How to Cast Stronger Magic Spells - Part I

I get asked all the time by magical practitioners how they can cast stronger magic spells. Is there a secret ingredient that makes one spell stronger than another? Is there some secret to choosing the right spell for the right occasion? Or is it something else altogether?

The question of casting stronger spells can be a tough one to answer because, like other disciplines in life, casting spells is a cross between science and art. There isn't one single answer that is going to make the difference for every magician or every spell. But if you want to cast stronger spells, what you can do is walk through every step of the process and see how you can improve each step. This article covers the first step in casting a spell: defining what you want. We also call this step Directors and Limiters.

What Do You Want Your Spell to Do?
I know that there are a lot of magical practitioners out there who use pre-written spells authored by someone else. This is perfectly acceptable, especially if the spell doesn't have a huge scope. For instance, we frequently teach people how to use the Sun Candle for basic mood-lifting spells or how to use the Bathtub Litany for reducing stress. Using pre-written spells for this purpose is convenient and effective.

But if you want a spell to do something more than relieve stress or fluff your aura, you might want to create one from scratch. Launching a spell that you've created yourself, for your own purposes, is kind of like the difference between eating homemade biscuits and store-bought biscuits. There's a world of difference in the quality.

If you choose to create your own spell, then the first step is to define what you want your spell to do (and not do). These are the Directors and Limiters for your spell. If you want to cast stronger magic spells, then it's important to be very clear when you write your Directors and Limiters.

Be Clear About Your Directors and Limiters
How can you be clear in writing your Directors and Limiters for your spell? I've come to rely on a few principles when I write mine:

1. Take Your Time
Don't get in a hurry when you write your Directors and Limiters. According to the magic principles I was taught by Reverend George Dew, when it comes to doing magic, "Take your time, think it through, and do it right." Your Directors and Limiters form the foundation of your spell. Get those wrong and the whole spell will go awry. A lot of people launch spells because they "need" something to happen right away, which causes them to hurry when creating their spell. Don't do that. Resist the temptation.

2. Create Freely
If you're going to go to the trouble to write a spell and launch it, make sure your spell has a wide scope. It can take a lot of work to launch a homemade spell, so make sure your spell is really going to do something for you. When I consider what I want my spell to do, I sometimes take flights of fancy. I ask myself, "If time and money were no object, what would I really want?" This question unfetters my mind and allows me to think big. I may later have to downsize some of these flights of fancy so as not to overburden my spell, but starting with a strong vision is crucial. After all, if your spell isn't big enough to excite you, why bother?

3. Consider Worst-Case Scenarios
As always, when writing spells you need Directors (what you want your spell to do) as well as Limiters (what you don't want your spell to do). When it comes to writing Limiters, consider the worst-case scenarios and limit them with your Limiters. For instance, you don't want your spell to cause anyone to die. You probably don't want the spell to result in loss of property or income for yourself or your family or your dog, etc. You don't want your spell to cause you do to anything illegal. Be sure to write your Limiters to include these scenarios. One magical practitioner wrote a "get a job" spell and forgot to exclude jobs that required illegal activity. The spell brought her the most fantastic job with great pay and fabulous working hours. The only catch was that she ended up working for the mob. Bummer!

Clarity Leads to Stronger Spells
I hope these principles help you reach clarity as you write your Directors and Limiters for your spell. Taking your time in this step can mean the difference between a splendid outcome and a total flop. Casting stronger spells is all about being more methodical, consistent, and careful in your approach to creating spells. Being clear in defining the do's and don'ts for your spell is a great place to start.

Did You Know?
Did you know that magic spells actually begin to work the moment you begin creating Directors and Limiters? Spells are nothing more than formalized intentions, and writing Directors and Limiters is nothing more than setting your intentions on paper. Want to know more? Learn all about spells -- designing them, writing them, casting them -- and much more in our comprehensive Basic Magic Course.

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Photo credit: Kites in a Storm

Why Magic Protection Symbols are More Important Than Ever

Have we reached the "End Times"? Are we approaching them? Are we in danger of a pole shift or some other form of catastrophe?

No, no, and no. I get asked these questions all the time by people who are concerned with the approaching "deadline" of 2012, when the Mayan calendar supposedly "ends." In truth, according Tony Shearer, who dedicated his life to studying the Mayan calendar, the calendar doesn't end in 2012, but instead simply starts over.

There are plenty of books and articles on the Mayan calendar, so I won't go into a detailed explanation of this predictive tool, but I will say that each time the calendar prepares to shift into a new cycle, our world does experience major energetic shifts.

What Energetic Changes Are Happening Now?
One major energetic shift I notice occurring with this change of cycle, which will happen around 2012, is that energy moves much more quickly than it has in the past. Specifically, the energy of our thoughts and feelings are manifesting much more quickly into physical events and occurrences. For instance, a negative thought like "I hope I don't lose my job!" is translating much more quickly into a lost job than it did about a decade ago. At the same time, a positive thought such as "I really feel soul mate is on her way to me" now manifests as a meeting between soul mates very quickly. It's a fast-changing world that is much more reactive to our thoughts and feelings than ever before. This is both good and bad--the usual double-edged sword.

Another major energetic change has to do with the Law of Contagion. The Law of Contagion deals with how easily we are affected by other people's thoughts and feelings. In the past, when energy moved much slower, it was easier to maintain our own sacred space, and not be affected by other people's energy. These days, not only does energy move faster, but the whole stream of energy pulsing around the globe is much larger. This means that not only are we more affected by the energy of another person, but we are also much more affected by global energy.

Every nation in the world is currently being affected by the economic downturn, and this is creating a large stream of energy filled with doubt, fear, and paralysis. You may have noticed that it is more difficult for you to be positive and proactive in your life. You may feel it is more difficult to take action or make choices. This feeling of oppression doesn't mean you are becoming a lazy slob or that you are losing your motivation. You may simply be affected the current global energy.

You may have also discovered that you are easily affected by the energy of another person. For instance, suppose you talk on the phone who is feeling down in the dumps. Do you notice that you also feel down in the dumps, or anxious about your own situation, after getting off the phone with that person? That's the Law of Contagion at work. You are simply more easily affected by any energy you come in contact with.

What to Do About the Law of Contagion
So what can you do about the Law of Contagion? How to preserve your sacred space? From a magic point of view, I would suggest cleansing your space (your home, office, car) with sage and pine resin, or other cleansing herbs. That's a good start.

Next, look around your environment and decide whether protection symbols would be useful, both to wear on your person or to put up around your environment. For instance, I recently re-shielded our property and added some protection symbols, like the Eye of Horus and pantacles. Other people have reported useful shielding results by wearing the psychic shield amulet, which is in the design of the seven-pointed faery star. Finally, others like introducing the energy of animal totems to gain the protection of Wolf, Buffalo, and so on.

Finally, on a mundane level, you may want to become far choosier about the people you contact. In a wonderful mixing of technology and magic, the prudent use of caller-ID to help you decide whether to pick up the phone can mean the difference between feeling down in the dumps and accessing a more positive flow of energy. In this day and age, you have the very real possibility of manifesting what you want in life faster than ever, but only if you take the time to create true sacred space around yourself. Cleanse your space, protect it, and choose your contact with other people in the world carefully!

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Photo credit: Mayan Sun Calendar

Which Magic Rituals Should You Do Now?

It's amazing how, during this economic downturn, people are suddenly confused about what kind of magic spells and rituals they should do now. Sure, more people are unemployed, the economy is pretty rocky, and times seem uncertain, but in actuality nothing has changed.

Here's the deal: we are all students in the Earth school and there are a limited number of problems we need to learn to solve while we're in school. The basic lessons are health; wealth and career; and relationships and sex. Sound familiar? Just about everything else can be put under these basic categories. And, here's the real kicker: we get happy and graduate when we solve these problems.

Your Big Life Lesson
Each person usually has one main lesson to learn in Earth school. If you look back on your life, you can probably easily figure out which lesson you signed up for. You can look at your friends, and do the same. For instance, you probably have one friend who has never had relationship issues but can't seem to get healthy. Then there is your friend who has money problems like crazy, but is as healthy as a horse, which is good because he can't afford to go to the doctor.

No matter which life lesson you have, chances are that the world economic situation hasn't really changed it, right? Maybe the lesson or "problem" has intensified, but it's still the same old problem. In the worst-case scenario, you might still have your major life lesson, but now you have a minor in some other life lesson, too. If health has been your main lesson, maybe the economic crunch has now made it more difficult for you to get the healing you need. But the bottom line is that health is still the main issue.

In short, nothing has really changed.

Magic and Your Big Life Lesson
So what kind of magic rituals or spells should you do now to help you learn about your life lesson? Your first magical act should be to meditate on the fact that, magically, size doesn't really matter when it comes to problems, or their solutions. As our teacher Abraham-Hicks is fond of saying, "It's just as easy to manifest a button as a castle." By the token, it is just as easy (or difficult) to magically solve the problem of unemployment today as it was when the economy was going strong. Your big life lesson is the same as it always has been. So, if you are feeling depressed, fearful, or pitiful, stop it. Get off the pity pot. Nothing, regardless of the gloom-and-doom of predictions of economists, is any worse than before.

The Sun Candle: A Magic Ritual for Today
Now that you've discovered that you are no worse than before, it's time to start using a magic ritual that will help you stay positive, and make forward progress toward learning your big life lesson.

One of the simplest magic rituals you can do to help you stay positive is to use the Sun Candle. Burning the Sun Candle with the appropriate litany on a daily basis will not only nourish your spirit, but give you tangible magical act to do, so you feel like you "doing something" about your situation.

Here's how you use the Sun Candle.

You will need a pure yellow candle (a bright yellow that is not too orange) and wooden or paper matches. You can find pure yellow candles at most grocery stores in the section with the religious candles (in glass containers).

You will also need to know which direction is South. To create sacred space with the Sun Candle, you will need to "charge" it, or program it to do so. Here's how:

• Stand or sit in the South facing North with the Sun Candle in front of you
• Light the candle using wooden or paper matches (do NOT use a lighter)
• Wait until the candle flame is steady and tall
• Hold your hands up to and around the flame, focusing your attention on the candle and flame.
• Say the charge verse below in a voice of command (a strong, powerful voice)

Child of Wonder,
Child of Flame,
Nourish My Spirit,
And Protect My Aim!

If there are other people in the room with you, you can change the "My" to "Our" and the word "Spirit" to "Spirits." Leave the candle burning in the room for at least 30 minutes (be sure the candle is on a protected surface such as a plate and is not a fire hazard).

At the end of 30 minutes or when you feel ready, blow out the flame (don't snuff it). Spend a moment or two in the area to see if you can detect a difference in the level and quality of energy. The area should feel lighter, more harmonious and/or more peaceful to you.

Have fun using this daily magic ritual to regain balance!

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Photo credit: Scent of a Candle Sunflower

The Tower Card in Tarot Readings - What It Means

Recently I did a Tarot reading for a client who has been having a lot of trouble with accidents, like fender benders and such. This client was so banged-up and bruised from all of his recent misfortunes that he asked for a reading to find out what was going on.

Not surprisingly, in both the present-time and progressed Tarot readings for this client, the Tower card showed up, both times upright. A lot of practitioners of magic shudder when they see the Tower card because they think it automatically means chaos. It does, sort of, but it means something more specific than that.

The Tower card talks about complete material disorganization or chaos, caused by spiritual forces beyond one's control. The world is obviously experiencing a lot of chaos and change right now, as we approach the end of a cycle on the Mayan calendar and prepare to enter the next. The Tower card talks about chaos coming into people's life from the outer world. As you can see on the card itself, the lightning comes into the picture from the outside world.

The Tower Card Upright in a Tarot Reading
These days, when the Tower card appears upright in a reading, it means that a big change is coming that you should be prepared for. Sometimes this means a natural disaster, and sometimes death, but in most cases it is just a warning to be prepared for a major change in your environment.

In the case of my client for whom I was doing the Tarot reading, the Tower card indicated that he wasn't being aware of his surroundings. He needs to be more conscious of the Law of Accident at work around him. The Law of Accident says that if we don't have a strong intention and focus, then we fall prey to "accidental and coincidental" occurrences, like fender-benders. The Law of Accident is more at work during these times of extreme change than at other times. Luckily, nothing serious had happened to him, and he is going use some daily rituals to focus his intent and be more aware of his surroundings.

The Tower Card Reversed in a Tarot Reading
If the Tower appears as a reversed card in a Tarot reading, then the implications are different. If it's reversed, then you need to start looking at whether you have broken any Rules of the Road (the laws that govern magical practice) or whether there is something karmic going on. Maybe you've gotten crosswise with a deity.

If you see a reversed Tower card, do some exploration, through divination or possibly a blow-up Tarot reading, to find out what the situation is about. During this time of world upheaval, it's important to correct situations like this as quickly as possible. Luckily, the world is also much more plastic or flexible right now, so correcting situations may be easier than you think.

A Few Additional Notes About the Tower Card
The severity of the change or chaos indicated by the Tower isn't necessarily related to whether the Tower card is upright or reversed. Whether the card is upright or reversed merely tells you what kind of change you are dealing with. Remember that that Tower card represents changes appearing in the outer world, and often reflects deity-level changes. This card has shown up a lot in recent years, tying in with world and galactic changes. Changes indicated by the Tower card can be violent or drastic, and are simply a warning for us to be prepared. The Tower card isn't bad, it's just a warning to be aware.

Want to Learn More About the Tarot?
The Tarot is an infinitely deep study of magic. The Tarot can be used for divination, spells, spell take-downs, and many other forms of magic. If you would like to learn more about how to use the Tarot, consider joining our upcoming Basic Magic class or learning with our home-study Tarot Course.

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True Magical Creation - Leap Before You Look

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary rule - the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans; that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now." -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Goethe's quote above really sums up the difference between true magical creation, and false creation. You see, in this society, we've got a major part of the creation sequence backwards -- we are all afraid to commit to creating anything, and we base commitment on the wrong things.

Don't Be Afraid to Commit
How many times have you come upon an opportunity, but been afraid to commit because you didn't have "all the facts"? Well, guess what? By the time you gathered all the facts, the opportunity has either disappeared or you no longer felt like jumping in with both feet. In a society based around "insurance," we are taught to be cautious, to do good research and to gather all the facts. That's all well and good, but it means that we never create anything real -- and we never get to experience the magic in life.

In the creation sequence that is at the heart of magic (after all, what is a spell but a program to create something you want?), commitment comes from your desire, not from an assessment of the facts. Why? Because in this Universe the facts are quite irrelevant. In this Universe, literally anything and everything you want is possible. If you want something, the Universe will bring it to you. According to Emmett Fox, the Universe is "plastic" or bendable to our wishes. So the "facts" are irrelevant. If you want it, the Universe will give it to you.

For Real Magic, Leap Before You Look
So in the true creation sequence, the steps are "leap before you look." Looking doesn't do anything except slow you down, create doubt and hinder your desire. The so-called facts are only the result of other people's creations. They are irrelevant to your own creation. True creation is the result of feeling a rush of desire and saying "yes" to that desire -- regardless of what society or the facts tell you about the situation. True magical creation is uninhibited, free-flowing, wondrous desire.

So what happens when you stumble on an opportunity that you really want to say "yes" to but lack the resources to jump in? Practice saying "yes" to that opportunity internally. Whether you follow up on that opportunity or not, it's the "yes" part that matter. Leaping before you look takes practice, and saying "yes" allows you to flex that part of your psyche that's been dormant for so long.

The goal is to practice letting that desire flow. If you keep practicing flow, one day a huge desire will come up and grab your attention and you'll literally leap before you look -- and you'll create in a most spontaneous and unbelievable way. Have a wondrous time experimenting with this!

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Photo credit: Leap of Faith