What sorts of things do you do magic for?

[Witchka]

I have to admit the thought of magic has always intimidated me. I've read up a little on it and my HPS and I have talked about it. But when it comes time to do magic, I'm a bit at a loss.

What do I do magic for?

My personal ethics prohibit love/weather/money spells. And I don't find myself needing anything in particular.  I've thumbed through spell books to see what sorts of spells are in there but nothing jumps out at me that clicks so I go "oooh, so that's what I can use it for!"

I just don't think I'm recognizing the uses for magic in my life and I think I would if I just practiced more (or any!). But I don't know what to start on.

Any thoughts or advice would be welcome.

[Mithril]

I just don't think I'm recognizing the uses for magic in my life and I think I would if I just practiced more (or any!). But I don't know what to start on.

 
Funny you should mention that now as it's exactly what I've been thinking of. I honestly think it's just a way of thinking that you have to get into the habit of. When I first started witchcraft, I used magic fairly often, but now that I've gotten out of the habit, it's been hard to think of what I could use it for.

My thinking now is that, anything I'm striving for without magic could maybe use a boost with magic. Magic doesn't have to stand alone, it's a tool. If I'm already using all the other tools at my disposition, why not use magic as well? F'ex, I'll be going to college soon for example, so in addition to reviewing over the summer, I should also do some spells to help me increase my concentration. Or, if you're cleaning a room, maybe you should also consider cleaning it magically to get rid of any negative energy that might have accumulated along with the dust.

[Jenett]

Taking your post out of order, for better clarity...

I just don't think I'm recognizing the uses for magic in my life and I think I would if I just practiced more (or any!). But I don't know what to start on.

The first thing that strikes me here is that for me, there's a difference between 'magic' and 'spells'.

I do magical stuff all the time, by which I mean "change in awareness in accordance with will" - centering, grounding, energy balancing work, some kinds of meditation work, adding a few herbs to something I'm cooking or otherwise preparing it with a particular intention, picking a particular playlist of music I've created, choosing oils or a particular handmade soap for a cleansing bath at night.

I relatively rarely do spells, where I'm doing a set of things with a particular attention, focus, and set of steps all on its own. (And that's actually true of most of my tradmates: we might do something once a month. We might do something twice a year. Depends on our specific needs.)

My personal ethics prohibit love/weather/money spells. And I don't find myself needing anything in particular.  I've thumbed through spell books to see what sorts of spells are in there but nothing jumps out at me that clicks so I go "oooh, so that's what I can use it for!"'

My first question is - all love spells? All money spells? I don't do spells in either category that are about changing other people's minds.  (And I'm with you on not messing with the weather). But I'd be comfortable, if circumstances called for it, with a fairly wide range of things in both love and money categories that are about me, more than anything else.

Some examples might be spells to...

- help me get out and meet people who might be potential partners.
- be more confident in a new social setting.
- better manage my money for long term goals.
- or stick to my budget.
- help a new job that fits my needs (and where I fit the needs someone's hiring for) come to my attention.
- find ways to get money out of things I'd enjoy doing (side project kinds of stuff, a buyer for stuff I'm looking to find homes for, that kind of thing.)

Other work I do semi regularly includes:
- updating protection work for my home and car (not in the paranoid way, just in the "this is a handy thing to do")
- health-related work alongside appropriate professional care.
- cleansing/blessing my home, upcoming projects (yarn for a specific need, for example)
- remove blocks or barriers in a creative project (or something to help me focus on it better).

[Marilyn/Absentminded]

What do I do magic for?

Anything you want, anything you need, anything you lack.

I have no problem doing money spells, and I will mess around with the weather a little (personal style, talking to named winds and local weather systems).  I don't do love/lust for myself because I don't need to, (17-year relationship with no signs of changing) but if somebody asks me I have a list of non-controlling folk magic - recipes that depend on following the instructions, not on personal knowledge or power.

I rarely do magic by itself, but sometimes that is the only option available.  I don't have a problem with magic any more than I have one with reading the newspaper or calling the bank or sending out resumes.  It might be different if my magic were deity dependent, but it tends not to be so I use it like any other skill/tool.

Absent

[treekisser]

But I don't know what to start on.

 
I guess it depends also on what kind of tradition of you're working from. I've just bought a book on ceremonial magic exercises, for example, which look very serious and organised.

But otherwise, I've been pretty ad hoc and what I currently find useful are 1) an object-based visualisation which I use to suck up anger, spite, resentment, self-loathing, etc, 2) an earth-based visualisation to help ground my attention span to the task at hand.

Also, glamours are a nice way to start.

[treekisser]

I have a list of non-controlling folk magic - recipes that depend on following the instructions, not on personal knowledge or power.
Absent

 
How do you distinguish paint-by-numbers magic from the kind dependent on personal knowledge/power?

[Marilyn/Absentminded]

How do you distinguish paint-by-numbers magic from the kind dependent on personal knowledge/power?

They tend to be more precise.  Instead of something like 'visualize or hold a piece of copper to draw the energy of earth and blood into your desire' or some such, they will say 'wrap three pennies in a pair of your underwear and bury them under the porch to draw sexual partners to your door.  If you have someone specific in mind, write his name on the underwear'.  Rarely any explanations beyond the what and the how and the result.

I give them out to non-witches who want spells that i don't have time or desire to do.  I've been keeping track for years and it is amazing how often folk-type magic, especially 'bringing' or 'calling to' spells, work.  No training necessary, as long as they don't get fancy with the recipe.

Absent

[Witchka]

My first question is - all love spells? All money spells? I don't do spells in either category that are about changing other people's minds.  (And I'm with you on not messing with the weather). But I'd be comfortable, if circumstances called for it, with a fairly wide range of things in both love and money categories that are about me, more than anything else.

I should have expanded, my apologies

Love spells being spells that take away the others' choice in the matter. "Please let xxx love/lust after me."

For money it's basically ones that ask for money to come my way. What if someone else needed that $10 far more than I did? What if it was a matter of life or death or meaning someone had food/roof/bills paid. I might be over thinking this but those are my thoughts on it.

If it involves me and me alone, I won't have a problem about it.

Some examples might be spells to...

- help me get out and meet people who might be potential partners.
- be more confident in a new social setting.
- better manage my money for long term goals.
- or stick to my budget.
- help a new job that fits my needs (and where I fit the needs someone's hiring for) come to my attention.
- find ways to get money out of things I'd enjoy doing (side project kinds of stuff, a buyer for stuff I'm looking to find homes for, that kind of thing.)

Other work I do semi regularly includes:
- updating protection work for my home and car (not in the paranoid way, just in the "this is a handy thing to do")
- health-related work alongside appropriate professional care.
- cleansing/blessing my home, upcoming projects (yarn for a specific need, for example)
- remove blocks or barriers in a creative project (or something to help me focus on it better).

 

 Okay. Those make sense.Heaven's know I could use more focus