Your Spells Aren’t Working?
If you’re having trouble with or doubting your crafts effectiveness, there are a couple of questions you can ask yourself:
Well chances are if you got it off Tumblr, Pinterest, or the first page of Google…its crap. This isnt to say there aren’t exceptions but generally the mass of the online community seems to have hopped in bed with the idea that everything is arbitrary. Dont have a full moon? Do it whenever you want! Don’t have a candle? Use plastic! Don’t have moon water prepared? Just grab some Deer Park bottled water! The fact of the matter is, while witchcraft is constantly evolving and adapting there are just some things that work and some that don’t. Not everything is buzzing with magical energy and no two things have the same energy or effect. Emoji spells, jars of random things from your kitchen, and YouTube “chants to turn yourself into a werewolf” just aren’t going to cut it if you’re looking to make some serious magic. Think of it like cooking. Honey, agave, and stevia are all fine substitutes for sugar. But if you’re trying to make a rich chocolate chip cookie with dark brown sugar and you use stevia instead… You will not get the same cookie. No matter how much intention you put into it. The things you use matter. Tumblr likes to think you can just add more milk and not bake the cake and its basically the same thing as long as you put a lot of intent into it? Try serving that at a wedding.
Alternative sources include books by well known members of various witch communities (I.e. an herbalist/green witch might read Judika Illes). Thats not to say books and websites cant be trusted unless famous, but when youre a baby witch go with the most popular then work your way in as your BS radar and sense of self get stronger. But the best source will always be elders, reach out and try find pagans in your community. We’re a sneaky lot but we are out there. For eons, magick has been passed down through generations. I personally believe in the prowess of a magickal bloodline but many these days are the first of their line to pick up the craft and that’s okay. Plenty people who are born swimmers lose to people who are passionate. But what both need is guidance and training.
2. How strong is my mind? 💪
A witch is only as good as their intuition and if you’ve just googled love spells, went out and bought the pink candles, and plopped down to seduce Chad The Almighty then Im afraid that might not go well dear. While a good spell is a great help, ultimately items are simply there to aid, amplify, and channel your ability. If you are hasty or a poor listener then you wont go very far.
Meditation (of all kinds) is the best way to train your brain. If you can quiet your mind and channel your spirit then you stand a chance to make a potent spell with minimal aid. But this takes YEARS of practice. Hang in there.
3. Am I REALLY prepared? 🎓
Have you been meditating? How many books have you read? Have you been taking good care of your body? Do you have the right spell? The right enviroment? Are you taking your time? Have you taken moments to listen to the world around you and observe what the universe might be trying to tell you? Are you sure a spell is needed? Is the timing right?
If you feel like somethings just not clicking, then the answer is no- youre not prepared. Magic is intuitive and when its right its right. You’ll know.
Never. Ever. Ever. Rush into magic unprepared. If you force yourself down the throat of the universe, it will shit you out.
4. What am I contributing? 🔁
I’m not fluffy bunny. Every great teacher I’ve ever known, read, listened to, or heard of has made sure to make one thing very clear everything has a price. If you are drawing from within that means your personal energy, strength, happiness, safety, or more depending on the spell and intensity. Objects can help a lot with this, thats why spell ingredients aren’t arbitrarily thrown about and exchanged. If you work with spirits or dieties or other beings of any kind, then you must contribute back to them. Its a relationship, not a charity. If you want your house spirit to protect you, then you must get to know that house and treat it in a way that pleases it. If you want a spirit to bring you love, it might want offerings of honey or milk.
I mean, imagine this: You’re a rich bank owner and someone shows up and bangs on your door. They tell you they want you to bring them money and bring it now, here are some rocks that remind them of money, they’re holding a green candle. Would you just give it to them? Probably not. But if it was a friend, or if the person came with a gift, you might share just a little bit.
5. Does this even need magic? 🔨
You wanna drop 20lbs? Dont do a spell. You wanna find true love? Dont do a spell. You wanna make sure you dont burn your pastry? Dont do a spell.
Instead do spells that motivate you to go to the gym or choose that healthy meal. Do spells that make you a more confident and comfortable person so that you arent so worried about meeting the one. Do spells that help you show love to your bakes so that you know just when they are ready to come out.
And most of all, mundane before magical. Plenty of people live perfectly good lives without a single chant or gemstone. Make sure you are doing what you can, and the powers that be might just take a fancy and help you out even when you dont ask for it.
If you get nothing else out of this, the main thing I encourage you to do is READ READ READ.
