What does "tweaking" a spell mean?

QUESTION - I've read on another site, 'Traditional Witch.net' that people say they weave a spell then if it's going of course they tweak it… or that they do magic all day long. I have only just found this path so I'm not sure which either means as I have only read Wiccan books which are very structured… with 5 children I don't find time to be structured… please could you help me with this. Thank you.

ANSWER - Hi, I am well acquainted with the site you mention and it’s actually in my opinion one of the most credible and intelligent sites discussing witchcraft on the internet. However it is important to remember that it is a community and as with any community there are differing views and opinions. What you have read will be the views of some witches certainly but will not reflect the views of all the witches as a collective.

I’ll come on to the idea of structure in a minute but first we will have a look at what is meant by tweaking a spell. It is a common practise to “check and test” any magic put in place and then make amendments as time goes by. Think of making a casserole for dinner. You’ll put the basics in first – meat and veg – but then you’ll taste it, add a little salt, some more herbs, a little more wine… and gradually you will “tweak” the meal until it reaches your specifications. It’s a similar thing with magic – a witch will establish the primary need and the focus of her intent but overtime she may increase the energy she puts into the spell, include more people in the intended outcome or use other areas of craft to support the spell.

Some spells do not lend themselves to tweaking – some spells are simple and performed with a simple intended outcome. It is workings that play out over a longer time frame that may be adjusted on occasion to keep them running to plan and in accordance with the desire of the individual witch performing the magic.
In terms of witches who structure their lives to do magic all day long – there may be a few but I have very seldom met anyone who devotes that much time to spell crafting. There have been discussions on the particular site you mention in relation to the fact that a witch is a witch 24/7 but this does not imply he/she is actively involved in practising magic during all their waking hours. I think the discussion relates more to the fact that being a witch is not something a person switches on and on. I do not decide to be a witch for a couple of hours a day, I am a witch all the time, I choose to practise witchcraft when I have a need to.
That said, magic need not always involve full and formal ritual. Witches who confirm they cast daily may be referring to a nod here, a sprinkle there, a blow on a dandelion in the breeze… Witchcraft is incorporated seamlessly into the life of a witch and his/her success is not dependent on how much time they put into it but in how effective they are at blending their craft with the demands of the mundane world. There is no such thing as a person not having time to be a witch – there is such a thing as a person not thinking creatively enough about how to incorporate magic and craft into the life they are already living.
Instead of thinking about changes you need to make and the time you don’t have to set aside to make them, think about what you already do and how those things can be tweaked to embrace your craft. A drop of oil in the washing machine to bless the children’s clothes? A stir in the dinner and a word to the Gods (if you believe in deity) to protect your family. Your own cleaning mixture to cleanse the aura of your home as well as the physical shell? Collecting pine cones with the children to hang from your windows to teach them about nature…

​I think you would be doomed to failure if you decide in your own mind that being a witch is something you have to devote hours that you don’t have to pursue it. Your success on this path will come from making minor “tweaks” here and there to the things you already do and learning to reinterpret and re-evaluate those daily tasks from the perspective of your craft.

Image http://www.deviantart.com/art/Magic-186200188

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