Spells! Spells! Spells! - Part 2
                   (click here to go to Part 1)

When it comes to magick spells on web sites and books, you need to use a big tool. That tool is common sense. Here's a perfect example of what I mean. This is a real spell, that was published in a popular spell book (which shall remain nameless):

Spell to Find Love

Purpose of spell: to bring a lover into your life
                                       What you need: a red candle, your favorite essential oil, a pen, a piece of paper.

I laughed out loud when I read it. While the author gets points for making the spell clear and simple, love spells are never simple, and you NEVER wait around for Mr. or Ms. Right to come to your door. It's ridiculous to even think some guy or girl would just 'appear'. Give me a break! You keep the magick alive, by going OUT, to places where you'll be more likely to meet the kind of man/woman you're looking for, not sitting in a chair gathering dust waiting in vain for Mr. or Ms Right to magically appear at your door. The charm says "Bring the love I've yet to know", I don't think she realized that this wording could instantly exclude every person you've ever met in your life! She's totally overlooked the fact that someone you may just be friends with now, or were perhaps involved with, could turn into something much more, or you might run into an someone you went to school, college or other gathering with years later, which could lead to more...as long as you don't use that stupid spell. 

The spell also tells you to use your favorite essential oil, but never takes into consideration that it might have absolutely no love qualities. It could be good for money and fiancees, not love, for all she knows. It looks like she just slapped it together without using an ounce of common sense. That thing I told you to use when looking at spells, and everything you read about it, Witchcraft and Paganism in general. If it sounds to good, or stupid, to be true...it usually is, especially when it comes to spells. In yet another book by a well known author, I was looking for information on bottle spells. It had one alright...a curse! To give you an example of it, here are 3 quotes "Visualize the kind of revenge you would like this person to have", "He or she will be plagued by sickness and misfortune until you lift the curse", "...should only be done when absolutely necessary." There is NEVER a time for such utterly atrocious behaviour! This, from a book that also contains the 'Harm none, do as you will" Wiccan Rede no less!! I was so disgusted I wrote the author. I never did get a reply.

Always use common sense, I can't emphasize this enough. And always remember that a spell that worked for someone else dose NOT mean it will work for you. You don't know every detail, or circumstances of their spell, so how could it? You have to know what, why you're putting in certain ingredients, and actions into a spell, and most important, you MUST have total focus on your goal when you cast one. And NEVER talk about a spell you just performed with anyone! This will cause the energy to disperse and possibly disappear entirely due to the other person not believing your spell will work. So don't go around trying to impress your friends with your feats of spell casting. And remember, if you have any doubts when performing a spell, that energy will be sent out as well, and you definately won't get the result you wanted.

I'll give you a real life example how a spell can go wrong by being plain stupid, as well as not having the benefits of total focus that meditation, and visualization gives you in spades. As well as not having the exact outcome of your spell in your mind, and KNOW, not hope, it will work.  A not too bright Witch I know actually used the spell I just showed you. I don't like this woman. She can be very nasty, impatient, and conceited. She wants every spell to take 5 minutes to work, and despite pleading with her, as I have you, to start meditating and visualizing, she thought it was just stupid and a waste of time.

Any way, the only good part thing in this spell is "Write a list of all that you want in a lover and companion." That's exactly true of a real love spell, but you must take EVERYTHING into consideration, age, job, interests, height, weight, hair colour & style, facial hair or not, hairy chest or bare, eye colour, even penis, or breast size. Well my friend took some things into consideration like "Good sense of humor, well dressed, hates watching sports, nice smile" and that was it. She did variations of this spell for 2 years, and complained bitterly that "He" hadn't shown up yet, to her friends.

She finally swallowed her pride and came to me for advice. The first thing I asked was if she'd started meditating & doing visualization exercises. "No...that stuff's whack" (if felt like "whacking" her upside the head). I asked how long she concentrated on her goal. She did when she read the paper! She was just reading her paper with no focus or vision of "Mr. Right" whatsoever. Then I finally asked her something that a person with common sense would've included. "Did you say you wanted a heterosexual male?" Her whole face changed, she was so mad she smashed her fist into my coffee table. After thinking about it, she realized that almost every person she'd met in the last 2 years were all gay, or lesbians (not that there's anything wrong with that). But they did fit her description of what she asked for. This is a perfect example of what can happen when you don't have a clear mental focus of your goal, and are dumb or lazy enough to perform a spell without doing regular meditation, and visualization exercises. Things could have been much worse.

Another important thing that I've never seen mentioned is what I call "The back up spell". This is a spell you create in the event you screw up a spell, want to break it, and start fresh. This does not have to be an elaborately thought out spell. A small saying (try to make it rhyme if possible), something like "The spell was not complete, I ask the powers that be to make it obsolete." that verbally breaks the spell, burn the paper it's on, and clap the candle out with your hands. Or extinguish the flame any way you feel comfortable with the most. If you don't want to clap your candles out, get a candle snuffer. Some Witches believe that blowing out candles is doing a dishonor to the Air elementals. That dosen't really make sense to me as naturally occuring wind can do the same thing *shrug*. Clapping them out is best done very quickly and with a loud clap. It feels more natural and organic, to me, but you may feel differently. You should try it at least twice to see if you like it. I think it punches up the energy of spells. I prepare the way a baseball pitcher does, I spit in my hand, rub it together a few times and clap out the candle, when I've released the power I built up. Other times I stay in the circle until the candle goes out on it's own.

If you are just beginning to learn about Witchcraft, the last thing you should be trying to do is cast elaborate spells. While spells and magick are a natural aspect of  Witchcraft, it's the only part of our ways that carry danger, and therefor, should not be the focal point of your studies, until you have a firm grasp on all the other fundamentals of Witchcraft, by reading through my, and other web sites, reading, and taking the free Witchcraft, and Magick courses. If you really buckle down, and do some serious studying and practicing of (for the last time) meditation and visualization, you will have more than enough knowledge, and personal control, to create powerful and effective spells.

Spells can also be done for results down the road. For example, I want to travel the globe. I can't afford to right now, but I'm trying to save, and who knows what the future holds for my finances. I'll skip the obvious money spell, and show you the other way I'm trying to make it happen, by using what I had at hand, and a touch of magick. First I slowly began collecting things I'll need. Practical things like a orthopedic nap sack and shoes, luggage, first aid kit, and much more. But I have a visual ritual I do every day.

This is the top of a book shelf. As I said, my goal is to travel the world. So along with all the everyday things you do when preparing to travel, and I'm preparing, not 'wishing'. So I set up a female figurine with a snip of my hair in the top, a plane, and a globe. Everyday, sometimes 2 or 3 times a day, I put my hand on the figurine and say "I am going to..." then I touch the plane and say "travel", then I spin my globe and say "around the world!". This keeps my goal visually in my face 24 hours a day, and my actions produce results. After doing a bit of magick and setting up my 'goal altar' (another magickal practice I came up with), I announced to my friends that I was going to travel the world. Since I live on a small fixed income, most thought it ridiculous. I told them I was going to make it happen. "I'm going to travel the globe...get used to it if you want some postcards."

Soon people started believing in my goal almost as much as me, and decided to pitch in to make it happen. One will give me ALL the air miles he's been collecting for years! Another gave me pins of the flag to put on my nap sack and coat so people will know what country I'm from (Canada in case you missed the flag on the front of my web site). My goal is already becoming a reality, and it wouldn't unless I was totally convinced beyond any doubt that I will indeed travel the world. This is a perfect example of what I call "long term magick" (another idea I came up with). Which is magick that must be kept alive for a long time, when you realistically know you're not going be able to do what ever you're goal is, for a long time. For example, one could use it when beginning to train for something like a triathlon. Unless you're already in Olympic shape, competing in a triathlon will need lot's of training, and even more hard work, but it won't happen over night. Long term magick works. If it didn't, I'd still be living on the other side of my country!

I hope these essays have helped to give you a good idea about spells, how to create them, and how to do so in a way that will bring positive results.

Good luck to you on you magickal journeys!