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(Number 245)
more about spells
Greetings,
It still astounds me how many people write to me asking for spells,
(even dark spells), as if the `mere recitation' of a so-called spell
has the power necessary to affect a change in the universe.
Actually, the only real use I have for most spell books I see and
collect nowadays is merely in artistic appreciation. Sometimes
however, these spells have given me ideas for my own spells and
rituals, but typically I read them merely for the pleasure of reading
a type of occult poetry.
A spell can be a poem, or a frantic chant, both of which though, must
reach inward to the individual with its symbolism and touch one's
heart and soul. When a spell has personal meaning in this manner, if
it makes you shudder a little, or gives you goose bumps, or even
makes you pause in silent reflection of its words, that spell then
has the potential for being effective in magickal working.
The structure of certain traditional forms of magick may work well
for some, but it would be a sad miscalculation to say that one form
of magick is more effective or powerful than another. Certain
systems will utilize techniques that may be more effective to some
individuals than over others.
It is actually my intent here in this chat group, (and the website)
in providing an understanding of the `underlying principles' of
magick, while not dictating specific spells and /or rituals. Simply
following someone else's spells from a book is too mechanical. It
lacks all depth! Such books may lose the physical structure of a
spell – outlining only what to do and say perhaps – but it does NOT
explain how to raise and direct the actual energy!
The dressing of candles, for example, is meaningless unless the
practitioner uses this technique properly. Actually, as many people
on this group might know, the oil itself may be a natural source of
external energy (for example rose oil being associated with love),
which can subtly add to the energy being raised, while the scent
provides an often powerful unconscious cue. The slow and repetitive
act of dressing a candle not only assists in altering one's
consciousness, but also provides a physical cue to the directing of
the energy into the candle and thus the magick itself. Although this
technique is often reserved for forms of candle magick, dressing the
Alter candles can often be a useful means of ritual preparation as
well.
Magick, as I have so often alleged, is a subtle art. Although
natural objects and rhythms in and of themselves are not enough to
work magick, they offer subtle, but often very distinctive, forms of
energy. They are tools that can increase performance, but CANNOT be
relied upon alone! True magick always starts and ends from "within"
the practitioner.
As I have always said here and on the website, that the structure of
a spell or ritual should be designed according to the needs of the
practitioner, and not dictated by tradition or some other nebulous
authority – Yah!? For who are/is this authority anyway?
Seasoned practitioners would use the techniques that are PERSONALLY
the most effective. This means that the practitioner should be able
to dissect existing spells to locate the various techniques and, when
and where necessary, replace/adapt/adopt them with techniques that
would/actually prove more effective for that individual alone.
Remember that the effectiveness of magick lies not in the procedure,
but in how those procedures affect the practitioner. It is not
enough to simply follow a spell or ritual verbatim, as it is to use
the structure of that spell of ritual effectively.
When I talk about raising energy, (and I won't go into all that again
here as it is outlined fully in the website), there are two basic
approaches: internal and external.
Internal raising of energy refers to the drawing of energy from
within the practitioner. The practitioner is the one doing the
empowering.
External raising of energy refers to the drawing of energy from
outside the practitioner, such as from an object or from a Deity,
Spirit Form, or Archetype.
Technically, even the external raising of energy requires a certain
amount of internal working as well, but it is more the approach that
I am exploring here. Any magick working relies on the practitioner
to some extent, who is charged with raising the energy and then later
using it to achieve a goal.
Some magickal systems, such as is used by many Wiccans, make use of
both techniques depending on the situation. Usually spells are
internally orientated and rituals, where the Goddess and God are
invoked, and are more external in design.
Actually, the acts of raising energy go hand in hand with the very
first step – that of establishing the proper frame of mind. Circle
casting not only helps define a space, and prepare the practiner for
the working, but it also provides a framework in which to build and
focus energy. Ecstatic dancing not only produces a tranlike state,
but also serves as a powerful tool for building energy.
The power of orgasm has also, throughout history, been used for
magickal, as well as spiritual, purposes and is covered a little more
in depth in the website. Incantations are a very simple and
effective way to raise energy. The ritual recitation, (usually
rhymed), produces a magickal effect. Although, some feel that the
words themselves contain power, it is usually the flow of the spoken
words and the intent, that elicits a reaction. However, since
certain words often trigger magickal thinking, the words themselves
can play an important part too I guess.
Visualization is a technique that can be used throughout the magick
working for various purposes. Energy can actually be raised using
strong visualization. Emotions are powerful forces indeed and I
should mention a little about them here perhaps, especially knowing
that they can be used as a very powerful means to raise energy.
Anger especially is quite potent, but any emotion can be used. The
basic idea is to link that emotion to the need of the working, such
as directing anger towards a bad habit that one wishes to break for
example.
Just as music can be used to relax and even empower us while
preparing for magick workings, it can also rouse our energy and help
build it to higher levels. As the music increases in intensity, so
does the energy we are raising, assuming of course that the
practioner has chosen mucic that has been found to be personally
effective.
In many forms of magick, such as in ceremonial magick, the evocation
and invocation of Spirits, Powers, Forces, and other non-physical
entities is used as a means of releasing energy. Although often
considered the same, technically, "evocation" is the summoning of an
entity outside of the practitioner and often in a commanding way.
Whereas invocation is the act of conjuring such entities into oneself.
In many forms of magickal working, especially in ceremonial magick,
use of Sigils is often utilized. Chaos Magick also uses Sigil
magick, Taoist magick definitely does in the writing of the "Fu".
Traditional Witchcraft utilizes Sigil magick as one of its major
powers.
Natural Power Places in the land can assist in harnessing that power
to help spells function more dramatically. And natural rhythms, such
as phases of the Moon, tides, seasons, astrological events, and for
many, the hours of a day and the days of the week can be used as
subtle, but extremely effective additions to magickal workings.
These rhythms not only have certain "flavours" of energy, but often
have coinciding psychological effects that increase the resulting
effectiveness of the work.
Of course as I have said earlier about the basics of belief,
confidence, state of mind, raising energy, releasing it and the final
grounding and forgetting about it, is the overall source key to
effective magickal working.
In summation, I can only say that magick is not an exact science. We
do not yet understand the forces that are being tapped, nor do we
fully understand how to access and direct these forces each and every
time. In a sense, magickal practitioners are pioneers into an
unknown aspect of Nature and we developed our own unique ways over
the eons of time, but we can see a pattern if we look closely and
learn from it!
Yours in learning and researching
Azaz
Web site - Coven of Cythrawl - http://www.coven-of-cythrawl.com/
Don't forget the Research Chat Group for members around the world at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Coven-of-Cythrawl/
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With Thanks
