Yup, I've seen too many people sit around in their average daily depressing lives and wonder, "what the hell is wrong with me? Why does god hate me??" What should I say to people like that? "No, god doesn't hate you. This is a lesson." Or "No, god loves you and things will turn out better in the end." or..how about "Shut the F@%$ UP and quite your whinning. God didn't do this to you! If you don't like your current situation, get off your @$$ and do something about it and stop wasting my time with your petty complaints!" I'd actually prefer the latter. I used to coddle people with the former comments. "Oh, it's ok, things will turn out." But I've realized, people don't want to do anything for themselves when you do that. They attatch themselves to you and feed off of everything you are. They begin to need you and forget how to live for themselves. When you've done this, you've crippled them and began to live a life for someone else.

It always ticked me off when they'd blame some divine force for their misfortune. They'd never thank god when something good happened, but they sure blamed him when something bad happened. Talk about passing the buck. "It's not me..it's my mother/father/brother/sister/boss." If it's not that it's "It's not MY fault..it's society's fault, they don't want people to succeed/fall in love/be happy." Then it becomes "Why does God hate me!?" Truth is, if god or some divine force hated you, you sure as hell wouldn't be as well off as you are. You'd know why they hated you and you wouldn't have time to sit and feel sorry for yourself.

Now, my solution to a great many things in life is magick. First let's ask some questions as to why I perform magick. Do I do it because it is cool? Do I do it because I want people to like me? Do I do it because I want to be rich? Do I do it because I want power? Do I do it because I think I'll have all my problems solved?

My answer...yes.



Yes, magick is great. It certainly has a lot more alluring aspects than a lot of other practices, but that's not why I practice it. I do it because it helps to solve a lot of my problems in life. I do it because it works for me. Magick isn't a trend, it isn't a fashion, it's a way of life. It's a door that helps to open your life to new opportunities. It's something that defines not what I am..but who. Thus, why it's "cool". Knowing that with hard work and determination, you can help yourself succeed and become a better person.

Now, if you practice constantly and work hard, you can solve your problems with the aid of magick. It's not the only answer. Hard work and determination on your part is needed as well. You can't expect to earn a million dollars sitting on your bum, you have to be willing to put forth some effort on your part. As Julia Cameron said, "I'm praying to catch the bus but I'm also running my @$$ off too!"

A successful magician/witch/necromancer..so on..shouldn't be a poor, weak and hated one. A successful magician has the ability to obtain what s/he wants in life. S/He has the knowledge and ability to be what s/he wants. If s/he is poor and hated, then s/he is not doing his/her work correctly or is just beginning to practice.

Yes, I've seen people who are no where near to magick and are still happy, wealthy, healthy and so on. Great, but who's to say they haven't applied the same principles to thier life that magicians do. Afterall, belief is important. If you believe it will happen, then, without a doubt..it will. Far too many times I've found people who begin to practice ask the question "How do I know it'll work?" Don't worry I've asked that question too. I've worried that some ritual/spell will not be enough to make my problems better. But, after all the turn around I've seen, how can I doubt anymore?

Now, the other misconception I've seen so many times is 'what' to perform. I've seen it in adepts, in authors, in others practitioners and so on. "This type of magick is BETTER than THAT one!" "That spell won't work, it's too..new agey!" "Old magick won't work, it needs to be better adapted for the modern era!" "Wiccan spells won't work..cause I think wiccans are stupid!" "Ceremonial Magick is too stuffy, I get bored halfway through a ritual. It doesn't work!" All of these are the ramblings of people who are either looking to boost their ego or have tried and failed, expecting results within minutes. They are arrogant and blind. Every practice is different for each person. Even CM practitioners work differently from another. Everyone has a different set of rules and practices that each person goes by. One person may not be able to work well nude, but another may feel right at home. As well as another person may not work well going by planetary hours but work better by the phases of the moon alone. Should I tell them they're wrong? What if it works well for them? What if that person is wealthier, healthier, more well liked than I? Do I have any right to tell them what they're doing is wrong?

Hell NO!

The Dalai Lama once said.."If there are 6 billion people in the world, then we should have 6 billion different religions." How true.

I used to listen to people like the above. Constantly worried that what I was doing was wrong. Constantly aware that I was doing something someone would disapprove of. I could hear the disappointed clucking tongues of skeptics and adepts everytime I performed a magickal act. This inhibited me to the point I wouldn't work magick. I became afraid and worried. Then, I got a great word of advice. "F@$& 'EM!" This took a while to sink in and completely take effect, but it did.

This little tid bit of advice was something that changed my life. A good example of this was this last winter. Our neighbors are the managers to our house. Another words, the two and a half feet of lawn that seperates my house from theirs is also their lot as well. They have the ability to snoop on me, spy, and say what they will. Not to mention these people are fundementalist christians who believe EVERY word in the bible to be fact! I can't say anything to these people or else they will evict me. And, if they knew my beliefs, they would either try to convert me or burn me at the stake.

Wrong!

Last winter, they decided to make my driveway into a sledding hill for their children. Did this piss me off? Oh you betcha! But, I didn't say anything. Then, nine oclock at night their 7 year old brat of a son took his sled down the back of my car, putting a huge crack in the windshield. Did I say anything then..not right away. I slept on it. I felt that if I went over right then, I'd strangle them..so I waited. Nine in the morning, I walked over and banged on thier door. I looked that 4 1/2" woman in the eyes and began to tell her how pissed I was...(I'm 5'7" and have dark expressive eyebrows that have a habit of giving off the wrong impression of my disposition..another words, you could TELL I was irate.). Did this solve my problems? No, she walked back into her house and told me that if they plowed our driveway again, we'd have to compensate them!

Now, this is where magick came in. I'm absolutely livid and am thinking about strangling this woman and her son, but I don't say that. I quietly pray to myself that she would open her eyes to what happened. I also wanted an apology.

Later that night, she came over with her son and a nicely written note by him. Stating how sorry he was and how he wouldn't touch my things or my property again. As for her, she apologized as well, obviously feeling guilty.

Yes, it was a small prayer, but in my angered state I had enough emotion to push it through. I find anger to be a great vehicle for magick...that is, if you can control it. I've been so irate at someone and in the heat of my anger I've wished nothing but happiness upon them. I knew better, I also knew that what ever I wanted to happen at that moment would. Not only that, but wishing ill upon them would worsen the matter at hand. In truth, this person is now happier and has made my life much happier as well. This is a hard act to do, specially if you're mad. But, I'm not only a taurean, I'm excesively calm and have a great control of my anger. There have been people who've known me for years and haven't seen me angry. They believe it's because I bottle things up..but truth is, I can control my anger. I have greater uses for it than spouting complaints and irate banting.

Anger, isn't the only thing that works for me, and it necessarially isn't the best. But, it's a tool. You know when you've come far into your magick when you can find anything to be a tool. Emotion works great..thus why we have them. Learn to control them and you can use the influx of energy as a vehicle for any need you want.

Also, what works well is having a clear defined idea of what you want. Having a proper vision of the outcome can help you make it come true. Saying, "I want love" isn't good enough. But saying.."I want the love of a wo/man in a friendship and also a romantic setting. " Works much better. I've talked to people who've asked for something and have gotten what they've asked for, but they aren't happy with it. So I asked..."what is it that you want?" More often than not they give a broad and vague definition. They honestly, don't know what it is they want. They just know they want something along those lines. Thus why visualizing your outcome is great. Take the time to figure out what you want in life and what you don't. When you can make somewhat of a mission statement of your future self that's more indepth than, I want to be happy, you will succeed farther. After all, you may wish for happiness, and get it, but you may only get it for a few minutes..or be completely poor. You have to be able to see yourself in the future. As you go, write them down so that when you do perform magick you have a clear understanding of what it is you want. Be surprised at the results that 5 minutes of contemplating can do!

Well...I guess that's enough for now. I always hate ending these things, I can never figure out a great note to end on. But, my husbands English grandmother had the greatest saying..."TTFN..tata for now."