Notes from my journal: Spell(not)work

Why is my spell not working?

I get asked this a lot by witches who are either just starting out in their craft or this is their first really big spell that they care a lot about the outcome.

I used to respond with – Don’t worry about it so much. Just let it go.

Or – Did you set a specific timeline on the spell? Is it supposed to happen between one full moon and another or one season or (put some time here)?

Or – perhaps it’s simply your karma that it’s not meant to be right now.

The responses are little varied. Most of the time I’m blown off and said witch goes on to find someone else who can give them, what I like to call the Staples Button, quick fix (you know, like the commercial, where they hit the big red Staples button and the solution automatically happens). This magic bullet, or big red button, simply doesn’t exist yet, we all look for it at some point in our lives.

So, what do I saw now when a witch comes to me and asks why, why, why won’t my spell work?

I explain that a spell is like a prayer of intent. We gather our tools to bring the desired vibration then, with a chant or prayer or meditation, we send it out into our reality in order to make change happen. This is the definition of magic spell.

The reason a spell doesn’t work is 2 fold:

1. A spell or prayer of intent must be left alone. This is something I learned when I was in Sunday school at my grandmother’s Baptist church. Worry is a sin. Worry over a matter you’ve prayed for (or have cast a spell for) shows lack of faith in God (or the Universe or the Deities or the higher Self, etc). By worrying over a spell, you’re not allowing it to happen. – The Fix? Let it go! Let your spell work. Let it take its time and work as your path allows it to. By worrying over it you’re sending doubt into the Universe and blocking the very thing you want.
2. The other reason why a witch’s spell doesn’t work is because it does. Confusing? Well, so many witches visualize a spell or intent and expect it to happen with trumpets sounding and a big banner saying THIS IS IT! They don’t realize that the man they bump on the street in a hurry to get to their appointment was the Mr. Right they cast a love spell for or that the Boss’s dog dying was the perfect time to show remorse and letter get that big promotion they cast a money or job spell for. The Universe is subtle and we have to boost our intuition and understanding that every little curve in our path can lead us in the right direction. 

I know that neither of these things offers a quick fix. The life of the modern witch is, sadly, not like that portrayed on television shows like Bewitched, Sabrina or Charmed. There is no all knowing Book of Shadows that offers a spell for every situation, no matter how unlikely, and poof – your demons, inner or outer, are gone and all is well with your world. Magic isn’t all smoke and glitter and big bangs. Sometimes its soft and gently like a summer breeze on skin.

A large portion of spell casting is faith. Faith is simply believing in yourself or in the Universe or Deity that you’ve invoked for the spell and that the spell will come to its fruition somehow. There are ways to build faith.

One way is to build your intuition. This may seem unconnected but if your intuition is strong, you will be able to see the omens as what they really are – signals and messages from the Divine or the Divine Self.

By building intuition and seeing and understand omens, you can better see your ability to walk the path laid out for you AND to see the subtle ways spells work out (without big bangs and trumpets sounding). By seeing these messages, you can better understand how your spell can work instead of running around blindly trying a dozen ways to force your spell to work and having doubts about the outcome.

I want to leave with a note of understanding. I know that life can be hard sometimes but the Witch’s Way or Path or whatever you would like to call it offers the hope of enlightenment and understanding of the world around us. We simply have to open ourselves up to this possibility. Don’t be distressed when a spell or ritual doesn’t work out how you thought it should. Open up your heart and eyes for the smaller, simpler, and, sometimes more magickal things in life.

Notes from my journal: Compatibility & Astrology

Compatibility and Astrology

A topic I find abundant in magical writing is relationships and compatibility. There are tons of books on the shelf in the New Age section of the book store that all deal with Astrology and relationships. Most of them give descriptions of the personalities attributed to each sign and then explain what two or three signs your sign is compatible with then go on to say what kind of dates, gifts or sex lives you’ll have together.

I find these books a little silly and beyond fallible.

Let me give you an example:

I am a Sagittarius and my Chinese Zodiac is an Earth Dragon.

My husband is a Pisces who’s Chinese Zodiac is a Water Ox.

According to almost every sing book I’ve read we are as incompatible as night and day and should, in all likelihood, be on the verge of such dislike as to hate each other.

Sagittarians are tactless and firey with little patience for dreamy and inconsistent Pisces who often will leave a meeting with Sag with their feelings hurt and self-esteem trampled.

Dragons view Oxen as fuel for their fire. They have little time for the Ox’s stubborn, slow behavior and homey ways.

Earth and Fire ME has very little in common with Air and Water Hubby.

Even our Prakriti – our Ayurvedic personality and body types – conflict. I’m Kapha – soft with a healthy yet slow metabolism – while my hubs is a Pita – hot and acidic with a high metabolism and the need to consume.

Yet, out mixture of conflicting elements and star alignments allow us to balance each other out so well that not only do we get along but we love each other passionately. I find the Water in my husband’s personality cools my firey nature and the Earth in my nature as well as my Sagittarian need to plan help ground my husband’s Airy and dreamy nature.

The issue with these blanket statements in astrology books about what sign goes best with what other signs is just that – they are blanket statements. No person is a perfect Sagittarius. There are many varieties – a moon sign grounding them, they were born on the cusp of Scorpio or Capricorn, etc. This all effects the personality just as much as the sun sign.

Another thing many people don’t take into account is that there are multiple types of astrology. There’s Western, Chinese and Mayan. There are also different traditions of astrology. Western Astrology with the Zodiacs from Aries to Pisces also has a modern very with the Ophyn sign, which can change one person’s sign to a completely different one.

For example, my husband and I are completely incompatible according to Western and Chinese astrology but according to Mayan Astrology we’re perfect complements. I am a White World-Bringer and my hubs is a Red Skywalker and according to our Mayan astrology readings we not only complement each other but also bring balance to each other’s lives.

So, before you start comparing Zodiac signs of perspective dates, remember there’s more to the realm of compatibility than a paragraph in a book for $12.95 at the New Age book store. 

Alaska and the Ren Faire

So I’m in Alaska!
Actually, I’ve been in a Alaska for about 4 weeks now, sorry for not blogging but I don’t have internet at the campground we’re currently staying at >.<

Spring has sprung here in AK. All around Anchorage dandelions, lupine, forget-me-nots and a little white flower I’ve yet to identify are in bloom. Sadly my camera is broken and I’ve yet to get another one so I can’t show you the beauty all around me…yet!

I’ve done a lot since we’ve been here though. I’ve learned to crochet, got a job as a Front Desk receptionist at a local hotel, been out harvesting wild edibles, had close encounters with moose and black bear (and lived), and I’ve been to the Anchorage Renaissance Fair!

I know, it’s a lot for 3…4 weeks, right?

There’s so much to talk about but for now I just want to tell you about the Anchorage Renaissance Festival.

The Three Barons Renaissance Fair is not as big as some of the other fairs I’ve been to but it was very well laid out and each area seems to be designated to the 3 barons – 1 from Italy, 1 from England, and 1 Moorish Baron. There was plenty of entertainment from the Circus of the Damned to the Alchemist’s Magic Show and tons of vendors from blacksmiths (one was a cutie in a kilt) to the local wenches guild to food galore.

I was very impressed.

One of my first stops was at a vendor booth called Hedgewitchery (surprised?). The owner, Brend M. Beck, was a welcoming lady who was dressed as a peasant herbwife and going about her business making tinctures and liniments in the shop window. She was surrounded by dried herbs and her wares – soaps, liniments, salves and teas.

She welcomed us to the fair and to Alaska and we talked about local herbs in the area and how it compared to Tennessee. She then invited me to a class she’s teaching next month on local plants and herbs – I’ll post the information when she gives it to me ^_^

Another vendor I stopped at was The Renaissance Raven (www.renraven.com). Darlene Cullor is a jewelry artist who specializes in creating “Torch & Kiln Fired Enamels, Repousse, and all times of metals: sterling, copper, Brass.” She had so many beautiful pieces, I was depressed at not having much cash on me to buy a leather rose for a hair piece or any of the other jewelry there.

The vendor that I had the most fun with is definitely the International Wenches Guild – Alaska Local chapter. These bawdy and friendly ladies were offering a variety of items from hand-made masks to moss covered fairy houses to beaded jewelry. While I browsed I heard one of the ladies call out to a scalawag passing by teasingly then turn to another wench and state that she had received a hug from him earlier and he was by far one of the cutest young men here at the fair.

I got a card from them and want to share its statement:

What is the wenches guild? – a loose (not necessarily literally) yet powerful confederation of women who share beliefs:

• ·         A wench is not afraid to stand on her own
• ·         A wench is beautiful, regardless of size, shape, or color
• ·         A wench is unafraid to use body, brains and brawn to get what she wants
• ·         A wench doesn’t need anyone to tell her how to live, love, look or dress

For more information, or if you think you or someone you know might be a wench, go to www.wench.org.

I did as the card bid, thinking I might be a wench too, and learned that the guild is actually quite large. To become a member there is a $43 fee for lifetime membership plus $4.30 shipping for the items they send you – a pin with their motto, a booklet, a certificate to verify you are a certifiable wench to be framed, and cards that offer 1 free kiss to be given to skalawags and other kissable men. I think this is very cute and plan to become a wench as soon as I get the funds together.

In all the fair was wonderful and I look forward to next year when, hopefully, I’ll have more time and money to spend. I did notice a lack of gypsy fortune tellers…maybe I’ll have to correct this ^_~

K is for Kyphi

Egyptian Kyphi is a sacred incense used in ritual work, especially in kemetic magick. Recipes for it vary and many are passed down from one generation to another.

I have never made kyphi. I've only burned what was supposed to be kyphi incense, which was in stick form and bought at the local head shop, once in all my life and can't really tell you how it smells - I know, I'm horrible. What attracted me to the idea of making this post, however, was not my own experience with this product but other's.

The recipes online vary...a lot. And there's even kits to make this stuff but they're pretty expensive. I'm so curious as to if there are any recipes dating back to during or before the time of Alexandria's prosperity - when the Greeks used kyphi as an aphrodisiac and the Egyptians were no doubt offended by such a usage.

Rowan in a forum wrote "This was a sticky sucker, but I was very pleased with the result. I compounded it, let it sit for a few weeks, then went back and ground it with the sacred coffee grinder. It only improves with age.

• 4 parts sweetgrass 
• 4 parts cypress 
• 4 parts lemon grass 
• 2 parts cedar 
• 2 parts juniper berries 
• 3 parts frankincense 
• 3 parts copal 
• 1/2 part myrrh 
• Port wine 
• Honey (cooked down to thicken) 
• Prunes 

Grind snipped prunes with wine and myrrh. Grind in other ingredients one at a time. Add honey gradually. Let sit to age. Break apart (this is a sticky one!) and grind down again. I use a mortar and pestle for most of the first compounding; then I use a coffee bean grinder for the final grind. i would let it sit at least at least a few months after the final grind to develop."

Gypsy Magic Blog has a vague recipe for Kyphi that she has not tried but says looks "adventurous" and asks that if you do make this recipe to let her know how it went. I will say that with the henna and the acids of the other ingredients, this recipe is one for a very red-brown dye and WILL STAIN! So we're gloves when making and don't put anywhere that you don't want hennaed.

Moma Sarah posted about the first stage of her kyphi recipe and mentions that it was a recipe handed down in her family AND takes quite some time to produce. In total she will be using 16-17 different ingredients and it will take 30 days to create.

From what I can tell, kyphi is not for the novice incense maker. I've seen so many different ingredients, arguments on how to let it settle and how long, even arguments over the types of ingredients (black or white copal, fresh apricots or dried, essential oils or no essential oils). It takes a lot of time, energy and ingredients - and the know how of finding a good recipe if you don't already have one passed down to you.

There are some places that sell ready made kyphi, kyphi incense, or even oils. I think it would be more fun, rewarding and spiritual to make your own though...right?

K is for Kabbalah

Kabbalah (aka Cabala or Qabala) according to the Llewellyn encyclopedia is "A mystical system which forms the mystical underpinnings for the three major Western religions as well as for modern Ceremonial Magick. The word is transliterated Hebrew, and is spelled in English in various ways...a complete system of knowledge about all the dimensions of the universe and of the human psyche organized into "the Tree of Life" diagram showing the inner construction and the connections between levels and forms of consciousness, energy, and matter. It provides a resource for understanding and applying the principles of Magick, for understanding the dynamics of the psyche, and for interpreting human history and action. The present-day Tarot specifically relates to the Tree of Life."

That's a lot to wrap my head around >.<

To me, Kabbalah is a spiritual belief system and practice that stems from Judaism.
I had never had an interest in Kabbalah until I ran into the book Simple Kabbalah by Kim Zetter. I read it all in one day while vacationing at the lake house and it got my head spinning. If I someone had explained this stuff to me when I was younger in the way that Zetter did in this book I would have probably stayed in church.

The best lesson I've received so far was from that book and it was the Kabbalistic break down of the very first verse of the Bible Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."
This verse took a few chapters to break down, just to give you an idea of the in-depth outlook on the Bible these scholars have. I don't want to copy all of the chapters here but I will say that in the end the true translation should read "In the mind, God created God and the alphabet of the heavens and the alphabet of the Earth." Don't have a clue as to what that means? Read her book - its enlightening.

Ever since reading that book, I have had a further interest in Kabbalah. I'd love to have a set of books called the Kabbalistic Bible, specifically Genesis and Revelations (which notably are the most studied books of the Bible where Kabbalah is concerned).

Looking back at this post, it's not very detailed on the subject but the said subject is so vast and detailed it's hard to put it all in one lil blog post. My suggestion is if this sounds like something you're interested in, learn more either online or through one of the books I've mentioned.

Happy Earth Day

H is for Herbalism

Herbalism or Herbology is a passion of mine.
I am currently studying to be an Herbalist with the Herbal Healer Academy.

For me, Herbalism is a calling. I've learned so much about the world, my body, medicine, sustainable living, my health and the health of my family since I started studying herbs, their properties, and how to use them. Its an on-going study that can be started at so many different directions - local herbs, herbs for women, herbs for family, herbal first-aid, herbs for prevention or treatment of dis-ease and cancer, herbs for children, cooking, cleaning, relaxing, colds, flus, viruses, headaches...the list goes on and on. And learning about it can be strangely addictive, making my own herbal remedies is wholly gratifying, and being able to have an herbal remedy on hand when a friend or the child of a friend has a problem makes me feel like I've done something useful and am truly on the right path in life.

Herbalism in witchcraft?
For some this is a fine line. The creation of a lavender infused balm for the sun burns on my nieces and nephews can look a lot like the witch of old stirring magical ingredients collected from mountain and glen to give to those who dare to ask for a remedy.
For me, what makes the difference is faith and belief and desire. I can make a simple tea to relieve stress or I could call upon the soothing blessing of Mother Goddess or cast a cleansing circle as I blend the herbs, heat the water, create the infusion and chant before I take the first sip. The first, simply making tea, isn't witchcraft...so what's the difference? The ritual, the spellcraft, the intent, the actions taken in the creation.

Even still, herbalism walks well on the path of witchery. Witches have long used herbs and natural medicines in their works. Herbs are Mother Nature's children just as much as we are and we can work very well together.