The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum

Comment in another thread made me think this might be an interesting topic.

For those of you who use magic as part of your practice, what kinds of things do you do with it? Have those things changed over time?

(My comments in a reply in a moment.)

For those of you who use magic as part of your practice, what kinds of things do you do with it? Have those things changed over time?

 
Magic is the solution problems that I would not have had if it weren't for magic. :p

So... feeling other people's vibes at me? Shield or banish.

Neurological embuggerance leaking into emotional and spiritual spheres creating a triple-tiered cycle of injury/illness? Psychic surgery and nourishment takes care of one third of that.

Lately it's been getting less heuristic and more systemic, like if I do money spells then I wonder how that can work because there would then be some sort of interface between the physical and magical, which gets me wondering about luck, which gets me wondering how that would even work on some grand systemic level. And then questions about purpose, whether it's something on a magical level that set the scene for it, or whatever there's something on the magical level that can supplement what's actionable in the purpose that I chose to have.

Nowadays I consider it more like exploration philosophy personal development stuff. So, going through the motions of a curse at someone is just the way I "get over" something.

Comment in another thread made me think this might be an interesting topic.

For those of you who use magic as part of your practice, what kinds of things do you do with it? Have those things changed over time?

(My comments in a reply in a moment.)

 
I must confess that I haven't done much more 'magic' lately, than light a candle and focus on my goal for a time to focus my energy and my intent. Sharpening my Will, as it were. But I do believe in, and in the past have performed more elaborate magical workings.

I find that as I get older, and more secure in my beliefs, that my magical workings have become more introverted, focussed on things about myself, as opposed to extroverted, directed at making changes to the world I interact with.

The results, I find, are just as dramatic, if not more so. Example, I just got a promotion at work. I did do a magical working to assist in getting it, but ten years ago I would have done some elaborate 'success at work spell' that focussed on getting my work and skills noticed. This time I instead asked for assistance in improving those skills, and my confidence in my work, then let that work get the attention it deserved on it's own merits. The difference may merely be one of perspective, but it is significant.

Comment in another thread made me think this might be an interesting topic.

For those of you who use magic as part of your practice, what kinds of things do you do with it? Have those things changed over time?

(My comments in a reply in a moment.)

 
"if you can do it without magic then do it that way" is a rule i dont follow with all of my might. i use magic for pretty much whatever i can. just cuz i really like it. it doesn't always work acourse but i use it to get places on time, to find stuff i lost, to get to sleep or wake up, healing, protection, to get jobs, to be better at things, yadda yadda blah blah i use it for anything pretty much

Comment in another thread made me think this might be an interesting topic.

For those of you who use magic as part of your practice, what kinds of things do you do with it? Have those things changed over time?

(My comments in a reply in a moment.)

 
A lot of what's already been said, though I do less and less magic and need to get back into it.  I guess a lot of what I do mostly isn't so much magic as praying.  When it comes to doing things under my own steam, I've certainly done bigger or more focused workings when there's a major occasion for it, but when I think about what I use magic for on a more regular, daily basis, it's little things, mostly practical:

I tend to put blessings in food that I prepare to share with others.

I use protective magic on my commute--I walk alone at night a lot, so I use little charms to cloak myself off from the notice of anyone else who might be out there or move through the dark quietly and less-visibly.  Owl tricks, bat tricks.  I use little workings to heighten my senses for similar safety reasons.  

I stretch minutes here and there when I'm running late, or, when running late and using a car (less and less these days now that I don't own one) nudge the world to get a parking space.

I do pain management or add a little oomph to wound healing.  I do it more for other people, small-scale healing stuff, since I've been rusty on the major-scale healing work while recuperating from burning it out on someone.  Little things: taking away headaches, healing up nicked fingers.

Sometimes I reach out to get someone's attention through a crowd, stuff like that.

I do ward work anywhere I'm likely to stay a while or sleep, again, usually pretty small-scale.

When I have a major performance or religious event or piece of service, I do a ritual to consecrate myself to better purposes than my own and get my body and faculties lit up and in alignment, that sort of thing.

I used to do a lot more, and more elaborate, magic--particularly when I took work as a healer and exorcist--but it's been a while since I've trusted myself to do it responsibly.  This is an interesting question!

Comment in another thread made me think this might be an interesting topic.

For those of you who use magic as part of your practice, what kinds of things do you do with it? Have those things changed over time?

(My comments in a reply in a moment.)

 
Interesting question. I don't do much magic these days because I feel that I am still on a path to which if I interfere with my own wants and desires with magic I may lengthen the journey. I did a very powerful time/space warp manipulation to see into the future and learn from my future self, in a simular way that a large capacitor charges, and got a very powerful and HUGE download of information instantly and I immediately disconnected because I knew I would be alone in my perception, knowledge and beliefs from that point on, so now I enjoy the slower pace that my path allows. Ignorance is bliss has a whole  new meaning to me these days.

I used to do magic all day long about everything and became very powerful. If you can imagine a reason to use magic, I probably did it. However I found that the more you use magic, the more likely you are to put obstacles in your own way along your path. I would suggest innerself work and PRAOK (Passive Random Acts of Kindness).

Comment in another thread made me think this might be an interesting topic.

For those of you who use magic as part of your practice, what kinds of things do you do with it? Have those things changed over time?

(My comments in a reply in a moment.)

 
Funny thing. I read the question and thought "I don't"... and then reconsidered. I don't do formal magic, but I do small acts of heka, mostly to strengthen my own mental processes when needed. For example, earlier in the pregnancy, when I wasn't getting regular reassurance that baby was doing quite well in the form of a kick in the ribs, I'd make a point of wearing a t-shirt I have with the text 'Baby Disco' as a confirmation that my belly was, in fact, a baby disco. I started working on the nursery early as confirmation that we will need this, this is happening. I do a lot of these kinds of small acts of real life world building for anything important to me.

--Chabas

That's interesting. Can I ask what mechanism you think caused this? It doesn't match my experience at all so I'm wondering what the difference might be.

 
Sure, I can try to explain. I think what your asking about is how using magic puts obstacles in your path, correct?

For instance, lets create a hypothetical "path" that your supposed to be following because it would make you the happiest with the perfect job for you, perfect spouse and a set of experiences that you are supposed to have so you can learn from them so you don't make those particular mistakes in the future.

Now, your path is laid out in such a way for everything to fall in place in the most efficient way possible but because you don't don't know the plsn and can't see the big picture, you live off the cuff and take matters in your own hands with magic.

You learn about a job opening at a place that offers great benifits and good pay so you do a spell to help you get that job. You get the job and meet a person who you would like to try to be in a relationdhip with and do a spell to help that. Then you think the boss doesn't appreciate you so you do a spell to have him/her appreciate you more. The list goes on and on.

In hindsight you realize that there was another job opening in a field that you had always had a great interest in at the same time you were getting the other one and you just hsppened to know a person that was going to get you in there. Then you pass a person on the street that you have an insane connection with but your now in a relationship with someone else that you just don't have that perfect bond with.  It turns out thst the person you felt that connection with on the street is a sister of a person at the other job you missed out on and would have recognized you two would be a perfect match and set you two up. Now its so complicated to get things turned back to where you should have been that you it will take a year for you and your partner to seperate and two years before you try to find another job or get fired. Then you have to allow events to unfold sll over again to lead you back to where you need to be at that it could take years before things could sll come together... and that's WITHOUT you doing spells for this and that messing up the most efficient path to your happiness any more.

Every little event that either seems positive or negitive could be a learning experience so you are the person you need to be at the time you need to be that person so things align correctly. For instance, if you need to learn that there is a character flaw about yourself thst you don't realize other people perceive about you that you don't notice and you do a spell to make people at a job or sonewhere like you more, you could affect a situation where a person would have brought it to your attention so that you could learn from it and better yourself. Now you still have a certain flaw that people perceive about you outside of that circle and the person you are supposed to be with is turned off by this one thing you do. So now you have to wait to meet this person until you learn this flaw or else the erdon your meant to be with won't even give you the time of day at the event previously planned.

Those are just a few instances. Every little event and lesson provides you withthe things you need whether you can see them or not.

 I have witnessed opportunities come full circle only realizing in hindsight yhat it would have been much easier had I not interfered.  That's not to say that uou aren't supposed touse magic, just that it seems that it may have put obstacles in my way. Who knows, maybe that wad part of the plan all along so that in the future I won't interfere when I'm not supposed to?

I hope that cleared things up.