Magical Correspondences? What Do I Use Them For?
by Silver RavenWolf
Almost every how-to magical book on the market gives you listings called magical correspondences. These lovely tables and columns brim with neat and nifty information that may include the subjects of herbs, planetary influences, candle colors, angels, gods and goddesses, metals, moon phases, magical alphabets, incenses, stones, etc. You’ll find daily correspondences, weekly correspondences, and monthly correspondences. With all this information, every single spell of magical application should work perfectly, right? Wrong.
The word correspondence (in magical applications) means stuff that goes together, things that match, symbols whose energies blend well with each other, or ideas that carry historical representations. These symbols enhance the practitioner’s planned application. For example, the color red vibrates close to the same energy frequency as the emotion of passion. Historically, the color red conjures an association with the element of fire, and is associated with the root chakra. The heart shape travels through the collective unconsciousness as a symbol for love. Mythos, created by the human mind, tells us that Aphrodite stands for that elusive energy known as love. The soft scent and vibrational pattern of a rose blends easily with thoughts of love. Make that rose red, cut out a red paper heart to depict the fires of passion, call on Aphrodite, and you have the makings of a simple spell for conjuring love with the help of the correspondences you chose: red, fire, heart shape, and Aphrodite. Through these symbols the magical practitioner uses sight, smell, touch, and emotion to focus on a chosen desire—love. If we throw in a full moon or a waxing moon, we’ve added a planetary body whose energies affect the chemistry in our human bodies, and again, the full or waxing moon finds historical association—lovers trysting under a full moon, and the waxing moon’s association with growth.
Correspondences don’t make the magic—you do. Consider the correspondences as fine-tuning devices, or that special ingredient in your favorite dish that gives the food an extra zing. Although correspondences carry energies of their own, their function relies on your focus. Throwing a bunch of stuff together (as in our previous example), a red candle, a red paper heart, rose petals, calling on Aphrodite on Friday in the hour of Venus during a waxing moon, won’t secure the love you need by itself. Correspondences help you to focus on your desire initially. Correspondences have energies that you can manipulate. The more correspondences you use in your magic, the better chance for success if you remain focused on the application, and if the universe has determined that your goal should manifest. Since not all goals and desires would be good for you, the universe may not dispense the energy in the way you wish, or in the time frame you desire, no matter how many correspondences you use.
Must you use correspondences in your magical and ritual applications? No. Some factors do override the energies of a correspondence. Emotion, for example, plays a big part in magical workings. If your need carries a high emotional level, such as how you feel during an emergency, and waiting for the right correspondence (the moon phase or the correct planetary hour) isn’t possible, your energy level may override the need for the use of those types of magical correspondences.
Magical training will also enhance the use of correspondences. If you have learned to focus, practice routine meditation exercises, work with energy flow in the body and in other areas, have a good relationship with spirit, etc., then these aspects of your training will enhance the use of correspondences.
Magical correspondences work well in our times of fallow, when our energy level feels low. Every individual experiences slow periods, and sometimes these vacant stretches can last six months or more, depending on the various issues and entanglements in our lives. In these times, the more correspondences you use, the better your chances of success in a magical or ritual application.
Must you use only the correspondences listed in magical books? Nope, although I’d work with these correspondences first to get the hang of what I’m doing. After you find your comfort zone with already published material, learn to create your own correspondences, but do so carefully. Experience on a small scale and work up to bigger projects. Any spell book you buy represents someone’s (usually the author’s) experimentation with various correspondences.
Some correspondences will work better for you than others. Magical practitioners have found this particularly evident in color magic. Certain colors vibrate better or can be massaged easier by one person than another. Again, this circumstance depends on magical training, experience, social background, personal history, and individual energy flow—all the factors that make you an
individual.
Don’t let those lists and columns of magical correspondences confuse you anymore. Take your time, experiment, and build your skill level with the tried-and-true methods, as well as your own. You won’t regret it!