Ways of Making Magick

Aleister Crowlened Magick as, "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will," even saying, "every intentional act is a Magickal Act." Truly, every act a human being accomplishes is "magical" by an animal's standards, which we, too, once were. But more conventionally, magick refers to methods of causing said change that are scientifically unproven. The first and most important requirement for magick is a clear and well-considered intention. If your intention is not well-crafted, your results may differ dramatically from what you hope. It usually manifests very literally as you describe, with any holes filled with wild cards. Be specific. Intentions that conflict with another person's may not manifest and can even backfire. Magick will always affect the practitioner more than anyone else, so a harmful intention against another will backfire. Any intention the Witch does not believe is possible will fail. When the intention is well-crafted, the results usually outperform the Witches expectations. Be warned. There are a number of theories as to why magick works, from psychological to quantum mechanical to supernatural and everything in between. The most accepted theories relate to programming the subconscious mind to work toward a goal without necessarily being aware of the work being done. Likely, there is more than one reason why it works, but for our purposes here it's unimportant. Wicca recognizes 8 methods of making magick: 1) Visual (meditating on an image, creating artwork, symbols, wearing a specific color, etc.) 2) Auditory (Poetry, music, chanting, anything languages based, primal sounds...) 3) States of consciousness (alpha or theta brainwaves et al, which may be described as trance, sleeping, meditation, daydreaming, or feeling tired) 4) Movement (dancing, gestures, mine) 5) Anything containing it's own energies, such as herbs and gemstones. 6) Limitation (i.e. bondage, sensory deprivation, isolation, fasting) 7) Pain (this will receive a great deal of attention in future blog posts) 8) Sex This list is slightly modified from other versions, but is based on Gerald Gardner's original. It is arranged from least to most powerful. Do not, however, underestimate the power of simple visualization. Very effective spells contain a blend of several methods taylored to your intention. The more effort you put into your spell, the better the results. Avoid analyzing or talking about the spell for at least 24 hours.

About this Book of Shadows

A Book of Shadows is a record of what a Witch has learned about magick, spirituality, and our place in the Universe. These posts may represent incomplete information on a subject and will not be posted in any particular order. Some will be copied from my journals, others new thoughts. The works of other authors will be referenced and familiarity with those works may be required to fully understood. Most of what post will be intended for intermediate-level witches, as the beginner level is fully covered in many different sources. Advanced material is also more readily available than intermediate. It will be assumed the readers understand the following concepts: casting a circle, banishing unwanted energy, calling the elements, the tools of magick, charging objects, the Sabbats, and the Wiican Rede, to "Harm None". I take no responsibility for the use or misuse of this information by others. Use your own common sense to decide if my opinions are in line with your own. Blessed be. )O(