One develops instincts in magickal workings done over time. Just as a golfer or an archer can tell by the 'feel' of their posture whether they are 'on target' or not, so can seasoned occultists and magickal practitioners 'feel' if the conditions for their workings are right. As the ball or arrow springs from the sportsman or woman, they often can tell right away if they have made a good shot or missed the mark even before the projectile gets anywhere near the goal. This special insight doesn't happen overnight but is the culmination of many years of dedicated and continuing practice and attention to detail. 'Close enough' is a phrase not spoken by serious sportsmen and women and those words shouldn't ever escape from between the lips of anyone serious about magic(k) either. Trained athletes and trained adepts make what they do look easy, but it is only because they have paid their dues with time, dedication, and energy that it seems so. Anyone serious about developing their magic(k)al talents and skills needs to know up front that there is no shortcut. But the rewards that eventually do come to those who are disciplined enough to stay focused upon their goal are well worth all of the effort.
And the pain. If Wren had known how sore that she would be for the three days after her first archery lesson, she still would have gone for it. But it would have been nice to know ahead of time that using some of those muscles in her arms and ribcage and neck for the first time and in entirely different ways was going to make her feel as if she had an anchor tied to each finger for several days. Ouch!
So here's your Wyld Witch Word to the Wise on that subject: A beginner in magickal workings should recognize that he or she is using certain spiritual 'muscles' for the first time and in entirely different ways. Headaches, vision distortions, equilibrium disturbances, and general physical and mental fatigue may follow your first practice sessions and can reoccur anytime one attempts a new line of magickal or occult training. Sometimes one can 'work through' these 'pains', but sometimes one really needs to ease off and rest those 'muscles' before attempting the next session. It's up to you, but at least now you know that those 'sore spots' in your after-magick psyche are not just your imagination. And neither is that 'little voice' that tells you when the timing for something is right.
The Universe is the original and ultimate 'open source'. Its supplies are unlimited and available to those who know how to access them. That is what has always made Witches unique. They know and they can feel threads of energy within the fabric of the Universe that others do not. They are not surprised when what they have on their psychic 'wish list' comes their way. Although sometimes the delicious and creative 'way' that these spells/projections travel astounds even them.
In her weekly phone call with her mother-in-law yesterday, Wren and Georgia were just chatting about family stuff when Georgia -- literally out of the blue and without any mundane knowledge of Wren's current post-it notes on the Universal bulletin board -- asked Wren if she by any chance could use some -- yep, you guessed it -- red leather! It 'happened to be' that someone had just given her an entire cowhide of red leather (Chuckle. That's Wren's fault. She didn't specify the size of the leather piece that she was looking for!) and that she had taken it not because she had any use for it herself but because she figured that maybe 'somebody' else would. Uh-huh. And, oh, by the way, Georgia continued, would Wren 'just happen' to have any use for a staple gun or some pinking shears as well?
Wren, who is still a very patient and a very practical Witch, has seen some pretty amazing things in her lifetime. Some of them, such as the physical healings of friends and family, are the very big things that we often concentrate upon. But it is in the small mundane things of Life where the Universe really shows itself to be truly available to us. And it is in the small things where we come to realize that the Universe has a vested interest in all areas of human activity. Life is as interested in the small things as it is in the large things. We need only to remember that, to ask for them and to then believe that we will receive them.
So, does magick really work? Well, make up your own mind, but Wren is willing to bet her sweet new pair of pinking shears that it does!
Copyright The Witches' Voice, Inc. 1997-2009. Reprinted with permission.
Wren Walker is the co-founder and a frequent contributor to Witchvox.com.
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