Spells and rituals are fundamentally the same thing as prayers in conventional religions. However, spells are usually not addressed to a deity, as prayers are; and rituals, although addressed to deities or spirits, are usually more for the spirit?s sake than for ours. It isn?t that the usual trappings of spells and rituals ? special fancy clothing and tools, special chants and litanies ? make them more effective than ordinary, garden variety prayers. Rather, what makes a magician?s spells and rituals more effective than average people?s prayers is that the magician has a more realistic intent. Average people usually are looking for some kind of free ride: they pray that their desires will drop from heaven with no effort by them. Magicians, on the other hand, pray for guidance on how they can make their desires come true. This is the difference between effective spells and charms and prayers; and ineffectual ones.
Another reason why average people?s spells and rituals don?t work is because of insensitivity to the designs of the Spirit. Average people are usually too full of their own expectations and self-importance to recognize when some little coincidence; or some offhand remark someone makes; or some person whom they just happen to bump into as they hurry along; or some other ?cubic centimeter? of chance (as Carlos Castaneda called it) which happened to pop up in the days or weeks after their spells and charms were cast; was in actual fact the path to the realization of their desires. It?s very rare that the Spirit blares forth its gifts with trumpets. This is why, if Jesus does in fact return, lots of people who are praying for exactly that eventuality will miss it. If he returns as a humble carpenter instead of in a blaze of glory in the clouds, people who are expecting the clouds one won?t get it. The point is that magicians who are not filled with their own expectations but are open to what comes their way, who get their spells and charms to work.
Average people tend to believe that things happen by themselves; or perhaps that an omnipotent deity can make things happen if you could fake Him out. Magicians, on the other hand, believe that they themselves must take complete responsibility for realizing their desires. This is what intent is all about: taking complete responsibility and leaving nothing to chance. That is the reason why magicians aren?t disappointed if their spells and charms don?t work: when they have done their best, then that is all that can be expected. Like the fight of the Native Americans against the whites who were encroaching upon them; or like the fight by the Jews in the Warsaw ghetto against the Germans; all that matters is the fight ? even if you know you can?t win. It isn?t winning that ultimately matters; and it isn?t winning which ultimately matters to magicians. It?s impeccability. Average people tend to be addicted to fantasies like marrying Ms. or Mr. Right, or winning the lottery, or some other great stroke of luck which will solve all their problems forevermore. These sorts of fantasies can be useful in providing hope (false though it is) to help people get through the bad times. But by being addicted to fantasies of irresponsibility dissipates the intent needed to realize one?s true desires. Making desires come true requires not only openness to what the Spirit sends our way (as opposed to clinging to a specific payoff), but also considerable patience and hard work. That?s the meaning of intent; and that?s how to make spells and rituals work.
Bob Makransky
Author Bio
For more information on how to make effective spells and rituals, see Bob Makransky?s homepage. Information on spells and charms is published monthly in Bob?s free ezine Magical Almanac.
