Category: Daily Posts

How Do You Know A Magical Working “Took”?

How Do You Know A Magical Working “Took”?

Author: Bronwen Forbes

I ran across this question on a Pagan forum the other day, and it got me thinking back to when I was new at all this ritual and magic and witchcraft stuff – was that really half a lifetime ago? – and so unsure of my ability to do even a basic working. Fortunately for me, the Gods I chose to invoke were kind, patient, and tolerant of my novice fumbling, as were my teachers and fellow students.

There are actually several ways to know whether or not a ritual or a magical working “worked” or “took.” Some are immediate; some are long-term. In general, sabbat observances and celebrations don’t have the success bar set very high. If you feel like you’ve “done” Litha, or Mabon, then that’s good enough — whether you’ve participated in a three-hour ritual or simply prepared a satisfying barbecue in the back yard for your friends and family.

The first (and sometimes only) indication you have that your spell or ritual was a success is to ask yourself: How do I feel? Do you feel better than you did before the ritual started, or do you feel worse? If you feel better, i.e. less worried, less frightened, more confident, more energetic, calmer, happier or whatever then, at least on some level, the magical working was a success (I’m assuming no one is stupid enough to actually do a working to increase worry, fear, low self-esteem, lethargy, nerves, or sadness) .

Paganism and Witchcraft do have one thing in common with all other religions, and that is to offer comfort and a life raft to the practitioner in times of troubled waters. So if you’re done with your spell or ritual and you feel better, that should that tell you something.

Also, sometimes you just know. There’s almost an audible “click” that means, “Message received. Action forthcoming.” In fact, it sounds a lot like the “click” you hear when you meet someone for the first time and then say to an old friend, “I don’t know, we just clicked!” That click.

If you aren’t already, you should start keeping an informal log or journal of what magic and rituals you do when, and what result (s) you hope to achieve. For one thing, it’s a good idea to keep track of what happens. Say you do a magical working for an easing of financial difficulties. You write it down in your log and forget about it.

Three months later you look back and realize that, since you did that working, you’ve gotten a small raise at work, a nice tax refund from the federal government, and all of your Pagan 101 books that you posted for sale on amazon.com have actually sold! Does that sound like your spell was successful? It does to me!

Another good reason to keep a log or journal of the specifics of your workings is that, if the rite is a good one, and it works — two or three months down the road — you can re-create the working years in the future, if you find yourself in the same situation. Even better, you can share the basics with a friend who might, say, be in a dire financial situation just like you were and isn’t sure what to do, magically speaking, to fix it.

Sometimes, though, with big workings on big issues like, “I want to move to another part of the country, ” or “I want a child, ” one ritual or one spellcasting just isn’t going to have enough “oomph” to help you accomplish what you want. You may need to wait a few weeks (one lunar cycle is good) and do another one. And another one on the next major holiday. And another one on the next holiday after that…

For a big working, I suggest you vary the details slightly in order to cover all the different aspects of the issue. For example, if you want to move across the country, try doing one working to choose your new location wisely and help you get yourself and your stuff there safely, another working to get a job that will take you there (or be waiting for you when you get there) , and still another working to help you find good friends and a congenial community once you arrive. They are all rituals to help you move across the country, but each one focuses on a different aspect of the moving process.

How do you know whether or not you need to repeat the working more than once? Same way you get to perform on stage at Carnegie Hall: practice, practice, practice.

Unfortunately, when you’re talking about magic and ritual, there is no box you can check like there is on your email to indicate message received and read. And it really doesn’t matter how carefully you prepare and how well you execute your working. Some things just aren’t to be – at least right now. Does this mean that your time and effort and energy were for nothing? No. It just means that energy has been “banked” somewhere, and is waiting for more favorable conditions to act.

Patience is more than a virtue, here. It’s a necessity.

Let me give you an example: ten years ago, I was doing regular intense workings in order to find love, or for love to find me. But no matter how many losers I hopefully dated, the time was not yet right. But the day I woke up (and I don’t mean in the morning) and realized that one of my oldest friends was Mr. Right, all that energy that I’d sent out and the Gods had stored for me fueled one heck of an intense courtship!

Within 3 months I packed up and moved to where he was currently living. A year later we were married. As of this writing, we’ve been happily wed for over eight years.

When the time is right for the working to “take” – be assured, it will!

It’s Elemental My Dear Wiccan: Power and Energy

It’s Elemental My Dear Wiccan: Power and Energy

Author: Marty Couch

Let’s start with a scenario. You are driving in the country. You can see clearly for miles around. You are coming up to an intersection. There are no other cars to be seen. The light is red. Do you stop?

You may be inclined to answer “no, not me”, but really think about it. If you are like most people you will stop. Even if you will drive through after stopping, almost everyone will stop first. Why?

What does this red light mean to you? How is it that this symbol of a red disc glowing can stop a vehicle? By all logic, no damage would happen. If there are no other cars to be seen, there is no chance of an accident or ticket. So, what gives a red light so much power?

Let’s take a look at another example. How much money do you have in the bank right now? How much do you have on you? How much do you make an hour? How do you feel when you receive unexpected money? How about when you are broke? So, what is this money that has such power over our lives, our thoughts and our feelings? At the core its just paper with pictures. Merely symbols for us to look at. How do these symbols gain such power?

And how about this one? What time did you get up this morning? What time is your favorite TV show on? What time is it? Time, what is it? Do you see how the change in wording seeks to find out why something that has no actual physical manifestation can have such power over our lives?

So, what gives so much power to these and many other things? How do these seemingly unimportant items gain such control over us? Well, in all these cases, thousands (if not millions) of people over the course of time have put energy plus intent toward their meanings.

The formula is simple.

ENERGY + INTENT = POWER

This is at the core of all we do in ritual. We raise energy, state intent and release it as power. What we do in a specific ritualistic way is what society does every day without realizing it. Intent is added to energy and the result is power. Sometimes this power is for the good. Sometimes it has devastating effects. The formula however stays constant.

So, let’s take a look at each of these items.

ENERGY: According to TheFreeDictionary.com energy is “the capacity to do work”. So, how much capacity do we posses? Let’s take a look at (probably) the most famous formula for energy:

E = mc (squared)

Now, for those who have had a few years elapse since physics class, energy equals mass times the speed of light square. In this famous formula by Albert Einstein, energy is measured in joules, mass in kilograms and the speed of light is 299, 792, 458 meters per second (and in the formula this gets multiplied by itself) . (Source: Wikipedia.com)

So, let’s break this down a little. For those reading in the US, we’ll start with pounds. Someone who weighs 180 pounds is about 82 kilograms. So, 82 X 299, 792, 458 X 299, 792, 458 = 7, 369, 792, 465, 641, 904, 000.00 joules. So, if we consider it takes only 1 joule to lift an apple a couple feet, think of the actual energy we posses. Remember, in Einstein’s formula was the key to the first atomic bomb. The energy released from 1 atom was enough to level cities.

Of course this is only the scientific way of thinking about energy. Let’s go a bit further in discussing energy from a spiritual point of view. In “The Creative Process in the Individual”, Thomas Troward states about the creation of the universe “At this primordial stage neither Time nor Space can be recognized, for both imply measurement of successive intervals, and in the primary movement of Mind upon itself the only consciousness must be that of Present Absolute Being, because no external points exist from which to measure extension either in time or space. Hence we must eliminate the ideas of time and space from our conception of Spirit’s initial Self-contemplation.

This being so, Spirit’s primary contemplation of itself as simply Being necessarily makes its presence universal and eternal, and consequently, paradoxical as it may seem, its independence of Time and Space makes it present throughout all Time and Space.”

What Mr. Troward is saying is that as Spirit (or God and Goddess, or Elemental Spirit) was creating our Universe, there was no concept of time or space, as there was nothing to measure it against. So this power that created all there is, is present in each and every molecule of our Universe IN IT’S ENTIRETY.

This is huge. The power that brought about the whole of creation exists in every cell in our body. Not a part of this energy, but THE WHOLE OF IT. Think about this for a second. All the energy that exists is within us. Not simply a part of it but all of it. Quite simply, our source of energy is infinite.

So, if we have infinite energy, why don’t we have whatever we want? The answer is in the other part of the equation, intent.

So, let’s look at intent. Intent is defined as “an aim or purpose…firmly fixed” (source: thefreedictionary.com) . So, our intent is our aim or purpose that is firmly fixed (as an idea) in ritual. All that we do in ritual is used to support this intent. When we choose the candle, oils, incense, herbs, symbols, quarter calls, deities, tools, etc. it is all to support this intent. Intent however is the variable in the equation. So, if we have everything, where does the formula go wrong? Why don’t we have infinite power to do what we want?

Well, we may have all the correctly colored candles, the proper herbs and oils, the full moons energy, but if we start our ritual by thinking, “This will never work” or even “I hope this works” then the intent we put in to it is doubt. So, all this energy at our disposal goes toward our ritual not working.

Think of a child. Have you ever turned your back on a child for a second and when you turn to them, they have climbed half way up a shelving unit to get to something? They have no limits. They know they can do anything. And our first reaction is to say, “No, you can’t do that”. What happens when they hear that? Usually that is the moment they fall and hurt themselves.

They were doing fine until we told them they did not have the ability to accomplish what they set out to do. This is what builds up over time and begins more and more to limit our abilities. We start out in life as infinite possibilities and almost immediately start excepting limitations.

So, let’s look at the third part of the equation. Power. Power is “the ability or official capacity to exercise control” (source: thefreedictionary.com) . So, what we are working toward in ritual is the ability to gain control over a situation. This power comes from infinite energy and our intent. If our intent knows no limits, our power to control situations (our lives, careers, health, etc) is also infinite.

How do we avoid limitations? How to make our ritual practice more powerful? How do we tap in to and release this infinite energy that we posses? Well, how we undo the limitations we have acquired through the course of our lives is not something that can be answered in just a paragraph or two. As we travel through these future articles together we will discover how to remove these blocks and begin to fulfill our infinite purpose.

Footnotes:
wikipedia.com
thefreedictionary.com
“The Creative Process in the Individual” by Thomas Troward

Using Quartz to Ease Unhappiness

If you are feeling out of sorts or can’t shake off a sadness, try this simple spell to lift your spirits. During a new moon phase, take a piece of clear quartz and place it on a bed of sea salt, either on a small plate or in a bowl. Light a white candle next to it and say this spell nine times:

Painful feelings leave me,
Bring joy and pleasure swiftly,
Angels heal my suffering,
Light up my heart with speed.

When you have said the spell nine times, close by saying:

So mote it be!

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for July 14th is 41:Decrease

41: Decrease

Hexagram 41
 
General Meaning: Increase and decrease are part of the natural cycle of life. As spiritual author long ago put it, ‘To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.’ Like a reservoir that is being used to irrigate the fields, learning to accept a decrease in position or material possessions is part of preparing for increase in the future.

We may live in materialistic times, but there is no disgrace in material decrease, particularly if it represents an investment in future gain — even if that gain be in the form of one’s education or the development of personal character. Likewise, the inner strength that comes from bearing loss can be balanced by a corresponding increase in inner strength and insight — as in the expression ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’ When letting go of attachment and personal demands leads to a greater simplicity in daily life, good fortune often comes calling.

In nature, the lake evaporates to form the clouds that drop the rain that nurtures the surrounding forest. As the forest grows thick, more rain is captured for the lake. Similarly, an ‘evaporation’ or decrease in one area of your life, may give rise to an eventual increase in another. A loss of responsibility at work can mean more free time; more free time may generate more career options. A period of decrease is not necessarily a bad thing; in fact, it can free the spirit and fill the soul.

Be mindful of the lesson of young lovers: even with a minimum of possessions, feelings of the heart can bring an unsurpassed richness to life. The smallest of actions, if sincere, have value. So remain confident, for a time of decrease may actually bode good fortune, especially if you remain open to that possibility.

Let go of frustration, resistance and regret over whatever may be going down at this time. Accept the cycle, and remember what goes down must come up.

Your Daily Number for July 14th: 1

Your personal power is strong today. You may find yourself starting a new endeavor, or engaging n a new pursuit that is based in self-expression or spirituality. You’re connected with the world today, and it may be a good idea to jot it all down on paper.

Fast Facts

About the Number 1

Theme: Masculine, Creative, Independent, Aggressive
Astro Association: Mercury
Tarot Association: Magician

Today’s Tarot Card for July 14th is The Devil

The Devil

This Tarot Deck: Folklore

General Meaning: What has traditionally been known as the Devil card expresses the realm of the Taboo, the culturally rejected wildness and undigested shadow side that each of us carries in our subconscious. This shadow is actually at the core of our being, which we cannot get rid of and will never succeed in taming. From its earliest versions, which portrayed a vampire-demon, this card evoked the Church-fueled fear that a person could “lose their soul” to wild and passionate forces.

The image which emerged in the mid-1700’s gives us a more sophisticated rendition — that of the “scapegoated Goddess,” whose esoteric name is Baphomet. Volcanic reserves of passion and primal desire empower her efforts to overcome the pressure of stereotyped roles and experience true freedom of soul. Tavaglione’s highly evolved image (Stella deck) portrays the magical formula for harnessing and transmuting primal and obsessive emotions into transformative energies. As a part of the Gnostic message of Tarot, this fearsome passion and power must be reintegrated into the personality, to fuel the soul’s passage from mortal to immortal.

Daily Horoscopes for Thursday, July 14th

Today’s serious Capricorn Moon reminds us that giving emotions free rein can add complexity to what we must accomplish in the real world. Unfortunately, we can overcompensate by totally ignoring our feelings, possibly creating a situation where they later erupt with even greater intensity. A creative quintile between energetic Mars and electrical Uranus might act as a lightning rod, attracting a catalytic spark that releases the hidden tensions.

 

Aries Horoscope
Aries Horoscope (Mar 21 – Apr 19)

You might think that working extra hard today will enable you to do everything that is expected of you. However, a magical quintile between your key planet Mars and brilliant Uranus can create some distracting fireworks. An unexpected series of events could turn your day into an obstacle course. Nevertheless, don’t blame your shortfall on someone else; how you handle your responsibilities is still up to you.

Taurus Horoscope
Taurus Horoscope (Apr 20 – May 20)

You have a variety of alternatives to pick from today as you contemplate where you want to go. But your resources seem to be limited by the current circumstances, so you need to be creative enough to find the best route to your goals. Whether you lack money or time, don’t waste your energy by micromanaging the details of every contingency. Narrow the field of options before you start fine-tuning your plan.

Gemini Horoscope
Gemini Horoscope (May 21 – Jun 20)

It’s becoming more apparent day by day that you can’t do everything you set your heart on, even though you’re ready to give it all you’ve got. Unfortunately, using brute force will only exhaust you, without guaranteeing that you’ll accomplish your goals. Instead, try a different tactic now by employing self-discipline. Reining in your activities will make you happier in the long run. Remember, a focused approach is better than a scattered one.

Cancer Horoscope
Cancer Horoscope (June 21 – Jul 22)

It’s admirable to be sensitive to the needs of others, but it’s not healthy if your happiness depends on someone else’s feelings. The biggest problem with putting the determinant of your emotional well-being in anyone else’s hands is that you can’t be responsible for other people’s shifting moods. Fortunately, you can have positive impact on a situation by changing your own attitude. Remember, nurturing begins with taking care yourself.

Leo Horoscope
Leo Horoscope (Jul 23 – Aug 22)

You may sense the emotional tension increasing between you and your workmates. Unfortunately, you might not know how to react. It’s useless to try and change what you’re feeling when all you need to do is improve your outward behavior. Nevertheless, you will only fuel inner conflict today by making believe that everything is okay. Ultimately, total honesty is the wisest defense.

Virgo Horoscope
Virgo Horoscope (Aug 23 – Sep 22)

Thankfully, the intensity level at work seems to be lower now, yet you’re still not convinced that everything is really returning to normal. To the contrary, you might be wondering if anything in your life will ever be the same. Fortunately, you don’t need to take major action today. Just recognize that although this is a stressful period, you can still have a positive outlook about current events.

Libra Horoscope
Libra Horoscope (Sep 23 – Oct 22)

The Moon’s visit to your 4th House of Family can bring extra parental responsibilities or other familial commitments, creating a little crisis as you attempt to squeeze everything into your schedule. It’s a real problem because there’s so much to do that you can’t possibly feel satisfied by the amount you manage to accomplish. Unfortunately, your anxiety probably won’t prevent you from trying the impossible. However, the sooner you simplify your environment, the more time you’ll have available for others.

Scorpio Horoscope
Scorpio Horoscope (Oct 23 – Nov 21)

You had a chance recently to share what’s on your mind with friends. Unfortunately, your window of opportunity is starting to close, so you must jump into the conversation as quickly as possible. The time for contemplation has passed. Whatever remains unsaid today may be banished into the shadows for an indeterminate amount of time.

Sagittarius Horoscope
Sagittarius Horoscope (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

You need to be serious now and expect others to respect your somber attitude. However, you still may be unable to concentrate on your current obligations. Good intentions may not take you as far as you want to go today; you have to walk your talk to be recognized. Coming up with all the right words is easy now; however, it’s quite another thing to put them into action.

Capricorn Horoscope
Capricorn Horoscope (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

You might claim that you aren’t trying to get ahead at work now, but something is changing and you would be wise to make the most of it. It’s tempting to ignore the current pressures, yet the instability may be just the catalyst you need. But it’s not just about grabbing an irresistible opportunity; the real message is about how your desires are awakening. Set new long-term goals that can ultimately fulfill your most basic needs.

Aquarius Horoscope
Aquarius Horoscope (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

You might try to float through the day by doing as little as possible, but you won’t likely get away with it. Even if you don’t do much, you may retrospectively wish that you worked harder in the morning. You won’t be able to accept a surprise invitation later in the day if you’re not finished with your duties. But if you already fulfilled your responsibilities, this afternoon can bring unexpected pleasure.

Pisces Horoscope
Pisces Horoscope (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

You can talk yourself out of your confidence as the day wears on, especially if you agreed to show up at a social event this evening. But retreating for a while enables you to emerge physically refreshed and emotionally recharged, ready for another round of battles to fight off unnecessary change. Don’t be afraid of expressing your own power now, even if you think that you should wait for a better time to act.

New Moon Report for July 14th – Full Moon in Capricorn

Full Moon in Capricorn

Thursday, July 14, 11:40 pm PDT, Friday, July 15, 2:40 am EDT

The Full Moon in determined Capricorn opposes the Sun in sensitive Cancer, raising issues of whether to toughen up to deal with the outer world or seek cover in warm and fuzzy places. But as with all oppositions, there is truth on both sides of the equation. Rather than choosing to ignore inner needs or running away from challenges because they’re too difficult, this lunation reminds us that we have a full spectrum of responses available and can learn to flow from fierce to fluffy as we choose.

the daily humorscopes for thursday, july 14th

the daily humorscope

Thursday, July 14, 2011

 
 
Aries (March 21 – April 19)
Good day to buy a stereo microscope, and examine that stuff under your toenail. Well, as good a day as any.
Taurus (April 20 – May 20)
Someone will ask you if you’d like some “fresh ground pepper” on your salad. Personally (this may be just a “Ron” thing), I always say “yes” to people carrying a baseball bat, outside a playing field.
Gemini (May 21 – June 20)
Someone will try to give you an egg salad sandwich today. Refuse them. Be polite, yet firm.
Cancer (June 21 – July 22)
Excellent day to make odd hand gestures at people you don’t know.
Leo (July 23 – August 22)
You haven’t been sleeping well, but that will soon change. You will develop the knack of falling instantly asleep whenever you want to — either at night, or during boring meetings.
Virgo (August 23 – September 22)
A coworker is going to steal one of your best ideas and claim it as his own. That’s about what you should expect, though, from a cow “orker.”
Libra (September 23 – October 22)
Drip, drip, drip. Dunno. Something like that will be in your life, soon. I’ll bet it’s something good!
Scorpio (October 23 – November 21)
Your neighbors will have a wild party, which you’ll catch glimpses of through the open window. You’ll know you shouldn’t watch, but it’s just hard to imagine how people can do that, especially on a trampoline.
Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21)
You will decide to change your life by taking up fishing. Unlike the average person, however, you will be “strictly bass”. One must have standards, after all.
Capricorn (December 22 – January 20)
You will join a team, and have lots of fun. I’m not sure what sport it is, but the team name will be “The Screaming Weasels”.
Aquarius (January 21 – February 18)
Soon you will get into accounting, “just for the thrill of it”.
Pisces (February 19 – March 20)
You will become fascinated by the unlikely use of the same word to mean very different things. For example, what is the link between “seasons” as changes in the weather and “seasons” as in what you do to food? Or for that matter, why are Fall and Spring named for action verbs, and not Summer and Winter? Shouldn’t those be called something like Wiggle and Shiver?