What is magick? It is the process whereby we set about to change events in the universe through the power of our conscious will. As Pagans and Witches, we often spell the word Magick with the k on the end to distinguish it from the stage shows of eye-hand manipulation of entertainers. Magick is not flash pots and waving of arms and sequined show girls.(Though if you talk to a practitioner of ceremonial magick, you might get a different story *joking). Magick is using the power, the energy that flows through the Earth , through you, through every living thing, and making things HAPPEN.

Probably nearly everyone that has chosen to ever work magick has experienced doubt the first time. Our naturally skeptical minds are willing to believe only in what we see. But let the magick work, and suddenly you are excited about this new tool open to you. All the possibilities are suddenly there for you to reach out and grab hold of. Later, perhaps, you might feel guilty when working a spell for yourself. You think perhaps you’re being selfish, that you shouldn’t work for such things for yourself. You have worries about tempting fate, of being thought greedy or self centered. Yet you will not hesitate to work magick for a loved one. You should rid yourself of such thoughts immediately. When we work magick for ourselves, we work to improve ourselves, whether it be our health, our finances, or our emotional well being. You can’t expect to be able to nurture and protect unless you are at your best. We are each of us a part of the universe, an integral part. In helping ourselves, we thereby help heal the universe, and place things more in balance than if we neglect our own needs.

So does this mean anything goes as far as magick and spells are concerned? Not exactly.

You must examine your motives. Is this something that you just desire, a whim, or is it truly a need? Desires are passing things that may seem very strong today but will have passed by next week, or next month. A need is something deeply felt, something that is not fleeting, but strong and real and enduring.

Once you determine your need, then you must have the knowledge necessary to correctly and effectively go about filling that need. Study your moon phases, your correspondences, and reflect on the symbols that will evoke the strongest emotion in you as they relate to your spell.

It is this emotion and ability to visualize that infuses the spell with power. For this reason, often spells worked for others will not be as effective, unless you feel as strongly as they do. Once you establish your need and pour your emotions into the workings of a properly constructed spell, anything is possible.

So, you’ve now established your need and gathered the proper emotion and knowledge for your spell. That’s all there is to it, right? Wrong. You then must consider whether weaving your intended spell is morally right in the spiritual sense. Magick should be worked for positve outcomes, never negative. Causing illness, pain or death, or interfering with someone else’s free will is negative magick. The magick will work, yes. But what you put into it is what you receive back. Eventually this return of negativity will destroy the wielder.

There is a difference between destructive magick and magick of a destructive nature. This may sound confusing, but stop and think for a moment. If you are working magick to destroy a bad habit, a disease, or even the negativity being sent out by someone else, this is destructive magick. But the goal is for the eventual good, and the destruction of negativity, so it does not fall under the category of “black magick”. If you are working magick to destroy a thing or person, or harm them, from some selfish desire, this is magick of a destructive nature, and this is the negativity that will return to you.

What about protective magick? Where does it fit into all of this? Let’s face it, as much as we Pagans like to talk about love and light and perfect trust and all the other ideals, the reality of life is very different. Do you think that the witches of old sat around and put up with abuse or persecution of themselve or their families? Of course not. They used the tools they had to protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities. Personally, I hold no reservations about performing magick to this end. Setting wards and protections are one way. Often it is a case of sending back, or mirroring another person’s ill will back on them that achieves this goal. Protection is a way of balancing, of healing and putting right what someone else would put wrong. Seen in this light, protective magick is definitely positive.

You are a witch, by whatever name you call yourself. Eventually others who know this will come to you, wanting you to cast spells for them. Should you? That is up to you entirely. Take into consideration all the aspects of spiritual morality the spell would encompass. Decide if you feel strongly enough to be able to work an effective spell. And then, if it feels good and right, there is nothing to say you shouldn’t. If you are concerned that the situation is being misrepresented to you, or that the spell would cause harm to another, then don’t. A polite “no” is all that is necessary. Magick is not a book or a cup of sugar that you loan out. It is a powerful and effective tool, and caution should always be exercised in wielding it.

If the spell that you are looking to weave is for a positive outcome, if you feel the strong need to perform the magick, if you are able to summon the emotion and knowledge necessary to make it effective.....then you are ready to get to work. In future lessons we will discuss different ways of achieving your magickal ends.

Niamh Mahal