Thursday, December 28, 2017

Why Ditching New Year's Resolutions is Magickal!

Everywhere around the globe, during the last part of the year people make New Year's resolutions of what they are going to do (or not going to do) in the coming year. Whether the resolution is to lose weight, stop smoking, be kinder, or spend more time with the family, most people make resolutions. Sadly, most people also fail to achieve those resolutions by February 1 of the new year (82% of people fail according to some research).

Since New Year's resolutions don't seem to work for most people, why bother? If you want your life to change, you will probably find that you gain better results with a magickal yearly aim. While a magickal yearly aim sounds very much like a New Year's resolution, a yearly aim is actually quite different. While a New Year's resolution is about "things" and "doing" or "not doing," a magickal yearly aim is about improving everything in your life by raising the level of your Being through the use of magick. Why would you want to raise the level of your Being? According to Gurdjieff and other metaphysical teachers:

"The level of your Being attracts the level of your life."

Thus the fastest way to change your life is to raise your level of Being. The higher your level of Being, the higher will be the things you attract into your life: a higher salary, a higher caliber of people around you, a better level of health, a higher feeling of satisfaction with your life. Instead of just trying to change one thing in your life with a New Year's resolution, wouldn't it be so much more fun to play with a magickal yearly aim that requires less work and produces better results in every area of your life?

What's a Magickal Yearly Aim?
A magickal yearly aim is a magickal exercise of your choosing that you practice all year long. The goal of this magickal yearly aim is to identify and dissolve the resistance in your Being that causes you to think, act, and do in ways that detract from your life. For instance, suppose you find that the people around you at work are not as kind, giving, warm, and caring as you might like. In fact, suppose that you find these people downright mean or overly competitive. This kind of cutthroat behavior may just be part of the company culture. That culture existed before you were hired, and has never changed since you've been an employee. What if you could use a teeny-tiny magkical yearly aim to change the way people around you behave?

An Example of a Magickal Yearly Aim
One of our students made that very change with a magickal yearly aim that was so simple as to be absurd. His aim was to remind himself daily of this fact: "Gratitude is free." Then he would find some way to express his gratitude or caring, no matter how tiny that expression. Since he was uncomfortable, at first, with changing his behavior at work, fearing that people would find his behavior odd and suspicious, he began with something less obvious. Each day, he would remind himself that gratitude was free, and then he would do a kind act for a stranger. More importantly, he would tell no one of his kind act. Some of his kind acts included:
  • helping someone load groceries into their car 
  • smiling at a person sitting on a bus bench and telling them to have a great day
  • paying for a taco for the person behind him at the taco truck
  • allowing a car into traffic in a crowded intersection
  • placing an extra roll of toilet paper near the toilet before the current roll ran out

As you can see, these acts ran from the obvious to the "pay it forward variety." All these acts centered around the fact that he was grateful for all he had in life (though he still wished for more, such as a caring work environment), and he wished to share it with his fellow humans. After our student practiced his free gratitude on strangers for a few months, he was able to gradually practice his yearly magickal aim at work. Again, his gratitude was expressed simply. He would:
  • model happiness whenever possible with a happy demeanor
  • thank people whenever possible for their efforts, even if those efforts were part of the job
  • bring an extra cup of coffee from the coffee cart to a random fellow employee once a week
  • thank his boss when he could for any praise
  • praise his boss whenever he could

As he began modeling gratitude, slowly he began to feel happier regardless of how the people around him acted. Even in the face of overly-competitive behavior, he offered gratitude. This gratitude in no way reduced his level of performance or his steps towards his goals at work, but all of his work was done with a smile and a feeling of warmth. Eventually, over a period of nine months or so, his co-workers began to change. A little at a time, the people around him smiled more. He sometimes was the recipient of a free cup of coffee. His workload became easier to bear, and his yearly reviews were much less of a trial. His promotion also came sooner than he had thought possible.

Gratitude is a Higher Level of Being
Some scientists have studied the various parts of our physical body, such as blood pressure and heart rate, and found that people who are happier are also healthier. Studies also show that emotions such as gratitude, love, caring, and faith have a higher vibrational frequency than emotions such as sadness, depression, hatred, and fear. While this may seem self-evident, many of us don't make use of this knowledge. But since we know that New Year's resolutions quickly fail for most people, wouldn't it be so much easier to use a simple exercise that helps us practice a magickal yearly aim? If you could raise every aspect of your life just by doing one kind act for a stranger each day, wouldn't it be worth it?

As with our student, you can identify a part of your Being or your life that has a great deal of resistance. Then create a simple magickal exercise as part of your yearly aim to address that resistance. The exercise should be small, simple, and easy to remember. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Sounds simple enough, right? This year, why not ditch the New Year's resolutions and try a magickal yearly aim? Need help? Ask us on our Facebook page... or post your magickal yearly aim and inspire others!

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Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Need a Crystal Ball? Why a Deck of Cards is Much More Reliable

There are many ways to get signs and communications from the Universe and although the crystal ball is what many people think of for this type of magical procedure, it is not the safest one. The structure of a crystal ball can draw your spirit in and trap you. In fact, this has been done before as a magical act of malice, which of course goes against the Rules of the Road. There are many techniques that don't need a crystal ball. You can find several in our Daily Rituals for Attracting What You Want in Life ebook, including this one called "Theme for the Day".

A fun and safe way to start your day is to draw a theme for the day from a deck of cards. The Universe is always working to send us messages, help and guidance. One way of communicating with the Universe is to use a deck of cards. This would include using a tarot deck, angel cards, horoscopes, numerology, runes or medicine cards. Some people make their own cards with words on them like love, peace, joy, gratitude, or forgiveness. A book can work too. Just an ordinary book or magazine can be opened to any page, then look at the first word, first phrase or picture on the page and use that as your theme for the day.

Some people for example start their day by drawing a card from the Medicine Cards by Jamie Sams and David Carson. These cards have totem animals on them and come with a book explaining the meaning of each one. You simply spread the cards out, spend a minute quietly observing them or hold your output hand over them and take the one that calls your attention or that you feel energy radiating from. Then read the corresponding meaning from the book that goes with the card you picked. The message from the meaning becomes your theme for the day. For example if you draw the Wolf, your theme for the day would be teaching and new ideas.

The Universe is very good at communicating exactly what we need to hear. I have been amazed and grateful time and time again at messages coming from drawing a Medicine Card that gave me guidance on just the situation I was dealing with at the time. Be open to whatever message you get. Even if it appears to be a negative message at first. There is always something to learn and to be gained from the messages the Universe sends.

As you proceed through the day, remain conscious of your message and theme for the day. Watch how you interact with others, look at your internal patterns and thoughts and the situations and events that occur. See how your theme fits in with these. Having a theme for the day often adds a whole new perspective and meaning to your day. It can give you inspiration and take you out of mechanical living, giving you a more magical and insightful focus. Doing this ritual daily can create both subtle and obvious changes in the way you interact with people and events. It can add a touch of magic to your life by making higher powers and beings a part of your daily life and it's fun. So enjoy the process.


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Thursday, December 21, 2017

Keying Your Magic Tools for Personal Use

I recently started wearing this fabulous pewter dragon bracelet as part of a spell I launched. I very much wanted the energies of the dragon as part of my magic spell, so the bracelet was a perfect match.

I have received a lot of comments on the dragon bracelet, especially since we are in Cancun, Mexico for five weeks and this is not the usual "tourist-type" jewelry.

Several people have asked me why I wear the bracelet and how I use it for my magic practice. This fascinates most people endlessly, and they are eager to get their own talisman or amulet from our online store as soon as they get home to the States.

I'm delighted that others are as fascinated with the bracelet as I am, and while I definitely want them to enjoy the same kind of dragon magic I'm getting from the bracelet, I warn them that just having the bracelet isn't enough. The bracelet, like any magical tool, has to be "keyed" to a person's unique energies so that it works for them. Otherwise, it's just a bracelet.

How to Key General Magic Tools
There are specific ways to key the tools for each of the four elements (Air, Fire, Water, and Earth), but if you want to use a general magic tool, like my bracelet, there is a very simple way to "key" it so that it works with your personal and unique energies. Here's how:

1. Put the object in your dominant hand (usually the hand with which you point or write)

2. Hold the object and flow energy into it. If you want to use the tool for a specific purpose, flow images or thoughts about that purpose through your hand as well. I sometimes also chant a spell verse while doing this.

3. Continue with this process until the magic tool feels "charged," warm, or tingly. At that point, your magic tool has been keyed to your specific energy, and will work for you personally.

This generally works well for any general magic tool. For the specific tools associated with the magical elements, including the Firebowl, Wand, Athame, Chalice, and Plate, there are more detailed keying instructions since these tools are designed to handle much more magical energy. These tools can also be used many ways for different magic rituals and operations, especially spell work, banishments, blessings, and cleansings.

To learn more about how to key and use these tools, check out our ebooks on each tool in our online store.

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Thursday, December 14, 2017

Dowsing Magic: A Step-by-Step Guide

Sometimes simple magic works the best. One of the forms of magic I often enjoy is dowsing with a pendulum. Using a pendulum is one of the most basic yet satisfying magic rituals, plus dowsing magic is really easy to learn.

If you need answers, and who doesn't these days, try a quickie dowsing sessions with a pendulum. Whether you want to know if your brother-in-law is going to get drunk again this weekend or if you're going to meet your soul-mate, pendulums can give you fast and solid answers for yes/no questions you might have about any aspect of your life.

What is a Pendulum?
A pendulum is any lightweight object suspended from a string or chain. It is a magical tool that becomes a natural extension of you, and can access any and all information that exists in the Universe. You just have to know which questions to ask.

For instance, a pendulum can reveal your body's own native wisdom. It can indicate whether certain supplements or flower essences will improve your health. It can also reveal whether a health problem stems from a particular organ or an emotional source. Dowsing with a pendulum is a simple form of magic that has a remarkable number of applications.

How to Make a Pendulum
Anyone can make a pendulum. You just need a lightweight object plus a chain or some string. You can use paper clips, small rocks, earrings, hairpins, pendants, small medallions, crystals and talismans. If you want to use a crystal, use an amethyst, and store any kind of crystal you use in a pewter box, which protects it from negative energy. Don't use Aurora crystals, which have been treated with petroleum.

If you choose to hang your pendulum on a chain, use a silver chain. You can also hang your pendulum on any kind of natural fiber such as cotton or silk, horse or human hair or leather.

Training Your Pendulum for Dowsing Magic
Once you've made your pendulum your next step is to train it for dowsing magic, so that it answers your questions quickly and accurately. Here's how:

1. First four-element cleanse your pendulum with smoke. The smoke from burning pine resin and sage works well.

2. Next, key your pendulum so that it responds to your energies. To key it, hold your pendulum in your dominant hand (the hand you write or point with). Flow energy into the pendulum for a minute or two, or until it grows warm and tingly.

3. Begin training your pendulum by establishing its yes and no directions. Decide if you want your pendulum to indicate "yes" with a vertical or horizontal swing. The "no" indicator will be the opposite of the "yes" indicator (if "yes" is a vertical swing, then "no" is a horizontal swing).

It's often easier to dowse while sitting, so get in a comfortable position and hold your pendulum suspended from your dominant hand. Make sure the pendulum is on a long enough chain or string to swing freely. Rest your elbow on a table or your knee to stabilize your hand.

Swing your pendulum in a gentle clockwise circle and tell it, "Show me yes." Wait for the pendulum to settle into the proper swing (whatever direction you chose). If it doesn't, ask again.

Once your pendulum consistently swings in the proper direction for "yes," use the same process to ask it to show you the proper swing for "no."

4. Finally, start training your pendulum to give you actual answers by practicing asking questions about short futures. Ask yes/no questions that can be verified in a 15 to 30 minute time frame. For instance, at the end of the work day you might ask your pendulum, "Will my roommate be home in the next 20 minutes?" Verify the correctness of your pendulum's answer, and then ask another question.

It actually doesn't matter whether your pendulum gives you the correct answer or not. It's more important to give your pendulum a lot of practice with dowsing magic. The more your work with your pendulum, the more accurate it will become. Don't get obsessed with the "rightness" of the answers during this training period.

Asking the Right Questions
At this stage, your pendulum can answer any yes/no question. How you phrase your questions will determine the accuracy of the answers. The general principle for asking questions in dowsing magic, as in spell work, is, "Be precise!"

For instance, if you ask your pendulum, "Will it rain today?" and your pendulum says, "Yes," don't be surprised if you don't see a drop of rain that day. Was your pendulum wrong? No. It probably rained somewhere in the world that day. Since you didn't ask for a precise location, your pendulum could not give you a precise answer.

As with everything else, practice makes perfect when it comes to dowsing magic. To remind yourself to practice, take your pendulum with you in your pocket or purse (wrapped in a piece of silk or in a small pouch) and use it any time you have a few minutes to yourself. You'll be surprised at how many opportunities you will have to use it!

Hope you enjoyed this step-by-step guide on making a pendulum and dowsing magic! You can create your own pendulum or if you prefer to buy one already made, check out the selection offered in our school store.


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Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Want to Manifest More Easily in Your Life? Practice This Real Magic Tip Daily ...

This real magic tip, found in our Psychic Development ebook, will help you learn how to manifest that which you desire by making a formal request of the Universe; one that can be verified. Be sure to keep it simple and fun!

Each day, make a plan, after you have done a morning sit or meditation, to attract an event or item into your life that day. First choose a topic. It could be a particular person or a theme or item. For example, you could pick "cherries" as the theme for the day or something more complicated and specific like the Beatles or the Berlin Wall. You might choose a specific song that isn't heard very often.

Throughout the day, be on the watch to see how the Universe delivers your request. Really be alert because the Universe may be more subtle than you expect. For example, if you picked the theme "cherries" to show up in your life you might be offered the actual fruit by a co-worker, or you may hear the word cherries used in a conversation by passerbys. It could be that you'll see the word in a book or magazine or smell a cherry scented candle as you walk through a store. Be open to the creativity that the Universe employs.

If the item or theme you have chosen does not show up, don't worry. Just try again the next day. When you ask this time however ask that the Universe show you the item or theme in an obvious way that you can easily recognize. Establishing a relationship with the Universe is often about refining the communication channels until you are making a reliable connection. Keep refining your request until you are successful with this psychic game. It can be amazing, powerful and it can be fun. To learn more about establishing a relationship with the Universe and higher powers and beings check out our Psychic Development ebook.




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Thursday, December 7, 2017

The Magic of Making the Right Decision

Whether you are looking at the Mayan Calendar or the economic forecast, you can tell we are living in a topsy-turvy world, a world in which it can seem hard to make the right decisions in life. Eenie, meenie, miney, moe ...

If you are having difficulty figuring out how to make the "right" decisions for your life, here's a quote that can offer you some comfort. This quote comes from Abraham-Hicks:

"Make a decision and then make it right. There just are no wrong decisions ... But in the moment you start complimenting yourself on the decision you've made, in that moment, you come back into vibrational alignment with who-you-really-are."

There Are No Wrong Decisions
What Abraham refers to in the quote above is that there are no wrong decisions. The "rightness" of a decision is based solely on how you feel about the decision. Feel bad about a decision you have made, and prepare for the decision to drag your life into the toilet. Feel good about a decision, and watch the good things in your life soar.

There are no wrong decisions, so any decision you make will be right so long as you can manage to feel good about that decision. Should you use a pendulum, a question circle, or a tarot card reading to help you make a decision? Sure, if performing those magic rituals will help you feel more secure about your decision. Do as many magic rituals as you need prior to making a decision if that helps you make the decision "right."

Ways to Affirm a Decision with Magic
Once you have made a decision, feeling good about that decision may be a matter of reaffirming the decision daily with magic rituals. For instance, we recently made the decision to take on another rescue horse, this one a giant baby Hughie who eats a lot. The decision wasn't hard to make: he had some health issues we could definitely help him with.

But like everyone, we sometimes wake up in the middle of the night with doubts, fears, and insecurities. If I wake up feeling negative about my decision, I go right outside (no matter what time it is) and do the Day Greeting from the Navajo Beauty Way. Normally used to start one's day, this greeting can be used to "restart" a day at any time of the day or night.

Just last night, around 2 AM, I got up and used this magic ritual. As I greeted each direction, I reaffirmed that the decision to adopt this rescue horse was correct. I asked the Old Ones of each direction to support my decision with positive manifestations. This morning, as I look out at the new rescue horse, I feel only good vibes with no negative undertones. As I go out to do my second set of Day Greetings for the day, this time in the morning, I feel uplifted and happy. I have made a decision and I keep making it right by using magic rituals on a daily basis.

What About You?
Do you have a decision to make that is weighing on you? If so, don't let such a decision hang over your head like the Sword of Damocles. Use whatever magic rituals you need to help you make the decision, and then make the decision. On a daily basis after that, make the decision right. Use whatever means necessary to do so.

- Hire an angel
- Do the Navajo Beauty Way
- Get help from your animal totem

You are not helpless, and there are ranks of unemployed angels, animal totems, and other beings just waiting for you to ask for help. So go ahead, ask! You'll be surprised at how quickly your decision can be made right ... literally in an instant!



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Thursday, November 30, 2017

Being in Silence to Receive

We often teach students how to dowse, do divination, and gain information through non-physical means--in other words, receive information from the Universe. If you have practiced any of these arts, or simply ever asked for information from the Universe, you know that you need to be in a receiving mode before you can hear what the Universe has to say.

The Universe always delivers what we ask for, but we sometimes forget to listen. In fact, in the midst of our busy noisy lives, it's amazing that we're able to hear anything at all! Between cell phones, pagers, television, and radio, we're buried in a cacophony of physical sounds, which tends to shut down our ability to hear our inner voices of guidance.

How You Can Hear Universal Messages?
So how can you increase and develop your ability to hear the Universe and its messages? Practice inner and outer silence. Outer silence is perhaps the easier of the two to achieve. Just pick a segment of the day, say 2 hours, and choose to be silent during that period. It's best if you can choose an active part of the day, such as mid-morning or mid-afternoon. You might have to do this exercise on a weekend or during a holiday, when you won't be forced to interact with anyone at work or school. Maintain outer silence by not speaking. It's also best if you avoid taking in too much noise from other sources, such as radio or television. You can sit quietly, meditate, read something uplifting, or even do chores. The goal here is to actively listen or watch for messages from the Universe.

Outer versus Inner Silence
If you can't maintain outer silence during your day, you can work on inner silence instead. Inner silence means quieting the internal mind chatter that is with us almost all the time. As you're walking around, for instance, notice how many thoughts cross your mind, triggered by the things you see and hear. Then, start quieting that stream of thought by putting your attention on your breathing or some physical sensation, such as the sensation of your feet striking the ground. Whenever a thought comes up, just return your attention to the physical sensation. If you work consistently with this exercise, you'll soon be able quiet your internal chatter quickly and listen to your inner voice of guidance.

As you work on both inner and outer silence, you'll notice that one begins to affect the other. As you get more and more silent outside, you'll become more silent inside, and vice versa. Enjoy!

Learn more about how to use magic for a happier life in our Kindle books series.

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Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Finding East to Get Back on Track, Magically

If you ever feel like you've strayed from your path and you're not quite sure which way to go, just find east! While most compasses want to find north, for shamans and magicians east is the more powerful cardinal direction for finding knowledge and guidance.

East is the direction of knowledge, understanding and enlightenment; it's the direction of the Sun and the place where all life begins. When you're feeling lost, you can ask the Winds of the East for guidance, pray to the east, or just meditate facing east.

One of our favorite exercises is to practice finding east psychically:
  1. Find some open space outside and stand quietly for a few moments.
  2. Close your eyes and slowly spin around a few times.
  3. Raise your arm parallel with the ground and point the index finger of your dominant hand (the hand with which you normally point).
  4. Keeping your arm raised, slowly spin around until you feel yourself facing east. Some people feel "locked in" when they face east and others just feel a desire to stop turning.
  5. Open your eyes to verify whether you are facing east.

Don't worry about whether you actually find east on your first few tries. Your sense of east will develop with practice. It's often the practice of finding east that yields more benefit than actually pointing to it.

We've also found that when we're "locked on" to our path in life, finding east is easier, and when we're lost it's harder. This simple exercise can be an internal compass that tells you how closely you've stuck to your path. Enjoy!

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Thursday, November 23, 2017

To Cast Stronger Magic Spells Never Complain and Never Explain

Winston Churchill was well known for saying "Never complain, never explain," and when it comes to building force and strength in your magical practice, Churchill had the right equation.

People contact us all the time asking about how they can cast stronger magic spells. Sometimes they complain that their spells had no effect.

Sometimes the effect was less than expected. And sometimes a spell that didn't work so well for one person worked great for another.

So what's the difference?

Sources of Force in Casting Stronger Magic Spells
When you get right down to it, a spell is nothing more than a formalized intention supported by any powers and beings you might invite to help. A spell is the formalization of your own intention ... your desire to create a specific effect in the world.

Does a spell have power in and of itself? Yes. A spell has many sources of power outside of your own desire and force, including:

- higher powers and beings that respond to magic
- the force of magical practitioners who have used the spell before
- the power sound, as found in litanies, chants, and drumming
- the strength of any keyed magical tools used during the spell
- the force of symbols, which are doorways to actual sources of power
- and so forth ...

But, having said all of that, to cast stronger magic spells you always have to examine yourself. You are the most powerful driving force of any magical spell. So then the question becomes, how can you increase your own force so that you can cast stronger magic spells?

Building Your Own Force to Cast Strong Magic Spells
There are many magic rituals that can help you build force, and almost any positive magic ritual done on a CONSISTENT basis will increase your force. But going back to Winston Churchill's quote of "never complain, never explain," I have to say that this is one of my favorite ways to increase inner force. Magically, it makes sense. Here's why.

Never Complain
Complaining, as you have probably already experienced, puts you in a negative state of being. While you may feel better in the moment, as you complain, what you are actually doing is spending focused time manifesting what you don't want (i.e., whatever you are complaining about). So stop complaining already.

Actually, quitting the habit of complaining can be almost as difficult as kicking a smoking habit or any other addiction. So here are three tips that might help:

1. Even if you are complaining and nattering to yourself inside, do everything in your power not to express the complaint outwardly. Outer silence comes before inner silence.

2. If you really need to vent, give yourself five minutes a day and let it all hang out. Write it down in a journal or call a good friend. Then, let 'er rip. The rest of the day, don't complain.

3. To quiet either inner or outer complaint, when you feel the urge, tell yourself, "I'll let myself complain in five minutes." Five minutes later, tell yourself the same thing. This technique is known to work well for both smokers and complainers.

If you limit complaining for 40 days, you'll be amazed at how much your inner force increases, which will have a positive effect not just in terms of casting magic spells, but also in terms of improving your life overall. Well, duh, right? But it had to be said.

Never Explain
This is the part where most magical practitioners lose the most force. There is always the temptation to "explain" what we are doing and why to other people, for a variety of reasons.

Many of us just like to feel like we are not alone on the journey, so there's the temptation to explain our magic to friends who are not magical practitioners. Other times, we might feel the need to show off or demonstrate our powers, especially when challenged by non-believers.

Whatever the reason, explaining the use of magic goes against one of the primary Rules of the Road (the universal laws that govern magical practice). Created by George Dew, these rules hold true whether you believe them or not. The one that specifically applies to the "never explain" clause is this one:

"Never use magic for show, pride, or vainglory. Using magic to show off, to prove a point, or from a place of injured pride usually results in side-bands (undesirable side effects) to the operation that will bring very undesirable backlash from the Universe."

So even if you feel sorely tempted, never explain your magic, don't. In esoteric practice, there is something called the "hermetic seal." This seal refers to the practice of keeping certain aspects of your magical practice compartmentalized, away from public view.

While we definitely believe that certain magic rituals should be integrated into daily life, such as the Navajo Beauty Way, if you want to increase your force as a magical practitioner, keep a hermetic seal around most of your magical practice, especially spell work. In other words, if you want to cast stronger magic spells, keep your mouth shut about it.

I have no idea whether Winston Churchill practiced any form of magic or not, but the guy hit the nail on the head when he said "Never complain, never explain." To increase the force of your magic spells, try following this dictum for 40 days or so. If you manage it, even partly, you'll be both pleased and surprised by the result!

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Thursday, November 16, 2017

Maximizing the Power of Your Magic Spell: Choosing the Right Format

There are lots of people out there casting all kinds of magic spells, and experiencing various levels of success. Obviously, if you're going to cast a spell you want to maximize the power of the spell so you can achieve your goal as quickly and easily as possible. One thing many spell-casters don't consider when they choose a spell is the format of the spell, but the format of a spell has a lot to do with its power. The format of the spell should match the goal you are trying to achieve with your spell.

For instance, suppose the neighbors in the apartment next door are extremely annoying and you want to replace them with better neighbors. This is a fairly simple and direct objective so you don't want to use an overly complicated or powerful spell otherwise you might create too much effect, too quickly. If you use a powerful multi-candle spell for this situation, you might create a constant stream of people moving in and out of the apartment, with none of them staying long and all of them causing a lot of disruption with the constant moving.

On the other hand, if you used a fairly simple simulacra spell, using figurines to represent neighbors (similar to voodoo dolls), you could easily move your current neighbors to a different zip code with a map-moving spell. Then you could use a simple come-along, which features a detailed description of the neighbors you do want placed on a keyed plate under a magnet, to bring new desirable neighbors in. By using a simple and direct spell to achieve a simple objective, you would focus all of the spell's power toward a single aim (getting new neighbors) yet not overpower the situation.

If you're not sure which magic spell format to use for which situations, here's a short list of spell formats you can use as a guide.

1. Come Along
This is the most basic kind of magic spell. Write a list of what you do and don't want the spell to do (also called directors and limiters). Put it on a keyed plate under a magnet. Allow the magnet to bring the desired outcome.

2. Simulacra Magic
Use a figurine or other object (a simulacrum) to represent a person or thing. Key the simulacrum by holding the object in your dominant hand and flowing energy and thoughts about the person or object into the simulacrum. Do to the simulacrum what you want done to the person or thing. For instance, you can key an apple to a tumor and then allow the apple to rot and disintegrate so that the tumor shrinks and disintegrates, too.

3. Single Candle Spell
These magic spells involve a single carved candle, directors and limiters, and a chant. After doing divinations to ensure that all the aspects of the spell will achieve the desired effect, you carve symbols representing the desired outcome of your spell on a candle, and place the directors and limiters plus candle on a keyed plate. You launch the spell by lighting the candle and saying the chant. You may want to repeat the lighting of the candle and chanting to increase the power of the spell. Use this kind of magic spell to handle situations that have some complexity and need quite a bit of force.

4. Multiple Candle Spells
These magic spells are similar to single candle spells but involve multiple candles. Each candle is carved and is used to tackle a different aspect of the spell. Use these spells for situations that are complex and deal with multiple issues. For instance, this kind of spell is appropriate if you want to buy a piece of property. The spell can address multiple issues such as attracting the money for a down-payment, getting your loan approved, finding the right piece of property, and having your offer accepted on the property.

5. Tarot Spells
These are among the most complex magic spells and take an enormous amount of effort to construct. These spells involve the use of multiple candles and a Tarot layout. Use these spells to tackle changes at a state, national, or world level. For instance, Tarot spells have been used to stop pieces of legislation from passing or to affect global weather patterns.

Want to learn how to create and cast magic spells?
You can learn how to write and implement your own spells in our online Basic Magic classes. As an extra bonus, email info@shamanschool.com and ask about the free offer on the Level 1 Basic Magic classes.



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Tuesday, November 14, 2017

The Risk of Being Happy and Magic That Can Help

Read any self-help book or sit at the feet of any magic guru and you will pretty much end up with the same message:

"Get happy and then life will work out for you."

Sounds like a great idea, right? Here's a quote that I like even better. It's from Abraham and it makes it crystal clear where happiness ranks on the list: at the top!

"You just cannot burn the candle at both ends, so that you are physically tired, and then expect yourself to have a cheerful attitude. So the rule of thumb has to be: 'I'm going to be very, very, very happy and then do everything I have time to do after that."

Capische? Can't get clearer than that. So why doesn't that happen? Ah, therein lies the rub. The rub is the risk involved in happiness.

The Risk of Happiness
That sounds kind of stupid right? After all, how can there be risk associated with happiness? Happiness is a good thing. And yet, in most people's minds there is a huge risk in happiness: it's the risk of trusting the process, of trusting that everything will turn out all right in the end.

If you put your faith in the process and then the whole thing goes wonky, then you've risked your happiness and your faith. Right?

In other words, if you put happiness at the top of your list, as the quote above suggests, and then do everything you have time to do after that, there is the risk that you might not get to all the tasks that pay the bills ... you know, like your day job. There's also the risk that what makes you happy is going to make some other people unhappy. Or how about the risk that you chase after something that you think is going to make you happy, only to discover that it doesn't make you happy after all? Now you are disenchanted, you've lost your job, and you have made tons of people unhappy.

You never knew happiness was such a minefield, did you?

That's an exaggeration, of course, but it does highlight the fact that most people associate risk with happiness, even if it's at a subconscious level. The bottom line is that the process of learning to be happy is an experiment. It's a work in progress. It's a juggling act and one has to face the risk of dropping a few balls here and there ... or even a lot of balls.

How to Decrease the Risk Associated with Being Happy
At the end of the day, though, happiness is still the main thing. According to the Hopi, our purpose here on Earth is to "sound a joyous note to Creator's ear." We sound that joyous note by being happy. So how can you be happy without all the risk? Here are three ideas to get you started.

Happiness Idea #1: Accept that Being Happy is an Experiment
Not all experiments turn out with the expected results, but that's the nature of an experiment. You can't know the result of an experiment (otherwise why bother?), which means that any result is acceptable. ANY result will do. That's the beauty of an experiment. This takes the burden off of you to "get it right." Suppose you make a decision to be happy by doing something that pleases you. Perhaps you end up with a mixed result; you've made yourself very happy but made your spouse very unhappy. Consider the result as "data" from your experiment.

The next time you embark on a happiness experiment, modify it a little bit to see if you can achieve happier overall results. You can modify it all kinds of ways. Maybe you find a way to get happy that doesn't affect your spouse. Maybe you find a way to mollify your spouse. Maybe you decide to care a little less about your spouse being angry. Get the picture?

Happiness Idea #2: Get Some Help
High unemployment isn't just a problem among ordinary people right now ... angels are experiencing the same problem. There are literally thousands of angels standing in the unemployment line, just waiting for assignments where they can help people like you. Why are there so many unemployed angels? Because we live in a Type-A society where we think we have to do it all ourselves. The adage, "If you want something done right, do it yourself" was coined just for our society.

So as you try various experiments to get happy, hire some angels to help your experiments turn out better. Ask angels to soften the blow for any unexpected consequences. Hire other angels to give you more foresight so you can plan better. Hire yet more angels to help you get happy faster and more smoothly. Get it?

Also, check out our "10 Magic Quick Fixes for Your Life" Ebook for more simple ways to get magical help. Even better... it's FREE! That should make you happy!

Happiness Idea #3: Own a Day of Happiness
If your life is so full of responsibility that you can't just "chuck it all" and go on a happy-fest, then pick one day out of a week (or a month) that will be your day of happiness. Choose to "own" this day. Make it your very own. On this one day, tell everyone else in your life to bugger off. Dump your responsibilities. Go a little nuts ... or go a lot nuts. Whatever. Sometimes, when we feel "owned" by our lives, we have to break out of that mold. We have to own our lives rather than being owned by life. It's only one single day and the world won't end just because you're not there tending to all your responsibilities. As one of my magical teachers used to say to me when I thought the world couldn't live without me, "Oh honey, you're not that powerful!"

Onwards, upwards, outwards ... towards happiness we go!



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Thursday, November 9, 2017

Magic Should Be Practical

The practice of magic is and should be practical. It should be a part of daily life: practical, prosaic, pragmatic, and all but unnoticeable to the untrained eye if you do it right. Don't get me wrong--I love all the pomp and circumstance of big magic rituals as much as the next practitioner, but as a daily affair magic should be practical enough to fit between going to work and running errands.

Magic should be small enough to be done on the way to a big meeting with your boss at work without anyone looking at you funny, yet powerful enough to create the effect you want at the big meeting.

After all, what's the use of magic if you have to have a cloak and dagger, not to mention a literal bag of magical tools, before you can do any magic?

Practical Magic Can Be Done
Magic is made practical by daily practice. Practical and practice, now those two words are related! Practical magic can be divided into two categories: private and public. Private magic rituals are the ones that you do at home, before you set off to work or after your kids have gone to bed. They are the rituals that you don't want observed or disturbed by others. Public rituals are the ones that you integrate into the parts of your day that you spend around other people. Some practitioners do public rituals with panache, while others integrate public rituals subtly and beneath the notice of others.

Regardless of if they are public or private, one thing is definite: daily rituals have to be kept simple or you won't have the time or perseverance to practice them daily. Simplicity is the key to successful practical magic.

Some Private Daily Magic Rituals
Private magic rituals are the acts of power you do to start your day, reaffirm your personal power, recap your day, or pay into your magical bank account. Here's a list of some simple rituals you can do in private that can have a powerful effect:

- meditation (even a 5 minute sit has magical properties)
- burn a Sun Candle (to brighten energy or call something to you)
- Navajo Beauty Way (a way to connect wit higher beings)
- a "card of the day" (pull a Tarot or Medicine Card to give your day a magical theme)
- ask for a sign from the Universe (practice in calling for and seeing signs makes perfect)

The list of daily magic rituals you could do is endless (learn more rituals and how to create your own in our Daily Rituals ebook), but the goal is to select one or two that you do every single blessed day as a way to keep your feet firmly planted on the magical path. Even 5 minutes a day of ritual practice can greatly increase your magical force over the course of a year.

Public Daily Magic Rituals
Private magic rituals are in some ways easier, since you don't have to deal with the prying eyes of curious coworkers or friends. Of course, if you don't mind practicing magic in public (I don't) then public displays of magic are really no big deal. But if you prefer a more subtle route, there are plenty of ways to do magic in public without anyone noticing.

One of my favorite magic rituals that you can do in public without anyone noticing is the consistency exercise. As the name implies, the aim of this ritual is to help you develop inner force through consistency.

The Consistency Exercise
For this exercise, pick a very simple act to perform at the same time every day. The act could be scratching your nose, touching your thumb and forefinger together, making a mark on a sheet of paper, or rolling your eyes in a clockwise direction. It doesn't matter what the act is, so long as it is simple and you can perform it in public.

Next, choose the time at which you will perform your act every day. Since this is to be a public magic ritual, pick a time during the day when you are likely to be around other people, such as during working hours.

Finally, commence to do your daily ritual act every day at the appointed time. You are definitely encouraged to use cell phones, pagers, or sticky notes to remind yourself to do your magical act. This isn't a memory test ... it's a reminder to come back to present time and remember that you are a magical practitioner. Do your act every day at the appointed time for 40 days straight. If you miss a day, start over again with day one. Forty days of doing the consistency exercise does two things: it helps you build enormous inner force and it helps you learn to practice magic in public.

Sounds like fun, doesn't it? What kinds of magical acts do you know of that are practical, prosaic, pragmatic, and can be done in public? Do share!



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Thursday, November 2, 2017

Personality and the Dark Side of the Moon

Most people are pretty familiar with the zodiac sun signs. When someone says they are a Sagittarius, it's a pretty good bet that they love to travel and they have enough curiosity for ten cats. The sun sign part of a person's personality is the easy part.

The part that's harder to fathom is the hidden side of the personality, the darker side, the side that is defined by a person's moon phase.

Moon Phases and the People Who Wrote About Them
William Butler Yeats wrote a lot about moon phases, as did Richard Elizabeth. It is said by both that people who are in harmony with their moon phase are happy and well-adjusted people. People out of harmony with their moon phases are neurotic, aggressive, depressed, or variously unhappy with their lives.

The problem is that most people are unaware of their moon phase, which makes them unable to determine whether they are "in-phase" (in harmony with their moon phase) or "out of phase," meaning not fulfilling the destiny of their moon phase.

Luckily, it is possible to calculate your own moon phase. The best resource for that is the book "Phases of the Moon" by Richard Elizabeth. In his book he gives a formula for calculating your own moon phase. Yeats' work on moon phases is far more esoteric, and less likely to be understood by the modern generation.

What Your Moon Phase Will Tell You about You
Your moon phase explains all those things that you can't explain about yourself. It often brings to light the reason for inexplicable desires, afflictions, fears, habits, and behaviors. One's moon phase can also explain the role one plays in one's family or in relationships.

For instance, my wife's sun sign is Aquarius. The obvious qualities of Aquarians are loyalty, humanitarianism, free-thinking, intelligence, and highly inventive. They can also be rebellious, changeable, and possessed of extraordinarily long memories. No problems there. She fits all of those characteristics.

Moon Phases Explain Extremes of Personality
However, she can also take rebelliousness to an art form at times. She has been known to go where angels fear to tread when it comes to cultural and family issues, and her personality goes far beyond changeable. It's very often downright turbulent. And she's got ambition to spare. That's where her moon phase comes in.

She is Phase 10, also known as "the image breaker." This phase is one of the most turbulent of all 28 phases of the moon, so it's no surprise that my wife has a turbulent personality. She has been known to scare people even when she's smiling cheerfully.

In addition, Phase 10 is one of the most ambitious phases when it comes to self-growth and spiritual evolution. Finally, Phase 10 is all about being "a purging force to destroy and replace obsolete forms of every conceivable variety-from outdated laws to old buildings to antiquated traditions," to quote Richard Elizabeth. No wonder she charges in to break up old cultural archetypes when others would run.

My own moon phase, the Fool, is equally enlightening. You will probably find yours to be as well. Note that your moon phase, as referred to in this article, is different from that calculated by most "moon phase calculators" online. I wish I could find an accurate online resource for this, but Richard Elizabeth's book or "A Vision" by William Butler Yeats are the best sources I have found for this.

If you're interested in discovering more about the darker, less rational, yet no less powerful side of your personality, it might be time to explore your moon phase.

Enjoy!




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Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Do Desperate Times Call for Big Whopping Magic Spells?

Sometimes, but not always. Without a doubt these are desperate times for a lot of people, whether financially, emotionally, physically, or mentally. But casting big magic spells in times of desperations isn't always the best solution. In fact, it's usually not the best solution.

The Big Whopping Magic Spell: Why Not Use It?
The answer to this one's simple. Just ask yourself this question: "How clearly do you think and plan when you feel desperate?" If you're honest with yourself, then you probably have to acknowledge that you are not at your best when you feel tired, worn-out, desperate, or hopeless. And guess what? For big fat whopping magic spells to work, you've got to have all your wits about you.

Life-changing magic spells, or even world-changing magic spells, take a lot of planning and thought. You have to do divinations to figure out what needs to be changed, and then plan the best way to achieve that change. And no, writing and casting a spell to win the lottery ain't gonna do the trick because there are way too many people doing that already. The magical side-bands associated with winning the lottery are huge. Not going to happen.

What Magic Rituals Should You Do in Desperate Times?
If life sucks right now, don't pull out the big magical guns. Instead, go for the 10% solution. Go for the simple magical fix, the simple magical ritual that is easy to do. Instead of casting one giant magic spell, choose one way to change your life magically ... and then do it for 30 days. Any simple magical ritual that will make you feel just marginally better every day is worth its weight in gold. And keep it simple, otherwise you won't do it. Think about it: if you already wake up tired, depressed or desperate, will you feel like doing some complicated magic ritual? Probably not.

So stick with simple magic rituals and spells that you'll look forward to doing. Here's a short list to get you started:

- Light and Charge a Sun Candle
- Do the Navajo Beauty Way
- Throw away your troubles everyday with voodoo magic
- Make a gratitude list of 10 things you appreciate about your life
- Cross crawl (move your body to move your mind)
- Hire an angel every single day
- Do the Consistency Exercise

And that's just a short list. There are literally hundreds and thousands of magic rituals that you can use every day to help you move, inch by inch, from a place of desperation to a place of excellent karma. Really. If you want to know more, check out the free resources on our website or our ebooks, which offer detailed instructions on many simple magic rituals.

Free Magic Resources
Magic Ebooks

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Thursday, October 26, 2017

The Magic of Running Water to Remove Negative Emotions

Once upon a time, when I felt quite depressed and "stuck" in my life, a wise shaman and magical practitioner told me to walk in the rain by running water. She told me that the running water would carry away my depression and negative emotions. The rain would bring fresh emotions and insight to me. One rainy day in Boulder, CO I did walk in the rain by a fast-running creek. The combination worked and I felt immediately better: refreshed and positive.

I recently got to try that experience again, in Zion National Park, where we just spent 2 weeks playing in the wonders of nature. Twice we hiked the Narrows (that's me in the picture), a hike that took us up the Virgin River through towering canyon walls. The water was clear, fast, and purifying. We hiked 3 miles upstream, then came 3 miles back downstream. When I emerged from the Narrows, I felt spiritually refreshed, as if I had just done a walking meditation. I wasn't feeling particularly negative before I hiked the Narrows, but even so I felt the magic of running water to refresh and rejuvenate.

What's the Magic of Running Water?
The shaman who gave me the advice was quite accurate from a magical point of view. Magically, the element water represents emotions, which are the language of Spirit. In addition, moving water has the ability to carry the elements air and fire. The element air magically represents thoughts, while fire represents will and action. So, by walking in running water and consciously "letting go" of negative thoughts, tension in the body, and negative emotions, you have a magical outlet for unwanted "gunky" energies.

One magical caveat here is that for this to work, you need to have running water, not standing water. Standing water is stagnant, and therefore doesn't do a great job of carrying negativity away from you. Standing water can receive negative energy from you, but it requires a lot of effort on your part to push that energy into the water.

Using Standing Water to Clear Negative Energies
There is, however, one way you can effortlessly use standing water to magically clear negative energy. Put a  glass of water on your bedside table before you go to bed at night. During the night, the water will absorb any thoughts and emotions your release during the night. When you sleep, you are more open spiritually, which allows the standing water to more easily absorb your negative energies.

When you get up in the morning, dump the water down the drain. Do not drink it, as you will just reabsorb all the energies you released during the night. Many people find that using this technique 21 nights in a row is an effective way to clear negative energies and create sacred space.

Learn More Magical Self-Healing Techniques
There are dozens of other ways you can use basic things in your environment, like a glass of water, to heal yourself. Discover the multiple ways you can use everyday items you find in the grocery store for self-healing and other types of magic in this Kindle book or our ebooks:

Energy Healing for Self and Others
10 Magic Quick Fixes for Your Life
Daily Rituals for Attracting What You Want in Life



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