Magical practice is centered around energy. The components of every spell holds a specific energy that is geared to a specific aspect of an outcome you want to create. As we work the spell we are blending or weaving those energies/ aspects together. As our body is doing this work on the physical plane, our soul is mirroring this act on the energetic/ spiritual plane, and the end result is the success of our spell. However, if we are doing the work on the physical side, but not not believing or having confidence in the outcome/ our ability, then it is not doing the work on the soul/energy side. Thus you may get no results or just minor surface level ones.

Spiritual practices are much the same. If we are going through the motions on the physical side – prayers, offerings, altars, studying – but we are thinking from a place of skepticism, of doubt, then your results are going to reflect that. You may get a surface level connection or vague interaction, but you will not experience the depth of what is possible.

In my observations and experiences with others, the biggest issue I see comes in the form of lack of confidence and lack of self trust.

What comes next are some stories that explains what I am really talking about.

Story 1

I mentored a woman who had been actively practicing magic for about 8 years. Over those years she had studied and tried several different traditions trying to find one that worked for her. She followed the instructions other gave in books. She did the spells and rituals just as others had told to her to – including the specific ingredients, words, and actions. Going through all the motions they told her to.

In the beginning she was excited and hopeful. Still skiddish as many new people are – afraid to make a mistake- but hopeful. She got some results but they were minor in her opinion and could be chalked up to coincidence. She wasn’t having any of the experiences others talked about. She wasn’t getting the results others kept saying they were getting, and she started to wonder if the problem was her – was she just not a magical person?

By the time she reached out to me, I saw two big problems – the deep self doubt, but also the approach which is what was fueling the doubt.

First she needed a perspective change. Sounds easy but shifting a perspective seems to be really hard for a lot of people. Many people seek security and security means familiar, tried and true methods. The problem with this approach to magic is that if you are not connected to the components/ energies you are working with on a personal level, you won’t be able to weave or blend them in a way that illicit their full potential. It has to get personal.

I told her to stop looking at what everyone else was saying and instead listen to herself – what she was feeling.

A spell is calling for rosemary because the author of the spell sees that as energy of their ancestors, thus it represents ancestor energy in the spell. A person from another culture or geographic area though may see a different plant that represents that energy for them. If they do the spell with rosemary as the spell states, it probably will not be strong or worse yet, not work at all because that energy does not represent that aspect of the spell for them. However, if they switch the rosemary with the plant that does hold that energy/ representation for them, it will strengthen and most likely work for them.

This is why it is so important to use things that hold those deep representations for us. If we see a particular plant, color, stone, etc in a certain way – then that is how it is going to act in your spell work. That association is rooted in your mind and it will be the energy your soul is weaving on an energetic level because of that. When looking at a spell or ritual, it is not about following instructions. It is breaking it down into its elements, understanding what each tool or material is representing in that spell. Then taking those aspects and substituting your own ingredients/ associations.

She was weary but we some spent time altering a couple of spells she was really wanting to do. After she tried them she was getting excited again. It wasn’t huge yet but she was definitely feeling them and seeing more movement with them. Her physical and spiritual sides were becoming aligned in the mind, which is what produced solid results for her. It would take awhile for her to really come into her power, but the more she did, the more confidence she gained, the less doubt she felt, and the more aligned she became.

It can take some time and practice to be able to pick apart and see all the various aspects. Going through the process though will also help you to start developing your own spells and rituals. You will start to get the flow of the different energies that are combined for different types of effects, and then be able to apply that knowledge to your own creations.

You will falter – mistakes will happen – but we learn from mistakes, makes alterations, and find solutions. Magical practice is cunning work – and it requires a cunning mind – which is what this practice develops.

(*Disclaimer: Hemopathic/ Herbalism is different. You are talking about plant/ natural medicine and if not careful you could end someone. Here recipes should be researched well and then followed.)

Story 2

I worked with a person who had searched for spiritual connection his whole life. No matter what he seemed to try, he still felt everything was silent for him. When I brought up meditation/ trance work he got really frustrated. He had tried so many techniques but could not “clear his mind” the way everyone seemed to tell him to.

So I had him try the mala technique which I detailed out in an article here. Focus on the task and let your mind wander if it wants to. Stop trying to control the flow.

Within a few days he was starting to feel something, a comforting presence. It would take some more time before he was able to really get into a trance state and have mystical experiences. He is still working, still going deeper, but for the first time he was experiencing the thing he had been looking for. He started to trust himself and what he was experiencing because he was actually experiencing it.

Once he stopped trying to force what he thought meditation was supposed to be, learned a simple technique to help him retrain his brain to reach that state, and he started to feel something – he started to gain confidence in his own ability to connect. The more confidence he gained the bigger results he got.

Story 3

A person brand new to the magical world approach me. They were overwhelmed by all the various options and directions they could take. Many people had suggested where they should begin but they still felt overwhelmed. On top of everything else, the fear mongering “rules” and doing something wrong was setting in.

So I had her start with connecting to the Ancestral soul. Something that was already a part of her, that held a great wealth of knowledge and experience from all the lives it has led. There is nothing to fear here because it is the ancestral soul’s best interest for you to thrive and succeed – because it is a part of you and your knowledge and experience will be added to it.

We talked for awhile about what the Ancestral Soul was, how it moves, and how there is also science behind the concept. Then I gave her a ritual  to help bring the ancestral soul to the surface, to the conscious mind. It is simple but it shifts the focus of the mind and allows those memories/ voices to come forward – to be experienced.

I had her create a self altar that would start off as representations of her, and then adding in things over time that represented aspects that the ancestral soul revealed to her. This is really useful for focusing on the things she wanted to draw into her life, self magic, and also giving space to honor all the souls that were a part of her – all the lives previously lived.

I also had her get a very specific tarot deck – The Dreams of Gaia – that is the perfect deck to have conversations with the soul and do shadow work with. It is unlike other decks, and the meanings of each card is really unique. Then I started having her use them to start conversations with her ancestral soul. If you are needing some ideas or don’t know how to start these conversations you can watch This Video and it gives some tips and examples.

By connecting with her ancestral soul, she was able to quickly develop her own gifts and psychic clairs. Within a week or so her clairauidence started to kick in. It was just short one or two words, and over time grew to full messages. As she branched out to connecting to other spirits/ Deities she had a good grasp on how to learn directly from them. It helped her to identify what aspects she was really drawn to and what she wanted to study next – aligned with her natural abilities because they are part of what is passed by ancestral soul.

This process gave her real, tangible results for herself. She was able to get a few stories that she was able to confirm through historical records and newspapers. All of this boosting her self confidence, and learning to trust the messages she was getting and the experiences she was having. Because of this strong self confidence, when she moved into other magical practices, she did so with a lot more strength and power.

In The End

Confidence and trusting yourself is crucial. It is also one of the hardest things to do because we are conditioned to doubt without hard core scientific standard proof. It is easy to explain away our magical and spiritual experiences if we try hard enough. We compare our experiences to others and if they are not the same or as fantastical, then the problem must be with us – right?

What works for one person is not going to work for all people. This also means we may still get an effect but it is not as strong or great as what others said. We all have our own associations, ways we interact or view things such as a certain plant or color. To get the greatest effect and deepest power, it has to align with how we see and feel those elements. Our physical acts must also align with how our mind perceives it, in order for the soul to weave it.

Be bold – Do not be afraid to change and alter things. To create from your own feelings and following your own intuition – it is there for a reason. Get inspiration from a others, but create your own path.

Trust yourself – Trust the direction your intuition is pulling you. Trust that even if you make a mistake along the way, you will learn from it and discover something new.

Trust your experiences – They are not going to match up to others because you are not them. Embrace the experiences you have and trust in them. They are yours.

Be results based – If you get results, then this is what matters. It doesn’t matter if what you did does not look like what someone taught you – it is getting real results that matter.

All of these perspectives will naturally strengthen your confidence. Your confidence will allow you to access your deepest power and abilities. That power will bring forth the big results you are looking for.

The Giveaway

I am giving two free spots for the next Death’s Emissary: Death Doula Course!

All you have to do is email oracle@365witch.com – tell me why you want to take this course – your magical/ spiritual background – what you hope to gain through this process.

All emails will need to be entered by March 31^st. I will notify the winners by April 8^th via email.

For a full details of the course, including class schedule go HERE

*All classes and Live weekly Q&A’s are recorded and stored on our private server for participants to access at any time throughout the course. This way, any schedule conflicts do not hinder your personal growth and learning. I also make myself available to all students for one-on-one sessions throughout the year.