Wicca for Life

What Is Magic?

Many people seem confused over Witchcraft and magic. Television shows and movies frequently contribute to the confusion, leading people to want to become Witches just so they can do magic, cast spells, and make charms. Yet it is not necessary to become a Witch to do this. So what is the difference between Witchcraft and magic? The short answer is that Witchcraft is a religion and magic is a practice.

Religion Vis-à-Vis Practice

The essence of a religion is a belief in deity and the worship of that deity, or deities. Many religions use magic in their rituals (the transubstantiation of Roman Catholicism is an example), but not all. There are many religions—including branches, or traditions, of Wicca—that do nothing more than honor their gods. The worshipers ask for what they need and give thanks for what they receive. The rituals may well vary in their complexity. Some are very simple, while others incorporate great ceremony. But essentially, the worshipers gather solely for religious purposes.

Magic, on the other hand, does not have to be tied to religion at all. You do not have to be a Witch to do magic, nor do you have to be a Jew, Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist, Taoist, or anything else. You can even be an atheist and do magic. Magic is a practice and, in itself, does not involve any connection with deity.

There are many types of magic: high magic, low magic, sympathetic magic, folk magic, ceremonial magic, healing magic, and more. As I’ve mentioned, some religions do incorporate some of these forms of magic into their rituals. Many Wiccans do so.

The point is, if all you want to do is cast spells and work magic, you do not need to become a Witch, since Wicca is first and foremost a religion. There are many books on working magic, of all types, that have nothing to do with Witchcraft.

Magic and What It Is

I think the best definition of magic was made by Aleister Crowley,16 who said, “Magic is the art or science of causing change to occur in conformity with will.” In other words, it’s making something happen that you want to happen. This can be done very simply or in a very complex and elaborate manner—whichever you feel most comfortable with.

The subconscious mind is older, in terms of evolutionary development, than the conscious mind, and it retains one trait of its immemorial past in the fact that . . . it works by images, not words.… If, therefore, one consciously introduces carefully selected images into the subconscious mind one can evoke the corresponding emotion.

—W. E. Butler, Magic: Its Ritual Power and Purpose

An example of simplicity is to pray for something very hard and have it happen. This is magic. It can be passed of as “coincidence” by the skeptic, as can any magic, but if a thing is done time and again, with equally successful results, the idea of coincidence wears a little thin. (Personally I don’t believe in coincidence.)

The fact that simply praying can cause change to occur indicates that the most powerful ingredient in working magic is the mind. It is necessary to have a very real desire for the change—usually a great need for it. In this way, the emotion of the need builds the burning desire and translates into the energy, or power, necessary to accomplish the act. And for this very reason, magic cannot be done “just to show that I can do it!”

Because of this desire or need for the end result, it can be seen that the best person to do magic is the person who desires the end result. No matter how inexperienced, the person can actually put far more power into the working of the magic by virtue of having a burning desire to see it succeed. To ask someone else to work magic for you—even someone acknowledged to be a “great magician”—is actually second best, since this person will not, and cannot, have that same deep-rooted inner desire.

The first requisite of occult work is the ability to concentrate well. In later work it will be found that the astral imagery is so interesting that concentration is very easy to achieve, in fact one achieves it unconsciously. However, one must not be a “fair weather worker” and should be able to concentrate at will and also to make the screen of consciousness a blank, free from intruding images and thoughts.

—Gareth Knight, Occult Exercises and Practices

Types and Forms of Magic

Let’s look in a little more detail at some of the different types and forms of magic.

Sympathetic is one type of magic. It can also be called imitative magic, since you are using an object to represent that which you wish to affect. There are many forms that sympathetic magic can take. For example, candle burning is a form of sympathetic magic. Here, candles are used to represent people and things. By certain manipulations, you can exert forces on those people and things the candle represents. There are probably more forms of sympathetic magic than any other type. Image magic—using dolls or poppets to represent a person or persons—is another form of this.

Ceremonial magic is quite different (and not really a part of Wicca, though some traditions do dabble in it). Here, there is a belief in spirits, entities, or whatever you wish to call them. Many of the old grimoires—the old books of ceremonial magic—actually term them “demons.” I will stick with entities.

The belief is that each entity has its peculiar expertise. One will be able to locate buried treasure, for example, while another has the gift of tongues. One may be able to teach herbal lore, and another can cause the erection of magnificent buildings. Various ceremonial magicians of the past have reportedly conjured each and every one of these many entities and learned both their names and their areas of expertise. Each requires a particular, intricate rite of conjuration.

It is only by conjuring the entity, and causing it to appear to the magician, that the latter is able to show his or her power over the other and, thereby, demand the required knowledge. The entity is, apparently, very loath to be drawn into this world and therefore may want to harm the magician who brought it here. This practice entails working within a very detailed, protective, magic Circle with all sorts of talismans of protection worn, and with the working tools constructed to precise recipes. This is very definitely high magic.

Folk magic, in contrast, is extremely simple low magic using ordinary, easily found items. As in Wicca, nothing is conjured and forced to appear; consequently, there is no danger from doing this type of magic. This is the magic of the Romanies, or Gypsies, and of the “Hedge Witches.” Sometimes deities are asked to bless the work, but most folk magic has no visible religious connection.

Poppet magic is a form of imitative or sympathetic magic. Figures are made to represent the people to be affected, and can be made of wax, clay, cloth, straw—just about any substance. It is not necessary that they look exactly like the person they have been made to represent. Sometimes an object belonging to the person is incorporated in the construction, but again, this is not essential. There is, however, a part of the ritual in which the poppet is named for the person. Astrological signs, or similar designs, may be drawn on the figure to help make the connection and exact identification. Frequently, poppets are made of cloth and stuffed with appropriate herbs, whether for healing, or love, or whatever. Poppet magic has been performed for thousands of years, with examples found in ancient Egyptian times and even as far back as Paleolithic times, twenty-five thousand years ago.

Healing magic is a type of magic that can be done in various forms, from hands-on to using poppets or plackets or similar items. The aim, of course, is to help heal someone who is sick, which can be done with the person present or at a distance. Although you might consider healing a positive, unselfish act, it is important to get the permission of the person to be healed before proceeding with it. Many are sick because it is part of their life’s learning and experiencing process. To heal them without consultation could possibly interfere with this process. Do not, therefore, assume that all who are ill are desperate to be healed.

Placket magic is the use of small “plackets,” or “pockets,” to accomplish the healing, or other, process. (The word placket is an Old English word that means both “pocket” and “vagina”!) These are made of felt or a similar material, and in a color or colors appropriate to what is being sought. A photograph of the person, or something belonging to him or her, is placed inside the pocket and kept there for a period of time. The placket is made about three or four inches square, depending upon the size of the photographs that are to be inserted.

Sex magic is simply using the tremendous power generated in the sex act by directing it to achieve the end desired. I’ll be looking at this in more detail in chapter 14. In fact, all of these forms of magic will be used and dealt with in detail as we progress through this book.

Astral Colors

Here are the correspondences of various colors, used in such things as candle magic, color magic, placket magic, and poppet magic.

BLACK—Absence, anonymity, confusion, evil, discord, loss, stress, neutrality, indecision.

BROWN—Earthiness, hesitation, neutrality, stalemate, uncertainty.

DARK BLUE—Changeability, depression, honor, reverence, uncertainty.

GOLD (Yellow)—Attraction, charm, confidence, persuasion, positivity, protection.

GREEN—Fertility, finance, healing, luck, nature.

GREENISH YELLOW—Cowardice, discord, jealousy, sickness.

LIGHT BLUE—Health, healing energies, patience, tranquillity, understanding.

ORANGE—Adaptability, attraction, encouragement, stimulation.

PINK—Honor, love, morality.

PURPLE—Ambition, business progress, “old soul,” power, nobility, religious depth, tension.

RED—Courage, good health, sexual love, strength, vigor.

SILVER (Gray)—Cancellation, neutrality, stalemate.

VIOLET—Healing, peace, spirituality.

WHITE—Purity, sincerity, truth.

When and Where to Use Magic

Magic is not something to be used willy-nilly, or on a whim. It is a tool that must be used responsibly. I’ve mentioned that it should not be attempted just to prove that you can do it (it probably won’t work in that case, anyway!), nor to impress someone. It should only be used when there is a very real need for it, and when the objective cannot be accomplished by more conventional methods.

This is especially true of healing. Always go to a properly trained medical person first. These days, there are hospitals and individual medical practitioners who are happy to cooperate with an alternative form of healer.

Having said all this, the first consideration now is exactly when to do your magic. You will find that the timing depends upon what it is you want to do. There are best times for doing love magic, best times for money, and so on. Of course, in an emergency you don’t worry about this; just do the magic immediately. The added pressure and need, because of the urgency, will reinforce your power and overcome any possible negativity from not being able to perform the work at the most appropriate time.

There are two main considerations in deciding the best time: moon phase and planetary hours. The simpler of these is to go just by the phases of the moon. In fact, most Witches work according to the moon; very few bother with the niceties of planetary hours, though they do use the planetary rulers, as we shall see.

PHASES OF THE MOON

In simplest terms, constructive magic is done during the waxing (increasing) phase of the moon, and destructive magic done during the waning (decreasing) phase. When I say “destructive” magic, I am not speaking of harmful magic! Harmful magic is never done in Wicca. Constructive magic would be something like increasing love, money, or situation. Destructive might involve getting rid of a bad habit, having your hair cut (so it will grow back more slowly), getting rid of negative forces, or the like.

When working on constructive projects, the power you project into the magic will grow as the moon grows in size. No magic is going to happen in a flash, like a fairy godmother waving her magic wand! It will take some time, depending upon the objective. Some magic can take several months to come to fruition. But most is resolved within one moon’s phase—one month.

Some rituals need to be repeated a number of times, often three. If this is the case, then arrange it so that the final working of the spell is done as close to the full moon (or new moon, if you are doing something destructive) as possible. For this, you will need to consult a calendar that gives moon phases.

The Rising of the Moon

The new moon always rises at sunrise.
The first quarter always rises at noon.
The full moon always rises at sunset.
The last quarter always rises at midnight.
For each day following the above, the moon will rise about fifty minutes later than
the previous day.

Which would be the best day to do the magic? Here’s where the planetary rulers come in. Each day of the week is ruled by a different planet—which, in turn, governs various activities and interests, as follows:

Day	Planet	Activity
SUNDAY	Sun	Agriculture, beauty, creativity, fortune, guardianship, hope, money, self-expression, victory
MONDAY	Moon	Ancestors, childbearing, dreams, healing, instinct, memory, merchandise, purity, theft, virginity
TUESDAY	Mars	Enemies, initiation, loyalty, matrimony, prison, protection, war, wealth
WEDNESDAY	Mercury	Business, communication, debt, fear, loss, travel
THURSDAY	Jupiter	Clothing, desires, harvests, honor, marriage, oaths, riches, treaties
FRIDAY	Venus	Beauty, family life, friendship, fruitfulness, growth, harmony, love, nature, pleasures, sexuality, strangers, waters
SATURDAY	Saturn	Building, doctrine, freedom, gifts, life, protection, real estate, sowing, tenacity

If you are planning to do some magic regarding a marriage, then, you would do it on a Thursday. Tuesday is also good for matrimony. The same is true on several subjects: More than one day might be applicable. Think carefully as to which is the most appropriate. In this case, if it is the actual marriage Thursday is the day. But if it has to do with the state of matrimony, perhaps several years after the wedding itself, Tuesday is the better day. An added indication in this case is that Thursday is also good for oaths, so in terms of the marriage vows, this would seem to back up the choice of Thursday.

Look, then, at the calendar and see which Thursday falls closest to the full moon on the waxing side (that is, before it actually becomes full rather than just after). This is the best day to perform the magical ritual. If you are going to do more than one ritual then this is the day to do the final one in the series. If you want to repeat the ritual three times, for example, and this means the first time will fall within the waning cycle, don’t worry, since it will be the end of the waning. The other two will definitely be in the waxing phase, with the final ritual close to the full moon. What time of day, or night is best? This is where planetary hours come into it. Unless you are doing something like ceremonial magic, you don’t need to fine-tune to such an extent.17 But if you do want to have everything possible going for you, I have given a table of planetary hours in the appendix.

As to where to do your rituals, I have already spoken of your temple and the sacred circle (chapter 3). But if you haven’t yet set up a temple, or are away from home, simply choose a spot where you will be undisturbed. You don’t want to hear radios, television, the sounds of traffic or voices, or the telephone. You need to feel secure, so that you can put all your attention into the magic you are doing. You don’t need a lot of space; in fact most magic can be done in little more than a five-foot-diameter circle, as you will see as we progress.

The Cone of Power

When you work magic, you generate power that builds up from the line of the Circle you have drawn and consecrated and forms roughly into a cone shape, enclosing you. This is both a protective barrier—keeping out all negativity—and a wall against which to build the pressure of the power until releasing it.

The consecrating of the Circle is therefore the most important step in working magic. It’s true that much folk magic does not include this step, but other precautions are taken there, and it is somewhat different from the magic done in a Wiccan Circle.

In a coven setting, just before starting to do the magic, the leader of the group should repeat the Circle consecration as an extra sealing, or reinforcing, of the area. This is especially necessary if anyone has broken the Circle by leaving and reentering it since its original casting. The Circle must be secure to contain the power that is raised.

In coven work and hereditary Wicca, the magic is done after the Cakes and Ale. In fact, during the relaxed “intermission” of eating the cake and drinking the ale or wine, the group will discuss what magic is to be done and consider the best way to do it. The dance, the chant, the focus, and the method of projecting the power will all be covered so everyone knows exactly what is expected of them.

The main theme, when all has been considered, is to raise the power and project it to the desired object. Power can be raised in a variety of ways, but basically it is a case of working yourself up to ekstasis—a state of ecstasy. Dance and rhythm are the two main ingredients for this. Dancing around the Circle, gradually building up the speed, accompanied by a steady, rhythmic beat, is the most common way. Some groups use traditional steps, but most extemporize. Records of the Witches of old dancing at their Sabbats speak of them leaping high in the air or interlocking arms, back to back, and whirling around, lifting one another off their feet. In fact, the waltz is said to have originated from a Witch dance known as “La Volta.”

Many covens have a “designated drummer” who sits close up against the altar and provides the beat to which the others dance. The traditional drum used by the Witches of old was known as a tabor, and was similar in appearance to many of the flat native American drums or the Irish bodhran. But a drummer is not a necessity. The beat can be kept by clapping hands, beating the ground or floor, or slapping your thighs.

Magical Chants

A worthwhile tool for building power is the chant. The exact wording should be decided upon when planning the work. It should be short and to the point, with a clear rhyme and solid beat. Some groups will insist upon old, frequently unintelligible chants that are supposed to be “mystical”—“Eko tane mare syam! Abijl ala, nuno actenal nehn!” What does this mean? It’s actually from the Seventh Book of Moses, a book of ceremonial magic. It would, therefore, have no relevance to any Wiccan working, and especially not to any specific working.

Apart from anything else, you should never chant anything the meaning of which you do not know. Who knows what you might conjure up! Your chant should be short, simple, and focused on the object of the exercise. Suppose you are trying to help a coven member find a new apartment. Then, use something like, “Bring [name] peace; find her a home. Let her rest and cease to roam.” Better yet would be just a couple of lines: “[Name] finds a home; no more to roam!” Stress the alternating syllables: “[Name] finds a home, no more to roam!” This way you can stamp or clap or whatever on that beat.

By choosing such a short, pertinent phrase you can dance and chant without really thinking about it. This is important because, in doing magic, you need to be focusing on the end result. In the above example, you do not think of the person—let’s call her Jane—looking for an apartment; you think of her having found one and being happily settled in it. You see Jane with a big smile, enjoying her new home. This is your focus, and that’s why you don’t need to try remembering a lot of words as you dance and chant.

Projection of the Power