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To: alt.paranormal.spells.hexes.magic,alt.magick,alt.occult.methods,alt.magick
From: catherine yronwode 
Subject: Re: Questions.
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 08:50:29 GMT

On Mon, 22 Jul 2002 02:14:13 -0500, sober  wrote in
message :
 
> do spells and the sorts really work? 

Sometimes spells work, sometimes they do not. Sometimes prayers roduce
results. Sometimes they do not. Nothing is infallible. Death is
inevitable. What we do with our lives is a matter of as much choice as
we can muster, given the limitations of genetics, circumstance, and
hapenstance. 

Some of us find pleasure and fulfillment in the practice of religion,
magic, occultism, and/or mysticism. Others of us do not. 

You have wandered into a group of people who practice magic -- but how
each of us *defines* magic is left to the individual. 

> like are there facts that back 
> up the fact that they actually work or is it all just couincidence. 

Do some experiments for yourself and see what your results are. Keep a
record of what you did, how you felt while doing it, and how it turned
out. 

Some people may be / seem to be / claim to be more "gifted" at
performing works of magic than others -- for them, success seems to come
early and easy and they continue the practice. 

For others, this is not the case and after long struggles, they may fro
the practice of magic. 

The same is true of mathematics, of sports, of farming, of cookery --
some of these skills and arts come early and easy to one person and not
to another -- some people may never excel at certain of these skills and
arts. 

Your *interest* in magic will carry you part of the way. Your natural
gifts may make even the early stages meaningful and successful to you.
or you may not be naturally gifted and may find your way through dogged
persistence. Or you may find the entire venture useless and unproductive
to your develoment. 

Give it a try and see what happens to you. 

Every perosn's story is unique. Only you can live your life story. 

> and if they do work if done right, how come everyone doesnt use 
> them.

Some people have no interest in the subject. Some people come from
cultures where magic is not valued. Some people belong to religions
which actively oppose magic. 

If vegetables are so good for you, why doesn't everyone eat them? 

If marijuana is so bad for you, why do so many people smoke it?

If war is so evil, why do so many people become soldiers?

If tv is so attractive, why do so many people refuse to watch it? 

The answer to all of these questions is this: People have free will and
they make choices consistent with their interests, desires, emotional
states, skill-sets, and the circumstances which put them into convenient
proximity or keep them at an inconvenient distance from with various
mental concepts and physical objects. 

> and is there anything that states you have to have a certin religion
> to write a book of shadows or make spells work? 

Spell-casting and other forms of magical work, such as divination ot
augery, spirit communications, astral travel, and the like are found in
virtually every culture and in virtually every religious group. No one
religion can claim them. 

> like could you be an athiest for example and have spells work? 

Yes, you could be an atheist and a mage. But you don't have to be. 

> it all seems too good to betrue, for lack of a better term... 

Perhaps it seems "too good to be true" to you because you have an
inflated idea about the practrice of magic from the persective of movies
or tv shows? 

In actuality, magic is not a cure-all for problems, but it is a way of
working with subtle energies, with the natural virtues of plants and
stones, with spirits, with -- well, with as many different forms of
non-ordinary relaity as there are schools of magic, i suppose! 

> but i have an open mind and would like more information on the 
> entire subject.

There are so many different cultural traditions in which magic is a
factor that there is no one source that could teach your everything
about "the entire subject." 

A good introductory book that outlines many of the types of magic, so
that you can set your sights for closer examination of what most
interests you, is "Practice of Magic" by Draja Mickaharic. It explains
in easy, simple terms the various types of magic found in numerous
cultures and provides pointers toward more specialized books on each
area of magic. It is abvailable through amazon.com. 

> i also would like some decent information on creating my own book of
> shadows and / or whare i might be able to buy a nicely crafted book.
> im not having any luck with google =(

The type of book generally used for the purpose of housing a
hand-written spell collection, a ceremonial magical diary, or a book of
shadows is called a "blank journal" in the book trade. 

Put the two words "blank journal" in quotation marks as shown here when
searching at google -- and you will find hundreds of lovely blank
journals for sale. My search turned up 2,500 web pages mentioning or
selling blank journals. 

Good luck, 

cat yronwode 

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