Let’s take a look at how magick works in theory and how to work it for yourself. There are some standard “laws” many witches and Wiccans apply to how to work with the energies of magick and the universe (this included elemental energies, spirits, gods, etc..). Not witch or Wiccan believes these to be absolute laws, as in the law of gravity. However, many witches believe they are more like working theories. In my practice of the Craft, they seem to be like observations on how things tend to work, rather than absolutes or even something as organized as theories. Does understanding these laws always about the mechanics of it or why a certain working keep failing? No, it doesn’t. For every two people, there are at least three opinions. Magick is one of those mysteries of life. You may never understand all of the hows and whys. You may not physically be able to perceive it, but once you experience it, there is no denying it’s existence and influence in our lives.
Let’s cover some of the fundamental “laws” behind we believe magick works:
[level-path-of-magick-part-1]
Principles of vibration/energy: Exactly what energy is, is very hard to define. After doing more research into what is known about energy, surprisingly most of the definitions available describe energy in terms of what it can do, and not what it actually is. In their curriculum primer, the New Mexico Solar Energy Association (NMSEA) explains the problem behind the accepted definition of what energy is, because “energy refers to a condition or state of a thing.” Everything is comprised of energy, it runs our bodies, our technology, and our world. Even the smallest bits of matter have energy. What seems to be a solid “thing” is comprised of energy, but the energy of solid matter is moving so slowly it’s as if the energy is “frozen”. Our bodies run all on sorts of energy, electrical impulses, organ generated bio-electricity, food break down and conversion, and of course, our subtle energy system ( your chakras, meridians, aura, etc…). Even a chair has energy in it. Granted it’s hard to effect the energy of a chair without using physical means, like breaking it or paining it, because the bond between the molecules and the program of the energy has a strong inherent bond. There have been some amazing findings in quantum mechanics that support the idea that perhaps magick works by influencing and manipulating the flows and states of energy. We will look much deeper into energy in chapter 2, section 2.
Principles of Holography: What we think we see, isn’t necessarily all we understand about something. Our brains are holographic processors, our eyes take in light, in other words energy, and transmit those impulses into the brain for interpretation. From the light we perceive, your brain is able to extrapolate all sorts of information, because energy contains packets of data in it about what it is we are perceiving. But the information contained in energy is not one dimensional or even three dimensional, it is holographic. So, not only are you perceiving a chair, because you are taking in the light from the chair through your eyes, your brain is also perceiving everything there is to know about that chair because of the packets of data each contain a full description of everything there is to know about the chair. In our normal day we have little need to have a full and exact interpretation of everything there is to know about the chair. We process only what we need to know in order to work with and around the chair. Yet the more we exposure we have to different types of information, such as psychic impressions, telemetry, the more we will be able to learn about the world around because we are training our brains how to process new and different types of information.
The law of attraction: We attract like things to ourselves. Whether for better or worse, a positive attitude or negative attitude affects what comes into the personal sphere of life and the speed at which they come into our lives. It comes down to energy and magnetism, like the old saying goes, like simply attracts like. But just as the polarity of a magnet can be changed, so can the personal polarity between negative and positive. For general purposes here, positive things are that which feeds the soul, adds a glow or shine to life, encourage love, they keep us moving and growing. Negative things keep people in ruts, keep us fearful, keep us angry, or rejecting the choices people need to make in order to stay healthy. But passive energies, like pity, grief, and loneliness also keep us in negative patterns, for alone, they don’t allow for growth, but invite more stagnation. Acting and speaking from a positive perspective will attract positive energies into the personal sphere. For instance, “why won’t anyone love me” is a statement based on grief, and possibly driven out of loneliness. But, “I want to learn to love again” puts us on a road open for growth. This is a lesson vitally important in spellwork, because we want to keep things as positive as possible, so no unnecessary harm comes to us or others.
The law of limitation: In order to move forward we make choices. It’s basic cause and effect. In order to proceed down a particular path, we must chose to take step in one direction, instead of doing something else. While the universe is infinite, each and every moment we have is not infinite in time and resources (like personal energy levels).
The law of correspondence: Hermetics says, “as above, so below”. Meaning as in Heaven, it is reflected in this here and now, and vice versa. Some take this very literally, if there is a tree here on earth, then there is a tree somewhere beyond the veil that corresponds to it. My understanding of this is much less literal. Experience has shown me each and everything has it’s own projection or shadow on the entirety of creation. My belief on this topic is influenced by some of my studies into the work of the medicine, what Westerns call “shamanism’. One of the specific duties reflected in traditional Siberian shamanism is the act of calling back pieces of a fractured and broken soul from beyond the veil, to the person in need of healing. To me it would seem that living things might have various reflections into the different domains or worlds beyond the veil.
This law has a much more practical application in the world of magick. Everything is some sort of reflection of the divine and reflected the worlds beyond the veil. Likewise, the aspects of it which appear in other places are also reflected in this world. So if somewhere beyond the veil, the herb Rosemary, takes on the significance of protection, somewhere it is has been blessed with those attributes, then here on Earth it will also have those attributes. All those part of us and plants and stone and animals that connect to somewhere else, aggregate to form an essential nature of us and particular thing, that has all the attributes form various places in this world or another.
Law of polarity: Every human is a balance of opposites. Unfortunately, we live in a highly polarized world, black vs. white, good vs. bad. But wisdom tells us the things we fight hardest against, are usually those things which we need to look for further growth. Sometimes we get stuck on one end of our polarized belief about who and what we are, when in actuality we are fluid beings, who are adaptable, and able to change. We need to accept all forms of who we are, and appreciate the lessons and perspectives that come from different aspects of ourselves. One of the more important lessons for the magick path is that the logical conscious mind and abstract subconscious mind should work in tandem and in balance, so that we can imagine new possibilities for ourselves and know how to bring those possibilities into reality.
Neutralizing harm and the Wiccan Rede: Not all Wiccans, witches, and pagans believe that we are obligated neutralize harm. Life often likes to remind us, sometimes we need to suffer through something, in order to learn how to heal our lives. The debate around the rede comes down the this section: These Eight words the Rede fulfill: “An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will” . While these are generally good words to live by, karmically speaking, is this really a universal law? I can not answer this for others. But I do think we have the right to defend ourselves. There are ways of defense that are non-violent, and non-destructive. This choice will obviously be made out of intent and circumstance. Not all circumstances are equal, nor all actions. Learning to be accepting of the consequences of our choices is key. That being said, it has been my experience, that tit for tat, does not make things right or good again. And turning the other cheek, at times, is not really a solution. Ethics will be discussed more depth in later chapters.
Bearing all this “theory” in mind, how would these laws of magick help cast a spell?
Whether well thought out or not, whenever we chose to bring a result into being, we are using the process of magick. The first step in consciously using magick is form an intention. While considering how to form your intention, keep in mind the law of attraction and the idea behind the Wiccan rede. An intention should be formed as positively as possible. And generally speaking, a practitioner should try to avoid damage to self and others. Here is a link to an interesting discussion about spell work and intent: Tarot Forum: archived post
In alignment with the intent, a practitioner can chose to work with corresponding helpers, like herbs, stones, music, and the like. This idea comes from the law of correspondence. Roses are associated with love (usually through the domain of fire, so it has the flavors of passion, romance, and lust to it), so roses can add a feeling and energy of passion, romance, and lust to a love spell. Use as many or as little corresponding helpers as needed, this idea also extends to alter tools, like wands, athames, chalices and so forth. Using the example above, once more, a love spell, love has to do with fire and emotions, so a corresponding alter tool to consider using would a wand (a tool of fire which corresponds to passion and lust), chalices(a tool of water, which corresponds to emotions),and cauldrons (a tool of water, which corresponds to emotions). The choice of which helpers to use in a spell can be made from tables and lists in books, but sometimes it is simplest go out with things on hand that your intuition calls you to use. It is a good idea to have some sort of plan for how the spell is going to be preformed(light a blessed candle, use knot magick, do a ritual bath, etc..)before beginning the spell (will you cast circle, will you invoke a god or goddess, will you call the quarters, and what comes first), so it will be easier to reorient yourself should you lose your place once you have begun. Other things to think about are performing the spell at the proper moon phase, planetary house, use of colors, incense, candles, herbs, and stones.
Once the spell has begun, use the law of vibration or energy. By some technique, raise energy, increase your bodily energy. Most times, intentions are being fed by emotions. It is much harder to do a spell when there is no personal feeling behind it, emotions enliven us and our magick, they make our energy flow freely and they can charge, flavor, and tint our energy to their specific feeling. Raise your energy, much like the energy would raised for a night out on the town or a date. A little dancing and a little good music, can pick personal energies right up, and matching the music and dance to the intention will help achieve the needed transition into the proper mood for the intention. You can do other things besides dancing to raise energy. A few other common ways of raising energy are by chanting, singing, or even visualization of achieving your result.
Once you are all charged up and you have your energy attuned to the need or intention, it’s time to release it out into the universe. It’s a good thing to decide what action to take to release the energy, because building up or raising personal energies can be seductively nice. Chose a definitive point or action at which to stop and say good bye to the energy that was raised. It can be a clap of your hands, a shouted phrase, a chime or gong, or even pose. Like releasing a balloon for a special occasion, no one wants that energy to come back. The energy should soar into the heavens and/or earth (depending on your intent), and you don’t want to call that energy back to you before it’s had a chance to work. The feeling of releasing energy out into the world, for me, is a kin to saying farewell to a loved one who is going on a spectacular trip. Like that love one, the energy should have the time and space needed for it to succeed and then find it’s way home to you in the form of the goal. It can be a matter of faith to trust that those will be taken care of and to return to you when it’s time and in some way for the better changed.
Working with magick should be intensely personal. It should be fueled by passion and life. It is an organic process. As you find the magick within yourself, I believe, that you are going realize just how intrinsic it in your life. After sometime, you might even be able to look back to your “pre-magick” self and see how you were working it in your own way, and that you might have had the connection all along.
Assignment: A Personal experiment
The Classical world thought of the study of magick and world as a natural science. In this course, we are focusing on getting in touch with magick, but there is no magick without you! We spoke a little bit about energy and using personal energy in this section, so for this exercise I want you experiment with raising your energy with intent. Take a look at your music collection, and if you have to take a good listen to the words and the beat of the songs. Figure what kind of music would be good for these types of intents:
- Uplifting or empowerment: What songs make you feel like you are strong enough to tackle anything?
- Letting go: What songs make you feel like you could see the silver lining of leaving something or someone, or helps you see that you need to get on with your life despite something or someone?
- Banishing things of your life: What songs make you feel like a “bad ass”, ready to kick some tushie, and/or in complete control of your life?
- Healing: What songs or music put you in touch with your inner Divine, your higher power, and/or your sense of faith?
- Protection: What songs or music make you feel that you are not alone and/or connected to the Divine.
Which types of songs and beats make you feel like you could accomplish acts in each of these intents? This is an exercise in meta-magick or mini-magick. Many people already use music to change their mood around or help through situations, either writing, listening to it, singing it, or dancing to it. So, this is a furthering of the same idea and making conscious connections to things we already use in our lives to create conscious change. What other things do you use to create change in your life?
- Food and teas
- Incense or air fresheners
- Bath, shower, hot tub or sauna
- Wardrobe
- Cosmetics or hair accessories
- Exercise
- Time outdoors
- Time with friends or family
Each of these things can be used in as tool to help make changes we want to make in our life and in our world. Record what you think about how you use music and, if you feel adventurous, this last list of things and anything else you can think of, and how you already use or tap those resources in your life.
Don’t forget to submit your assignment for review!!
[easy_contact_forms fid=4]
[/level-path-of-magick-part-1]
[level-current-students]
Principles of vibration/energy: Exactly what energy is, is very hard to define. After doing more research into what is known about energy, surprisingly most of the definitions available describe energy in terms of what it can do, and not what it actually is. In their curriculum primer, the New Mexico Solar Energy Association (NMSEA) explains the problem behind the accepted definition of what energy is, because “energy refers to a condition or state of a thing.” Everything is comprised of energy, it runs our bodies, our technology, and our world. Even the smallest bits of matter have energy. What seems to be a solid “thing” is comprised of energy, but the energy of solid matter is moving so slowly it’s as if the energy is “frozen”. Our bodies run all on sorts of energy, electrical impulses, organ generated bio-electricity, food break down and conversion, and of course, our subtle energy system ( your chakras, meridians, aura, etc…). Even a chair has energy in it. Granted it’s hard to effect the energy of a chair without using physical means, like breaking it or paining it, because the bond between the molecules and the program of the energy has a strong inherent bond. There have been some amazing findings in quantum mechanics that support the idea that perhaps magick works by influencing and manipulating the flows and states of energy. We will look much deeper into energy in chapter 2, section 2.
Principles of Holography: What we think we see, isn’t necessarily all we understand about something. Our brains are holographic processors, our eyes take in light, in other words energy, and transmit those impulses into the brain for interpretation. From the light we perceive, your brain is able to extrapolate all sorts of information, because energy contains packets of data in it about what it is we are perceiving. But the information contained in energy is not one dimensional or even three dimensional, it is holographic. So, not only are you perceiving a chair, because you are taking in the light from the chair through your eyes, your brain is also perceiving everything there is to know about that chair because of the packets of data each contain a full description of everything there is to know about the chair. In our normal day we have little need to have a full and exact interpretation of everything there is to know about the chair. We process only what we need to know in order to work with and around the chair. Yet the more we exposure we have to different types of information, such as psychic impressions, telemetry, the more we will be able to learn about the world around because we are training our brains how to process new and different types of information.
The law of attraction: We attract like things to ourselves. Whether for better or worse, a positive attitude or negative attitude affects what comes into the personal sphere of life and the speed at which they come into our lives. It comes down to energy and magnetism, like the old saying goes, like simply attracts like. But just as the polarity of a magnet can be changed, so can the personal polarity between negative and positive. For general purposes here, positive things are that which feeds the soul, adds a glow or shine to life, encourage love, they keep us moving and growing. Negative things keep people in ruts, keep us fearful, keep us angry, or rejecting the choices people need to make in order to stay healthy. But passive energies, like pity, grief, and loneliness also keep us in negative patterns, for alone, they don’t allow for growth, but invite more stagnation. Acting and speaking from a positive perspective will attract positive energies into the personal sphere. For instance, “why won’t anyone love me” is a statement based on grief, and possibly driven out of loneliness. But, “I want to learn to love again” puts us on a road open for growth. This is a lesson vitally important in spellwork, because we want to keep things as positive as possible, so no unnecessary harm comes to us or others.
The law of limitation: In order to move forward we make choices. It’s basic cause and effect. In order to proceed down a particular path, we must chose to take step in one direction, instead of doing something else. While the universe is infinite, each and every moment we have is not infinite in time and resources (like personal energy levels).
The law of correspondence: Hermetics says, “as above, so below”. Meaning as in Heaven, it is reflected in this here and now, and vice versa. Some take this very literally, if there is a tree here on earth, then there is a tree somewhere beyond the veil that corresponds to it. My understanding of this is much less literal. Experience has shown me each and everything has it’s own projection or shadow on the entirety of creation. My belief on this topic is influenced by some of my studies into the work of the medicine, what Westerns call “shamanism’. One of the specific duties reflected in traditional Siberian shamanism is the act of calling back pieces of a fractured and broken soul from beyond the veil, to the person in need of healing. To me it would seem that living things might have various reflections into the different domains or worlds beyond the veil.
This law has a much more practical application in the world of magick. Everything is some sort of reflection of the divine and reflected the worlds beyond the veil. Likewise, the aspects of it which appear in other places are also reflected in this world. So if somewhere beyond the veil, the herb Rosemary, takes on the significance of protection, somewhere it is has been blessed with those attributes, then here on Earth it will also have those attributes. All those part of us and plants and stone and animals that connect to somewhere else, aggregate to form an essential nature of us and particular thing, that has all the attributes form various places in this world or another.
Law of polarity: Every human is a balance of opposites. Unfortunately, we live in a highly polarized world, black vs. white, good vs. bad. But wisdom tells us the things we fight hardest against, are usually those things which we need to look for further growth. Sometimes we get stuck on one end of our polarized belief about who and what we are, when in actuality we are fluid beings, who are adaptable, and able to change. We need to accept all forms of who we are, and appreciate the lessons and perspectives that come from different aspects of ourselves. One of the more important lessons for the magick path is that the logical conscious mind and abstract subconscious mind should work in tandem and in balance, so that we can imagine new possibilities for ourselves and know how to bring those possibilities into reality.
Neutralizing harm and the Wiccan Rede: Not all Wiccans, witches, and pagans believe that we are obligated neutralize harm. Life often likes to remind us, sometimes we need to suffer through something, in order to learn how to heal our lives. The debate around the rede comes down the this section: These Eight words the Rede fulfill: “An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will” . While these are generally good words to live by, karmically speaking, is this really a universal law? I can not answer this for others. But I do think we have the right to defend ourselves. There are ways of defense that are non-violent, and non-destructive. This choice will obviously be made out of intent and circumstance. Not all circumstances are equal, nor all actions. Learning to be accepting of the consequences of our choices is key. That being said, it has been my experience, that tit for tat, does not make things right or good again. And turning the other cheek, at times, is not really a solution. Ethics will be discussed more depth in later chapters.
- The Path of Magick
Bearing all this “theory” in mind, how would these laws of magick help cast a spell?
Whether well thought out or not, whenever we chose to bring a result into being, we are using the process of magick. The first step in consciously using magick is form an intention. While considering how to form your intention, keep in mind the law of attraction and the idea behind the Wiccan rede. An intention should be formed as positively as possible. And generally speaking, a practitioner should try to avoid damage to self and others. Here is a link to an interesting discussion about spell work and intent: Tarot Forum: archived post
In alignment with the intent, a practitioner can chose to work with corresponding helpers, like herbs, stones, music, and the like. This idea comes from the law of correspondence. Roses are associated with love (usually through the domain of fire, so it has the flavors of passion, romance, and lust to it), so roses can add a feeling and energy of passion, romance, and lust to a love spell. Use as many or as little corresponding helpers as needed, this idea also extends to alter tools, like wands, athames, chalices and so forth. Using the example above, once more, a love spell, love has to do with fire and emotions, so a corresponding alter tool to consider using would a wand (a tool of fire which corresponds to passion and lust), chalices(a tool of water, which corresponds to emotions),and cauldrons (a tool of water, which corresponds to emotions). The choice of which helpers to use in a spell can be made from tables and lists in books, but sometimes it is simplest go out with things on hand that your intuition calls you to use. It is a good idea to have some sort of plan for how the spell is going to be preformed(light a blessed candle, use knot magick, do a ritual bath, etc..)before beginning the spell (will you cast circle, will you invoke a god or goddess, will you call the quarters, and what comes first), so it will be easier to reorient yourself should you lose your place once you have begun. Other things to think about are performing the spell at the proper moon phase, planetary house, use of colors, incense, candles, herbs, and stones.
Once the spell has begun, use the law of vibration or energy. By some technique, raise energy, increase your bodily energy. Most times, intentions are being fed by emotions. It is much harder to do a spell when there is no personal feeling behind it, emotions enliven us and our magick, they make our energy flow freely and they can charge, flavor, and tint our energy to their specific feeling. Raise your energy, much like the energy would raised for a night out on the town or a date. A little dancing and a little good music, can pick personal energies right up, and matching the music and dance to the intention will help achieve the needed transition into the proper mood for the intention. You can do other things besides dancing to raise energy. A few other common ways of raising energy are by chanting, singing, or even visualization of achieving your result.
Once you are all charged up and you have your energy attuned to the need or intention, it’s time to release it out into the universe. It’s a good thing to decide what action to take to release the energy, because building up or raising personal energies can be seductively nice. Chose a definitive point or action at which to stop and say good bye to the energy that was raised. It can be a clap of your hands, a shouted phrase, a chime or gong, or even pose. Like releasing a balloon for a special occasion, no one wants that energy to come back. The energy should soar into the heavens and/or earth (depending on your intent), and you don’t want to call that energy back to you before it’s had a chance to work. The feeling of releasing energy out into the world, for me, is a kin to saying farewell to a loved one who is going on a spectacular trip. Like that love one, the energy should have the time and space needed for it to succeed and then find it’s way home to you in the form of the goal. It can be a matter of faith to trust that those will be taken care of and to return to you when it’s time and in some way for the better changed.
Working with magick should be intensely personal. It should be fueled by passion and life. It is an organic process. As you find the magick within yourself, I believe, that you are going realize just how intrinsic it in your life. After sometime, you might even be able to look back to your “pre-magick” self and see how you were working it in your own way, and that you might have had the connection all along.
Assignment: A Personal experiment
The Classical world thought of the study of magick and world as a natural science. In this course, we are focusing on getting in touch with magick, but there is no magick without you! We spoke a little bit about energy and using personal energy in this section, so for this exercise I want you experiment with raising your energy with intent. Take a look at your music collection, and if you have to take a good listen to the words and the beat of the songs. Figure what kind of music would be good for these types of intents:
- Uplifting or empowerment: What songs make you feel like you are strong enough to tackle anything?
- Letting go: What songs make you feel like you could see the silver lining of leaving something or someone, or helps you see that you need to get on with your life despite something or someone?
- Banishing things of your life: What songs make you feel like a “bad ass”, ready to kick some tushie, and/or in complete control of your life?
- Healing: What songs or music put you in touch with your inner Divine, your higher power, and/or your sense of faith?
- Protection: What songs or music make you feel that you are not alone and/or connected to the Divine.
Which types of songs and beats make you feel like you could accomplish acts in each of these intents? This is an exercise in meta-magick or mini-magick. Many people already use music to change their mood around or help through situations, either writing, listening to it, singing it, or dancing to it. So, this is a furthering of the same idea and making conscious connections to things we already use in our lives to create conscious change. What other things do you use to create change in your life?
- Food and teas
- Incense or air fresheners
- Bath, shower, hot tub or sauna
- Wardrobe
- Cosmetics or hair accessories
- Exercise
- Time outdoors
- Time with friends or family
Each of these things can be used in as tool to help make changes we want to make in our life and in our world. Record what you think about how you use music and, if you feel adventurous, this last list of things and anything else you can think of, and how you already use or tap those resources in your life.
Don’t forget to submit your assignment for review!!
[easy_contact_forms fid=4]
[/level-current-students]