QUESTION - Have you ever been in a rut where it felt like none of your magic is working? If so, how have you dealt with it?
It always just seems like my magic just doesn't work no matter the different ways I try. I don't want to give up, I'm just not sure how to get out of this rut.
ANSWER – I don’t think there is a witch alive who wouldn’t identify with this to some extent or other. Sometimes we feel inspired and motivated and sometimes we don’t. Magic isn’t really that different to any other skill set. I often sit at a blank page and get very frustrated because the ability which I know I have (to write) just isn’t working that day. And the same with magic, sometimes I design a spell that looks great on paper but then turns into a total damp squib when I execute it.
I think that when magic flops it pays to ask yourself a few honest questions. The first thing I consider is how much effort have I actually put into making the magic work. Have I thought through what I want to achieve, am I clear in my own mind what my objectives are? If no, then it is possible a spell is suffering from a lack of direction.
The second thing I look at is how I am approaching the magic. This is a weak area for me. I can go weeks without meditating or doing any of the basics that keep my spiritual strength buoyed up and then expect to step immediately into a complex spell and pull it off with minimum effort. Look at how prepared you are as a magic worker for the spell you want to achieve. Are you at your magical peak or are you flagging, tired, drinking too much alcohol and/caffeine, not sleeping enough and in a spiritual rut? (Which happens to us all). If this is the case then do some work on your foundations and get yourself into the right headspace for working magic.
Look for patterns as to when your magic works well and when it doesn’t. This could be the seasons of the year, the moon cycle, your own menstrual cycle, different times of the day or week. These will differ from witch to witch but if you can get a good handle as to when working magic is best for you then you can start to tailor your work around it. I rarely cast spells late at night for example because I am too tired. I’d prefer to cast in Summer than Winter, I’m fine with alcohol but caffeine gives me a jittery head space and I’d rather save my workings toward the end of the week when I have finished my day job and can give them the attention they deserve. As I say, witches will differ so this is an important part of your individual getting to know you process.
Look at the magic you are attempting. Is it realistic and plausible? Often spells don’t work because they are too linear (Don’t cast X to achieve Y. Magic likes to zig zag around the rest of the alphabet first…). Are you casting spells where you genuinely want the outcome? A lot of hexes flop, for example, because the caster isn’t sufficiently committed to the intention of the planned result.
And finally are you trying too hard? When I sit looking at that blank piece of paper it does me no good to sit there getting agitated. I have a break, go for a walk, look at some nature and come back to it in a different mood. The same thing works for magic. Take a break, come back to it refreshed and look at your spell work with a newly rested attitude.
It always just seems like my magic just doesn't work no matter the different ways I try. I don't want to give up, I'm just not sure how to get out of this rut.
ANSWER – I don’t think there is a witch alive who wouldn’t identify with this to some extent or other. Sometimes we feel inspired and motivated and sometimes we don’t. Magic isn’t really that different to any other skill set. I often sit at a blank page and get very frustrated because the ability which I know I have (to write) just isn’t working that day. And the same with magic, sometimes I design a spell that looks great on paper but then turns into a total damp squib when I execute it.
I think that when magic flops it pays to ask yourself a few honest questions. The first thing I consider is how much effort have I actually put into making the magic work. Have I thought through what I want to achieve, am I clear in my own mind what my objectives are? If no, then it is possible a spell is suffering from a lack of direction.
The second thing I look at is how I am approaching the magic. This is a weak area for me. I can go weeks without meditating or doing any of the basics that keep my spiritual strength buoyed up and then expect to step immediately into a complex spell and pull it off with minimum effort. Look at how prepared you are as a magic worker for the spell you want to achieve. Are you at your magical peak or are you flagging, tired, drinking too much alcohol and/caffeine, not sleeping enough and in a spiritual rut? (Which happens to us all). If this is the case then do some work on your foundations and get yourself into the right headspace for working magic.
Look for patterns as to when your magic works well and when it doesn’t. This could be the seasons of the year, the moon cycle, your own menstrual cycle, different times of the day or week. These will differ from witch to witch but if you can get a good handle as to when working magic is best for you then you can start to tailor your work around it. I rarely cast spells late at night for example because I am too tired. I’d prefer to cast in Summer than Winter, I’m fine with alcohol but caffeine gives me a jittery head space and I’d rather save my workings toward the end of the week when I have finished my day job and can give them the attention they deserve. As I say, witches will differ so this is an important part of your individual getting to know you process.
Look at the magic you are attempting. Is it realistic and plausible? Often spells don’t work because they are too linear (Don’t cast X to achieve Y. Magic likes to zig zag around the rest of the alphabet first…). Are you casting spells where you genuinely want the outcome? A lot of hexes flop, for example, because the caster isn’t sufficiently committed to the intention of the planned result.
And finally are you trying too hard? When I sit looking at that blank piece of paper it does me no good to sit there getting agitated. I have a break, go for a walk, look at some nature and come back to it in a different mood. The same thing works for magic. Take a break, come back to it refreshed and look at your spell work with a newly rested attitude.
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