell was based off of the first time my significant other and I gave ourselves to each other physically. But once we briefly broke up,the spell was broken when I gave myself to another. I’m sorry if this is tmi but I desperately want to fix it now that I’m back with my ex. Nobody else has been willing to help or I couldn’t find anything to help. Please keep in mind that I only would like to use white magic for this.

Unfortunately, there’s really not any way to fix it. The energy the original magic was fueled by has changed, as the nature of your relationship has changed. Typically the way to fix something like that is to recharge it, but there’s not a way to get a “first time” back. So there is not a way to recharge that specific energy.

Having said that though – if you broke up, but are now back together, you can still recharge it in a similar ritual. The key being, to base it on the renewed relationship and the stronger bonds that you have formed by going through some rough waters, and overcoming those challenges to renew your love, despite it all. There is powerful magic in that as well, and it signifies the changes you both have been through (apart and then together again).

It won’t be the same as it was (as with life, there are just some things that we simply can’t get back once they are gone), but it doesn’t mean that what we are left with can’t be as sacred or as meaningful. Life is a fluid thing, it moves and changes, twists and turns, even when we may not want it to (and in ways we may not want it to). When it does, sometimes we just have to make the best of what we are given.

Your relationship is not the same as it was, and never will be – nor will the magic of the pendant, but that doesn’t make what you have now any less than it was, only different. It’s time to make some new magic. 😉

TIP: Social Justice and Witchcraft

Posted by Sephira in Paganism, TIPs, Witchcraft and tagged with , , , , , , ,

There is a lot going on in the world these days that can quickly raise the public’s collective ire, affecting not only our hearts, but our minds as well. One only has to turn on the news, or check our tweets, tumblr pages, Facebook or other social media to see these stories and with such insta-access to information, it can sometimes be extremely easy to rush to judgement, and/or rush to action before all facts are known. Even at times when it might seem like we have all the right information, the situation can change just a short time later, and we find that erroneous news was posted, or of course there are always situations where trolls or other malicious individuals (or groups) choose to purposefully post misinformation for a variety of reasons.

In these cases, there is often a quick call for “justice”, or a call to “take action” to right the wrongs being done, or to curse those who are perpetuating such wrongs, etc… In other cases, general calls may be put out for people to “do something”… anything to help make the situation better. There is nothing inherently wrong with this – wrongs should be righted, people who are in need should be helped, and curses can be effective in situations where other options have failed. The key in all of these, however, is to stop first and think carefully before taking any action.

Emotions, particularly such as the sadness and anger that are often present in times of harsh injustice, make for powerfully energetic fuel for spellwork, and it is reasonable to want to use those emotions when they are raw, and their peak for better effectiveness. The issue with that though, is that when our emotions are running high, we are less likely to be thinking clearly, which can:

  • cause us to make decisions which may or may not be the best choices (or most helpful overall) to make
  • cause us to act erratically and/or less focused, which can affect our spellwork in a number of ways as well
  • cause us to do something that we may regret later when we’ve had time to cool down

Additionally, if we rush to action, without allowing sufficient time for all the correct facts on a situation to come to light, we run the risk of taking the wrong action, making the situation worse (even if we were trying to help), or particularly in the case of cursing – risk targeting the wrong person/group of people (in the case where an initial person names may or may not actually be the one(s) responsible). For example: with the on-going issues regarding the Michael Brown incident in Ferguson, MO, posts were circulating within a day or two purportedly stating the name of the officer involved. These later were determined to be erroneous, when the police finally released the officer’s actual name. So in those cases if someone took immediate action based on the initial posts, more harm than good could have come from that action.

Another issue is focus. When a large group of people take a variety of different actions, often spellwork may end up working at cross-purposes. Not only that, there may be cases where those working a spell aren’t being specific enough. Using the water situation in Detroit as an example: rather than doing a ritual focused on ensuring that the water of those in Detroit, whose water had been shut off, was restored to them (which is what should have been done – or something similar), potentially there were people just generally working with the intention that the people of Detroit have enough water, or just have water (or something equally vague). And I’m not saying this is what actually happened, but I found it really odd that with the situation that was going on – people not having water – suddenly Detroit was flooded with record breaking rainfall. Just something that really made me think about magic and focus, and the consequences of not properly phrasing one’s spells. The old adage seems appropriate… be careful what you wish for.

This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t take action. Absolutely we should, and with every tool available to us – witchcraft being one of those tools. The point is that we have to think carefully before we do. Don’t join in with the “mob” mentality, grabbing our torches and pitchforks before critically examining the situation ourselves, and researching all available facts and evidence. Just because you see a post circulating on your dashboard, does not make it true – don’t let your emotions get the best of you, when it comes to making sound judgements and crafting your spells.