{"id":1252,"date":"2017-07-07T06:05:13","date_gmt":"2017-07-06T20:05:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/hearthwitchdownunder\/?p=1252"},"modified":"2018-01-24T13:30:51","modified_gmt":"2018-01-24T03:30:51","slug":"witch-hates-spells","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/hearthwitchdownunder\/2017\/07\/witch-hates-spells.html","title":{"rendered":"The Witch Who Hates Spells"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Reading through Tempests post, Magick is not a Band-Aid Fix<\/a> I was struck by one of her first statements.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven as a teenager, I was more interested in books on mythology and folklore than those focusing on spellcraft. \u00a0History, theory, practice, culture: all day long please. \u00a0Modern books on spells? Nope.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I stopped reading for a moment as I thought to myself, Yes! This.\u00a0 Exactly! Gods how I hate spellbooks!\u00a0 They\u2019re all, gather this coloured candle, and this type of crystal, and this oil or incense or herb (or all three) and this thing and that thing and then sit in a circle that you drew with salt mixed with sugar and unicorn tears and chant these ridiculous words.\u00a0 End your spell with, So mote it be, but no you don\u2019t get to know why you have to say that, and then go about your day \u2013 pretending you did something worthwhile.<\/p>\n

I may have an issue with the more common type of spellcraft that exists.\u00a0 Perhaps.<\/p>\n

\"it's
public domain via Max Pixel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I Used to do Spells<\/h2>\n

I, like probably every witch ever, of course tried doing those typical spells you find in those awful books.\u00a0 I would gather all the materials, set aside a time \u2013 often based on the day of the week or moon phase \u2013 and read the chant or poem or whatever in a stilted voice.<\/p>\n

And my Gods but did I always feel like a complete idiot.<\/p>\n

When you feel awkward, stupid, foolish and idiotic you are not going to be pushing any intent or will into the spell.\u00a0 Which of course means only one thing \u2013 the spell isn\u2019t going to work.\u00a0 It kind of messes with your witchy confidence when your spells never work.\u00a0 I suppose I can only be glad I never pushed enough will into any of those spells to have them backfire on me.<\/p>\n

So those spells, for me, are basically just playacting.\u00a0 It\u2019s funny too, because the physical actions of chanting and lighting candles and such are also part of my current Hellenic and Hekatean rituals \u2013 but I don\u2019t feel foolish doing those.\u00a0 I think the difference is to do with intent \u2013 the rituals are about communication, while spells are about releasing will.\u00a0 Chanting and the like are handy for the communication, but they get in the way of my will.<\/p>\n

No More Spells<\/h2>\n

I can\u2019t say when it happened, my memory isn\u2019t that great and keeping track of time is something I am terrible at now, but at some point I realised I shouldn\u2019t do spells.\u00a0 At least, not the typical style of spells that are in so many witchy books.\u00a0 I would say it\u2019s been at least 10 years since I tried one of those spells though.<\/p>\n

In point of fact, I don\u2019t even like the word \u201cspell\u201d anymore.\u00a0 Hearing or reading the word just conjures up images of weirdos in oversized robes, chanting \u201cooga booga\u201d, waggling their fingers all mysteriously and flinging glitter everywhere.\u00a0 I know this isn\u2019t how real witches actually do it \u2013 well, most of the time \u2013 but that doesn\u2019t stop my mind from conjuring up that image.<\/p>\n

I get why some people need, or like, to do these sort of spells.\u00a0 Some people really like all the ritualism of spellcraft and that\u2019s cool.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s just not for me, not anymore.\u00a0 Not if I want to have any sort of success as a witch.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s a Witch to Do?<\/h2>\n

So, if there are none of the typical spells to do, then what do I do as a witch?<\/p>\n

As I wrote about earlier this week<\/a>, when I first decided I was a witch I didn\u2019t know anything about modern witchcraft \u2013 not even that it existed.\u00a0 So I just made it up as I went along.\u00a0 As I wrote it, I was a rudimentary wild witch \u2013 and that is how I am now.<\/p>\n

I am of course a Hearth Witch, but the thing about Hearth Witchery is that it is a bit wild and rudimentary.\u00a0 There isn\u2019t any formal sort of craft we follow, there isn\u2019t a specific set of things we must do and follow.\u00a0 The whole point of our craft is that we adapt and make things up.\u00a0 Don\u2019t have an athame to hand? Grab a steak knife.\u00a0 Don\u2019t have a special goblet for representing water? Use a shot glass, no one cares.\u00a0 Don\u2019t have a special altar space? Use the kitchen bench!<\/p>\n

Hearth Witchery suits me perfectly because I can do the most mundane thing and turn it into magic, by infusing my will into the action.\u00a0 There are no special chants or correspondences of crystals and herbs and oils when it comes to making magic while sweeping, cooking, scrubbing and the like \u2013 well okay, maybe with cooking and herbs.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s More To Witchcraft Than Spells<\/h2>\n

Witchcraft is so much more than casting spells.\u00a0 Though I suppose it depends on what one defines as a spell \u2013 but as I mentioned above, the very word conjures up certain images for me, so changing definitions isn\u2019t going to help.<\/p>\n

Other than Hearth Witchery, there are many types of non-spell witch magics one can perform.\u00a0 Sigil magic is a favourite of mine, and generally relies on concentration and a bit of drawing and thinking.\u00a0 Knot magic is another of my favourite methods, and it relies on very little at all \u2013 though chanting is often part of it, the chanting tends to have a different feel to it than typical spells do.<\/p>\n

There is the creation of potions, brews, lotions and even those dry mixes like black salt.\u00a0 There is the use of your body, in dance and other forms of movement to release your will.\u00a0 There is singing, whether by rote or improvised, to release your will verbally without a boring chant.\u00a0 There is the power of writing or drawing your magic and releasing it however you choose.<\/p>\n

And then there is the type of witchcraft where you don\u2019t do anything at all \u2013 or so it seems.\u00a0 Where the magic is happening inside of you, but you don\u2019t use any sounds, any trappings, any movement, anything at all except your mind.\u00a0 An outside observer can watch you and see you doing nothing at all, but inside you there is something massive happening.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Spells are perhaps the most notable thing about witchcraft \u2013 other than pointy hats, flying brooms and bubbling cauldrons of course.\u00a0 But it\u2019s possible to be a witch, an effective witch, without casting spells.\u00a0 And thank the Gods for that \u2013 because I\u2019d be the worst witch in the world if spells were a necessity.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I would gather all the materials, set aside a time … read the chant or poem or whatever in a stilted voice. And my Gods but did I always feel like a complete idiot.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2764,"featured_media":1253,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46,61,70],"tags":[32,19,102,138,23,60,59],"class_list":["post-1252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-personal","category-practice","category-witchcraft101","tag-paganism","tag-personal","tag-personal-practice","tag-practice","tag-rituals","tag-witch","tag-witchcraft"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Witch Who Hates Spells<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I would gather all the materials, set aside a time ... read the chant or poem or whatever in a stilted voice. 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