Working Magic
Working Magic
This is the interesting part. Now, I won't stand for anyone mailing me and saying "that's not how you do it" because it is!
This is exactly how I do it. Everyone does things differently, especially with magic - its expected. Note that at times I've deliberately left things a little vague. This is because I do not want to impose the way I do it on you; and because the whole point is that you can figure it out yourself. Have you ever seen any intermediate/advanced Witchcraft pages? No, only beginner pages. Thats because all you need is the basics and you go your own path from there.
I used to work with candles, insence and other such physical representations, which I call the Ritualistic Method. However, I find no need for these nowadays, preferring to work with my hands, my voice and my mind. This I call the Simplistic Method. I have chosen these names out of thin air just to make things easier to explain - they are not set in stone!
The Ritualistic Method
This, for all its complexity, is how many people learn the basics of magic, because the physical representations are used to help with
visualization and concentration. There are many varieties of ritual; hundreds of rituals for each individual goal. It is up to the worker
to choose which is most appropriate for them.
The ritualistic method involves a lot of set movements and chants with all sorts of implements from bells to leaves to pentagrams. It is important
to remember that it is not the movements that make the spell work - it is the worker. The next step on is the simplistic method.
The Simplistic Method
The ritualistic method is all very impressive sounding and rather overly complicated. Now, this is how you go about it once you've learnt how magic works: concentration,
visualisation, faith and belief in yourself!
For instance, when I move house, the first thing I do is cleanse the house of any residual generic badness. You know, like when you enter a place you get a 'feeling' from it, whether it be homely, oppressive, happy or spooky. Cleansing renews the area, leaving only the feel you want, preparing it for new residents. How do I do this? Simple. I take out a cloth and water, a broom and a duster and I clean the house. All through the cleaning I think of what I'm wanting to accomplish and often chant. Wa-la!! One spell. And the housework gets done too.
Much easier, don't you think? Concentration, visualisation, faith and belief in yourself. Thats all you need to remember.
Examples
Example 1: Creating a ritual circle - both methods.