Self Defense: Do Banishments Affect Friendly Spirits?

This is a great question, and one that we get a lot. Like many self-defense techniques, the "area banishment" is a great technique to use if you want to clear your property of unfriendly spirits, ghosts. thought forms, and other unseen beings. Banishments can even be used to clear out astral projections from other people who might want to invade your space. One of the best benefits of a banishment is that it is particularly effective if you can't pinpoint the specific location of the being or beings you want to cleanse the area of.

But what about spirit guides, animal totems, angels, and other helpful friendly spirits? Do they get swept away by the electric blue fiery force of a banishment? The good news is that they don't. The majority of friendly spirits know when you are going to do a banishment, and tend to leave the area before you use this magical technique. How do these friendly spirits have such knowledge? Because these beings usually reside at a higher level on the hierarchy of beings than humans, so they tend to "know" more and see more than we do. Thus they know ahead of time when a person is even thinking of doing a banishment, and are likely to make themselves scarce far in advance of the actual banishment.

Here is a great story from one of our students that proves that friendly spirits are "in the know":

"I had been communicating with a spirit guide for about a year when my friends and family started questioning whether this being was friendly. After all, every time I spoke to this being directly (he would incarnate for short periods of time), I would be unable to speak afterward for a period of time, lasting from a few hours to a day. In addition, this spirit guided me to forgive certain people that my family and friends found "unforgivable." There were also other pieces of advice and guidance that my "tribe" questioned. There wasn't really any way that I could explain to them that I KNEW this being was friendly. Luckily, at the time I was taking the Basic Magic Class from the Esoteric School of Shamanism and Magic, and I was able to ask my teacher about this. He said, 'Just do a banishment. Follow up by either putting up psychic teflon on your house, or putting up an omnil (energy shield) around your whole property. Then see if the being is still around.' So I followed those instructions, using my athame to do a banishment, followed by putting up an electric blue omnil around my entire property. Guess what? The spirit guide reappeared right after I had finished putting up the last circle of my omnil. He was grinning from ear to ear and said, 'You didn't think you could get rid of me THAT easily did you?' He thought the whole thing was hilarious and we picked up right where we left off in terms of the spiritual lessons he was giving me. I was half-relieved that my spirit guide hadn't left, and half-bummed that he was still around because the spiritual lessons he was giving me were difficult at best. Nevertheless, I am glad that he stuck around despite the banishment. I am also delighted that this technique only banishes the unfriendly beings on the property, and that the helpful spirits come right back once the banishment is done!"

As you can see from this student's story, banishments will not affect friendly or helpful beings and spirits. So feel free to banish and put up omnils and shield your house with psychic teflon if need be. The friendly beings won't be in the least bit offended, and your area will be clear of nasty beings who are less than helpful. To learn more about how to use these techniques, along with the specific rules of psychic self-defense, please check out our Self-Defense online course. This course will guide you through the ins and outs of defending yourself magically on multiple planes and against multiple types of beings. It's knowledge worth having for any magical practitioner.

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My Magic Spell Didn't Work -- Now What?

You did all the right things. You did divination before you launched your magic spell to see if it would produce the right results. You gathered the right symbols for the spell. You cleansed your space prior to the launch. Then you launched it ... and nothing's happening.

Now what?

Good question. There are quite a few reasons that magic spells don't work for people, and I've listed the three biggest reasons I see below. Check them out and see if they are true for your spell. If so, you might want to take down the existing one and start over.

1. You Are Trying to Accomplish Too Many Things
A lot of people believe that if they must go to the trouble to design, write, test, and launch a spell, they might as well put all their life's desire into the spell. Spellwork does take a lot of time and energy, so people don't want to waste it. Consequently, they pack it with everything they have ever wanted, from a dream trip to Europe to winning the lottery.

While I can certainly understand the motivation of not wanting to waste effort, I know that this is also the reason that a lot of spells don't work. A spell isn't like a menu, where you can pack in a bunch of different choices. The principle of a spell is more like the main principle followed by military snipers: "One shot. One kill." For a spell, the principle is "One spell. One aim."

If your spell didn't produce the intended results, look it over, especially your list of Directors and Limiters, and see if you packed your spell with too many demands. That might be the reason it isn't performing.

2. You Used Someone Else's Spell
There are a lot of books out there on spell work, and a lot of good spells that you can use to achieve some aim. If you just want to achieve something small, like a better mindset for studying or attracting a small chunk of money owed to you, using someone else's pre-written spell often works very well.

Where I see this approach fail is when people use a pre-written spell to try to create a major change in their lives. For instance, to transform yourself from a poor country mouse to an instant millionaire isn't going to happen if you use someone else's pre-written spell. It also probably won't work if you have someone else launch their pre-written spell for you. If you want to create this kind of change, plan on writing and designing your own spell.

3. You Haven't Waited Long Enough
This one is a biggie. We teach people to specify date ranges in their spells. This gives your spells some freedom in which to work. For instance, you might specify in your Directors and Limiters that you want to your magic spell to produce results between 3 and 6 months from the date of launch. This allows your spell to find that time of least resistance in which to create the desired change.

Having said that, I've seen big spells that don't work in the specified time period, but do eventually work. I launched a big one once to stop a bill from passing in Congress. The bill passed (which meant my spell didn't have the desired effect at that time) but was later over-ridden by another bill. Another example is a big spell my wife wrote to get a farm. She specified that the spell should produce a certain type of farm plus the needed income to buy the farm within one year. We didn't get the farm in one year. Instead, we ended up with a better farm three years later, with more income than was needed to buy the farm.

If you've launched a big spell, by which I mean a multiple-candle or Tarot-style spell, sometimes the results do not happen in the time period you specify, especially if the spell has to overcome a lot of resistance. Be patient. If you want to check whether you magic spell is still working, once your specified date range has passed, do Tarot readings to find out.

The Art and Craft of Spellwork
Spellwork is one of the high arts of magic, and it takes time, practice, and dedication to master, especially if you want to create change on a large scale. It does work. I've seen spells work over and over with good consistency.

Spellwork is also one of my favorite magical arts to teach because the people who are interested in this art are generally talented, interesting, and fabulous to work with. If this sounds like you, and if you are interested in learning the craft of spellwork, you may want to consider the online Basic Magic course. It will give you the deep knowledge to become a competent spell-caster in your own right.

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On the Magic of the "In-Betweens"

Magic lives in the "in-between" moments of our world. Think about it. Do you ever wonder why children can see fairies and angels, but adults usually can't? It's because as adults we have learned to see the concrete fixed objects in our world, not the shadows between the objects. We've learned to focus our attention on the tasks of our day, not the moments between tasks. In other words, we've lost the magic of the "in betweens" in our lives.

Why Magic Happens "In-Between"
If you read a lot of different esoteric authors, you'll find that most of them tell the same message, which is that magic tends to appear in-between things rather than directly. For instance, Carlos Castaneda writes about how Don Juan taught him to view the world in terms of the shadows that were present, instead of seeing the world of light. Other writers talk about the real essence of music is the space between the notes, rather than the notes themselves. Meditation masters strive to lengthen the gap between thoughts, so the magic can slip in and miracles can happen.

So why does magic happen "in-between"? Because by its definition magic is, well, magical. It surprises and astonishes us. It seems miraculous, impossible, and amazing. By definition, none of the things we can see, touch, and move directly in this world meet those criteria. It's not magic if we take a lot of action and achieve something. It is magic if we wish for something but take no action, and our wish becomes manifest.

How to Expand Your "In-Between" for More Magic
There are lots of magical ways to create and expand the "in-between" moments in your life, so magic can sneak up on you and surprise you. Flipping your world on its head is one fun way to do this. How do you flip your world upside down? Easy. Here are three ways to get you started:

1. See the World in Terms of Shadow
This is the exercise Don Juan gave to Carlos Castaneda. With this exercise when you look at a scene, try to see only the shadows, not the objects in the light.

2. Listen for Silence
We are constantly drowning in sound, even though we may not notice it. During the day, see if you can hear the silence instead of any concrete sound. What is the sound of silence? Many people hear it as a low ringing or buzzing in their ears, and some magical practitioners actually use this sound as a magical power source for spell work and other energy work.

3. Create Pauses Between Action and Reaction
Most of the time, we cruise around the world mechanically, and react automatically to any stimulus that hits our senses. When someone says, "Hi!" we automatically respond with a "Hi, how are ya?" We may not even really notice the interaction, or remember it later. To create more in-between times in your day, create a pause between the time a stimulus hits your senses and the time you respond. For instance, when someone says, "Hey, how are ya?" instead of sending back an automatic reply, take a moment to pause, stop, look the person in the eyes, and then reply. This pause can take all of one second, but the deliberate insertion of a pause between input and output creates an "in-between" moment. You can do the same thing when the phone rings. Stop a moment before your reach out to answer the phone ... wait for a couple of rings ... and then answer.

What kinds of magic will creep into these deliberately created moments between things? Only you will know. Magic can be very personal at the level of these exercises, so how it manifests in your life will also be personal. Be on the lookout for the magic, though, because the more "in-betweens" you create, the more magic will show up in your life!

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The Magic of Flying Blind

The phrase about the blind leading the blind has always been used scornfully to mean that certain people don't know what they are doing. But perversely, from a magical point of view, we often use blindness with purpose, so that we can sharpen our other senses, our spirit senses.

Magic and One Way to Fly Blind
In many self-empowerment workshops you will encounter a very simple exercise that captures the essence of flying blind: it's called the blind date. You partner up with someone and close your eyes. Your partner leads you around by the hand, first at a walk, then perhaps at a jog. You must put your complete trust in your partner not to run you into a wall or other people who are also on a blind date.

If you have ever done this exercise, then you know what happens. After a while, your other senses, like your sense of hearing, smell, or touch, increase to accommodate your temporary lack of sight. The same thing happens in magic. When you deliberately shut off one of your senses, like sight, you have a better chance of improving your spirit senses.

A Very Simple Magic Ritual to Practice Flying Blind
There are many magic rituals where we deliberately close our eyes or use blindfolds, but it is best to start out with a very simple magical exercise. This one can be done anytime you talk on the phone with another person, assuming you are sitting down rather than driving down the road chatting on your cell phone.

As you speak to the person on the other end of the phone, close your eyes. Now visualize what the other person is doing. Are they sitting down? If so, what is their posture? Are they walking around their house? Extend your perceptions. Can you tell what they are thinking or if you can predict what they will say next?

If you have difficulty with visualization, imagine yourself extending your senses through the phone line until they reach the other person. This often helps people get in touch with their spirit senses, which are crucial for most magic rituals.

Jot down any insights, visions, or information that comes to you through your spirit senses. If you like, you can ask the other person a question or two to verify whether your spirit senses are correct. It really doesn't matter whether you are correct in the beginning. The goal is to locate, use, and develop your spirit senses.

Do this exercise for at least 10 phone conversations. You will notice a definite increase in the amount of psychic or spirit-sense information that you receive. If, after doing this exercise 10 times, you don't feel that you have located or used your spirit senses, have 10 more phone conversations with your eyes open. You might be surprised at how much physical sight interferes with your spirit senses. Most people receive far less spirit-sense data when they have their eyes open.

Make sense? Have fun with this. For more fun and practical magic rituals and exercises, check out our ebooks, and our online courses.

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What Harry Potter Doesn't Know About Magic Tools

In the Harry Potter movies, Harry uses his wand for every type of magical act, from throwing bolts of lightning to using it underwater. Unfortunately, the Wand is an Air tool and is best used for acts such as magical communication, message-sending, and Air-type healings. But not to criticize Harry too much since he is entertaining and we enjoy his stories; even most Tarot decks use Fire colors for Wands and Air Colors for Swords or Athames, which is completely backwards. So what are real magic tools and what elements do they conduct? Here's a short list of the tools for each of the four elements and what types of magical operations you could expect to use each of the magic tools for.

Wand – Air Element Tool
The Wand is the magic tool that is designed to conduct Air element energies. It would be used for:

• sending messages to others in the Air colors clear, white or sky blue
• constructing Air element omnils and shields for doors and windows
• putting up Air element half shields for protection
• healing techniques including sweeping with Air colors, pulling Air colors and Touch Assist

Athame – Fire Element Tool
The Athame is a magical knife designed to conduct Fire element energies including the colors of Sun Yellow, red-orange, yellow-orange, bright red, red-purple, and electric blue. It would be used for magical operations such as:

• creating Fire element color door and window shields and omnils that last longer than Air shields
• putting up Fire element half shields for protection
• banishing unwanted spirits from a space
• cutting psychic lines
• healing with fire energy including sweeping Fire element colors, pulling Fire element colors and using beams of Fire energy to breakup and remove problems (i.e. – kidney stones)

Chalice – Water Element Tool
The Chalice or Cup is the magic tool designed to conduct Water element energies. It would be used for such magical techniques as:

• Four Element cleansings of an area, person or object
• Nighttime Blessing ritual
• throwing bolts of water energy
• making a standing shield similar to an ominil to capture watchers or archetypes or for protection for small objects to keep negative energies away or for simulacra
• sending messages that affect others on an emotional level
• creating a psychic communication link with another
• healing by flowing water energy to flush something out of the system or dissolve something such as calcification in arthritic joints, and pulling excess water energy from someone

Plate – Earth Element Tool
The plate or pentacle is the magic tool designed to conduct Earth element energies of grass green and earth brown. It can be used for magical operations such as:

• shielding
• cutting psychic lines on yourself
• healing by using beams of Earth energies
• keying Tarot cards and for use in Tarot readings
• making a plate and chalice protection

Basically anything you can do with your hands and the elements magically, you can do with tools. The magic tools just help you extend your reach and often give more strength to your technique. You do have to be sure you are using the right tool with its corresponding element however or your results could fail or even worse you could damage your magic tools. If you are ready to move on to using magic tools and learn all the techniques mentioned above and more, our Magic Tool ebooks might be just what you've been looking for. There is an ebook in this series for each of the magic tools that correspond to the four elements as well as for using the Firebowl. Learn how to select or make each tool, key it to your own energies, align its elemental energies, and techniques for using each tool on your own schedule in your own time. It's a great way to extend your magical practice and bring more magic to your life.

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