The Real Witches’ Book of Spells and Rituals. Kate West

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СКАЧАТЬ any participant in the Ritual, actively disbelieves that it will work, that will have a negative effect on the outcome. Think of it this way; you are applying positive thought towards making something happen, and if someone else is applying negative thought then the two thoughts may cancel each other out, or the lesser of the two energies will weaken the stronger.

      However, it is essential that you believe that your magic will work. If you have doubts about your ability, or the ‘rightness’ of your actions, then these will weaken or even stop your energy from working.

       Too Much Talk

      Although I have said that in a Coven everyone must be aware of what is to happen, talk about magical working should not extend beyond those actively taking part. First, for the reason above, the more people who are aware of your magic the more likely someone will hear about it who will have negative thoughts towards the outcome. Please also remember that however cautious you are about who you tell, and however much they promise to keep it quiet, secrets are only secret when no one knows about them. You must have heard someone say ‘can you keep a secret?’ just before telling you something they are not supposed to be communicating!

      The second reason is because talking about your magic can actually reduce the energy and focus you can put into that magic. Think back to the last time you felt really strongly about something, perhaps an injustice or some gossip – the more you talked this over with your friends and family the less outraged or strongly you felt. This actually shows the way your energy is being dissipated by simple communication.

       Need as Against Desire

      Many people confuse what they need and what they want; you may ‘need a drink’, in which case water will suffice, whereas you want, or desire, champagne. Hence in Magic, if you say you ‘need a Porsche’, the result may cover your need for transport, resulting in a free bus pass, rather than your desire for a fast smart car. I have often been asked if it is possible to change a flat tyre by magic? The answer is yes, but your request is more likely to be granted through the arrival of someone who will help you to change your tyre, rather than by some kind of conjuring trick in which the jack leaps out of the car, the screws undo themselves, and the wheel is replaced by some invisible agency! However carefully you phrase your wishes there are some times when you get what you need rather than what you desire. This is because there is a part of your mind which, rather sensibly, is aware of what is required to solve your ‘problem’, and will function at that level. This is an integral part of the kind of magic performed by Witches rather than other kinds of less acceptable practices where self is considered to be all.

       You are Asking for Something Outside of Nature

      This is especially pertinent in the case of money spells. Money does not exist in the natural world. In nature, effort is rewarded in practical terms; you plant then you can reap, the bat flies at dusk and hence can catch his dinner. Hence money magic is likely to either give you what you asked for in an unpleasant way – inheritance, for example, or in a useless way – you crash your car and get paid on the insurance, leaving you financially no better off. If you work for the opportunity to earn money, then you are working within the natural course of things, whereby your effort can be rewarded with payment in the way in which the world works.

       It’s Not Meant to Be

      There are also occasions when magic will not work at all. In short, I believe that this is because the Goddess and the God know best and, once we have taken the step of dedicating ourselves to them, they do in fact watch over us and step in to prevent some of our greater follies. They also have their own plans and purposes and sometimes it is not for the individual to be allowed to interfere with them. The sort of magic which falls into this category tends to be associated with serious illness, and we just have to accept that in some cases that person’s time to move on has indeed come. This is not to say that you shouldn’t work for the remission of major illness, but that it will not always work. Do also remember that you can also work for the relief of pain, and for the emotional healing and comfort of that person’s near and dear.

       You are Too Close to the Problem

      It is sometimes very hard to work magic for yourself and for those close to you, not because of any natural laws against it, but simply because your focus and concentration will not be all they should be. It is hard enough to remain focused on dressing a bad cut which is bleeding heavily if this is someone you care for deeply, let alone bringing the elements into balance, raising energy and working magic. Similarly, if you have pressing physical or emotional concerns in your own life, you will find it almost impossible to become mentally and physically prepared for any kind of magic unless you can put them aside. If those very concerns are to be the focus of your magic then you will find it nigh on impossible to put them aside as well as focus on them at the same time! In these circumstances you need to find someone else, who you trust implicitly, to work magic for you.

       Love Magic

      This is an area where magic can go wrong even if it works perfectly! If you work magic to make someone love you, sooner or later you will be wondering whether it is you they love or the spell which is working. If you work this kind of magic for someone else you will then be perceived as being responsible for their relationship, a bit like being the instigator of an arranged marriage where one partner is not aware that it has been arranged. At the least you will find yourself drawn into every hiccup in the relationship, at the worst you may find yourself being blamed for every argument or problem, or even the fact that person B did not turn out to be exactly what person A had hoped for some ten years down the road! If you must get involved in relationship magic then stay with some of the less direct options, such as increased confidence, the opportunity to meet a person with whom you can be happy, and so on.

       You Fail to Pay for What You Have Received

      Magic should be seen as an exchange of energies. Whilst you put some of the energy into the spell, much of it comes from outside of you, from the elements, the Goddess and the God. This energy should be repaid. This is not to say that you are going to give them money, but rather that you should do something to repay the energy. This should be something which expresses your thanks, whereby you put your energy back into the land, or into honouring the Goddess and the God. Tending growing things, be they plants, pets or children, is one way. Creating something in honour of the Divine is another. But whether you choose to trim your hedge, clear litter from a local park, take your child to the swings, or paint a picture, it should be done with the intent of giving thanks to the Goddess and the God and to the elements. Every act of magic should be repaid in some way, and as soon as possible, it is a part of making the magic work. It is not a question of a bargain where you will pay for it if it works; it is more a question of giving thanks for being able to access the energies and for the attention of the elements, the Goddess and the God. Should you fail to repay the energies, your magic will decline over time and, in due course, fail.

      

      Having looked at the ways in which magic does and doesn’t work, let’s move on to some of the Rituals into which we put our spells and magics.

       THREE CASTING THE CIRCLE, AND OTHER FREQUENT RITES

      As I said in the last chapter a Ritual is usually constructed out of several separate pieces called Rites. Many of these are performed in the same way and to avoid repetition later in the book I have put these basic Rites into this chapter, so that you can refer to them whenever you need to.

      Basically, there are two kinds of Ritual; Esbats or working Rituals where magic is performed, and those which are celebratory, СКАЧАТЬ