Be Practical

I've been debating on posting this thread for a while now but due to the continuing stream of emails concerning spells and magic I decided to go ahead and post this.

When practicing magic you should try to keep things practical. You can happily preform elaborate rituals if you want, and some do. However, trying to keep things practical is the way to go. You don't want to do something that you can't handle. This applies to spells as well.

Instead of trying to use 23 different ingredients to a spell you haven't the faintest idea of how to do, try writing your own and applying it to your daily life. A good example of how to do this would be with say cooking.

Cooking involves a lot of ingredients from time to time, but those who do cook, know that you don't need a lot of herbs to make a very rich and bold flavor, it's merely the right combination of a few, and in some cases, none at all. You can take this example and apply it to magic.

Instead of a bunch of ingredients for a spell, try making things simple and practical. You shouldn't have to go out of your way to do magic (unless you have 2 jobs, and three kids, a husband or wife, and a dog that needs tending to all while going to school, then please by all means make the time LOL).

As you progress down your spiritual path magic should be integrated into your daily life. Simple things like sweeping the floor should slowly start to become magical aspects of your life. In the case of sweeping the floor, be in the moment, and feel while you sweep, all the negative energy and the physical dirt actually get swept up and then removed from the home. This is what I mean when I say practical.

As I stated above you shouldn't have to go out of your way to do magic. Keep things simple and incorporate it into your life.


For those who'd like to read up some more on things like this you should check out The Way of the Hedgewitch by Arin Murphy-Hiscock. Arin talks about keeping things practical and gives some great advice as to how to incorporate living magic and not just doing magic.

I'm glad you posted this, as I've also had those new to magic mail me and ask me to cast spells for them or help them with a spell because they can't get it to work.

In reality, they can just as easily cast the spell themselves, they simply make it harder than it needs to be. As with trying anything new, don't put more on your shoulders than you can handle. Take things slow and use baby steps before you jump off the high dive, so to speak.

Very good thread. :)

Blessed Be and Brightest Blessings,
Kat

This post came at the perfect time. I have been having a hard time lately, and I have not had a lot of time to do some things I want and know I need to.

When I read this, I was like, "Now why didn't I think of that?". It makes perfect sence.

Thanks & Blessed Be,
Dessi

I couldn't agree with you more on this subject Silver. Many tend to get discouraged thinking that they have to follow a spell exact. When really you don't, not to mention some herbs are hard to come by, and often enough when you do come by the herbs needed, the spell you were attempting either does not need to be done, or you forgot your original intent for wanting it done.

Best Advise - follow the kiss method

Keep
It
Simple
Stupid

LOL

I cook a lot...my mom works day shifts and I'm alone all day so I cook for myself...and since my parents are divorced, I live with my father who doesn't know how to cook...so yeah I cook A LOT!!! lol
Anyway, I've probably gone through a ton of recipes and what I came to realize in time is that magick is just like cooking...there are recipes and spells that are both an instruction...you don't have to follow it strictly, but you need to follow the basics! Just like you have your taste for food, you have your own taste for magick, but the soup's not gonna taste very well if you under-cook the meat or if you don't stir...it's the same in magick...if you don't ground and center and do all the other basics, the energy won't be focused and it will just flow away to a random destination and the result of the soup and the spell will both leave a bad taste in your mouth
(pun intended lol)

got a little off subject but since you mentioned cooking and magic I just thought of what I was thinking the other day...

well said lady vixen i can't a bit more to this really, just saying to all new members in the craft believe in your self.

Don't forget that simple tasks you do in your home are magical as well.

Sweeping the floor or vacuuming for example, you can cleanse away not only dirt, but unwanted or negative energies in that part of the home as well.

By being in the moment and keeping things simple, it makes your daily tasks easier and allows you simple ways to go about living a magical lifestyle.

Remember that magic isn't separate from your life, you live magic. It's in everything we do, see, desire, and need. It's everything and nothing. Respect it, and the reward is respect back.