#intent

[blackcoffeedreams]

[creature-wizard]

I figure it's a good time to remind people that perpetuating racism doesn't require racist intentions. Just because your heart is full of love and light and all kinds of beautiful positivity, doesn't mean you aren't promoting harmful beliefs somehow (like for example, the ancient astronaut hypothesis or some form of blood libel).

Always remember, "the path to hell is paved with good intentions" is a warning that exist for a reason.

[brewandbramble]

Witchy Basics - Intent

When I first began practicing witchcraft I was utterly and completely lost, such to the point I didn’t learn the basics until I was already months in. I was busy doing candle magic and color correspondences­— following spells I found online with not a clue what I was doing. It was hard learning and adjusting to the basics after so many months of creating bad habits. Even to this day I still struggle and have to sit down and remind myself of them. People debate what qualifies as the basics, but I think fundamentally it all boils down to one clear winner— intent.

What is intent and why is it so Important?

Intent is the backbone of every spell or ritual you do in witchcraft. It can cover a lot of things; protection, cleansing, grounding, wards, love, beauty, finances, the list goes on and on. It’s what you want to achieve from your spells, your rituals. Without intent your spell has no goal to achieve— no purpose. Intents can be vague or they can be detailed.

I've seen much discourse as to why vague intents are worse then detailed ones and vice versa. My philosophy is to simply choose what works best for you. We can't all be a Picasso so to speak. Some of us practitioners struggle with things— whether that's as simple as creative writing, or as detrimental as doing things in their daily life.

What are some examples of intents?

When making a spell you first need to decide what the spell is for. That will be your intent. As I've previously stated, intent can cover a wide variety of things. Below I have listed several intents I've utilized in my practice. Please use these as inspiration and write your own in as much detail as you're comfortable with.

Protection against negativity - "I am protected from negative energies that wish to bring me down."

Banishing negative influences - "I banish the negative influences of others that hold me back."

Self Cleanse - "I wash away lingering energies and cleanse myself of negativity."

Object Cleanse - "I cleanse this [object] of energies it contains to prepare it for ritual use."

Room Cleanse - "I cleanse this room for the ritual ahead, clearing negative energies and unwanted spirits from this place."

Grounding - "I release the energies that no longer serves me and invite in fresh energy from the earth beneath my feet."

Self Love - "I invite love into my life so that I may learn to love myself."

Financial Abundance - "Money comes to me naturally and I accumulate it with ease."

General Focus - "I allow myself to relax so I may regain focus on the task at hand."

Check out the Witchy Basics Masterpost to see other entries in this mini series.

[the-healing-mindset]

Many in your environment won't get it. They won't understand why you're dedicating your time and effort to yourself and investing in your work, both personal and professional.

They won't get why you have to abandon certain paths and go down new routes. They may criticize you but don't allow that to get under your skin. You know what you know and it's not your responsibility to try to get them to understand.

While they are riding the waves of every little shift in their mindset, environment, or otherwise, you're continuing to build and strengthen your foundation. Keep going.

[thepersonalwords]

Consider intentions carefully. Karma gives a damn about ego, awards allegiance to none, and its justice is truly blind.

T.F. Hodge, From Within I Rise: Spiritual Triumph Over Death and Conscious Encounters with "The Divine Presence"

[rileycruel]

[lostandfound59]

Intent Coyote